Murder Princess was originally a manga, and only a few years after the manga started did the OVA version of Murder Princess air. The show begins with Dr. Akamashi, a former employee of the Forland kingdom, trying to strike back against eir former employers. The royal family splits up after the king, dying, sends eir daughter (Alita) off to attempt to find an emissary. Running into the most well-known bounty hunter in the land, Falis, something odd takes place – the two switch bodies. With this taking place, Alita promise Falis eir body and soul in exchange for helping eir take back the kingdom.
Viewers of the anime will encounter a number of different characters through the series’ 6 episode run. Where it looks as if Alita and Falis will easily be able to take back the throne, the entrance of Alita’s brother – Kaito – puts a kink into that plan. Kaito, not Dr. Akamashi, turns out to be the ultimate evil the world, going so far as to wish for the destruction of the world. Whether this ending happens – or if Alita and Falis are able to stop eir – is something that viewers will have to pay to see.
There are some bonus features that will ensure a longer shelf life for the Murder Princess collection over bare-bones editions of anime. This means that there are commentaries on the episodes, along with trailers for the episodes. However, the ability to isolate and listen to song of the songs has to be to me one of the more interesting inclusions on this release. For those parents that may be purchasing this title for children, keep an eye while the show plays – there is a TV 14 warning present for Murder Princess. Kudos to Funimation for coming forth and continually picking up other anime shows that may otherwise be lost for decades. If you like action-oriented anime that benefits from an artistic vision that deftly blends new and old trends in the art form, buy Murder Princess as soon as possible.
Rating: 9.1/10
Murder Princess: The Complete Series (DVD) / 2009 Funimation / 150 Minutes / 6 Episodes / http://www.funimation.com/murderprincess