‘The Princess and the Pilot‘ is a 2011 steampunk adventure anime based on the 2008 Japanese light novel by Koroku Inumura. It was made by Japanese animation studios Madhouse and TMS Entertainment with Jun Shishido working on the film as the director. It was written by Satoko Okudera with music from composer Shirō Hamaguchi.

Juana del Moral (Seika Taketomi) of the Levamme Kingdom is promised to the Crown Prince as her nation in the middle of a war with the Amatsuvian Empire. She lives on an island off the coast of the mainland and is beloved by the locals, including the military stationed there. As the date of her wedding approaches, the war intensifies when enemy fighters bomb the island, killing her father. As a result, mercenary fighter pilot Charles Karino (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is chosen to secretly fly the princess through the warzone to an air fleet that can escort her to safety. Charles agrees to fly an experimental plane with Juana. At first, it seems their mission will be smooth, but enemy fighters soon begin to circle around them. The two have to work together in order to make it safely through the air.

The animation in this film is amazing. I liked the character designs, but honestly, the cinematography was what sold it to me. It had beautiful sequences with the sky, the ocean, and even islands that really captured the essence of the story. I thought it looked stunning and really helped bring the story to life in a unique way. Not to mention, the soundtrack. It had some excellent musical choices. They were not intrusive or muted but had a good balance that matched with what was happening on screen.

As for the story, it is beautifully told. I do wish Charles had a bit more scenes early on in the film to help us connect with him and the climax will not please everyone, but otherwise, it was an amazing tale of romance set in this fictional world. Sure, it delved into some well-known tropes of a romantic story, but it made itself unique with the characters, action, and the dept it was willing to go to tell about Juana and Charles. It truly was an incredible tale and one that I enjoyed from beginning to end.

Bottom line, The Princess and the Pilot is a charming tale of love, romance, duty, and survival. It is one that will truly unique and gives you a sense of wonder as you watch it.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Minor foul language, Violence

FAVORITE QUOTE: I’ll protect you, no matter what.

Check out the trailer below:

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This article has been updated from a previous version.