Sylvia van Hossen was a real proper lady, that is, until she went to stay with her fiancé Teppei while her parents were away. Even though he isn’t a member of the nobility like herself, he does come from a very wealthy family, which explains why their parents are pushing for marriage. This arrangement is not one Sylvia is too pleased with however, especially since she is so headstrong and independent, but after a night of heated passion and resolute indignation she may just change her tune. Of course, she’ll never tell him that, but her body and actions speak otherwise! Based on a bishoujo game that was later adapted into an anime series, Princes Lover! the OVA version tells the hentai portion of Sylvia’s tale that was otherwise avoided in the TV series. This is surely a real treat for those who have already seen the series and/or played the bishoujo game, thus giving you a better handle on the characters and some level of emotional attachment, but for the rest of us the results are a mixed bag. There’s little to complain about in terms of technicals, with a 720p version that showcases some of its truly beautiful backgrounds and an impressive level of detail that you rarely see in a hentai title. The characters themselves are also quite unique looking, with very angular features, especially Sylvia’s hair that seems like it might cut you at any moment. I’m sure the fact that Princess Lover! is based off an already popular bishoujo game and anime series undoubtedly did wonders for its budget, but aside from that and the Japanese language track the compliments are few and far between. Effectively both episodes are focused squarely on Sylvia and Teppei as he tries to foster a relationship between them based on sexual desire and she quickly, but ever reluctantly, succumbs to the pleasure her body has thus discovered. That being said, all but one sex scene is between the two of them, which simply gets terribly old as the episodes progress. Not only that, but Sylvia rambles on almost incessantly as she gets screwed every which way, never giving the poor man a moments rest as she spews off about honor, responsibility, how dirty he is and anything else she can think of. Even taking her in the ass didn’t quite do the trick, as she simply goes on and on about how great it is. All I can say is it’s time to get that girl a ball gag or something! While it’s annoying to keep reading her inane babble during every sex scene, that’s not the only issue we have to deal with. In spite of its impressive technicals, for whatever reason, many of the hentai scenes come off as little more than an animated clip show. Now that isn’t to say the animation is bad, but during almost every sex scene there’s a distinct lack of continuity as Teppei and Sylvia seem to constantly jump from one position to the next with no corresponding movement. One minute he’ll be doing her doggy style and then, in an instant, he’s lying down and she’s on top of him. While it doesn’t really change anything, what it does do is kill the fluidity of the scenes as it simply feels like you’re watching a couple clips of them going at it in different positions. That’s not exactly what I’m looking for from a hentai title, especially one that clearly had the budget to animate the filler movements (useless as they may ultimately be). Taken together all these various issues really decreased my overall enjoyment of Princess Lover! to the point that I found myself bored with both the setup and characters. The technicals are truly the saving grace here, though I have no doubt that if you are already familiar with Princess Lover! this is a must see and will probably treat you much better than it did me.
