Fena: Pirate Princess Review - A Fascinating Blend of Action and Comedy

Crunchyroll/Adult Swim's original anime series, Fena: Pirate Princess is perhaps one of the season's most anticipated new anime. And from the trailers, it's no surprise, which are filled with absolutely gorgeous animation. In fact, the character designs, animation style and plot are highly reminiscent of anime from the '90s to early '00s, hitting all the right nostalgic notes for fans of that era. The series has been noted to have both shojo and shonen elements, thanks to director Kazuto Nakazawa, and the first two episodes hit those exact notes.

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Set in 18th century Europe, Fena: Pirate Princess follows a girl named Fena Houtman who survived a ship takeover that killed her father. 10 years later, she's trying to escape from the very island that she washed up on and carve out a new identity for herself. Her father's last words, telling her to go to Eden, are the only thing she remembers. Along with the seven pirate-samurai who are tasked to protect her, Fena sets out on a quest to fulfill her father's final wishes.

The first episode's attempt at balancing seriousness with comedy is a bit hit or miss. A few lecherous men talk about Fena's appearance as the White Marginal (since she has pure white hair) but the situation gets glossed over when it transitions to Fena's comic reaction, stubbornly refusing to get auctioned off to a guy. For a story that is supposed to be about an oppressive British Empire (as promised by the synopsis), the world isn't really introduced as such. Fena then gets whisked off onto another island so quickly that the island she lived on for much of her life isn't explored enough. There are a few glimpses of some possible villains but they're all too fleeting.

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Despite how dangerous her situation is implied to be, Fena soon takes on a light-hearted tone from there, starting with her escape plans -- which look like they've been drawn by a child -- to her eventual escape, during which she and her allies are constantly led astray by their lack of sense of direction and poor map-reading. When done right, the comedic moments truly hit the spot. When Yukimaru reunites with Fena after 10 years, for instance, the first thing he does is knock her out with a stick because he gets so annoyed by her chattering, promising to be a running gag throughout the series.

Fena also does a great job of introducing its cast of characters, giving enough information for the audience to get a sense of their personalities in the first two episodes alone, especially the pirate samurai crew. And although we don't quite see Fena rise to her potential as a pirate princess, she does prove that she isn't your generic princess. Her resolve, tenacity and spunk are what make her a memorable protagonist.

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On the flip side, Yukimaru's characterization verges on the stereotypical as the tall and brooding love interest. But what does makes him stand out are his interactions with Fena. Although we don't get too much in the way of romance (yet), their dynamic is the only showcasing of Yukimaru's more childish side, something we don't see with others.

One of the highlights from Fena is the opening song, "Uni to Shinju," by JUNNA, produced by acclaimed composer Yuki Kajiura, and the ending song, "Saihate," sung by Minori Suzuki. In particular, the OP evokes the same level of anticipation and excitement that the OP "Gurenge" did for Demon Slayer.

Although the first two episodes are merely introductory in nature, they do a remarkable job in setting up the series to live up to its hype. With its unique blend of action-adventure, comedy and romance, Fena: Pirate Princess should appeal to a broad audience base.

Fena: Pirate Princess premieres August 14 on Crunchyroll and Adult Swim.

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