If participating in this spotlight, will you be a first time watcher?
WARNING: This spotlight contains spoilers for the first three episodes!! If you absolutely can't be spoiled, please watch those and then come back and join us! Mai HiME is a lot of things. It's a comedy sketch about school girls and food. It's a magical girl anime with Pokemon (no but kind of seriously). It's a tragedy. It's a romance. It's dramatic and funny and fantastical and fanservice-y and sometimes it's worthy of how much you like it and sometimes it's not. Mai HiME focuses on Tokiha Mai, a new scholarship student at Fuuka Academy, who quickly discovers that she is actually a HiME (or 'Highly-advanced Materializing Equipment'). HiMEs are girls that have powers, called elements, that they can manifest on will, in addition to their child, a hybrid mecha-mystical beast that they summon. HiMEs fight Orphans, monsters that are terrorizing Fuuka, but Mai quickly learns that there are some powerful people behind the Academy that may have darker intentions...  Our leading lady and her child, Kagutsuchi. Why is this show worthy of my time? There is a lot of bad anime out there. And for the first several episodes of Mai HiME, you may start to think this is one of them. Be forewarned - this show is not for the faint of heart yuri watchers. There are several filler episodes with a lot of fanservice, and a lot of it is so heterosexual (or yuri-baiting) that you may want to puke. But Mai HiME is not what it appears to be, in the end. A lot of people compare Mai HiME to Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. This is a good comparison, I think - both are magical girls animes that involve dark twists and defy the genre. However, I think Mai HiME can be better compared to Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, which contains similar comedic elements in addition to the aforementioned darkness. Mai HiME takes several surprising turns, especially towards its finale, that make it stand out from other mahou shoujo animes and ensure its appeal to people who are not traditionally fans of the genre.  oooh the darkness And if that's not good enough for you, there are a ton of characters (and I mean a literal ton. 2,000 pounds worth of them) to love and hate as you see fit. There is Mai, her brother Takumi whom she cares for, her fellow HiMEs Mikoto and Natsuki, the Student Council and Executive Board, the Director of Fuuka, Nagi, the teachers, the students, the clergy. There are so many people in this show, but for the most part their roles are well-defined and it's not too many so that you can't remember who is who. Most importantly, though, is that so many of these characters are multi-faceted, interesting people who you want to get to know better. Some of them you will, some of them you won't, but it's very rewarding to watch them grow. Oh, and I guess the art is pretty great too. (Actually, to be fair, I really didn't like it at first - I thought it was too blocky for my taste. Of course, as I continued to watch the series, I grew to really enjoy the character designs and the animation.)  Drunk magical girls are highly underrated. So where does the yuri come into play? So let's go on a little journey. The first time I watched Mai HiME, I was currently looking for my next yuri anime. I watched the first episode, was not hugely impressed by what I saw (and the distinct lack of yuri and the presence of a male character), and stopped. Six months later, I went back to it, actually sat through the first couple of episodes, and fell in love. Moral of the story: you cannot go into this series expecting the yuri to fall in your lap. You cannot go into this series hoping that there are no male characters, because there are, and several of them play boyfriends and love interests. You cannot go into this series without an interest in the main plot and watch it solely for the yuri. That being said, there IS yuri. And a lot of it. In varying degrees. The first degree is the yuri-baiting, with the stereotypical boob touching and snuggling, the sleeping together, the frequent 'I love you's.  An example of yuri-baiting/goggle incidents. Then there is stage two yuri, spanning the goggle-worthy incidents to the heavy subtext relationships. There are at least two (arguably three) relationships in Mai HiME that involve the implication of a girl having romantic emotions towards another girl. Whether or not she reciprocates depends on the relationship, of course, but they are definitely there and occasionally brought to light.  Ugh get this man away from me. Then, lastly, there is the ultimate yuri. The couple whose name will not be stated for those who are new to watching it, as you have to watch ALL THE WAY UNTIL THE END to figure out who they are. But it's well worth the wait. And if you need to know now, just tumblr search 'Mai HiME' - it's really difficult to find pictures that aren't of them. But not only is there yuri. And I mean confirmed yuri with confessions and kisses and spectacular displays of the depths of their emotions. In addition to all the cute stuff, that relationship plays a fairly large role in the plot development and conclusion. Is it the most important? No. But it definitely comes close. And for all of those members who have been struggling to find yuri romance in anime that's not focused solely on their relationship, this may be the one for you.  And if not, here's Natsuki and a butt gif IN ONE. Overall, I give Mai HiME an 8/10, mostly because I want even more yuri and less filler episodes in the beginning, but I'm a tough nut to crack. As I have no idea who is and is not going to watch the show, please avoid any spoilers with the SPOILERS tag. Mai HiME is at the weird age where it's old enough that many people should know its premise and the star couple, but too old that it might be fading from others' radar, so please be considerate! Mai HiME is one season of 26 episodes. But don't worry! We'll soon be back with its sequel, Mai Otome, which has many of the same characters but an entirely different plotline and reality. And if you can't wait until then, there is a series of 27 one minute specials (which mostly involve the characters in scant clothing) as well as a special released in 2010 that almost had me in tears (from laughter). Bring on the feels! Previous Spotlight Shows |
anindigomoonMar 13, 2018 9:33 AM
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| Now for my shameless Fujino Shizuru spam post: Note: These pictures contain spoilers!! SPOILERS!! Like big ones. And just so you guys know who the best character is, spoiler free:  Although I kind of like her better in Mai-Otome... |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| I'm going to give this a download, hopefully I can watch it within the next 3 years. I might put this on my phone to watch until then. |
Nope, this takes place in the actual series, sometime in the first half but closer to the middle, if I remember correctly. Except yuri, a fantasy elements aren't very good. For someone that want to watch this: don't expect too much from this. I'm gonna have to disagree with this - I really like Mai HiME's plotline. I find the beginning pretty dull, but when it finally picks up it's super interesting to watch all the pieces come together. Plus the DRAMA. Is it the best executed? No way. But it's definitely still enjoyable. Plus, Mai HiME's not just rooted in fantasy, but mecha/sci fi as well. Which makes the whole thing a little more interesting. I think it's very similar to: That show has more male characters. I've never seen that show, but if I pretend to know what I'm talking about, the main character is male, which is definitely not the case in Mai HiME, at least the anime. (The manga is a whole different story y'all, don't read it). Also the men in Mai HiME But like I said, haven't watched it, can't say. |
anindigomoonMay 17, 2016 7:10 AM
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
I'm going to give this a download, hopefully I can watch it within the next 3 years. It goes by pretty quickly once you get through the first seven or eight episodes, at least for me. |
anindigomoonJun 29, 2017 10:13 PM
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
I'm gonna have to disagree with this - I really like Mai HiME's plotline. I find the beginning pretty dull, but when it finally picks up it's super interesting to watch all the pieces come together. Plus, Mai HiME's not just rooted in fantasy, but mecha/sci fi as well. Which makes the whole thing a little more interesting. I'm on opposite side - the ending is dull and forced. And do I remember it corectly... oh, yeah, I quickly rewatched the last episode Sci-fi/mecha? Hmm... there was something like this. |
Wannabiteme said: I'm on opposite side - the ending is dull and forced. And do I remember it corectly... oh, yeah, I quickly rewatched the last episode Sci-fi/mecha? Hmm... there was something like this. So... As for the sci fi, there are of course the childs (children?), some of which are more metal than beast. And in addition, there's So it's not a whole lot, but the technology aspect definitely plays an explicit role in the story. |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| @anindigomoon as for sci-fi, yeah, yeah, you are right. |
Sorry everyone else who wants to watch this. I promise I'll find something else to talk about that's not in spoiler tags soon. |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| @anindigomoon she could be a nurse, work in orphanage or something like this. ps. I don't know what you can talk without spoilers. |
anindigomoon said: Sorry everyone else who wants to watch this. I promise I'll find something else to talk about that's not in spoiler tags soon. |
| @Irondragon Not everything needs to be dark and hopeless. Not everything must be happy. You can something in the middle (little happy, little sad). As for the rest why I don't like "it", read my comment. |
| @Irondragon DON'T READ THE MANGA GUYS |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| And yes don't read the manga! Also I was really sad we i found out that the Mai-Hime movie was actually an April fools joke way back :( |
I actually just watched the Mai Otome specials where they hinted at the movie and I was like 'wait what?' and was super excited and then super disappointed all within about ten minutes. It was an emotional roller coaster. I will say that I won't be surprised if they (eventually) do something else with it though. The OVA was released in 2010, which makes it even funnier in my opinion. |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
anindigomoon said: I actually just watched the Mai Otome specials where they hinted at the movie and I was like 'wait what?' and was super excited and then super disappointed all within about ten minutes. It was an emotional roller coaster. I will say that I won't be surprised if they (eventually) do something else with it though. The OVA was released in 2010, which makes it even funnier in my opinion. Personally I would love to see a Gundam series with the Mai Hime & Mai Otome cast as pilots similar to Cross Ange but without any male characters (GKY Tusk). |
| Yeah I had a similar problem and was forced to watch it online, but the quality (depending on the site) was usually at least decent. |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| Well, I had thought that this thread was just about dead, but then I saw the two most recent posts, so now I'm happy that I can post on this thread without feeling like I'm grave-digging! |
| @ShinyKing |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| @anindigomoon So all in all, I loved Mai-HiME when it finally picked up. What did you think of Mai-Otome? |
Flip_Flap17Jun 24, 2016 3:10 PM
| @ShinyKing To be completely honest, I like Mai Otome even more than Mai HiME for two reasons. The first is that the plot is much more smooth in those initial episodes, so I didn't need the same push to get through it. The second is that there is a lot more Shizuru (who is indisputably the best character). Anything else will have to wait for the Mai Otome spotlight! I have read Natsuki's Prelude! I remember liking it, although what I was looking for was |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| As someone who only watches yuri, I definitely recommend it if you're okay with getting through all the het. I personally think it's worth it in the end, and it's quite a ride to get there. |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| Oh hey we’re talking about this show. I remember actually quite liking otome too. In both, I really liked Shizuru and Nao and Natsuki. |
| I actually like Otome better than HiME. Wait, wasn't someone supposed to make a spotlight for that too? *whistles* I promise it's coming! I feel like Nao is a supremely underrated character, but I like her better in Otome. Whereas I really like Midori in HiME, when she's trying to grow into a leadership role that never existed. |
| "First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And also: You are tired. You are true of heart!" |
| Oh man, love gang Nao. |
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