Princess Knight, Part One

Originally airing in Japan from 1967-68, this classic anime series set in the mythical kingdom of Silverland focuses on Sapphire, a princess who wound up with two hearts at birth: a boy's blue heart and a girl's pink heart, thus giving her the positive attributes of both genders. This error occurred thanks to a clumsy angel-in-training named Choppy, who is forced to become Sapphire's sidekick after he is unable to rectify the mistake. Although Sapphire is the sole child of the kindly king, Silverland does not allow girls to ascend the throne, so in order to prevent the evil Duke Duralumon from claiming power, Sapphire is presented as a prince. Sapphire and Choppy wind up in a series of strange situations where Sapphire is required to display either Errol Flynn-worthy bravery as a swashbuckling knight or (in a courtship with a prince of a neighboring kingdom) the regal grace of a young princess. Presenting the first 26 episodes in an English-dubbed only set, rated 7-up, this unusual gender-bender adventure is recommended. [Note: Princess Knight, Part Two is also newly available.] (P. Hall)