The Princess Blog

Right after last month's triple whammy , Time Princess released another visual novel called Ancient Dreams. This is the third story to take place in China following Tang Dynasty Hunter and White Snake . The plot of Ancient Dreams is similar to Tang Dynasty Hunter. Both stories are about young ladies who can see spirits that reside within inanimate objects and must help the spirits resolve issues from their pasts through the reincarnations of their previous owners, but I enjoyed Ancient Dreams more. Its three chapters allotted plenty of wiggle room for additional character development and depth. The story takes place in a different era than Tang Dynasty Hunter, which allows for lots of fun new outfits. I didn't notice if the year was stated in the book, but the fashion and technology are reminiscent of the early 20th century, the same era that Taishō Adventures and Gotham Memoirs take place. The protagonist in Ancient Dreams is Gu Yunting, the granddaughter of a renowned res...

I realize I'm a bit behind with this review. After sharing my thoughts on the first Princess Switch  movie in 2018, I didn't find it necessary to review every pointless sequel  that came after it. This one qualifies as another Netflix surprise  for me because  The Princess Switch 3  wasn't nearly as terrible as I was expecting it to be, even after watching a hilarious review of it on YouTube . While it is not a classic by any means, it does get some props for originality by diverting from the standard script of two girls who look alike living out a day in each other's lives. The "switch" part doesn't even happen until the third act. Even then, it isn't about these characters getting to know each other better by walking in their shoes since that was already covered in the first film. Instead, it's a weird espionage thriller with a surprisingly heartfelt ending. If you missed the second movie (in which case I don't blame you), there are now thre...

Aside from Maya and the Three , I've recently discovered some unexpected princess stories and announcements from Netflix. One came in the form of a show I didn't expect to like, and another in the form of a cheeseball movie with a plot that I've seen a million times before. There was also an unexpected announcement about a new season of a show I had all but forgotten about due to its lack of compelling continuity. All in all, Netflix is doing a lot better in terms of content right now than Disney+ , which brought very little else to the table outside of WandaVision . Keep those recommendations coming, though! Maybe there's something else I've missed. From an outsider's perspective, Centaurworld does not look like the type of show that would have a strong plot. It's zany, nonsensical, and occasionally breaks the fourth wall. However, when it wants to be serious, it can so serious that you might even end up questioning the show's target audience. The hear...

Fae Away  and Fae Fractured  make up the first Fae Bloodlines duology by Rose Garcia . The title of the first book may sound like some sort of weird supernatural insect repellent, but the story is much better than its namesake. I was drawn to this series by the description of a fae princess who falls in love with a boy from the human world. It sounded like a fairy version of  "The Little Mermaid."  While it does read a little like that, Fae Away  is very much its own story with lots of worldbuilding and character development. The book is told from the perspective of both lovers, so it provides lots of insight into the human and fae worlds. I wasn't able to get quite as into the sequel, Fae Fractured . Like most epic fantasy conclusions, it focused more on war and death than further developing the protagonists' love story, but it does provide a satisfying conclusion to the two-book series. Princess Celyse grew up feeling like she never fit in among the fae ...

Many movies have struggled with delays due to the ongoing pandemic , but none have had quite as harrowing of a release schedule as The King's Daughter . Completed in 2014, the movie was initially named The Moon and the Sun  after the 1997 novel it was based on by Vonda N. McIntyre. It was set for a 2015 release that got canceled by Paramount  at the last minute due to issues with the special effects, most likely the underwater scenes with the mermaid in particular. In 2020, the title was changed to The King's Daughter  with the incomparable Julie Andrews brought on as a narrator, but there was still no release date in sight. The long wait finally ended this weekend, and I am pleased to say that The King's Daughter is a film well worth waiting for. It is one of the best mermaid movies  I have ever seen, and I love that it takes the story in its own direction that veers away from the tired  "Little Mermaid" reimaginings that feature a mermaid falling in love ...

Belle  is the first movie I had the pleasure of seeing in theaters since the lockdown, and it was absolutely worth it! This is an anime film that I watched in the original Japanese with English subtitles, so I can't comment on the dub, but the Japanese voices were great. Though it is not exactly a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast,"  there are many references to the animated Disney version in particular, including several shots that looked like they were copied directly from the film. The story is still unique in its own way, however. It feels fresh and modern without forcing strong feminist stereotypes onto its audience. The animation is visually stunning and is accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack. The story incorporates modern technology  in a way that doesn't demean it and shows how we can take advantage of the digital era to turn our own lives into a fairy tale. Like many Magical Girl anime stories, Belle  focuses on an ordinary schoolgirl named Suzu who ge...

The Sacred Beast was the third and final story released in the massive update from Time Princess a little over a month ago. Set in Persia, this is the second middle eastern visual novel in the game since Magic Lamp . It focuses on the mythology of the manticore, the legendary beast with the body of a lion and a scorpion tail. I found this story charming and different from the other visual novels in this game so far. Instead of focusing on romance or history, it follows the formula of movies like Lassie , emphasizing the love between a human and her loyal pet. The cultural fashions in this book were stunning. I found that I liked them much better than the craftable items in Magic Lamp. There were also many different directions that the player could take, resulting in a variety of endings, unlike Cleopatra , which was deceptively linear. The Sacred Beast is about a young lady named Asha, who works hard to care for her sick brother. When she learns of a valuable mushroom that could treat...

When I first saw the trailer for Netflix's Maya and the Three , it looked like the most generic modern princess show I'd ever seen. Now that I've actually watched it... I feel pretty much the same. Though not produced by Disney, this show takes all the modern-age princess tropes  that Disney developed over the past decade leading up to Raya and the Last Dragon  and drags them out over the course of ten episodes. If you want to see what the media is currently pandering to the next generation, you need look no further than Netflix, the wokest streaming network around. Maya and the Three is produced by the same people who worked on the 2014 animated film The Book of Life  and shares many of the aspects that made it both memorable and not so memorable. Like The Book of Life , Maya has a unique and creative art style inspired by Aztec, Mayan, Caribbean, and Incan influences , making it a visual feast for the eyes. Yet, its story leaves much to be desired, and its modern influe...

Cleopatra is a visual novel that a lot of people were hoping for from the Time Princess  app. It's the third story about historical royalty following Queen Marie and Princess Sissi , but the fashions are unlike anything in the game so far. This latest Time Princess adventure transports us to the indulgent world of ancient Egypt, where pharaohs bathe themselves in gold and jewels that dangle shamelessly from their embroidered robes. The story itself is not a friendly one. Like all royal struggles, Cleopatra's history is fraught with warfare, betrayal, and murder. I knew who she was but had very little knowledge about her history before reading this story. Not only did I learn a lot, but I was also able to indulge in some gorgeous exotic fashions. Cleopatra's tale begins with a massive betrayal from her brother, Ptolemy. In a surprisingly gender-equal monarchy, Cleopatra was supposed to rule peacefully at Ptolemy's side as co-rulers. However, Ptolemy was greedy and wante...