26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A high point for the Fantasy genre, March 23, 2007
This review is from: Scrapped Princess - Anime Legends Complete Collection (DVD)
I originally approached this series with a great deal of trepidation, in spite of previous positive reviews. Fantasy titles in anime tend to end up in two different categories. There's the 'Plot? What Plot?' that meander endlessly and switch focus repeatedly, and then there's the 'Epic quest to save the world against the evil overlord/god' that gets so caught up in its storyline that the characters remain two dimensional stereotypes.
Characterization is where this series really shines. The story centers around fifteen year old Pacifica Cassul and her siblings as they travel. Pacifica herself usually comes across as incredibly spoiled and bratty, yet at the same time is tempered by her being very sweet and considerate. These traits often hide the guilt she has buried deep within her for being the Scrapped Princess - the 'Poison that will destroy the world'- and for the pain and upheaval to people's lives she thinks she leaves in her wake. Less time is given to her siblings - the oftentimes whimsical sister Raquel, and her taciturn brother Shannon, but they get plenty of screentime to explore their own motives. The biggest surprise to me came in the form of Chris. I had thought he would be a relatively minor and shallow antagonist, but his own path is explored well and I honestly think he had the best development of any character in the series. The only problem with characters is that there are really too many side characters. This leaves very little time to establish them and their motives. The series probably would have been a little better of by limiting the supporting cast in favor of focusing on the main cast and plot.
The story starts well and proceeds at an even pace through the first two thirds of the series. It never lets itself get mired too much in the seriousness of the plot that it bogs itself down by intermixing some comedy and the lighter sides of life. It doesn't take this too far, however, never resorting to slapstick or cheap gags which would have almost definitely taken attention or effect from the action drama the story is meant to be. The beginning caught my interest in that it is almost the complete inverse of the 'save the world' plot. This kept me hooked long enough to become truly involved in the series. About two thirds of the way through a plot twist puts a new spin on the story, but doesn't actually change the direction. It gets a little bumpy here, as the story has to pause momentarily to setup the new aspects on the situation, but then picks up pace to the end. This is where I was most worried about where the story was going. Far too many anime series become rushed and chaotic at the end, and the terrible endings can spoil an entirely well done anime. Scrapped Princess speeds up at the end, but never becomes too jumbled. It wraps up most loose ends very well and then finishes up well, even managing to add in a short epilogue.
In between great characters, an interesting plot, and an excellent ending, Scrapped Princess has become one of my favorite series to date.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great from start to finish, February 7, 2007
This review is from: Scrapped Princess - Anime Legends Complete Collection (DVD)
I was hesitant about this series at first, but found it to be quite the opposite of what I expected. The story is interesting with a mix of fantasy and sci-fi influences. The voice acting is superb and alot better than with most animes out there. The animation is clean and fluid, which is to be be expected from BONES (the studio that animated Wolf's Rain and Fullmetal Alchemist.) I liked the sense of humor in this series; it was not all slapstick comedy that is rampant in anime. My only gripe with this series is that it could have fleshed out some of the more important side charcters better. Overall, I would recommend this series to anyone who likes a good story and a great ending.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phenomenal series! emotional and exciting, June 23, 2007
This review is from: Scrapped Princess - Anime Legends Complete Collection (DVD)
This is one of the best anime's I have ever seen. Like other reviewers, I wasn't sold on the first episode. However, a few episodes in and I couldn't stop watching. I really love the relationship between Pacifica (the scrapped princess) and her protective brother and sister. You get an incredible sense of human emotion from the characters, and they are all very interesting.
This anime has everything you could want. Great characters, cool magic, a little humor, great plot, great music, and ofcourse great battles.
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