What’s it about? Maria “Mimi” Annovazzi is a martial prodigy, born into elevation and elegance and expected to…marry for prestige?! That definitely wasn’t the plan but when Maria loses her right to be heir, she finds herself quickly becoming tangled up in a series of embarrassments that may lead to her living life as a tragic spinster…unless?!
I will always and forever have a soft spot for the specific fantasy romantic comedy that is “girl’s life goes awry but she gets her groove back by being herself” and I have to tell you that when I saw the splash art for Maria wearing a BRASS KNUCKLE HAIR CLIP I knew I was in for a good time.
And thankfully, episode 1 opens with all the drama needed to kickstart Maria’s sudden decline in polite society and the freeing of her options when a prince she didn’t even know she was engaged to publicly cuts off their engagement.
But there’s more to Always a Catch! than this cold open. So let’s dig down into one of the most charming premieres this week!
Maria “Mimi” Annovazzi is a young woman of charm and prestige. Given into the hands of the Ametis family by her father, Mimi quickly displays that while she’s been trained in elite society, she’s something of an odd duck. That is to say, she’s so down to earth that she doesn’t quite fit into the upper echelons of society that she’s expected to perform within. But that doesn’t stop Mimi, who has a fiery fighting spirit: in fact, much of this premiere is spent witnessing Mimi simply being herself in a world that’s not ready for a young woman who’s like her. Still, Mimi is the heir of her family…that is, until she gets a little brother and suddenly is expected to behave just like every other woman.
And that’s a lot of what this premiere is about: the sudden changes of Mimi’s life from being a martially trained heir to a young woman of note whose duty is now marrying for prestige and political connection. It’s clear she’s not keen on this because that’s just not who Mimi is and that’s the consistent appeal as we get to see her new life develop in her home away from home.
No lie: Always a Catch! is super charming, and that includes its art style. Mimi’s wide range of emotions are so evocative here, from the fact that she’s much more masculine than her peers and delightfully expressive. It serves as a contrast to the foundation of her situation: a young woman who’s been sent to find some elite lords to marry and forge a suitable marriage connection with while also navigating Rubinian society, which expects proper manners.
This is, of course, an increasingly popular scenario across many subgenres of fantasy shows: we see it with the continued rise of villainess stories, of societal oddball girls in their own realms, and more. But Always a Catch! really hit me differently: I was immediately locked in in a way I haven’t been with this specific series of characteristics, and I think it’s because of the open contrast between main character Mimi and her much more conventionally proper friend, and distant relative, Aida, who is also engaged to one of Rubini’s princess. While not remaking the wheel, everything just worked here: the music, the animation, the characterization, the plot twist that reveals what the cold open doesn’t. It leads to a comedy that has enough plot that I simply can’t resist becoming a fan.
I’m not going to lie: as someone who grew up on all the girls Tamora Pierce created, this is right up my alley. I love a feminine powerhouse lead, a young woman who doesn’t hide her emotions and strength even when society would rather she find them. Mimi is certainly a stellar fit for the pantheon of girls who get shit done while still being allowed to be a girl, and she’s so easy to immediately like and love.
I didn’t have this series on my long-term radar, but I’m already hankering for the next episode. Mimi and the cast of student characters in her life have me eager to see where her story goes as she figures out whether she wants the freedom and stigma of life as a spinster or to do her filial duty and marry. Either way, I’m excited to explore the pathway to her decision and laugh a lot along the way!
