You know, I have been pretty disappointed by this summer's anime releases. Oh I am sure there are popular shows - or those that will develop into popular shows - but there hasn't been one that reached out and grabbed me ... like Aldnoah Zero, Erased, Little Witch Academia or even Kobayashi's Dragon Maid.

And so I was scrolling through the new releases and blinked. There was a new show called Princess Principal ... and I went, what sort of name is that? Is it a slice-of-life high school story ... is it worse ..an eechi harem high school story ... is it a fantasy school story ...

I went ... well Kobayashi had a strange name but was good ... how much can it hurt? I mean it can't be as bad as Daily Life ... can it?

The only thing I was right about is that it's set in a preparatory school.

The sepia toned introduction, the not-quite-our England setting, the airships and ... and a secret war ... a secret war of spies? Then the opening kicked in and it was ... one hundred percent honest to god hard hitting ... steampunk.

The art is great, the character designs right on the nose. The dialogue - tight and biting ... with the ending of the first episode is right up there with the darkest of Film Noir. That's right, Film Noir. Princess Principal is dark, and somehow, in one episode they packed very tangled intrigues, plots within plots within plots and lies.

Lots and lots and lots of lies.

There are more Deep Dark Secrets in this show than in a Mina game!

When one of the heroines goes on a rampage against the Other Side? They die. That's right. Dead as in Tarantino dead. No punches are pulled. I say Other Side because I haven't quite figured out who the good guys are, especially after Episode 2.

Episode One set the style and nature of the show.

Episode Two shows how it all started.

If this show can keep the promises it makes in the first two episodes ... it's a keeper.

Sounds like it could be worth a look. Don't see it on NetFlix yet, but will keep an eye out for it.

Guess I will have to up my A game!

Thanks for the pitch, I will check this one out!

oh ... that tease has got me keeping an eye out for it too

Well ... fan-subs (which actually have been really good)(and sneak past the DCMA under reasonable free-use clauses) ... can be found at:

kissanime.ru

It usually gets uploaded on a Sunday; I'm hoping to see Episode 4 show up tonight.

I recommend a pop up blocker - and using the hide buttons to kill the adds.

And yes that's the opening. Of course its a bit more fanciful than the actual story, like any good james bond opening theme. The lizard makes metaphorical sense and the opening isn't a cover. It's in English.

And the green glow? That's not magic. That's the show's steampunk creds.

Cavorite.