Princess Connect! Re: Dive (Season One)

Yuuki awakens in a strange place with no memories of the past. Before he can get comfortable, he is sent back to the planet where a girl is awaiting his arrival. Can Yuuki recover his memories or will something eat him first?

Princess Connect! Re: Dive (Season One)

What did you watch?

And now we are finally going to look at the third and final fantasy anime based on a mobile game. It’s safe to say that Princess Connect took an early lead and never looked back. So much so, that I’m just going to confirm the order here and now. Princess Connect won by a country mile and Shironeko didn’t even make it across the finish line. That means you can expect a lot of gushing in this post. You have been warned. There will also be spoilers, but you already knew that!

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What happened?

Having arrived back on the surface, Yuuki is quickly found by Kokkoro who has been expecting him. She’s not the first one there, however, as a pair of hungry wolves attempt to eat him. Kokkoro protects him and together they make their way to the nearby kingdom of Landosol. To earn money they take on some quests and soon meet Peccorine, a feisty and incredibly hungry warrior. Not too long after that, they have an encounter with a catgirl called Karyl. Before any of them have a chance to think, they have set up a guild with a focus on eating great food.

As the series goes on, we learn that there are sinister forces at play in Landosol and it seems to have a link to Pecorine and Yuuki. But what is the connection and will Yuuki ever stop being seen as an easy meal by all manner of monsters?

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What did you think?

I loved it. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a protagonist who can barely string a few words together, but by the end of the first episode, I had made my peace with it and actually found it endearing. He has completely lost his memory, so even stuff like the concept of money was foreign to him, but seeing his reactions as he started to understand things was amazing. However, it’s worth noting that Yuuki alone would have been boring. It’s Kokkoro and Pecorine, and then later Karyl, that make this series what it is.

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What was your favourite moment?

I could probably give you a favourite moment from every single episode, but I won’t. You can look at my episode reviews if you really want to go that far down the rabbit hole. One thing that really surprised me was the dark humour in this series. Yuuki constantly getting eating was hilarious. After several attempts by the two wolves to eat him, you began to expect it and when it didn’t happen, you missed it, but it was a short wait for the next time.

I also feel like I should mention the animation and the sound effects which were insane, especially for the fights. This series was stunning and I couldn’t get enough of it. On top of that, there was a huge cast of characters, but it never felt like we were bouncing around. It’s hard to juggle a cast like that, but somehow they made it work and it definitely added to the wonder of this world.

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What was your least favourite moment?

Big spoiler here. In the final episode, we learn about Pecorine’s true identity. She is the Princess of Landosol only her place has been stolen by an imposter and everyone she knew has forgotten all about her. This was a truly effective flashback and seeing Pecorine coming to terms with the fact that even her own parents had forgotten her was heartbreaking. This series did a great job of mixing the tones and drifting between dark fantasy and mindless fun.

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Who was your favourite character?

Pecorine! Without a doubt. She was a riot and right from the very beginning it was obvious that she was going to be the standout character. Not only was she larger than life, but she was fearless and had some impressive attacks. The rest of the cast was great too, but Pecorine is in the top tier of strong female characters with swords. I know it’s a bit niche, but it’s my niche and that makes this a huge win for me and Pecorine.

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Who was your least favourite character?

I don’t think there were any characters that would fall into this area. Some of them could have been a little more forthcoming with Yuuki about his past, but with the reality of what had happened to him, it may have been for the best. Just to clear things up, because I’m not sure it fully explained things, but I believe that Yuuki had already gone through this whole experience and everyone had died at the hands of the fake princess. He was extracted from reality and sent back in time to attempt to redo it only the trauma of the first time had taken its toll on his mind. That’s pretty dark for any series.

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Would you like some more?

Absolutely. Sign me up. The overall story was not resolved and I guess there’s a chance that the rest is played through the mobile game, but I hope that we get a second season regardless. The fact that this was based on a mobile game is of no consequence. This is a great series and can stand on its own two feet. I’m definitely surprised by my selections for anime of the seasons so far with Bofuri taking it in Winter and Princess Connect in Spring. These are not my normal goto genres, although I do feel like they overlap with my preferences.

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What have you learnt?

If you get the characters right, you can do anything with them and it will remain entertaining. However, the thing that really sold this series was the group friendship. It built on them as characters and made them that much more interesting. I think that there are steps you can go through to make the characters interesting and the way they connect with one another is a big one. Their relationships were by no means perfect and I think that’s a strength in this instance. It just added yet another way for these characters to be relatable. I love the plot, but if you can connect with the audience you’ve already won.

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Other Posts in the Series

• Season One
  • Episode 1 – The Adventure Begins ~Sautéed Mushrooms at Sunset~
  • Episode 2 – A Moody Cat’s Mischief ~Warm, Golden Rice Balls~
  • Episode 3 – The Epicurean Frontier ~Heavenly Fruit Is the Secret Ingredient~
  • Episode 4 – Welcome to the Gourmet Guild ~Beef Stew at Nightfall~
  • Episode 5 – Porridge Made With Love ~Topped with a Twilight Fate~
  • Episode 6 – Melody of Departure ~Aromatic Spices under the Starry Sky~
  • Episode 7 – A Light to Pierce the Darkness ~Like Two Sisters in a Pod~
  • Episode 8 – A Little, Lyrical Kids’ Meal ~Country-Style Fried Eggs~
  • Episode 9 – A Gourmet Getaway ~Fragrant Tentacles on the Beach~
  • Episode 10 – Flowers in Eternal Darkness ~Cursed Pudding~
  • Episode 11 – Evening Home ~A Crispy Quest Hot Dog~
  • Episode 12 – The Whimsical Patissier’s Specialty ~A Memory of Labyrinths and Crepes~
  • Episode 13 – Lost Princess ~Garnished with Smiles~
• Season Two
  • Episode 14 – A Walk on the Gourmet Side ~Curiosity Is the Best Bouquet Garni~
  • Episode 15 – A Moody Cat’s Hesitation ~Antipasto in the Moonlight~
  • Episode 16 – Tea Party in the Mysterious Forest ~Afternoon Carries the Scent of Danger~
  • Episode 17 – The Budding Detective ~Mirror Glaze on the Mind~
  • Episode 18 – Light and Darkness as One ~Churrasco of Indecision and Resolve~
  • Episode 19 – Code Name: Monika ~Bouillabaisse Is Best Enjoyed Hot~
  • Episode 20 – The Prankster Pixie ~Cuore in the Mist~
  • Episode 21 – A Letter to Join Feelings ~Arancini on the Green Hill~
  • Episode 22 – Converging Hearts, Passing Souls ~Crepes the Flavor of a Promise~
  • Episode 23 – Landosol at Sundown
  • Episode 24 – Those Who Fight Back
  • Episode 25 – Connecting the Pieces with You Once More

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