Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo – First Impressions

Henrietta? Check. Siesta? Check.Good to go.

To say my expectations are drastically lowered compared to last summer (which were already somewhat low) would be an understatement. It actually slipped my mind that Princess no Rondo was airing this season. With Futatsuki no Kishi’s disappointing downward skid and choppy feel, I had little enthusiasm when this season was first announced. But alas, it’s summer time and Zero and Saito are back.

Similar to Futatsuki no Kishi, I do commend Princess no Rondo for starting up and getting right to the point. Season 1 started off slow and took its merry time getting to the point, and although it ended well, the dragging start was a big minus for me. Conversely, Futatsuki no Kishi started out strong, but began falling on its face halfway through (the anticlimactic ending was the summation; the fall started well before). It’s still way too early to say which way Princess no Rondo will go, but I am glad J.C. Staff jumped into the story right where we left off last summer. Also, the “bad guys” are a bit more concrete instead of basically fighting off all of Albion and being focused on the war. Things can stick to good guy vs. bad guy and the Louse-Saito relationship. And hopefully with less new characters getting introduced the plot stays more focused and less jumpy.

With the characters, we know what we’re going to get from them at this point. Thankfully, both Louise and Saito have maintained their charm from season 2. Both of them became a whole lot more likable during Futatsuki no Kishi, with Louise becoming less bitchy and more accepting of her feelings, and with Saito becoming more of a badass. Hopefully the two of them and their relationship continue to develop and evolve. If there is one thing I have to give the Zero no Tsukaima franchise a lot of credit for it would be the way Louise and Saito have grown into an intriguing pair since the first season back in 2006.

Again, I have a very low expectation level with Princess no Rondo, and so long as it doesn’t fall on its face like season 2 did I’ll be content. Hopefully this plays out well. It has Noto Mamiko as Tiffania, so that’s already a plus.