Title: Majestic Prince Collection 1

Director: Keitaro Motonaga

Studio: Dogakobo, Orange

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: July 15th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Mecha, Sci Fi, Comedy, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Synopsis:

In the not-so-distant future, the people of earth have expanded their frontier into the solar system. And now, we’re under attack! Advances in physics and genetic engineering have created astonishing new flying war machines and pilots with a wide array of enhanced abilities.

Young Izuru has been chosen to lead the hapless Team Rabbits into battle against the sinister Wulgaru forces. Spearheaded by the cold and savage Prince Jiart, these dark invaders possess both superior firepower and technology, as well as an unwavering thirst for earthly destruction. It will be up to Izuru and his brash band of misfits to vanquish the enemy and save us all… if they don’t kill each other first.

Commentary:

It is always fun to watch a series that proves to be a fine omage to a archetype from the past. Majestic Prince just so happens to be one of those series. In its opening segments and the others to follow it manages to tip its hat to most of the great mecha anime of the past. Of course with Majestic Prince our heroes are setup a losers right off the bat and it doesn’t take long to see where they are headed. This leaves out much of the mystery and only gives us some sad moments of self doubt and societal abuse pointed in their direction. The other side of that plot device is that it sets up some rather funny situation, but because of the way the lead characters are written they just end up being nothing more than silly and at the same time pitiful. After the first 9 or 10 episodes I did begin to feel a title sympathic toward them, but this is because they are beginning to develop into more direct and serious characters.

The animation stylings are a mix of old and new. Some of the space battle scenes look like they are straight out of Marcoss or Gundam with the odd round burst of light far off in the distance and the strange little clusters of explosions that follow. The mecha are well rendered and end of being the star of the show. With the genetic connection as being part of the premiss of the series it is hard not to make them important and to show off the thing that will allow our band of misfits to become the heroes they all wish to become.

Overall Grade: B-

Majestic Prince is one of those series that has a great deal of possibilities but end up relying on rather weak characters and tired plot devices to try and carry the series. I can understand the appeal this series might have to some serious mecha fans and also how the comedic aspects do help it stay afloat, but in the end I honestly hope that the second half of the series looses the looser persona and allows the serious side of the show to come forward. I think that if give the right writing and move in a note dramatic direction Majestic Prince could end up being both an omage to the classic mecha from the past and also a worthy series in its own right.