Hello and welcome to another Project Nitsuj. If you haven’t read my introduction blog yet or have read it and forgotten about it you should know that I said I would never review a hentai. I stand by what I said and will continue to uphold that rule for as long as I do this job. But hey that doesn’t mean I can’t review an anime based off a hentai, so today I’m reviewing Princess Lover the anime series. Based off a romantic hentai game developed by Ricotta under the same name, Princess Lover centered around a young high school boy named Teppi Arima whose parents tragically die and is adopted by his rich grandfather. The game was first released on the PC in 2008 and an all-ages release came out in 2010. Most of the duration of the game you’re reading text and occasionally making choices, depending on what choice you make the plot will progress in that direction. The game has 4 storylines with a different girl in each story that has a different story, characteristics, and playthrough. There are two mangas out there but the only one I was able to find was “Princess Lover! Pure Heart” which is alright, it’s nothing great but it’s a good read. In 2009 an anime adaption began for the game and was made by the up and coming anime studio at the time GoHands the same studio that bought us the anime K. So how does this erotic tale work as an anime, let’s find out, this is Princess Lover.
Opening and Ending
Opening is Princess Primp sung by Miyuki Hashimoto. I like it; it’s an upbeat song which gives us a good introduction of all the characters in the show and matches the flow of the series. My favorite scene in the opening is near the end where Teppi is actually dancing with each of the main heroines. The ending is S.S.D! sung by Yozuca which has an upbeat feel to it like the opening which lets you know not to feel sad that the show has ended and that they’ll be back next week. Which is quite odd considering that most endings make you feel sad that the show is ending and how you wish you could have seen more.
Episodes 1-4
So are story opens with Teppi voiced by Takuma Terashima who’s doing morning sword training with his dad. In the game we’re told the family owns a small noodle shop so I’ll assume they own a noodle shop in the anime. The two are interrupted and scolded by the mother for goofing around. After that, they have breakfast where they see a car accident in which some rich guy dies. Teppi not really caring about is asked what he would do if he was involved with something like that to which he responds I’d deal with it somehow. After that he heads off for school but didn’t know that would be the last time he ever saw his parents because they died in an accident. In the game it was said that the parents died in a traffic accident while in the anime it’s said the parents just died in an accident. We fast forward two months later where Teppi has decided to go and live with his grandfather (what he was doing until now we have no idea, never explained). On his way to his grandfather’s place he stops a bunch a thugs from attacking a carriage. Who’s in this carriage you ask, well it’s our first heroine Princess Charlotte Hazelrink voiced by Ryoka Yuzuki the same person who does Ino from the Naruto anime. She’s the princess of the Hazelrink Principality located in . . . some generic part of Europe I’m sure. Teppi jumps onto their car but is quickly stopped at gunpoint until Alfred the butler of Charlotte voiced by Yousuke Akimoto comes on board and knocks them out. Charlotte falls out of the carriage and is falling off the cliff until Teppi jumps, catches her and breaks her fall. The two awake at the bottom of the cliff where we get an idea of who Charlotte is, a playful girl who likes to tease others, seems to act more like a kid then an adult, and has a cheery attitude (kind of reminds of Lala from To Love Ru). The two manage to make their way back to the main road where Alfred is waiting for Charlotte and the two depart. But not before Charlotte gives a kiss to her hero (nice, maybe next time she’ll make you a “cake”). We finally meet Teppi’s grandfather Isshin Arima voiced by Norio Wakamoto who you might remember as Anderson from Hellsing Ultimate. After Teppi explains why he was late they go a party in which it is revealed that Teppi will be the next leader of the Arima Corporation. After the announcement Isshin explains to Teppi that his mother was supposed to succeed him and that’s why she was killed. He says that if Teppi wishes for revenge he should make allies first and those that killed his parents will appear in good time. Exhausted from the party he goes outside where he gets into a sparring match with our second heroine in the series Sylvia van Hossen voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi the voice of Winry from Fullmetal Alchemist (the original anime not Brotherhood) who mistakes Teppi for an intruder (I think she likes him, why else would she be trying to kill him). Slyvia is a strong-willed girl who’s not good at expressing her feelings. She comes from a country known as Flemish the neighboring country of Hazelrink but has spent most of her life in Japan. The episode ends with the reveal that Sylvia is Teppi’s fiancée (nice score!).
In the second episode we open up with Teppi falling asleep on a maid’s breast (this guy gets around doesn’t he?) where he gets dropped off at his own mansion. We also get a formal introduction to our third heroine Yuu Fujikura voiced by Yuki Matsuoka the same voice actor for Orihime in Bleach. Yuu is the personal maid of Teppi who was adopted from an orphanage by Isshin, she acts like a mother figure for Teppi and likes him but is afraid to confess her feelings because of her position in society. It’s also here that we see one of Teppi’s great characteristics in the show. When he settles down to think about his engagement to Sylvia he wants to know who she really is and won’t marry her if she doesn’t want to. That’s actually very thoughtful and considerate on his part, most guys would have just accepted it and been happy (seriously, the girl is amazingly beautiful I wouldn’t mind sparring with her for a day. Shut up, it’s based off a hentai game I’m free to fantasize about the girls). The next day Teppi gets ready to go to his new school where the 1% of Japan go to school at where he gets lost in the school but is found by our fourth and final heroine Seika Houjouin voiced Emiri Katō who also played the sexy cat Blair from Soul Eater. She’s the representative of the Society Club within the school and also has a burning hatred for the Arima Corporation but more on that later. In class we meet a brown-nose named Haruhiko Nezu voiced by Minoru Shiraishi. We then get a surprise visit from Charlotte who goes the same school but in a different class who is happy to see Teppi again that she hugs him so tightly that they land in a very suggestive position on the desk (save it for after school or take it in the nurse office or storage room). But wouldn’t you know it, Sylvia walks in and because of this misunderstanding runs away calling him vulgar. Hoping to settle this misunderstanding and talk with Sylvia about the whole marriage thing he and Charlotte go to look for her. The episode ends with Teppi and Sylvia getting ready to spar.
In the third episode the two spar off with Sylvia winning only by a split second. After the match Teppi says that he wants to take things slowly by getting to know her more and become friends. She agrees with this and Charlotte tackles Teppi to the ground trying to touch his sword (his katana not the other sword) where she lands in a mounted position on top of him (I think this scene speaks for itself but I’m gonna play Pony by Ginuwine in the background). After that Teppi tries to join the Society Club in the hopes of making more friends and fitting in but is rejected by Seika because not only doesn’t she like him but also because he is undignified. So he gets training by Sylvia, Charlotte, and Yuu on how to act dignified in a high society setting and show Seika his skills at a party being hosted by the Society Club. He learns how to drink tea, how to eat, speak, and even dance where he keeps getting a boner because Charlotte keeps pressing her breast against him (well if there’s one thing this anime is teaching me is that dancing can in fact lead to sex). The party comes around and he’s a big hit but that was only step one in the member process. He must now host his own party within a week’s time (I recommend a cosplay party). In episode 4 we start with two researchers showing Teppi a motorcycle that won’t fall over no matter what (this a short running gag in the series, and a suggestion that Teppi made in episode 2, what does it build up to? You’ll find out). In this episode we learn a little bit more about Seika and her hatred for the Arima group. It turns out that Seika’s family is a rival of the Arima Corporation and that she’s one of most gifted designers in Japan as well as a popular model. Isshin then tells Teppi about how he was so absorbed in work that he neglected his wife and she had an affair with Seika’s grandfather. This caused a ripple in their relationship and the families soon drifted apart. So in order to mend the relationship between the two families Teppi becomes an official adviser for the Arima Corporation stores and asked Seika to start selling her products in their stores again. Seika agrees to this and the bad blood between the two families is dissolved and Seika has fallen for Teppi (they don’t show it or hint at it but, it’s obvious).
Episodes 5-8
Episode 5 is kinda of a boring episode. Basically, Teppi and Charlotte go on a date in Osaka and as you would imagine the date goes well; they go to the aquarium, a petting zoo, and eat takoyaki. It’s here that we also get a little backstory on Sylvia who turns out is actually the childhood friend of Charlotte (ohh, how awkward, knowing that your childhood friend is dating your fiancée) and that just like Teppi she too lost her mother in an accident. It’s around here that Teppi starts to realize how his life wasn’t that much different from his friends. They each have gone through hardships in life just like he did, the only difference being that they probably felt lonelier then he did. The episode ends with Teppi finally coming up with an idea for his party. So in episode 6 Teppi finally hosts his party inviting Charlotte, Sylvia, Seika and her entourage, Yuu, Haruhiko, and two random guys who make an appearance for this one episode and only serve as extra bodies so why bother remembering their names. The theme of Teppi’s party is a commoner’s party where he takes them to a hot spring hotel and engage in commoner activities. Wait a second I just realized something, they’re at a hot spring where there are more girls then guys and we’re watching an ecchi anime. My friends, welcome to the fanservice episode (starts playing “Show me what you got by Jay-Z”).
Moving on to episode 7 we open with the wacky scientist showing a more disgusting motorcycle to Teppi (this one has sexy legs) we also meet Charlotte’s fiancée Hartmann Bezelheim voiced by Juurouta Kosugi (I’m starting to think Charlotte and Slyvia come from Germany just because of the names, no offence to Germans but you guys got some pretty long and weird names). We also begin to hear rumors about a nuclear facility being built on the border of Hazelrink and Flemish. But all of that will have to wait as Teppi wants to talk and have dinner with Charlotte at Arima Hill where they will no doubt have sex. Come on, he asked to speak with her and they’re in a private room with a bed and everything you can’t sit up here and tell me nothing was gonna happen in that room. Once Charlotte waits there for Teppi to arrive a power outage strikes Arima Hills, Charlotte gets knocked unconscious, and Teppi receives an e-mail from the people who killed his parents saying that Charlotte is next. We start episode 8 off with the terrorist group taking over Arima Hills and holding Isshin, Vincent (Sylvia’s dad), and Hartmann hostage. And who’s in charge of this terrorist group? Why, none other than Hartmann’s hot secretary Josephine (hmm, big breast, wears glasses, and evil, all she needs to do is be a natural sadist and we’ll have every guys wet dream come true). Why are they doing this, because they don’t like rich people (get a job hippies!). Teppi and Sylvia meet up and decide to infiltrate Arima Hills together and save everyone. As they ride into town they’re chased down by some terrorist on motorcycles. Here’s where the motorcycle gag finally pays off, the legs are actually missiles, and the first pair knocks one of the terrorist out in the face while the other pair does a dynamic kick with the other terrorist, kicks him in the balls and explodes. With the help of Seika and back up from the arm forces Teppi and Sylvia infiltrate Arima Hills knock out a few guards; it’s kind of anti-climactic and eventually Yuu regains control of building and they rescue Ishhin, Vincent, and Charlotte. Oh, and Hartmann gets shot and killed I should probably be sad but we really never got a chance to know the guy so I really can’t feel anything for the guy. But not all is well because it turns out Josephine has rigged the building with bombs that are set to go off within an hour (oh sure, give them a chance to get everyone to safety and possibly find and disarm them, while you’re at it why you don’t just escort yourself to the police force and surrender like the dumbasses you are).
Episode 9-12
In episode 9 it’s a race to regain control of Arima Hill’s servers which have been infective with a virus and diffuse the bombs (geez, sounds like an episode of 24 or something). I would call this a climatic and suspenseful event but throughout most of the episode it’s done in a comedic way. For example, after Sylvia and Seika get Vincent and Isshin to safety they return to the Hills, find one of the bombs and are stuck on deciding which wire to cut. Seika is panicking throughout all of this while Sylvia is calming thinking about which wire to cut. She eventually cuts the right wire based on the color of her underwear (it’s red by way so something to give you Sylvia fans something to fantasize about). Meanwhile, on Teppi and Charlotte’s part they overcome a bunch of obstacles and eventually find the bomb with only 10 seconds to spare. Unsure of which to cut he chucks the bomb into the dust chute which can withstand an earthquake at a magnitude of 7 (why would they build something like that?). The rest of the bombs are diffused by the special forces and all is well. Oh, except for the fact that Hartmann is dead (again, how I can I feel sad for someone I barely got the chance to know?). But that’s okay because in episode 10 it turns out that he’s still alive and that he was the true mastermind behind the terrorist attack (what a twist!). He pretends to be Charlotte’s chauffeur and kidnaps her again (she’s starting to turn into Princess Peach). So throughout most of the episode Teppi loses his balls and goes into a state of depression because he can’t do anything to save Charlotte because this is an international issue (screw international issues, I have money!). This whole episode goes against Teppi’s personality, throughout this entire anime he’s been the guy who’s done things his way, so you mean to tell me just because a bunch of dumbass hippy terrorist whose motives for revenge are so shallow and stupid that they actually make an internet troll look good got the better of him he’s gonna give up? Bullshit, dandy man! But luckily Seika, Sylvia, and Yuu are there to encourage Teppi to take action. He even gets a kiss and confession from Seika (go boy) and even has a legendary lap pillow with Yuu (lucky bastard). Meanwhile, on Charlotte’s side of the story Hartmann has commandeer the royal Hazelrink train and is heading back to Hazelrink which is in Russia (damn, I missed out on so many Soviet Russia jokes) and he leaks information to the media in the hopes that Teppi will find him and try to stop him.
In episode 11 Teppi makes his way to Flemish where he hopes to stop the train. We also see Sylvia confess her feelings for Teppi and break off the engagement with him (yeah, I don’t get it either. I’m guessing she realizes that Teppi likes Charlotte and she’s honoring his decision but she does kiss him, this guy’s on a roll. 2 for 4 so far). So in a well done plan Teppi, Alfred, and Sylvia board the train to rescue Charlotte. Teppi enters through a hole blown in by the artillery group, Alfred attacks the train from behind taking out everyone in his path (don’t you just love these super-power butlers) and Sylvia boards shortly after Teppi stops the train. However, Charlotte is held at gun point by Josephine and is about to shoot both Teppi and Charlotte because she wants Hartmann all to herself but instead Hartmann comes in and shoots her 3 times (That bastard! Well, he’s giving me a reason to hate him.). After that Hartmann talks about how he was a thief as a kid and how Isshin embarrassed him when he tried to pick-pocket him. After that, he swore revenge and it’s revealed that he was the next in line to be head of the Arima Corporation until Teppi came along. Teppi breaks free and tries to fight but is shot and thrown off the train. In the final episode it turns out that the bullet just gazed Teppi and that he’s still alive. Oh come on! It was almost point blank range how the hell do you just gaze a guy? With the help of Alfred, Sylvia, and the never falling motorcycle, he gets back on the train and has his final showdown with Hartmann or should I say talk-down because that really all he does. Hartmann refuses to listen to Teppi and sets off explosives on the train hoping to finish them all off. It’s here that he reveals that he was the one who killed Teppi’s parents. Rather than be swayed by his anger Teppi fights through it and says that he forgives him. This was a well done scene on account of how you can actually see him fighting himself, you can just tell he wanted to kill him and was fighting that emotion. In fact, at the beginning of the series Teppi said the only reason he went to Isshin was because he would help him find the murderer of his parents and that revenge was all he wanted but now we see Teppi fully matured and no longer wants revenge, the friends that he has made and the lessons he learned from them have helped him move on and become a better person. After that scene the train explodes and everyone escapes unharmed (it’s a fucking train explosion, come on! A bruise mark, scratches, burn marks something to make this seem legit). So all ends well, Charlotte tries to show her gratitude to Teppi by actually trying to have sex with him in the wide open (In Soviet Russia girls try to rape you), Josephine gets enough medical attention in time to live with Hartmann by her side, Teppi officially joins the Social club (yeah, kinda slipped my mind too with all the terrorist and kidnapping going on) and that’s the end.
Final Thoughts
This anime is quite good. The plot is interesting and good, the comedy is funny, the animation is nice with a little dash of 3-D animation (mostly on the cars), and the characters are well balance. Teppi is a strong male lead; he’s trying to fit into this new society while still trying to be himself and not forgetting where he comes from. He cares about those closes to him and always does the right thing no matter what but he can also show his boy side and act like pervert at some parts (this was mostly shown in episode 6). The heroines are well balance as well, usually in these harem animes they make it obvious who the main character will choose but in this anime they show how Teppi develops a relationship with each girl and how they’re different from each other. I actually found it difficult to decide which girl I liked more because they were so well balance and diverse in their relationship with Teppi. For example, Yuu is kind of like a mother-figure for Teppi so he’s always going to her for support but he can also have a casual talk with her much more than the other girls. Sylvia and him both practice swordsmanship so that’s how they communicate with each other and steadily grow to respect and like each other. Charlotte has a child-like personality so he’s able to goof around with her a little more than the others and be himself. Finally, Seika is the outside the girl, the one who has no ties to Teppi until he came to the school and first major aristocrat Teppi meets and whose family has hurt her so much that he wants to take responsibility for it and make it right and eventually the two have a good relationship that goes from hate to love.It’s a tough choice to decide who Teppi wants, the supported girl whose always gonna be there for him, the strong-willed girl who has a lot in common with, the child-like girl who allows him to be himself, or the hard-working girl who he grows to respect and admire.
The side characters aren’t really that major beside Isshin who acts like a mentor and father-figure to Teppi and Yuu. Isshin wants Teppi to succeed him but only if Teppi wants to. He carries the guilt that because of his forceful nature in the past it caused his daughter to run away and how he doesn’t want to make that same mistake with Teppi. I think it’s cool that he acknowledges his own mistakes in life, learned from them, and doesn’t want to make them again. Most guys in his position would have been stubborn and blamed others. He just wants to get to know Teppi and let him know that if he needs him he’s there. Vincent and Alfred while not important I think they deserve an honorable mention. Vincent is the father of Sylvia and Maria who has to deal with the hard job of being a single parent to his two lovely daughters. All he really wants is for his daughters to be happy even that means they forget about him and Flemish their home country. Alfred is the funny overprotective super butler for Charlotte. I kinda wished they used him more in the anime just because he was so much fun to have around.
Final score
Princess Lover earns a 6.5/10. The only downside to this anime is that the first half can be dull at times not to dull but still dull. As much as I made fun of the second half of the anime I admit that it’s a good strong half with a well-written story, plenty of action, and a nice twist at the middle and near the end. If you like a good romantic/comedy/harem anime check this out, I think you’ll like it. This is Nitsuj, saying thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time.
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