Shamanic Princess Review

Alright so check it...

I found a hidden gem from Crunchyroll.com and it's called Shamanic Princess. It's about this chick named Tiara who's on a mission to find the Throne of Yard. She's a pretty powerful being who knows how to summon elementals and can even transform herself into this demon-like creature while in battle. She's aided by Japolo, whom at first glance looks like a really cute cat, but strikes out to kick ass in the first five minutes of the show. He's got a keen sense for magic and likes to give Tiara a hard time (sounds like a few people I know lol).

Now what is the Throne of Yard you ask?

It is a painting that is linked to the Guardian World, the place where Tiara and those like her, hail from. It contains very strong magic and is the key to its survival.  It was taken by Kagetsu, Tiara's "nemesis" and former lover, to Earth, but his sister, Sara, is trapped inside and Tiara is set to get it back. She has been charged by the Elders of her land to retrieve the Throne at all costs. In order for her to do so, she has to get past Kagetsu, Lena, another "nemesis", and Lena's partner Leon. The funny part about all of this is that these folks all used to get a long at some point. Trust me the confusion set in right after episode one, but my hope is that it will all be cleared up in episode three.

This first debuted back in June '96 and the last episode was released in '98 so the animation itself screams classic!  There is a manga for it, which was released in September '98, by Kadokawa Shoten. For the anime to have been so short, it's really, REALLY good. I'm not too familiar with the directors (name wise), Mitsuru Hongo and Hiroyuki Nishimura, but it seems these guys knew how to make these characters and the scenery come to life. The scenes with Sara and Tiara were just wow.. to say the least. Moving right along, you get to learn about each character as the anime progresses and trust me when I say that is a lot to take in. It's like playing connect the dots, and I've only just begun.

So far I'm hooked. I'll most likely finish the series out. I love fight scenes, in which Shamanic Princess has plenty, and the fact that it plays on fantasy and magic makes my heart flutter! I'm a sucker for fantasy period! So my review may seem a little biased to some, the fact is I've seen some animes and they turn me off completely. Not everything works for everybody *shrugs*.  You've also got a classic love triangle in the midst of all this and some plays on friendship and loyalty. Oh yeah let's add the ability to summon demons and otherworldly creatures to your side when you're ready to open a can of kick ass and BOOM! You've got yourself a pretty well-rounded anime.

Hope you guys check it out!

Saki ;)