Puchi Pri*Yucie

Puchi Puri Yuushi, perhaps better known by its English title of Petite Princess Yucie, is a nice little series that is often overlooked for more popular shows, yet it’s just as deserving of attention. The story begins on Yucie’s first day of classes at the Princess Academy, a school for young girls from the five different worlds who want to become princesses or like princesses. The thing is, Yucie isn’t a young girl but a 17-year-old trapped in the body of one! When she finds out that one student will become the Platinum Princess and obtain one wish, however, her mind is made up towin the title. Watch as Yucie makes friends, learns about herself, and magically changes into cute outfits! The story may be straightforward, but the execution is impressive. Most of the series is made of one-shot episodes about Yucie and her friends doing little things that bring them closer to their goal, but they’re each unique, taking place in different worlds and involving different characters. In addition, there’s a reoccurring cast with frequently-developed stories, such as those regarding their family life… and, as you would expect from a series like this, a sweet romance or three. Sure, not every episode is engaging or even interesting, but they definitely have enough going for them overall that makes them easy to enjoy. In the last few episodes, a serious plot develops, and while it will feel pretty standard to anyone who watches magical girl series, you can’t help but cheer for the cast to do their best and win. While there isn’t much plot substance overall, and what is there is quite predictable, it’s still a nice mix of fantasy, romance, and magic perfect for any shoujo lover. The character designs are quite cute, and while they’re not amazing they match the series well. The creators weren’t afraid to make fun of themselves, either: Yucie is frequently mocked for her huge forehead. The animation quality is decent enough; nothing stood out to me either way. The music is also quite average, but overall fitting and likable, and there was a piece or two of BGM that really impressed me. Furthermore, the opening song, “Genius of Smiles,” stands out as incredibly catchy and cute, and is very much worth a listen even if you aren’t a fan of the show. These elements may not stand out, but they’re worthy components nonetheless. The main five characters of Petite Princess Yucie are a solid cast. Yucie’s sweet optimism makes her a character that you can’t help but love, even if you are the type to get annoyed by magical girl heroines. The shy spirit girl Kokolu, feisty demon Glenda, and heavenly yet picky Elmina make a great circle of friends for her, while the final girl, Beth, is especially interesting as a character. That’s not to sell the rest of the cast short, though! Every last major character has a developed personality and grows through the series. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the cast, but it’s really only the five girls and their stewards (magical helpers) who have developed personalities. Still, the more one-dimensional members of the cast are just as likable. Do you love cute things, magic, and fluffy fun? If so, Petite Princess Yucie is a great series that should defiantly be on your radar. Shoujo fans will find everything they enjoy about the genre in a series that’s more than the sum of its parts, while people who aren’t usually fans of shoujo may be pleasantly surprised. Sure, it’s not technically impressive or particularly epic, but Petite Princess Yucie is lots of fun to watch, and sometimes that’s all that you need. It may be a seven from a critical point of view, but it’s a darn high seven.

Okay, as a whole we are all different sizes in this world. Some big...some small...some average in height. Nobody really ever expects to remain the same height they were back when they were ten years old right? Well poor Yuushi, it seems like things didn’t quite work out for her in this department. "Puchi Puri Yuushi" takes place in a more mid-evil fairytale time, and comes with a lot of cuteness along with it! Story: 8/10 Our story is all about a young girl named Yuushi (Yucie in America), she was found abandoned by her foster dad, who later finds out that this girl is different thanmost, in that Yuushi is not able to grow to normal adult size, due to a curse placed on her! Upon her 17th birthday she sets her sites on a magical item called the "Eternal Tiara, " which only the "Platinum Princess" can obtain...to hopeful cure this mysterious curse on her. The whole story stays pretty linear in this regards, yet changes at the same time to help prevent the story from coming off as too tedious. Along the way Yuushi meets other Platinum Princess Candidates who she deems as her good friends, but also fellow rivals to her goal. (since only one can become the Platinum Princess) Now the story doesn’t stay with the same formula in mind all the way through, as a lot of episodes will show her friend’s troubles along with her own, as well as give good hints as to who they are and what obstacles they too have gone through in their lives, most of which are regarding their families. Since Yuushi can only obtain her goal by doing good deeds and collecting all of the crystal flowers (which happens ever few episodes, and require the girls to visit many different worlds), you will get to enjoy a lot of different aspects of the series. Such as Yuushi trying her hand at baking, becoming a librarian, nun, a farmer etc. All in order to rack up her good deed points. There really isn’t too much action that takes place here, especially considering this takes place in more mid-evil times, but you do get a fair amount in there as well...especially towards the end. The story doesn’t really contain many plot twists in the mix, with the exception of one that, again, only happens towards the end. I think many viewers will find that the overall plots in the story can get pretty predictable at times, which may turn off some fans who are looking for some surprises in their anime. The ending does tie up most loose ends of the series. Only bummer is, we never really get to find out much about Yuushi’s past. Still, getting there is quite fun, and you get a good supply of comedy, drama, romance, and adventure. Which helps the story from becoming stale. "Puchi Puri Yuushi" shouldn’t really contain anything that viewers will find offensive. The violence is pretty mild, and there isn’t really too much of it. However there is a scene or two when one of the characters gets cut, and there is a touch of blood on them, but nothing gruesome is ever shown. Also, one of the girls does come from a "demon world, " so that might offend some. Other than that, there really isn’t much to worry about. Nothing ever crosses over a "PG" rating. Art: 8/10 My favorite part in the artwork category was the characters themselves, (well, the main cast anyway) because all the girls are drawn with pretty good differences, so nobody ever looks like they were just copy and pasted from the same formula, I especially liked the design on Yuushi herself. All the adults in this title on teh other hand, seemed to look a bit more generic. I was never really able to find one that stood out for me...well other than a character named "Gunbard." The backgrounds were also another stand out feature, I think they pulled off the whole "fairytale" look quite nicley. Now I have to say that I wasn’t a fan of most of the actual clothing in this anime, they just looked so bland and boring. Overall the animation is nothing spectacular, but I think they pulled off the look and feel they were going for. Sound: 6/10 The opening and ending themes match well with the whole fairytale-ness of the title. The beginning comes in the form of a nice kind of out beat style song, while the ending is played a bit more suttle. The background music? Well...its okay and all, but nothing really ever stands out much. (lots of guitar picking tracks throughout the anime) Now when comparing the sub to the dub, I would recommend watching this in subtitle form. The dub isn’t really bad, and I honestly did get use to it after a while. But the voices just didn’t match nearly as well as the sub did, because some of the American voices actors they got tended to get a bit on the annoying side. The soundtrack can be somewhat generic sounding at times, but nothing really too bad. Characters: 8/10 I really liked the cast of characters, I felt they were varied so much that it was just great to see them all interact with one another. We had Yuushi the outgoing one, Glenda the rival and comic relief of the show, Kokolu the quiet one, Erumina the noble, and Besu the loner. (all of them come from different worlds) The supporting cast is also great as well, and some actually help in the comedy areas. As much as I did love them and all, I also couldn’t help but feel that their overall ways could be considered a bit stereotypical and by the book as well. What sets them apart from becoming tagged as soly that, was the great chemistry and friendship they had. It may not have been fleshed out enough to really set the stage for anything...but they did do it well enough for you to at least care about them. Overall 8/10 Puchi Puri Yuushi may not be anything special, and some may not like the big amount of cuteness or it’s somewhat predictable storyline. But the anime is still a nice title to invest your time in, just for the sake of enjoyment and fun. If you’re a fan of fairytale style anime, and don’t mind a good portion of cuteness to go as a side dish on your anime plate? Then "Puchi Puri Yuushi" is a tasty treat indeed!

It probably wouldn’t appear to be so to many people, but Petite Princess Yucie deals with quite a bit of psychological analysis. What else do we expect from Gainax? Of course, the pedophilic content was tantalizing, but underneath that sweet sweet succulent surface is a fairly complex mesh of relationships that could very well send Carl Jung looking for phallic symbols to smoke. First is Yucie. Our token heroine, who is unique as she lacks the beorgois attitude that seems to plague all the other girls with proper upbringing. The only exception would be Cocoloo, but she’s got issues of her own. As many of youknow, Yucie was raised in the countryside by a single father, a former knight, who’s protective nature burdens our young heroine with a sense of duty and initiative. With no mother figure to compete against for her father’s love, she ultimately finds no attraction to the womenly arts like sewing, magic and tea parties. During her princess training, her only skills involve physical labor. Her first love interest: The prince, Arc. A warrior like her father. Next is Glenda. She is the demon princess, and a skilled magic-user. In her case, the role of father and mother had been reversed. Her father, the demon king, is pathetically sensitive and unmanly. During her upbringing, her mom has always worn the pants in the relationship. Glenda ultimately comes to respect her mom, who has become not only her role model but the first hurdle in winning the monopoly on her father’s affection. To catch up to her mother she always erects a tough front and tries very hard to impress, which leads to hilarious antics and ends poorly in her favor. Deep down inside, she knows this is her weakness, but she will never admit it, lest it be known that she takes after her father. Her first love interest: The frog prince. A frail girly man. Elmina of the Celestial Realm has spent her entire life ‘being’ the best, because anything less than perfection would seemingly disgrace her old and stern father. Watching Yucie’s father being proud of his daughter for just ‘trying’ her best shatters the walls of strictness that she imposes upon herself. A bit of reality check is late in coming; but eventually helps her stand up to the source of her depreciating self-worth: her father. Her first love interest: The old and stern Lord of Rockwell Manor. He even comes with white hair and a beard, like her… father. Noticing something? Cocoloo had a strange life. She is from the ghost realm, so she tends to see and talk to things that aren’t there. As transparent as this will sound, Cocoloo tries not to stand out in crowds much like a ghost. She’s come to develop a shy and introverted personality from her quiet nature. Her first love interest: Yucie, the only girl outside of the ghost realm to acknowledge her, whereas she would be a passing shadow to others. Beth joined the show late and therefore has little character development. It’s pretty clear that she’s distrustful of others, close-minded, and possesses a self-destructive personality. She sports a lone-wolf behavior most of the time, and only reveals bits of emotions when she’s with her love interest: Cocoloo — she is the only character in the show who can quietly listen to someone. Yes, Beth is a hippie with anger issues. Her father’s a tree for God’s sake. You can tell they put a lot of thought into each character’s background and resultant personality traits. So what are you waiting for, I advice you buy it today.

You see the words Magical Girl in the key words and what is your main thought? Maybe something like Sailor Moon where you have a 10 minute transformation scene, or maybe even Card Capture Sakura where she runs around trying to capture all the spirits of the cards. Well, this show is a little bit different (although there are transformation scenes). Instead, we have a girl who grew up in a pretty normal household. Sure her father found her in the woods but he treats her exactly how someone would treat a real daughter. He fusses over her, tries hard to have her wear prettyclothing, and makes amazing meals for her. She has a best friend she can ask for help and just is over all a pretty happy girl. The only thing that is different about her is that she is a 17 year old girl trapped in a 10 year old body but even that isn’t all that magical. She was never in a 17 year old body to begin with, she just stopped ageing. They only speculate that she was cursed but from what I can tell, there is no actual way that they know for sure. Before someone tells me that that has to be magical, I am 26 but many people say I look 16 or 17 years old. It’s not all that magical and there are people in this world that look even younger then me like a young Indian girl who is about 22 years old and is only 2 ft 1 inch in height. For those interested, look up Jyoti Amge. Now going back to the transformation scenes I was talking about, they are not super long and I wouldn’t consider it as her being a Magical Girl. In this world, anyone with a magic pendent might be considered a magical girl and we have already seen a lot of times where Cube, her friend, buys magical items to do things. Yucie isn’t out trying to save the world, she isn’t trying to capture rouge spirits destroying the land, and her transformation scene mostly consists of her changing into a school uniform or some other clothing style to fit what she is doing. It could of just as easily of happened with the girls changing clothing normally. Sometimes I wonder if this is for some sort of fetish because they dress up in so many costumes under the sun, from nuns to cooks, to school girls. So let’s talk about the characters here. Yucie is a rather sweet and kind hearted girl who wants to help people most of the time. Though she has a childlike look, her personality does show that she is much older then she looks. There is still plenty that she tries to learn and even if she doesn’t want to do something, she will try to keep a smile on her face and look to the best case scenario. I do like her character although I get the impression she is like a Mary Sue character. Someone who is the ideal character in a show or book. This makes her slightly unbelievable and in that part, I don’t like it. I guess the concept works well for the story as she is trying to be the best princess out there so she could get the tiara, but even princesses have faults that should be explored and times in which they would fail. Yucie never seems to fail at anything, although she gets discouraged at times. The only that breaks her from that mold is that when she is around the demon princess Glenda, they tend to fight and bicker. I cannot stand Glenda at all so the less I get of her the better. Glenda is a very bratty princess that is supposed to have the same problem as Yucie. She is just an opposite of Yucie in every way, making her more like a Tsundara (I guess that would be the opposite of a Mary Sue). Her big thing is saying that she is ‘…The Princess of the Demon World with elegant Beauty and fantastic magical powers…’ or something close to that. There really isn’t much that I can talk about with her because her personality is just being a rival. Yucie’s father, Gunbard, is a really loving and caring father though sometimes he seems to try a little too hard. It could be because he didn’t have a wife I think so he works so hard being both sides of parenthood. Unfortunately, it seems he has what I like to call Brock Syndrome. It seems to be catching to a lot of anime characters. Symptoms include being a loving housewife style character who can cook well, make tonics to ease the body, have eyes that seem to open or are only horizontal lines, and seems to be obsessed with a girl (although in this case, its more of a fatherly way then a perverted way). Next, we have Yucie’s school life friend, Cocoloo. Cocoloo is… well… A joke with her is that she ‘Has no presence at all…’ She pops up out of no where and asks if anyone noticed her and they say no, to which she always says that exact line. We get it; you have no presence at all so will you please shut up about it?! Later on in the show, we find out why but still, the joke runs long enough. When we talk about characters that don’t have much of a presence in the story, I also think about Cube. When I first heard his name, it sounded like he was named Q instead and that reminded me of a character from Star Trek. Ever since then, no matter what spell or anything he did, I would see him as the character from Star Trek and that made me laugh. In reality, Cube is a demon who helps out Yucie and her father with his ability to summon magical items. I say again, this is one of the reasons I got confused between Cube and Q as Q has the ability to change the world around him. Unlike Q though, Cube is kind and gentle, always wanting to help out Yucie and her father but sometimes he does end up messing up. He has a very care free attitude and sometimes I wonder if he is more worried about hurting Gunbard’s feelings instead of Yucie’s since he very rarely takes her side when at home. The artwork is rather good but definitely not looking like a show from 2002. It has sort of an old air about it like something that came out in the 90s instead. Just the way everything is colored and the design kind of has that vibe. Added to the soft lines around the characters and your seeing just what I mean. The characters are very well drawn, though the younger characters do have this sort of bubbly look to them. Even Yucie has that same sort of feeling to her and yet where in many other shows that might be a turn off to me, in this case not really. It actually works for showing how young they are. Now there are problems with some of the animation in later episodes in where they slacked on some of the art. Fine for some of the comedy, but then when it happens with spots that are supposed to be serious, I can’t take them seriously. The ending has its own sort of water color design to it that’s very pretty. It matches the idea that they are memories of when Yucie was growing up. The English voice acting is pretty nice. The voice actor for Yucie, Rachel Rivera, plays her rather well. She keeps this sort of youthful tone to the character and yet still makes her seem like she is much older inside. Her voice is rather familiar but I can’t seem to find anything else that she dubbed and I think that is a bit sad. She has just the perfect voice that could work for a lot of different characters out there but sadly she is a less known voice actor. On the other hand, Josh Meyer who plays the voice of Cube seems a bit off. His acting feels like it’s a little bit forced or doesn’t have the right emotion for the character. I know he is supposed to be a ‘servant’ style character for Yucie and her father, but he just comes off as a bit to annoying with his nasally voice. After about the 12th episode, he did end up growing on me, but I think that may be a little to late but at least I could stand him for the rest of the show. Glenda’s voice is also rather annoying, getting to a pitch that actually squeaks and makes me cringe. The voice actor for her, Kelley Huston, just seemed to go a bit too high with the characters voice and couldn’t hit the points well when she is yelling. Overall, this show is actually rather fun and I love how they didn’t actually go for the normal storyline that comes from what you think of with a magical girl title. Sure there are some tropes that it could of probably done without, but the overall presentation can actually be rather good.

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