Shamanic Princess

5 reviews - 21.5 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (4.3)

5. Iodine

Somewhere in the glorious excesses of visual style that set Shamanic Princess apart from other girls' shows, there's a fairly average fantasy story about a young sorceress named Tiara, who is forced to hunt down her lover, Kagetsu, for stealing an object of great power. Though set mostly in a verdant European town of unspecified nationality, Tiara and her Partner, Japolo, come from an alternate world steeped in magic, and use highly ritualized craft. Elaborate, breathtaking spells and transformations give the action scenes some real kick, as Tiara finds herself fighting a rival sorceress, Lena, who sides with Kagetsu against her. The story serves the visuals for the most part, and has all the usual earmarks of your typical fantasy romance. Fortunately, the series is short enough to keep the angst from being too overwhelming. A good amount of bickering between Tiara and Jacopo also helps to lighten the mood.

The show's fantasy concepts are brought to life in dazzlingly ornate designs and animation so full and fluid, it's mesmerizing to watch. The style is definitely in the tradition of previous magical-girl-type series, particularly the gigantic eyes and huge hairstyles of the female characters. The writing, likewise, makes no effort to deny exactly who all the pretty boys and pretty battle costumes are meant to entertain. With its darker themes and intense action, however, it's definitely not for the kiddies. In a strange production twist, the last two episodes of the OAV are actually a prequel to the other four, though it's probably best to watch them in the existing sequence.

4. Konoha

This show just starts and leaves you wondering - the director did this in Outlaw Star, too. However, it's like a mystery, figuring things out, deciphering characters actions from small bits of dialogue, but mainly the facial expressions. The animation and music were gorgeous, and the last two episodes, the prequel arc, had one of the most tragic characters I've seen in anime. The scene between Grahmn and Tiara in the library is absolutely haunting. I'm quoting my sister on this one: "Shamanic Princess is what magical girl shows grow up to be."

3. Tempy

Watching Shamanic Princess was a mixed experience. While the designs (except maybe the huge eyes, I had to get used to them at first) and animation are excellent, the story in the first 4 episodes seemed contrived. The characters seemed to have very arduous relationships with each other, and the enemy character was especially annoying, constantly spouting irrelevant philosophical garbage. The music and sound effects ranged from pretty bad (battle sequences) to pretty good (opening and both ending songs). The plot puts the viewer right in the middle of things and slowly reveals more of the plot with constant flashbacks. While there were some very interesting scenes, I was left with an unsatisfying feeling after watching the first 4 episodes. The last 2 episodes are actually a prequel, revealing more of the story, and were very enjoyable because they made more sense and contained excellent dramatic scenes. Overall I'd say I enjoyed it, but the next time I'll watch the last 2 episodes first.

2. Jeneki

Shamanic Princess is a great example of everything I find cool about anime. It has an original plot, interesting characters, exciting action sequences, and attractive character designs. It's got enough eye-candy to please casual viewers, enough unique elements to please old-timers, and enough heart-shaped cleavage to please that crowd. The world of Shamanic Princess is very surrealistic and fresh; it's a visual treat in and of itself. The story is a little hard to follow at first, but it all comes together by the end. Some of the episodes end at some really inconvenient times with extreme cliffhangers; it had me mashing on my remote to get to the next episode quickly as possible. Don't miss this one.

1. weasl

Although confusing at first, Shamanic Princess was a great deal of fun to watch. The first four episodes contain the main story arc, while the final two contain the prequel story. This makes for some confusion as when episode one starts you are given no real introduction to the world, or the relationships between the main characters. That aside, Shamanic Princess was great. The animation was beautiful, and some of the spell effects where gorgeous. Recommended.