Following the recent conclusion of Season 1’s second cour, fans of Spy x Family are eagerly anticipating the release of the smash hit anime’s second season as well as a forthcoming motion picture. Nevertheless, there may be a long wait since the Season 2’s release date has not yet been officially announced. Princess Principal, which has themes similar to Spy x Family, might be the ideal next anime for fans looking to fill that void in the interim.
Princess Principal, created by Studio 3Hz and Actas and written by renowned screenwriter Ichir kouchi, first aired in 2017. Here’s what it’s about and why Spy x Family fans should watch it as their next anime.
Princess Principal’s Narrative
Princess Principal is set in the land of Albion, a nation that became dominant due to its mastery of a mysterious element called the Cavorite. However, this triggered the London Revolution, in which the workers tried to overthrow the royal family. This clash eventually subsided and a massive wall was built down the middle of Albion, splitting it into two nations: the Commonwealth, run by the workers, and the Kingdom, run by the old monarchy.
In a mission called Operation Changeling, the Commonwealth plans to replace the Kingdom’s current princess, Charlotte, with Ange, a girl who looks just like her. This plan quickly changes when Charlotte realizes what is happening; however, she offers to work with the Commonwealth if it helps her become Queen of the Kingdom. As a result, Ange and her spy friends enroll at Queen’s Mayfair school and get to work as undercover spies.
Why Will Spy x Family Fans Enjoy Princess Principal?
Both Spy x Family and Princess Principal share many elements in common; they are both set in fictionalized renditions of European nations, with Albion in Princess Principal clearly representing England and Ostania in Spy x Family closely resembling East Germany. Both situations have a strong resemblance to actual historical occurrences, particularly the Cold War and the class tensions in England, which give them the impression of alternate histories.
Both series also feature young girls with special abilities who are thrust into the world of espionage. In contrast to similar stories, the girls in Spy x Family and Princess Principal enjoy their new lives and actively push themselves deeper into them rather than trying to escape them. While performing their new responsibilities, these girls form unexpected bonds that both help and hinder them in various ways.
However, Princess Principal also differs from Spy x Family in key areas. The most noticeable difference is the shows’ visual styles. Those seen in Spy x Family are more realistic, with most locations looking like real-world Europe. Princess Principal goes in a more fantastical direction, with the entire show having a steampunk aesthetic that permeates every element of the story, from the places the girls visit to the technology they use.
Compared to Spy x Family, Princess Principal has a very different structure and contains fewer slice-of-life scenes. While the girls’ school lives are occasionally shown, they are always secondary to their missions and frequently serve as a means of establishing the plot of an episode. Princess Principal’s female characters get to go on official missions, which means they often face danger and get their hands dirty, which further helps the two series feel different from one another.
Princess Principal and Spy x Family, while undoubtedly different, both examine how young girls respond to and cope with being thrust into the fast-paced and frequently dangerous world of espionage. Even though these girls are more violent than Anya, their narratives serve as a great contrast to hers, and the shows’ disparate visual styles offer two distinctly entertaining perspectives on espionage.
The Princess Principal anime is now streaming on Prime Video and HIDIVE.
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