REVIEW: ‘I Want To Escape From Princess Lessons’ Episode 1

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons Episode 1, produced by EMT Squared, introduces Leticia (Haruka Shiraishi, Blue Box), a young noble girl taken from her family’s home in the country to the Royal Castle. She has been betrothed to the prince and must learn how to become a proper lady, whether she wants to or not.

The opening chapter of this series devotes itself to Leticia’s struggles as she is taken from her home and forced to endure the unending criticism of tutors as she prepares for her preordained fate. From walking properly to maintaining exact levels of decorum while eating, every element of Leticia’s personality is filed down till she is just like everyone else.

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons Episode 1 manages to deliver the painful loss of childhood Leticia undergoes with significant effect. When we see her at her family home, we watch her roll in the grass with her dog, laughing as she watches the clouds float by. As the series takes its lead from childhood to teenage years, throughout the episode, the light that once shone from the girl dims and eventually extinguishes altogether. This creates genuine sympathy for Leticia.

Leticia is an empathetic protagonist despite an inconsistent narrative. 

While the episode wears Leticia down, the series is careful not to take her lessons too far. There are no moments where she’s hurt or publicly humiliated for her failings. Instead, she must deal with a daily routine that stifles who she wants to be. This is important as it allows side characters, like her older brother, who acts as a caretaker for her, not to seem monstrous. It’s not great that he’s ignored her pleas to let her break off her betrothal, but the level of severity her lessons take on makes him feel cold but not villainous.

The only drawback to this well-executed exploration of Leticia’s education is how much of the episode it takes. It’s not until the last few minutes of the story that the narrative moves beyond this focus. This is a problem due to how the episode ends.

Now fully trained in edict, Lecitia attends a ball acting and moving exactly as she has been instructed all her life. But when she arrives at the grand hall, she finds her betrothed, Prince Clarke (Jun Fukuyama, Suicide Squad Isekai) with another woman on his arm. Learning that he now wishes to be with her, the betrothal is called off, and we instantly see the joy of the child Leticia return as she exuberantly flees from the party, ready to return to a more carefree life.

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons Episode 1 fails to stick the landing. 

While this moment of joyous liberation ends I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons Episode 1 on an uplifting note, it leaves an important question unanswered: What is this show actually about? With Leticia leaving for a quiet life in the country, the rhythm or purpose of the narrative is left unclear. Even the personality of its lead is left almost unknown by the time the credits roll. The most important job of a first episode is to leave a strong hook to encourage further viewing. This task utterly fails as no clear path ahead is even hinted at.

The animation throughout this episode delivers competent visuals overall. Leticia’s struggles during her training are given a level of weight that feels in tune with what the narrative is trying to craft. It’s not until her discovery at the end of the episode that the animation pops more as it brings the girl’s jubilation to life with gusto.

The only thing holding the visual presentation back significantly is its character design. Nothing in this world feels memorable or noteworthy. While the lords and ladies at the ball all look appropriately decked out, no jewelry or suit design ever feels unique. If you’ve seen a depiction of European aristocracy splashing their cash before, nothing here will look new.

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons Episode 1 both succeeds and fails. While it delivers a strong stand-alone story that makes the protagonist empathetic, it fails to give a compelling reason to stick around to see what happens next for her.

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons Episode 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.