Broken Illusion

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
Lyrics: azlyrics
Theme: Mytho/Duck/Fakir
Spoilers: Yes

Review: The song chosen really fits Duck's POV very well. Mytho is her ideal, her dream; but then as she comes to know him, she learns how empty he is. Of course, she is trying to fix that, but that doesn't change the fact that he can't give her anything more than what she's idolized from afar. Meanwhile, Fakir certainly "couldn't be that man I adored," yet he is there. And willing to help her, despite his own shortcomings. And despite hers.
Right, on to closer analysis! The first lyrics are great for Mytho.  I like the alignment of "brought to life" with the Swan Lake scene, as that truly is when he seems to have been brought back life, or at least as close as he can get at that time. He's kind, he's proper... The first stanza's really put together very nicely. And then we have Rue and Mytho together, with the words, "Nothing's fine, I'm torn." Really a great insight into Duck. I mean, she's not holding it against Mytho or blaming him, but she's still hurt.
The next bit, from about :52-1:08, is a good match at first. And individually, the pieces could go well. But using one long scene consistently throughout the entire 16 seconds feels like too much, especially since the rest of the video. If there were intersperses of other clips, it would be nicer. The only other time a long clip is used is near the end with the dance in the Lake of Despair, but it's interspersed with some effects to make it feel more broken up. Also, it's more dynamic than simply Duck crying into the pond/lake here. The lake scene has no words accompanying either, so the lingering scene is even further justified. At this point, though, it feels like it was just set to the side and never gotten back to.
I do like the usage of Tutu interchangeably with Duck, though, especially with Fakir restraining her a bit. It's a different context with the song, of comfort and worry rather than restraint, but it still fits nicely.
I love the bit around 1:25-29, the exchanging of Rue's and Duck's pictures in her daydream. It really shows how she knows it's futile, but she still believed in it. And how it's still extremely saddening to see it change.
"But you crawled beneath my veins/ And now I don't care" - I really like this, because it's so true. It shows both Duck's quick-to-anger side (although Fakir really doesn't help that in general), and her selflessness. She truly doesn't mind/care that Mytho's moved on from her, that she isn't his choice. But it still affects her, it still hurts her, and she can't ignore that. The bit where she's going to throw the pendant away is really poignant about this. "I'm torn." Got that right.
1:55-58 = Wow. Yes. Illusion of both Mytho and herself as Tutu. The perfect imagery, daydream, illusion. And then herself as Duck. But no... that never happened. And it's hard on her.
Yes, Fakir, you're always late. GEEZ.
Juxtaposition of her dance with Mytho as Princess Tutu, and (in a little bit) her dance with Fakir as herself, as Duck.... gaaahhhh. It's gorgeous~ It focuses on how Mytho was there, but not really, and how she wanted it so bad, but it never worked. AND THEN FAKIR. ;w; (see my notes above for how this long scene actually doesn't get monotonous)(other than, you know, being this scene)
The ending is cute~ :3 Not the perfect ending exactly, it feels a bit abrupt to just switch over to them walking away, but it's still nice.


Overall Rating: 8/10

Part of Your World

All you who love stories, gather round....

Song: "Part of Your World" (The Little Mermaid) by Disney
Lyrics: stlyrics
Theme: Duck wishing to be a girl
 Spoilers: Yes

Review: This is a great concept, and albeit I've not seen a lot of adaptions of this song, I think this one was rather well done! It's cute and sincere, and the visual and audio work together well.
The point of view of Duck mainly as a duck is nice to see. Erm, maybe that sounds weird. It's usual for everyone to accept that she's a duck, but it's not usual to see that as a focus, or at least done nicely as here. I mean... *sigh* Her longing to be a human girl, whether Tutu or not, is really palpable in this video. And it's so her. It's beautiful~ and kind-of sad at the same time ;w;
I also really like how the emphasis is on dancing itself, on simply being a human to dance, to be a part of a group. While Mytho is a main part of that, he's not the focus. He is a part. And she gets so close! The pendant, everything... the video clips work very well with matching the emotions and inquisitive nature of the words.
Especially as you near the end of the first song, around 1:40-ish. The hopelessness... ;_; It's very well partnered. It grips your heart, as it should.
Then the transition to the second song is done really well! Both clip-wise and audio-wise. And it's gorgeous how Fakir is the one who shows her that she has become part of that world, she has earned the right to be human, to have friends like him and dance. And that he will make sure she stays part of the world, his world.
I will say that as it ended, the video clips of Duck & Fakir got a bit much... I don't know - they were good to use for the sentiment, but they were piled a bit too close together, too quickly, and it felt like they were just putting them in for the fact that Duck & Fakir were shown together. While that's not bad, for one thing the scenes used are very poignant, and they lose a bit of that when just put together. Secondly, they didn't have the same effort behind them as the rest of the video. So on its own, the end may have been an average montage-type thing, but with everything else before it, it's just rather disappointing and a bit confusing.
I will say it is a cute video. It's not heart-wrenching or anything, but it does touch you in a delicate way that makes you feel warm afterwards. I really like the majority of the video, and it's fun to watch and make the comparison. But the ending throws things off a bit.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Caged Devotion

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Prisoner of Love" by Utada Hikaru
Lyrics: animelyrics & metrolyrics (also in video)
Theme: Rue/Mytho, Rue's POV
Spoilers: Yes
Source: animemusicvideos  (note: better quality video if you watch it in 'preview,' if you have an account there)

Review: ;w; Rueeeeee....
*ahem*
This is a very well made video. It... it fits with Rue, so well, so... practically perfectly! The music is a steady beat that I can see her dancing to (metaphorically and not), the words share her heart's fears and strains... It's beautiful.
"Feeling loneliness, being in pain, it's not so bad; I'm just a prisoner of love." Rue deals with this. Every. Day. Especially after Mytho starts regaining his heart. It only gets worse, but she stays. She fights to stay, even though it hurts her. "I've chosen an unforseeably painful path/ and you came to support me." ... I don't even know how to list all the ways this works. There are just so many.
And... and then there's the "Since you came into my life..." and "I've loved you since that day" with little Rue! The parts are beautifully aligned, and so true...
"Don't you ever leave me."
If that doesn't scream "Rue," then I don't know what does. She's had to deal with her 'Father' threatening to abandon her or eat her at every corner, his placid soothings of love only used as a reward system to get her to do what he wants. Mytho's the only one she's been able to count on, consistently, for practically her entire life. And she tries desperately to hang onto him when his emotions start tearing him away.
"Loneliness and Pain/ I thought I could deal with them..."
Those lines, in conjunction with the horror and realization that she can't handle this, but she also can't control it...  And that Mytho is practically beyond her help...! Gah! Heartstrings!
"Stay with me./ Say you love me."
Rue uses those last words, in so many scenarios. But by this point, it's a desperate cry. It's a plea, through tears and grief and agony as she sees him moving beyond her grasp...
And then ending with her dance in the Depths of Despair, thinking on Tutu & Mytho, losing so much... ;_;
Ok, I think it's established that I love this video for its concept. And execution. But I also have to praise the editing work! It's fantastic! The clips always fit together so well, and the transitions are wonderful! Sometimes the blackout-flashes do become a bit much, though. It's a nice theme to repeat throughout with the beat, but there were times when I couldn't quite fit them with much of anything musically, and it almost felt distracting. But the rest of the video and content pretty much made up for it.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Swan Bows & Arrows

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "The Crimson Bow and Arrow" (Guren no Yumiya) by Linked Horizon
Lyrics: (Jap. & Eng.) animelyrics
Theme: Series trailer/Attack on Titan mimic
Spoilers: No

Review: First off, I have to say that I've never seen Attack on Titan nor even the opening, so I cannot give any feedback on how well that particular comparison was accomplished. If anyone else has and can give feedback, I'd love to hear how well it worked. Because everything else about this is already barking awesome.
Since I first saw this video, I thought it was an epic promotional trailer for Princess Tutu, and I still think it fits that category. There aren't any spoilers because of the rapidity of the clips and tone (despite blatant use ending episodes' stuff), but the speed doesn't overwhelm you to the point of discomfort - it just blows your mind and lets you consider the pieces. XD
The opening is beautiful, jumps right into the heat of things (I mean you see the Raven!), and yet takes you back to the beginning. The sequence 'recapping' how the Prince lost his heart is excellently placed and executed. Even without knowing what's happened, you can easily guess. And then Princess Tutu is shown as the radiant swan maiden, establishing her as a central character. And then there's Fakir, shown in hesitancy and donning the cloak. Such ambiguity, uncertainty; so very fitting~ The heart shard with the claw is an excellent presentation as well, and the musical break at that point is gripping!
And then, suddenly characters! All over the place! But they seem to fit together fantastically! The montage is put together splendidly, and is enough to get you very intrigued but not enough to give anything away. And Drosselmeyer, smiling while he oversees everything. Great.
I really love the use of the sword fight scenes as well, especially put so close together! It's exciting, for both newcomers and regular fans, and brings up so many parallels that might have been missed if you know the show already.
And then the ending. Just enough solidity to give you your feet back underneath you, but you're still wobbling by the time it's over. The entire video just kind-of slams you with awesome, and then hands you the pieces back at the end so you can contemplate on your experience.
And then even looking over the lyrics (in translation), the words work excellently. It's more of an abstract interpretation to fit well, but it doesn't take a whole lot of effort for that. And then, of course, just listening to the Japanese in general I find gorgeous~
One of the most impressive things I find about this video, other than the epic use of music and clips, is how it shares so very much without giving anything at all away! I mean, not even Kraehe is revealed, even though she's seen fairly frequently! It's fantastic!!
I would definitely recommend using this video as one of the introductory videos to get others interested, although giving the disclaimer that the series doesn't have as much action in it as this video would suggest. It's all in there, but spread out over more than just a minute and a half. XD And, of course, just watching it for its epicness is always an option!

Overall Rating: 10/10

(note: I've been absent because real life sometimes demands more of me than I anticipated. Or at least I expect more of me than I should. Sometimes both. <w<' )

Still Doll

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Still Doll" (Vampire Knight ending theme) by Wakeshima Kanon & Mana
Lyrics: animelyrics  (also in Youtube description)
Theme: Kraehe/Rue and Duck and their love of Mytho (mainly how it causes problems)
Spoilers: No

Review: This is a really pretty video, and the song has just enough elegance and off-kilter-ness/creepiness to fit both Rue's and Duck's situations.
I love the opening with the fairytale pieces, monocromicity with the pointed cello and violin accents... Really fits well. And then the chimes come in with the girls~ Fantastic alignment!
I really like that the creator interspersed both girls throughout, but there were times when I thought maybe there could have been more focus on just one of them, like for an entire verse or something. It would have felt more composed/coherent, I believe. Still flows nice as is, though.
The lyrics go rather nicely, "my heart is torn and bleeding/ I mend it but/ the memories pierce the openings." But while this fits both girls, Rue and her memories of Kraehe (or Tutu), Tutu/Duck and her memories of the curse and her being a duck, the lack of focus on a single point kind-of detracts from the awesomeness.
I will say that I really like the violin going all crazy when Rue's accepting herself as Kraehe. Also, as it gets into the last verse, the song talks about how "I can't sing songs of love anymore," which coincides with Kraehe crying and Tutu falling. Then the poignant "Still you do not answer..." while they both cry out. The ending with Rue doing her Macabre Dance is beautiful, as well.
I feel I have to say that this piece as a whole lacks coherency, though. Even if you're not watching it for the lyrics, or don't care how those match, it seems to not quite hold together. It's beautiful, and very nice to watch, but I feel like it could've been more.

Overall Rating: 6/10

HOWL

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Howl" by Florence + The Machine
Lyrics: azlyrics
Theme: Rue/Mytho
Spoilers: Yes

Review: Florence + The Machine is generally an awesome choice for a PT AMV. This video is no exception~
The symbolism of searching for a beating heart plays wonderfully into Rue and Mytho's relationship, although also almost ironically. Blood, chasing, needing... all fantastic thematic overlays. And the constant switching of lyrical matching between Rue and Mytho is really interesting, showing that they both are a part of this overpowering need for each other in their times.
That said, the constant switch also felt a bit confusing at times. Maybe I have a personal bias because I think there are more clips that seem to focus on Rue's POV so I feel like changing that POV should be more obvious or consistent, but I can also see where I might be overanalyzing it. (Perhaps I'm just partial to Rue. XD' )
One thing I cannot simply pass off though is the crazy ambiance/light/glowing. I understand the black and white theme, some flashes or a little glare on occasion for emphasis. But the overwhelming usage of it just gets distracting for me.
Alright, back to a more thematic part. I really like "Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers/ Starts so soft and sweet and turns them to hunters." The clips used were mostly pertinent, and certainly effective. I would have liked to see a bit more played with that, though, perhaps with Rue's struggles. Which could have happened, if more verses later were used.
That's my final 'mreh' point: this doesn't use the full song! But the creator does acknowledge this and it's actually one of their first longer videos, so I feel I should cut a bit of a break there. despite frustration...
So overall this is a nice video, with a great theme/song choice. I just would have liked it to be longer, and gotten rid of the overarching glare effect.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Carol of the Bells

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: Carol of the Bells (piano version) - EDIT: likely the version by George Winston (as per the creator)
Theme: dance throughout the series/series teaser
Spoilers: No (no context given)

Review: I love this song, and this version is especially well chosen for this series. The focus on dance is exquisitely executed, and flows gorgeously throughout~
Ballet and instrumental music like this just go well together; Princess Tutu just goes right along with it. The piano music highlights a simplicity that the show puts forth, like a fairytale. Sweet and innocent, simple to identify. But then there are background flourishes, accents of emotion, tunes twirling together. It's a blend of all these things, so that something supposedly simple becomes intricate, complex, and even more beautiful.
The scenes chosen are never 'filler'; they all have a purpose, they all say something. One of my favorite parts is from 1:19-1:24, where parallels between Rue and Duck are just striking. There are many other dance parallels pointed out as well, such as in some of the clips before with Mytho/Rue and Fakir/Duck (1:07-1:18 specifically). I love the overlays, the poignancies with the piano's rhythm... And the beginning/ending flourishes with the shoes from the opening narrations just set it all off perfectly.
I feel like the video will probably mean more to those who have already seen the show, but this is a pretty good video to show friends who are (or will be) interested in watching. There isn't any real context given, other than a lot of ballet and that certain characters dance together at some point. While it isn't the most exciting video, and so may not be the best for those who want a flurry of action and suspense, it is a good exhibition of the beautiful dancing involved, and the amount of dedication the creators put into the show. It also shows different sides of all the characters without really attributing anything permanent to them. For those of us who have watched it all, specifics will be quick to recall and enchanting to watch again. For those who haven't, this is a great introduction to the possible intricacies awaiting~

Overall Rating:10/10

Call of the Sirens: Dark AU

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Siren" by Theatre of Tragedy
Lyrics: songmeanings (there are some 'translations' in the comments on the page)
Theme: Alternate storyline of Princess Tutu: Rue and Duck are written as sirens by Drosselmeyer, and lure Mytho and Fakir to their fates through dance as Kraehe and Tutu, against their own wills. (creator description in Youtube description)
Spoilers: Yes (mild)

Review: This is a very intriguing story that is shared quite effectively! As an alternate universe, it is portrayed excellently. I like how the song's words just flow into its music, aiding to weave the story yet still being mysterious and almost indistinguishable. The almost waltz-like tempo mixed with a ballad of sorts contributes nicely to both the dance and fairytale elements.
Rue and Duck are written into crow/raven and swan sirens by Drosselmeyer. The girls aren't aware of their natures at first, but eventually find out; however, they fail to overcome their author.  Mytho and Fakir are haunted by Kraehe and Tutu in their dreams, eventually pushing the 'real' counterparts away in their obsession. The girls want to fight against their written nature, but find it impossible to do so, and lose the ones they love. (meahwhile Drosselmeyer sits back and laughs... fine, have your tragedy!)
While the overall idea of can't-fight-the-author is the same as the series, the character roles are slightly different, as are the execution and final result. These are shown very elegantly with the clips. It can be difficult to properly put forth an AU via a video, especially when the words/lyrics are such a small part of the experience. The lyrics do go well, don't get me wrong, words-wise and as part of the song - but they are rather difficult to understand, not only because of the melodic voices but because they're in some form of old English. It's beautiful, but the meaning behind them is conveyed through the clips used more than the words themselves. And that was done very well.
My only quibble with it is the length of the song at such a slow tempo. It is gorgeous song, but when paired with video, 6 minutes is a long time with no climax. Now there are visual climaxes, in the storyline given, but you kind-of have to be aware to catch them.
I really love that the theme of this AU keeps in mind the original author-character dynamic, as well as takes advantage of fairytales. The clips used are very well chosen and placed, and I get entranced whenever I watch it. I keep thinking that the effect isn't really that great, but then I watch it and become fascinated once again. Maybe this video has more in common with sirens than I thought~

Overall Rating: 9/10

The Walk

Note: Yes, I'm a bit late again... I wrote for a number of hours, and that seems to have aggravated my arm injury... It's doing better now. Hopefully it stays that way~

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "The Walk" by Imogen Heap
Lyrics: azlyrics
Theme: Rue/Duck/Mytho/Fakir & 'general angst'
Awards: 2nd place in NuitSongeur's P.T. AMV contest (also known as Night Thoughtful Productions)
Spoilers: Yes

Review: While the video seems to focus on Duck and Rue, there are moments with Fakir and Mytho near the end which are fairly obvious. And if you look hard enough, the boys also have a say in the previous clips, such as during the sword fighting scenes. And then when we get to Kraehe holding the knife above Mytho, "Don't make it harder than it already is," can go for both of them. Kraehe/Rue asking Mytho to quit beings so awful, and Mytho asking Kraehe to stop being so problematic and just do her duty. Actually, that latter part goes both ways... Interesting.
Anyway, the lyrics overall go quite well with the whole dynamics of the main 4 characters. They all have weaknesses made evident throughout the series, and try to blame them on someone, usually Tutu/Duck; even Duck herself does this. Nothing goes according to anyone's plans. Duck ends up being far more involved than she intended, Rue is losing her battle for the Prince, Fakir is having his failures (perceived or not) brought to light, and Mytho is finding out that he can have a say in his life, only to have to battle himself for that right.
Effects-wise, the video's usage is pretty effective. I really like the use of the background rhythm as an emphasis for the effects (although that is how they're supposed to be used; it's done well). There are a few times when it seems a bit overwhelming, or there isn't really enough of a glimpse for the desired effect to happen. Example: 2:22-24 there are some glimpses of what I think are Tutu, simply because of the white, but they're not long enough glimpses to be sure. Also 2:39-42 gets a bit hectic for effective comprehension. (unless the mood was hectic intentionally, which could be. Wouldn't have been my choice, though.) Now I know that the tempo and keeping up with it makes it difficult to get all the clips in that one wants or tries to. There are plenty of other times it works great, but these instances are not them.
Then, at around 4:35, after looking at Mytho and Rue under the tree for a while, the video kind-of looses its power for me. I like the happy ending in the series, of course, but after all the build-up and angst in the video, it feels a bit... anti-climactic. But the rest of the video does some pretty awesome build-up!

Overall Rating: 8/10

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Note: Sorry about missing the past two days. Ended up working more than anticipated, and then an old injury with my arms decided to act up. XP

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Glee cast (originally by Bonnie Tyler)
Lyrics: azlyrics
Theme Rue and Mytho, Rue's POV
Awards: 2nd place at Anime Oasis 2011 AMV contest
Spoilers: Yes

Review: I had never heard of this song before watching this video, so I may be somewhat biased in my evaluation. But seriously, I thought the song was made for Rue! I mean - "Once upon a time I was falling in love, / now I'm only falling apart..." Can you get more accurate? (ok, it's possible, but this is still pretty dang awesome!)
First of all, I really like how Mytho is there the entire time, an echo that repeats the same thing over and over, but she always gets different messages from it. Near the beginning, it's like he's telling her to look away while he goes after Tutu, that he doesn't need her anymore. She doesn't know what's going on, and she can't do much about it. Then, he tells her to turn and look at him in his monstrous state, the state she brought him to. She did this to him, and she can't forgive herself for it. (whether that was his intended message or not) And then at the very end, he tells her to turn around, look at him, and see that he's still there. He wants to be there for her, and he always will! He rescues her, and will never leave her alone again. And she finally recognizes that. <3
Then there's Rue. She can't control what's happening, even though she's trying so very hard. She wants to keep Mytho close to her, but he seems to be pulling farther and farther away. So she accepts her inner demon, her more powerful self, in order to try and steal him back. "Now there's only love in the dark." But it doesn't not work. She still can't keep him from thinking constantly about Tutu, from being mentally distant from her. So she ends up in tears, again and again. Then she sees what her love has done to him, and blames herself, letting herself fall into the depths of Despair inside the Raven. But Mytho/Siegfried comes for her, embraces her. She sees that he finally loves her, fully, despite everything.
(ok, maybe I went into a bit of a ramble about the series in general instead of the video itself, but it fits~!)
Ok, back to mechanics. The effects are actually used more frequently than I'd expect, but they're still very successful. The song lends itself to brief bursts of poignancy, which happens a lot with these two. The flashing with white wasn't overused, and the changing of scene/angle fit well with the tempo.
Also, the scenes picked were awesome. I mean, yes, a lot of them are awesome in and of themselves, but they are paired wonderfully with the lyrics, song atmosphere, and in context with surrounding clips. There were no abrupt changes that threw off the groove of the video, and it all fit seamlessly together.
I really love this video, and it's a great tribute to Rue and Mytho, from Rue's POV.

Overall Rating: 10/10

Cosmic Love

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Cosmic Love" by Florence + The Machine
Lyrics: azlyrics
Theme: Rue/Kraehe & Mytho, focus on Rue/Kraehe
Spoilers: Yes

Review: This song is wonderful, and it really just fits fantastically with this couple!
I love how it emphasizes the fact that Rue loved Mytho enough to follow him anywhere, or take him with her, as was sometimes the case in the first season. Even when he was in the darkness, no matter how deep, she stayed with him. Even if she was scared, she would never leave. This obsession sometimes frequently altered her viewpoint, so she would do awful things to ensure his safety and continuance with her. But it was always for him. (yes, with selfish desires fueling that, but she always was thinking first of him) Now, he doesn't always think of her first; actually quite frequently he doesn't (he focuses on his feelings and then getting a heart more). But she doesn't let that stop her.
The lyrical match-up is pretty good with this video. It's not always emphasized, but when it is, it's done quite well. Ex: "in the dark" = dancing with Raven!Mytho. Also, "but then [your heart] stopped, and I was in the darkness, so darkness I became" = Kraehe holding Mytho hostage, back to his doll-like state. She coos at him to smile once more, but when he can't respond, she accepts that it is probably for the better and embraces what she has turned him into. And then it segues immediately to evil!Mytho accepting a heart sacrifice, switching the perspective to Mytho becoming darkness. (although less willingly) Very nice use there, although the transition is a little abrupt.
Also: "in the shadow of your heart" = The first time, it's a reflection of Kraehe in Mytho's eyes, disappearing into shadows. The second time, she's dancing with the heart shard of Love, literally a shadow of Mytho's heart. Third time is when Mytho's angry and yelling at her in the classroom, only a shadow of his former self in some ways, of what she wanted. The last time is when Mytho's embracing her and telling her to kiss his heart before feeding it to the Raven, her shadow on the floor. (that one's not quite as straightforward, but still there)
Sometimes, it does feel like the creator is fishing for footage, though. What they used isn't bad, but doesn't have the same fluidity with the video that other clips do. Perhaps somewhat during the first chorus of 'ooo's. (Maybe I'm just being picky. :/ )
While I like the ending, I thought it felt a bit abrupt. All the angst and tension, and then suddenly it's all fixed at the end! The clips fit well, but it just felt... a bit rushed into. On closer looking, I do like that the 'wedding' scene was used before the finale's kiss, which slipped my notice for quite a while. But I still feel like it could be a bit smoother.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Erutan Sally's Song

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Sally's Song" by Danny Elfman; sung/arranged by Erutan (katethegreat19) (originally from the movie 'The Nightmare Before Christmas')
Lyrics: stlyrics
Theme: Duck/Tutu and Mytho (mostly Tutu)
Spoilers: No

Discovery: I love The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Princess Tutu. It was only a matter of time before I found a version of this I liked a lot.

Review: Sally's Song is the perfect one-sided ballad for a character like Princess Tutu/Duck, in terms of forlorn fatalism as well as a moderate waltz-like tempo. However, the while I love the original song, it doesn't quite fit with the atmosphere of Princess Tutu. But this version completely changes that. Erutan's arrangement with ethereal chimes and haunting echos just fits perfectly with this anime. It's beautiful to see them paired so well together!
The editing is great, though. The work with the clips chosen is wonderful. There's not a lot of flashiness or unneeded breaks/blinks. The simplicity of  the song and the clips themselves are left to do the communicating, with effects simply acting as enunciations.
The choices of clips varies in quality. Sometimes, it's really nice to see the lyrics and clips match up. Other times, they just don't mesh all that well. Now if the singing wasn't as obvious or central to the overall tune and tone, I think not aligning them would work better. Or even if the feeling of randomness simply happened less frequently with the current version, I would like it better. As it is, though, the video varied just a bit too much to connect as much with the song as I thought it was capable of. So while very pretty and nice, it didn't resonate with any deep chords.
I do like that the video focused on the first 'season' though (up til episode 13). Especially with the very last bit. That could have gone so many ways, but the clip chosen was very fitting for the atmosphere already established.

Overall Rating: 6/10