One of the cornerstones of Christianity is that God gave men free will to allow them to decide their own path. While the choices may already be known, they are made by the individual. The major theme throughout Scrapped Princess concerns whether people should be allowed to make their own decisions, even if they are bad ones. An ominous prophecy from the deity Mauser foretold the ruin of the world if the king's newborn daughter lived to see her sixteenth birthday. Heeding the warning of the divine and fearing for the safety of his people, the king ordered his daughter's death for the greater good. And while his edict was carried out and the infant was tossed off a cliff, rumors persist that the child survived the ordeal.

As the series begins, the audience is introduced to Pacifica Cassul, the infamous Scrapped Princess, almost 16 years later. Having miraculously lived through the attempt to end her life as a baby, Pacifica has been adopted by the Cassul family despite their knowledge of her true identity. And while her surrogate parents have since passed away, her siblings Shannon and Raquel remain vigilant as her constant protectors against the threat of assassins seeking the fame and fortune that would come with ending Pacifica's life. The show follows the story of the trio as they encounter friends and fight against a world that is literally out to get them.

Almost immediately, the conflict for Shannon and Raquel is introduced: is the life of their sister more important than the fate of the world? Shannon has resolved to watch over Pacifica until he knows for certain that she will bring about a calamity for the world, in which case he will end her life himself.

Reinforcing the idea of free will, the stories of the supporting cast also center on their struggle with decisions between duty and personal desire. Leo seeks to become a knight, but struggles with the concept of chivalry when he learns Pacifica's secret and realizes the expectation of a knight is to end the life of the Scrapped Princess. Meanwhile Chris, an orphan taken in by the Special Forces branch of the military, begins to question the orders he has blindly followed throughout his young life. And then there is Zephyrus, a weapon who has known nothing but obligation, who is left to elect between abandoning efficiency and logic to gain the trust of her new master, or neglecting her role altogether.

Making tough choices is a part of life almost anyone can relate to. However, while it may make for feel-good viewing, it was disappointing to see that in every case but two (involving the king and the young prince, who are portrayed as being cowardly or manipulated), the characters of Scrapped Princess elect to forsake duty and make the easy choice. I realize a major reason for watching shows is to escape the reality of everyday life, but it seemed oddly emblematic of the problems in our current society that almost no one made an unselfish choice, especially since it still led to a happy ending.

Filled with sword fights and magic, the show depicts a medieval world dominated by religion. Knights, royalty and magicians are found throughout the story, though remnants of ancient technology come into play giving the show a little something to appeal to fans of mecha. In conclusion, Scrapped Princess is a decent show populated with likable characters, engineered to make the audience pull for its protagonists as they struggle against all odds. While I may have some personal grievances with the overreaching message, I'd still recommend it to anyone who enjoys more medieval-themed anime and is looking to fill some time.