Synopsis
Takarada Go comes from a family of archaeologists. A self-proclaimed treasure hunter, Go goes in search of a secret door leading to the legendary treasure of the Salamander. Somehow he ends up falling from a 30-story building. Just then, in a flash, a naked elven nymph appears right before his eyes. The zany adventures of Rane and Go have only just begun!
Review
Before FLCL, Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemi, there was Elf Princess Rane. The anime is over a decade old, 1995, but still has its charm. Go is reckless and often misunderstands discussions, going off on some tangent exploit. Mari is his rich neighbor and girlfriend since childhood who fails to get Go’s attention. Then you have the two pint sized characters, Rane and Leen. Add in the blue haired Zenshuin antagonist and some pink haired females, mix everyone up thoroughly, and you have a recipe that spells mayhem.
» The Pros
Leen showing the middle finger! The absentminded faces of Zenshuin's workers while he commends their efforts.
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» The Cons
Fast overlapping dialogue.
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» Animation
7.0 |
A transforming airplane mecha, Zenshuin's suave hairdo, a freakishly buff butler, magical girl transformation scene, a witch with a scythe, a family of sisters with pink hair (prior to Pokemon's Nurse Joy), an observation bath house and explosions galore - Elf Princess Rane has it all. 1995 animation, so don't go in with high expectations. |
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» Sound
8.5 |
Kouichi Yamadera plays the voice of Takarada Go (Spike from Cowboy Bebop), Ryo Horikawa voices Takuma Zenshuin (Vegeta from DBZ), and Aya Hisakawa is Leen (Skuld from Oh My Goddess). The character dialogue makes the whole show. You have Zenshuin who talks in his own language. To demonstrate the language barrier, Rane spouts random sentences that are off topic. There are times when the characters converse over each other simultaneously. Too bad there isn't an Opening song, only an Ending song called Absolutely! Vector Power by Akko. This was before professional Jpop stars did the music. |
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» Story
7.5 |
Note there is no episode 3. The preview is just a teaser. The anime just ends without any real conclusion. Actually, the butler haggles the audience to fork over their money if they want more episodes made. Not gonna happen. |
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» Recommend
8.0 |
An inexpensive short two-episode title. Good for an anime club showcasing. However, its bizarreness is not for everyone. If you didn't like FLCL or Excel Saga, then Elf Princess Rane is not for you. |
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» Other Information
Language: Japanese/English dialogue with optional English subtitles
Extras: Scene access, interactive menus, and umm... the DVD case?
Package: No she's not Sailor Moon. |
Friday, May 1, 2026
