there’s something about mai
Categories: anime, commentary, mai hime/otome
Tagged: mai hime/otome
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There’s one thing that I can’t shake about Mai Otome, and I think these two screens say it best:
Gundam Seed Destiny tried to continue off of Seed and tried to introduce a new hero. The problem was that the new hero wasn’t very likable, and when they brought back the original hero, and he took over the show. Now, with Otome, we all know it’s a matter of time before Mai returns so that limits the amount of time for poor Arika to establish herself. Granted she’s got the pigtails that Shinn doesn’t have, but Mai and her, uh, ample quantities were a reason people enjoyed the original. I never thought of Mai as being a spectacular hero, but she was steady and could carry a show without killing it (unlike, oh, Shinn). So what happens when Mai makes an awesome, fanservice-ladden (okay, it’s Sunrise, so probably not) enterence? Does Mai take a small role at first, and, if ratings sag, they shove Arika out the door?
Even worse for poor Arika is the “been there, done that” factor. For instance, the only way Bandai was going to top Freedom and to sell more toys is to make it even stronger, and Strike Freedom became the new Thunder God Cid. Problem was that this move was expected. We knew Kira was going to get an upgrade, if anything just to sell more toys, and I’m sure some model builders out there would have been disappointed if he didn’t get one. Even if they made the Otome Shizuru three times as insane as the Hime Shizuru, it wouldn’t be as shocking. In fact, if she doesn’t do something insane and goes berserk, I’m ready to call Otome a total failure. The only Otome Shizuru is going to top Hime Shizuru is if she is really a hermaphodite and has a four way with Mashiro, Arika, and Mikoto the cat.
Sequels always have the unenviable task of trying to better the original, and it’s rare when one works out. They are even trickier when they are replacing the main character with an unknown quantity. Mai was a pretty big part of Mai Hime, and the way they handle her return is going to be a pretty large influence on the show. Since it’s the same scriptwriter for Seed, Destiny, Hime, and Otome, there’s a distinct chance we have already watched Otome, only with giant robots in space. The “failing to kill the opponent with an oversized, novelty sword” is a good example of possible script re-use . Of course, when I was watching Destiny and saw Shinn plunge that sword into Freedom, I kept thinking, “Whoa, he pulled a Mikoto.” I hope they don’t pull a Shinn/Kira with Arika/Mai.
5 Responses to “there’s something about mai”
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You know for all my GS/GSD bashing, I never noticed that Mai+Mikoto and Freedom+Destiny similarity. Good call on that Jason.
Let’s hope Mai Otome doesn’t cop out like GSD did! Even if Mai Otome ends up being Mikoto’s food coma induced dream, it’ll still be vastly better than GSD’s ending. ;)
There’s already a hint of Mai returning in her Kagutsuchi robe to annihilate a whole flight of dragon thingies in the OP. I was thinking ‘Strike Freedom’ then…
But my great hope that Mai Otome won’t be GSDified is mainly rooted in my guess that selling robot toys won’t figure as strongly in the script writing. And Arika doesn’t have dead-sis-con. -_-;;
Arika Definately represents the Muslim extremists in the world today. The Riot over Denmark due to a cartoon defacing Mohammed was technically Arika’s fault, for failing to fuck Sergay.
Cheney Rules
The only two downfalls to Mai-ZHime: The KKK snatching poor Kazuya away from poor Akane, and the show relying too much on lesbian moe and not enough hot young guys like Takumi and Kazuya.
As a creator of anime, Bandai/Sunrise gets nothing but hate from me now.
If,maybe in the next couple of years Sunrise inc. and Bandai get together to make a season 3,of the Mai-series,who knows,maybe Mai will get the lead-role?And Arika will have a minor/major role too.Maybe.And who knows maybe season 3 could be after the OVA,if so that would be great.But the best part would be that Sunrise and Bandai would progress Mai and Mikoto’s relationship from Otome to the season 3.But maybe Mai and Mikoto would be the main characters in the OVA.And maybe we can see their Master/Otome relationship take a next step so all of us viewers could see.