–both the princess and the pauper are in situations that teach self-sacrifice for the good of others
–the plot is complex and has multiple angles that all work together really well
–the glittery, feminine blonde princess is a science nerd
–the princess and the pauper are instant BFFs
–the songs are cute and catchy, but are also important to the storyline
–the love stories are realistic; the princess is in love with her best friend/tutor who she’s known for years, and the pauper falls in love with the king from a neighboring country because of their shared interests and beliefs
–the villain is a flamboyant and obnoxious character who is so hilarious all by himself that you will honestly laugh out loud more than once
–there’s a street cat that barks
–the street cat that barks falls in love with the dainty, sassy feline from the castle
–the princess and the pauper never go anywhere without their pets, and the pets return the favor by helping them whenever they need it
–did I mention the songs?
–the villain’s henchmen are named Nick and Nack
–the king (the pauper’s love interest) likes disguises for no apparent reason
–the tutor (the princess’ love interest) saves the day, like, three times without expecting a reward
–both the king and the tutor become bros in a single bonding moment as they simultaneously chase down the villain that tried to hurt their women
–all the main characters are interesting
–not only does the king refuse to believe the pauper is anything but good despite the evidence that she’s a criminal, but he also patiently waits for her for months while she’s living her dream of traveling the world, and then takes her back the moment she shows up at his front door because he’s faithful to her
–the princess breaks royal tradition by marrying the tutor, but also finds a way to secure the wealth of her kingdom first so that her people will be happy
–there’s a double wedding
–the pauper wears a choker with her wedding dress at the double wedding
–literally everything is girly; even the castle is pink
–the overall point of the whole movie is that you are special and beautiful, and that as long as you stay positive and support each other, everyone will get their happy ending
BONUS:
there are specially-animated outtakes during the credits