In the twelfth episode of the first season of Princess Tutu, Kraehe puts her final plan into motion. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Princess Tutu.
Once upon a time, there was a handsome slave. What bound him were not heavy chains, but the love of a princess. Every day, every night, the princess whispered her love to the slave, and the slave responded in kind. Bound body, bound emotions. The slave or the princess? Which of them is really the one who is unable to move?
I AM SO DONE. OH MY GOD.
- NOPE, DONE WITH THIS SHOW JUST FROM THE PROLOGUE ALONE. So who is being controlled? Mytho or Rue? HELP.
- This episode, more than anything else, caused me to desire a Ahiru/Fakir friendship. I can’t even believe this is the case. I DIDN’T LIKE HIM FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THIS SEASON. NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. Y’all, you know how much I love character development. This is destroying me. I am so thoroughly invested in these characters and I haven’t even spent six hours with them. THE WRITING IS SO AMAZING.
- My god, Ahiru is literally a goddamn saint. She walked Fakir home and tucked him into bed. Despite that he has been rude to her more times than I can count, she gives him nothing but kindness. She offers to help him. She is NEVER RUDE OR CURT WITH HIM ONCE. Why is she not canonized by the Church yet? SHE IS THE BEST.
- Nope, not here for that bed of crow feathers that Mytho is on. Y’all, that whole sequence is downright unsettling. Rue, what are you doing? Is this really what you think is best for you? Do you really believe that if Mytho doesn’t love you, he shouldn’t love anyone at all? Are you a fifth grade teacher who punishes the whole class for what one student does? Why are you blaming Tutu for something that is in no way her fault?
- WHAT THE FUCK HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING TO DROSSELMEYER??? Look, I should have known what this episode would be like once that moment happened. How is Rue aware of him? If that’s the case, is she also aware of her role, too?
- That got me thinking about the logistics of the story in Princess Tutu. I don’t want to develop this ridiculous sense of mystery when it comes to Drosselmeyer. Watching LOST live taught me that you cannot assign meaning to everything the writers put on the screen, especially in a serialized narrative. I don’t want to let myself down by assuming that there’s some big “answer” behind how Drosselmeyer operates and what the framing device is for this show. At the same time, Drosselmeyer’s narration is more and more invasive in these last few episodes. He is more prone towards interjecting and interfering. Clearly, he can affect this “story” as it unfolds, and he obviously gains pleasure from plot twists and misery. (I can’t help it, HE IS SERIOUSLY ALL OF YOU, WHAT THE FUCK.) So what’s his deal? Is he controlling everyone? Is this whole entire town his creation? What’s reality, what’s imagination, and what’s a fairy tale? I DON’T FUCKING KNOW!!!
- This show has broken the fourth wall and the fifth wall and my heart and my brain and I having nothing left and I’m not even halfway done with it.
- MY GOD, MYTHO TORE OUT HIS OWN HEART. NO ONE SHATTERED IT FOR HIM. HE DID IT HIMSELF OUT OF A SENSE OF DUTY TO PROTECT THOSE WEAKER THAN HIM. This is so heartbreaking because HELLO THIS IS AHIRU’S STORY AS WELL. Hell, I’d venture that Fakir operates under a similar moral obligation, too. These characters are willing to sacrifice themselves to save others. FUCK, I LOVE CHARACTER PARALLELS SO MUCH.
- I know it’s super dramatic, but I still can’t get over the humor in the fact that Rue looks exactly like Kraehe and Ahiru looks exactly like Tutu. Like, they aren’t even remotely disguised when they are in their princess forms.
- Anyway, the whole Kraehe transformation sequence is important because now, every character generally knows the identities of each other. (Later, Ahiru will reveal her Duck form to Fakir.) All the cards are on the table. It’s a perfect way to lead to the finale of the first half of this show. Which makes me wonder how there are going to be thirteen more episodes after the next one. WHAT.
- Okay, I don’t know if I should freak out about this yet, but… okay, does that mean it’s canon that Rue never existed at all? Was she always a hiding place for Kraehe? I want so desperately to believe that she is like Ahiru, but Kraehe insists that Rue was always a puppet. No, that’s not fair. I want Rue/Ahiru more than anything, even just as friends, so it’s kind of devastating that this was revealed. Oh god, what’s going to happen in the next episode??? Is this seriously true? Can I just irrationally deny it to make myself feel better? Of course I can.
- HOW DID KRAEHE GET THE PRINCE’S SWORD?
- Y’all.
- YOU ALL.
- Edel is an emotionless, heartless puppet that Drosselmeyer is using to make his story have more flair. I can’t. I CANNOT DEAL WITH ALL THE PLOT TWISTS THIS EPISODE IS GIVING ME. Here’s what is so important about this reveal, though: Despite that Edel insists she has done nothing nice and has no emotions or motivations of her own, Ahiru still thanks her. Ahiru still treats her with kindness and respect. Oh my god, Ahiru might be able to change Edel, right? There’s that moment where Edel senses Ahiru’s warmth, but she pulls away before anything else can happen. Damn it, Drosselmeyer, if you fuck with Edel, I will be PISSED.
- Just bless the entire Duck transformation sequence. It’s a sign of how much Ahiru is willing to trust Fakir, even though Fakir resists trusting Ahiru in the process. She is so amazing. I don’t care. I love her. But it’s also a significant scene because Fakir realizes that this girl has seen more of him than any other person. Ahiru saw Fakir in his most vulnerable state, and she still thinks he is worthy of being a knight.
- I have so many feelings about this fucking show now that I’m certain to burst at any moment.
- Just want you all to remember that Fakir literally threw clothes onto Ahiru. That happened, and it is canon, so don’t you forget it.
- Okay, does the final scene imply that Drosselmeyer can control Ahiru’s transformation to Tutu?
- Whatever, let’s just get to it.
- Y’all.
- Kraehe. What are you doing?
- Why are you –
- NO.
- NOPE
- ONE TICKET TO NOPEVILLE ON THE U.S.S. NOPE.
- Kraehe has tricked Tutu. She is going to let Mytho’s heart shard for love choose which princess it wants to go to. The catch? They have to persuade it by professing their love.
- NO. NO. WHAT THE FUCK. Oh my god, how??? How can this end well? Ahiru can’t do this, or she’ll disappear forever. But she also can’t just sit there and let Mytho’s heart get stolen again.
- Fakir, DO SOMETHING!
This show. This show.
Mark Links Stuff
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