| The Princess and the Pilot | |
Cover art of the light novel To Aru Hikūshi e no Tsuioku, as published by Shogakukan
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| とある飛空士への追憶 (To Aru Hikūshi e no Tsuioku) | |
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| Genre | Action, military, romance[1] |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Koroku Inumura |
| Illustrated by | Haruyuki Morisawa |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Imprint | Gagaga Bunko |
| Demographic | Male |
| Published | February 19, 2008 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Koroku Inumura (original) |
| Illustrated by | Maiko Ogawa |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Imprint | Monthly Shōnen Sunday Comics |
| Magazine | Monthly Shōnen Sunday |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | August 12, 2009 – March 12, 2011 |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Anime film | |
| Directed by | Jun Shishido |
| Produced by | Hideaki Miyamoto Ryouhei Takahashi |
| Written by | Satoko Okudera |
| Music by | Shirō Hamaguchi |
| Studio | Madhouse (animation) TMS Entertainment (production) |
| Licensed by |
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| Released | October 1, 2011 |
| Runtime | 100 minutes |
The Princess and the Pilot (とある飛空士への追憶, To Aru Hikūshi e no Tsuioku, "Recollections for a Certain Pilot") is a 2008 Japanese light novel by written by Koroku Inumura and illustrated by Haruyuki Morisawa.[2]Ananime film adaptation was released in Japanese cinemas on 1 October 2011.[3]
To Aru Hikūshi e no Tsuioku is a joint production by Japanese animation studios Madhouse and TMS Entertainment,[4] and it was directed by the director Jun Shishido.[5] The cast of this film was officially revealed on 19 May 2011.[5]
Koroku Inumura's original war romance light novel revolves around Charles Karino, a Levamme Kingdom mercenary aerial pilot and Juana del Moral, a princess of del Moral family. Charles, who's the best fighter pilot in the entire Kingdom, lives with the mercenaries and is looked down upon by the regular soldiers of the Kingdom, but one day gets to man the twin-seater reconnaissance seaplane Santa Cruz after receiving a surprise assignment: to fly over 12,000 kilometers of enemy waters to protect aforementioned princess after her mansion gets bombed by the Amatsuvian Empire's fighter pilots and her father, Diego del Moral, dies. This mission would be a covert operation requiring the other mercenaries and forces to play the part of the decoy.
But after having suspicions from the start of the mission, Charles eventually discovers that both the original operation and the covert operation have been figured out by the enemy decoding the military telegraphs sent by the crown prince Carlo to Juana. Although this outrages Charles very much, he agrees to proceed with the mission. Throughout the whole mission, they become known about each other's character and history, thus becoming emotionally attached to each other, while hiding, surviving and defeating the worst attacks from the enemy, enduring hardships. At the end of the mission, even though Charles receives a hefty sum of pay disrespectedly, he throws it all away and goes away with his plane. It doesn't become clear what happened to him afterwards or whether those two met each other again or not.
Eventually, the princess after becoming Queen of Lavamme, goes on to create lasting peace between the two warring sides.[6]
Amanga adaptation, illustrated by Maiko Ogawa, was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday from August 12, 2009, to February 12, 2011.[7][8] Shogakukan compiled its chapters into four tankōbon volumes, released from January 12, 2010, to September 12, 2011.[9]
