Princess Jellyfish Reminded me That I’m a Princess

Production

I just spoiled everything in my first paragraph, didn’t I? I thought the visuals were beautiful More precisely the character designs and colours. I loved both very much. The animation is completely fine, it’s just that Princess Jellyfish simply isn’t the type of series with fancy and impressive high-action scenes. As it is, the animation is done in a way that you sort of forget it’s animated. And that’s actually impressive in its own way.

Having distinct character models like this is a double-edged sword. If you don’t like them, it could really put a damper on your watching experience. In my case, it sold the show. I loved it, I couldn’t get enough of it and I wanted to see more. Heck, I would have kept on watching just to see more of Kuranosuke’s looks. Forget jellyfish, this is a show for fashion otaku!

Story & Characters

In a way, nothing happens in Princess Jellyfish and also a whole lot. If you strip everything away, it’s about two worlds coming together. Kuranosuke’s privileged but isolated and stressful world and Tsukimi’s relaxed but self-conscious world. About how exploring beyond your social circles can be both liberating and healing. And that’s nice.

There are some slight romance subplots started but they never actually amount to anything in the show. There’s a B plot with Kuranosuke’s political family that introduces light thriller elements. Those do get sorted out. Otherwise, it’s about a bunch of nerds living their day-to-day lives and slowly getting used to having a super popular and fashionable person in their midst.

I liked the story but I can’t say that’s what drew me to Princess jellyfish. It’s really more of a character-driven show. To the point where there is a satisfying conclusion but the type that leaves a lot of stuff unresolved because life goes on. And I don’t really care about how any of the plot points get resolved. What happened was nice enough to watch but it simply wasn’t what Princess Jellyfish was about for me.

It was about the characters.

And this is where I feel some viewers will split. The characters are an assortment of adult women who are not traditionally attractive and consider themselves otakus. Some can get rather annoying in that otaku way. The rest are super-rich kids and politicians who struggle with the particular pressures of that life. And you see if you don’t care about these people, about their feelings and the aforementioned pressures, about how they get along with each other… Well, I think the show would become kind of boring. It’s still a well-made anime but I doubt the action will carry a viewer through it.

However, I cared. No, more specifically, I related. I saw a lot of myself in Tsukimi and even a little in some of the other girls that live in the complex. I understood exactly how she felt seeing a jellyfish she got attached to in a pet store potentially in danger and panicking. That’s exactly something I would do. Throughout the entire series, there was no point where I didn’t agree and sympathize with all of Tsukimi’s reactions.

But I also related to Kuranosuke. And that seems ultra weird. But I remember being politely shunned or ignored by groups I wanted to be friends with because they assumed my social standing. And it sort of sucks because I’m not a very social person, to begin with. I wish I had Kuranosuke’s determination and good humour. I also have a lot of friends, very dear and beloved friends that remind me of Kuranosuke right down to the family circumstances. He was a character I was predisposed to like and he didn’t let e down.

The characters are archetypes and surely they will be relatable to other people as well. Or at least appeal to some viewers. This said without that, I can see the show becoming a bit tedious. And if you’re not into the art style either then there’s not much left to really enjoy.

For me, Princess Jellyfish was a comfortable and very familiar tale. I recognized the people and the events. I enjoyed that the drama was dealt with quickly and not poured on too thick. I liked that there were no real answers or easy wrap-ups because that just how life goes sometimes.

I just wrote a post about how I wanted to be a princess. Well with Princess Jellyfish, I liked that I could fit in so perfectly with that cast and be a princess as well without having to change at all!

You might like this anime if:

Sitcoms that don’t go into melodrama. Simple adult women who lead quiet lives. Fashion!

I save all my screencaps on my Pinterest and you can find more there if you are interested. But I still like to show you a few in the post. If you’re like me, screencaps are something that really helps you decide to watch an anime or not.