mai otome 21
Categories: anime, episodic review, mai hime/otome, spoilers
Tagged: mai hime/otome
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Mai Otome is trying to set a record for most minor characters killed without a single major battle sequence. Has the plot really advanced since Erstin vanished? No. Meanwhile, Sunrise tosses kibbles and bits at us like Shizuru and Tomoe and Aoi’s death and pretend it’s “plot.” How dumb do they think we are?
The episode begins with Nina vs. Hime-Mikoto, which finishes before the OP even rolls. Rushed would be an understatement. Thanks, Sunrise, for blowing a great chance to have a decent fight scene.
Of course they cut to Otome-Mikoto just to remind us we’re watching the Gundam Seed Destiny that is Mai Otome as opposed to the Gundam Seed that is Mai Hime.
Aswald is rebuilding, and everyone seems happy. I mean, after a big fire and the loss of a lifetime’s worth of research, all one can do is eat melonpan, right? And where’s Shana?
Of course, they send the sandworm in to harrass/eat/kill the Windbloom refugees. When Jyuunana-sai desu and Reito refuse to help “for their own good,” Arika and Mashiro just watch. Mashiro is still upset at them for killing Aoi.
Mashiro eventually decides to do the right thing and springs into action unleashing Arika, but it’s too late. There’s a price to be paid.
Meanwhile, Nagi is happily consolidating his power and asks about how the new GEM users are doing.
And Shizuru is getting completely neutered. I mean, couldn’t they fill the room with S&M equipment instead? Or at least have her and Tomoe’s clothes strewn across the room? Is that too much to ask for?
Shiho’s beyond just a joke now. It’s difficult to take a show seriously when they juxtapose Shiho’s turn-turn-turn inbetween…
… yet another minor character’s death. Arika and Mashiro were too slow earlier, and this is the price to be paid. It’s hard to take a death seriously when I’m still laughing at Shiho. Alyssa’s death does serve a purpose as now both Arika and Mashiro snap out of their respective funks and set out for Windbloom.
Erstin’s “death” was the moment when Mai Otome jumped the shark. It had the potential to become a great series (I even wrote, “Suddenly, Mai Otome Destiny is now the “must watch†anime series over FSN, Shana, and every other showing airing right now because we have no frickin’ clue what’s going to happen next… and we can’t wait to see what does happen”), and it completely went downhill since then. The show has become a discoherent mess, and it’s desperately trying anything and everything to keep the fanboys interested.
It has done the complete opposite of Gun x Sword after Claw Man’s arrival— whereas that series took the pedal to the metal and delivered, Mai Otome is just spinning and floundering. Seriously? Four episodes without an Otome battle? Four episodes and all the mains are still alive? Five episodes left and no Mai? A complete nothingburger with cheese use of Hime-Mikoto? At this point in Hime, Takumi had been taken out, and Mai was having her breakdown. Things were hot and heavy, and every episode had the Himes going after each other. Mai Otome just doesn’t have the same amount or intensity of insane lesbians trying to kill each other. Four episodes since the last Otome battle. Four! Sunrise, my offer still stands, I’ll be glad to write for you guys, for free.
At least the next episode preview gives some hope the show won’t be just “kill off yet another minor character of the week because Mashiro/Arika couldn’t protect them” formula.
DO YOUR BEST deshou, k?
11 Responses to “mai otome 21”
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I may be more forgiving in this respect than most people when it comes to this series, since after all a sequel has the unenviable taak of trying to be as good if not better than the orginal. Honestly this was a sequel, this being inferiro to the orginal was to be expected any better would be most welcome suprise.
The lack luster perfomance as of late may yet be a blessing in disguise. After all things can only get better right? After the over use of minor deaths and Sand Worms, err…Jabal I doubt they can cause even more pain than they already have. The next ep promises a bit more in terms of fighting in the form of MIYU vs a cat, and Valkyrie vs Arika (I am still holding out on MIYU kicking Nagi’s pets in the teeth).
Besides if you have ever read DUNE and the books that came after its really hard to do that bad and trump Duncan clones and a Sand Worm that is a god. After reading that mess this pales in comparison. Episodes I-III did more to destroy the Darth Vader mythos than Mai-Otome can to Mai-Hime. Just thank you luck stars that we don’t have to be insulted with lines like “I can learn to love sand…” At least Sunrise is throwing kibbles and bits and not Jar Jar.
Someday they might reveal this so called script writer’s address and all of otakudom can pour sugar in his/her gas tank. If you need to satisfy you desire for S&M equipment they try google you won’t find it in this series, for better or for worse. Besides if they did show all, would it have then saved the pathetic shadow of the plot? Furthermore if they did then wouldn’t the Anime bashers have more ammunition to lynch otakus since this is a much more popular franchise?
Personally I wasn’t much of a fan of Mai’s little whine, angst, and emo. For me the only time I can complain is while I am doing something constructive to alleviate the tedium of it all. Unwarranted emo, and angst will get me and my buddies in trouble or a trip back home in a small box. I also hope that Sunrise will take you up on your offer, however should you get the job and fail… Well suffice to say Vader’s handling of Needa and Ozzel will seem tame. ;)
Always keep in mind though that this series is about an ant named Arika, not Mai and Tate. Besides in terms of continuations was Da Capo 2 worth it to see that scheming witch Nemu?
-Never tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and they’ll suprise you with their creativity.
“A complete nothingburger with cheese” is one of the best definitions of this anime in the last installments. I totally share our rants. I’m always starting to see the next ep pf MAI-Otome with best hopes – but when I see just these crumbs of this-and-that, I feel, really, pulled on my legs. The Maki-maki-bees were too much to endure, even for a hardcore-fan of 2×2=Shinobuden like me.
Ugh. I totally agree with the series going downhill. I expected so much as Aoi went to meet her maker (which now I supposed she was given a number at the gates of heaven and told to go back until she was called)… But seriously, sometimes I just can’t even bear to watch this series anymore. I guess nothing can really compare to the Mai Hime series. And YES! Why is Mai coming out NOW?? I expected Sunrise to plunk her in right when the opening changed. Okay. Maybe not right away, but at least the next episode. I feel like Sunrise is trying to add too much of a storyline into too short a time. While concentrating on Aswald and the separation of the Otomes, they suddenly stopped drinking their coffees and went “CRAP, we forgot MAI!!!” It’s honestly a big big disappointment as I had expected that we would finally be able to hear Mai’s story about how she and (I’m assuming) Tate were together, separated and how she ended up lost. And that scene with her and the wok and ladle.. Honestly, what is she going to do? Spank Nagi to death with it? Cook up some delicious goodies so that the spirit of Mikoto (spirit my ass) will be quelled? Yes, yes I know that this story isn’t about Mai and Tate, but everyone misses them and Arika isn’t really living up to her part. But hopefully with the last 5 episode Sunrise will live up to its reputation. PLEASE PLEASE SUNRISE!!!
You know, if they kill off the whole Aswad village while Mashiro and Arika fails to protect them, I’m just going to start laughing my ass off.
Incidentally, since when did Mashiro start running around without a shirt, anyways?
Haesslich, whenever Mashiro is in her “street” clothes it has always been with that pointless white tube-top.
“Someday they might reveal this so called script writer’s address and all of otakudom can pour sugar in his/her gas tank.”
Somehow, it escaped me before. That’s good strategy, count me in for a full demerara treatment, Crusader, ne?
I just want to say that expecting Otome to be “HiME All Over Again” is why a lot of people are being disappointed.
Its NOT HiME, its telling a different story, in a different way.
Lets wait till its all over before declaring that its failed.
I dunno about that, Fencedude, we’ve all pretty much accepted that Otome’s a different creature, it’s just the fact that Sunrise is failing to tell a decent story. The pacing, the plot developments, it’s just not good.
It’s just the inherit difficulty with the way Otome is setted. In Hime, it was like a battle royal thing where people didn’ choose to fight but had to fight or else their loved one would die. In here, you got freaking countries who are scared to duke each other out. Unlike Hime where a fight could break out in the next corner, countries can’t exactly go and declare war and fight it out in 15 minutes.
And unlike Hime, where the everyone is a potential enemy to anyone, only a small portion of the big cast in otome are enemies to another small portion of the cast, which explains the slow lackluster developments. I’m willing to bet by the end, over half of the cast don’t even fight, much less ‘die’. And by fight I don’t mean fighting wave #402 of Slaves or soldier#7432.
All I can do is point at the fact that Mai SHOULD be showing up next episode, since she was in the preview for 22.