Princess Principal: Complete Collection

Set in an alternate version of Victorian England called Albion, this original anime series serves up an espionage tale that features an ensemble of strong young female characters. Albion is the world’s preeminent nation due to its fleet of huge airships powered by a substance called "Cavorite," but socioeconomic inequality has led to its being divided into two realms—the autocratic Kingdom and the Commonwealth—that are separated by a wall running through London. The Commonwealth plans to take over the Kingdom by inserting a team of girls—Ange, Dorothy, Beatrice, and Chise—into the Queen’s Mayfair School with the goal of replacing Princess Charlotte (who is in the line of royal succession) with Ange, who bears a strong resemblance to the princess. But Charlotte upends the plan by offering to become part of the team if they will help her ascend to the throne. Princess Principal is oddly structured—some episodes cover individual assignments, such as dealing with a double agent, absconding with official documents, undertaking diplomatic negotiations, or even tracking down a serial killer, but others travel back in time to illustrate the backgrounds of team members. The result is a back-and-forth rhythm that can be irritating. Overall, however, this is a visually striking anime with an interesting setting and engaging characters. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2017 in a dual-language Blu-ray edition, rated TV-14, extras include Japanese promos and "picture dramas" (a succession of stills with plotlines). Recommended. (F. Swietek)