Product Details

• Actors: Artist Not Provided
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: A.D.V. Films
• DVD Release Date: November 20, 2007
• Run Time: 650 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000VKJ6Z4
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,373 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Animation > Characters & Series > Princess Tutu

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The shojo (girl's) series Princess Tutu (2002) combines elements of Hans Christian Andersen, Swan Lake, Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2, and Inu-Yasha into an elaborate fantasy-romance. Duck (Ahiru in Japanese) is just that: a duck, until Drosselmeyer (the magician who gives Clara the Nutcracker in the Tchaikovsky ballet) grants her the power of transformation. Water changes her into a human girl, but when she says, "quack," she turns back into a duck. As a human, she's a typically clumsy, good-hearted anime heroine. A student at the Gold Crown Academy of ballet, she becomes the exquisite ballerina Princess Tutu when she needs to aid Mytho, the sad-eyed star dancer. Duck undertakes the mission of restoring the lost shards of Mytho's heart with the aid of his best friend, Fakir. Their adventures are complicated by Kraehe, the Crow-Princess; a giant Raven; various puppets; hooded "Bookmen"; and Drosselmeyer himself. The filmmakers manage to create the impression that the characters are dancing, despite the very limited animation. Although the series centers on ballet, the score leans heavily on program music, including "Pictures at an Exhibition," "Dance Macabre" and the "Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy."Princess Tutu probably would have worked better at 13 episodes than 26, as the story stumbles into wearying repetitions and needless digressions. But adolescent girls who enjoy the mixture of ballet, aching passion, syrupy romance, and slapstick comedy will probably overlook the flaws. (Rated TV 14: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon

Product Description
A klutzy teen is transformed into a magical ballerina princess, but don't let that fool you! Dark and sophisticated, this modern fairy tale is more Brothers Grimm than Disney!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves WAY more than 5 stars...., January 4, 2008

By	Hyacinth Shade (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

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)

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than meets the eye, November 15, 2007

By	S. Petersen "Geek Goddess" (Gryffindor Tower) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ground-breaking series, November 8, 2007

By	Christina "Christina Kelly" (Groveland, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!