Exclusive Insanity

I am on episode eight of Pretear, and I love this series! It's not a fabulous piece of art or anything, but it's entertaining, and the characters have a lot of potential. I really wish it was longer so there'd be more development for all of the Knights and further exploration of some of the themes that so far it has only just touched on.

Thirteen episodes is not long enough for a series like this! I would gladly watch fifty or more! The characters are wonderful, and the heroine is one of the best I've seen. She is alternately strong and weak, and it's a lot of fun watching her antics.

I think this is the first time since Digimon Tamers where my favorite character in an anime series has been female. It doesn't generally happen with anime.

Plus, I can see why the title is often listed as 'The Legend of Snow White Pretear'. One of the themes in Snow White is jealousy and its consequences, and I can see it all over the place in here. Takako is a 'duh', but also Mawata and her mother - two less objectionable characters. I get the feeling that in the true style of magical girl anime, Himeno will somehow correct the villain's fall from grace and bring her back to the side of good, but that doesn't phase me. There's plenty of action, hilarity, and pretty costumes to keep me happy.

It's also true that this is a shoujo series which both genders can enjoy. I've been watching it from the start with Cody, and he is liking it too.

I want more than thirteen episodes! But I suppose the only way I'll get more Pretear is by purchasing the manga, which I intend to do once I get paid and feel a little richer.

Does anyone know of any good fanfics, doujinshi (I can't find any anywhere - it makes me sad), or anything for Pretear? Any pairing or no pairing, it's all good.

EDIT: I thought of something else which seems interesting. When I read 'The DaVinci Code', the thing which struck me most was the old belief that true spirituality could only be achieved through the union of the masculine and the feminine. I don't know if it was a deliberate thought on the creator's part, but you can see this theme in Pretear, because Himeno, who could be said to represent the sacred feminine, achieves her full power by merging with one of the Knights. Alone, the Knights have little power, and we see the result of the lone feminine power in Takako, who clearly represents chaos. Neither does much good without the other.

It's a neat sort of theme, and even if it wasn't deliberate, it only increases my enjoyment of the series.