barbara97 - 2016-01-19 00:39:33

After taking a short break from anime for the past fewweeks, I wasn’t exactly sure what I should watch next. I didn’t really have adesire to watch any specific anime, or any particular genre. So I was just lookingfor anything that was good. While flipping through different anime on trying tofind something interesting, I stumbled across Princess Jellyfish (Kuragehime).It peaked my interest because this wasn’t the first time that I had come acrossthis series. I had actually considered watching it in the past, but I decidedto watch another anime instead. But, after looking at the synopsis and genres,it turned out to be sort of what I was looking for. A short and sweet slice oflife series with interesting characters and some comedy sprinkled in. Once Isaw how many people had fallen in love with the series in the past, I was sold.Did Princess Jellyfish live up to thehigh praise of it’s fans, or was I in for a big disappointment?

Story: 

Tsukimi Kurashita, is a shy otaku girlwho moves to Tokyo in order to pursue her dream of becoming an illustrator.Once she arrives, she meets up with some friends that she met online, whoinvite her to live in there apartment complex, Amamizukan. In Amamizukan, thereis one rule that must be observed above all others: there are absolutely no boysallowed in the building. But that’s not a problem for the women living in thisapartment; they’d rather indulge in each of their own nerdy hobbies anyway.But, while Tsukimi was trying a save a jellyfish from certain destruction, shewas aided by a beautiful young “woman” who suggested that she just buy thejellyfish and take care of it herself. After helping Tsukimi carry thejellyfish, tank, and all of the necessary peripherals, back to Amamizukan,“she” decided to sleep there for the night. The following morning, Tsukimi cameto a shocking realization: this beautiful young “woman” that was helping herwas actually young man about her age.

Typically, there are two ways that the “sliceof life” part of an anime in integrated into a series’ story. The first way iswhen an anime has an overarching narrative that embraces the other genres ofthe anime, such as action, mystery or romance, and has slice of life elementsmixed into it. The second way is when a series decides to take the slice oflife elements, and make those the main focus of the anime while sprinkling inits other genres like comedy. PrincessJellyfish definitely falls closer to the latter style. This series, likemany other slice of life shows, is very character driven. Any overarching storyelements come in the form of problems for the characters to solve. This allowsthe series to really focus on the characters, and how they’re living theirlives, while still giving the series a sense of progression.

That being said, the story, in and ofitself, isn’t all that great. Like I said before, it’s only reason for beinghere at all is to give the characters something to work for. The quality of thestory isn’t helped by the fact that the ending to the major problem presentedin the series is…abrupt. Comical, and kind of expected, but abrupt. And I’mspecifically saying the ending to the major problem for the series because thatwas really the only thing that was concluded by the end of the final episode.Several character stories were left totally unfinished. And not just the sidecharacters either; the two main characters still have a lot of things thathaven’t really been resolved by the end of the series.

Characters: 

The characters in Princess Jellyfish are one of the best, and most interesting partsof the series. But, like the story, the characters in this series have someshortcomings. Our two main characters, Tsukimi Kurashita and KuranosukeKoibuchi, are the two characters who we’re given the most backgroundinformation about and who receive the most development. The problem is thatneither of their backstory’s or their development is really complete by the endof the series. Sure, we’re able to get a good sense of who they are by the endof the series, but there were so many unanswered questions. And those wereissues that plagued the main characters. The supporting characters receive evenless development than main characters, and we’re given little to no backgroundinformation about most of them.

The relationships between thecharacters also lack development. The series ended before the relationshipsbetween many of the characters could finish developing, which is a shameconsidering the time that the series spent trying to do just that. 

With all of that being said, this castof characters, for the most part, are all extremely likeable. Each characterhas a set of quirks that are both charming and humorous. Tsukimi and herroommates also all share some similar quirks and personality traits, and oftentimes will all respond to a situation in the same exact way—which makes forsome pretty funny moments. Now there are some moments where the characters maystraddle the line between charming and annoying, but that isn’t the case mostof the time.

Animation:

If I had the describe Princess Jellyfish’s animation in oneword I would say that it’s…pleasant. Its quaint animation style really fits thegeneral eccentric, and calm tone of the series. There aren’t a whole lot ofsharp, vibrant colors in this anime. You’ll see them sometimes, scatteredthroughout some of the scenes, but, most of the time, the colors are very soft.

The character models were fairly uniqueand distinct. You certainly won’t have trouble telling characters apart in thisseries. The background scenery is solidly done, but nothing really stood out tome.

Sound:

I really enjoyed Princess Jellyfish’s opening and ending songs. I think that theopening and endings are a pretty good representation of the feelings of our twomain characters, Tsukimi and Kuranosuke. The opening reminding me a lot ofTsukimi and the ending reminding me a lot of Kuranosuke. I’m not saying whybecause I don’t want to spoil anything, but I did really enjoy both the openingand the ending of this series very much. But, I don’t really have much of anopinion on the rest of the OST. That’s because, other than the opening and ending,nothing really stood out. Usually, during the course of a series, there’s asong or two playing in the background that catches my attention, but thatdidn’t really happen here. The music served it purpose, I guess. I never heardanything that sounded out of place, but I also didn’t hear anything noteworthy.

However, after I finished watching theseries, I listened to a few samples from the OST. And, I must admit, the OSTdoes have some unique, and catchy songs. Some of which are really good. Maybeit was because I was more interested in what was going on, on the screen, butthe series’ OST didn’t add a lot to anime for me.

Enjoyment:

Despite the lackluster ending andcharacter development, I really enjoyed watching Princess Jellyfish. I was really interested in the lives of thecharacters, and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. One areawhere I think that this anime’s short episode count helps it is in its re-watchvalue. While I don’t think that I’ll be returning to this series anytime soon,if I’m looking to watch a comedy slice of life in the future, I know that I cantune in to Princess Jellyfish withoutmaking a huge time commitment.

Verdict& Breakdown:

Story:3/5

Characters:3.3/5

Animation:3.4/5

Sound:3.2/5

Enjoyment:3.7/5

Verdict:3.3/5

While Princess Jellyfish doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, itslikeable characters and solid animation help to make this into a prettyentertaining anime.

brain.grant - 2014-11-11 06:44:37

Story

Like Ouran High School Host Club, Princess Jellyfish is a quirky, cross-dressing comedy. However, Princess Jellyfish takes everything to a whole new level and becomes completely unique, as it doesn’t really fit any stereotypes established in other anime of its kind… although, there really aren’t many anime quite like Princess Jellyfish.

For me, this anime is the ultimate feel-good show. It’s strange, funny, sweet, and memorable. It’s an easy and layed-back watch, and can easily be wiped out in a day. It’s actually quite hilarious, it would probably rank high on my “funniest anime” list if I were to ever make one.

The way the series ended left a bit unresolved, and I really wish there were more episodes made. Eleven episodes doesn’t do Princess Jellyfish nearly enough justice.

Animation

Princess Jellyfish has a nice style, and great animation. The opening animation is creative and fun to watch, especially for a pop culture freak like me.

The character designs are pretty awesome, especially when it comes to the cross-dresser, (Kuranosuke), because he has such a wide variety of outfits, and it’s always fun to see what he will wear next.

Sound

Princess Jellyfish doesn’t have a soundtrack that stands out in any way, but it does it’s job and does it well. The opening is a completely different story though. I’m usually not a fan of the cutesy music, but Princess Jellyfish’s opening is just so relaxing and I love it so much. I think it has something to do with the singer’s voice, I’m not sure.

Characters

The characters are definitely the best part of Princess Jellyfish. They are all completely unique, and surprisingly realistic, though that could just be because many viewers can relate with the nerdy-ness of Tsukimi and her friends.

Tsukimi and her roommates all have very different obsessions, from traditional clothing to something called “Three Kingdoms,” but they are all dedicated “otaku” when it comes to what they love. The characters are portrayed in a way that isn’t completely stereotypical, (though maybe a bit extreme), and are not a far cry from real-life otaku. I'd say that Princess Jellyfish treated the topic of otaku with a much more realistic approach, and did not glorify the life style like so many other anime. It also touches on social anxiety in the same way.

So, basically, Princess Jellyfish sports a cast of odd, likeable, and easy to relate to. The main characters have plenty of development, and the characters interactions with each other are sweet and funny.

Enjoyment

I absolutely loved watching Princess Jellyfish, and I know that there will be some point in the future that I watch it just because I need something to lift my mood. I hope there will be a second season, no matter how unlikely that may be.

Final Conclusion: 10/10

stoltenberg.kaitlin - 2014-10-25 10:15:55

Along with the many other NEET-oriented anime out there, Princess Jellyfish joins the shelf as one of the newer and one of the most acclaimed. The setup for Princess Jellyfish revolves around six NEET females who have decided to live together in a small, "retro" building. They all lead their daily mooch lifestyles through the show, coming into contact with a few different types of people in the process, and that is just about its entirety.

Before moving along with that statement, let's focus on the budget. Princess Jellyfish is well animated and has a pleasant art style. The show's direction carries some expression, and the soundtrack is indeed serviceable. I would consider the opening and ending music good and am pleased when seeing how plentiful of references they can be, along with some of the show. Some of this is refreshing, however, things shift downward when the focus is directed more to the actual story and what it has to offer.

I've witnessed many NEET anime and other shows which follow very similar premises, like Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo. Without explaining the plot points found in Princess Jellyfish, as the describing sentence would basically describe the entire plot, stories of this focus have been carried out well and in a way that keeps them interesting with some variety. Just by being a series that carries the term "slice-of-life", it isn't expected that you will be entering a mirror of a slow reality, as series like Haruhi show you can push the bar a bit. Even so, Princess Jellyfish decides to go right ahead and take a dive in that concept.

Without the intention of sounding negative, Princes Jellyfish is a story of a forced, shallow love-triangle and of socially odd people who open themselves slightly to amending their typical ways. That's the story of Princess Jellyfish, and that's as far as it will go. Essentially, watching the first two episodes of the series will give you enough to accurately guesstimate the entire series with this in mind, besides the fates of the love triangle. No plot point in this show ever gets developed or treated as something beyond the strange will it has to continually shift them to goofy, comedic gags. A point like the rationality of NEETs is never explored, while several times being joked at, and by the end it comes to thought that the whole incorporation of it was for the basic intent to be served as a quirk by the characters.

The humor of Princess Jellyfish consists of the quirkiness of its character roster, and that character roster is comprised of characters who could be described in their entirety with two sentences. Many of these character's personalities are literally their quirks, along with the basic principles of being a NEET for the main girls. No character ever feels alive beyond the second episode, which ends up making the show feel like a string of events involving a cross-dresser and a bunch of nameless moochers. Not to mention the "events" that take place are hardly ones that peak interest as issues that arise are so meager that at times you might think more towards the fact that these characters are doing absolutely nothing beyond surviving off their parents "allowances".

I'm not degrading Princess Jellyfish with bias in its inclusion of NEETs, but the whole idea is simply inserted half-heatedly, and while the show seems to push to develop the character's self-respect to become more individual people, the story only grows them far enough to barely reach a relationship with someone of the opposite sex. This lack of focus into anything else beyond a basic romance creates a sensation of the show's true goal being the ability to self-insert. The only arguable message the show presents is that anyone can be beautiful if they choose to be so, but this is presented more figuratively than literally with nothing proving such an idea beyond the character being drawn more attractive after having a cartoon makeover. The characters run off quirks and the plot lacks in meaning and depth.

The slightly unique, light romance of Princess Jellyfish is without a doubt the strongest thing it had going for it. The quirkiness presented at the start from both sides, along with the side characters involved, created for a situation where a potentially interesting romance could have begun. Although it continued to be the show's strong-point after the start, things quickly began to damper as the writer decided it would be best for the characters to stick to their roots and have their personalities almost literally be their quirks, letting events and situations lead the way. The main character is brought down in this lack of attention to development, and by the end of the show you're left with the same self-insertable character with just the upgrade of a chance at love. That love, in particular, forming without any sense of the word "natural". Explaining in a way not to make the entire series feel empty by revealing the love triangle plot, both male leading characters in question lead generally purposeful lives in which they would have no reason to feel desperate about their love lives. However, upon their run-down with the main female, things clearly change to her liking.

If you want to watch an anime with some western movie industry influence, only in references, than this show has some of that. If you want a slice-of-life series with quirky comedy and awkward situations, this show has that. If you are looking to be at least somewhat emotionally invested in either plot or characters, wanting something to ponder about or something to surprise you, than this show beyond the first episode is likely not what you'd appreciate watching.

There's nothing taken care of in Princess Jellyfish. The show grabs the term "slice-of-life" and takes it to heart, fueling its uniqueness off of character quirks that are admittedly unique in that they can't all be defined by the most generic of archetypes. The story is devoid of plot goals and development, as the ending feels but a few paces ahead of the beginning. Solutions to problems come at the ding of the microwave, and characters are taken straight out of the fridge to be eaten raw. Does that sound like part of your diet?

cloyd.ferry - 2013-05-19 22:55:07

At a recent anime convention, I was asked to watch Kuragehime by a friend who professed that it was one of the best anime he had ever seen. Having now watched the entire anime I will admit that, while not the world changer my friend made it out to be, Kuragehime is a charming anime filled with interesting characters and it was completely worth my time to watch it.Story - 8The story of Kuragehime is an interesting one. On the surface it is the tale of a group of societal rejects, each obsessed with a different subject, banding together for safety and protection from the world around them. They hide themselves away, avoiding contact with anyone who they feel doesn’t fit into their group. They go so far as to ban men and anyone considered “stylish” from their home, but in order to protect this safe home they have created for themselves, they must enter the very world they have tried to hide from. It is here that the story really shines. While the show contains many hilarious moments and kept me laughing, it is the focus on the overarching growth of the characters that really make the story what it is, a feel good tale about an interesting group of women overcoming adversity.Art – 9The art in Kuragehime can be quite beautiful. It possesses a different feel than most art I’ve seen in anime. While some of the character designs, such as Mayaya’s and Banba’s, are quite plain, it seems as though this is by choice as it creates a wonderful contrast with each character’s “stylish” look. Other characters feature multiple designs that really shine especially Kuranosuke’s many looks. The background art is well done with many of the settings being bright and colourful. Also the animation itself is smooth and fluid, especially with the quick and awkward movements that Tsukimi often makes.Sound – 9Sound is another aspect of Kuragehime that is well done. The voices really fit the characters from Saiga Mitsuki as the emotional Kuranosuke to Kumai Motoko as the calm Banba. The comedic delivery of each line is masterfully done making sure each punch line is delivered to maximum effect. A special mention has to be made of Hanazawa Kana, in one of her earlier roles, as main character Tsukimi. She manages to perfectly portray each of Tsukimi’s moods from self-disgust to fiery seriousness and even creepy infatuation. The music in the series is above average, but other than an extremely catchy opening song, really isn’t all that noticeable.Character – 10While I enjoyed Kuragehime as a whole, the characters are the one aspect of that I think could not have been better. Each of the “otaku” women who live together has a different obsession and the quirks that come with it. The way that their obsessions pop up in almost every aspect of their lives is a constant source of hilarity. Despite these obsessions, the characters aren’t just stereotypes. As the series goes on, the viewer can see how each of the women grows through the changes that Tsukimi’s friendship with Kuranosuke brings into their lives. It is this growth that makes each of the characters so interesting. Even minor characters such as Kuranosuke’s brother are given growth as characters.Enjoyment – 9I’m the first one to admit that I am often quite easy to please. There are few anime that I don’t enjoy a fair bit. It takes something pretty awful for me to dislike it. Despite this I can say that I enjoyed watching Kuragehime more than most anime. The characters were interesting and the story was engrossing enough that myself and three friends had no trouble watching all eleven episodes in one sitting and still, a week later, we find ourselves discussing how much fun we had watching it. It’s the kind of anime that makes the viewer feel good, both for the characters and about themselves. I had a smile on my face while watching Kuragehime and as I wrote this review I smiled again, while I remembered Tsukimi and Kuranosuke’s adventures. If you are looking for a fun anime to spend an afternoon watching then I think you should give Kuragehime a try.

dtoy - 2013-04-25 22:18:23

There aren't to many anime's out there like this one.Technically a harem - the set-up is far from typical.Story...A number of 'otaku', 'unstylish' females live in a 'ladies only' dorm - they're confident in eachothers company and they find comfort in things that are easily accessable - life is fairly peaceful.One night, a stunning young woman* enforces her friendship upon the female lead and is egar to befriend the leads entire social group - the presence of a 'stylish' person is bad enough, made worst so that this 'ultra beautiful girl' happens to be a 'ultra beautiful guy'.Character...Unusual characters- infavour of the common 'harem' set-up of 'awkward, not-too-confident guy + pretty, high energy girls', we have a 'pretty, high energy guy + awkward , not-to-confident girls' without a bipolar charcter in sight.The character are very much into their own interests; though the 'ladies of the dorm' excluding the famale lead are minors, we do get to know what their passions in life are. We get an insight into the backstory of the two leads, what shaped their current interests and what the future has in store for them.The characters are also pretty balanced - it would be eas to portray the 'nerdy' character as the epitimy of 'angelic', however, this series allows them to display view points that could easily be portrayed as highly judgemental; such as their shared phobia of 'stylish' people - basically, you're not being pushed into 'loving' anyone.Enjoyment...I personally enjoyed this series a lot.The tone is somewhat serious, yet highly mellow and generally pleasant.The humor is quite clever; never relying on the tried-tested-approved set-up's of; ecchi and comic violence, instead, we are encouraged to get to know the characters as individuals and appreciate 'comedy' that only that character could bring forward.What's also great about this series is - it isn't about an 'ultra stylish person' coming in and changing the 'dowdy folk who need a make-over and new leece on life' - the one who's actually egar for a change of scenery is the 'elite'.Overall...I'd reccomend this to anyone really - it may be a josie, but it isn't 'josie' down to a high level of maturity, i.e. sexual content, taboo subjects, violence of lots of swearing, so really, anyone could watch it (it is rated 13+), not only that, but I'm a shounen/seinen, action, adventure, supernatural supporter; this contrast from my fav's, yet still results in a 10/10.

lucie49 - 2013-03-22 04:44:26

"Hi Mom. Well, you were right. It's been six months already since I moved to Tokyo to try and make it as an illustrator. Here in this sprawling spectacle of a metropolis there are a lot of princesses, but... I'm sorry Mom, that's where the bad news comes in. I'm not sure where I went wrong, but somewhere along the way, instead of becoming a princess, somehow, I just ended up being a freak."

Immediately getting on my good side, Higashimura's distinctive character designs work wonders for this series where other artists might not have even given it a second thought. The residents of the Amamizukan don't look like your typical anime girls, they're not designed to be beautiful or attractive and this helps to make their awkwardness all the more believable, but they're not repulsive either. There's still enough charm to them that they can be quite cute at times, and when Kuranosuke gives them all makeovers they take on a much more conventionally appealing aesthetic while still remaining completely recognizable. Brain's Base doesn't slack in the animation department, either; movements are mostly pretty fluid, albeit with some occasional hiccups, and show's overall art design is welcoming. The color scheme for this show in particular is incredibly warm, bright and inviting, with plenty of flourish to keep it visually engaging. On a whole, this is a shining example of what the studio can achieve both technically and artistically, brimming with panache and enthusiasm. It looks great.

The music exists, I guess. I think they were going for a big city feel, like a tribute to some of those rom-com flicks set in New York (why is it always New York?) and it pulls this off competently, but never really goes above and beyond. There's the playfully seductive piano, a little jazz, what sounds to be the clarinet accenting its more low-key moments, but it's hardly exceptional and even in execution there are some moments where it could have been handled better. There's one scene in which Kuranosuke is struggling to come to terms with the possibility that he's fallen for Tsukimi, while Tsukimi is confronting her own insecurities. In between all of this, the Sisterhood realizes that Kuranosuke's boobs are fake but assume he's just a flat-chested woman. This is an emotionally complex, tonally diverse scene, and it would have worked a lot better if the music dipped and swelled to match these different moments instead of just running a gentle contemplative piece over the entire thing. It's a passable soundtrack but certainly nothing to write home about. The opening and ending theme, however, are both excellent and neither is worth skipping over.

The voice acting for the Japanese track is top-notch across the board, able to handle both the show's comedic and dramatic sides with finesse, and I guess that's all that needs to be said about it. From what I've heard, the general reaction to the dub for this series has been overwhelmingly positive, but I could see it potentially making some viewers uncomfortable. This has nothing to do with the acting, which is generally pretty solid. Heck, Josh Grelle as Kuranosuke is a downright highlight for being able to bounce perfectly between the character's feminine and masculine sides, and talents like Maxey Whitehead, Monica Rial, Leah Clark and Ian Sinclair really do pour all their hearts into their respective roles. The problem I find with the dub--and let me preface this by saying that many of you probably won't mind at all--is in the script, which is peppered with dated colloquialisms and attempts to sound "trendy" that ultimately just comes off as immature more than anything. I realize that's part of the joke and I have nothing against liberal, interpretive dubs that focus on preserving the intent of the original dialog rather than the precise content, it's just piled on a little thick for my taste and I could see plenty of other viewers--not just the sub purists--having the same reaction. Give the dub a try, and if you're fine with the first episode it probably won't bother you from there. It bothered me and I still really enjoyed the dub, so maybe I'm just nitpicking.

This show does have some dramatic moments and honest themes to convey, but even then it's often tongue-in-cheek so let's start by looking at the humor. The comedic moments in this show can be situational, slapstick, satirical, referential or some combination of these things, and I'm happy to say it's really funny... about two-thirds of the time. What happened to the other third? Well, maybe they were trying to create a warm sense of familiarity, but some of the jokes here get recycled too often and emphasized too much for comfort. The first time Kuranosuke accidentally refers to himself as a boy and Tsukimi goes through her "oh boy" cover-up singing routine, it's kinda funny, but this keeps happening with little variation and quickly wears out its welcome. The girls' "defense mechanism" of turning to stone in uncomfortable public places and Tsukimi's tendency to jump to the most pessimistic conclusion about everything also get pretty repetitive.

Still, even if a few of its jokes are overused, don't let that discourage you because this show is still pretty darn funny. The girls have a wide variety of wacky quirks and unusual interests and the show isn't afraid to have a little fun at their expense, but unlike some other comedies (I'm looking at you, Big Bang Theory) the show doesn't look down on them for their niche interests and they're still likable and easy to sympathize with. Many of us know what it's like to have an interest few people share--heck, that's kinda what being an anime fan in the West is like. Kuranosuke and his circle add even more comedic juices to the mix while avoiding some easy cliches. There are almost no "it's funny because he's a transvestite" moments, which would have been laziest rout to take; instead, the show takes full advantage of all the social barriers and potential misunderstandings that could occur between a male crossdresser and a house full of female otaku, and they all play off each other really well. Kuranosuke's family, friends and acquaintances are all interesting and memorable in their own ways. Ultimately, the jokes in this show work because even though the characters all have their quirks, they're not solely defined by them, allowing the show's humor to flow more naturally. This show loves its characters, and there need to be more comedies like that.

No matter how silly it gets, though, this is a story of strange and troubled people and it never fails to get that across. The show doesn't hesitate to criticize Tsukimi and her friends on some of their anti-social habits, but at the same time it never condemns them from being who they are or loving what they do. As individuals, I have to admit their personalities can be a little sparse. Mayaya is spastic and sees the world as an epic battlefield, Banba is deadpan and has a silly afro, Jiji is shy and likes old men, and Chieko is commanding with a maternal touch, and at times it seems like there's not much to them beyond that. Still, there are moments in the series that make it clear that's not the case, when they step forward to help one another through dire straits. They all enjoy their lives, far more than the well-to-do, "respectable" members of society, and when push comes to shove they're looking out for each other. It's little moments like this that really makes these characters likable, I just wish there were more of them. Tsukimi herself is the centerpiece of this group, and the youngest among them--she's fully integrated into their way of life but perhaps hasn't quite forgotten the dreams they all once had, she's grounded enough to realize they probably won't come true but innocent enough to still hope for it.

Most of the show's depth, though, comes from Kuranosuke's side. At the center is Kuranosuke's lack of a sense of belonging, which stems both from being an illegitimate child and from his fascination with women's clothing, which he learned from his mother. Refreshingly, he's fully come to terms with his gender identity: he's a straight man who happens to like dressing as a woman, but the women he's been with up to this point to are from his father's world, the world of the rich and spoiled. Still, his family isn't demonized either. His father and half-brother Shuu both continue to suffer from the affair in their own ways, and they really do care about Kuranosuke. And then there's his uncle, the incredibly unpopular prime minister of Japan, who's more accepting than anyone of Kuranosuke's habit, presumably because he knows the stress of the political world and would rather just enjoy life without worrying what people think of him. This is played entirely for laughs, but that's the thing about this show: almost everything is at least partially played for laughs and it still manages to get all these points across. I'm not even sure whether Kuranosuke's uncle was intended as a satirical statement or just thrown in there to be silly, but the result is equal parts absurd and surprisingly poignant (at least, as a statement; the character himself is just a loon).

So what happens when these two worlds meet? Where to begin? Kuranosuke starts off treating these girls both as objects of curiosity and as his personal projects; he's fascinated by how different they are, but can't quite wrap his mind around the radically different values they carry or that dolls and jellyfish could be as important to them as fashion is to him. The sisterhood is initially wary of the stylish stranger, and it takes a believably long time for this one-way fascination to develop into mutual respect. Shuu goes through his own arc on the side, and the show does a remarkably good job of balancing all the different sides it presents. If there's one place the drama falls flat, it's the romance. Tsukimi and Shuu become mutually attracted on sight and hardly interact at all outside of a few awkward moments to perpetuate the mutual misunderstandings between them. It's intended to convey both characters' innocence, but there's not enough substance to make it believable. Kuranosuke's attraction to Tsukimi is handled a little better, it'd have to be since they actually get to know each other, but even then it mostly just comes down to him being struck by how "cute" she is. There are probably deeper reasons for him being drawn to her, they're just never shown to us and that's a real shame.

The weakness in the series' romantic relationships stems from a much greater problem. It's a problem that's very common to anime adapted from ongoing source material, I've brought it up in a previous review and I'll most definitely have to bring it up again in future reviews: this series was adapted from a much longer, still-ongoing manga, and the adaptation doesn't feel complete. At the end of the show, the writers decide to slap on an ending that ties up the basic conflict that kept the plot moving along but offers little resolution to the actual character arcs, which are infinitely more important. Given another episode or two, I'm certain the writers could have brought the story to a more satisfying conclusion, or at the very least they could have left the plot open to a second season instead of slamming the door shut the way they did. What we're left with is a bunch of thematic questions and only a handful of answers, so it's a good thing the questions are as good as they are.

With any luck, a second season will eventually take this series to new heights, and given its acclaim and popularity I suspect the manga will find its way to the West in the near future, but as a stand-alone anime Princess Jellyfish is simply too short. Still, that doesn't take away all the good this anime has to it, even on its own. Here we have a series that speaks to the nerds and otaku of the world without ever making itself inaccessible to wider audiences. It's lovable, funny, clever and insightful and I heartily recommend giving it a try.