Another show I’ve been watching this anime season has been Princess Connect Re:Dive, an anime made by Cygames based on characters from a mobile game that’s been around since 2018. While I’m sometimes wary anime based on mobile games because I feel I won’t be able to connect with the characters without having played the game, I’m generally supportive of Cygames for doing good work in the past, and for their reputation for paying animators and other staff well. Let’s take a look at the show and the characters!
The World of Princess Connect! Re:Dive
In the anime, a goddess named Ameth sends a generic hero named Yuuki to a fantasy world, and he literally falls out of the sky. There he’ll end up with three main “guides” who will help him through the cute events of the story: the solemn and quiet elf Kokkoro, who fulfills men’s’ wishes for a subservient waifu; the always-hungry Pecorine, who’s incredibly powerful in battle; and the adorable tsundere catgirl Kyaru, always providing cuteness and humor. The three girls end up in a guild with the MC, and have various cute adventures together.
Obviously an anime based on an existing game exists to fill certain roles. It serves as an advertisement to get more people to play the mobile game, and also as a “thank you” from the creators to fans who have supported the game financially and made it a success. For companies who have had the good luck to create such a successful title, creating a high-budget anime also fulfills the important role of lowering the company’s taxes, as the excess profits from the game can be spent on the anime.
The episodes are all fun, low-stress stories in the “cute girls doing cute things” genre. This is known as 癒し系 iyashi-kei in Japanese, or something that will calm you and help you heal. At no point is there any drama or fear of the safety of any character, and viewers can sit back and enjoy the world and the cute interactions between the characters. During these stressful times, it’s just what the doctor ordered, and I find myself making time to enjoy each episode slowly.
Another Reason to Watch: Sexy Fanart
While I found the show charming and the animation and voice acting superb, there’s another reason I’m enjoying Princess Connect!: the sexy ‘Rule 34’ fanart on Pixiv and other sites. When I approach a new show, I google up what kind of fanart is being created so I can see what kind of fandom it has. I’m happy to report that there’s a ton of fascinating PriConne fanart out there, including plenty of fan artists “lewding” the girls from the show — mostly the catgirl Kyaru, which I approve of. Ever since Evangelion exploded in popularity through naughty doujinshi in the 1990s, it’s been clear that this aspect of fandom is an important part of the ecosystem of any successful anime franchise.
Thanks for reading. If you’re in need of some healing in these bizarre times, I hope you’ll give Princess Connect! Re:Dive a chance!
Speaking of “lewding,” we’ve got some great new dakimakura and high-quality wall tapestries for your wall, up on the site now. These are extremely high quality, printed here in Japan, and they’d look great in the perfect otaku room you’re building. Browse the new products here!
