Synopsis
In the kingdom of Grannzreich, the position of Royal Tutor is one of high regard, a position for which one Heine Wittgenstein has attained under the king’s invitation no less. Both charming yet stern, Heine holds a great intelligence and command for respect even with his lack in stature. Now he holds the responsibility of grooming the our young heirs to the throne. The problem? None of the princes seem to even want for Royal Tutor and with the rumors surrounding them, teaching them may prove difficult but nonetheless, Heine is willing to take the challenge.
Anime Thoughts
One of the main high points of the anime work is that it is direct with its plot and the exploration of each characters and their struggles. However, one of the main issues that comes with this is the lack of buildup for many parts of the story. There are several examples such as Heine’s painting and Bruno teaching children that leaves questions floating on how it came to be. When checking the manga it is explained yes, however in terms of the anime’s presentation, it leaves a bit of a hole.
Given how short the series was set out to be though, it is somewhat understandable. On the other hand though, the series could have at least expanded on its setting use and the amount of side characters well. In addition to this, when looking at how the plot was presented, it comes off as rather safe and in some ways limited. We get to see the different stories of the princes yes, and even have a backstory to Heine and his friendship with the king, but at the same time, it can be considered as rather rushed and partly predictable in certain parts.
While these may seem like highly negative points, it should also be considered that the anime as a whole is not terrible. As stated in the full review of the series once it ended, the distinction of comedy work makes for an interesting distinction to the series. What’s more, the music and art are highly enjoyable and makes the series rather appealing that this writer had entered into the series without knowing the full plot.
Manga Thoughts
On of the main distinctions that can be found in comparison to the anime is the amount of expressiveness that the characters show with each scene. What’s more the build up and development for the story and characters are highly commendable as well. The downside with the manga work however, is that certain character’s development could have be done better, mainly Leonhard’s character. While it is understood that in essence he is but a child, but it would be nice to see more of than bursts of maturity in certain chapters.
Still the way the series handles the different issues that the princes have to face, the way they develop and the exploration of their different aspects makes for a highly interesting read. The problem however, is that while the princes are growing in development, it seems as if Heine, who is meant to be one of the main characters of the series is slipping into a side character role of teacher and the one who offers words of wisdom and guidance.
The art still holds up for the work and is a visual pleasure. The same goes the comedy which works even better with how much detail is placed into the characters and their background. It could do a little better with the transition in scenes but for the most part the story flow is great and easy enough to follow. However, there is also the fact that the structure of chapters could have also worked out better.
In comparison to the anime work, the flaws of the manga series is not all that noticeable. The characters were equally fleshed out to suit their personalities and stories, there is a more proper framework throughout the story.Just the way that the story not only able to flesh out the princes but also parts of the side characters as well. It’s not often that a series goes off and develop on explores on the different characters.
Conclusion
For the most part the two works could have worked out their structure better but their comedy and art work is strong. When comparing the two it is clear that the manga worked out the story’s character development and expression as it had more room to do so. However, with the anime it was more direct to the point in terms of plot and gave full backstories and character stories though the buildup could have been better. It’s not always that a manga comes after the anime but comparison will always happen but for the most part this a series that is fun, interesting and a total worth series to check out at least
Anime Rating: 7/10
Manga Rating: 8.5/10
Original Anime Review: It’s Time for a Lesson! Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine