Princess Jellyfish (Kuragehime) is a lighthearted and zany anime comedy centred around two main characters, Tsukimi Kurashita and Kuranosuke Koibuchi.
Tsukimi is a young woman who lost her mother at an early age. She has a rather keen obsession for jellyfish. Her mother would often take her to the local aquarium where she could see many different species of jellyfish.
Tsukimi remembered her mother’s promise to make her a wedding dress resembling a certain type of jellyfish when she becomes a bride. This promise had a profound impact upon the way she lived her life.
Kuranosuke, a very dashingly handsome young man, is the son of a well-to-do politician. He is normal in every way except one: he has a passion for dressing in stylish women’s clothing. One night, while walking around dressed like this, he encounters Tsukimi for the very first time. Together, they save a jellyfish from certain peril at a pet store and Tsukimi brings it home with her.
After this, he Kuranosuke follows her home to the female dormitory building where she and several other women live. Dressed as a woman, Kuranosuke attempts to befriend all who live there, trying to impart his wisdom of fashion and style upon Tsukimi and her friends Chieko, Banba, Jiji, and Mejiro. They never catch on to the fact that Kuranosuke is actually a boy!
Because of these well-woven factors in the story, the entire cast embarks upon hilarious adventures and misadventures alike. There are many aspects to this story, including first love, romance, social awkwardness, teamwork, friendship, and most importantly self-discovery!
Through these unusual circumstances, new friendships are forged, which causes each character to morph into a better and more confident version of himself/herself. While Kuranosuke helps Tsukimi discover both her inner and outer beauty, Tsukimi helps him discover ambition and the meaning of true friendship.
Together, with their newfound friends, they break into the fashion industry by making jellyfish style dresses. Kuranosuke models the stylish jellyfish dress! I have never set eyes upon a more gorgeous male lead in an anime before. He is masculine in certain ways and yet appears very delicate and feminine.
The artists who worked on this anime did a wonderful job blurring the lines of femininity and masculinity in this series. Tsukimi finally gains her inner confidence by discovering her talents as a fashion designer. With her inner beauty combined with Kuranosuke’s outer beauty, they can meet any challenge put before them!
This series is just as heartfelt as it is gut-busting hilarious! If you are looking for an inspirational feel-good anime comedy, then look no further Princess Jellyfish. The animation staff even throw in some homages to Star Wars, Mary Poppins, and Singin’ in the Rain! Kudos to manga creator Akiko Higashimura for being the driving force behind such a wonderful series!
Written by Carl W. Zeigler
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