Princess Principal

From James Bond to the Bourne Identity and John Wick, there is always a point in one's life when we've been intrigued by the mysterious, meticulous, and romantic nature of the cinematic spy. However, anime writers always have a way of answering the questions that nobody ever asks--- “What if spies, like James Bond, were replaced with… lolis?” "Thrilling." In an unusual twist, they created this interesting anime, where a wide array of political spying and assassinating ends up being left in the hands of a group of young schoolgirls (most of whom, actually have legitimate spy training.) If you were expecting a kiddy girl slice oflife drama, you will not find that here. This is a rather well-thought-out spy series that happens to have young girls as the protagonists. Story: 7/10 One of the great things about this story is how unusual it is for the anime genre. Princess Principal take you on a journey with unusual young girls as they conduct espionage, all types of spy work, and even engage in assassinations. Under the guise of being students, these young spies are given orders by their superiors that must be completed at all costs, including one’s own life. It features a wide array of character personalities, most of whom are unique. The political climate is unique at this point of the story, as it is a sci-fi enhanced version of 19th-century England. In this setting, steam and coal often powered various mechanical devices. The queen of the nation, who is also a loli and a friend of the spies, is more of a figurehead than a person with actual power and various factions are in the process of deciding whether to either help or dispose of her. How will the girls carry out these difficult missions? What, if anything, will happen to the queen? Which factions will align themselves with who? What would happen if they are given an order that they can’t or don’t want to complete? Find out by watching the show~ The story initially presents itself as episodic, as most anime spy shows do. The pacing is pretty good, but there is nothing that really felt profound about this series. The storytelling is very good, but it is still relatively bland and lacking profound qualities. Overall I think the story is pretty good and deserves a 7/10. Characters: 7/10 Overall, the characters are unique, but not too unique. They loosely fit some of the popular archetypes in anime. Their background stories were relatively interesting but they weren’t characters that were extremely memorable for any particular reason. I feel if the series had another 12 episodes, they may have been able to create a more memorable series through the characters. The most interesting character in this series is undoubtedly Ange, and she is the character that the anime mainly follows. She’s a weird girl who talks in a monotone but likes to tell jokes and lies. For example, her most told joke/lie is “I’m from the Black Lizard Planet”. She’s a very skilled spy and performs amazing feats. Chise is a girl skilled at various ways of fighting and swordsmanship. Her personality is very samurai-like. The Queen is a typical queen. She knows many things and is skilled at being nobility, but she also has quite the daring side to her as well. There is also the young adult, who uses her charms to seduce men and the queen’s assistant. Art: 8/10 The art fits and enhanced the setting very well. The characters were designed well, the animation was fluid, special effects were great as well. I think they did a pretty good job overall and have no complaints in this category. The backgrounds aren’t as detailed as some more ridiculously detailed series, but they are still great backgrounds overall. There is also nothing particularly unique about the art. Sound: 8/10 The background OSTs come from the legendary Yuki Kajiura, my favorite composer. She’s known in the anime community for her works on the music of SAO, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, .hack, Tsubasa Reservoir and many other popular titles. I’ve never heard her do Jazz before, but the music is really good. Voice acting is great, special effects are all great. Entertainment: 7.5/10 I was very entertained by the uniqueness of the series and the fact that there were young girls doing espionage and spy work LOL. I’ve never seen anything like this and it was a worthwhile experience. I can’t say that I was very excited for each additional episode, but it was pretty interesting. Overall: 7.5/10 This series was definitely something that I could see myself recommending to some people. The good art and story kept my interest the entire series. There wasn’t anything that particularly stood out to me or was extremely memorable, but it was still something that I don’t regret watching. Should you watch it? If you’re interested in young girls being spies, like action, young girls, spies, 19th-century London, I would give it a shot. If you’re looking for a slice of life or yuri series, you’re in the wrong place. Hope this helps you make your decision, let me know if you agree by clicking “helpful~” thanks~

“This just isn’t a cover anymore, we’re real friends now...” The spy. An archetype explored an incalculable amount of times, spanning across all forms of media. Whether it’s the dark and methodical approach of a John la Carre’ novel, or the more mainstream and charismatic James Bond film, each entity produces something that ensnares the senses and transports you into the action. I’ve always been a fan of secret agents and spies in cinema, so it’s no question that this affinity would translate into other mediums such as anime. The 2016 release of Joker Game helped affirm this assumption by offering a unique mix of action,stealth and wit. Now, almost exactly one year later I was introduced to Princess Principal by a dear friend, an original anime directed by Masaki Tachibana (Barakamon, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0)... naturally I was intrigued. Through 12 episodes, PP dazzles with copious amounts of combat, deceit and supernatural elements. It may occasionally come across as muddled and has its fair share of negatives, but it doesn’t disappoint and may go down as one of the most overlooked anime of the year. Spoilers ahead. From the beginning, PP may end up losing much of its target audience from the cast itself. Understandably I had trouble conceptualizing the idea of teenage moe girls acting as spies in 1800’s London (speaking Japanese no doubt), as it’s just not something I would list as believable. It's similar to the feeling I got from watching the dubbed version of Monster, as Tenma is a Japanese man living in Germany that just so happens to speak fluent English. What a total mindfuck. Aside from the acquired taste of the character models, the setting is quite immersive. The anime takes place in an alternative steampunk London, where weapons are rusty and mechanized, and airships rule the skies. In this parallel universe, a wall exists dividing the Albion Kingdom between the lavish capital and the dilapidated, unruly Commonwealth. This in itself pays homage to the Berlin wall, as in PP it can be difficult to discern which side is morally correct. Through the ensuing 12 episodes we follow the story of five female spies, from their relationships, to their loyalty to duty and underlying secrets. One important point to note is that Princess Principal’s timeline can render the casual viewer confused. It’s not readily apparent that the anime’s story is told out of order. The writers seem to pen the script in a way that can come across as disjointed because of very minor details here or there that are easily missed. To better explain this, I’ve comprised a chronological ordering of each episode (stolen from MAL forums): Episode 2 -> Case 1 Episode 3 -> Case 2 Episode 5 -> Case 7 Episode 4 -> Case 9 Episode 9 -> Case 11 Episode 1 -> Case 13 Episode 7 -> Case 16 Episode 6 -> Case 18 Episode 8 -> Case 20 Episode 10 -> Case 22 Episode 11 -> Case 23 Episode 12 -> Case 24 and beyond When done right (which I wouldn’t necessarily say is the case here), non-linear narratives can be effective at showcasing certain qualities of a character or details to enhance the main story. Such is the case in Kurt Vonnegut’s Salughterhouse-Five or the cult classic Memento, one of my favorite films of all time. The main problem in PP is that the characters aren’t developed far enough to extract much from this method. What results is a plot that appears to jump around simply just to do so. I will say the aspect that benefitted the most from this was the relationship of Ange and the Princess, which for obvious spoiler reasons I won’t divulge any further on. Ideally, this method can also be used to better illustrate interactions between the main characters, and I believe that was the intent here. It just didn’t capitalize as well as it could have. An assumption by the writers is also made with regard to the gravity-altering Cavorite material used primarily by Ange throughout the anime. The only reason I even knew what it was, is because of an H.G. Wells novel (The First Men in the Moon) I read some years back. To someone unfamiliar with this sci-fi homage, the supernatural substance can appear as a gaping plot hole that’s never really filled. Another point I feel necessary to address is the dramatic change of tone throughout the anime, both with the overall atmosphere and with the characters. From the first episode, I was captivated by the “cloak and dagger” approach the writers utilized with the spies. Ange as a main protagonist was ruthless and cold, sporting a succinct knack for taking out her foes. She also came across as a compulsive liar, assumingly normal for the trope of a spy. However, at certain points in the story her personality can shift from scene to scene and catch viewers off guard. It’s not extremely off-putting, but it’s there. While mostly well paced and envisioned, there are times where the writers spend an entire episode divulging a character’s backstory, and others only a few seconds of a flashback. Some episodes are actioned packed, like the first episode or the train episode while others serve to be endearing and relationship building like the laundromat anecdote. I think this change of tone, juxtaposed with the jumping timeline can make PP seem less cohesive than it really is. Overall it’s a smart show, and often has you sympathizing with the jobs these girls have to take. The characters are the absolute best part of the anime. The squad’s unsung leader Ange is relentlessly devoted to duty, and relishes in the secrecy and importance of each mission. She is incredibly diverse with her emotions depending on who she’s addressing. Her relationship with the Princess is undoubtedly the focal point of the entire series, and her backstory is full of heartache and depression. She often quotes herself as being a former member of the fictitious “Black Lizard Planet”, in order to explain the reason for her peculiar behavior. Ange is an expert of her craft, and is the strongest and most consistent member of the group. The Princess has her fair share of secrets, and often plays the role of messenger or spokesperson for the group. In retrospect, I do wish more time had been given to fully expound upon her past, given the fact it plays such an important role in the show. Dorothy, my favorite character of the entire series, is the oldest of the group and she’s often reminded of that fact. She also probably receives the most backstory, with the writers devoting almost an entire episode to her relationship with her father. She occasionally gets drunk or uses her body to help advance the situation (boobs=imperative to success as a spy), but also internalizes and many of the missions the girls partake in. She's like the mom of the group. Chise, the token Japanese ninja, is actually my least favorite character, though probably for selfish reasons . She undergoes a supreme transformation over the course of the anime and begins to learn the Western culture and the importance of friendship. Last but not least is Beatrice, the meek and often soft spoken friend of the Princess. Her demeanor is jittery, but her backstory (though short) is incredibly sad. Out of the entire main cast, I was impressed by the level of depth and detail put in place for each character. If you told me that the same director as Barakamon and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 also led Princess Principal, I’d be hard pressed to call you a liar. I guess this a concrete indicator of Tachibana’s ability as an anime director, and certainly one that deserves more work. The somber, ominous environment PP exudes, coupled with the uplifting comradery of the main cast crafts a definingly unique atmosphere all around. The art is well visioned, and although the female characters are younger, they are evenly proportioned and attractive. I can’t recall any slip ups with framing during the action heavy scenes and even the still, dialogue heavy moments never seemed to come across as stale. While it may not technically be the best animation, its consistency is something to applaud in today’s anime world, where series are being pumped out left and right. The cinematography is some of the best I've seen in a long time, despite focusing less on atmosphere than other equivalent specimens. The way some of the scenes are constructed, either through POV animation or still impact shots. It also has the benefit of omitting the “unfaithful to the source material” argument so many disgruntled manga fans hurl around with each new adaptation. It’s a refreshing artsyle, contradictory to most of the bright and colorful anime in today’s world. If I can make one recommendation, it would be to watch Princess Principal with headphones on. The sound is purely exceptional. The balance of sound effects and their position through the speakers is perfect, and helps add to the realism during some of the missions undergone by the girls. The background music is also fitting of the time period, as nothing is saturated with electronic tones and no chipper techno beats flood your ears. The OP (despite that fugly logo) is one that grew on me, but now exists as one of my favorites for the season. The strong female vocals in conjunction with the smooth animation sequences is pleasing to the eye, and it’s one I don’t think I ended up skipping once. The ending is a strong contrast from the OP, but helps remind the viewers of the minor points of maturity these female characters lack. It’s playful and fun. There aren’t any stand out seiyuu performances in the anime, but certainly nothing hitting below the mark. Overall, I would suggest not judging a book by its cover and jump into Princess Principal with no preconceived notions. It's certainly not what I expected, and although makes some mistakes it is a worthwhile watch. Compared to most of the shows out nowadays, the script is actually given some thought and the characters are developed substantially for their short screen time. I think the show would have benefited significantly if it was doubled in length or had a second season. This would give ample time to fix the timeline issue and also fully explore Ange and Princess’ relationship. The series is plenty exciting, whether with raw action sequences or suspenseful moments of stealth. This is an easy anime to recommend, so if you're looking for something new and exciting, or we're a fan of series like Joker Game I would give it a try. It certainly surprised me and many others, and I look forward to more developments from Tachibana in the future. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out some of my other reviews from the season! Story-5 Art-6.5 Sound-8 Character-8 Enjoyment-7 Overall-6.85

As a child, I’ve always held a fascination with spies. This is most likely due to the fact that I grew up in a family that exposed me to James Bond at a young age. Cool, suave, and sophisticated, capable of carrying off any mission or any feat, James Bond was the type of guy I always wanted to be as a kid, and, as I grew older and into adolescence, Bond’s luck with women only enhanced this idea. Of course, much to the dismay of my eight-year-old self, I grew up to be anything but sophisticated and cool and instead decides to write reviewson anime. So, when I had learned of the content surrounding the recently aired Princess Principal, visions of my childhood flashed in my mind, and I was genuinely excited for the show, as it seemed to be essentially James Bond, but with all the characters being replaced by lolis. Yes, a dumb idea, but anime has frequently surprised me in the past with its use of strange narratives and concepts to make genuinely good shows. However, PeePee (yes, it’s immature to refer to the show as such, but I’m going to be doing it from here on out) is perhaps the biggest disappointment I’ve had all year with anime. I really wanted to love this show, I really did, especially since it has so much going for it in regards to what appeals to me personally from a visual standpoint. The great character designs, wonderful setting, and world as well as the smooth soundtrack. Unfortunately, PeePee is bogged down by an ultimately weak cast of characters, an aimless narrative, and, for the most part, a lot of wasted potentials. PeePee’s narrative is set in a fictional 19th-century steampunk London in which the West and the East are separated by a massive wall (insert overused Donald Trump joke here), in which five young girls from a prestigious academy are actually spies! The series follows these girls on various spy missions in an episodic narrative structure, as we learn more about their pasts and their relationships with each other, and that’s pretty much it as a whole. On paper, this mode of storytelling doesn’t sound bad, but the main problem I have with PeePee’s narrative is just how aimless it is. The story feels as if it doesn’t really know what it wants to do in regards to its story and characters, and instead just relies on ultimately inconsequential episodic spy missions that feel more like they exist solely for padding out the run time of the series. It proves frustrating to watch since I constantly kept expecting the story to do something, or to go somewhere, and I would be more forgiving of the show if its episodic nature actually had any bearing on the world as a whole, or if they were more engaging. This is made worse since the narrative is nonlinear and it often undercuts its own episodes by carving out any semblance of pacing. Nowhere is this idea more evident than in episodes nine and seven of the show, in which we don’t learn anything about any of the characters or the world we’re presented with. Episode seven is essentially an episode in which the girls join laundry cleaners, as they have to find a specific uniform to identify someone in the army who has been using mustard gas. As they work in this place, they eventually transform and rebuild the work system, so everyone can work more efficiently and earn more money, and eventually apprehend the villain of the episode; that’s it. While there is some commentary about the working class of the people living in the Victorian era in London during the 1800s, it’s an ultimately pointless episode and even has many jarring moments that simply make no sense or just feel...odd. Like when all the men happily throw off their clothes to give to some cute underage girls for them to clean, or a scene where one of the spies, whom is fighting off against the villain of the episode, defeats him, and drops a knife to the floor, whereupon another lady who notices it, and walks away, which, I’m guessing, is in shame…? Or maybe she is scared? Does she want to turn her back in respect for the privacy of the spy girl? I don’t know! The anime doesn’t make it clear and the lady’s actions doesn’t make any sense and feels more so jarring than anything else, resulting in one of the many examples in the show where the in-the-moment logic is shoehorned in to create forced and unneeded drama in situations where it doesn’t make any sense. When the lady walks away it clearly hurts little miss loli spy, and it feels unnatural that the woman would do so, considering that the loli spy has just apprehended a man with a knife, whom could have killed one of your workers! This may seem like a redundant thing to talk about, but little things like this that drag me out of the narrative and prove to be distracting, and there are plenty of examples of this. The other pointless episode, even more so than the one I just described, is episode nine, in which we see Chise, a Japanese girl trying to adapt to British society, as she recaps her time spent as a spy and basically tells us her relationships and thoughts of the other girls. This is pointless as we already understand at this point the dynamics between each of our characters and repeating it so, is redundant. Not only that, but the episode is also a good case study into another problem with the show and that is that each villain, or any person who belongs to any higher social class, is a complete asshole, one dimensional prick! In this case, we have a rich guy who kills a butterfly, just because he is so EVIL! This forced dynamic between the higher upper-class as being horrible people, while the lower-class is presented as being kind and considerate, having to work hard to prosper in life is representative of the context of the society in which the show is based on, sure, but people are not this black and white, and it feels silly to present this as such. It doesn’t help either when the show takes to victimisation in a cheap and pathetic attempt to make us feel bad for the characters, with each adult, again, being represented as one dimensional pricks, beating down on our cute and innocent little girls. It’s the same problem I had with Elfen Lied, which also used similar cheap writing to evoke this emotion from us through manipulation, and while PeePee is nowhere near as bad as that show, it still feels lazy. While I do appreciate that the show does attempt to show us the character’s backstories, which does add some more depth onto them, it’s not something you haven’t seen before, nor is it really that effective since the characters are rather dry and boring. It’s hard to care for them on any emotional level and are more akin to cardboard cutouts. There is an attempt here at introducing a plot twist into the narrative, but I feel as if it is introduced far too late to do anything substantial with this idea, and not only that, it also felt incredibly predictable too boot. The show constantly hints at greater things in the narrative, but then utilizes the most bare-bones and predictable storytelling to deliver upon these hints, making the entire show feel incredibly uninspired. There are a few attempts at theme exploration, and politics, all of which is never given enough time to breath or develop, and feels more so as afterthought, rather than an intrical part of the story and world. Every theme presented feels like a child’s interpretation of a morally gray world. The show also utilises exposition as well in order to communicate to the audience the state of the world, such as in the first episode where the narrator essentially just tells us everything instead of letting the audience be immersed into the world and setting ourselves, especially since the information we do learn, regarding a wall that divides the East and West, is not really explored all too much in the show, aside from the finale, but, even then, it’s nothing too remarkable. While on the topic of the finale, while I would say it is more engaging than the rest of the show, since things of actual significance and consequence are occurring, it ultimately feels rather anti-climatic and just ends abruptly! To be perfectly fair, there was a couple of things in the show’s narrative that I kind of liked. For starters, there is a variety of different missions, which helps to break up the monotony of the story, and various locations and settings which helped to expand the world and make it feel grander. I also liked some of the spy training stuff too, and helped add on this layer of realism to the setting and the world, from seeing the girls learning how to unpick locks, or them performing practices involving tailing someone without their presence being known. Some of the technology used in the show too was pretty fun to see as well, such as a ball that allows the holder to fly, which allowed for more creative scenarios to ensue. In addition, there was a few episodes that could actually be fun, or somewhat emotional in a few places. The best example of this is an episode devoted to Dorothy, and her backstory, and while it too does utilise victimisation too, the episode is fairly emotional, mainly because Dorothy was the only character I found to be somewhat likeable, being that she was easily the most relatable, and her world outlook on life just seemed to be the most admirable amongst the cast. The one thing that ruins the episode however, is that Dorothy’s father, whom after learning does actually care for his daughter, is killed off and is never mentioned ever again! Not even a single passing remark or comment! As for the rest of the cast, they’re pretty mediocre character archetypes. Chise’s involvement in the narrative is pretty minimal, and while we do understand her reason for coming to London, all the way from Japan, in a fight between her and her father which carried some narrative weight and emotion, she doesn’t really change or grow much throughout the narrative and her relationships that form between her and the other girls just feels superficial, as if the only reason they exist was because the script dictated it so. She had some charming scenes however, most notably her lack of knowledge surrounding western customs, although some moments felt rather trite, especially the one with the lady in the laundry house I mentioned before. Beatrice also doesn’t have much involvement in the plot either and serves little purpose as a whole. I’m guessing her role is the straight man, in the sense that she is the most normal of the group, having been trained very little in the art of spies, so I guess we’re supposed to latch onto her, but I found her more so annoying than anything else. Undoubtedly the crux of the show, and what most of the emotional weight depends on, is the relationship between Ange, a spy who has essentially cut off all her emotions for her job, and the Princess. Their relationship does actually feel genuine and sweet at times, especially since Ange actually exhibits emotions around her, giving her character some more depth and personality than what we were lead to believe at first, suggesting some personal history and connection between the two. While this relationship is still nothing remarkable, and is as cookie-cutter as they come, the scenes in which they fight, actually have some emotional weight behind it. While I won’t get too much into the plot twist between their relationship (even though it is obvious that even Stevie Wonder could see this coming!) the struggles behind the Princess's life was actually kind of interesting, and one of the few moments I cared for any of these characters. Now, one positive thing I can say about the characters is that they all have good chemistry between them, and their back-and-fourths as they complete missions can actually be pretty funny and charming sometimes too, especially the scenes in which they are driving in their car, as Beatrice freaks out and screams hysterically, Ange turns off her voice changer (which was installed onto her by her evil father because every adult in this is a one dimmensional ass-hat) and is a clever way of adding some comedy into the show. While the character interactions are good in many regards, it is not enough to salvage the show unfortunately. In regards to animation and music, PeePee, handles this the best. The opening is fantastic, and I can’t get enough of it! It captures the spirit the show is aiming for perfectly, and the same thing can be said for the design of the world and the character designs too. The city is mechanic, lifeless, and bleak, and each character design is pretty good, albeit it can be kind of silly looking at times. The soundtrack is also comprised of smooth jazz, adding some suave to the show, and the animation, for the most part, is pretty consistent with some cool looking action sequences. However, CGI is used in some parts of the show, with a jarring use of it in the second episode, where a group of people are dancing with the same posture and fluidity of two robots trying to emulate human movement; it feels really jarring, and many of the backgrounds in the show are comprised of CG models that never fail to look awful and drag me out of the scene. In conclusion, PeePee was just a mediocre show with no remarkable attributes and it felt like the writers were holding back and, as I said, kept playing it safe with predictable and tireing stories that have been done a thousands times before to much better effect. It’s a show that is more interested in cinematography and action then it is in having actual characters the audience can feel for, and the strange pacing, as well as the narrative structure makes the show frustrating to watch since it feels as if it is going nowhere and just remaining stagnant. On some level, yes, I did enjoy myself during some moments of the show, but much of that was overpowered by a strong, unyielding feeling of boredom which makes it incredibly hard to recommend as there are so many other shows that are actually worth your time. Don’t bother with this show. Like someone you passed on the street today, you’ll forget the memory of them as soon as you take your eyes away...

There’s something just really dangerously exciting about Princess Principal. Mixing genres of mystery thriller with some bits of science fiction and steampunk, this is a show that proves original anime can still work well with the right talent and creativity. Original anime these days tend to be risky to make despite not falling under adaptation pitfalls. Princess Principal has its risks when it assembles a cast of cute high school girls together in a spy thriller. I have to admit, this show got my adrenaline pumping a bit from the first few episodes. My first impression of this anime started with the setting. It’s innovativeand takes place in a time era of the 19th century in England. A major conflict in the story is about the civil war that separates the Kingdom of Albion into two nations: The Commonwealth and the Kingdom. The female characters consists of high school students working The Commonwealth as undercover spies. In essence, this show is be easily recognizable as a spy thriller fiction. Accepting the principle cast didn’t take me long but it wasn’t easy to understand them. Remember, they are spies so not everything about them is honest. Not to mention, we don’t get background stories about them in the beginning. However, the show does make time to amplify their personalities. The idea of spies in this show combines elements of espionage, deception, trickery, and even some femme fatale. To be clear, it really brings out what the characters can do as we see how they function as spies. For me personally, I think this anime does a neat job at characterizing the characters’ skill set. The most noticeable spy is Ange with her ability to manipulate others while hiding her true intentions. She’s also adept at changing her personality depending on the situation and highly unpredictable. To be quite honest, she’s pretty much the mastermind of spycraft in this show. Her leadership skills play important roles on missions and I must say, this anime really brings out the most of those abilities. The other main characters shouldn’t be underestimated. Dorothy has the feminine charms, firearm skills, and driving talent to carry out her missions. She’s the symbol of the femme fatale and brings out her seductive skills the most. Princess Charlotte serves as the brain of the cast as she is smart and easy to get along with others. Her close friend is Beatrice has the skill to mimic other people’s voices so she should definitely not be underestimated. Finally, Chise serves as the show’s primary fighter with her swordsmanship skills and melee combat abilities. A show with these diverse characters will take the viewers some times to accept as many will find some more likable than others. However, I think the character cast stands out not just by their personalities but also their character relationships. For instance, Ange and Charlotte has a unique relationship that is explored throughout the series. Beatrice’s relationship with the other spies evolves as each episode progresses. By the end of the show, I actually felt like she became a likeable character despite my initial annoyance at her presence. Chise’s relationship is less straightforward with others as she often finds having difficulty expressing herself to others. Despite that, I think the show does a neat job at bringing her character to life by having her work as a spy with Dorothy and Ange. On the other hand, the show’s antagonist roster could really do for some improvement. Hardly any of those are memorable and it feels like the main female grossly overshadow them. Crafting a show about intelligence activity is no easy task as episode needs to be carefully organized for the story to flow. The show doesn’t take long to get into the mood as it’s eerie and suspenseful. It cleverly tells its background stories for some characters and believe me, they possess a lot of human emotions; some more tragic than others. However, I do have some problems with the pacing on occasions and story structure. It feels out of order at times and some resolutions doesn’t feel as impactful as others. There’s even one episode that I personally thought didn’t develop the story at all around the mid-show. Also, while I like the surprises this anime throws at the audience, it still falls under pitfalls with some generic mystery elements at times. Still, if you toss those drawbacks aside, Princess Principal really stands out as a show that dazzles with what it establishes. On the cover, it seems this anime may be misrepresented by the character designs. They look like cute girls so one might wonder how an anime like this can make it into a convincing spy thriller. Make no mistake, this show’s risks pays off with the character designs it works with. From Chise’s assassin style characteristics to the seductive femme fatale of Dorothy, it really does make these characters stand out. It even capitalizes on the characters facial expressions and body language as those are important skill assets for spies. My only problem is with Beatrice as her character look like an immature kid compared to the others. As a spy thriller, also do expect violence to break out although it’s never farfetched to rely shock value to attract the audience. The action has smooth camera angles to showcase what spies can really accomplish. Fan service is minimal with some occasional bath scenes, Dorothy’s feminine charms, and the girls dressing up as spies. Honestly, it’s not distracting. The biggest payoff of the show’s visuals lies with its setting. The steampunk setting of an alternative history really shows creativity from the architectures, vehicles, and innovations. Anyone who is familiar with Yuki Kajiura will easily recognize her talent in this show with its killer soundtrack. It’s entrancing and hard to ignore by the ears with its every beat. The theme songs has attitude that’s tough and catchy with eerie choreography. The OST relies on its jazz-style and smooth choreography. Finally, I can confess that the main characters’ voice performance is exceptional. Spies are perhaps some of the most difficult characters to portray yet the voice acting all sounds convincing. The ability to change voice tone from one moment instantly to another really bedazzled me. Princess Principal ended up as an anime that I surprisingly grew fond of. It took me a little time to accept what it is but it didn’t take long to really get engaged to what it had to offer. Directed by Kazuya Nomura (having previously worked on another spy thriller known as Joker Games), it’s really a show that got me invested time into with its stylish storytelling and psychology. While I admit that not everything flowed perfectly, it didn’t make mistakes that would cause the show to collapse. I can’t say this anime is recommendable for anyone because of what it is. However, it’s definitely an anime to give a chance as it can end up being irresistible.