The Princess Principal Situation

I just finished watching Crown Handler Chapter 4 and I feel rather dismayed upon the realization that this story (4/6 movies so far) that I've been following since I was 24 probably won't even reach it's conclusion until I'm nearing my 40's.

I can't help but wonder if we would have reached the end by now if the production instead chose to release more 1-cour seasons/sequels rather than going with the hour long specials/OVAs.

In the past 8 years we've barely covered a full cour of story content. I realize there have been obstacles such as lockdowns and the tragic loss of the Producer Shunpei Maruyama that caused delays in the production process.

\-but I'm not seeing the logic or benefit of putting out 1 mini-arc (Roughly translated to 3 episodes of anime) every 2-3 years that's not even feature length or showing any signs of having a higher movie budget to justify the format.

I would honestly prefer it if they did legitimate feature films, it would make the waits more worthwhile , because what we have now feels like a weird compromise between a movie and a televised cour of anime...

In hindsight maybe they bit off more than they could chew announcing 6 movies right off the bat. This all feels like it was a bit too ambitious and too wide in scope to be accomplished in they way the creators hoped it would.

We don't even have an idea of when Chapter 5 will be releasing, 2027? 2028? It's getting harder and harder to stay invested and keep refreshing my memory on all the plot details between these insane gaps.

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Commentaires

JOOOQUUU2026-01-31 22:14

Didn't this movie bomb also?

Bonvantius2026-01-31 22:15

I can't say for sure, but I feel like it's losing relevancy the longer it drags out. I never hear anyone talk about Princess Principal anymore...

Bonvantius2026-01-31 22:20

Hot take: This should have been a 3 season anime.

It may have even found greater success and popularity this way...

Nachtwandler_FS2026-02-01 02:57

The studio could not handle better schedule probably. They are notorious for barely being on schedule (even GuP had a few episodes delayed during its airing) and they are already busy with GuP movies and occasuonal other series. TV of Princess Principal was made with another studio, but it dropped out for a sequel (and is now part of A1 Pictures). So I am just glad we are getting a sequel in some form at all.

Railgun_8S2026-01-31 22:26

Ey in 4 Years (First Movie came in 2021) we got 4 Movies. That is still better than the 4 Movies in 8 Years (so far) we got from Girls & Panzer (which will also be 6 Movies).

Bonvantius2026-01-31 22:37

Oh man, don't get me started on GuP...

PsychoGeek2026-01-31 22:38

Yeah, they wanted to go the same route as Girls und Panzer, but that show is the one of the biggest anime originals of the past decade-and-a-half and could maintain its core fanbase while PriPri was never more than a modest hit and petered out.

SouekiSennoSTM2026-01-31 22:47

It hasn't been as long for me, because although I knew about the series' existence a few years before, it was just sitting on my planned to be watch list for years like hundreds of other titles and I didn't actually get around to watching it until 2023. So that might have (probably was) already after the initial wave of whatever public "hype" existed generated by its original release back in 2017.

I found it really fun and underrated, under-discussed, unique, etc. And something that pandered perfectly to those of us who like alternative history fiction and series which mishmash genres like Action and Sci-Fi with CGDCT. It had some beautiful direction and music/OST as well and the first episode to me became one of the best first episodes I've seen of any series before or since.

There were some minor issues that I had with it, the same as virtually any series, like the achronological case and episode ordering seeming unwarranted and the fact that I wished it had went on far longer, but nothing too serious.

As far as why a second season was never created and they instead opted to tell what I imagine is the same story which would have been told in a theoretical second season in a film series spaced out across years, the implication from everything I read pertaining to it made it seem like the creators weren't given much choice and that was the only option extended to them, no? So it was presented like a "Take it or leave it" scenario.

n080dy1232026-01-31 23:48

Yeah it really sucks. I fell in love when it first aired, but now I end up checking for a new entry like every half a year or so, periodically see a new one came out months ago, then have to skip through the last real quick because I don't remember jack shit about what was happening. A narrative of this type suffers a LOT from such long gaps even if you are invested in it.

midnightbiped2026-02-01 01:07

Yeah, I really enjoyed the original series when it first came out. I loved the setting, the character design and the way it was told. But I need to pay attention to keep up (which I like! I like shows that need a bit of effort) and it's hard to do that on like the third rewatch which I need to do because of the gap between releases. I think I'll have to just wait until it's all out and then start the rewatch properly then

meldoc812026-02-01 02:52

I’d blame the state of the industry in general for this with how stretched thin production companies are and the lack of funding for original projects. I wish crown handler had just been a s2 but the fact is it probably wasn’t logistically feasible.

I just hope the last two can get more focus now that the animation studio’s other projects appear to be settled and the new girls und panzer films are coproductions with PA works.