The anime series aired it's first episode on August 15th 2021, a very late date for a Summer Anime release, and since then has consistently released weekly episodes until it reached its conclusion on October 24th, which was yesterday.
For those who remember my Summer Anime Season review , I made a very blunt statement about this show based on my initial assessment of it in its earliest episodes.
As you can see from my honest remark of its first episodes, I didn't think much of it at all at first, only seeing it's setting and story being irritably derivative of the modern masterpiece anime series; Akatsuki no Yona.
I'd like to honestly apologize to anyone and everyone who took that statement to heart and didn't give this show much thought throughout its run.
After following this show through to the end and watching the story reach its full fruition, it pains me to admit that I was HORRIBLY WRONG about Fena: Pirate Princess.
And I'm here to let you all know the solid reasons why you all should add this gem to your watchlist.
Okay first of all, you can't blame me for judging it that way initially. The 'Runaway Princess' story architype is one which isn't new at all in fiction, and in its first episodes, Fena did present itself in an extremely similar manner as Akatsuki no Yona, only more playful and bearing a seemingly convoluted story.
Although this show's story is really similar to Akatsuki no Yona in the fact that it centers a young runaway princess going on an adventure, and sure it's not as phenomenal as Akatsuki no Yona, but this show definitely has its own unique charms.
The playfulness of the show and added comedy antics only aid in defining the characters and their traits, and making them actually lovable. Our cheerful young naive princess; Fena, I felt making her a 'Bakadere' as opposed to the usual passionate and ambitious princesses, was one of the factors that really helped to distinguish our main character and the tone of the story from most works of its kind.
Aside from Fena, the other characters including the 'Samurai Seven' who protected her and the numerous antagonists who sought her for various reasons, were also splendidly written with unique character traits, captivating backstories and lovable character dynamics.
The story was a fun-filled adventure with Fena and the Samurai Seven facing multiple obstacles as they journey the lands in search of 'Eden', and the many fights and altercations they faced were handled exquisitely well as the plot moved forward.
The story itself was a beautiful one, bearing a narrative that made great use of cinematic devices normally adapted into great fairy tales and fantasy legends; making perfect use of such mystical concepts such as 'Fate' and integrating it into one glorious adventure that left a ton of thrills along the way.
There were so many fantastic moments in this show. The flow of events and story beats felt all but poetic and euphoric, and the more it progressed, the more it seemed like an actual fairy tale. The romance and emotionally resonant expressions all but made the whole thing unnervingly captivating, making most of the scenes just gorgeous to watch.
The animation studio 'Production IG' sure pulled out all the stops in making this show look as beautiful as possible; from the character design to the cinematography to the music, every scene was gratifyingly executed and every bit as elegant as aimed to be.
I think the strongest element of this show was the music. Being handled by the one and only Yuki Kajiura, who's worked hand in hand with Ufotable to create the masterclass OSTs we've seen in such works as Fate/Staynight Heaven's Feel and Garden of Sinners , I didn't expect anything less than perfection, and that's exactly what was delivered. The impact of every climactic scene hit twice as harder with the melodious soundtracks that accompany them, making every romantic and cathardic scene a sight to behold.
Fena: Pirate Princess is a show that'll make you feel a number of things; amused by its comedy and character dynamics; excited by its fights; Intrigued by its stories; thrilled by its discoveries and heartbroken by the emotional backdrops in its story.
It's honestly a beautiful and elegant anime and after watching it's finale which could only be described as phenomenal, it wouldn't be a stretch to call this not only the best Crunchyroll produced anime, but one of the best animes of the past season.
Placing it in my summer list after seeing it's story reach its full glory, I'll place it at #3, and just below Remake Our Life and The Case Study of Vanitas , a spot I think it rightfully deserves.
So to everyone yet to see this show, I can honestly attest to the fact that it's a Must-See show this year and in all its glamour, I think it's impossible not to at least enjoy the watch of it.
The one thing I can assure you on my end, is that I was wrong about my previous remarks of it, and I definitely see it as one of the most stunning animes I've seen in the past two seasons.
Another review has come to an end.
Be sure to leave your thoughts of this show and this review in the comment section.
And anticipate my Seasonal Review for Fall, I'll be sure (God Help Me) not to misjudge any new gems this time.
See You All Next Time!.
Can't wait for ur overlord review
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