Petite Princess Yucie: Episode 1 Commentary
A New Platinum Princess Candidate
A warrior swings his sword, a wizard is defeated. Surrounded by the flames of a burning town, the warrior sees a light in the sky. He follows it to find a baby alone in the woods.
When I bought this series, I wasn’t sure quite what I’d be getting. It looked like it might be a nice fluff anime to pass time with. Seeing the medieval world improved my expectations, as that’s a kind of world I enjoy reading and viewing.
Yucie is a 17 year old stuck in a ten year old’s body. If she can become the Platinum Princess, who appears only once every 1,000 years, she can make a single wish on the Eternal Tiara. With that wish, she can become her true age, and then she’ll be able to meet with the prince to thank him for saving her in the past. But to become the Platinum Princess, she must train and work hard.
Gunbard is very caring for Yucie. Perhaps too caring, if that’s possible. The only thing known about his past is that he was a hero, and has killed others in battle. He’s surely given up that life these days, perhaps after adopting Yucie when he found her in the woods almost 17 years prior.
I like Cube. There’s something about him. He seems to try his best to be an attendant to Yucie (whom he calls ojou-sama, or “Lady Yucie”), as well as to please Master Gunbard (Gunbard-sama). But Yucie would rather run around, goof off, and otherwise be trouble for him. One of the parts I like best with Cube is that he can access many magical items, but for a price. He has to pay for them, and he can’t exactly afford much.
During the ending theme, Cube is seen about the same age as he currently appears while Yucie is still a toddler. Based on his appearance, he’s surely not human, so he might have a longer lifespan than humans. How old might he really be? He certainly doesn’t act like a child, and he’s probably been Gunbard’s attendant since Gunbard’s hero days.
Cocoloo didn’t have much of an appearance, so there isn’t anything to say other than she appears to be a quiet person, perhaps shy.
Queen Ercell knows Gunbard. And her son, the prince, is often away. The kingdom is named after her, so Ercell is probably her family’s name. Oh, and she’s gives a pendant to a ten year old, which means the ten year old has a chance to become the Platinum Princess and make a wish on the Eternal Tiara. There must be more to her than meets the eye.
The animation is beautiful in Petite Princess Yucie. It’s nothing extraordinary, but it sets the atmosphere of a medieval, fantasy world. Likewise, little scenes add to the feel of the world, such as the kids watching the hag and her glowing crystal ball, and later the dark-robed lady using magic to light the castle lamps at sunset. Those scenes didn’t have to be added, but help create a very real feeling world.
The character designs are very unique, as well as their outfits. Seeing such interesting and differing outfits on each character is quite a treat after seeing so many anime with sailor-style school uniforms.
The opening theme song is very cheerful and upbeat. “Genius of Smiles”. Many cute scenes with Yucie and her friends are shown. The song is definitely one to rip and add to my music collection, tagged as “cheerful”. The mid-way point of the episode is totally adorable, with a chibi-style Yucie in front of a mirror trying to get her long bang to stay up. “My bangs are all set!” The ending theme is very quiet, almost sad and longing. Scenes show from when Gunbard first became Yucie’s father, and of him and Cube raising her. I’d probably tag this one’s music under “nostalgia” for the feeling it gives.
ADV did a wonderful job with its translation and dub. The voices match the Japanese voices close enough, and most importantly they bring out the characters’ personalities. While Yucie’s English voice sounds a little older than her Japanese, it fits her character. Cocoloo’s English voice matches the shy, timid Japanese voice. Cube’s English voice is different from his Japanese, but definitely matches the character. His is one of those cases where I can’t say which voice is better: they’re both perfect for the character.
Cute scene: Yucie’s “beedah” face she made after splashing mud on the older girls’ dresses, too precious. Very cute.
