It is just after the end of the My Otome TV series, and Arika is a hero, but things aren’t any easier for her. School is still tough, she and Mashiro have a fight and are separated and, just to make sure that nothing is easy, a new, powerful bad guy appears. Welcome to My Zhime Zwei.
Sensibly, the bad guy takes out all the powerful, cool Otome first, leaving all the smaller fry (and not coincidentally, our heroines Arika and Nina) to take them on and win the day for all. Really, there’s never even the remotest concern that Good and Right won’t win. If you’re hoping for something like that, you’re totally watching the wrong franchise. ^_^
Because of the relative intelligence of the baddy, Shizuru and Natsuki are apart for the bulk of this series. Aoi and Chie have little time together, hardly sharing a panel. So for Yuri, we have to turn our attentions to the far more amusing comedy couple Brigadier Haruka Armitage and her President, Yukino Chrysant of Aries. In episode two they bring it, with fireworks and ticker tape and a really big megaphone. For the second episode alone, this volume is worth the cost. It’s full of big grinny Haruka awesomeness. If – and I mean that with a sense of complete certainty that it will not happen – IF, I were to ever feel compelled to write a Mai-anything fanfic, it would be Haruka, Yukino, some things that go ka-boom and awesome. Just like episode two of this volume.
Nina and Arika beat the bad guys, no one kills Nagi and everyone lives happily ever after. The end, until they come out with S.ifr here, or manage to come up with another anime addition to the set.
Ratings:
Art – 8
Characters – 8 Haruka for the win. Even as a block of stone she rocks.
Story – 7
Yuri – 4
Service – 5
Overall – 7
I want to express a sincere disappointment and frustration for the execrable quality of doujinshi for Mai Otome. I have a number of them, and they are all so very bad. I have developed a theory based on this, but don’t have energy to expound right now. Someone remind me next week to discuss it. I’ll call it “six degrees of service” as a mental reminder.
Many, many thanks to the sponsor of today’s feast, Okazu Superhero Ana M, for her kindness, generosity, and all around subarashii-ness. Ana, you’re da bomb! Or whatever tanks shoot. Shells, I guess, right? You’re an absolute shell. ^_^
Am I the only one who thinks that Arika has both the prettiest and coolest (Zwei form) Robe, and at the same time has the ugliest, most gaudy (original Blue-Sky form) one?
Nina’s attire is similar. Her original Black Diamond Robe sucked–then she turns into a dead-sexy demon goddess and all is forgiven.
As a sidenote, I wish that Nina’s Neptune Emerald Robe had some detached sleeves or something. She’s hot, but she doesn’t need to show off her arms THAT much. A more substantial cape/cloak could also be advisable, as well as letting her hair down….
(Is it obvious yet that I’m a Nina fanatic? =P)
NinArika FTW.
I have to agree with you, to me the second episode of Zwei is pure comedy gold. Hah. Everything from the pure awesomeness that is Haruka’s skills in diplomacy (lol) to the interesting other potential ways for Chie to use/misuse her Otome weapon (tehe)… definitely some good fun. :-)
I found another awesome thing to be the fact that Arika seems completely over Sergey, and Nina is getting there… And yes, there was plenty of loser-ness, but you didn’t need “Yuri-goggles” as much as some series… ;)
Also, I have a set of Aoi x Chie doujinshi that (as far as I, without knowledge of Japanese, can tell) seems to be pretty good as far as Otome doujin go :) It’s called 2-as-one, and there are two issues, just a collection of sweet little Yuri-tinted short stories. Art is excellent, for the most part.
Shells, mostly … armor piercing shells of various kinds, high explosive shells of various kinds … sometimes canister shot, but mostly shells.
I rather liked #2, and my loser fanboy side liked #3 too, for the bath scene. Not at all deep, but amusing.
Me? An armor piercing, high explosive shell?
…*blush*(≧▽≦)
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the marked upswing of Arika/Mashiro in Zwei. (No, I won’t let this go)
They spent the majority of the OVA either fighting or pining for each other. Seems like a delightfully dysfunctional relationship to me. In fact, (Spoiler!)Arika’s problem with her Zwei Robe in Episode 1 stemmed directly from her relationship problems with Mashiro. Not the place for in-depth discussion, but I thought I’d mention it.
::HUGS::
Arca Jeth
I could never see anything between Arika and Nina other than them as alternating rivals/partners. When they teamed up it was because of a common goal, but I never got any romantic vibes between the two.
Now as for Arika/Mashiro, that’s entirely different (what would that paring be called, Mashika?). If you saw that much pining and interaction in a M/F pairing, it would usually be considered a romantic relationship (usually the type where one or both are clueless of their feelings). The biggest issue there being that Mashiro needs to produce an heir to the throne; unless she decides to end the monarchy and establish an elected government, or unless they find some long-forgotten genetic technology in the archives for Arika & Mashiro.