Given how frequently the term “torture” appears in the title of this anime, the more cynical among us may be forgiven for expecting the worst. Ultimately, the show’s composer is none other than Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, the same scriptwriter behind legendary anime adaptations like Interspecies Reviewers and Redo of Healer. Is this pornographic torture or simply ordinary porn? Fortunately, I’m happy to say that it’s neither. “Princess, it’s Time for “Torture,” is a vivid, upbeat, and shamelessly ridiculous fantasy comedy. One of my favorite anime of 2020, the deliciously bizarre Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, is the closest comparison.
Torture Princess is a story about the adventures of a captured princess who is kept in the Hell Lord’s dungeon, ostensibly against her will, much like Sleepy Princess. As it happens, the Princess is safe from harm and the demonic hordes aren’t so bad after all. The strange discrepancy between audience expectations and reality is the source of most humor. However, Torture Princess’ star is far more passive, which makes her a far less compelling protagonist. Sleepy Princess’s eponymous heroine, on the other hand, was probably more demonic and chaotic than her captors, her single-mindedly crazy actions fueling most episodes’ spiral into lunacy.
The main “joke” of Torture Princess is that, over the course of her protracted confinement in her little, barren prison cell, she is visited on occasion by Tortura or one of her goons, who then “torture” her to get information. Usually, the “torture” entails luring her in with mouthwatering food, adorable animals, or outings to the park or beach. Unable to control her passion, avarice, or need for cuteness, the Princess typically divulges her secrets without much resistance. Her loose lips frequently terrify her sentient sword friend “Ex,” which is shorthand for Excalibur, since she essentially lacks self-control. Most of the time, the secrets she gives away are worthless, but occasionally the Hell Lord may find them useful strategically, but he refuses to employ them for ethical reasons.
Yes, the Hell Lord is indeed the greatest dad ever, the best employer ever, and a pretty great guy all around. He may have a terrifying visage, yet his greatest passions are spoiling his young daughter and improving his people’s quality of life. The program gets breathing room when it starts to feature character sketches that aren’t related to the Princess. The basic idea grows stale very fast, and while most episodes do have one or more renditions of the classic not-really-torture farce, mercifully their use decreases as the show goes on. This is fortunate since, after three or four episodes, there will be nonstop replays of the same old, “Oh no, the Princess has been offered yummy food, will she confess?” show. (She will, of course), and I was on the verge of ending the play and turning around.
The Princess herself is largely one-note, but the wide-ranging ensemble keeps things interesting. Tortura is calm, reserved, and consistently well-groomed. Throughout the season, she and the Princess form a close bond, with Tortura—a fully qualified nurse—even taking care of a sick Princess. In a blatantly obvious food porn scene, Tortura goes to a ramen establishment, presumably just to whet the viewer’s appetite. There are many non-Princess scenes in which the Hell Lord interacts, most notably with his adorable family and once with an attempted human invasion. By spending more time together over anime, he avoids a full-on fight with his opponent. I support that brand of contemporary masculinity.
In one very funny scene, talking sword Ex gets to successfully flunk his own “torture” session when he receives a thorough sanding and sharpening treatment that causes him to scream with joy and reveal secrets without restraint. I think it was just this one sequence that made me want to watch more, but nothing else really had the same hilarious effect on me after that.
Of course, there is nothing logically sound about Torture Princess. If all the demons wanted to do was feed, care for, and make friends with the Princess, then why did they capture her and do nothing with the information she revealed? To attempt to explain it away would be to totally miss the mark. It is aware of how ludicrous it is.
Sadly, in terms of aesthetics or pure creative madness, Sleepy Princess surpasses Torture Princess. It appears only “decent enough, I suppose,” is pathologically repetitive, and lacks inspiration for most of its humor. In a world where Torture Princess manages to get a second season but Sleepy Princess doesn’t, I’m not sure what to think. Additionally, I have no desire to watch any more because, at twelve episodes, I think I’m done with this.
