Scrapped Princess
A princess is a terrible thing to waste
Review by: Craig "Oracle of Darkness" Norris
Length: 24 episodes
Genre: Fantasy, sci-fi
Watched: 1-24, subbed
I really thank M.H. for introducing me to this series. The title didn't peak my interest, but he took it upon himself to show me the first episode, insisting that it was worth watching. Indeed it was, and I got the other 23 episodes as fast as I possibly could. The strange thing is that the show started off with just a bunch of people riding around in a wagon doing laundry and stuff, and somehow it made me care. With my attention span as short as it is, that is a feat that should not be ignored.
Plot synopsis: In the medieval society of earth, one entity is looked upon with unprecedented fear. The god Mauzer prophesized of the Scrapped Princess, a being that would be a poison unto the world on the day of her sixteenth birthday. After the failed assassination attempt of the Scrapped Princess on the day of her birth, military forces the world over have searched for her for over fifteen years. However, she was taken in by the Casull family and has been protected fervently by her foster brother and sister. Now, Pacifica Casull, the Scrapped Princess, draws ever closer to her sixteenth birthday. Will she be the savior of the human race, or its executioner? More importantly, will she live long enough to find out?
Artwork: Very smooth and detailed. The character designs are wonderful, especially the outfits. Fight sequences between humans are very intense, with a lot of pushing and shoving and yelling, giving them a very real feel. Fights between the Dragoons and the Peacemakers reminded me of the mecha fights in RahXephon, and one could draw many parallels between the Peacemakers and the Mu. Backgrounds are well done, and barely seem to contrast at all with the cel animation. Overall, the crispness and flow of the animation are a major selling point for this title.
Music: In contrast to the fantastic artwork, the soundtrack doesn't really offer up anything of note. The opening and ending themes are decent at best. The in-episode music never seemed to catch my attention, even if it did properly emulate the mood. It lacked uniqueness and diversity, and the instrumentals did not have nearly the same kind of ear-catching powerhouse quality of something like Bloodlust. The music isn't bad at all, it's just that you'll probably be paying too much attention to other stuff to pay it any heed.
Characters: Scrapped Princess does what every good anime I've ever seen has done: it created characters that are easy to sympathize with. Even though Pacifica is a bit of a whiner at times, she's the kind of person that audiences can get behind all the way. She wants to lead a normal life, but she is certainly not selfish. Often, she is torn by the fact that those around her suffer just because of who she is. Shannon, Pacifica's brother, is exceedingly skillful as a swordsman, and determined to protect Pacifica no matter what the cost. Sometimes, Shannon is the only person who can snap Pacifica out of her moping and self-pity. Raquel, Pacifica's sister, is a powerful sorceress with a cheerful disposition. Sometimes she can come off as a bit ditzy, but in reality she just tries to lighten the mood. Leo is a knight in training that becomes instantly infatuated with Pacifica, and follows her in order to protect her. He starts out as a total klutz, but he constantly works to improve himself for Pacifica's sake. Christopher is a member of an elite military task force called Obstinate Arrow. He was in charge of assassinating the Scrapped Princess, but upon further investigation of the prophecies he begins to wonder if it is the right course of action. He is a brooding character who is filled with personal uncertainties that he tries to mask. Winia is an orphaned girl that Pacifica befriends at the inn where she worked. At first she is very sullen, but after befriending Pacifica she begins to open up to others. Senes is a renegade princess who values physical strength, and as such berates Pacifica for her emotional weaknesses. However, her insults are more than likely due to jealousy, because she never had anyone to protect her. The cast of important characters is far more numerous than those listed, so I limited the list to those in direct contact with Pacifica throughout. In reality, the expansive cast is appealing on just about every level, full of people to love and despise.
Plot: The whole "imprisonment and control of humanity by a race of powerful beings" thing has been done before, but the anachronistic way in which it was presented in Scrapped Princess gave it the unique spin it needed to set itself apart from other series. I was very impressed with the fast-paced plot flow, and was grateful that it was exceedingly easy to follow. The plot is chock-full of emotion and opportunity for character growth, and it is all handsomely packaged and spaced out in 24 episodes. While the plot itself may seem recycled in spots, its flow and organization definitely make it a welcome change of pace from those other, uber-confusing "impending apocalypse" animes.
CHICKS!: The girls in this series have a lot of personality, which makes their appeal go far beyond just their figures. Pacifica first struck me as a little spoiled, but that goes hand-in-hand with the way she has been protected for her entire life. She's actually a very caring girl, with cute blond hair, vivid blue eyes, pale skin, and one of the sweetest smiles I've ever seen. For a fifteen year-old she's very curvy, and the only real physical indication of her teenage status is her height. Raquel seems very modest about her appearance, but she has quite a bit to offer. Her figure is a bit more developed than Pacifica's, and her personality is more subtle and sweet. Her protectiveness and her caring make her a model big sister, and she would undoubtedly make an excellent mother. Winia is very shy about getting involved in a relationship, because of her inability to meet anybody for most of her life. Her figure is similar to Pacifica's, only her skin is darker and she has freckles on her face. Senes is one of the least feminine girls I've ever seen, and if it wasn't for her bosom, I'd swear she was a guy. However, if you like a take charge kind of girl who doesn't hesitate to bark orders and kick ass, she's got a lot of potential. Although I've got my eye on her assistant, Eirotte. Once again my theory is proven: the way to a man's heart is through a cute chick's glasses. In terms of pure sex appeal, the two lady Peacemakers, Stea and Shizu are tops. They've got bodies and outfits that scream "I'm sexy, dammit!" Too bad they've got it in for humanity so bad. Why do the really gorgeous ones always have to be so evil?
Overall: It started off kind of slow, but once the show really started rolling I had to recognize it as one of the finer series I have seen. Because of the circumstances surrounding all the characters, it would have been very easy to center the show around their psychology, but Scrapped Princess takes a more omniscient standpoint, and doesn't try to get cute with circuitous explanations and vagueness. It gets right to the point and hides nothing, leaving the viewer totally satisfied when it ends. This is definitely a quality series, and ranks among my list of highly recommendable titles.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Great artwork
+ Fantastic character development
+ Straightforward
+ Wide audience appeal
- Shaky soundtrack
Rating: 9/10
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