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Written by Yoshi Yukino (24 Mar 2002)
Sister Princess Someone once remarked that nothing turns a bishoujo gamer on like being called "goshujin-sama" (master), "sensei" (teacher), or "onii-chan" (brother). Especially the latter; what fans would give to have a cute little sister to dote on.
And in the case of Sister Princess, all twelve of them.
Though not as revolutionary as Tokimeki Memorial was, Sister Princess has nevertheless a big enough following both in and out of Japan through the past few years to ensure that it will go down in bishoujo history as one of the more influential series.
WHAT'S SISTER PRINCESS
Sister Princess is a bishoujo series revolving around 12 girls and their undivided love for the same big brother. While hardly a new concept when it first came out in 1999, what set Sister Princess apart is the saccharine sweetness and innocence it adopted for its stories, set in a Japan that's so unfamiliarly romantic and western that they quickly take on a near 'meruhen' (fairy-tale) likeness. This remains the series' strength; for all it's 'loli' appeal and the brother-sister relationships that critics in the west would love to loathe, there's surprisingly little sexual innuendos, and the girls' devotion to their brother is so child-like (even with the teasing Sakuya) the only thing offending about Sister Princess is that it can give some a bad toothache.
The best of the series is typified in the various short stories that appeared in Dengeki G's magazine, penned by KIMINO Sakurako and illustrated by TENHIRO Naoto.
Fans eventually grow old, and one supposes that little sisters themselves grow up too. Love is fleeting, as the saying goes, and how long Sister Princess's popularity will last is anyone's guess. But it would be unfair to write Sister Princess off as just another fad. Love it or hate it, there IS something about the series that makes it unique--and thus a worthy addition to the world of bishoujo fandom.

Sister Princess (C) Kimino Sakurako, Tenhiro Naoto / Media Works Inc.

Introduction | History of Sister Princess | Meet the Sisters | next page