hontou ni
16Jan/0611

HiMe vs Otome: Will the better Mai please stand out?

Although I haven't been blogging Mai Otome, I actually follow it rather faithfully since after the end of SHUFFLE, it is my only weekly download that's fresh from Japanese TV.

I admit I'm enjoying it... A LOT. At least as of ep 13 that is. But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel it's subpar compared to Mai HiME. While it's true that any comparison is unfair/premature since it's almost like comparing Gundam Wing to Gundam SEED, having the same cast makes it inevitable. So here's my very biased take on the first half of both series. Be warned, spoilers galore.

1) Drama
Even though the name SUNRISE summons forth images of mega-explosions, mechas and pink haired girls, it was Mai HiME's drama that won my admiration for SUNRISE. At midseries, Mai HiME had already drawn blood (and my tears) with a poignant death (via Akane's Kazu-kun [ep 8]) but Mai Otome is not even close to emotional for this viewer. In fact in ep 13, Mai Otome seems to want to compensate Akane's previous loss in Mai HiME by giving her a fairy-taleseque resolution. And very suddenly, we realise that the way out of Otome-hood is marrying the person you love as contrasted with release from HiME-hood which requires the death of your love. Somehow the former does not have the dramatic impact I have so loved Mai HiME for.

2) Scenario - HiMEs didn't choose, they were chosen.
I simply love Mai HiME's "You lose, your love dies." premise since it promises incredible levels of high drama and angst which SUNRISE delivered. The fact that HiMEs are born into their cruel fate also heightens the permeating sense of futility about their destinies as HiMEs plunge into bloodbaths for their beloved. Contrast this with the current Otome system. While previously, you are born HiME, now you BECOME an Otome. While the beloved's life is involuntarily tied to HiMEs' Child, an Otome's well-being is tied to her master, a person she chooses to contract even though he could be the a megalomanic or scum of the earth; a person you strive to protect on account of your honor as an Otome, not of personal affections. In addition, an Otome chooses knowing FULL WELL slaying ex-Galdrobe comrades could become part of the job description. I don't know about you but my sympathies lie clearly with the HiMEs.

3)Action and Music
While Otome has some great battle sequences, I find many of them rather short and somewhat unsatisfying since they often end prematurely. Maybe I've been too conditioned to Kagutsuchi-induced mega-explosions that decisively bring battles to closure. I'm not sure but Otome fight scenes don't seem to pack the same ummph. On the music front, I'm thoroughly happy with Otome's MATERIALISE and Otome no komoriuta and consider them worthy successors to Mai HiME's representative Mezame and Ensei respectively. No complains there.

4) Characters
I only have one MAJOR complain.... WHAT DID SUNRISE TO THE BEAUTIFUL MASHIRO OF MAI HIME?! That aside, I'm rather impressed by how ingeniously SUNRISE managed to reincarnate the HiMEs into alternate-world Otomes with their soul/personalities intact... (EXCEPT Mashiro!?) Arika and Nina make interesting leads and I derive great pleaure from seeing their antics and character growth. Especially love Nina's squeals.

5) Japanese anime-related fetishes
Sis-con- CHECKED. Lolicon- CHECKED. Cross-dressing- CHECKED. Meido-con- CHECKED. Yuri-con- CHECKED. And oooohhh kinky... Daddy-con- CHECKED. SUNRISE is clearly updated on current Japanese palates as they integrate the more fashionable complexes into Otome (some present in HiME too). They even up the ante but dabbling in the taboo and more obscure Daddy-con. I'm not sure I should celebrate but is certainly Otome is up to par with HiME when it comes to fetishing.

Well Mai Otome does have 10 over episodes to bloom into the Mai HiME's greatness and I'm hoping to be once again wow-ed by the mighty pen of SUNRISE's scriptwright. However, given the confines of the current scenario, I'm not quite optimistic if she have the dramatic punch of her predecessor. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Related posts:

  1. Mai Otome 01
  2. Mai Otome 25-26 (Final)
  3. Mai HiME 17

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Comments (11) Trackbacks (1)
  1. Phoenix512
    January 16th, 2006 - 13:25

    If you hated what they did to Mashiro in Otome, I suggest that you don’t read the Otome manga. You don’t want to know what they did to Mashiro in the manga version.

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  2. Zyl
    January 16th, 2006 - 17:39

    1 & 2) I think the Memento team has pointed out that Akane is still serving the same plot purpose – to show what is at stake. And if you liked the drama and tragedy of Mai HiME, wouldn’t you dislike the reset ending then which IMHO reduced everything that had happened so far to the joke of Natsuki’s casual “forgive me!” to Nao and Haruka?

    3) Yeah, nothing in the BGM/OST has caught my attention yet.

    4) I actually prefer Mai Otome Mashiro to Mai HiME Mashiro – latter I found to be rather creepy. I think the Mai HiME Special #2 underscored this quite well for me.

    5) Wah, u so much faith in SUNRISE ah? I have only one thing to say: “GSD.” Ikke! X20A Strike Kagutsuchi Mai! But since low expectations is the secret of happiness, I’m ready to declare Mai Otome to be a success with Ers-chan having done the cheek-rubba with Nina. ;)

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  3. crimson
    January 17th, 2006 - 05:50

    hey guys, how goes?
    i just recovered from a week long worth of hard disk failure :P
    spent the whole of this afternoon to re-install stuffs.
    At least i had a crash helmet this time (aka managed to back 99% of my stuffs in time).

    I’m being appealed by Mai Otome more.
    But, come to think of it, i dont think i’ll enjoy Mai Otome this much if i havent watch Mai Hime before.
    Oh, Mai Otome’s trailer is kinda misleading. It results in a ‘pleasant surprise’ if u did catch the trailer first then watch Mai Otome.

    Talk about trailers, i got all of Mahou Shoujotai becos of their trailer. I feel so cheated. Not a single scene came out in the actual show…arghhhh… what a waste.

    Anyway, i guess we all know what Mashiro will look like in 20 yrs time, hahaha.

    As usual, i find those opera + newage instruments in Mai Otome (vs Mai Hime’s Mezame) to be interesting. But I’ll still rate Mezame higher.

    Other than that, Mai Otome’s summoning vortex and the ED’s stars looked absolutedly gorgeous. Uhm, yeah, i’m implying that i didnt really notice if that’s the standard for Mai Hime’s FX too..

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  4. Stripey
    January 18th, 2006 - 08:43

    phoenix512: Oh yes, I heard what they did to “her” in the manga… and I’m soooo grateful they didn’t take that track.. phew! :)

    Zyl: Yes brother, Mai HiME’s ending didn’t sit too well with me actually :) But I simply loved the preceding drama, although I should just be thankful it’s a decent resolution unlike ahem the other SUNRISE franchise. On the music front, try “MATERLISE” and “Otome no komoriuta”. They are excellent pieces that are very representative of Kajiura’s works. “Hoshi ga Kanaderu Monogatari” is a powered up version of “It’s only the fairy tale” w/o the Engrish :) As for faith in Sunrise, I personally think it’s currently one of the best studios out there now. :) True, they need more work in resolving series but their productions are generally above average if not excellent. I also have more faith in their non-Gundam productions somehow. :)

    Crimson: Great to hear from you again and glad you didn’t lose much data over your crash :) I loved Otome’s ED too! The rendering of the galaxies is truly gorgeous :) I wished they do summons more often though. The Otome fights haven’t been very inspiring of late. Maybe having their CHILDs would inject more zest :)

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  5. crimson
    January 19th, 2006 - 17:30

    stripey! I see soundtracks being mentioned! Are those 2 pieces u recommend to Zyl from Mai Otome OST?
    Thanks.

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  6. Stripey
    January 20th, 2006 - 02:12

    Yes yes they are. :) My favourite pieces of the OST and currently on repeat on my player :)

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  7. crimson
    January 20th, 2006 - 06:51

    oh cool, didnt know they are out, i just got them all today :P

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  8. crimson
    January 20th, 2006 - 07:25

    haha no komoriuta is pretty nice too :P

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  9. crimson
    January 20th, 2006 - 07:28

    sorry to single post so many times, the thoughts came in fragments.
    Looks like Mai is one of the tragic idol of this story.

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  10. Kabitzin
    January 25th, 2006 - 14:16

    Doesn’t Mai Otome feel like it was an add-on in the contract for the cast of Mai Hime? All the characters that got totally screwed in Mai Hime (except maybe Shiho) get much better treatment this time. Lonely Nao gets some kinda weirdo gang (if you can call it that), Akane gets a nice little resolution, Shizuru gets Natsuki and way more screentime, Takumi gets to be royalty, etc. etc.

    I can imagine the pitch to Nao:

    Nao: I see that I lose an eye, have my mom die, and have my CHILD’s phallis cut off… I’m not sure about this.
    Agent: Ok, ok, ok, listen, if you sign on for Mai Hime, we’ll make you just as cool in this “Mai Otome” spinoff series, you won’t lose any body parts, and you’ll get some groupies.
    Nao: Groupies? Can they wear shirts with pink stripes on them?
    Agent: Er…. I’ll ask…

    ( REPLY )
  11. Stripey
    January 29th, 2006 - 10:16

    Crimson: Ooo I like haha no komoriuta too! Mai seems to be the Kira Yamato for Otome. The new OP for ep 16 shows her owning everything that moves :P

    Kabitzin: LOL!!!! *wipes tears* indeed! I can definitely see the HiME senpais getting the better deal over the Otome newbies. :) Arika was abandoned and orphaned. Nina is also orphaned and has a doomed love for foster father (who incidentatlly likes her good friend). Erstin is not going to live for too long by my reckoning either. Possibly the only anomaly is Mai who took the most crap in HiME and seems to be the tragic example in Otome too.

    Nao’s agent obviously drives a hard bargain… she’s made a Pillar too :P

    ( REPLY )

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