Right off the bat, I noticed that we have Takomi Kansaki helming the show as the producer. He was previously involved with the popular Konosuba franchise. So in other words, do be prepared for eccentric humor. It depends on how much you’ll approach this show’s humor but to say the least, it has an immense amount of charisma. With our lovable cast of characters, there’s no shortage for entertainment as we follow Yuuki and his adventures.
However, I will say one thing. Yuuki is the male protagonist but he’s not the one to watch out for, or to invest your time into. Being mostly silent doesn’t help his character nor does it help that he feels like an NPC bot. The real selling point is the character chemistry between the three main female cast – Pecorine, Kokkoro, and Karyl. United under the Gourmet Edifice banner, each of them has their own colorful personalities and it catches on very quickly once you pay close attention. Pecorine is armed with a big appetite and a bubbly personality. She is essentially one of the poster girls and it’s easy to see how friendly she is. A recurring gag in the show also revolves her love for food so prepare to see a lot of cooking at her guild. We are also joined by Kokkoro, a servant who is very loyal to her friends. And while not as energetic as Pecorine, she will draw the audience’s attention with her inner thoughts about herself. Finally, there’s Karyl, the tsundere-like cat girl who seems have her own personal mission to keep an eye on the guild. As the show progresses, her character changes and she begins to trust in her new friends. While the writing here isn’t any dynamic or unique, it does bring her character as someone to appreciate more. Plus, Karyl adds popcorn entertainment to the show whenever others try to befriend her, most noticeably Pecorine.
Naturally, Princess Connect takes place in a fantasy setting with the show’s various gimmicks. I won’t deny that it can be a bit cartoony at times. It’s adapted from a mobile game after all but don’t let that take away your attention. The show is able to take its gimmicks and bring out the most of it. This is accomplished through the different running gags such as Karyl’s entomophobia, Yuuki being a monster magnet, or Kokkoro’s emotive reactions. Every episode, it uses these little bits of comedic moments in addition to the main storytelling. Make no mistake though. Princess Connect doesn’t have a very serious plot. Sometimes the plot focuses on the adventures while other times can feel like a relaxing slice of life. What’s more fun is how our characters takes their adventures and enjoying the most from it. This isn’t about a group of adventurers trying to save the world or in fact, they don’t really have an endgame goal at all. This show is ambiguous in its main purpose so don’t think too hard into it. Most of the supporting characters also serve some purpose but ultimately, Princess Connect sells itself as a comedy adventure, not some dramatic high fantasy.
It did became clear to me this series wants to have fun with the cast as much as possible. Remember, it’s directed by Takomi Kansaki so some character personalities in this anime will feel similar to Konosuba. Pecorine for instance has a dumb mentality comparable to Aqua. What makes their characters entertaining really lies in their emotive reactions. Perhaps Karyl is the biggest face to watch whenever she interacts with the main cast or her fear of bugs. Pecorine and Kokkoro also has their own moments due to their personalities. As a mobile game adaptation, the overall art style actually looks polished. From the sunny beaches to the gourmet guild itself, everything looks convincing like it’s in a fantasy world. Even the food has its own unique style that’s made as eye catchy as possible. The weakest link would be Yuuki, our main protagonist. He’s the epitome of ordinary in Princess Connect.
I decided to watch Princess Connect:Re Dive for one purpose but got exactly that: a simple, fun adventure about a group of goofballs. There’s no complex plot and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out our characters’ personalities. In fact, I do wish more fantasy adventures would be simple as this show. Now are you ready to go on an adventure with Gourmet Edifice?
