Time Princess has really done it this time. What have they done? They've created a pirate story that I actually enjoyed. In fact, but it just might be one of the best visual novels in the entire game! The Perfect Storm is similar in plot to Hela's Compass as both are about a young woman who journeys to sea to find a supernatural artifact that is tied to a deceased relative, but The Perfect Storm blew it out of the water literally and figuratively with its worldbuilding, story, characters, and music. Pirates are often presented as the male-oriented alternative to princesses, and while both are occasionally paired together, the genres are rarely combined. One exception is ab obscure Broadway musical called The Pirate Queen that tells the story of a real-life female pirate named Grace O'Malley, but I liked this one better. The Perfect Storm is a pure fantasy that is unapologetically female and removes the less desirable aspects of pirating like the drinking, womanizing, and bloodlust, replacing them with more princess-oriented traits like romance, sisterhood, and honor. The recent anime Fena: Pirate Princess tried to do something similar, but it failed to pull me in the way this story did.
Like many princess stories, The Perfect Storm begins with the main character in an unwanted arranged marriage. This time, our heroine does something unexpected. She steals her dowry money and uses it to become captain of a ship, builds up a crew, and chases after a lost artifact that her grandmother once sought. In a way, this visual novel is similar to Moana since both stories involve the heroine chasing after a mystery at sea that was left behind when their beloved grandmothers passed away. What impressed me the most is that Cordelia does not become an infamous captain by pillaging towns and attacking innocent people, but instead by having a crew that is so devoted to her, they would be willing to lay down their own lives for her in an instant. There is a lot of dialogue about how pirates are not really as fearsome and violent as their reputations claim and that they get what they seek through theatrics and exaggeration. While this may not be entirely true to history, it makes the genre more welcoming to someone who dislikes violence. The bond that Cordelia shares with her crew really hits home, making this a heartfelt tale of a family of misfits at sea instead of one about a daring band of ne'er-do-wells wreaking havoc on every land they encounter.
The Perfect Storm has some of the best companions in Time Princess thus far. Each one has their own unique appeal along with a fully fleshed out backstory. Eric Keats is the first crew member that Cordelia recruits and serves as the ship's navigator. He is a gentle intellectual and the last person you would expect to see on a pirate ship. His devotion to Cordelia is just as heartwarming as his devotion to science. Mary Read is Cordelia's first mate and secret weapon. She has all the experience Cordelia lacks and all the leadership skills necessarily to keep the crew in line. While there have historically been female pirate captains, it seems particularly unusual for both the captain and first mate to be female. This gives the story a strong sense of sisterhood and female empowerment. Don't expect Mary to just be another "strong female character," though. There is more to her than first meets the eye. The final love interest, Charles Vane, is a fearsome pirate captain with a dangerous reputation and an irresistible charm that Cordelia is drawn toward. He is the token "bad boy" love interest who turns out not nearly as dangerous as his reputation lets on.
Along with beautiful artwork and a gorgeous lyrical sea shanty that plays on the menu screens, The Perfect Storm does not skimp on its nautical fashions. Not only does it have plenty of stylized outfits suitable for a noble pirate queen, but it also includes some lovely ocean-inspired ballgowns. This story has more unique looks available just through playing the book alone than many of the other recent visual novels in this game. Cordelia's seafoam blue wedding dress is suitable for a mermaid princess, and she has no less than three unique pirate looks to choose from. I particularly loved some of her more fantastical outfits like the blue and white constellation-inspired dress complete with a levitating golden compass and the lavender ballgown that perfectly combines pirate fashion with aristocratic noble eveningwear. I also loved how Cordelia's parrot, Nameless, was included as an accessory with one of the outfits.
If you are looking for a daring adventure at sea without all the plundering and pillaging that historical pirates were prone to, The Perfect Storm is the perfect visual novel for you. As a bonus, it even includes a mermaid, which is something I had been waiting for from this game for a long time. This is less of a story about rebellion and more of a passionate adventure about love of the sea, family, sisterhood, and romance. I can tell that the writers really enjoyed working on this one and that it wasn't just another quota to fill, despite how quickly this game keeps pushing out new visual novels. This might just be the best one they've come out with so far, and I am eager to see what they plan to do next. What did you think? Is this a new favorite for you as well? Let me know in the comments!
Comments
This Time princess story reminds me a bit of the semi-historical semi-legendary princess Alvilda of Gotland (Scandinavia) in the Vth century.
Prince Alf of Denmark won her hands after killing two deadly snakes that guarded her room; but Alvilda ran away from her arranged marriage. She became a pirate captain and her crew was exclusively consisted of women. Alf ran after her, and after a while managed, wit his men, to vanquish Alvilda's crew. And then, well, she accepted to marry him, because she was impressed by his courage...I don't know if you can call it a happy end, but maybe it was if Alvilda was in love with carnage, and not the kind of princess you seduce with poetry and candlelit dinners.