 |
   
   
|
3. Iodine  
Once upon a time, a little yellow duck falls in love
with a sad-eyed prince, and is given a magical pendant that turns her into a human girl, Ahiru. Now an
awkward ballet student, Ahiru must use the pendant to transform into the lovely Princess Tutu, and return
the missing pieces of her beloved Mytho's shattered heart. However, she also has to contend with his
dancing partner, Rue, and his sinister friend Fakia, who want Mytho to stay heartless. Princess Tutu is
one of the most brilliant "magical girl" shows in years. A deceptively simple battle-of-the-week
formula and borrowed themes from classical ballets,
are used to spin an intoxicating tale of love,
sacrifice, destiny, and hope. The fantastic setting
is marvelously realized with all sorts of fun
fairy-tale flourishes, as a talking cat teaches
ballet, and living marionettes give cryptic advice.
There is no feeling of the affected sweetness that
many other girls' programs suffer from, and the writing is consistently charming and intelligent.
Though often humorous, the strength of the show is in its exhilarating drama, that examines both
the relationships of its characters and the
constraints of the world they are made to inhabit.
Though the soft character designs and sillier gags are
aimed at youngsters, the layers of symbolism and the
progressively darker tone of the latter half of the
show are likely meant for older viewers. Various pieces of classical music have been appropriated for
the score, and light vocals frame the credits. References to countless ballets and operas also add
considerable depth and background, particularly when the story reaches the heights of its impressive
dramatics. Each of the major characters manages to undergo more transformations than we might expect of
them, and our heroine, Ahiru, tops them all. Clumsy and doubtful, yet ever undaunted, she's one of the
most irresistible magical girls that has ever come out of anime, even if she really is a duck.
|
| 2. Neko
Tsukimi 
There isn't much I can say about Princess Tutu other
than that it is beautiful in every way. The characters are just a great mix of
evil, innocence, playfulness, and goodness. Ahiru is a great character overall.
She's your average girl and you can see her grow throughout the series from an
ugly duckling to a beautiful swan. You can feel her emotions as she's very honest
with her feelings even though her curse prevents her from being so. One
of the attractive features of Princess Tutu is the music. It is all wonderful
classical music from popular ballets such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake,
and Coppelia to name a few. The music goes along well with the story which
is taken from the stories of several classic ballets as well as fairy tales which
fans of fairy tales should enjoy as they see their favourite fairy tales retold
with the characters of Princess Tutu. Finally,
the visuals also are gorgeous. It all seems to be a fantasy that sparkles gently.
The colour scheme is wonderful. The colours are a bit darkened but they retain
their vibrance throughout. The whole combination of music, characters, story,
and visuals go together to make a series that is a must-see for just about everyone
and one that will linger on the hearts of whomever views it for years to come. |
| 1. Tempy
Once upon a time a little duck named Ahiru (which means duck
in Japanese) saw prince Mytho dancing near the lake. But his dance was one of
sadness and filled with pain. She vows to help the prince any which way she can,
and has her wish granted by the mysterious Drosselmeyer. As a regular school girl
she can get close to Mytho who had his heart broken into several pieces, but only
when she transforms into Princess Tutu can she help him out with her ballet dancing. While
the premise of a magical girl ballerina anime seems ludicrous at first, Princess
Tutu manages to mix mahou shoujo (without falling into the usual mahou shoujo
clichés!), fairy tales, ballet and classical music extremely well. The
story is many fairy tales in one, cleverly weaving reality and fantasy together
and adding several layers to its construction. There is pain, sadness, and suffering,
but these are countered with humor, cuteness and sweetness. The humor can be downright
hilarious at times, and the characters are both intriguing and charming while
also suffering from tragedy and multiple personalities. Ahiru
is our main heroine, a rather bumbling girl, in love with Mytho and determined
to save him, but struggling with the fact that's she's merely a duck. Her voice
is very unique, having a distinct duck-like sound to it. Seiyuu Nanae Katou
makes it very believable that this is what a duck-turned-girl would sound like.
Mytho is at first an emotionless being; each missing
piece of his heart represents a certain emotion. As Tutu returns those pieces
to him, Mytho gains those emotions, but without the right balance he becomes an
emotional wreck, an easy prey and puppet. Rue and
Fakir round out the main cast. Rue claims Mytho for herself, but a boy who doesn't
know what love is, isn't exactly the ideal boyfriend. Fakir seeks to be the knight
who protects the prince, but he eventually finds a different strength in him.
It's enjoyable how Mytho, Rue and Fakir go through some rather extreme changes,
their relationship towards Ahiru constantly changing. The supporting cast is also
a joy to behold - some of them being anthropomorphic in the spirit of fairy tales. The
production values are nothing but exquisite. The art is very pretty, with the
character designs done by the same person responsible for Magic User's Club.
Dramatic scenes are often theatrical, where the characters are highlighted with
spotlights while the surroundings are darkened. The use of well known classical
tunes accentuates the show perfectly, while the story themes from those operas
appear in the anime itself. Though there are some fillerish episodes, most of
the story in Princess Tutu meshes together brilliantly, progressing swiftly,
and culminating in several climaxes. It's a true joyous and magical moment when
the story, music, and animation comes together in a whirling spectacle of love
and beauty. |
| 
 |
