It's funny because I just rewatched my old ADV single disc releases of this show a month ago (back when anime was $35 a disc at Media Play... the dark days). As I watched it, I couldn't help but think that even with the issues in the animation quality (the 90s were a different time), this show still holds up and makes me cry several times in just the last episode. There are shows I like more, but there aren't shows that I enjoy more than Princess Nine. Well, maybe One Outs... Come on CR, pick up another baseball series!

The plot is pretty boiler plate sports, especially baseball, anime. A ragtag team is thrown together and they have to overcome difficulties to be a team and compete. Like most sports anime, winning matters less than coming together and figuring out who you are in this world. There is a love triangle, and most of the standard tropes you would find in a sports or a shojo anime. In 26 episodes, each member of the team is given her own path to develop, side characters are fully fleshed out, and the games are compelling to watch every step of the way.

So pretty boiler plate, right? Well, yeah, it's not doing anything new, but what it does do is deliver very real, honest characters, who are not always likable, but who are compelling and struggling to find their place in the world. That's not new either, but it's so well done that I have watched this more times than I care to count.

So, a quick rundown? Why not.

Art is solid and characters stay on model. The animation quality relies heavily on "limited animation" because this title did not have a lot of money behind it. Corners had to be cut to get it out. Expect to see a lot of stills and a lot of reused cells. It was the 90s, this was the standard. The designs are charming and they manage to fit both a sports and a shojo aesthetic well enough. Voice acting is stellar for both the sub and the dub (this is one of the few dubs I do recommend). And the music is memorable and amazing. The music alone is likely to make you cry during several episodes because it is so skillfully used to enhance the story (Yuki's episode at the training camp - have a box of tissues).

This is also a show that gives itself to binge watching, another common feature of sports anime, because many episodes will leave you with cliffhangers. Give in and binge.

There are some flaws here, yes, but those are part of what anime was in the 90s, and they shouldn't be held against a show that was doing what was the industry standard. It's not groundbreaking in any way, but it was and still is a worthwhile watch. I'm so pleased that CR picked it up.

I wanted to love this anime, I could have loved it so much, and wanted to put 5 stars so much... but god the frustrating and annoying, unnecessary dumb love triangle crap pissed me off.

And I'm putting 4/5 because it's just too damn rare to see a sport anime about girls, especially one that is not too full of fanservice, and that shows that girls too can be badass athletes. But to be honest this deserves a 2,5...

The soudtrack was really good though, and not just because I love Shubert, there are many pieces and songs that work amazingly with the scene and the characters. Honestly wish there was more of this anime at least for the music.

I like the oldschool animation, and the 80's-90's mood too.

In brief, I liked a lot of it but I'm disappointed, could have easily be really good, just take away the love triangle and add more seasons to take more time and develop the characters and see more good plays.
I'd like more (actual) sport anime with girls CR please and thank you.

I once suggested this show to a baseball fan and after a couple days he sent me a message saying something along the lines of "I started watching this to see baseball, why do I care so much about the characters?!" My response was that it's because it's a good anime.

So, to clarify why this is so biased: This was my first real obscure anime. I'd grown up watching Dragon Ball once in a while and had watched Cowboy Bebop, but I never truly veered too far off the beaten path. Then, doing research for what was essentially set-up for a joke, I needed to find an older anime about girls' baseball. This is what came up. So I used the name, referenced a character and thought I was done. But I wasn't. I find out that this show was on Youtube (which, now that I understand the anime industry better, I shouldn't have done that). I watch through the entire show. While not my point of no return into becoming a weeb, it was absolutely a starting point that led me to want to find more anime.

With that out of the way, you can understand why it's hard for me to talk about this show objectively. The criticisms about the love triangle is valid and I would absolutely agree that the guys kind of have no real personality (Hiroki is the most dull love interest I've ever seen). The girls however, are full of it.

My favorite character is and will always be Seira Morimura, the speed demon second baseman with the maximum amount of attitude. If anything, I would've loved to have seen so much more of her. In terms of the best developed character, Izumi is really all you need to look towards. The show's protagonist may technically be Ryo, it's Izumi's story for most of it. Each girl has something to prove and each really does get to have their own moment to shine (except maybe Hikaru). It's hard to introduce 9 characters and get you to recognize and care about each of them, but Princess Nine delivers in that sense.

I'm unsure of who to suggest this for as I found it on a sheer whim, but it's just a close favorite of mine. After watching more anime, I've definitely found anime that I've loved so much more, but you never really forget your first.

I love sports anime. One of my first big loves was Prince of Tennis. And I was so excited to see a sports anime about girls without fanservice. It has a decent premise and great characters. The team are a bit archetypal, but that's to be expected. The majority of the adult characters are frustrating as hell. They are high-handed, oblivious, or neglectful. The two male characters are also a problem for me. Seishiro mooning after Ryo and following her around like a puppy is annoying and unhealthy. Hiroki is one of those charming alpha male types that seem affable, but always seem to know what's best for the females around them. The whole love triangle thing was so unnecessary. Name me a sports anime about boys where the characters are this preoccupied with who loves whom. I'll wait. I tried to watch it from a homoerotic lit theory perspective and see Hiroki as a point of liminality between Ryo and Izumi, but really couldn't. I finally gave up watching at episode 19. I was tired of waiting for this talented team to actually play baseball. It's a shame really because the soundtrack is very good, the animation is nostalgic, and the voice acting is solid. I just wanted to watch a bad ass team of baseball players go out and be awesome at the sport they love. I honestly got more sports anime enthusiasm from Love Live.

One of my all time favorite sports anime. Plot and characters are fairly cliche and familiar because all the other sport anime follow this template. Underdog girls baseball team tries to reach Koshien with a ragtag group of players. Lot of archetypes among the players but some standouts among the supporting characters (e.g. the rival teammate, the principal of the girl's school and the romantic interest). If you enjoy sports anime, this one should not be missed.

They tease you when you start watching this anime. Letting you think there is a second season. Well there isn't just checked online and crunchyroll has all the episodes. So your left with broken dreams when you find out you'll never see them in the finals.
Rating Music - great, Story - great, Characters - good, Note: The characters are the only real problem I had with this anime, these girls totally lose it over some loser guy.

One of the best animes in my collection! I've watched Princess Nine through at least 20 times. It's both funny and dramatic. A must watch for any one who love sports anime.

Follow Ryo Hayakawa on her high school journey that she thought was impossible. Going to a prestigious girls school and playing baseball! There's one problem there isn't a team yet. She has to recruit and befriend enemies and strangers to build a team to go to Koshien!