It's always a pleasant surprise when a seemingly uncomplicated and straightforward premise is taken to its full potential by stellar execution, appropriate pacing and high-quality audiovisual spectacle. The anime series Princess Principal is exactly that and more: each episode is an extension of a world that is developed in parallel with the characters themselves, their journeys and backstories told through bursts of fast-paced action, emotional flashbacks, and myriad mysteries that provide the greatest satisfaction when fully unraveled. Whether the story arc at hand either is peppered with twists or offers a more elementary venture, Princess Principal never fails to bring it to the screen in exciting, relentless form.
(Each major aspect of the anime is given a rating in brackets, followed by an explanation of that rating.)
Premise (4/5): At first glance, there's little to separate Princess Principal from other anime series of its kind. It follows a group of high school girls who have been trained in the art of spying and (if need be) assassination, and though little of their actual classroom experience is seen, the real spice of their story lies in their extracurricular activities, which feature an array of different missions that allow each character to show off their respective skills. Yet the true appeal of the premise, at least in my opinion, lies beyond the girls themselves: the whole series is set in a steampunk alternate-history version of industrial 19th-century Britain, where a giant wall has divided the entire island into two hostile nations. The two factions stop short of outright war with each other, instead utilizing the aforementioned spies in order to get their dirty work done. Double- and triple-crossing is the flavor of the day, and never more so when a princess of one of the nations gets involved in spy work, her reasons for doing so being revealed piece by piece as the story drives forward. Throw in frequent magnified looks at the dilapidated state of the streets of faux Britain, a rebellion brewing behind the scenes, and a case of mistaken identity that runs central to the series' plot, and you have a rich, well-realized setting within which the characters freely interact and bring their best characteristics to the fore.
Characters (5/5): For a series like this, it's very easy to fall into the trap of giving each character a tremendous power creep that not only throws the story off-balance and ruins the pacing but also denies the series the opportunity to exploit the inherent weaknesses of each character, which can be a major factor in determining whether viewers are able to form emotional bonds with the characters whose lives they are watching unfold. Princess Principal has no such concerns in this regard - each character is a wonderfully unique product of their own upbringing. Ange is a remarkably talented bag of tricks whose stoicism and dedication to duty belie a traumatic and desperate past - her backstory contains a dramatic twist that strikes at the very heart of her personal dichotomy. Chise is a trademark foreigner from the East whose clumsy fumbling with the customs of the West endears her to her companions, which in turn breathes life into her convictions and lends her strength in times of need. I could go on, but as a whole the cast of this series is a rare case of tropes and archetypes done excessively well, reaching a standard far above what is required to entertain.
Audiovisual (5/5): The most impressive facet of the artwork is probably the unfailingly meticulous background art, portraying each and every derelict structure & feculent alleyway in painstaking detail, with depictions of the physically and figuratively imposing Wall serving as ubiquitous reminders of the divisive conditions under which the denizens of both nations live. But any few shortcomings the animation may have in providing the best audiovisual container for the story are quickly compensated by the sublime, atmospheric qualities of the soundtrack composed by Yuki Kajiura, who has fast become one of my favorite anime composers. The steampunk bent of the music manifests itself in the thumping machinery of the drums and the jazzy themes of the more upbeat numbers in the repertoire, yet there is also the regular presence of the ruthless, driving electric guitar accompaniment that is a hallmark of Yuki Kajiura's compositions. Ultimately, as a whole, there is almost nothing to complain about in terms of the actual spectacle itself, and the anime is all the better for it.
Execution (4/5): Each episode usually has its own mission through which to follow the characters as they canter about the city. The narrative itself is told in an anachronic order, which may take a little getting used to, especially when characters that appear earlier in the story are re-introduced much later. Yet this results in one of the most fascinating first episodes of any anime I've watched - viewers are immediately thrown into the midst of a mission in progress as the girls showcase their full array of physical and cognitive weaponry, the episode concluding with several nested twists that require some depth of thought in order to understand fully. It may be a little confusing to follow at first, especially when characters vanish and materialize at will throughout various points in the story, but rest assured that all mysteries are gradually cleared as the plot goes on, and the anime actually benefits in terms of the scale of emotional impact that it achieves - for example, a twist that a viewer may have figured out in their head might turn out to have a shockingly different answer, which is a great way to keep them hooked on the story.
Overall (5/5): It was a brief burst of boredom that led me to watch my first anime series in a little over half a year, but it was more than worth it for the indelible impression it left on me regarding Princess Principal's particular genre and the potential for thoroughly enjoyable storytelling that lies beneath every ostensibly simplistic premise. It is hard to proclaim it a masterpiece, but it comes agonizingly close, and the ending, though a little anticlimactic, sets the scene for a six-film sequel series due to begin airing in April 2020, something that I will be looking forward to eagerly.
Is the anime everyone's cup of tea? Certainly not, and despite its excellence in execution it is easy to see certain aspects of the story that may not feel fulfilling to some. But I think that the intrinsic strength of the series lies in its ability to surprise you at every appropriate interval, leaving you hungering for more until the curtain is brought down upon the show in a tense, emotionally gripping finale. It is the gestalt combination of a charming and sympathetic cast, an audiovisual platform that enhances the already considerable strength of the plot, and the breathless pacing of each episode that gives the story what it needs to flourish, which it does with unabashed gusto. There are many series that do what it does, and yet there are exceedingly few that do it as well as Princess Principal. All in all, it is an unforgettable watch.
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