Pretear [Dusty Shelf Anime Review]

 

It's time again for another Dusty Shelf Review. I have lots of unwatched movies and anime littering my shelves. They will all eventually get watched, and then reviewed. This installment is an anime from 2001 / 2005 (Japan / USA) called Pretear.

Something of a semi-reverse harem thing going on.

This is essentially a part fantasy, part reverse harem, magical girl anime. It feels really dated now.

3 out of 5 stars.

I mean there is nothing particularly bad about the series, but there is nothing particularly great either. The story is a rather simple 'magic girl saves the world' kinda story, with some added emotional twists.

There is just not a whole ton to say about the series. It was easy to watch, no real problems. The subtitles were not irritating, the audio was fine, the images obviously late 90s to early 2000s animation. So I guess that I should give a quick plot synopsis.

Himeno Awayuki feels out of place in her own family, school, and town. Her father recently remarried a wealthy widow who already had two daughters of her own (not quite the Brady Bunch, but a bad approximation). Her step mother took her father's family name and since her name had been on so many things in town, the Awayuki name is now everywhere. Her elder step-sister constantly harasses her with mean spirited pranks, and the younger step sister is the epitome of an introvert. People talk about her behind her back at school because they think her father is a gold-digger.

All of this is before the Princess of Disaster escapes her prison in Leafeania spreading seeds of demon larva over the earth. The Leafe Knights, led by Hayate, arrive to battle the Princess. However they are not strong enough and need the help of a Pretear.

Now it just so happens that Himeno is the Pretear... not exactly the normal life she desired. 

If that sounds interesting to you, check it out. If not, then avoid it. It's passable, but not a must see. There are some comedic elements, some fantasy, some family values issues... 

Mawata is probably my favorite character.