Kuragehime

There are a couple of good Otaku community Anime's out there, but none have Kuragehime beat in the sheer absurdity of the fan community. As the name implies, the main character, the jellyfish princess, is utterly taken by jellyfish. She lives in a "nunnery" so named because the residents are female outcasts that hate all things fashionable and hip, and regularly curse the existence of men. The other residents are obsessed with trains, old men, Kimonos, and Romance of the 3 Kingdoms. Jellyfish girl, Tsukimi, meets a fashionable girl one night who persistently insists on staying over. Uneasy already with a hipster, Tsukimi learns in the morning that the girl is actually a transvestite. He becomes taken with the nunnery and Tsukimi, and decides to visit regularly to the Chagrin of the other residents. Kuragehime is always sweet and endearing the way Otaku community stories like Genshiken or Doujin Work tend to be, but the plot changes focus from romance to keeping the nunnery safe, and the ending gives an anticlimactic (though thoroughly amusing) conclusion to both. Aside from Jellyfish girl, Kuranosuke the crossdresser and perhaps one other character, the cast is merely gag fodder, flaunting their ridiculous obsessions constantly. For example, anytime a location is mentioned, the train girl will mention what line that location is near. The 3 kingdoms girl will also make poor analogies of what is happening to events in the epic. You never get to know their hardships or struggles with their social problems. Tsukimi and Kuranosuke, in complete contrast, have very heartwarming stories tied to the loss of their mothers. Their hobbies remind them of their mothers, and some of the most touching moments in the series come from both the happiness and sadness they feel when they partake in their obsessions. Unfortunately, the romance element is rather weak, and when it takes center stage the series drags. Tsukimi has a potent cupid's arrow, love at first sight reaction that somehow gets way more emotionally involved than a crush. She runs off crying when she thinks a guy she hasn't shared 3 or 4 sentences with might not have feelings for her. She may be inexperienced in love, but it will probably be hard for anyone who's gotten past the 7th grade to see this as the pinnacle of heart break and romantic drama. The best romantic moments are the awkward ones that are touching and funny at the same time, but they are few and far between. The animation style is fluffy looking, with light, slightly faded colors like one piece or Paradise Kiss. The characters have the full lips but not the sharp faces typical of shoujo/josei Anime. The fashion choices might be eccentric and odd for real life, but are beautiful to look at in animation. I'm not really sure how jellyfish could be any sexier than they are in Kuragehime either. This is definitely a pretty series. Kuragehime is stuck somewhere between a melancholic slife of life, a romantic drama, and a heartwarming otaku expose. The ending doesn't really tie it all together, but it's entertaining enough at 11 episodes.

"Every girl is born a princess, some just forget is all" While whittling away at my Definitive Top 100 Greatest Anime of All Time List, I’ll sometimes watch an anime that I really want to make the list - but unfortunately, just probably won’t. Princess Jellyfish is an 11 episode anime adaption that came out in 2010, animated by Brain’s Base, and directed by Takahiro Omori, who’s known for directing Natsume’s Book of Friends, Baccano, and Durarara!!. On the production side of things, there’s a lot to love about Princess Jellyfish - the animation is stunning, the editing packs a lot of comedic punch, but above all else the colors are breathtaking. The Color Setter for the series was Ritsuko Utagawa, who’s also done colors for productions like 91 Days, Gintama, and Baccano. Princess Jellyfish is a story centered around the main character named Tsukimi Kurashita, who lives with 5 other women in a Shared House where No Men are Allowed. Each of the women are Otaku, and each have a very specific hyperfixation. Due to inherent insecurities about themselves, they often do not go out in public, cannot be around those they consider “The Stylish”, and also cannot interact with men. This comes into play when the main character is introduced to a man named Kuranosuke, who at the time of meeting, was wearing a dress, makeup, and wig, so that Tsukimi was under the impression that he was actually a woman. This is where the start of the anime’s faults begin - this idea does present the idea of masculinity versus femininity, but it doesn’t ever go any further than just presenting the idea. The series has a lot of strong points, from the art direction, to the voice acting, to the editing, and especially the humor, but where the series falls flat is the lack of consistent and strong themes. Which would be okay if it were a series that didn’t have anything to say - but the issue comes in when this series clearly has a lot to say, but no breathing room with which to say it. It touched on a few themes that could have been really fascinating, from gender identity, to being comfortable in your own skin, to even sexism and SA, but it never dove any further. It felt like the story wanted to do so much more than it got to do, so everything it was able to do felt frustratingly shallow - including the ending itself, which was incredibly rushed and felt like a large portion of the story leading up to it was cut out. Absolutely all of these complaints are PROBABLY due to the show not being able to continue adapting the rest of the manga, but this is purely a look at the anime as an anime, and not at the manga and what could have been. While I love this setting, the characters, the dialogue, the humor - due to the frustratingly lack of strong themes, especially when the premise so eagerly invites those themes at every turn, this will unfortunately not make the cut of the Top 100 Greatest Anime of All Time.

From what I've seen and heard of Princess Jellyfish before watching it, it interested me for reasons why it's probably interested you: it's about a shy, nerdy girl dealing with everyday life. (There's also a cute cross dressing boy.) A lot of people are like that, which makes it relatable. All in all, I really liked the show. Not so much because of the plot or characters because in all honesty they are a little bland and anti-climatic. I really only liked Kuranosuke (the cross dresser) because I felt like he had a more enjoyable personality. All the girls, including Tsukimi, the main protagonist, are so wrapped up in their hobbies, there's no room for anything else. But what I liked about this anime was the atmosphere, all the funny moments, and the message: To be ok with liking the things you enjoy. The anime was very sweet and although the ending doesn't finish the story, I think it's worth watching and reading the manga to see it yourself. I think it'll overall be 10x better. Plot, and character wise.

Kuragehime is one among the few animes that I've come across and thoroughly enjoyed. It's witty in just the right moments, as well as heartwarming and not to mention, out-right adorable. I fell in love with the characters upon seeing them on the screen, and I can say that there's yet a character that I dislike. They all seemed strongly developed and you can't help but feel an emotional tie with some of them, especially with Tsukimi who is possibly the most sweetest and pure-hearted anime character you will run across. This anime has a message to be confident in yourself as a human-being, and it's hard not to feel like you're just a little bit more self-assured after watching it. Kuragehime really reached my heart, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a touching, yet hilarious story.

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.

I am usually not into "girly," anime such as this one because I find it trivial and and goofy. I thought I was going to end up dropping it, but by the 3rd episode, I was hooked. There are many endearing characters in this anime, the utmost being Tsukimi, the main character. She is just too adorable. You can't resist sympathizing with her, and I think a lot of us girls who are into anime can relate to her. The jellyfish theme is unique, beautiful and entertaining. Also, I really liked that the romance was present, yet subtle, as are a lot of other aspects of the plot, such as the pasts of both Tsukimi and Kuranosuke. Like in any good story, a lot is implied rather than stated. I was disappointed by Kuranosuke's role. I picked this anime mostly because it's a gender-bender anime, but Kuranosoke's being a boy does not add much excitement or depth to the plot, although his character is quite likeable. Although I like the idea of the "otaku house," that the girls stay in, the girls themselves are not likeable characters. (Excepting Tsukimi.) They are all very closed-minded, rude and self-centered. I expected them to mature a little bit over the series, but it didn't really happen. The ending was unfulfilling, but, seeing as this anime is so new, I imagine there might be more on the way.

I wasn't told the translated name of the anime until after I had watched some of it, thanks to my sister who thought I might pre-judge the anime for having a feminine name. It didn't make a difference, I watched it anyways and here's what I thought!! Probably not very impacting to others, but I was honestly moved by the story. You really felt for Tsukimi and understood where she was coming from. She's a girl who has moved to the city and has a very intense obsession with jellyfish. She loves to draw them and knows practically everything there is to know about them. She lives in a communal living situation with other "Otakus" of various things. Mayaya loves 3 Kingdoms, Banba loves trains, Jiji loves---well they all have their obsessions, we'll put it that way. The girls live in fear of the "stylish" girls who intimidate them beyond belief, practically turning them into stone that can't speak or move. This is a visual gag in the show, but it's pretty consistent through the whole series. Tsukimi meets someone who sticks up for her early on and it turns out they become very close friends...watch the show for the rest, I don't want to ruin anything! The music, especially the introduction, for the show is pretty good. It's something I'd actually listen to on its own which is really saying something. The voice acting on the dub is hit or miss, it really boils down to the characters. Some of them are spot-on (Kuranosuke) while some make you just cringe (Mayaya). I'm not sure if it's poor direction or what, but it was a mixed bag on that, mainly isolated to different characters. The main characters are done well enough to where the show is worth using the dub in my opinion. The main characters are the strength of this show, those being Tsukimi and Kuranosuke. Some side characters like Shuu, Kuranosuke's brother, get a side story and decent screen time, but the bulk is Tsukimi and Kuranosuke. You delve into their psyche a great deal and realize they don't do things flippantly, especially Kura. and his most notable "quirk". They have the most depth and make for great interaction with one another in the show. The strong story elements keep their dialogue and conversations fresh, as do some of the other comedic elements of the show which I won't spoil (Oh boy!! lol). Commentary from Clara is also very enjoyable and funny. I really wish I could say the same about some of the side characters, but they were honestly the weakest part of the show for me. The voice acting may have had something to do with it, but I think I found Jiji the funniest and she barely talked (couldn't really hear her either). Chieko was an interesting character and had some good bits, some more from her would have been good. Banba had a couple of moments of humor, but Mayaya was almost unbearable for me. This may have been in part because of the voice acting, but her character seemed to add very little and an episode where she barely talked was all the more enjoyable to me because of that. Shuu was a dry character, but was used in humorous ways very well. The uncle (Saburouta) had a schtick that I found hilarious, so scenes with him were definitely enjoyable. Yoshio was a very minor character, but shined when he had a chance. I realize the girls had a certain personality type to fulfill, but Tsukimi was just as awkward while being much more enjoyable. This is a SoL that felt much different in my opinion, there was a bit more at stake here with the main storyline. It was involving and you watched to keep watching, not just because of the cliffhangers. While there are some loose ends you'd like to see tied in the anime, the ending is still very VERY good. I didn't feel slided, just like I wanted to see more. It's an anime I could watch over again, but the fact that it's so story driven means that it might not be as impacting as the first time you saw it. Still, the comedic gags and other elements make it very humorous. If the voice acting was better across the board, this would have gotten a better rating. The story and main characters is really what carries this anime. Suffer through the other girls and you'll eventually be rewarded for it ("I got alll dolled up for Uncle!"). If you like SoL, this is definitely worth checking out. Every girl is a princess :)

This anime is wonderful, and even I enjoyed it despite my usual hatred of anime centred around romance. The characters are great, the character designs are great, and the plot is great. Even so, there's a huge problem with this anime that will always bug me. It's incomplete. Usually when I'm finished with an anime, I'm disappointed it's over but I'm still satisfied, but that wasn't the case with Kuragehime. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the ending was really, REALLY, rushed. They seemed to try and wrap up everything over the course of one episode, and after that we were left with some unanswered questions. So many things going on that you would've though we would get an answer for, but ended up never getting one for, including making us think a character would be important then never showing her face or even really talk about her past the first few episodes.

I believe this is one of those animes you just go to watch on a whim because you have nothing better to do but end up actually liking it alot. There was that perfect combination of humor, romance, and drama that i just love and i kno most people who watch anime can even relate to it. I really loved how they really transformed them into being beautiful and all that. It was fun seeing the end result and the anime, overall, was fun to watch. Crossing my fingers for a season 2

Like Paradise Kiss, Princess Jellyfish is a serious coming-of-age story about a young women thrust into a world of fashion that she doesn't understand, but which she is in some ways very much prepared for. Many of the themes that were explored in that anime are explored here as well, though the degree to which attention is focused on such themes varies greatly. (Two examples: sex isn't a non-issue here, but it's not explored nearly as heavily as it was in Paradise Kiss; likewise, a gender-bending cross-dressing character is given a lot of time here as well, but the exploration of this character's psyche is considerably more compelling than that offered in Paradise Kiss.) What makes this the better anime (in my opinion) is the character design (and writing), the quality of the animation, and the pacing of the story. Paradise Kiss struggled with creating realistic characters, instead opting to make likable and attractive archetypes the heroes, while giving each one major flaw. The characters here are better rounded (with the exception of of some of the supporting roles, who are mostly just around for laughs and high-energy antics) and *look* more like real people. Most of the cast is women, though they tend to not be your average anime female cast, insofar as looks (and attractiveness) are concerned. Indeed, in a refreshing change of pace, the first time you meet some of them you'll likely mistake them for men. The cross-dressing character is the most effeminate of them all (the 'villain' aside) and also had the most attention from the animators--you'll almost never see him in the same outfit twice, and he moves convincingly in all of them. The animators (and the Japanese voice actor) are to be commended for providing a top-notch characterization of a straight male who prefers to dress like a woman. As for the pacing--it's hard to imagine it being much more perfect than this. The overall energy level is high, and the 'fashion' element of the show doesn't kick into full-force until the last two or three episodes. The 'build-up' is wisely spent getting to know the important players in this large cast, and while it may not be as 'serious' as Paradise Kiss, it's a lot more fun, though one subplot involving female-on-male molestation hits some appropriately dark notes. The series does have its fair share of flaws--the hyper-activity of some of the characters gets pretty grating, and I imagine that a lot of people may not much care for the heroine at all. She doesn't support herself financially, leads her life fairly aimlessly, and purposely presents herself to be as frumpy as she possibly can. She also suffers from crippling social anxiety, and is a huge nerd, to boot. All of this adds up to a character who is frequently frustrating, though no one is as frustrated with her as she is. She really worked for me though--she reminds me of myself from about 10 years ago, and I commend the writers for presenting her in this way without sinking to the same levels of emotional manipulation that other shojo anime so frequently do. It's all over pretty quickly, and the conclusion truthfully isn't much of a conclusion at all. The central dilemma is solved, yes, but the romantic subplots remain unresolved--and the character development is ultimately very minimal compared to what most people would probably like to see. I don't necessarily think that any of this is a bad thing--but I would not mind seeing this get a second season, either. Recommended.

“They shall be married to-morrow, and I will bid the duke to the nuptial. But, O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes!” – Orlando, As You Like It, Act V, Scene II It takes little more than the first episode of this show to realize that Princess Jellyfish is Shakespearean in nature. Indeed, the anime is primarily one of disguise and front, a topic popularized in western literature by the legendary playwright. I won’t make the effort to argue that Princess Jellyfish is entirely Shakespearean, however, as I think this is where the show finds both its highest strengths and lowest weaknesses. Let’s look, as usual, at the various categories. The art – it’s pretty good. I never found myself blown away by any means, but the art seemed appropriate, especially during some of the ethereal underwater scenes. On a related the topic, I found the animation not spectacular but at least very consistent. While I can’t exactly praise it, I could describe it as “pleasant” and definetely unobtrusive. I do appreciate the fact that this show is, by design, based around the use of color to tell the story: the subdued blues in Tsukimi’s dreams reflecting her escapism is a great example of this. Is it fantastic? No, but it works pretty well. Next, the soundtrack. It’s…just okay. The OP is decent, I suppose, as is the ED, but one thing that struck me most about this anime is just how little I felt the soundtrack played into the storytelling process. I wrack my brain to think of a single time where the score added to the drama, and I come up short. This isn’t the case for most other anime that I’ve seen – it’s normally not difficult for me to associate one particular part of a truly good soundtrack with a critical part of the show. I’m not saying that this is a necessary prerequisite for an anime to be good, but it certainly helps. Here’s where I’d usually move onto the characters or plot – and I’d like to jump into both simultaneously here, as they’re very interconnected. It’s also here I’d like to return to the opening quote. Looking at something “through another man’s eyes” is a key tenant of the show, and not only because much of the comedic motif is based around a man who dresses as a woman. Indeed, the Shakespearean disguise is a prevalent theme in his comedies, and often analyzing the disguised’ motives is important in uncovering significant related themes. Similarly, digging into Kuranosuke’s motives helps to reveal his character. And it’s not just him – I’d go so far to argue that most of the show’s characters possess some sort of disguise that is challenged throughout its course. Now that all sounds very serious and literature-y. But just as As you Like It was designed as a comedy, so is Princess Jellyfish. The show, dare I say it, has some excellent humor as it opens. The Amamizukans’ attitude toward “trendy” culture, general fear of the public, and sense of isolation are portrayed in a humorous (though primarily slapstick) manner, and rarely in a crude way, which I appreciate. I personally also found all the drama surrounding Shu and his awkward personality to be hilarious during the first few episodes. The fact that so many of the surrounding characters are primarily present for comic relief (I can’t help but think back to Touchstone, myself) somehow works itself out as well. However, I can’t help but feel somewhat more disappointed with the progression of the comedy as the show moves on. In particular, I think the show hit its peak around episodes 5 and 6, when Kuranosuke gives the sisterhood disguises of their own. It’s here that the thematic question of identity – reflected frequently in Tsukimi’s introspections – are at their most poignant. Who is she, and who does she want to become? Unfortunately, the plot develops quickly into the unfortunate love triangle, which stagnates the disguised motifs. The humor of Kuranosuke’s true identify becomes old as it seems to drag itself on as the drama unfolds. Some of the comic relief characters’ tropes become a bit more tired out. I don’t know quite how to describe it, but the show seemed a lot less comedic to me at the end than the beginning, and even the hilarious gag jokes surrounding Yoshio’s beloved Benz couldn’t quite redeem it. That being said, my biggest frustration with this show came with its resolution. The ending felt a bit rushed – sure, we find out that Chieko’s mother has given up plans to sell the property, but this almost seems like a bandaid fix over the lack of resolution in the money-making arc. We never get a resolution to the love triangle or Tsukimi’s true feelings for either of the Koibuchi brothers, as the elder finds himself conveniently shipped out of the country on the same plane as the antagonist (who, I’ll give the studio credit for, is satisfactorily evil). Most, however, we don’t get the Shakespearean revelation that I waited for since the first episode. A key moment in the Comedies is when true identities are revealed – Hymen’s role in revealing the man Ganymede as the woman Rosalind. Kuranouske has to look at his situation through the perspective of his disguise, something that we know from episode 4 to greatly frustrate him. He, just as Orlando does, “looks into happiness through another man’s eyes.” Similarly, we see relatively little resolution about the identity of his mother, and the suggestion that Shu is holding the knowledge of her disappearance (or death) above his younger brother. This frustrates me not only because the revelation is such a key moment in the Comedies, but because we miss out on all the character development that comes with it. Now, don’t misunderstand me – I don’t think that a comedy has to exactly mirror Shakespeare to be successful. I just think that it’s shame that a series that so very obviously borrows from these motifs doesn’t carry them through to the conclusion. Maybe my tone would be more positive if the comedy was better maintained, the drama better developed, or even if we saw some legitimate character development in the side characters (who themselves are disguised – come on, we never even get to see the eyes on three of them!!). So how do I conclude? Princess Jellyfish is a good comedy that starts out very strong with some really excellent references to famous motifs in literature. The topics it touches on extend far beyond what I discussed here. I personally think that the MCs are both sincerely interesting characters. However, the anime does not satisfy me in its conclusion – perhaps with a full 24-episode adaptation, more could have been done. Full disclosure: I haven’t read the source material, and maybe I would be satisfied with how that finds the end. But the anime in and of itself disappoints me with a strong start and unsatisfying finish.

Olé, olé olé olé! Story: What exactly IS the story of Kuragehime? Is it about the imminent closure of the apartment complex the main character lives in? Or is it about the love triangle between her and the two brothers? Or is it about Tsukimi coming out of her shell? Hard to say, maybe it’s about all these things, maybe about none of them. The direction isn’t clear at all, but that is not a fatal issue thankfully. The comedic scenes work regardless of the context and the romantic aspects are at least interesting. On the downside, that’s pretty much it. If we’re talking about a story having flesh on its bones (and I have no idea if that is even a real allegory or whatever), this anime is slenderly built. Certain things, like the older brother romance, suddenly get aborted while others, like the potential sale of the building, lead absolutely nowhere. I get the feeling, that Kuragehime would have been better off being an episodic show than trying to tell a continuous story. 5/10 Art: Kuragehime doesn’t have much to show off in terms of special effects, obviously, so the focus is automatically on the character designs and the overall color scheme. For a story grounded in reality, the anime is quite colorful and features a bunch of creative and distinct characters. I liked what they did with Tsukimi a lot, she is not exactly ugly in her “usual” form, more very plain and unkempt. Once she does dress up, she actually looks pretty good. But not too good, that would have been unbelievable. Featuring a pretty boy transvestite also gave the creators the possibility to play around with outfits, which I will not comment on further as I have no sense of fashion whatsoever, but I will say that they were creative with that. This show feels a bit older than it really is, which may or may not be intentional, but it seems a little odd to me. To break all this down into a single sentence, Kuragehime looks fine, nothing special but for what it is it’s absolutely okay. 7/10 Sound: The opening song is kinda cacophonic, but it’s so charming that this doesn’t matter and I ended up enjoying and rarely skipping it. Now that I think about it, that was probably intentional. The ending song was also quite likeable, though less morable. All the voices were pretty good and fitting, especially Mitsuki Saiga as the androgynous Kuranosuke. The side characters ended up annoying me after a while, including their voices, but that doesn’t have anything to do with how well they were done. As far as score goes, I didn’t notce anything exceptional. 8/10 Characters: I already mentioned the side characters, so let’s start with them first. Most of them are one joke ponies, which isn’t bad in itself, but if you expose them too much they really get on your nerves and some of them have this problem going on. Jiji for example is rather harmless, she does have no other character trait besides being into old men, but she only speaks up very rarely. Mayaya however talks a lot, all the time. And it is never funny or doing anything to advance the plot or whatever. In general, I had the feeling the girls were more concerned with keeping up their nerdiness than facing the problems at hand. The only one having anything reminiscent of depth was Chieko. Tsukimi and Kuranosuke on the other hand were much more interesting and likeable. At least they actually did something. They were also quite believable in action and words, having some awkward moments (like we all do), but being somewhat fun to be around, though in very different ways. The brother was a nice guy, but his character development just kinda stopped when the relationship focus went from Tsukimi to that other slut. In total, the main cast is fine, but it lacks the strength to carry the show with a mediocre at best sidecast constantly interfering. 6/10 Entertainment: I didn’t have a bad time watching Kuragehime, not at all. But in the end I have to ask myself weather I was really entertained or if I simply wasted a couple of hours with nothing getting stuck. I’m still not entirely sure about the answer to that question. It doesn’t hurt to watch this show, it does have a different approach to female characters, being completely devoid of sexualization or fanservice and having “ugly” heroines as well as a transvestite that is not played for laughs or hardcore molesting gay, so if nothing else, it’s a breath of fresh air if you want to escape the titty monsters of most anime. There isn’t much else I can say to recommend it though, except maybe that if you have nothing better to do, you might as well just watch this. A nice show with little to no lasting impact. 6/10 Overall: 6.4/10

Sometimes life doesn’t go quite the way you envisioned it. Growing up, most of us are littered with rose-tinted hopes and dreams for our futures. But, when the fated day comes, you find yourself not quite measuring up to the ideals you were promised. The disappointment that ensues can drive those people to a life of seclusion, away from the “lucky ones”. Kuragehime is an anime about a group of such people; a show about 5 NEET women who found themselves in a rough spot in life and chose to create an impenetrable fortress from which they can look down on the “beautiful” people, all while mooching off their “baby-boomer” parents, ignoring their duty to society by getting a job, and spending their time and money by feeding their personal quirks and obsessions. But what happens when a beautiful, fashionable “hipster” finds a way into their lives and turns out to be the only one capable of rescuing them from a shared dilemma weighing on them like a bag of bricks? Story: As a fan of other NEET and Otaku-heavy shows like NHK, OreImo, and Genshiken, the premise was immediately interesting to me. To the show’s credit, it keeps its story incredibly fun and engaging throughout with the fast pace of twists constantly being thrown at the viewer. Everything from the revelation of the hipster’s identity, to the blooming love-triangle, and the introduction of the seductive antagonist(among other things) keeps the story moving forward despite the slice-of-life trappings that are littered throughout to fill space. The main problem with Kuragehime’s story is the lackluster ending and its complete failure to deliver on most of the questions and dilemmas that were established. The love triangle, for example, is never properly resolved and the “romantic” connection between the implied couple feels half-baked at best. The big corporate issue gets resolved so quickly and with so little effort on behalf of the characters that it felt as if the author didn’t know where to really go with it or how to resolve it. These and other issues are not criminal or abysmal, but they leave a strange void in your soul, because the show just sort of ends, and you have to deal with it. Characters: The good news, on the character end, is that the two main characters are done very well considering the short length of the show. Kuranosuke and Tsukimi brought a lot of life to the events of Kuragehime due to the polar opposite natures of their personalities. Kuranosuke, being the eccentric, ADHD-ridden optimist that he is, essentially makes it his life’s goal to turn a shy, quiet, nerdy little girl into the titular Princess Jellyfish that she always dreamed of being. The charm exuding from the interactions between these two characters basically ended up carrying the whole show for me, mainly because the other characters are woefully underdeveloped(particularly in the case of Shuu). Confoundingly, this goes double for the other tenants of the house that Tsukimi stays at. Despite being featured prominently in the show’s OP, ED, and just about every episode, these tenants live and die by the single quirk that is meant to represent their “wacky” personalities. It’s endearing at first, but starts to annoy as the show goes on because of my next criticism: the show’s humor is very repetitive. I don’t think it’s funny that Mayaya really likes Chinese history/Dynasty Warriors to the point of screaming her lungs out about it. I don’t think it’s funny that Yoshio loves his Benz at the expense of everything and everyone else. I don’t think it’s funny that every time Kuranouske accidentally lets out that he’s a boy, Tsukimi starts screaming “Ole!” Hell, I don’t think that Banba liking trains and Jiji having the hots for old men counts as comedy. It’s just sort of random. While these things were perfectly fine and enjoyable the first or second time, you’ll start feeling like the writer ran out of material as you keep seeing the same punch lines brought up again and again and again. Overall: It’s annoying how conflicted I am with this show, because I really, really wanted to like it. I can’t deny that I enjoyed the hell out of it, but at the same time, I can’t deny that there were plenty of moments that left me scratching my head or trying to push back the “cringe”. I can’t even let the presentation carry it for me, because even though the art was crisp and stylish, it didn’t stand out all that much and the music was mostly only serviceable. Kuragehime is a show that had a lot of potential and, for all I know, the manga might have actually managed to capitalize on a lot of it. The anime, however, failed to do that for me and I can, therefore, only give it a half-hearted recommendation to those interested in trying it.

Josei, Slice of Life, Drama, Comedy, Romance. All of the characters in Kuragehime was hillarious, not just the Nun Sisterhood. Because they have their own "otaku-ish". Sometimes I have to pause when I watched some episode, because they're really hillarious and funny. And within all of them, I think Kuranosuke was the 'most normal' one eventhough he has his own 'thing'. Tsukimi can transfer her love for jellyfish to something real with Kuranosuke's lead and support (and from all the sisterhood). So when you can work with something related with you passion, I think that's heaven, because you can really enjoy every process in it, not think of it as a burden. And Kuragehime shows that. I recommended it.

P R E M I S E From the summary and title, I've heard many people assume that this is a stupid show with no plot and ridiculous, weird, annoying characters. And for your information, those people are partly right. Except this show isn't stupid, rather, it's unique and very adorable for a josei anime. Kuragehime, or Princess Jellyfish, is a slice-of-nerdy-otaku-life-plus-hipster-crossdresser show that I've watched subbed and dubbed (I switched between the two with each episode). Both never fail to amuse me and make me laugh aloud - the characters are so sweet and endearing, the OP and ED sometimes makes me cry inside at how cute and sincere it feels to me, and each episode just takes me on another "ordinary" day with Kuranosuke and the Sisterhood (and Shuu of course haha!). S H O R T C O M I N G S Some viewers may enjoy watching plot-rich anime with tons of satisfying character development; if that is strictly your taste, you may not like this anime very much. My tastes are like that in music and art, and it varies greatly so I can enjoy several genres and styles. This anime lacks in plot and character development, yes, but there are other things that it offers without a doubt. If you're expecting romance from a josei such as this, then you won't find much, but it is there (quite anti-climactic though) - but, you may find more romance in the manga continuation, which I haven't read yet but will very soon! The art may also be not the greatest things your eyes have feasted upon, considering that we're dealing with "NEETS" or "hikikomoris" with food obsessions and old-man crushes most of the time, but, well... that leads to the pros. P R O S The characters are so unique and strange, but absolutely adorable. They have these quirks you won't just find in any anime, and they do undergo a bit of development, but they're otherwise static. The art, to me, is simply fitting; it's not too over-the-top, the outfits and hairstyles vary often (but mostly for Kuranosuke), and the animation for it is not choppy and is quite fluid. If the OP and ED were sweets, I'd get a cavity because they are so sweet - the OP's singer has a sweet voice, as if she's talking about her life (and the modern references are plentiful and fun to catch!), and the ED's lyrics make my heart melt at its sincerity and raspy tone like it's begging you to like the parts of you that you don't like. These factors - the likable characters, the art, the animation, and the music - is enough to get me engaged and enjoying this anime quite a lot. C L O S U R E This is an anime worth watching, in my opinion. I know even guys who have watched this and were not disappointed or bored with it (e.g. Mitch Grassi, according to a video in SUPERFRUIT - side note, his mention of Kuragehime actually was the first time I've heard of it!). It is sweet, funny, heartwarming, a bit dramatic, and enjoyable. Story: 7/10 Art: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Character: 8/10 Enjoyment: 9/10 Overall: 40/50 ~ 80% ~ 8/10

Story: Are you a female recluse? Well, this anime seems to be harping on the fact that some girls are just geeky anime fans, right? Yeah, so the stereotypes don't really help but there are some good elements about this story besides that. A girl named Tsukimi has arrived in Japan to start a new life for herself. In the process, she ends up rooming with girls just like her because she's pretty shy and introverted. One day, while walking home, she notices a poor jellyfish in danger in a pet store. She wants to buy it, but she can't really talk to people without freezing up. That's when a beautiful woman shows up to save the day. After letting her sleep in the apartment complex for a night, Tsukimi discovers a very shocking secret that her new friend has. She is actually a HE! Not only were beautiful women forbidden from the apartment to begin with, if her friends discover that Tsukimi has a man in the place, she'll be kicked out for sure. I have to say that a crossdresser in the mix is pretty creative, but again, this is one of those stories that the majority of it is in the manga, but not the anime, so it's gonna feel choppy at some points. It's actually pretty good in flow for the most part, so I would rate this a 9/10 Art: The art style for this anime is pretty interesting considering the content it has. The designs of the main character and her friends are very unique. When Kuranosuke reveals to be a guy, he kinda reminds me of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle. Yes, he's that hot. Also, the mix between pencil and cleaner designs is a pretty interesting contrast to separate outsiders from the normals. It's not meant to make fun of others, but it kinda gives off a vibe that the main group is a lot more interesting than the modern art style. That's what I like most about it. Nothing seems out of place to me, but that's just my opinion. I would give this section a high 9/10 Sound: There's not really much to talk about sound. The opening and the ending are pretty much okay. They're not bad or anything. Just not totally catchy or interesting. The inside music is okay, too. It's stuff like that that makes me put this show as background noise. 5/10. Character: There are a lot of interesting characters in this anime, but then again, many of them seem irrelevant. I love Tsukimi and Kuranosuke as main leads in general. If anyone who has read the manga can tell me if these two get together or not because I really want to know since the show ends up on a cliffhanger as well. I also love Tsukimi's group of friends because they all each have a quirky personality that ends up being put to good use. They're not mean. They're kind spirited, and they all love Tsukimi very much. The other side characters, mostly Kuranosuke's family, are pretty dull, especially his brother. I just couldn't get into their stories at all because they seem pointless to me. With this being the case, I would say 8/10 Enjoyment: The show is pretty funny within its own right. There may be things that can throw people off, but I did like this show to watch just once. However, if you have read the manga to this, you may be indifferent to the show. If you do plan on watching this, read the manga afterwards. I would rate the enjoyableness at 8/10. Overall: Not really much to say. Just that the main score is rounded up to 8/10.

After taking a short break from anime for the past few weeks, I wasn’t exactly sure what I should watch next. I didn’t really have a desire to watch any specific anime, or any particular genre. So I was just looking for anything that was good. While flipping through different anime on trying to find something interesting, I stumbled across Princess Jellyfish (Kuragehime). It peaked my interest because this wasn’t the first time that I had come across this series. I had actually considered watching it in the past, but I decided to 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 of life series with interesting characters and some comedy sprinkled in. Once I saw how many people had fallen in love with the series in the past, I was sold. Did Princess Jellyfish live up to the high praise of it’s fans, or was I in for a big disappointment? Story: Tsukimi Kurashita, is a shy otaku girl who 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, who invite her to live in there apartment complex, Amamizukan. In Amamizukan, there is one rule that must be observed above all others: there are absolutely no boys allowed in the building. But that’s not a problem for the women living in this apartment; they’d rather indulge in each of their own nerdy hobbies anyway. But, while Tsukimi was trying a save a jellyfish from certain destruction, she was aided by a beautiful young “woman” who suggested that she just buy the jellyfish and take care of it herself. After helping Tsukimi carry the jellyfish, tank, and all of the necessary peripherals, back to Amamizukan, “she” decided to sleep there for the night. The following morning, Tsukimi came to a shocking realization: this beautiful young “woman” that was helping her was actually young man about her age. Typically, there are two ways that the “slice of life” part of an anime in integrated into a series’ story. The first way is when an anime has an overarching narrative that embraces the other genres of the anime, such as action, mystery or romance, and has slice of life elements mixed into it. The second way is when a series decides to take the slice of life elements, and make those the main focus of the anime while sprinkling in its other genres like comedy. Princess Jellyfish definitely falls closer to the latter style. This series, like many other slice of life shows, is very character driven. Any overarching story elements come in the form of problems for the characters to solve. This allows the series to really focus on the characters, and how they’re living their lives, while still giving the series a sense of progression. That being said, the story, in and of itself, isn’t all that great. Like I said before, it’s only reason for being here at all is to give the characters something to work for. The quality of the story isn’t helped by the fact that the ending to the major problem presented in the series is…abrupt. Comical, and kind of expected, but abrupt. And I’m specifically saying the ending to the major problem for the series because that was 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 side characters either; the two main characters still have a lot of things that haven’t really been resolved by the end of the series. Characters: The characters in Princess Jellyfish are one of the best, and most interesting parts of the series. But, like the story, the characters in this series have some shortcomings. Our two main characters, Tsukimi Kurashita and Kuranosuke Koibuchi, are the two characters who we’re given the most background information about and who receive the most development. The problem is that neither of their backstory’s or their development is really complete by the end of the series. Sure, we’re able to get a good sense of who they are by the end of the series, but there were so many unanswered questions. And those were issues that plagued the main characters. The supporting characters receive even less development than main characters, and we’re given little to no background information about most of them. The relationships between the characters also lack development. The series ended before the relationships between many of the characters could finish developing, which is a shame considering the time that the series spent trying to do just that. With all of that being said, this cast of characters, for the most part, are all extremely likeable. Each character has a set of quirks that are both charming and humorous. Tsukimi and her roommates also all share some similar quirks and personality traits, and often times will all respond to a situation in the same exact way—which makes for some pretty funny moments. Now there are some moments where the characters may straddle the line between charming and annoying, but that isn’t the case most of the time. Animation: If I had the describe Princess Jellyfish’s animation in one word I would say that it’s…pleasant. Its quaint animation style really fits the general eccentric, and calm tone of the series. There aren’t a whole lot of sharp, vibrant colors in this anime. You’ll see them sometimes, scattered throughout some of the scenes, but, most of the time, the colors are very soft. The character models were fairly unique and distinct. You certainly won’t have trouble telling characters apart in this series. The background scenery is solidly done, but nothing really stood out to me. Sound: I really enjoyed Princess Jellyfish’s opening and ending songs. I think that the opening and endings are a pretty good representation of the feelings of our two main characters, Tsukimi and Kuranosuke. The opening reminding me a lot of Tsukimi and the ending reminding me a lot of Kuranosuke. I’m not saying why because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I did really enjoy both the opening and the ending of this series very much. But, I don’t really have much of an opinion 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 a song or two playing in the background that catches my attention, but that didn’t really happen here. The music served it purpose, I guess. I never heard anything that sounded out of place, but I also didn’t hear anything noteworthy. However, after I finished watching the series, I listened to a few samples from the OST. And, I must admit, the OST does have some unique, and catchy songs. Some of which are really good. Maybe it was because I was more interested in what was going on, on the screen, but the series’ OST didn’t add a lot to anime for me. Enjoyment: Despite the lackluster ending and character development, I really enjoyed watching Princess Jellyfish. I was really interested in the lives of the characters, and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. One area where I think that this anime’s short episode count helps it is in its re-watch value. 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 can tune in to Princess Jellyfish without making 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, its likeable characters and solid animation help to make this into a pretty entertaining anime.

Tsukimi lives with four hardcore female nerds in a Tokyo apartment building that has decided no men will be allowed to live there. While out rescuing a jellyfish (her passion), Tsukimi meets up with a gorgeous guy, Kuranosuke, who likes to cross-dress (except she doesn’t know at first he’s a guy). She comes to the realization that “there are princesses in Tokyo: incredibly beautiful male princesses.” :) This show delights in subverting the expected: instead, we get a politician who dotes on his cross-dressing nephew, a woman using date-rape drugs on men, a straight guy giving a group of women makeovers and fashion advice, and women who are obsessed with food (particularly meat). I loved Kuranosuke, who jump-starts Tsukimi’s life and starts to pull her out of her shell, and he looked hot wearing both traditionally male and female clothing. However, maybe because this anime is so short, the ending is massively rushed and feels incomplete with several plot threads left open-ended, which is disappointing as there is no season 2 planned. :( Though apparently there is a live-action movie due out in December 2014?

I went into this series with no real idea of what to expect. I knew the series was popular, and that there is a fan base that REALLY Wants the manga here, so I picked it up for cheap and dove in. This series starts off awkward.as.hell. and I was a little fearful... but given that I bought the series and didn't just watch it on Netflix I gave it a chance. THANK GOD THAT I DID. Princess Jellyfish will probably be one of my favourite series for a very long time. As an anime fan, artist, and collector I found this series extremely relatable. As a former volunteer and attendee of conventions I know people who fit perfectly into the roles of each of the girls, relating Tsukimi most with myself. I caution the viewer who wants to see a complete series. The manga is still on-going, but the anime is only 11 episodes long, and doesn't really end with a lot of questions answered. Despite that, I still recommend it. The series broke me out of a 15 month art block tonight. The characters, artwork, and story are all beautiful.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE princess jellyfish. It's funny, cute and has so many feels my only problem with it is the ending. I felt that it did not wrap things up but instead just kind of stopped without giving a satisfactory ending. The ending feels like it has been left open for a 2nd season even though as far as I know there has not or will not be a 2nd season unfortunately. But other then that like I said I adore this anime.