Customer Reviews

Princess Tutu: Complete Collection

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, before I review this, I have to say, Princess Tutu is my FAVORITE anime. Ever. And I've seen a lot. It's fantastic, and I think everyone should see it.

I'm not sure how to summarize the story. It's very complex and engaging. I have to mention first, this anime is very much like a fairy tale. (in fact it uses a lot of Germanic legend and folklore as inspiration) It focuses on a girl, who is really a duck, named Duck, who is in love with a Prince without a heart. She is given a pendant by a man named Drosselmeyer, who is the man pulling the strings behind the whole story. The pendant allows her to take the form of a human girl. This pendant also allows her to turn into Princess Tutu. While Duck is Princess Tutu, she can search for and retrieve shards of the Prince's heart. Throughout the series, Duck must face different obstacles, such a Knight whose role in the story is ambiguous at first, (is he friend or foe?) another Princess who claims the Prince is hers, and various people under the influence of the heart shards of the Prince. I won't say more than that, because I'm afraid I'll spoil this amazing story.

Keep in mind, Princess Tutu does have quite a bit of dancing, many episodes draw inspiration from famous ballets, and music from those ballets is used throughout the series. However, the dancing is beautiful, and even if you aren't familiar with ballet, the extras are there to help you.

This is the first boxset that ADV has done right. (at least from the dvds I've bought from them) They haven't stripped the extras, and there are a lot of them. Some of the extras include "Ballet for Beginners," (which explains the different ballet that are mentioned/used in the series) commentary from the voice actors and staff, outtakes, and tv promos, among other things.

I really can't say enough good things about this anime. At first glance, it may seem childish, but if you stick with it, there are a lot of mature themes going on throughout the anime. It has so many levels to it...it's simply amazing, that's all I can say. I'd recommend this for 13+ for some violence blood, and chaste nudity. (as in all you really see is the silhouette)

Although this anime might seem like a silly, cute cartoon about a magical ballerina, it is so much more. The plot is engaging and the characters interesting and well developed. While it might start out like a typical magical girl anime, it develops into quite a fairy tale adventure. The music is also wonderful, having been taken from various ballets. Highly recommend! I wish the set came with a bit more than just the discs, but it's well worth it for the price, especially since the single discs are becoming hard to find.

If you can get past the title of the series, you will find that this will soon become a favorite story. The elements of this story combine traditional European storytelling, animated dance, and unexpected relationships that break the trend of traditional Princess stories.

The series splits into 2 parts: Chapter of Egg and Chapter of Fledgling (which is arguably when the story really "takes flight"). While the ending of each season may only suit a particular audience, those who detect the strong symbolism underneath each individual episode will be quite satisfied with the finale.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves symbolism, a surprise ending, and sadistic storytellers; of which is our beloved Drosselmeyer's tale of Princess Tutu!

This is a great series and yes it does have a goofy kid like name to it. But dont let that fool you. This series is a total HIDDEN GEM. I love anime but i dont track how well a series does in DVD sales. I believe the individual DVDs are discontinued. But get this box set which contains seasons 1 & 2 and for the current sale price its almost 1.00 per episode. The story is about a girl name Duck who is actually a DUCK but turns into a girl when a story teller grants her a wish. She utilizes her time as a girl drooling over the cutest guy at school but the boy has a SECRET. Along with being able to be a girl she can transform into Princess Tutu where she must help save the prince & get back the shards to his scattered heart. This series has it all and the best thing is, it has MYSTERY which kept my attention. Alot of these new anime titles lately really dont have an ENGAGING element to keep me attracted. Princess TuTu kept me glued to the screen the WHOLE TIME. Its also directed by the creator of Sailor Moon so it has that magic touch already. Surprisingly alot of new anime titles created past the year 2000 have a certain drawing style to it and it doesnt seem to have the colorful VIBRANT images of series that was animated in the 1990's. Overall i am so pleased with my purchase and i love the PRICE i got it at. ENJOY!!!!!!

Classical music, ballet, swords, knights, puppets, ducks, and an insane narrator that takes pleasure in destroying precious storyline. What ISN'T there to like about this anime?

....Aside from its title.

Do NOT get turned off by the title!

Princess Tutu follows the story of FOUR characters: Rue, Mytho, Fakir, and Ahiru (called "Duck" in the anime, the translators didn't bother beating around the bush with translating her name).

The dark tones and bittersweet victories make this anime about 400 times better than anything Disney has ever come up with. The chemistry between characters is almost palatable, and by the end of the series, you will be rejoicing at its ending... yet in your heart desiring more. (For those who know the jargon, its like ending a musical piece on a IV chord. It leaves you craving a total resolution, yet satiates you with its hints of a tonic note.)

And the MUSIC! I truly loved the selection of authentic classical music that served as the backdrop to this anime. For those with a finer ear, you will notice times that the creators purpousfully cut a melody at the V chord, and let it hover in the air, as the scene transforms to a darker tone. It is masterfully done, especially since these songs are often recognizable by both the professional and amateur musician. For those that have no experience in music at all- you will STILL recognize much of the music, and the stuff you don't- get your hands on a copy of it.

If you are okay witih a storyline that reveals its truths/history as it progresses, substantial characters, and a soundtrack compiled by the musical geniuses of the past era (and spliced together by musical geniuses of this century,)

then get the anime, and be captivated by its spell.

I have to disagree with the Amazon.com reviewer, Charles Solomon, that adolescent girls are the only audience for this show.

I research my anime carefully before watching, and the endlessly positive reviews by adults on this and other sites convinced me that this was worth a try. I'm so glad I did. It's rare to come across a piece of artwork that so elegantly combines classical music, dance and literature with modern art and entertainment styles. Princess Tutu does this without "dumbing down" the classical elements for our modern, uncultured generation. In fact, it's the integrity and fullness of the classical works used in this show that make Princess Tutu so moving. As I watched, I found myself not only engrossed in the well-developed story and characters, but being washed away by the resonant, beautiful music and graceful choreography. The romantic-era music used in this show is highly emotive already, and the creators build on that to add a depth of emotion that couldn't have been achieved otherwise. I'll never be able to listen Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers" without thinking of Princess Tutu.

There are definitely some aspects of Tutu that fall into anime stereotypes. A lot of people call this a majou shoujo (magical girl) show. I'm not big into the magical girl thing, and while the whole idea of duck transforming into Princess Tutu fits into that general mold, it didn't really feel like a magical girl anime to me. It felt more like a germanic fairy tale infused with the beauty of ballet and the storytelling inventiveness and artistic styling of anime. Any "weirdness" of the show makes sense when viewed in context of either ballet or the nature of the true plot that is driving this story...

Don't be deceived into thinking you'll be watching a show about a ballerina collecting pieces of heart. That's only one aspect of this multi-faceted tale. And the ending, while so bittersweet it makes you want to hit your head on a brick wall, makes complete sense to me. It couldn't have been any other way.

I've seen a lot of praise for the English dub. It's not bad, but several of the characters are so well voiced in Japanese that watching it in English just made it seem cheesy. My advice is that you watch this one subbed.

On an ending note...

I'm not sure who the graphic artist was for this box set, but numbskulls behind this design should be given 50 lashes and then dipped in boiling Tabasco sauce. And then fired. Forever. The first thing my wife said when we saw the cover was, "It looks like a hooker in a cage." It about ruined it for us. Besides just being plain ugly, it's poorly composed. This box set deserved a lot more. The excellent menus and special features almost make up for it, but not quite. I'm in the process of designing a different cover for my copy. Yes, it bothers me that much.

Glad I got that off my chest.

This is one of the few animes that I've seen that I have really loved, although I remember my skepticism when I first heard of it. What's with the dancing? And the lame name? And the weird costumes? And to be honest, I thought the first few episodes were exceedingly corny and not all that different from every other "magical girl" anime ever created.

But, the strange thing is, as I kept watching it, I found that it is very different. For starters, most animes fall into a pattern of bad thing happens, heroine pops up to solve bad thing, yay happy ending until the next episode. Princess Tutu starts this way--but then it breaks the pattern, and the audience begins to realize, just as the heroine does, that perhaps not all is as it seems.

Here's the basic story: a man named Drosselmeyer began writing a story about a Prince and a Raven, but before he could finish the story, he died--but the characters in the story became sick of not having an ending, so they leapt out of the story and into the town of Goldcrown. When this happens, Drosselmeyer's spirit awakes, and he realizes that, through the people of this town, he can continue his story. There is only one problem: he needs someone to play the role of Princess Tutu, the heroine who saves the Prince. He finds a duck, and he gives her a necklace to turn her into a girl and into Princess Tutu, the ballerina whose destiny it is to love the Prince but never confess that love, lest she turn into a speck of light and disappear.

It may sound strange, but it is a wonderful, deep story, going beyond just the surface of sadness, but into the darker realms of tragedy and despair--and then, in the end, emerging from both. It is a story of fairy tales, of loneliness and tragedy, of destiny and free will, of misconceptions, of doing what you believe is right, of learning you may be wrong, and above all, it is a story of hope.

This anime series is one of the best I've seen - out of 26 episodes, only two could be called filler, and the rest followed a clear plot arc (two really, they can be taken together or separately) with excellent character development and tight storytelling. The background music, mostly Romantic with an emphasis on Tchaikovsky's ballets, fits wonderfully with each scene, the voice acting is great (Duck's voice can be shrill but it fits her) and the subtitling is accurate and non-intrusive. I haven't watched the dub yet.

The story basis is a classic one of the humble duck who falls in love with a human prince, but this series goes beyond that - I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil anything. I'll give a hint and say it becomes a story about stories.

I didn't give it 5 stars because the packaging is bare-bones (no booklet at all), but there are lots of extras on the DVDs such as commentary and the original commercials for the series.

Overall, I'd recommend this for anyone who likes a good story and doesn't mind (or prefers) animated series. Older kids would enjoy it as well, but it can be dark, so young children might be scared by some parts.

Okay, the whole concept is weird at first, even by anime standards. There's a duck, who can turn into a girl with the help of a pendant. The pendant can also turn her into magical girl ballerina Princess Tutu. She's trying to bring the missing pieces of the prince's heart back to him. Fakir is the prince's bodyguard, trying to protect him at all costs. Kraehe is the prince's girlfriend, who can also turn into Tutu's arch-nemesis, Princess Kraehe.

Last but not least, the storyteller is manipulating all of them in every way he can, to make the most tragic story of all time. He has magical jewels, curses and the power to stop time. The storyteller died before he could finish his last story, so to make up for it, he's returning back from the dead to toy with real people as actors for the story.

Yes, the story is really bizarre. It reminds me of a twisted, fairy-tale version of "The Truman Show." While a production like this could easily fall apart, the animators pull off a splendid job with the characters. Ahiru looks amazingly cute and pretty as the heroine duck/ballerina and all the other characters have distinguished designs as well.

I had a blast watching the story unfold. I never thought that shoujo characters could show this much emotion. I especially loved the evil storyteller, who hides in the background as the "intelligent designer"--literally.

I never thought I would love a pseudo-magical girl anime this much. I guess this is the best ballet anime ever made...now that's a first.

Princess Tutu is dreamlike show: elegant, wonderfully designed, filled with beautiful pieces of classical music and twisted storyline. There is a lot to recognize in fairy tales which are told by the show, yet a lot to discover anew within very well-known stories. A mysterious princess Tutu from an old tale who looks like your ordinary clumsy girl... who is actually a simple duck! She fights to get pieces of the prince's heart back together, but according to the tale has no hope for his love in return. Does Sleeping Beauty wants to be awaken? Is there a suffering heart behind a black witch mask? Who will come to Cinderella by the end of the day? It is not that simple as 'princess loves prince and they live happily ever after'. Yet it is about love expressed in ballet language.

DVD Collection contains 6 discs with the original context. Unlike most of the ADV packs here you will find all the extras such as staff commentary, ballet terms dictionary, short but neat descriptions of music pieces, etc. Besides as a bonus you will find here a disc with preview of the new ADV project "Five Centimeters Per Second". The only disappoinment is that the DVD design is not the original one (with wonderful bright shots of all the main characters). All discs are the same, without images of characters and follow the colors of the case's cover which consists mostly of dark brown background and white-pink and blue type with only volume numering different from disc to disc.

Aside of that, considering the fact that singles are almost non-available and the price of the collection is good this is a great 'must have' item.