Which is more valuable, one person or the entire world? It all depends on how you value a single human life. If you’re like me, it’s not an easy question to answer. Nevertheless, this is the central question that the 2003 anime Scrapped Princess, from the studio BONES (they really do make great stuff), tackles as it chronicles the journey of a girl cursed from birth and her struggle to choose her destiny for herself.

Scrapped Princess is the oldest anime series I’ve ever watched, and the charm of the presentation (not to mention the polished story) won me over from the initial episode. As the show continued on, I was continually impressed by both its treatment of the characters and the important thematic questions it engages. Scrapped Princess is proof that there’s no substitute for good characters, good themes and a good story. I’m giving it a high 7/10, and its ranking can be found on the Ongoing Rankings Page.

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