| abstract
| - Princess Waltz is a Visual Novel by Pulltop, notable for being easily the most graphically intensive and text heavy example of the genre to be published in the west. Indeed some reviewers have declared it a possible and quite intentional Crowning Moment of Awesome for publisher Peach Princess, who it is safe to say have produced what is easily the most accomplished of their localizations so far (which is to say that spotting a spelling mistake is rare). It is a tale of a land called Eldhiland, where for years the six princesses of the land have competed in the titular tournament in order to win the hand of the Prince of the Imperial Family. Now it is time for the ladies to compete for the hand of Prince Chris, these six beautiful girls showing off their graceful dancing skills as they discover the values of friendship, love and embroidery... Oh, it's not that kind of story? Ok, strike that, it seems the Princess Waltz is less about dancing, and more about said six princesses beating the unholy crap out of each other with a selection of improbably huge and unlikely weapons. With Eldhiland choosing to hold the tournament on present day earth, main character and good natured jock Arata is drawn into events when he accidentally befriends the local Enigmatic Transfer Student and discovers that said transfer student is the much coveted Prince Chris himself. For unknown reasons Chris has joined the Waltz in disguise as the mysterious Princess Iris, and after much Ho Yay Arata decides to aid him in his battle to beat the other five and win the tournament himself. Said Princesses include: Princess Suzushiro Shikikagura: On the surface the Token Mini-Moe Proper Lady Shallow Love Interest and Unlucky Childhood Friend of Chris. In fact it quickly becomes clear that she is also Hot Bloodedness and a Plucky Girl, along with being a very badass Bare-Fisted Monk. Princess Angela Victoire Blendin: An unapologetic Blood Knight, she cares less about Chris and more about getting the best fight possible from her opponents. As such she is antagonistic but honourable, her Slasher Smile in combat mediated by her tendency to Pet the Dog outside of it. Princess Liesel Hansel: A Genius Bruiser and borderline Badass Normal, who makes up for her lack of physical ability with deadly cunning and her mechanical augmentations. The Little Miss Snarker of the cast, she prides herself on her lack of concern for the concepts of a fair fight and regularly derides those who choose Honor Before Reason . Princess Liliana Guenther: Genki Girl and Plucky Comic Relief, she is also rather Genre Savvy and could probably singlehandedly qualify for half the anime tropes on the site. Don't let it fool you, at least some of her personality is Obfuscating Stupidity disguising an experienced and clever combatant. Beast Princess: The last princess, introduced near the end of the story. It is implied that she makes a few appearances earlier on, protecting Arata from the shadows. Unlike the other princesses, she has little interest in the Princess Waltz and Chris, and is more concerned in protecting Arata. It is implied that she is closer than everyone thinks. Not getting by simply on the strength of its high production values (Even the minor characters get unique paperdolls!) Princess Waltz combines likable and interesting characters with a tone that shifts seamlessly between comedy and drama with equal attention and skill paid to both. The plot isn't anything new but it's well told, and even if it occasionally veers towards thin excuses for everyone to punch each other the fights are so damn good it doesn't matter. So good indeed that at times you ache for them to be animated, excellent sound effects and clever use of paper dolls combining with strong writing to produce some truly badass stuff.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)