Princess Jellyfish is an energetic and equally humorous slice-of-life anime with real dramatic values and overarching story which raises it above the fragmented episodic trappings of most SoL. The characters of the ‘nunnery’ Amamizu-kan and Shu are a whole lot of fun, all of them in some way socially inept, obsessive and insecure, yet capable and full of personality. The recurring aversion to the ‘Stylish’ gets me every time. Unsurprisingly it is the brash and ‘Stylish’ Kuranosuke who shakes up their carefully blown bubble, as does Inari the Machiavellian developer who wants to tear down their apartment block to make way for a high-rise hotel. It is around this redevelopment that forms the plot, but at its heart is the people who populate it, namely Tsukimi, a jellyfish nerd who is, about ten years on, still processing her memories of her late mother. Tsukimi’s narration is as a diary to her and searches for her guidance. She is particularly possessed with the notion of wearing a jellyfish-lace wedding dress that her mother promised to make for her. She is vulnerable, as is Kuranosuke’s older brother Shu and the romance they share is so sweet. I was all in for it and wasn’t sure how it would end. Only to cue the busty Inari, who resembles a succubus in the use of her ‘seasoned’ sexuality to gain an advantage. Her gaslighting of Shu (and Tsukimi) is criminal and disgusting, and the way that subplot heads is difficult to redeem to say the least. The series clearly operates under the assumption that virginity is shameful which is just in no way true and intolerable. Now Tsukimi, while distressed that her first romantic encounters have gone pear-shaped, is forced to redirect her attention to the redevelopment crisis Amamizu-kan finds itself in. Kuranosuke, an antagonist in the best sense, awakens Tsukimi and her eccentric housemate’s will to fight for their home, bringing many of their finest attributes to light. His insistence of their latent potential is gratifying and genuine. Tsukimi finds herself able to achieve things she’d only dreamed of and it’s inspiring to see her come out of her shell to do what must be done for the sake of herself and her sisterhood. The ending does leave a number of things awaiting resolution (no second season ?), but the development of Tsukimi from introvert homebody to someone who begins to gain confidence in themselves is solidly done and emotionally satisfying. Princess Jellyfish is a triumphant comedy that understands the importance of character and plot to produce a well-rounded narrative and positive messages with gravitas.