# Princess Tutu (2002)

> A duck transformed into a ballet-school girl becomes Princess Tutu to save a boy's shattered heart from a writer's tragic story.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/31416

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 38
- Episode runtime: 17 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, fantasy, drama
- Network: Kids Station
- Cast: Nanae Kato, Takahiro Sakurai, Naoki Yanagi, Nana Mizuki, Akiko Hiramatsu, Erino Hazuki, Kyôko Kishida, Noboru Mitani
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444745/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: whimsical, melancholic, romantic, dreamy

## What critics say

Critics broadly admire Princess Tutu for its inventive fusion of ballet, fairy tale and magical girl conventions, and for its melancholic emotional depth.

## Synopsis

Princess Tutu is a Japanese animated fantasy series that reimagines Swan Lake as a magical girl anime. Duck, a duck transformed into a young girl who attends a private ballet school, becomes infatuated with her mysterious schoolmate Mytho and transforms into Princess Tutu to mend his shattered heart. Her rival is Rue, who becomes Princess Kraehe to frustrate her efforts, while Mytho's protective friend Fakir discourages the emotions growing in him. The engine of the series is a fight against a scripted fate: the four characters discover they are figures in a story written by a long-dead author named Drosselmeyer, and they resist the roles assigned to them. Across one season, each installment mixes school life, ballet rehearsals, and transformation battles with a steadily deepening mythology. The tone is whimsical yet melancholic, with fairy tale romance, lush ballet imagery, and quiet longing. Fans of Revolutionary Girl Utena and Sailor Moon will find resonance in its blend of magical girl spectacle and fairy tale symbolism, and its emotional stakes sit comfortably beside The Red Shoes for viewers drawn to dance and tragedy.

## Shows like Princess Tutu

- [Air (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/24132)
- [Alfred J. Kwak (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/1780)
- [Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/979)
- [Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/5123)
- [Ojamajo Doremi (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/18783)
- [Fruits Basket (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/73033)
- [Sailor Moon Crystal (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54696)
- [Wonder Egg Priority (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/92796)
- [Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36039)
- [The Vision of Escaflowne (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/8133)

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