Princess Nine is really the first sports drama anime released in the U.S., add to that the fact that it is about a women's baseball team in Japan (a cultural faux pas), and you have a series that is a big risk for ADV. Fortunately for the American devourers of anime, it is a risk that pays off in spades.

Princess Nine is 26-episode TV series with very high production values. The tone of the series is a cross between Field of Dreams and any sports team comedy on the market (Bad News Bears, Bull Durham, etc.), seasoned with a little of Beverly Hills 90210/Dawson's Creek. Somehow, the series really works. The players deal with the stress of playing a sport they're not supposed to and the stress of just getting through high school.

Surprisingly, the elements of romance and relationships are played perfectly. They are of interest and important to the girls, but, as with any successful athlete, they take a backseat to training and the team. This is really one of those great underdog stories that the viewer is just drawn into and begins rooting for the team despite themselves.

The drama and suspense of each pitch is perfectly timed. The series is addictive: you have to watch to see what happens, who wins, who loses, and how it will affect the relationships of those involved. While there is no doubt that this would appeal to female viewers, the series should definitely not be termed a "girl's series." Anyone who likes competition, drama, comedy, and action will enjoy this.

Meet Ryo Hayakawa, who finally decides to accept a baseball scholarship because all she recalls of her father are baseball lessons from him...	And, enter the rival - bishoujo with a bat...

The first disc has five episodes. The first episode introduces us to Ryo Hayakawa, a 15-year old girl just about to graduate junior high. The viewer quickly finds out that she serves as the relief pitcher for the local sandlot baseball team (note: its great to see the men in Ryo's neighborhood support her playing baseball! Japan is changing!). In episode 2, Ryo (who has decided against going to high school to help at her mom's restaurant) is offered a scholarship at a prestigious girls school - to play baseball. Of course this is unheard of, but Ryo decides to accept once she finds out that her dead father used to play baseball. Her only memories of him are of him teaching her to throw.

Needless to say, there is a lot more drama going on! There is a childhood friend of Ryo's who likes her, but he can't quite communicate it. In contras, an excellent baseball player, who challenges Ryo to a hitting/pitching duel, has no such issues. Then Ryo finds a rival in an amazing tennis player at her new school. Furthermore, there is the secret of the chairwoman of Ryo's new school - why does she carry around a picture of Ryo's father?

In any case, the final episodes have to do with the search for the rest of the members for the team. Each episode is a lot of fun and constantly adds to the story and characters.

On to the specifics: the animation is great. Being a very recent series, the color and effects are excellent. The character designs are perfect, and - surprise! Not every character is gorgeous! The Princess Nine are all unique characters. The transfer is also excellent, right down to the texture of the chalk on the scoreboards - everything is crystal clear.

Sound is especially well done, which, considering the impact of music on the series, is very important. The music is performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, and it really ups the quality of the production. The soundtrack sounds more like a movie than an animated series. The opening theme is especially rousing. As usual, the original Japanese language is preferred, but the dub is surprisingly good and very easy on the ears.

The extras are nice ones that, in reality, should be expected on every series. You have clean opening and closing animations and some neat player statistics screens. The cover has an excellent action shot of the main character pitching. Personally, I find the "best" extra to be that you get five episodes for only $19.99. A serious deal every fan should take advantage of.

To be honest, I could find zero faults with this series, and I would recommend it to every anime fan. It has everything - a great story, great characters, great competitive action, a great soundtrack, and it looks gorgeous.

Usually when reviewing an anime focusing on high school girls (Saint Tail, Sailor Moon, etc.), I have to add a "cuteness allergy" warning for those who cannot handle anything too "kawaii." That is not an issue here, I truly feel this is a maturation of this form of storytelling for the US market, and I recommend everyone to try out the first disc.

Distributor: ADV Films
Creator: Sunrise / Sotsu Agency
Released: 1997

Video Quality: A+
Audio Quality: A
Presentation: B+
Content: A
Overall: A