Review: The Magical Fated Princess: Who Made Me a Princess

Many new anime series come in or go out with a bang. The Magical Fated Princess: Who Made Me a Princess, which released its final episode on Crunchyroll yesterday, is not one of them. Based on a Korean manhwa, the series was produced by a Chinese studio and flew by like a whisper on a stray breeze, barely noticed by the anime fan community. It boasts beautiful, feminine character designs and takes place in a magical world, but the story leaves much to be desired. According to fan commentary, important elements were missing from the original source material, making this adaptation lackluster. Still, the series brings some unique concepts to the table as far as princess content goes, such as focusing more on the father/daughter relationship than on romance.

Who Made Me a Princess is the story of Athanasia (Who else read that as Anastasia at first?), a princess who has been reincarnated to repeat her life in the footsteps a very tired anime trope that has been used in droves over the last decade or so. Instead of being reborn with all of her past memories intact, Athanasia has visions of her past life through dreams that she believes are premonitions of a future she hopes to avoid. To do this, she must build a strong relationship with her father to avoid being executed at his hand when she comes of age. The series begins when she is a baby and ends when she is a teenager, focusing on a slow paternal bond that develops over the course of approximately 15 years.

The world that this show takes place in is often more interesting than the show itself. Athanasia has a few supernatural love interests, but romance is treated as a secondary subplot with low emotional stakes. Possibly due to her untapped magical potential, she attracts the interest of an immortal sorcerer who trains her in magic and disguises himself to appear around the same age as her. The show also incorporates Eastern lore, including spirits, powers of the afterlife, and a magical healing tree in another dimension. Unfortunately, most of these game-changing elements are put off until he conclusion of the show, giving most of the episodes more of a "slice of life" feel.

For me, the biggest appeal of this series is the character designs, which were likely borrowed from the original manhwa artwork. All of Athanasia's gowns are stunning, and her blue eyes glitter like starlight. The male characters each have a unique and distinctive visual appeal that can only exist in animation. The show's environments are tranquil and relaxing, creating the same sense of escapism that comes from reading fairy tales. The artistic layout of Athanasia's visions is also appealing, forming a void filled with mysterious imagery from another lifetime. Overall, the show is pleasant to look at, even if the story leaves much to be desired and concludes with many unanswered questions.

The Magical Fated Princess: Who Made Me a Princess may have flown under the radar, but its beautiful character designs and unique magical world make it a visually stunning watch. Despite a slow-burning narrative and underdeveloped plot, the show's focus on a heartwarming father-daughter bond and incorporation of Eastern lore offer a refreshing take on the princess genre. While it may not be the most memorable series, it's a pleasant, if unremarkable, addition to the anime landscape.