Anime Review: Princess Connect! Re:Dive Episode 1

Princess Connect! Re:Dive

CygamesPictures

Fantasy

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Princess Connect! Re:Dive is one of my favorite mobile gacha games. Despite my limited Japanese, I still log in every day to play, collecting fun characters and experimenting with the simple but complex battle system. Now the game is getting a proper anime adaptation produced by CygamesPictures. So how is it?

Princess Connect! Re:Dive follows a bland protagonist that falls from the sky into a fantasy world. The silent and blank hero meets tons of girls and goes on fun adventures. Unsurprisingly, the protagonist is amnesiac, but not just in the “I don’t remember my name way.” The dude doesn’t know how to fight, speak in complete sentences, or even the purpose of money.

The plot is off to a rather generic start, but there is plenty of room for things to open up, especially since all of the other characters are so enjoyable. The story isn’t great yet, but the comedy is funny, with quite a few jokes landing successfully. The pacing in this episode is a bit shaky, and there isn’t a lot in this episode to pull in viewers as far as storytelling goes. While the story will certainly improve over time, this isn’t a strong start. I will say that the second half of the episode is significantly better than the first, so viewers should at least commit to the entire episode if they are interested in trying this one.

The characters in Princess Connect all have fantastic designs, complementing the beautiful world that they live in. This is a beautiful anime, with some of the best art and animation you will see this season. The forests, towns, and skies are all well-drawn and full of color. The big action scene in this episode is full of spectacle and looks fantastic. The budget in this episode is ridiculous, and it would be nice to see this quality animation continue in future episodes.

The music has typical fantasy tunes to fill out the episode. The towns are made relaxing thanks to the OST, while the action scenes feature epic scores full of strings and horns. Most of the music is pulled straight from the video game, so fans will enjoy hearing their favorite songs again. The voices are also pulled from the game, which makes the characters even more recognizable for fans.

While its not perfect, Princess Connect! Re:Dive‘s first episode is full of fan-service for those who love the mobile game. The weak protagonist and rough pacing hold this one back from being a must-see fantasy adventure. Still, there is plenty of potential in this series, so this one is worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre. If you are a fan of the game this is definitely worth watching. At least come and take a look at all of the cute characters.