I originally saw the extended Japanese series trailer on another DVD that I had purchased. The trailer fascinated me since it looked like a much different type of anime series than I would normally collect. Admittedly I am not a sports fan, but I was drawn to show. I finally broke down and got the first 3 DVDs and before I had finished the first one, I was hooked. I showed it to my close circle of friends and they all became hooked as well. At the time of this addition to my website I have not seen the final 5 episodes, but I did order it.

Synopsis: Princess Nine chronicles the growing world of Girls baseball in Japan during a time when girls were not allowed to officially compete in the national tournament. The story follows the emotional and competitive challenges faced by the team as they made their way down the road to fulfilling their hopes and dreams at the annual National Baseball Championships at the renowned Koshien Stadium.

We are first introduced to Ryo Hayakawa who is presented to be just an average 15 year old girl who had given up any hope of continuing her education to stay home and help out with her mother's business, an Oden Bar. Her father died when she was just 5 years old. However, Ryo is more than she appears. She loves baseball and is an extremely talented pitcher. Ryo is the relief pitcher for the Wild Cats, a neighborhood  baseball team. The first time we see her in action is when she arrives just in time to relieve the worn out pitcher wearing her school uniform. The other team laughs at the concept of a young girl pitching especially after her first 3 pitches result in balls for the team. The team captain asks her what she is doing and she replies that she was just warming up. The rival team stops their laughter after the next pitch speeds past the batter at 130 kph. The Wild Cats win the game.

Unknown to anyone, the game was scouted by Mrs. Keiko Himuro, the chairman of the Himuro corporation and president of Kisaragi Women's Senior High School. Her dream is to create a girls baseball team that will win the Koshien national high school baseball tournament within 3 years. As she leaves she comments to herself "She has her father's gift." That comment is probably one of the most important statements in the series since it is the first hint of the mysteries that unfold later in the series.

During the celebration after a game, two brutish men from another team show up at the bar and attempt to cause trouble as they degrade Ryo's abilities. A visiting drunk recommends a test, for Ryo to prove herself by playing baseball. The challenge is to strike out both men. Ryo accepts the challenge. The challenge is played out on the sandlot field and it attracts two onlookers, Mrs. Keiko Himuro and Hiroki Takasugi. Hiroki is Kisaragi Boy's High School's star hitter. Ryo has no problem striking out the first of the players and needed only one more strike against the second one when Takasugi intervenes. He convinces them to let him take the final pitch. He does successfully hit the final pitch but Ryo managed to catch it even though it knocked her down and twisted her ankle. Since he lost Takasugi carries Ryo home and introduces himself to her mother as her boyfriend.

Mrs. Keiko Himuro orchestrated the challenge to test Ryo's abilities. After seeing the it played out she was convinced that she needed Ryo for the team to be able to win at Koshien. Ryo is soon called in for an interview at Kisaragi Girls' High School and given an enticing offer: a full scholarship to the very prestigious high school, on the condition that she plays baseball for the new girls baseball team. After much thought Ryo accepts the offer. However she soon learns that the team only consists of 3 people and they will need to recruit the other members before they can actually play.

No anime series is complete without a having a rivalry between two of the main characters. Ryo's rival throughout the series is Izumai Himuro, the chairman's only daughter. Izumi is a beautiful tennis star. Like Ryo, Izumi's father also passed away when she was very young. Despite all of her success, Izumi often feels neglected by her mother; this feeling is heightened when Himuro tells reporters that she has a big announcement for the Kisaragi athletics programs. She is put at odds with Ryo when she sees her conversing with Hiroki Takasugi, her long time childhood companion. She manages to convince Ryo to try tennis against her and is infuriated when she manages to return one of her serves. The couch shows up and convinces Izumi to challenge Ryo at baseball. Izumi was able to hit Ryo's final pitch out of the tennis court with some advice from the coach but the victory is short lived when the couch reminds Izumi that actual baseballs weigh 3 times more than the tennis balls they had just used.

As the series continues mysteries about Ryo's father are slowly revealed and the team must overcome many obstacles on their journey to Koshien.

DVD Review: I am no fan of how ADV treats it's releases. Typically they have a low quality with numerous video or audio glitches. However Princess Nine is well mastered with no video glitches and it follows ADV new 6 disk release pattern with 5 episodes on the first and last disk and 4 episodes on the others. Another surprise is the DVDs retail for $18 which makes the series a better value! There is only one audio glitch and that occurs when you watch the first DVD in Japanese and try to skip a chapter. The audio will change to the English dub. I am not sure if it occurs on the other disks yet. 

Each disk has usually one or two extras such as player statistics, clean opening/closing, an oden cooking special, voice actress profiles, a history of baseball in Japan, original artwork and karaoke!

Series Review: Quite simply put, if you are a true anime fan then this series is a must see. The series is only 26 episodes long. Even with a short run the character development is truly excellent. Overall the series has a dramatic feel, in part thanks to the background music that seems to constantly be running. Every character gets a chance to be in the spotlight and grow. Even though some characters seem to be very stereotypical at the start, there are many twists and turns in the plot that actually prevents them from being stereotypical characters.

One thing that I loved about the series is the fact that each episode leaves you hanging, usually ending just before a confrontation starts or in the middle of a dilemma. It left me wanting to see the next episode that much move. It's an effective story telling mechanism since it keeps the audiences interested in the plot. Fushigi Yugi also used that technique. 

Final Thoughts: Everyone needs to go out and buy this series, right now. You will not be sorry that you did! On another note, while I was doing research I stumbled across a Princess Nine personality quiz. I was not really surprised to lean the following:

Eternal Green Field: A Princess Nine Fan Site