Princess Jellyfish...
A couple years ago, I picked up Princess Jellyfish...
According to Wikipedia...
Princess Jellyfish is more of a dramatic series with elements of comedy. One of the core elements of the series, is the concept of "otaku". In the U.S., otaku refers mainly to fans of specific areas of Japanese culture like anime, manga and, to some degree, gaming. In Japan, otaku has a more generic quality and can refer to any fan of any particular theme, topic, hobby or form of entertainment. I like the fact that each of the characters in the series has their own interests.
Some of the comedy in Princess Jellyfish comes from the cross-dressing and gender confusion aspects of the series, but, that aspect of the series, although significant, is actually not the main focus of the series. Princess Jellyfish comes into its own as a study of the evolution and growth of the main character, Tsukimi.
Of course, there is no bloodshed or gore in the series. A couple of pesky land sharks have salt thrown at them, but, otherwise nothing really violent happens. Shoko, one of the aforementioned land sharks, really deserves to have something bad happen to her, but, in keeping with the light and fluffy tone of Princess Jellyfish, even pesky land sharks have nothing to fear.
Periodically, Clara, the jellyfish rescued by Tsukimi early in Princess Jellyfish, appears in SD form to explain some of the more exotic aspects of various characters that may not be apparent if you didn't read the manga -- which was actually quite helpful in my case.
Although cross-dressing is a significant aspect of Princess Jellyfish, there are no naughty bits to speak of. Also, if you're not careful, you might actually learn something. Overall, I would give Princess Jellyfish a 4 out of 5.
It took a while, but, I've finally gotten around to watching Princess Jellyfish. Coming right on the heels of Squid Girl, I decided to set Princess Jellyfish aside for a while. Recently, I came across a preview for Princess Jellyfish. Apparently, the series is being re-released in discounted packaging. With my memory finally jogged, I decided to take a peek at Princess Jellyfish.Plain, timid and obsessed with jellyfish, Tsukimi is a far cry from her idea of a princess. Her tepid life as a jobless illustrator comes complete with roommates who harbor diehard hobbies that solidify their status as hopeless social rejects. These wallflowers run a tight nun-like ship, but their no-men-allowed-not-no-one-not-no-how bubble is unwittingly burst after Tsukimi brings home a rescued sea jelly and a beauty queen - who's actually a guy.
When threat of losing their cozy convent inspires this glamour boy to turn the neurotic entourage into a portrait of success, will Tsukimi take her chance to bloom or will she end up a hot mess?
According to Wikipedia...
Princess Jellyfish centers around Amamizukan, an apartment building in Tokyo, where the only tenants are otaku women, and where no men are allowed. While each character has her own particular fixation, the protagonist is Tsukimi Kurashita, whose love of jellyfish stems from memories of her deceased mother taking her to an aquarium and linking the lace-like tendrils of jellyfish to the dresses of princesses. Tsukimi hopes to becomes an illustrator and is an awkward girl terrified of social interaction, attractive people and the prospect of formal work. The other tenants of Amamizukan are the same, being NEETs who refer to themselves as the "Amars" (nuns). Tsukimi meets the stylish Kuranosuke Koibuchi, the illegitimate son of a politician, who cross-dresses to avoid the obligations of politics and to feel closer to his mother. Tsukimi keeps the secret of his masculinity from her man-hating housemates, even as she is troubled by the intimacy of having a man in her room at times. Amamizukan's surrounding neighborhood is under threat of redevelopment, as opportunists aim to turn the quaint area into a more cosmopolitan region, with many of the buildings being demolished to make room for hotels and shopping centers. Although Amamizukan's tenants fear and loathe attractive people, they are helped by Kuranosuke who does not want to see Amamizukan destroyed.
Princess Jellyfish is more of a dramatic series with elements of comedy. One of the core elements of the series, is the concept of "otaku". In the U.S., otaku refers mainly to fans of specific areas of Japanese culture like anime, manga and, to some degree, gaming. In Japan, otaku has a more generic quality and can refer to any fan of any particular theme, topic, hobby or form of entertainment. I like the fact that each of the characters in the series has their own interests.Some of the comedy in Princess Jellyfish comes from the cross-dressing and gender confusion aspects of the series, but, that aspect of the series, although significant, is actually not the main focus of the series. Princess Jellyfish comes into its own as a study of the evolution and growth of the main character, Tsukimi.
Of course, there is no bloodshed or gore in the series. A couple of pesky land sharks have salt thrown at them, but, otherwise nothing really violent happens. Shoko, one of the aforementioned land sharks, really deserves to have something bad happen to her, but, in keeping with the light and fluffy tone of Princess Jellyfish, even pesky land sharks have nothing to fear.
Periodically, Clara, the jellyfish rescued by Tsukimi early in Princess Jellyfish, appears in SD form to explain some of the more exotic aspects of various characters that may not be apparent if you didn't read the manga -- which was actually quite helpful in my case.
Although cross-dressing is a significant aspect of Princess Jellyfish, there are no naughty bits to speak of. Also, if you're not careful, you might actually learn something. Overall, I would give Princess Jellyfish a 4 out of 5.
