Title: Majestic Prince Collection 2 on Blu-ray
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:
For the members of Team Rabbits and Team Doberman, each new sortie becomes increasingly dangerous. As the fight against the Wulgaru continues, it’s harder to determine what the real objectives of Team Rabbits are, and the arrival of a new addition to team’s lineup only further confuses things. The unwritten rules of mecha combat teams seem to require that there’s always at least one mysterious loner in the group, but the enigmas and conundrums surrounding Ange Kuroki are so extreme that even the new pilot’s gender is a riddle!
As the pieces of the puzzle come together and the layers of the riddle slowly peel back, it becomes apparent that everything Izuru, Asagi, Kei, Tamaki and Suruga have encountered are interconnected to a greater extent than they ever imagined. Deadly reversals and shocking revelations await!
Commentary:
I knew it was going to tough to wrap this series up, but to my delight it wrapped up very nicely. The utter silliness of the first half of the season has settled down and a relative seriousness of the story line takes over. This change of pace makes difference in how these young hero’s come across and it is for the best. Of course not all of the comic relief is removed and there are still some rather funny moments, but there is nowhere near the focus on this approach in the final 12 episodes. There are a few hidden secrets discovered that help solidify the plot line and at the same time clear up some mysteries about our mecha pilots.
The animation stylings still tips it’s hat to the great series of the past and manages to prove that it can have some fun with the past and at the same time show respect to what set the stage for today’s mecha stories. It is in this animation production styling that some of the strength and weakness to the series come out. There are moments in the series that I felt like they relied on the past a little too much and made the imagery look 20 to 25 years old. As much as I appreciate what they are doing I also found it distracting and somewhat disappointing. At least this did not ruin the series for me.
Overall Grade: B
With everything that is happening with the series and how they build toward the final battle it was nice to see how they dealt with the mix in cultures and how the outcome was not totally devastating. I also felt like much of the portrayal of the Wulgaru in mays takes stab at our own species and our obsession with hunting and superiority. I found it to be a nice touch of commentary.
In the world of good and great mecha anime, Majestic Prince falls solidly between just good and great. It is very possible that with a little time, there might be a following for this somewhat quirky series. I found it to be rather entertaining and easy to watch. I also found myself comparing it to some of the more beloved mecha series that have graced our screens in the past. At time this comparison was fun and other times I found it rather distracting, but all in all I must express my appreciation for the effort that was given to reminding us all that without the past we would have a hard time enjoying the present.
All you mecha fans, Majestic Prince is a series you should check out if for no other reason than to see how many older series does it pay homage too. In doing so, you just might find it to be a positive and enjoyable show.
