√ Princess Connect! Re:Dive - Series Review

Alternative Title: プリンセスコネクト！Re:Dive

↓ Spoilers Ahead ↓

「 A quote from this series 」

"They say a disorderly life reflects a disorderly mind."

「 The Review 」

Synopsis

A knight who lost his memories and an elf who guides him has formed a guild with a princess who has a big appetite, and a beast who's supposed to be a spy, to discover all the delicious food in the world.

Story

As someone who didn't play the game, but was aware that this originated from one, I appreciated how the first few episodes had some gaming concepts. It was a nice touch to make those who were unfamiliar with its source, somehow feel the environment of it.

For an adaptation, this looked like a good comedy/adventure series. Watching most of the episodes did make me laugh. But, for scenes that are related to the conflict of the plot, unfortunately, those weren't perfectly conveyed.

By the time the first season has ended, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions, making me feel very unsatisfied.

This could have been just a feel-good anime, but there was no proper delivery of the plot. On a good note, I like the fact that this didn't turn into a harem show.

Characters

This anime suffered the same fate as Madoka Magica Side Story when it came to character introductions. Well, maybe not quite, it was at least a bit better. But, as the series met its last episodes, there has been numerous cast that just suddenly popped up, without enough information about them. It's just simply hard to connect or care about a certain character if there's no proper build-up.

An example was the Palace Knights, I didn't know they were battling with the shadow creatures as well. I also didn't know Christina was their Vice Captain, and that she was actually one of the 'good guys.' Throughout the series, I thought she's an underling of the antagonist. If I knew she's scouting for the betterment of the Palace, then I would have understood more about her role.

Moving along, having a huge roster of waifus in this show, there's one that really stood out the most for me. You're probably either thinking she's someone who has an impressive fighting ability or just overly attractive, but no, she's not. It's actually the llama.

Yes, I'm referring to Rima.

Her introduction to the show was just really unforgettable, and she made me laugh out loud. It's her charisma that won over me.

Writing / Storyboarding

There were two things here that will unexpectedly occur. First was some comedy act, and the other was a scene where it will suddenly become gloomy. They did a good transition with the funny sequences, but for the latter, not as much. (To further understand what I'm trying to say, kindly refer to episode 5 at 12:10 - 12:30 and episode 6 at 12:52 to 13:20 time stamp.)

Going back to the problem in the plot, where there were too many unexplained things, I think the writers thought the majority of the viewers will be those who have already played the game. So, for them, many would have already known most of the events that have happened even without enough details. But, how about those who were completely new to the anime?

Looking on the bright side, even with the messy direction towards the end, we were left with visually stunning fight scenes. The best for me was in episode 12, where the gigantic monster battled with Pecorine:

Artwork / Animation

Here's some cool mechanical design for a clock:

Amongst the waifus here, I think Ameth had the best character design:

And these black shadows reminded me of the Dementors from Harry Potter:

For the animation, this is where the anime excelled -- it's top-notch, and the effects were really mind-blowing. You can easily tell they had a budget for it.

Music / Sound

Both the opening and ending songs didn't sound remarkable enough for me. Although, when it came to sound editing, the professionals who were responsible for that, surely did an astounding job.

Episode Ratings

1 - The Adventure Begins ~Sautéed Mushrooms at Sunset~ - 4
2 - A Moody Cat's Mischief ~Warm, Golden Rice Balls~ - 4
3 - The Epicurean Frontier ~Heavenly Fruit Is the Secret Ingredient~ - 3.5
4 - Welcome to the Gourmet Guild ~Beef Stew at Nightfall~ - 3.5
5 - Porridge Made With Love ~Topped with a Twilight Fate~ - 3
6 - Melody of Departure ~Aromatic Spices under the Starry Sky~ - 4
7 - A Light to Pierce the Darkness ~Like Two Sisters in a Pod~ - 3.5
8 - A Little, Lyrical Kids' Meal ~Country-Style Fried Eggs~ - 3
9 - A Gourmet Getaway ~Fragrant Tentacles on the Beach~ - 4
10 - Flowers in Eternal Darkness ~Cursed Pudding~ - 4
11 - Evening Home ~A Crispy Quest Hot Dog~ - 4.5
12 - The Whimsical Patissier's Speciality ~A Memory of Labyrinths and Crépes~ - 4.5
13 - Lost Princess ~Garnished With Smiles~ - 4

「 Series Rating 」

An otaku since the mid-90's. I consider Evangelion as the most influential anime. My favorite classic films are Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away.