Prologue[]
Once upon a time, there was a man who died. The story was interrupted. Along with his heart, the prince lost his kindness toward other people and even his memories of having fought bravely. Meanwhile, scattered throughout the town, the shards of the prince’s heart sought places to settle and found their way into people’s hearts which had a void in them. Among those possessed by the shards were some who ended up making their own tales go awry.
Story[]
After being placed in the Probationary Class for her terrible dancing, Ahiru is practicing in school to get back into the Beginner’s Class with her two friends Pike and Lilie helping. When Ahiru tells them of the story of The Prince and the Raven, Pike and Lilie say they already know the story and Pike gives her a book of which the story is written in. When Ahiru learns that the author of the story named Drosselmeyer died years ago, she nervously recalls speaking to him despite that.
Later, Ahiru comes across Mytho and Rue having a picnic outside. When Mytho leaves to collect water for Rue, Ahiru bumps into him. The two come across a restaurant owned by a lady named Ebine, where Ahiru learns the owner is being influenced by a heart shard. Transforming into Princess Tutu, she heals Ebine's heart, who is lonely due to the death of her husband, and returns the heart shard to Mytho. She then leaves, leaving Mytho to be found by Rue and Fakir who came looking for him.
After de-transforming, Ahiru watches on from behind the restaurant as Mytho mentions Princess Tutu and Rue states she is just a story, a girl who is to disappear when she confesses her love to the prince. Ahiru quacks in horror upon learning this and runs away where she transforms into a duck.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The German subtitle now points us to “Panorama”, from Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s composition for Sleeping Beauty. There's actually only one scene which makes use of Sleeping Beauty's music. The rest is an assortment of pieces mostly from other composers heard in the first two episodes.
- Note that this is the first time Ahiru realizes that it really happened in a story, and also the first time it's hinted that Mytho breaking his heart was in the story (rather than it happened once the prince and the raven left the story). Note also the music: "Aquarium", from Saint-Saën's The Carnival of the Animals. This comes back when Mytho, Rue, and Fakir discuss Princess Tutu at the end when Ahiru realizes that Tutu was a story as well.
- The title of the book is 'Prinz und Rabe'.
- The first appearance of Pique and Lilie's scary faces - at a distance.
- The restaurant owner is Ebine. "Ebi" means shrimp or lobster. The aquatic theme again (goes with "Aquarium").
- Ebine's music is "Habanera" from Carmen. The lyrics include something that can be translated as "If you don't love me, I love you, and if I love you, keep guard of yourself".
- The first appearance of Fakir's horse.
- Ahiru thinks that she and Mytho are in a reenactment of "Hansel and Gretel", which of course turns out not to be the case.
Music[]
New pieces:
- Aquarium (The Carnival of the Animals)
- Robert Alexander Schumann's "Arabesque"
- Habanera (Carmen)
- Polovetsian Dances (Prince Igor)
- Panorama (Sleeping Beauty)
- The Death of Hilarion (Giselle)