From the visionary director behind the Kill Bill Vol. 1 anime sequence and B: The Beginning, Kazuto Nakazawa adapts the story by the acclaimed Yoko Kamio (Boys Over Flowers)—Prism Rondo, aka Love Through A Prism. The anime is written and character designed by Kamio. Maki Minami is illustrating the manga. Wit Studio brings their animation chops from projects such as Spy x Family, Vinland Saga, and much more to this special series. If Bridgerton, Violet Evergarden, and Blue Period had a baby, this is it.
Love Through A Prism is a youthful love story set in London, England, in the early 1900s. Lili Ichijoin, who aspires to be a painter and is transferring to an art school in London, made a promise to her parents that if she didn’t get the top spot at the school within six months, she would immediately return to Japan to run their family’s kimono business. Lili meets Kit Church, the son of a wealthy nobleman and a genius art student who is a troublemaker at his own pace, and develops a burning rivalry with him. Kit, who was only interested in painting, also resonates with Lili’s straightforward and pure feelings.
Something about this show reminds me of a time when we were all young, chasing our dreams or fighting to survive on our own. To some, we are still doing this. Love Through A Prism sparks that creative drive and passion, reminding audiences about the importance of the arts and art history. And for those who could not care less about art, they will enjoy the romantic build-up and the microscope on the aristocratic life of 1900s high society in England.
“Love Through A Prism sparks that creative drive and passion, reminding audiences about the importance of the arts and art history.”
The way art is incorporated throughout this anime series reminds me a lot of Blue Period, minus the technical teaching moments. Instead, Love Through A Prism explores and examines how these art students laugh, cry, and gain inspiration from each other. In a sense, it progressively paints an instructive picture for modern society and modern artists, urging them to highly value the human condition, regardless of where people are from or their social standing. Art supercedes all boundaries.
One appealing detail of the show is that each episode features an artistic title. Even the opening theme song, Star Flower by Chili Beans, adds a gentle warmth to the stop-motion animation, complemented by illustrated sequences of Lili and Kit’s adventures. I was disappointed not to see full end credits, although this may have been a deliberate choice to focus the budget and creative effort on the episodes themselves. If that was the intention, the decision pays off. The painted aesthetic present throughout the series is immaculate, down to the smallest details. Whether depicting a painting, a sculpture or an everyday meal, each scene feels carefully crafted. The visuals consistently appear hand-drawn and animated with exceptional care.
Kamio proves she still draws character designs with such great care. Many of the British/European characters are stunning to look at, each with distinct coloured eyes. The eye details go even further as everyone except the two main Japanese characters in this series has some kind of colourful eyes. Lili and the other Japanese character, Shinnosuke Kobayakawa, aka Shin, have plain black eyes, with the faintest glint of grey.
“Ultimately, Love Through A Prism serves as a timeless reminder of the importance of camaraderie and the idea that everyone deserves a chance to chase their dreams.”
Meanwhile, Kit has a slight pink to his eyes; Joffrey has a reddish hue in his eyes; Catherine has muted cyan/turquoise-coloured eyes; and Dorothy has bright green, almost emerald, eyes. These subtle details show that Kamio’s character designs are meaningful and serve a purpose for each unique element of each character.
Immediately watching Love Through A Prism, the voice acting stood out to me in both Japanese and English. Various familiar Japanese voices are featured in this show, such as Atsumi Tanezaki (Frieren in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End) and Koki Uchiyama (Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia).
The English VAs stuck out to me because they got United Kingdom English VAs to voice the characters—adding to the immersion that this was 1900s England. Distinctly, Lili’s VA Leader Looi (League of Legends, Black Myth: Wukong) is British-Asian, playing a Japanese girl travelling to England for the first time. Peter Anthony’s VA Feliks Mathur is also British-South Asian, playing an Indian boy from Delhi, India.
Looking more closely at Dorothy’s voice actor, Rebecca Hansen, a London-based Scottish actor, the character reflects familiar Scottish traits, including ginger hair and freckles. This level of detail could easily be overlooked, but it appears intentional. It reflects the high standard of character design that Kamio brings to the anime.
Whether the characters speak U.K. English or Japanese, the voice acting is consistently strong. It initially threw me off not to hear North American voice actors, but I later realized that the use of British accents helps immerse English-dub audiences more deeply in the setting.
The main aspect that drew me into Love Through A Prism was how fun Lili is, and watching her get up to her antics. It gave me a similar vibe to watching Emily Cooper take on Paris in Emily in Paris, minus all of Emily’s boyfriends. Lili’s migrant adventures were more tame, yet captivating to watch someone attempt to navigate a new environment that they are used to. In a sense, the show encourages travel, as well as exploration and discovery in new places and people.
By episode 20 of Love Through a Prism, I trusted Kamio to tell a deeply connected human story presented as a period piece. Viewers who enjoy historical fiction set in early 1900s England, with themes of aristocracy, the arts, the breaking of social class boundaries, female friendship and budding young love, will find much to connect with here. While the series can be a slow burn at times, its compelling lead and occasional dramatic cliffhangers make it a binge-worthy anime.
Ultimately, Love Through a Prism serves as a timeless reminder of the importance of camaraderie and the idea that everyone deserves a chance to chase their dreams, provided they are willing to put in the work.
