This week’s contest on the CineTV.blog is favorite Anime movie or series. For more information check out the post at - @cinetv/cinetv-contest-75-favorite-anime-movie-or-television-show
There are so many different series and movies to choose from, and there are several I thought about that would be good choices for a variety of reasons, however I decided to feature a movie that I watched a few years ago and so my Bonnie Bride decided to join me in watching it - The Princess and the Pilot (2011).
The Princess and the Pilot title - IMDB
This is a story that takes place during a long running war between two rival nations, and concerns a young princess named Jauna and her betrothal to Crown Prince Carlo, a young mercenary pilot named Charles who is tasked to fly Princess Jauna to the Capital some 12,000 kilometers away. It is a dangerous mission with great risk as Charles and Jauna will be traveling alone in a lightly armed seaplane. The mission is made even more dangerous as the route Charles planned to follow had been leaked to the enemy, and so they are stalked by the enemy the entire time, and attacked several times. There are a few additional plot twists, and Charles is heavily discriminated against by those so-called “socially superior” superior types as he had grown up on the proverbial “wrong side of the tracks”. There are those who also like and respect Charles, and his ability as a pilot.
Princess Juana - IMDB
There are a lot of reasons I like this film, and my Bonnie Bride agreed with me on many points: the artwork in the film is great, with a lot of attention to detail in many scenes. Some of the characters who are jerks are readily identifiable through the way they are presented, especially their facial expressions in showing their disdain for Charles. The art extends beyond the characters to include the various aircraft depicted in the film, form the reconnaissance aircraft used in the the secret mission and the fighters used to attempt to shoot it down, to the aerial cruisers with big, naval guns mounted on turrets and launching missiles. Conceptually interesting and delightfully rendered.
Aerial Battle - IMDB
The animation is also very good, with some scenes having subtle touches, from the propellers on the aircraft spinning to the rise and fall of the ocean tide. Between the art and the animation, you have a visually beautiful film to watch.
Aerial Cruiser - IMDB
The story, based on the Manga of the same title, is described as a “light novel”, is interesting, although not full of surprises, and we get a few flashback memories of the two central characters to fill in some of their history, as well as the hardships Charles suffered as a child, and the compassion for others that Juana displays throughout the film. Some of their background may be predictable, the revelations of their backstory is handled well as we see these glimpses into their past, and how their past intertwined.
While Juana is full of compassion for others, she is also quite intelligent, and has skills that would be unexpected for someone who lived a rather sheltered life. Meanwhile, Charles shows himself to be a man of honor and integrity, despite the discrimination he faces from others, and enjoys some good friendships amongst some of his fellow aviators. His loyalty to Juana and the mission he has taken on is part of what defines his character as being a better man than those who have treated him poorly.
Overall, it is a good film that we both enjoyed and I can recommend it to others as well. Especially those who enjoy Anime. The version we watched was subtitled in English, with audio in the original Japanese. I don’t know if there is an English dub available.
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