Animania

I recently rented the first volume of Texhnolyze from Netflix as part of my "watch the proclaimed anime greats" effort. Over a week later, I'm still trying to figure out just what the heck I saw and why anyone would think this was an "awesome" series. The first volume contains the first four episodes. The first episode seems ridiculously shortly, likely because so little happens in it. Some guy, Ichise according to the label, does some fighting, goes and stands alone in a dark room with a sink awhile, then some woman comes up, they apparently have sex though he doesn't seem particularly interested, and then they have sex in front of someone, or something. Then he gets pissed cause she tries to stab him in the eye and he dumps her off him, so someone cuts off one of his arms and one of his legs as payback? Then some blond woman hears about him struggling to get around (yes, he lived despite a lack of medical care), fucks him literally and figuratively, and...oh, end of volume. Beyond that, about all you learn is there some kind of war between the people who run the city, Orugano, and a rebel group who apparently dislike the Texhnolyze technology (basically melding machine parts into the human body).

This series apparently has an excessive love of long scenes where characters just sit and stare, either at themselves in mirrors, into space, or at each other, and somehow you're supposed to know what important events just transpired. Sorry, but give me dialog, give me a voice over, give me action, but don't expect me to magically guess why some guy whose name I didn't even know was so into looking at himself two minutes into the series! The series producers also apparently like a lot of dark scenes (as in actual dark, dark colors, low light, etc), though in some ways it works for what little bit of story you can get from things.

Most of the characters felt very flat. Only Ichise and the blond doctor/mad scientist, appear to have any motivation, personality, etc. And even then, Ichise is seriously lacking in the personality department. He obviously has a strong will to live and loved his mother who died, and he maybe has conflicting feelings about his father who apparently was hanged by a mob. The doctor likes experimenting and improving her work, has some seriously mental defects, and likes sexually molesting her patients. That's about it. The rest of the characters seemed almost background, even Ran who is supposedly an important character for the series. Psychic girl should be interesting, but instead barely speaks and does that damn staring thing. It doesn't help that most of the character designs are also rather ugly. Ran is cute in a freaky sort of way, but that's about it.

I supposed some folks will say I'm just not "existential" or "intelligent" enough to appreciate such a "deep" series. Maybe its true, who knows. But bottom line is, I doubt most people would enjoy this series, and I didn't find it worth even bothering to attempt to finish watching all 22 episodes. I have better things to do with my times, like clean my house and count the hairs falling off my shedding dog.

Rating: F, its only good points are the soundtrack and some nice visuals

Sailor Moon is one of my favorite anime series, being one of the first I ever saw. Back then all I saw was the dubbed version, but I eventually was able to acquire the subbed versions when the Season 1 and 2 uncut sets came out. It only helped me come to love the show even more. The show spans five "seasons", like so:

So all together there are 200 episodes to the show, as well as three movies, Sailor Moon R: The Movie, Sailor Moon S: The Movie, and Sailor Moon SuperS: the Movie and several specials.

While I really love the show, even I must admit that trying to rewatch the series can be something of a daunting task. After all, just watching the 200 main episodes, skipping the movies and specials, would still take over 83 hours! One reason being that the show has a lot of filler episodes, i.e. episodes that don't advance the story or really show any character growth. This is particularly noticeable in the first four seasons.

So I decided to make a "Episodes To See" guide for Sailor Moon, showing which episodes are the must see episodes for important character development and/or story advancement. This guide actually has two sets of episodes. The episodes listed are the ones to see for character development, first uses of new attacks/weapons, and story advancement. Those colored in red italics are skippable if you don't need to see the new attacks/weapons.

Using this guide, you can cut the viewing down to 147 episodes for a slightly more manageable viewing. Or if you skip the red italic ones, you'll have 96 episodes which is certainly more manageable than 200. I've included notes on the important things that happen during the episodes, while also trying to avoid major spoilers (unless the title of the episode spoils it anyway). As for the specials and movies, they are all skippable for character and story development, however I do highly recommend the R movie as being purely awesome and I think it does clarify quite well what keeps Usagi going and what her power really comes from.

Season 1
1	Duh, start of the show; introduces Sailor Moon, bad guys, Luna, Tuxedo Mask
3	Luna Pen first used, Sailor Moon controls Moon Tiara mid-flight
5	Moon Tiara Stardust attack first used; Luna actually accepted into the family
8	Mercury appears
9	Mercury's computer and VR goggles first used
10	Mars appears
11	First use of the three way combo attack
13	Jadeite dies, next enemy appears
14	Nephrite's name revealed to viewers, Zoisite appears
17	First use of the communication devices
19	Tuxedo Mask transformation and ID revealed to viewers; Sailor Moon learns Sanjoin's real identity
22	Kunzite Appears; Sailor Moon's first kiss
23	Naru protects Nephrite from Sailor Scouts, Nephrite protects Naru from Zoisite's spy
24	Naru/Nephrite conclusion, Last appearance of Nephrite
25	Jupiter Appears, Crescent Moon wand appears, Moon Healing Escalation, fist appearance of Queen Metalia
26	Star Locket appears
31	Last Rainbow crystal retrieved (and the fun of hearing Zoisite screaming like a little girl)
33	Sailor Venus appears
34	Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon discover each others identity, Moon Princess revealed
35	End of Zoisite, Kunzite takes over
36	Tuxedo Mask returns working for the enemy
42	Venus's past
44	Past of the Sailor Warriors revealed; end of Kunzite
45	Sailor Warriors go to Dark Kingdom, Sailor Scouts killed
46	Final battle: Sailor Moon/Princess Serenity vs Queen Beryl
Season 2 (Sailor Moon R) (technically all of the Doom Tree arc is skippable, but it is a great arc)
47	Usagi regains memory of being Sailor Moon; Ali and En appear
48	Usagi realizes Mamaru doesn't remember her; Other scouts regain their memory
49	Moonlight Knight appears
50	Sailor Moon's Tiara no longer works
51	Sailor Moon power up with Moon Scepter
52	Venus power up
53	Mercury power up
54	Mars power up
55	Jupiter power up
58	Mamoru and Usagi captured for Doom Tree
59	End of Doom Tree arc
60	Chibi-Usa appears
61	Mamoru dumps Usagi
62	New Sailor Scout transformation pens and communicators; Mercury power up and new transformation (mild change, adds Star)
63	Mars power up and new transformation
64	First attempted use of Time Key; Puu appears
65	Venus and Jupiter power ups and new transformations
68	All Sailor Scouts & Tuxedo Mask vs all Phantom Sisters and Reubeus
69	Mamoru let's Usagi think he has a new girlfriend
70	First use of Moon Crystal Power to "refresh" and heal someone; Koan saved
71	Berthier saved; new opening sequence featuring Crystal Tokyo, new bad guys and some future folks
72	Sailor Planet Power used for first time; Chibi-Usa discovers scouts identity; Petz and Calaveras saved
73	Reubeus captures Sailor Scouts after Chibi-Usa steals Silver Crystal
74	Reubeus defeated; First appearance of Prince Dimande
75	Puu revealed to be Sailor Pluto, first appearance of Saphir
76	Esmeraude begins her attack (fairly optional)
77	Usagi and Mamoru reunited
81	Chibi-Usa's releases her power as an attack
82	Sailor Scouts go with Chibi-Usa to the future
83	King Endymion appears; Chibi-Usa's true identity revealed; Dimande captures Sailor Moon
84	Chibi-Usa captured
85	Black Lady appears
86	Dimande defeated
87	Chibi-Usa saved; Wise Man defeated
Season 3 (Sailor Moon S)
89	New enemies appear and unleash Daimohns in search of pure hearts; Sailor Moon's broach broken and her transformation undone; new scouts appear (unnamed); new opening sequence; Rei's pure heart targeted
90	Name of enemy, Death Busters, revealed; Sailor Moon gets new transformation (Moon Cosmic Power Makeup) and Moon Spiral Heart Rod; first use of Moon Spiral Heart Attack
91	Haruka Tenoh and Michiru appear; new sailor soldiers' names revealed; new ending theme and sequence
92	Haruka and Michiru discuss their mission (pretty much confirming what audience probably already knows as to who they are )
96	Mako's pure heart targeted ( mild character development)
97	Ami's pure heart targeted ( good Ami character development)
100	A school friend figures out that Mina is Sailor Venus, but doesn't share (or ever appear again)
101	Usagi's birthday; Usagi's pure heart targeted; Kaorinite gets her transformation brooch and recognizes it as Sailor Moon's; Tuxedo Mask captured (yet again)
102	Continues from 101; Usagi figures out that Haruka and Michiru are Uranus and Neptune; Usagi's pure heart stolen again; first time Venus pretends to be Sailor Moon using transformation pen; first (and only) use of Love Me Moon Chain; combo of Burning Mandala and Supreme Thunder; Kaorinite defeated
103	Introduction of Witches 5; new Daimohn creation sequence; witches get pure hearts with gun, while Daimohn acts as "bodyguard"; Chibiusa returns as "apprentice" Sailor Chibi-Moon; first use of Pink Sugar Heart Attack
104	First time we see Sailor Chibi-Moon's transformation sequence
105	Appearance of the talismans and holy grail revealed
106	Back story of Haruka and Michiru; first view of Uranus and Neptune's transformation sequences
109	Minako's pure heart targeted and she steals it herself LOL; from title, obviously, everyone's ID is revealed to each other and to Eugeal, though Sailor Moon's surprise is kinda silly
110	Mimet plots against Eugeal; Setsuna (unrecognized as Pluto, as usual); Uranus and Neptune die; two talismans revealed
111	Continuation of 110; Pluto transformation sequence; Third talisman revealed; cameo by Hotaru as Holy grail revealed; Sailor Moon gets Crisis Makeup second transformation; Eugeal defeated
112	Hotaru "formerly" introduced and revealed as Messiah of Silence; new pure heart capture method and Daimohn creation sequence; first use of Rainbow Moon Heartache attack; Hotaru revealed to have healing abilities; first appearance of Hotaru's father (the nutty Professor)
113	Outer scouts explain some of past to Mamoru; Kaorinite returns but not quite the same
115	Hotaru unleashes a powerful attach to protect herself from a Daimohn; Haruka warns the scouts to keep Chibiusa away from Hotaru; Uranus untransformation
119	Professor Tomoe references Nephlite's old catch line of "the stars know all" :-P; Pluto reveals more about the enemy and the outer scouts goal;  Hotaru revealed to be Sailor Saturn and outer scouts attempt to kill her; first use of combined outer scout attack; first mention of Pharaoh 90
120	Mugen Academy first mentioned; first appearance of Telulu; end of Mimet; some of Hotaru and Professor Tomoe's past revealed
121	Continues where 120 left off; new method of collecting pure hearts, this time in mass; Kaorinite transformation sequence; end of Telulu; Hotaru begs Chibiusa to save her
122	Continues where 121 left off; Next of Witches 5, Byruit; Haruka and Michiru find Hotaru while Mugen academy;
123	Last of Witches 5 Cyprin; Kaorinite captures Chibiusa and her pure heart is eaten by Messiah of Silence; Mistress Nine awakened
124	Sailor Moon captured; Professor revealed to be a Daimohn; first use of Sailor Soldier barrier power; Sailor Pluto dies; Sailor Neptune and Uranus use their Talismans for first time
125	Uranus and Neptune captured; Tomoe returns to himself; Grail destroyed; Sailor Saturn awakens; Pharaoh 90 defeated
126	Ending of 125 shown again; Michiru and Haruka take baby Hotaru and give back to hospitalized Tomoe (who has forgotten everything that happened in last few years); Sailor Pluto's spirit returns to explain things to Chibiusa; Uranus and Neptune demand a fight with Sailor Moon apparently because of her idealism, but really to reveal true Messiah
Season 4 (Sailor Moon SuperS)
128	Start of Sailor Moon SuperS, new opening and ending visuals; first appearances of Pegasus, Dead Moon Circus, Amazon Trio (use Remless), and Zirconia (hunting beautiful dreams), Sailor Moon regains Super Sailor Moon transformation thanks to Pegasus along with new weapon
129	First showing of Chibi Moon's transformation this season
130	Pegasus reforms broaches to allow Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon to do Moon-Crisis Make Up for Super transformations (first use of new double transform sequence); gives Usagi the Kaleido-Moonscope and Chibi-Moon the Crystal Carillon; Used for new double attack of Twinkle Yell and Moon Gorgeous Meditation (MGM used but unnamed in first two episodes, now gets full sequence)
131	Naru attacked (you know it was coming LOL) and the hilarity of Tiger's Eye getting turned down for Umino is fun to watch, but otherwise skippable
132	A classmate of Mamoru named Saori discovers who Sailor Moon is, but still skippable since it is never brought up again LOL
133	First anime appearance of Diana, Luna and Artemis' daughter of the future
135	A Remless discovers Pegasus in Chibi-usa's dreams, but doesn't get to share the secret with anyone :-P; Pegasus gives Chibiusa an Stallion Rave (unnamed until episode 163) that lets her talk to him whenever she wants (and is alone)
136	Rei's dream targeted, otherwise skippable
141	Minako's dream targeted (by Tigers-Eye AND Hawks-Eye), first (and only) use of Sailor Venus' "Furious Random Crescent Beam Shots", Venus reclaims her own mirror (much like she did her heart crystal); new ending theme and animation
143	First appearance of other scouts in super form for thanks to Pegasus, but don't appear again for awhile
144	Shingo's last appearance in the series, otherwise skippable
147	First use of Super Supreme Thunder
148	Mamoru targeted, first appearance of Amazoness Quartet (unidentified), first mention of Queen Nehelenia (sort of appears, in voice), origin and true forms of Amazon Trio revealed, first mention of Golden Crystal
149	Continues from 148; Fisheye figures out Usagi is Sailor Moon and that Pegasus is inside Chibiusa; Usagi targeted; last appearance of Amazon Trio
150	First time anyone in town appears to notice the Dead Moon Circus; Amazoness Quartet "formally" introduced (brats), Queen Nehelenia fully seen; revealed that mirror needed will be golden; start of that stupid chant thing; new way of gathering mirrors (bouncing ball through back) and Remless now eat mirrors
151	No more episode previews for this season; first use of Mercury Crystal Power Make Up and Mercury Aqua Rhapsody
152	First use of Mars Crystal Power Make Up and Mars Flame Sniper
154	First use of Venus Crystal Power Make Up and Jupiter Crystal Power Make Up; first use of Venus Love and Beauty Shock and Jupiter Oak Evolution
155	First time this season when everyone transforms in a single episode with the new Crystal Power Make Up sequences; otherwise skippable
156	Interesting in that a mirror is "dirty" after someone betrays their own dreams, otherwise skippable
157	Pegasus leaves Chibiusa after she pushes to know more about him, but comes back so still skippable; first combined use of Flame Sniper and Aqua Rhapsody
158	Pegasus tells Chibiusa about the Golden Crystal, his world of Elysian, the truth of his existence, his true name, and true form; Chibiusa's first kiss
159	Cute/sweet Pegasus and Chibiusa stuff, but otherwise skippable
160	Amazoness Quartet and Sailor Scouts work together without realizing it; identities not revealed but still worth watching for more characterization of the Amazoness Quartet and lead up to next episode (despite the name, no Naru)
161	Dead Moon starts full scale attack on the town to capture Pegasus and Scouts figure out the enemy headquarters (took 'em long enough, gesh); identities revealed (also about time)
162	Continuation of 162; Pegasus tells scouts origins of Dead Moon, about Nehelenia, the Golden Crystal and the truth about himself; Chibi Moon captured
163	Nehelenia tells Chibi Moon of her past and her ties to the Moon Kingdom of the past
164-166	Keep watching, last three episodes, grand finale, etc
Season 5 (Sailor Moon Stars) - only available via fansub download or fansub DVD (please avoid the bootlegs on DVD)
167-172	These are all key story episodes for concluding the Nehelenia story and leading into Stars; girls finally move up to high school, Outer Senshi return with super forms; new opening them and animation (note that stars is the ONLY series not to use Moonlight Densetsu for the opening); First use of Moon Eternal Make Up; Kaleido-Moonscope changes to Eternal Tier (unnamed); this set of episodes also is one of the only times Venus is noted to be the leader of the scouts in the anime
173	Mamoru leaves to study abroad; Chibiusa back in the future; Arrival of Three Lights (Seiya, Yaten, Taiki); First appearance of Galaxia (voice from earlier; unnamed); new enemy after a true Star Seed (similar to heart crystals but diamond shaped and come out of flowers on body ); first appearance of Sailor Iron Mouse/Nezu (Anima-mates); new Eternal transformation sequence (back to the usual long thing); new monsters called Phages (all named Sailor something) with defeat call of "beautiful"; first appearance of Sailor Starlights (Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker, Sailor Star Healer); first use of Star Serious Laser; first use of Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss (named) with new sequence
174	First appearance of enemy base (Galaxy TV); Galaxia named; Three Lights transfers to girls' high school; first use of Star Gentle Uterus (yes, you are allowed to laugh at every use)
175	First use of Star Sensitive Inferno; otherwise skippable
176	Sailor Star Fighter identity revealed to audience
177	Sailor Star Maker identity revealed to audience (in case you didn't figure it out yourself already LOL) and hey, more Uterus! :P (Starlights start using "stage on" in intro or may be next episode)
178	Sailor Star Healer identity revealed to audience; Luna gets to know Yaten better
179	Haruka and Michiru return; revealed Starlights are looking the girl they are looking for their princess; first time audience learns that Mamoru has not contacted her at all; added sound effects to Starlights
180	First identifiable, though unnamed, appearance of Sailor Aluminum Siren and Sailor Lead Crow (they appear in shadow in the last episode); Uranus and Neptune attack Starlights as intruders from outside solar system
181	Sailor Iron Mouse targets Seiya and sees him transform into Sailor Star Fighter;  final appearance of Sailor Iron Mouse; Galaxia introduces self; Seiya suspects Usagi is Sailor Moon
182	Start of intros before opening again (blech); first appearance of Chibi Chibi (pulls a Chibiusa, except she becomes Usagi's little sister instead of cousin LOL); Sailor Aluminum Siren/Reiko Aya new Star Seed collector with Sailor Lead Crow/Akane Karasuma finding targets; Usagi has now sent 30 letters to Mamoru; Setsuna reappears; shout out to Robo Cop
184	skippable but extremely funny with almost everyone spending the night at Usagi's house (only Setsuna is missing) and end up having to deal with a phage :-D
185	First view of what the Starlights' princess looks like, otherwise skippable
187	Aluminum Siren sees Usagi transform and tries to get her Star Seed; Chibi Chibi transforms after touching Tier; first use of Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss (longest attack sequence yet)
188	First appearance of Tin Nyanko (unnamed); Aluminum Siren reveals Sailor Moon's identity to Three Lights; everyone's identity pretty much revealed to each other First use of "Galactic Tsunami" LOL; last appearance of Aluminum Siren
189	Aftermath of revelations
190	Seiya tells Usagi about their past and why they came to Earth
191	Chibi finds an small incense burner; Three Lights and scouts reach an understanding
193	Sailor Iron Crow finds Aluminum Siren's diary and targets Usagi; Yaten and Taiki target Chibi Chibi; Princess Kakyuu (Fireball) appears (duh); last episode for Iron Crow
194	Princess Kakyuu (Fireball) tells the scouts of the Sailor Wars, Sailor Soldiers, and Galaxia; real face of Galaxia seen; new Star Fighter transformation
195	Girls finally learn that Usagi hasn't heard from Mamoru since he left; Galaxia comes to Earth; Princess Kakyuu Star Seed captured; final episode for Tin Nyanko
196-200	suffice to say, watch all five cause it is the lengthy final battle against Galaxia with plenty of fun revelations, betrayals, and heart breaking scenes (oh, and have tissues on hand)

I hope this episode guide is as helpful for others as it has been for me. It was certainly a fun way to revisit one of my favorite series, though it took me several months to get all of the episodes rewatched so I could make the guide. Of all of the seasons, it is hard to say which is my favorite. I enjoy all of them, though I was disappointed by how far from the manga the anime goes, especially in the R, S, and Super S arcs (and possibly Stars from what I've read online, since I've yet to obtain copies of the rare English Stars manga releases).

Eventually I plan to do another Sailor Moon post that will detail the differences between the anime and manga versions of the show, but its still very much a work in progress due to work and school constraints. Keep an eye out for it though! I may also do a similar guide for Cardcaptor Sakura, though I think such a guide will be much harder for me to make. CCS has some "filler" episodes, but they never really feel like fillers to me. :P

It is that time of year on AoD, and after not participating last year, I decided to update my old 2005 list of my top 10 anime series/ovas, and movies.  

TV/OVAs

1. Cardcaptor Sakura
2. Sailor Moon
3. Pretear
4. Full Moon wo Sagashite
5. Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne
6. Princess Tutu
7. Wolf's Rain
8. Vision of Escaflowne
9. Ayashi No Ceres
10. Gungrave

(falling out of the top 10 since 2005 are: Blue Seed, Silent Mobius, and Fushigi Yugi)

Movies

1. Sailor Moon R: The Movie
2. Princess Mononoke
3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
4. Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie 2 - The Sealed Card
5. Escaflowne
6. Perfect Blue
7. Spirited Away
8. Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie

More movies this year, but still can't quite make it to 10 :P

Japanese Name: Matantei Loki Ragnarok

Series Summary: Ah, how the mighty have fallen! Caged inside a little boy's body and banished to Earth by the almighty Odin, the still-proud and powerful Loki now runs the Enjaku Detective Agency. Joined by his trusted assistant Yamino and a beautiful (but accident prone) high school girl named Mayura, Loki earns a living probing the darkest corners of the paranormal, the occult, and the otherwise peculiar. And yet the one metaphysical mystery that involves him directly remains unsolved: what has he done to be exiled to Earth? How can he return to Asgard? Why do the other Norse Gods want him dead?

Join in the adventures as our mystery trio take on hair-raising hauntings, possessed dolls, vengeful birds of prey, and penny-pinching deities, in this, the first installment of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, brought to you by the director of Orphen, King of Bandit Jing and Slayers! 

Review: I just finished watching the final volume of this seven volume, 26 episode series. This is my second viewing of this series, and I still have a hard time putting my finger on it. The basic premise is that the Norse God Loki has been banished to Earth in the body of a young boy and Odin, ruler of the Gods, keeps sending other Gods to assassinate him. Meanwhile, Loki runs a detective agent with his faithful servant Yamino and his new friend, the mystery loving high schooler Mayura. Of course, the biggest questions of the series are why was Loki banished and why does Odin want him dead.

On the whole, this isn't a bad series, but I find it kind of frustrating because it can't seem to decide what it wants to be (much like the manga series Beauty is the Beast). The main part of the series is filled with silly comedy, especially Mayura's mystery loving antics. Even episodes that look like they might be "big" are loaded with comedy as well. In the last 5-6 episodes, however, the show does an almost complete about face and goes into a dark, very dramatic direction. Personally, I wish the whole show had focused more on that drama and heavy hitting, versus the comedy. I think it would have been a far greater show, and the overall story certainly is more suited for that atmosphere.

The last two episodes leave me crying like a baby, which does at least show that despite the heavy silliness, the characters do grow on you. Ironically, though, the one I feel most for is the on who isn't even mentioned or seen until the next to the last disk! That character, Hel, was wonderfully introduced and presented in a way that could bring out a great emotional response, both for her and for Loki. I also do love the irony of the reason behind why Odin banished Loki being the cause of the reason why Loki banished Odin (you'll have to watch it to understand that LOL).

This show also leaves some questions unanswered, increasing my frustration with it, particularly with the relationship between Loki and Mayura, and in some ways with the relationship Hel and Loki. We never really get an answer to some of the answers she herself posed to Loki about their relationship, which is kind of sad considering the results of it. The ending also left me only partially satisfied. We never ever find out Odin's motivations in any of this, and I'd really love to hear why he did all he did. Of course I'd also like to know what happens with Loki and Mayura after the choice he makes at the end, but I guess I'll never know. The manga appears to have more to the story, but unfortunately only the second part of the manga has been licensed at this point.

Over all, despite the unanswered questions and total change in atmosphere at towards the end, I do like this series and would recommend it as either a rental, or to pick up when it comes out as a cheap box set. I wouldn't be inclined to pay for the individual releases, especially when most of the extras are fairly blah (though some of the volumes do include some nice Norse notes to fill us in on the mythology behind the show that the creators played with :-D) and some interviews and commentary. So if you really want those, then get the individuals as ADV usually strips them from box sets, but if I pick this up, it will be as a set versus individuals since I don't care about interviews and the like.

Rating: B, if the creators had stuck to the dramatic, darker edge with tinges of comedy, I think it would have been a much richer story

Yes, an anime review!  I probably will not be doing volume by volume reviews of anime titles as I watch them on Netflix or buy them, but I will try, at minimum, to do an overall series review for each.  Starting with Princess Tutu!

Series Summary: A girl named Duck - or rather, a duck who wants to become a girl - falls in love with a prince. One day, a bizarre old man emerges and gives her a magical pendant that transforms her into the waltzing Princess Tutu. Now she must choose - for those who accept their fate find happiness, those who defy it, glory.

Review: Princess Tutu is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing anime series ever.  It has excellent music, awesome art work, and a powerful story line.

The story starts with us meeting Duck, a girl who is in fact a duck.  She loved watching a prince dance, but hated seeing him unhappy.  To grant her wish to make him happy, a man named Drosselmeyer transforms her into a girl.  She gets to go to the same school with the prince, and dance near him, but its not until she learns that he has no heart that she finds the answer to making him happy again.  But can she do it, and what obstacles will she face?

One thing I love about this series is that all of characters are complex, except maybe Duck.  No one is really what they seem.  Interwoven within the story are sub-stories, caused by the town being the inundated with fairy tales come to life.  Princess Tutu has a cute name, and its starts out looking like a cute magical girl anime, but in reality is is a moving, dark fairy tale that deals with themes of free will vs destiny and of love.

I highly recommend this anime to guys and girls alike, though I also recommend keeping tissues near by, especially in the second season.  Every time I watch it, I find new details and subtleties.  Some people complained about Ahiru being translated in the release as Duck, but it does make sense and its no reason not to get it.  The rest of the translation is well done, and there are no issues with video or sound.  The individual volumes feature reversible covers, a dark one (like the one used for this review) and a lighter happier looking one.  ADV also threw in tons of extras related to ballet and interviews with the voice actors.

Rating: A+++++