First Impression: ‘Tis Time for “Torture”, Princess

Somewhere in Arizona The Imperial Army is caught on the back foot when a gargantuan monster suddenly bursts onto the scene, but the Princess who commands them is undaunted: that big green guy’s just saved them half a day’s walk coming to him! She strides out confidently and slays the beast in a single blow. As the cheers erupt, she punches the sky with her valiant sword. Cut to a dank prison cell where the Princess is now confined. She’s somehow been captured and the Grand Inquisitor is coming to make mincemeat of her to extract the Empire’s military secrets. Strike that, the Grand Inquisitor is here to make mincemeat for her?!? That’s right! A fearless military leader like the Princess would never succumb to fire, knives, bruises or abrasions, but the sultry scent of warm, melting butter and the sound of perfectly toasted bread ripping in half—now that is pure torture! Especially for a girl who enjoys her food as well as the Princess. Takoyaki, ramen, maki rolls…how long can the Princess hold up against such cruelty? 

Ha! The central premise of torture by food is fun and definitely relatable, and makes for a great way to learn a bit more about Japanese cuisine (and how to eat through all those side dishes properly). The animation has no business being this good for such a silly, gag-based series, with some really thoughtful layouts that give the cast a ton of rich moments for character acting. That’s studio Pine Jam for you! The moments when the Princess is in her serious hero mode in particular are full of style and elegance, with an evocative score, particularly in her moment of triumph. I wish we got to see more of that side of her to be honest, but the humor lies in the contrast in her character. Which brings me to my one concern: does the central gag here have enough staying power to sustain an entire season? I mean, just how many secrets does the Imperial Army have!? Then again, it seems the Demon Lord is not in a hurry to act on any of the intel, so maybe the main gag will evolve in subsequent episodes, and perhaps even open up an avenue for the role of the Princess here to shift. If the new characters teased in the closing sequence just bring foreign cuisines into the mix, it’s not going to be enough to keep this going. And if future episodes double down on the sensuousness of the food consumption, this could make for an uncomfortable watch. (It may add some “piquancy” to the premise, but too much salt spoils the soup, after all!) But if we get to see more of the Princess’s non-drooling side, it could be great. In sum, the ingredients are all there, lined up on the counter, so now it’s just a matter of seeing how they’re going to be assembled in future episodes. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating! (Sorry, I’ll show myself out now.) PS There’s an after-credit scene that provides the Princess’s inner monologue during her triumphal clash with the monster. You’re welcome.

‘Tis Time for “Torture”, Princess is streaming on Crunchyroll.

claire
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7 thoughts on “First Impression: ‘Tis Time for “Torture”, Princess”

  2. According to the wiki, the new characters will not use food, but other “torture” techniques. 13 volumes of the manga have already been released.

  3. I loved the manga, and the anime is just as good! So funny! Honestly, now that I’m on a low carb diet, I can sympathized with the princess so well. Watching that toast scene was both hypnotizing and a little painful! I spent the rest of the day missing toast!

    1. Ahaha! Right? Toast is my favourite food and I once had to give it up for a month (one of those exclusion diets to test for allergies) and honestly, I would’ve spilled the empire’s secrets for a slice too back then! As it was, I had toast with my dinner after watching the episode.

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