In the fifth episode of the first session of Princess Tutu, Ahiru puts aside her own feelings for Mytho in order to give him and Rue some happiness.
Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a happy prince. He recalled no painful past, and knew no painful future. One day, the prince obtained a comforting warmth. The source of this warmth, however, emanated not only tranquility, but also unhappiness, pain, and loneliness.
I’m beginning to appreciate what an incredible heroine Ahiru is because of how she treats the people around her. She’s well-meaning, full of good intentions, and quick to help out those around her, and this is not presented as a flaw. She’s certainly lacking in the self-esteem department, but I truly believe this series will end with her realizing (and accepting!) that’s she just as much Duck as she is Princess Tutu. These disparate parts of her at war. Even as Ahiru, you can see the same certainty we see in Princess Tutu. Does Ahiru ever doubt the need for her to help Mytho? No, not at all, and we see again how she does this while also helping out Rue. I guess I’m so used to growing up with shows and books that pit women against each other over a man that I’m genuinely shocked that Princess Tutu refuses to do this. It’s refreshing. While Ahiru is certainly jealous of what Rue has with Mytho, she never treats Rue poorly. Hell, Ahiru practically worships Rue, even when Rue is curt or rude to her.
She’s not a particularly rebellious or cruel girl. She doesn’t ever fight Mr. Cat whenever she gets in trouble. That happens a lot, but it’s a sign of how creative and imaginative she is as a person. She’s often daydreaming, and realizing she’s part of a complex and ever-evolving fairy tale doesn’t help that. Yet when she’s caught, she doesn’t put up a fight. She wants to please the people around her, and it’s why she’s so well-suited as a character for this show. Sure, she’s overjoyed to dance with Mytho (and I’ll get to him in a second), but when he’s forbidden from attending the Fire Festival, Ahiru does everything in her power to ensure that Rue and Mytho get a chance to go. Not herself and Mytho, but a different girl who isn’t even that friendly with Ahiru to begin with. My god, Ahiru is AMAZING.
I’m also impressed with how well this show is able to convey Mytho’s subtle growth as a person now that he’s getting his heart shards back. When I started watching this show, I thought that perhaps Mytho was supposed to be the aloof object of Ahiru’s desire, but now we’re seeing the way he’s slowly becoming human again. My god, WE HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM SMILE. This episode features the very first time he has kindness in his eyes. Like, THAT IS A BIG FUCKING DEAL. Not only that, but we get these glimpses of something more. I’ve never seen a character like him, and it makes me happy that the two main characters of this show are so fascinating. As yet, Mytho has only gotten negative emotions back, but I wonder what’s going to happen once he starts getting positive heart shards. Wait, are those even possible? Oh god, I don’t even know. That’s genuinely exciting!
So, it’s outright confirmed here that Fakir knows exactly who Mytho is. In fact, he’s the person who gave Mytho his name after discovering him without a heart and without motions. I still stand by my theory that he’s a guardian of sorts, but I think this episode presents a subtle twist to that. I think Fakir might genuinely care about Mytho. His protective nature might come from the fact that he believes he saved Mytho from darkness and misery. Well, I suppose this is a rather twisted way of showing you care for someone, and Ahiru rightfully dissects why it’s awful to prevent Mytho from hurting in this specific way. Without his heart and his emotions, Mytho also misses out on all the truly uplifting and incredible experiences of life. What Fakir has enabled has left Mytho an empty shell. This is yet another reason why I love Ahiru. Even at such a young age, she knows that misery and happiness sometimes come hand in hand. Bless her.
The whole sequence beneath the library is awesome, and I was once again totally blown away by how Princess Tutu convinced the Lamp Spirit to give up the shard of loneliness. Ugh, this show, y’all! It balances this wonderful line between being silly and humorous, and then switches to these heartbreaking moments of TRUTH. How? How does it do this?
Rue still intrigues me. She knows what Mytho really is, and she’s obviously upset by the kindness she sees in him at the Fire Festival, but how does she know who he is? What role does she play in this? Oh god, I’m a bit nervous to find out, y’all.
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