I definitely understand your point of view with regards to the end of Tutu. Through-out the last few episodes, I found myself hoping that Ahiru (Duck) would remain a girl and that her and Fakir would live happily ever after, and that we don’t get this ending left me feeling somewhat empty, but upon reflection, it becomes clear that Tutu is more than just a conventional fairy-tale; obviously it wasn’t interested in ending as a straight forward romance like many other stories, it had something to say about the nature of identity, self-confidence and friendship. Thinking about it, I realised it’s unrealistic to expect everything to end perfectly, after all, that’s not the way things go in real life; simply learning to accept ourselves as ourselves, is far more important than the depiction of an adolescent crush.

To that end, I’d say it’s a brilliant story to show a group of young girls, especially given all the social pressures placed on today’s generations of children; here we have a role-model brimming with self-belief and courage. If you are concerned about the confusion ignited by its end, it might be worth sitting down and discussing it with your grand-children once it has finished. I’m absolutely sure in the belief that this series offers so much to impressionable youngsters embarking on the insecurity and confusion of their teenage years.

I’ll first respond to your comments, and then, as I often do, go off on a tangent.

Your right one of the core appeals of Tutu is that it is a “fairy tale” and therefore complex with many lessions to be learned, and the “reality” (one of the wonders of “fairy tales” is that there is a “reality” to them – often a bitter/sweet “reality’) is that Duck is a duck, and has gained a lot, but is still a duck – one brave, strong, loving duck, but a duck. One who has gained alot including someone who knows and loves them for what they are. This is a great lession, from a great show.

It was a show that I wanted young (8 – 12?) girls to see, and they did love it. But that is a difficult age for girls, and the ending hit one of their most basic fears. Evil witches (or ravens), monsters in the dark, the first flashes of love, and dangers of change are all things that both scare them and thrill them, but one fear strike to their very core: your friends turning against you, or worse your friends forgetting you even existed.

Sorry to taken so much of your time, if you did read this thanks, I am sure that you wouldn’t be reading this if you haven’t already seen Tutu, but if you haven’t I suggest you sit down, I would recommend watching it with you child or grandchild so they can show you what you missed, and watch it.

Well I am not Baetzi but I hope you don’t mind hearing someone else’s opinion. I am huge Princess Tutu fan and personally I loved the ending. You said Duck does not end up with the person who loved her. However that is not true at all. Duck did end up with someone who loves her. She ended up with the person who loves her in every form (Tutu, the Girl, the Duck). It doesn’t matter to that person whether she is a duck, he will still stay by her side forever. This is exactly what that person told her and in the very last scene we see them together. Perhaps they cannot be together in the traditional sense. But Princess Tutu is a fairytale so who is to say a duck and human cannot have a happily ever after. I don’t see why Duck’s life has to be sad as a duck, Why can’t she have a happy life as a duck with that person?

The reason she didn’t like the ending is that one of the morals from the story is that you don’t have to surrender to your “fate” you can fight and change it, yet everything Duck did didn’t change her fate.

I don’t think the ending contradicts this at all. In Drosselmeyer’s story the characters were surrendering to the fate of their roles in the story. However in the end Duck and Fakir embrace their true selves, not imaginary roles made up for them. If anything I think the message was very strong because the characters did not have to have magical powers to overturn their fate. They were able to overcome the fate of Drosselmeyer’s story and be true to themselves in their true forms. I thought this was a beautiful message. There is nothing wrong or sad about Duck returning to her true self.

It is a story taking over anouther story, trying to excape another story. As it unfolds you discover the next layer, which needs to the next layer. Different chacters are trying to control the story for their own purposes, and each finds that the story has a life of it’s own. This makes it (good) scary – children like that, they understand that because they find the world a confusing, maybe even scary, but fun place.

I recommended it to friends who bought it for their daughters and grandaughers, they all loved it UNTIL THE ENDING! In a fairy tale world Duck’s fate makes sense, it even makes some sense in the story (although their is one chacter who would seem to have the power to rewrite the ending), but it is not what young (8 – 13) wanted to see! Duck did not end up with the person she loved and who loved her, and, even worse from a young girl’s stand point: her friends forgot about her. They howled and their parents and grandparents howled at me.

I didn’t like the ending, I thought Duck deserved better, so I didn’t buy the series for my grandaughter. But I did show it to her mother (my daughter) who also loved the series but hated the ending, and she made a good point. The reason she didn’t like the ending is that one of the morals from the story is that you don’t have to surrender to your “fate” you can fight and change it, yet everything Duck did didn’t change her fate.

…its also cool to see that there are guys checkin this series out, and not getting turned off by the “girly” title or initial “feel”.

@Michael: Give it a shot, if you liked Pretear, you’ll like Tutu… It’s just a flat out better series, probably the best “magical girl” anime I’ve seen (not that my experience with the genre is especially deep).

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Also, just thought I’d leave a quick update on my progress with Tutu… Right now I’m in the early twenty-something episodes. I got back on track last night after an extended weekend break, totally determined to finish it. Still hoping to write another post, thanks to reading the nice comments here and on a certain someone’s live journal