Princess Tutu (2002–2003) User Reviews

Here's to being secure in my masculinity

[wandereramor · 9/10 · 27 August 2012]

Princess Tutu is ostensibly a shoujo magical girl series, from its name all the way down to its romantic quadrangle, and it fulfils the expectations of that genre wonderfully. But there's also an element of artistry that elevates it beyond simply being a well-done genre work. It's not just that the series wraps itself in high culture like ballet or literature -- it's that it actually manages to comment intelligently on these things while creating a beautiful visual work.

Princess Tutu filters the usual magical girl narrative through the strange logic of fairy tales and a healthy coating of Utena-esque surrealism. As the series progresses, the story begins to fall apart in an intentional and revealing way, and things get increasingly metafictional. What results will be a delight to both anime fans looking for entertainment as well as postmodern aficionados like myself.

There are a lot of relatively stand-alone episodes, and these tend to drag. I won't deny that the middle section of Princess Tutu bored me most of the time. But the end pulled it all back together, and it might have one of the best conclusions of any anime series I've watched. Don't be fooled by the silly title -- this show deserves to be taken seriously.

Ballet, classical music and a brilliant plot.

[menostrabajo · 9/10 · 27 July 2008]

I'll be honest: I first thought this wouldn't be any different from any other typical magical girl story (With battles, nasty witches, bright pink magic makeup,...). I even found it a little redundant at times. Still, all along its progression, the protagonists slowly diverge towards different directions and new elements add to the confusion and interrogations, while a puppet master takes a malicious pleasure watching the events from the outside. The not so clear demarcation between illusion and reality, the central role of ballet and the classical background music add to the series' originality with sensitivity. The suspense and tragedy build up exponentially the last few episodes, with an interesting ending.

Man enough to watch Princess Tutu?

[trhud · 9/10 · 1 March 2015]

*minor spoilers*

A lot of people have said that Princess Tutu is not what it looks like. It's not as girly as it sounds. Don't judge a book by its cover. Well… I actually disagree with this. In many respects, Princess Tutu is exactly what you might expect. It's a magical girl fairy tale with romance, ballet, a female lead, and a big bad villain who wants to ruin everything for the protagonist and keep her from her true love and there are several points that might make you feel like you're watching a classic Disney Princess movie. BUT! I do not think that should stop you from watching this. Princess Tutu is truly a hidden gem. I had a lot of fun with this anime and I honestly think anyone of any age, man or woman can still love this show.

Princess Tutu in a nutshell is a story of a story. Once upon a time a man wrote a story of a prince who fought against an evil raven. During their battle the two managed to literally come out of the story and into real life. Eventually the prince prevailed and managed to lock the evil raven away forever. However, in the process he had to shatter his own heart in order to do so. Thus leaving him emotionless. Skip ahead to the present and we find that all the characters of the story now reside peacefully in a small town where they all attend a ballet school. This is where our main protagonist comes in. Ahiru. Who's name literally translates to "duck" Which makes sense since she herself is in fact a duck who through the power of a pendent is able to take on the form of a human girl and it is her role in the story to collect and return the shattered fragments of the prince's heart. At the same time our main antagonist Princess Kraehe attempts to prevent the prince from regaining his heart while also trying to free her father the raven.

This is definitely one of the more unique stories I have heard among fairy tales and while it may sound like just another typical fairy tale, the story's execution is fantastic and it tells itself in a very realistic way and there were never any moments that felt too sappy, cheesy, or sugar coated. The story is exceptionally well written and contains a perfect blend of comedy, romance, drama, and even some dark epic moments.

The characters were definitely the highlight of this show for me. This show focuses mostly on five main characters and I immediately fell in love with all of them.

Ahiru/Princess Tutu – Our goofy, kind and caring protagonist who's only real desire is to restore the prince's heart as she wants nothing more than simply to see him smile.

Mytho – The prince of the story who having lost his heart is left with no emotions or even any understanding of emotions.

Fakir – The knight of the story dedicated to protecting Mytho and doing what he believes is best for him though at times he comes off as very controlling.

Rue/Princess Kraehe – The primary antagonist of the story. Also in love with Mytho, she hopes to prevent Mytho from regaining his heart and is constantly getting between him and Ahiru.

Drosselmeyer – The writer of the story of "The Prince and The Raven". Having died, he now resides in another dimension where he watches over his tale as it unfolds before him.

The characters all act and feel very believable and they each have a good amount of depth and focus in the story. There is also great character development with not just the protagonist but with all the characters. As the story progresses and we learn more about the characters, some of them turn out to be quite different from who we originally thought they were and they develop very naturally throughout the course of the show. Even the villain goes through some growth. Every character is great and even the minor characters like Neko-sensei are very memorable. Because if you don't do well in Neko-sensei's class… He will have you marry him!

Princess Tutu is a fairly old anime dating back to 2002 and as such it has the art style you would expect from an older show. Despite this, the art is quite good for its time. It is very suitable to the show and has a real charm to it that makes it quite pleasant to look at.

Big fan of classical music? You'll love this show. The majority of the soundtrack consists of popular classical tunes. Mainly those from the Nutcracker and if there was ever an anime that used classical music well, it's Princess Tutu. The intro also has a very classical feel to it and goes great with the show. Same goes for the outro.

As for the sub or dub debate, Princess Tutu has one of the better dubs I've seen. None of the voices sounded bad and Luci Christian was an excellent choice to play the role of Ahiru (or as she's called in the dub "Duck") The original version is also spectacular and is worth watching as well. Want to watch the Japanese version? Every voice fits PERFECTLY. Want to watch the dub? The voices still fit perfectly. So watch whichever version suits your tastes. Or if you have time, watch both!

Princess Tutu is a highly under appreciated show that deserves far more attention than it gets. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. Definitely one of if not the best magical girl anime out there.

My hands-down favorite anime

[kpbare · 10/10 · 16 December 2011]

This was the first anime I ever watched and it is arguably stranger than even most anime series. But I was hooked from the start. The unique plot elements and characters gradually clarify into a truly thoughtful plot. I have heard some people say that this anime is just too weird, but the "wierdness" actually has reasonable explanations within the story that lead to a much more fulfilling experience than if everything was understandable from the beginning. The story is actually a meta-fiction that explores story archetypes, free-will and predestination, and true sacrificial love. All the lovely ballet sequences and references are just icing on the cake. It is also very funny with plenty of opportunities for fan-girling over the leads (Fakia<3!). "Princess Tutu" is probably not a very inspiring title to those looking for a quality show. However, I encourage you to look past the odd name as well as the odd first couple of episodes. This show has real heart and a wonderful plot that will take you so much deeper than a typical magical girl anime.

Not as girly as the title implies...

[GoddessofDorkness · 10/10 · 28 January 2007]

It's cool because it's about a storyteller's tales that continue to exist beyond his death. In the tales, there is a ballerina who turns into a duck when she gets low self esteem, especially over a boy. She has to go to a body of water to become human again every time. Then there are these other characters who are anthropomorphic ballet students. The teacher is a cat in a jogging suit who threatens to marry everyone. It's great because it is unique, weird, and far out. By the title, people would think it's mostly for girls, but it's not if you know the plot. It's one of these cool animes that hasn't been released to the USA on DVD. If it is already, I'll be ready to pounce on the DVD and claim it as mine.

Edit: I have the series now, and I continue to enjoy this brilliant anime.

Princess TuTu

[darkpirate_308 · 5 March 2006]

Princess Tutu....One of the best shows ever! It shows compassion along with love. This series speaks to my heart and I can't wait till the next DVD comes out. Princess Tutu, I recommend it for everyone, It has such a beautiful story to it. If you don't watch this, your missing out on a lot. :):):) A Duck who wants to be a girl, and A girl who loves a boy, whom has no heart. A girl who wants to become Princess Tutu, the only one to restore his heart. If she ever confesses her love to him, she turns into a speck of light and disappears. Should she keep her love feelings to herself and never speak of such feeling....or shall she speak and turn into a speck of light, with no returning once so ever. This show represents lots of feeling and compassion. Also, It shows that parts of life is about going through obstacles.

A magical anime

[WeAreLive · 10/10 · 20 December 2020]

Ahiru (Duck in the English dub) who is a duck turns into a girl in order to restore Mythos heart and his emotions. To this she becomes a magical girl called princess tutu. However, she must keep this a secret from her friend and not confess her love otherwise she may disappear. Also she must stop princess Crayhe from

This I do feel is avery underrated anime which definitely deserves a lot more love and recognition.

I really love the character this show had to offer and you do get to like them as well as the show goes along and the how much emotion the voice actor put in theme,

I also the idea and the art work visulas were also amazing.

My favorite TV series, animated or live action

[MissSimonetta · 10/10 · 20 December 2012]

Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is a show solely meant for little girls; this is one of the best anime series you're liable to find period. It's like a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen meets the magical girl genre meets metafiction. There's many a plot twist and the characters are so well written. The animation and backgrounds are lovely, evocative of watercolor illustrations in a storybook.

The first few episodes are a little slow (though still entertaining), but by the time you get past episode five, you'll be hooked until you reach the heartwrenching finale. If you love shoujo, fairy tales, ballet, or just well written stories in general, then this will be a welcome treat.

Very good anime

[Rectangular_businessman · 8/10 · 3 July 2010]

"Princess Tutu" is a very good anime series. The first time that I've heard about it, I thought that this was going to be a very bad series. But it was pretty good. This show is not a typical, cheesy magical girl series, but an interesting and original series instead. The atmosphere is dark and the characters are very complex, much more than I thought that they would be. Also the story was way darker and more violent than I thought that it was going to be from the beginning. But that was good; nothing is gratuitous or superfluous in this series: There is mystery, there is comedy and drama, and there are even occasional thrills. The character designs were very stylish and well made, and the use of classic music was simply beautiful. I'm not very much into magical girl series, or into anime in general, but I really liked this series. It was worth watching from beginning to end.

No spoilers,really great anime!

[jedward-budgie1 · 10/10 · 30 September 2013]

Princess tutu is a really funny anime about a duck who can turn into a girl when wearing a magical pendant,that also allows her to turn into a ballet dancing heroine! Duck in girl form is a funny unsuccessful dancer,and her and her classmates are constantly threatened by their dance teacher (Mr.cat or Neko-sensai) into marriage....very funny! Definitely worth watching,story line:Drosselmeyer,a famous writer starts writing stories,that legitimately makes the stories come true,scared of bad things coming from this power,the town's people cut off his hands to prevent him from writing stories,his hands were cut off,before the end of one story in particular,named: The Prince and The Raven. Each episode introduces another story(ballet shows) including Don Quixote,Sylphide and other classics.Duck has a crush on a boy name Mytho,who's heart was shattered (he is the prince from the unfinished book)and Fakir,a direct relation to Drosselmeyer possesses the same power as Drosselmeyer,that of whatever is written becomes reality.The anime is one the best I have ever seen,and would recommend it to any ballet/anime fan!

I loved this anime!!!

[greenbeauty-36726 · 10/10 · 1 December 2019]

I watched this with all of my siblings and we all love it so much. Duck and Fakir are so cute! I love the story.

Terrible, Creepy and Lacks Chemistry

[MovieTVRomanceFan · 2/10 · 19 June 2021]

I Hated It. I never had a good feeling about Princess Tutu, even before I began properly watching it. When I saw the first episode that should've been my first hint. It creeped me out, but I wanted to give the show a fair try and after a few episodes it was entertaining. However, the second half of the series it becomes dull, boring and even more creepy and scary than the first episode. Ultimately I strongly dislike the anime and would NOT recommend it to anyone. Aside from the major creep factor, another reason I dislike this anime was the romances. I didn't feel any chemistry or love for any of the couple, including Duck and Fakir. I definitely saw a building relationship, but they came to realize their true feelings and Rue and Mytho were the most boring couple ever. They repeated the same thing over and over, basically treating him as a puppet boyfriend.

Overall, I hated the series. It was dull, creepy, boring and the ending was beyond depressing. Worst Anime Ever!!!! Don't Watch It. I Repeat. Don't Watch It.

Just like Romeo and Juliet

[TimothyMcKann · 20 February 2006]

When I first saw the trailer of this anime on a volume of Kaleido Star,it was kinda pretty. But after buying the first volume,and the other two, I really loved it. My favorite characters in this one are: Duck,and Miss Edel. I know Duck has what it takes to be a dancer,all she's got to do is believe in herself,and work hard to achieve that goal. I also like the opening theme as well. What this series tells us that we all have to face greater challenges that lie ahead of us.All we have to do is do our best,and not mess up.The show also features the great voice talents of Chris Patton,and Luci Christian(famous for Pretear),Jay Hickman,and others. I really think I'm going to like this anime and keep collecting it on DVD. So in closing,if you have seen the preview, then this is the one to get. You will see what I mean

A very cutesy fairytale anime

[Irishchatter · 8/10 · 17 March 2018]

I really thought this anime was very cute. Funny how most of the characters are human but we are also involving a cat who is a dance teacher threatening the young dancers to marry him if they don't do well and an ant-eater who wants to get dancing with the prince. You literally will laugh your head off and be like "wtf mate" LOL!! Seriously like this series is meant to be a mixture of fairy tales and yet, we have two animals appearing on this. Are they meant to be a reference to wind in the willows, puss in boots or some animal fairy-tale story relating to it? I'm not hating it but, it was just surprising that this anime included this to make us amazed!

Anyways I really thought the prince was going to choose Duck because like she is the princess all along that helped him get his heart back. What were the writers thinking of getting the prince to choose a gorgeous Rue rather then be with Duck? It just doesn't make sense even though, Rue was good as a heroine but she deserved someone else then the prince to be honest. I really wish Duck and him were the ones that lived happily ever after instead of being friends.

Good movie and music 8/10

Massive fan, not a massive fan of the ending.

[qvmmq · 9/10 · 3 September 2023]

I am a huge fan of the magical girl genre and this anime did not disapoint. It was fun, magical but also had a more serious and dark side, which I did not expect. But it was such a nice suprise. I enjoyed almost every single character, beautiful scenes, especially when it comes to the dance scenes. I loved how it took the forbidden love but it made it into something so much more. The only thing I didn't really like was the pair choices, especially in the ending. The ending was the worst part. Everyone got a happy ending exept Duck (the main character), but it was made to seem like she did?? Idk, didnt really make sense to me. But despite the ending, this series was still amazing, would be a 10/10 if not the ending.

A Fun Story About a Story

[allison-07497 · 8/10 · 16 March 2022]

Though at times it's a bit cheesy, it's a fun mashup of ballet and anime. Nothing terribly deep or life changing. Just magical storytelling that allows you to get lost for a while. Some wonderful characters too. Now, I'd love to see a mashup of Cirque du Soleil music and storytelling, and anime as a second season.

There are good magical girl anime. This is not one of them

[KeybladeChronicles · 4/10 · 15 March 2014]

To be honest, while I'm not huge on this genre, there are magical girl anime I do enjoy. Lets make one thing clear; Princess Tutu is not just the worst magical girl anime I've ever seen, it is the worst anime I've ever seen PERIOD!!!

The reason for why this anime is bad is simple, it's all over the place, the dubbing and art direction even for 2002 look horrible, in fact there are anime prior to the twenty first century that look better then this, and the characters are just archetypes with no defying character traits that flesh them out. I can't say I like these characters, because these characters aren't identifiable. They're so one note and leaves me questioning why they're even here. Not even the intro makes that much sense about a man dying and a prince and raven fighting for all eternity or something. This anime is inconsistent and the world just makes no sense whatsoever and dialog that will leave you questioning just what exactly is going on? If you want good magical girl anime or just the anime genre as a whole, this is something you should avoid. With something as a reused concept from other anime as this and a story that's not that well written, you'll leave this anime asking what did you just watch. Stay away from Princess Tutu and go watch something else