2010 fall | Episodes: 11 | Score: 8.1 (115847)
Updated every Fridays at 00:45 | Status: Finished Airing
Type: TV
Producers:Dentsu | Genco | Kodansha | Fuji TV | TOHO | Asmik Ace | Sony Music Entertainment | Sakura Create | Fujipacific Music
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Synopsis
Ever since her late mother took her to an aquarium when she was young, Tsukimi Kurashita has been obsessed with jellyfish, comparing their flowing tentacles to a princess's white dress. Now living with five other unemployed otaku women, 19-year-old Tsukimi spends her days as a social outcast dreaming of becoming an illustrator. However, her life changes forever when one day, a beautiful woman unexpectedly helps her save a jellyfish in a local pet store. From then on, the stranger—confident, fashionable, and the complete opposite of Tsukimi and her roommates—begins to regularly visit the girls' building. This trendy hipster, though appearing shallow at first, harbors some secrets of her own, starting with the fact that "she" isn't really a girl at all, but a wealthy male college student named Kuranosuke Koibuchi! [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Voice Actors
Saiga, Mitsuki
Hanazawa, Kana
News
10/07/2014, 09:15 AM
Here are the North American Anime & Manga releases for October 2014 September 30th - October 6th Included in September's release thread. Week 1: October 7th...
![Manga 'Kuragehime' Receives Movie Adaptation [Update 4/17]](/circle-x.svg)
04/07/2014, 08:53 PM
According to the upcoming May issue of Tsukuru, manga Kuragehime will receive a movie adaptation in 2015. Whether the movie will be animated or live-action was not r...
05/13/2011, 02:35 AM
According to their official blog, FUNimation has acquired the U.S. home entertainment, broadcast, digital, and merchandise rights for the TV anime series Kuragehime,...
10/27/2010, 08:33 AM
According to Tsutaya Online Shop, the four volumes of Kuragehime Blu-ray and DVD will include short anime episodes of the side story manga "Kuragehime Heros☆&qu...
02/09/2010, 02:56 PM
According to Mainichi, Higashimura Akiko's manga Kuragehime was announced to get a TV anime adaptation. It will be aired in noitaminA programming block. Kurashi...
Reviews
AIDZBOY
Actually pretty cool. It's about this shy girl who's super into jellyfish and lives with a bunch of other geeky girls who are all into different, kinda weird stuff. They end up meeting this stylish guy who shakes things up a bit, and it's funny seeing how their nerdy world collides with all the high fashion drama. The show mixes up humor with some real heartfelt moments, which kept it interesting even when the plot seemed a little out there. I'd give it a 7/10 because, while it's definitely unique and has some solid laughs, the whole fashion angle was sometimes hard to get totally into.The characters are great, though. Really different from your usual anime crew, and they bring a lot of personality to the story. It's not your typical anime, and that's kind of refreshing, but it might not be for everyone, especially if you're not into the whole otaku culture thing. Overall its worth watching if you're looking for something that's not just the same old action-packed series.
xXDAGGERHEARTXx
For how highly rated this anime was it's surprising how unlikable the characters are. Tsukimi and Kuranosuke are fine enough but a bit bland but the NEETs? Oh my god what a desperately, deeply unpleasant collection of characters. They ranged from annoying to actively crappy people. It was hard to engage with the main storyline because yeah, I don't really care if a bunch of mooching jerks lose their house. The designs for Tsumiki and Kuranosuke are pretty cute, I do like the art style when it's not drawing vaguely human shaped blobs. I don't know why the NEETs were so cartoony in comparison, it wasdistracting and kind of dehumanizing? Like Tsumiki is a great design for an unconventional looking anime girl, I don't think the others needed to look so inhuman. I also hated the secondary storyline for Kuranosuke's brother Shu. The gist of it is a woman drugs him and makes him think that they slept together so she can blackmail him. Shu is a virgin and this information is distressing to him. All this is played for laughs and almost seemed like it was hinting at feelings between them at times. This is a major "if the genders were reversed more people would realize it was fucked up" thing. I kept hoping they would drop this plotline but it just. kept. going. All in all, don't get the hype. The main two characters are fine but nothing flashy or unique enough to salvage the anime from all the things about it that are unlikable.
Dr_Sephiroth
Sometimes life doesn’t go quite the way you envisioned it. Growing up, most of us are littered with rose-tinted hopes and dreams for our futures. But, when the fated day comes, you find yourself not quite measuring up to the ideals you were promised. The disappointment that ensues can drive those people to a life of seclusion, away from the “lucky ones”. Kuragehime is an anime about a group of such people; a show about 5 NEET women who found themselves in a rough spot in life and chose to create an impenetrable fortress from which they can look down on the “beautiful” people, allwhile mooching off their “baby-boomer” parents, ignoring their duty to society by getting a job, and spending their time and money by feeding their personal quirks and obsessions. But what happens when a beautiful, fashionable “hipster” finds a way into their lives and turns out to be the only one capable of rescuing them from a shared dilemma weighing on them like a bag of bricks? Story: As a fan of other NEET and Otaku-heavy shows like NHK, OreImo, and Genshiken, the premise was immediately interesting to me. To the show’s credit, it keeps its story incredibly fun and engaging throughout with the fast pace of twists constantly being thrown at the viewer. Everything from the revelation of the hipster’s identity, to the blooming love-triangle, and the introduction of the seductive antagonist(among other things) keeps the story moving forward despite the slice-of-life trappings that are littered throughout to fill space. The main problem with Kuragehime’s story is the lackluster ending and its complete failure to deliver on most of the questions and dilemmas that were established. The love triangle, for example, is never properly resolved and the “romantic” connection between the implied couple feels half-baked at best. The big corporate issue gets resolved so quickly and with so little effort on behalf of the characters that it felt as if the author didn’t know where to really go with it or how to resolve it. These and other issues are not criminal or abysmal, but they leave a strange void in your soul, because the show just sort of ends, and you have to deal with it. Characters: The good news, on the character end, is that the two main characters are done very well considering the short length of the show. Kuranosuke and Tsukimi brought a lot of life to the events of Kuragehime due to the polar opposite natures of their personalities. Kuranosuke, being the eccentric, ADHD-ridden optimist that he is, essentially makes it his life’s goal to turn a shy, quiet, nerdy little girl into the titular Princess Jellyfish that she always dreamed of being. The charm exuding from the interactions between these two characters basically ended up carrying the whole show for me, mainly because the other characters are woefully underdeveloped(particularly in the case of Shuu). Confoundingly, this goes double for the other tenants of the house that Tsukimi stays at. Despite being featured prominently in the show’s OP, ED, and just about every episode, these tenants live and die by the single quirk that is meant to represent their “wacky” personalities. It’s endearing at first, but starts to annoy as the show goes on because of my next criticism: the show’s humor is very repetitive. I don’t think it’s funny that Mayaya really likes Chinese history/Dynasty Warriors to the point of screaming her lungs out about it. I don’t think it’s funny that Yoshio loves his Benz at the expense of everything and everyone else. I don’t think it’s funny that every time Kuranouske accidentally lets out that he’s a boy, Tsukimi starts screaming “Ole!” Hell, I don’t think that Banba liking trains and Jiji having the hots for old men counts as comedy. It’s just sort of random. While these things were perfectly fine and enjoyable the first or second time, you’ll start feeling like the writer ran out of material as you keep seeing the same punch lines brought up again and again and again. Overall: It’s annoying how conflicted I am with this show, because I really, really wanted to like it. I can’t deny that I enjoyed the hell out of it, but at the same time, I can’t deny that there were plenty of moments that left me scratching my head or trying to push back the “cringe”. I can’t even let the presentation carry it for me, because even though the art was crisp and stylish, it didn’t stand out all that much and the music was mostly only serviceable. Kuragehime is a show that had a lot of potential and, for all I know, the manga might have actually managed to capitalize on a lot of it. The anime, however, failed to do that for me and I can, therefore, only give it a half-hearted recommendation to those interested in trying it.
mythia-san
P R E M I S E From the summary and title, I've heard many people assume that this is a stupid show with no plot and ridiculous, weird, annoying characters. And for your information, those people are partly right. Except this show isn't stupid, rather, it's unique and very adorable for a josei anime. Kuragehime, or Princess Jellyfish, is a slice-of-nerdy-otaku-life-plus-hipster-crossdresser show that I've watched subbed and dubbed (I switched between the two with each episode). Both never fail to amuse me and make me laugh aloud - the characters are so sweet and endearing, the OP and ED sometimes makes me cry inside at howcute and sincere it feels to me, and each episode just takes me on another "ordinary" day with Kuranosuke and the Sisterhood (and Shuu of course haha!). S H O R T C O M I N G S Some viewers may enjoy watching plot-rich anime with tons of satisfying character development; if that is strictly your taste, you may not like this anime very much. My tastes are like that in music and art, and it varies greatly so I can enjoy several genres and styles. This anime lacks in plot and character development, yes, but there are other things that it offers without a doubt. If you're expecting romance from a josei such as this, then you won't find much, but it is there (quite anti-climactic though) - but, you may find more romance in the manga continuation, which I haven't read yet but will very soon! The art may also be not the greatest things your eyes have feasted upon, considering that we're dealing with "NEETS" or "hikikomoris" with food obsessions and old-man crushes most of the time, but, well... that leads to the pros. P R O S The characters are so unique and strange, but absolutely adorable. They have these quirks you won't just find in any anime, and they do undergo a bit of development, but they're otherwise static. The art, to me, is simply fitting; it's not too over-the-top, the outfits and hairstyles vary often (but mostly for Kuranosuke), and the animation for it is not choppy and is quite fluid. If the OP and ED were sweets, I'd get a cavity because they are so sweet - the OP's singer has a sweet voice, as if she's talking about her life (and the modern references are plentiful and fun to catch!), and the ED's lyrics make my heart melt at its sincerity and raspy tone like it's begging you to like the parts of you that you don't like. These factors - the likable characters, the art, the animation, and the music - is enough to get me engaged and enjoying this anime quite a lot. C L O S U R E This is an anime worth watching, in my opinion. I know even guys who have watched this and were not disappointed or bored with it (e.g. Mitch Grassi, according to a video in SUPERFRUIT - side note, his mention of Kuragehime actually was the first time I've heard of it!). It is sweet, funny, heartwarming, a bit dramatic, and enjoyable. Story: 7/10 Art: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Character: 8/10 Enjoyment: 9/10 Overall: 40/50 ~ 80% ~ 8/10
Hugging_Cacti
This anime is wonderful, and even I enjoyed it despite my usual hatred of anime centred around romance. The characters are great, the character designs are great, and the plot is great. Even so, there's a huge problem with this anime that will always bug me. It's incomplete. Usually when I'm finished with an anime, I'm disappointed it's over but I'm still satisfied, but that wasn't the case with Kuragehime. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the ending was really, REALLY, rushed. They seemed to try and wrap up everything over the course of one episode, and after that we were left with some unansweredquestions. So many things going on that you would've though we would get an answer for, but ended up never getting one for, including making us think a character would be important then never showing her face or even really talk about her past the first few episodes.
wishcraft
So, the story basically just revolves around Otaku NEETs who have their lives changed by a gorgeous human. Or disrupted, rather. That part is actually pretty fun because it's pretty relatable for those who are a bit socially awkward with intense passions. The show does a beautiful job of portraying everyone's passions and obsessions; I'm a bit biased since I love this trait in actual people. But what can be at best called a side-plot of romance? It's done so poorly. It's like they were like, "WAIT WE NEED TO HAVE MILDLY COMPLICATED ROMANCE...wait, no we don't." So, I'd watch this to watch the fun part...butdon't expect anything fulfilling at the end from the romance aspect. Don't expect anything fulfilling from the romance. At all.
Dreary-Deary
From what I've seen and heard of Princess Jellyfish before watching it, it interested me for reasons why it's probably interested you: it's about a shy, nerdy girl dealing with everyday life. (There's also a cute cross dressing boy.) A lot of people are like that, which makes it relatable. All in all, I really liked the show. Not so much because of the plot or characters because in all honesty they are a little bland and anti-climatic. I really only liked Kuranosuke (the cross dresser) because I felt like he had a more enjoyable personality. All the girls, including Tsukimi, the main protagonist, are sowrapped up in their hobbies, there's no room for anything else. But what I liked about this anime was the atmosphere, all the funny moments, and the message: To be ok with liking the things you enjoy. The anime was very sweet and although the ending doesn't finish the story, I think it's worth watching and reading the manga to see it yourself. I think it'll overall be 10x better. Plot, and character wise.
xingieu
Kuragehime is one among the few animes that I've come across and thoroughly enjoyed. It's witty in just the right moments, as well as heartwarming and not to mention, out-right adorable. I fell in love with the characters upon seeing them on the screen, and I can say that there's yet a character that I dislike. They all seemed strongly developed and you can't help but feel an emotional tie with some of them, especially with Tsukimi who is possibly the most sweetest and pure-hearted anime character you will run across. This anime has a message to be confident in yourself as a human-being, and it'shard not to feel like you're just a little bit more self-assured after watching it. Kuragehime really reached my heart, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a touching, yet hilarious story.
Airbent
I would like to preface this review by warning ya'll that this anime suffers from Ending in the Middle of the Manga Syndrome. If you've enjoyed an anime like Fruits Basket, Ouran Highschool Host Club, Soul Eater, Kimi Ni Todoke, etc. and felt a little uneasy by the inconclusive ending and then googled your uneasy feeling and discovered the manga is like 80 chapters ahead of where the anime left off - you're going to run into the same situation here. Clear your to-read list, because Princess Jellyfish is going to be a top-priority read for you once you're done this bite-sized series. Then again,if you're made of metal or something and you don't care about having a plot with any resolution, proceed without caution. Slice-of-Life and RomCom anime are my guilty pleasure genres. I don't always find that they have a lot of substance beyond endorsing really cute teeny-bopper supportive relationships. I've found that a lot of slice-of-life anime fall into the trap of over-emphasizing the romantic sub-plots to the extent that any other story elements are underdeveloped or just plain boring. In contrast, Princess Jellyfish, like all my favourites in the genre, brings something new and insanely interesting in all aspects of its plot. Even the shoujo elements - where one character stares bleary-eyed at the stars and contemplates feelings - aren't in your face. This might not make sense, but the plot mutes itself in such a way that all of its features shine(???) The only word I can really use to describe how well this anime shines out would be 'character'. The show literally oozes character from its every inappropriate crevice. The actual characters are unique and varied, ranging from flamboyant and confident to wacko or sweet or mature, but every single one of them is fucking hilarious. Granted, a lot of the main characters can be difficult to relate to, but they'd make for some poor outcasts if the audience were able to instantly project themselves onto their favourites. They're all likable, regardless. Even the character designs are super innovative (I hate to use that word, but it's the best I've got. Sad face), I can't gush about the designs nearly as much as I'd like: they're all so different!! And they suit each character's personality so well!! GUSH. What really caught me off guard was how mature Princess Jellyfish was, too. Like, one of the main love interests is a heterosexual drag-queen who helps build confidence in young women. *SPOILERS* There's a male character who is kind of almost date-raped by one of the female antagonists. The overarching plot focuses on the implications of changing infrastructure on the lives of a city's residents. PARENTAL LOSS. SOCIAL ANXIETIES AND SELF-CONFIDENCE IN YOUNG WOMEN. GENDER AND SEXUALITY. I have absolutely no idea how this anime can be so unassumingly smart but lighthearted. It's impressive and it makes me happy. If I were to make a complaint, it would be that the score wasn't particularly stand-out. That's it. Everything else was enjoyable and cool. If you're itching for a slice-of-life gem, this one's for you!
Flexicute
As an adult male that grew up watching shonen action and mecha series, you would expect Kuragahime/Princess Jellyfish would be the last series I would watch, much less become a favorite. And yet this brief but wonderful series crept its way into my heart as I found myself watching every episode, each ending with a smile on my face and a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest. Story: 9 Every episode has a nice pacing. The happenings of them keep you engrossed so much, that by the time it's over, you'd think it was too fast. It ends at a mere 13 episodes, but each episode feltlike it packed the maximum amount of content without feeling overloaded. Princess Jellyfish does a great job of not treading through the same shoujo trail of hokey, melodramatic writing, and instead has something more down to earth and believable. Art: 9 From the moment you watch it, Princess Jellyfish's artwork already sets itself apart from its shoujo contemporaries. Every character is distinctive looking, for starters. The backgrounds are also nicely done and Sound: 7 Nothing bad but nothing truly outstanding here. The opening and ending sequences however do have a great choice in music, and the homages to other series is apparent and very well received. Characters: 15 The shining jewel of Princess Jellyfish is undoubtedly its characters! All of their characteristics and personalities are just as distinctive as their looks. Character interaction does a lot in carrying the plot of the series, and it is done masterfully. Their awkwardness is outshined by their believability, as each character has a layer added to them as the series progresses. I couldn't help but love all of them, flaws and all. Enjoyment: 10 Princess Jellyfish is entertaining from start to finish. Seeing these painfully awkward characters wrestle their way through life's challenges was entertaining, to say the least. Overall: 9 There just isn't enough publicity on this series, and it really deserves more! If you like slice of life series that revolve around otaku, there are very few that hit closer to home than Princess Jellyfish!
MetalUpa
"Princess Jellyfish" just has a happy feel to it. The story was alright, though it seemed to change purpose a few times, the art was amazing and portrayed the divide between the stylish and the otaku by giving examples of both extremes that were very well explained and actually quite realistic, the music was lively and cheerful, which fit the show very well. Then, there are the characters. This series has some the most endearing characters I've ever encountered in a series, it is very easy to sympathize and relate with them. Because of all of these factors, I found agreat amount of enjoyment with these eleven episodes. Overall, this was a fantastic anime.
OldAccount2012
This was my first Josie anime so i dont know what it's was supposed to be like but i know I liked it.I think? THE CHARACTERS( 7.5/10 ) -The good: They were all pretty weird ill admit,but a funny weird.Quirky would be a good word for them.There all obsessed with different things and majorly anti-social but also very charismatic.i was torn between making fun of them and loving them.The characters is really why you would like the anime.If you cant appreciate there awkwardness you wouldn't like it much. -The bad:There wasn't much background information on any of them and beyond there single trademark hobby they seem tohave nothing more to them. THE ART(7.25/10) -The good: It was good and tied into the overall concept and personality of the story. -The bad:There's no stand alone reason to say it was bad but other than t wasnt as clean cut as i would have liked it but that big a deal. SOUND(8/10) The good:The OP was amazing (alot of that was because of the visual references) and they voices were perfect for each character. The bad:Nothing really. STORY(7/10) The good: Its entertaining,there is sentimental value and was just really cute.I think Kuranosuke was probabaly my fav character and he brings alot of his determination onto the others.And that's pretty much what the story is about,trying to get comfortable with yourself. OVERALL(8/10) I really enjoyed watching it,i stayed up all night and watched all 11 episodes at once because i couldn't get enough!That being said i hated the ending.There's so many loose ends that probably get solved in the manga but if your like me (and don't like mangas) we'll never find out what happened to Shu! And oddly enough i liked him. For the full character breakdown check out my blog. http://vassalisia.blogspot.ca/
HybridMedia
When looking into this anime, it’s like looking into an anime version of a fairy tale, which sort of involves a princess or a princess-like character and also a fairy godmother-like character, but unlike a fairy tale (or at least, any fairy tale that’s been infected by Disney sooner or later), this one is going to be sugarcoated, especially when dealing with the stages of being awkward around different people and the way you act around them. Amamizu-kan, an old boarding house in Tokyo, is the home of The Sisterhood – a group of otaku women of various stripes who shun The Stylish and men ingeneral. Tsukimi, a jellyfish fanatic, is the latest addition to their ranks. One evening a strange Stylish woman helps her out and she brings the Stylish home with her...only to discover that “she” is a “he.” Despite her pleas, Kuranosuke, the disenchanted cross-dressing son of a prominent political family, sticks around, finding himself more and more fascinated by The Sisterhood in general and Tsukimi in specific. When unscrupulous developers begin to eye Amamizu-kan's location, Kuranosuke realizes that there is more at stake than just a building, and sets out to galvanize its residents to save their way of life. The story is the whole “coming out of your shell” type of story when a person who has a different outlook on life wants to help them not only with experiencing life outside their comfort zone, considering that they are going to need it since their home is on the verge of being wrecked. As for the romance aspect, I did sort of sense that the main characters Tsukimi & Kuranosuke would have their relationship to grow but to me, it was never towards the “lovey-dovey” type of relationship but more like a “close friends” relationship and I thought it was great that they stuck it to that. As for the side story with Kuranosuke’s brother, it didn’t went anywhere at all with him having a crush on Tsukimi, only to ended early with the one character Inari, who’s the one that’s after Amamizu-kun and the very textbook definition of the word “cold bitch”, gets involved plus, his brother Shu isn’t that interesting of a character or even that memorable unlike Kuranosuke himself, who was one of my favorites in the show for being the motivator of Tsukimi and the other women in the sisterhood. As for Tsukimi, she is portrayed as a sweet but very awkward and often an easily weirded-out character with his unique interests in jellyfish and drawing them ever since she saw them with her late mother. The other tenants in the building also have their unique personality about them with the acting landlady Chieko collecting traditional Japanese clothes and dolls, Banba is into trains, Jiji into older men and Mayaya is a fan of Three Kingdoms and unfortunately out of all of them, Mayaya is the most annoying character on this show, mainly because while she’s very animated, all she does is act like a neurotic fangirl and not the kind that would be fun to hang out, but the kind that rages about everything and everybody so much, you want to pop an synapse after just to calm down. The animation for this gets a little rough around some of the character movements and designs. Brains Base, the guys that brought you Baccano! & Durarara!! , has made some good animation in their past works and for this, it’s more like when Durarara began to show its budget problems during the second half but then again, this is an 11-episode anime, so I shouldn’t expect much of a grandiose amount of animation, but it is typical of Brains Base’s style of animation and it was good to say the least. The music is very appealing to most of the show with its comical style to some of the scenes to the light dramatic moments in there. Plus, the opening and ending themes are quite addictive to listen to, especially the opening sequence where it parodies or pay homage to most movie franchises like Star Wars, James Bond, The Seven Kingdoms, Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, etc. For the FUNimation dub, this was one of those dubs that didn’t sound so usual. Usually, I yawn at FUNimation dubs, not that they’re bad (they make good dubs) but they’re not that special to begin with. I did liked Maxey Whitehead’s performance as very sweet and genuine although it is strange hearing her as a lead female character since most of her roles have been androgynous sounding boys. Josh Grelle did convince me that Kuranosuke was an actual girl at first and even though I find Mayaya to be annoying, Monica Rial plays the role and her voice much differently than she used to, it sounded more lower than her standard of voicing characters. FINAL VERDICT: The show is actually worth watching around the first chance you get. Some of the humor can be charming and unique up to an extent although I hate that it ended on a lousy cliffhanger, which mean it’s one of those “read the manga” endings. It’s something you would either want to rent or own the DVD to.
Half_Jack
This series really does show promise, however, the characters do not develop throughout the plot as much I had hoped. The art is colorful, the characters are unique and interesting, and the whole idea of focusing on female otakus is very original. Be warned of some spoilers below. Unfortunately, interesting stories with potential were skipped around with, with none ending properly. This constant skipping around made the series feel empty and the originality novelty. For example,Tsukimi and Shuu have a cute little romance that went nowhere. Their relationship didn't even have to go in a romantic way, but it has to at least end properly. Tsukimihas a crush on Shuu and Shuu with her, and even though Shuu's seems to be very vain, he does seem to care for her. Then he does little to salvage his chances with Tsukimi when Shouko steps in. Almost immediately, Shuu and Tsukimi never interacted ever again which was dissappointing. I do admit though that this example is a bit biased since I support Tsukimi and Shuu together. Maybe it's the fact that Tsukimi and Kuranosuke, the guy she's supposed to fall for, don't have enough "together" moments. The fact that the two are mostly platonic in the end does not help with their romance either. The characters are honestly very unique although they greatly lack development. The genre "romantic comedy" doesn't seem suitable because of the lack of a solid romantic plot. The main romance is not even between the protagonist and a main character. The idea of a romance with Tsukimi and a main character exist, but only an idea (and for most, an expectation). Kuranosuke's father cheated on his wife and there is no explanation for it. Truly respectable for a politcan. This review is really a lot more critical than I planned, and while I truly enjoyed the series, I am more talented at pointing out flaws. Know that if you decide to look into it, there are many great elements to it such as the comedy, cross-dressing, and characters more people can relate to (Or at least I can relate to them.)
inarizushi
The best word to describe Princess Jellyfish would be adorable, but that would be doing the show a disservice. Yes, it is very, very cute. Yes, it's sweet. Yes, it's shoujo, but it's not all pink and sparkly eyes. It's endearing and heartwarming without being cavity inducing. When I first started the show, all I could think was it was Tumblr: The Anime. A group of socially awkward women (who met online!) live together in an apartment building they've nicknamed "The Nunnery". Our main character, Tsukimi, is the youngest of the Sisterhood and has moved to Tokyo to become an illustrator. She's the least bizarre ofher roommates, but she's still completely and utterly obsessed with jellyfish and can't talk to "Stylish" people or boys. Eventually, she meets Kuranosuke who just happens to be a stylish boy. He pushes her to experience new things and champions saving the apartment building in which she lives. Initially, after Kuranosuke came on to the scene, I was worried that the show would focus on changing Tsukimi into a "Stylish" person ala The Wallflower because "all girls want to be pretty! Right?!". This was particularly troubling because Tsukimi and the other members of the stisterhood, LIKE the way they are. There are some social anxieties they'd like to iron out, of course, but they know what makes them happy most of the time and they do it. My next concern (again, thanks Wallflower) was that this show would turn and focus on boys. Thankfully, I was wrong on both accounts! Kuranosuke does give Tsukimi and her roommates (except Chieko, the kimono wearing Japanese clothing enthusiast, she's also the heaviest character so the fact that she gets to be beautiful just the way she is, in anime no less, is awesome) makeovers, but they are for very specific reasons--like going to a political meeting. The message wasn't to try to change them, but to teach them how to use social conventions to their advantage. If you show up to a formal meeting in sweats, no one is going to take you seriously. If you're trying to sell things in a trendy area like Harajuku, you have to look trendy. It was no different than you or I dressing professionally for a job interview. When the task was over, everyone went home and went back to doing what made them comfortable. What Kuranosuke did was get them out of the house and--in Tsukimi's case--give them the tools to not be crippled by their anxieties and run away. Eventually (and predictably) we see Kuranosuke fall for Tsukimi. Interestingly, though, he's not just interested in her when she's made up and beautiful. And of course she's beautiful in fancy clothes and make up, this is shoujo. But rather when she's talking about the things she loves. Jellyfish Princess subverts the old trope of "girls are more beautiful when their in love" and applies it to their interests. Kuranosuke stares longingly at Tsukimi even when she's in her braids and glasses, as long as she's talking about something she loves. Usually, she's talking about jellyfish. The good: I really liked the art. I don't know how impressive it is by usual modern standards, but it reminded me a little of Studio Ghibli (drawing wise, not animation) and the stylish women were drawn with these big amazing retro-shoujo curls and the fashion was very Ai Yazawa. The character designs weren't exactly inspired, only one of Tsukimi's roommates has a face to speak of, but they do have different body types, which is great. Visual gags were effective, funny, and not over used or grating. You will find yourself laughing aloud. The sound was spectacular. Every voice actor was great, especially Mitsuki Saiga as Kuranosuke. The OP and ED were delightful, and the background music was jazzy and perfectly fit the eclectic, quirky feel of the show. I'm pretty sure Kuranosuke's theme even had lyrics! It was great to have a cast that wasn't made up of high schoolers. Everyone is an adult, with most characters in their thirties. Tsukimi and Kuranosuke are the youngest at college age. There were a few extremely well developed characters, Tsukimi was a perfect portrayal of a geeky girl. If you're on this site, I'm sure you'll see some of yourself in her. Kuranosuke's brother Shu was fascinating. Kuranosuke himself was extremely complex and gives you A LOT to think about, and the portrayal of the Japanese prime minister as a ridiculous lunatic who can't get his approval ratings out of the single digits was unexpected and scathingly brilliant. On most accounts, the show can be called progressive and even feminist at points as characters subvert some gender stereotypes, but certainly not all. There is a male transvestite (who is probably gender queer based on his back story) and this isn't played for laughs nor is he a stereotype. And a man who isn't the transvestite is sexually assaulted by a woman, something that is rarely depicted. Again, this isn't played for laughs and the man in question was shown to be very troubled by the incident. The bad: The ending leaves several plot lines dangling. In a way that's good because the final scenes focus on Tsukimi being more confident in herself and not on which boy she ended up with, but I still want to know what happens! There is a plot line that is relevant at first, then becomes irrelevant, BUT JUST KEEPS GOING FOR NO REASON. I'm not sure what it was trying to accomplish. It's not vital or anything, but it is worth pointing out that Tsukimi's roommates don't get any more depth past their obsessions. Kuranosuke's chauffeur gets more characterization than this. That said, they do serve their purpose, so it's up to you whether this is a pro or con. The Madonna/Whore Dichotomy is strong in this one. Obviously, Tsukimi and the Sisterhood are virgins. They're presented as funny or cute. They're "good" characters. The only other named woman in the show is the antagonist, a career mogul aptly named Inari, who gets what she wants by having sex as bribes or having sex for blackmail material. This isn't too bothersome because Inari isn't bad because she has sex. She's bad because she does it for ulterior motives, but the over sexualized female villain is a sad trope to play in a show that's so innovative in other places. It would have been nice if we had one more named female character who was sexually active and still got to be "good". Actually, the show handles the whole topic of sex pretty poorly. It is automatically assumed that any character who is uncomfortable around the opposite sex is a virgin, and two characters who are *THOUGHT* to have had sex with each other are treated like they're in a relationship. Because, you know, that's the only time sex happens/the only out come of sex. The cross dressing character declares that he is "normal" in a way that definitely means "not gay and not a pervert." Ok, so that's a lot of talk about sex, but it's actually not a big deal in the show itself and, aforementioned assault aside (which isn't shown past something being slipped in a drink and then the guy waking up), the show is totally innocent. I don't even remember an on screen kiss. This isn't a con, I just want to point it out incase I scared some one away. I love Kuranosuke to tiny little lip gloss covered pieces. He's my favorite character in the show, but he's also the most problematic. He has his own not socially acceptable obsessions that would make him just as much of an otaku as the Sisterhood, but this is never commented on, presumably because he presents himself to the world in a physically attractive manner. Also, at the END of the series, after spending significant amounts of time with the other characters, he sometimes shows little regard for their interests, going so far as to expect Chieko to sell the dolls she loves while saying he would never sell his clothes. As I pointed out earlier, there is a scene where a character is sexually assaulted--he is drugged, brought to a stranger's house, undressed, touched (not sexually, but still spooning with an unconscious, unwilling person is not cool), and has photos taken which are used to blackmail him. The woman who did this is never punished. If that sort of thing bothers you, be warned. There are also a few instances where characters, both male and female, are slapped or kicked in a way intended to hurt them but adds nothing to the plot but some icky feelings. Ultimately: Princess Jellyfish is a wonderful little story that's original, interesting (I didn't mean to watch it all in two days!), and actually has some pretty great things to say. It should appeal to people who like shoujo without all the focus on romance, slice of life (though it isn't this-- it has a definite plot and goal), and anyone that wants to see a good! new take on otaku culture, or if you just want to watch a really funny show. I recommend it based on just how endearing it is, and the characters of Tsukimi and Kuranosuke alone.
angelsreview
I actually really like this, its way different than anything I really saw. A lot of people do a lot of otaku outcasts but this one has a little different vibe to it. The characters, though their names are hard to remember, are remember-able for how out there and crazy they are. Each one is a otaku in their own way and have different ways of showing it whether it is being crazy about kimonos, to posting old men’s pictures into a scrap-book. A little creepy, but it’s not as bad as it seems. The guy is really cool even if he cross-dresses but heseems normal otherwise. The underlining story is pretty much being true to yourself and never give up on your dreams. The animation is wonderful even if it lacks in some places. It mostly does this when you look between the two ‘worlds’ and depicts Tsukimi’s world and Kuranosuke’s world. It’s not all that bad, but once in a while when the two worlds meet, it’s sometimes a bit harsh of an art style. I really love the designs of the jellyfish and how they actually have a few facts about jellyfish that are supposedly real. I don’t care much too actually look them up but they sound real so its ether true or the actor is rather good at making it sound true. The voice acting for the most part is well done. The English is a little bothersome though I really like the cute voice of Tsukimi and Kuranosuke. I’m not so fond of one or two of the characters in the apartments and it made me cringe the first few times I heard them. Now along the way, I ether got used to it, it got better, or I just didn’t even care about what they sounded like because the story was just so good! All together, it was funny and sweet. Really, if you want funny, This is it! Sadly, it has a very bad cliff hanger right now and I really want to see more! It does make me want to read the manga now but something really tells me that this is better as an Anime then the manga.
aavilla25
I am usually not into "girly," anime such as this one because I find it trivial and and goofy. I thought I was going to end up dropping it, but by the 3rd episode, I was hooked. There are many endearing characters in this anime, the utmost being Tsukimi, the main character. She is just too adorable. You can't resist sympathizing with her, and I think a lot of us girls who are into anime can relate to her. The jellyfish theme is unique, beautiful and entertaining. Also, I really liked that the romance was present, yet subtle, as area lot of other aspects of the plot, such as the pasts of both Tsukimi and Kuranosuke. Like in any good story, a lot is implied rather than stated. I was disappointed by Kuranosuke's role. I picked this anime mostly because it's a gender-bender anime, but Kuranosoke's being a boy does not add much excitement or depth to the plot, although his character is quite likeable. Although I like the idea of the "otaku house," that the girls stay in, the girls themselves are not likeable characters. (Excepting Tsukimi.) They are all very closed-minded, rude and self-centered. I expected them to mature a little bit over the series, but it didn't really happen. The ending was unfulfilling, but, seeing as this anime is so new, I imagine there might be more on the way.
ace52387
There are a couple of good Otaku community Anime's out there, but none have Kuragehime beat in the sheer absurdity of the fan community. As the name implies, the main character, the jellyfish princess, is utterly taken by jellyfish. She lives in a "nunnery" so named because the residents are female outcasts that hate all things fashionable and hip, and regularly curse the existence of men. The other residents are obsessed with trains, old men, Kimonos, and Romance of the 3 Kingdoms. Jellyfish girl, Tsukimi, meets a fashionable girl one night who persistently insists on staying over. Uneasy already witha hipster, Tsukimi learns in the morning that the girl is actually a transvestite. He becomes taken with the nunnery and Tsukimi, and decides to visit regularly to the Chagrin of the other residents. Kuragehime is always sweet and endearing the way Otaku community stories like Genshiken or Doujin Work tend to be, but the plot changes focus from romance to keeping the nunnery safe, and the ending gives an anticlimactic (though thoroughly amusing) conclusion to both. Aside from Jellyfish girl, Kuranosuke the crossdresser and perhaps one other character, the cast is merely gag fodder, flaunting their ridiculous obsessions constantly. For example, anytime a location is mentioned, the train girl will mention what line that location is near. The 3 kingdoms girl will also make poor analogies of what is happening to events in the epic. You never get to know their hardships or struggles with their social problems. Tsukimi and Kuranosuke, in complete contrast, have very heartwarming stories tied to the loss of their mothers. Their hobbies remind them of their mothers, and some of the most touching moments in the series come from both the happiness and sadness they feel when they partake in their obsessions. Unfortunately, the romance element is rather weak, and when it takes center stage the series drags. Tsukimi has a potent cupid's arrow, love at first sight reaction that somehow gets way more emotionally involved than a crush. She runs off crying when she thinks a guy she hasn't shared 3 or 4 sentences with might not have feelings for her. She may be inexperienced in love, but it will probably be hard for anyone who's gotten past the 7th grade to see this as the pinnacle of heart break and romantic drama. The best romantic moments are the awkward ones that are touching and funny at the same time, but they are few and far between. The animation style is fluffy looking, with light, slightly faded colors like one piece or Paradise Kiss. The characters have the full lips but not the sharp faces typical of shoujo/josei Anime. The fashion choices might be eccentric and odd for real life, but are beautiful to look at in animation. I'm not really sure how jellyfish could be any sexier than they are in Kuragehime either. This is definitely a pretty series. Kuragehime is stuck somewhere between a melancholic slife of life, a romantic drama, and a heartwarming otaku expose. The ending doesn't really tie it all together, but it's entertaining enough at 11 episodes.
juliancan
Kuragehime is one of these romantic comedy anime series where, on first glance, tries to be refreshing by introducing a completely unorthodox premise along an atypical cast of characters and only end up a bit lacking, and while I still think that this is the case, the great direction that it had with it's great energy overshadowed it's weaknesses. The energy in this series is just, palpitating. Every episode is refreshing to watch and there is no dull moment. The interaction between the cast of characters is extremely entertaining and its slapstick comedy never ceases to make me smile. Moreover, there are cliffhangers in virtually everyepisode of the series until the last one which keeps the viewer on the edges of the seat. That does not mean that the cliffhangers are good ones though. The conclusion of these cliffhangers were quite predictable on the second half and the conclusion to the cliffhanger of the penultimate episode was just plain stupid. The pacing in the first half of the series is really good. It really had this perfect blend between romance and comedy and neither never feels too heavy. Though this changed on the second half. The comedy became less consistent and the drama sometimes felt a bit too heavy but always tolerable and interesting, in the sense of wanting to know what will happen next, to watch. Moreover, one could really see that the creators were trying to put the maximum things possible on the final episode and even though the chain of reactions remained natural, the pacing however started to feel very rushed and sometimes stepped out the boundaries of time. Moreover, its cast of characters are both pleasant and entertaining to watch, not to mention that each character has a personality of his/her own. This really creates a colourful atmosphere where each personality clashes with one another. However this itself is its own downfall because the short amount of episodes restrained the bunch from being decently developed. Indeed, until the end it is as if the inhabitants in Amamizukan did not develop at all: nobody passed her fear of stylish people along her prejudice thoughts regarding them. Mayaya remained annoying, Juon is still trapped in her dark room and Banba is always afro-licious. Moreover, many of them feel so mono dimensional that they seem to be exaggerated caricatures of modern otakus. Which is not the glorified, sympathetic characters shown in some anime but rather judgemental people who only believe on their own words and delude themselves into thinking that they actually fit the norm, and the rest of us not so much. As for the setting, it really remained safe throughout the end. The creators just basically threw the Amars on some unknown place to see their reaction. This is extremely safe because the reactions always tend to be either funny or exciting, the latter is usually used as a cliffhanger. And I am quite happy with this considering that the series is too short for them to be quite experimental with it. The visuals here are very beautiful, with Kuranosuke being in a different dress a lot of times in a single episode. The animation though, not bad is still far from being perfect. Sometimes, not frequently there tend to some still frames. Forgivable though. The music is constant, not good nor bad, just average. I love the OP and ED songs. Both of them were catchy and I actually find myself chain listening to them. The OP song fits Tsukimi's character while the ED song Kuranosuke's goal on making her feel more confident. The instrumental music though is nothing too remarkable, which is understandable considering what gave the series its life what its cast of characters and fast pacing. The replayability of this series, like for any other noitamina anime series is really high. All in all Kuragehime remains a favourite romantic comedy anime where the interaction between its atypical ensemble really masks its weaknesses. Story/plot: Simple and quirky. Nothing that stands out though. 82.5% Storytelling and pacing: Again, 11 episodes is just too few and the pacing felt very rush on the final episode. Other than that its fast pace gave it a very energetic feeling to it. 87.5% Characters: The characters, however mono-dimensional they were, are really fun to follow and their energy kept the series dull-free. 90% Setting: Very safe, does not stand out but does not disappoint. 80% Visual and animation: very good visual albeit some still frames. 85% Music: While the instrumental music was nothing special, the OP and ED songs were both catchy: 85% Replayability: HIGH . Can be replayed a multitude of times without it getting dull. 95% Overall score: 86%/100% (pretty good) (MAL does not let me do this kind of rating scheme.) Recommended?: Yes
8thSin
'Kuragehime' ('Jellyfish Princess') is a modern Cinderella story featuring the unlikeliest cast of a jellyfish-otaku princess and the cross-dressing prince. The first thing I noticed about the series is the heavy influence of live-action movies. Episode titles are parody of film titles: 1. 'Sex and the City' (2008) 2. 'Sukiyaki Western Django' (2007) 3. 'Enchanted' (2007) 4. 'Eden' (2006) 5. 'Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai' (1959/2008)6. 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968) 7. 'Kinyuu Fushoku Rettou: Jubaku' (1999) 8. 'Million Dollar Baby' (2004) 9. 'Midnight Cowboy' (1969) 10. 'The Turning Point' (1977) 11. 'Field of Dreams' (1989) OP is a parody of a series of famous scenes from Hollywood and Japanese films: 1. 'Sex and the City' (2008) 2. 'Star Wars' (1977~) 3. 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952) 4. 'Mary Poppins' (1964) 5. 'Emperor of the North Pole' (1973) 6. 'Onna Tobakushi' (1967) 7. 'James Bond' (1962~) 8. 'Game of Death' (1978) 9. 'The Graduate' (1967) 10. 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977) Also, major Japanese film producers and distributors were in production committee (Fuji, Toho, and Asmik Ace actually show their real opening credits in an episode) "Josei" is a minor subcategory of "shoujo" manga and anime, targeted toward older audiences (18+). 'Kuragehime', despite being published on a josei manga magazine, lacks any mature characters or themes to really categorize it as one (and it won a manga award in shoujo rather than otona (mature/adult) category). This is clearly a shoujo anime. 'Kuragehime' is about a bunch of female otaku in Amamizukan, an apartment complex in Tokyo. These girls are severely repulsed by men and fashionable/successful people, but our heroine Tsukimi one day makes friends with fashionable cross-dresser Kuranosuke and finds out later that not only is he male, he 's also from a rich political family. The first half of the story is mostly about Kuranosuke extending his influence over "Ama~s" ("Nun~s"), the girls in Amamizukan. It should be noted that while literal meaning of "ama" is "nun", which suits their virgin and hikikomori status in their house, it is also a derogatory slang for "women" (much like how "nun" is a slang for "prostitutes" in English). These girls are basically calling themselves "bitche~s"" and "whore~s". The "Ama~s" consists of otaku girls with extremely bizarre hobbies. Tsukimi is into jellyfish, Ichimatsu Dolls for Chieko, 'Romance of Three Kingdoms' for Mayaya, and senile men for Jiji. The only ones with relatively common interests are Jyuon, the nocturnal fujoshi BL manga writer, and Bamba, as railfans existed way before the word "otaku" became a slang. Other than our heroine Tsukimi and acting-landlord Chieko, all the other "Ama~s" girls exist almost solely for comedy. The second half of the story is about saving Amamizukan from a land development project. This is mostly attempted to be done by fund raising, in which the challenge for introverted girls to go out into the world and forced to interact with people is depicted, as well as Kousuke's attempt to transform Tsukimi's introvert personality by building up her confidence. Unfortunately, "Ama~s" are almost always forced to do these things they detest, and their fear of outsiders have not eased at all, freezing up in uncomfortable situations to the very end. As expected of a shoujo anime, there is also a lot of romantic concerns for the heroine, and the typical love triangle, predicaments etc. that confuses individuals of their own feelings and prevent love confessions. The character development between Tsukimi and Kuranosuke are rather good, though they are put into one random predicament after another, and saved in the last minute by fairytale successes, whether it's extreme makeover, profitable sales, or crowd-pleasing dress designs. Kuranosuke is practically a prince who tries to save Tsukimi from isolation and turn her into a fashionable and popular chick. Of course, she turns into a gorgeous Yamato Nadeshiko simply by taking off her glasses and putting on some makeup. The story develops into a cliché Cinderella fantasy. To make it worse, everything gets solved by predictable deus ex machina in the end. Art quality for 'Kuragehime' is very high. Lots of variety with backgrounds, as the characters travel around Tokyo. I recognized almost every single location in Shibuya during the first episode, the staff completely animated real sites. Maybe because I'm way more familiar with Shibuya than Akibahara etc, but it seemed like they put far more attention into detail than the typical series. I can tell you that this is a very faithful reproduction of the city down to individual stores and signs. Other places like Amamizukan (actually a male-only lodge in West Waseda), parks, and streets seem to be modeled after real places as well. Character designs deviate from the ordinary, with memorable style and traits for most characters. None of the "Ama~s" members are beautified. Fluidity is rather good, and all the characters were drawn with extremely high consistency. The comedic special effects (petrification, shock etc) were done very well. The cast is dominated by seasoned veteran seiyuu in 30s and 40s with wide range of voices that fit characters pretty well. However, none of their voicing jobs were particularly memorable. BGM were extremely strong, wide range of instruments playing music of different style, often setting/enhancing the mood for comedy. OP as mentioned earlier, is parody of famous scenes from movies with surprisingly good flow and audio-visual synchronization. Chatmonchy is known for their distinct rock songs, and they don't disappoint with the off-beat OP song 'Kokodake no Hanashi (Just Between Us)'. As usual of their songs, there's something about it that really moves you, and it fits the series very well with its quirkiness and optimism. And who better to sing the ED than Sambomaster, who came to popularity after their song was featured as theme song for 2005 'Densha Otoko' live-action drama, which still remains to be the most watched and arguably most influential otaku story in history? Their song "Kimi no Kirei ni Kizuite Okure (Realize How Beautiful You Are)" is a poignant rock song that really captures this anime's theme, and the ED animation comes in long shot of 1 cut. Very impressive. With all its originality in premise, character setting, art style, and sounds, 'Kuragehime' still failed to separate itself from cliché shoujo story development. As per typical shoujo anime, there's a lot of inner monologue explaining characters' thoughts and emotions. While this is a typical trait of shoujo manga/anime series and theoretically improve empathy and emotional attachment, I consider this to be a very poor storytelling technique as it takes away the joy of thinking and imagining their state of mind. It gets tiresome when they explain the obvious every single time, and slows down the pace of the story. The comedy was hilarious at first, but gets repetitive after a while with identical 'Olé' cover ups, shock face, petrification, girly prime minister etc. that gets predictable and tiresome after a while. Repetition can be funny, but it needs to be executed with intelligence and variety. In addition, I found it hard to connect with the characters simply because their interests are too "maniac" (bizarre/weird), as the Japanese call it. I don't think I'll ever understand a girl's unhealthy fascination with jellyfish or creepy dolls or senile men moe... and I was completely lost when Mayaya spew out bunch of 'Romance of Three Kingdoms' references. I also had no idea why the author would portray girl otaku as nothing more than simple creepy freaks. "Ama~s" may be a group of girl otaku with uncommon interests, but they all behaved like a cookie cutter male otaku from general public's perception of otaku culture other than their androphobia, and didn't explore further into the views and motivations from girl otaku's perspective. It is still an enjoyable show, but 'Kuragehime' could've easily been so much more. However, I am very impressed at how 'noitaminA' series continue to reject the trend in the industry with uncommon premise and low on moe/ecchi. Any series aired in this time slot continues to be a must-watch for serious anime fans.
Animanga