Niehime to kemono no ó

A slightly above-average fairytale about how a human sacrifice became the queen of beasts. Along her journey, she faced numerous hardships, passed three difficult tests, and had to prove to everyone that she was worthy of her king. The main adversaries in this story are not humans or beasts, but rather prejudice and racism in various forms. Humans disdain beasts, beasts harbor animosity towards humans, and some beasts, seemingly inspired by Orwell's Animal Farm and its "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" philosophy, vie for supremacy in the social hierarchy. In essence, this series serves as a departure from the traditional Beauty and the Beast narrative, exploring how far one can deviate from the norm. The main heroine won me over because of her active pursuit of growth throughout the story. Despite thinking to myself "Someone please get her some shoes!" I eventually accepted her barefoot plight as another trial she had to endure. The beast king, our main hero, is also quite likable. While he may be prone to occasional outbursts and brawls, he fiercely protects his queen and demonstrates unwavering faith in her abilities when needed. The romance between them works, though I must admit, watching a small girl cuddle with a towering lion does feel somewhat peculiar at times. Even the subplot about the reptile courtship was quite entertaining and much better than what the second season of Overlord had to offer. While certain parts were weaker than others, and the constant theme of advocating for love and equality felt somewhat repetitive, there were moments of genuine charm. Considering the animation and music, which I found to be average at best, The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts warrants a rating of 6/10 at most. (27.09.2023)