Archive for the Mai Otome Category


Yuri: Anime: Mai Otome

November 24th, 2005

Mai Otome is not so much a sequel to Mai Hime as it is a fanfic written by the folks who originated the thing in the first place.

Right off the top, Mai Otome is pleasantly free of the “tears and misery” theme of the original. Instead it’s a fantasy world alternate universe, in which all the same characters show up, more or less, but in some cases, completely altered in personality and almost always altered in role.

The story focuses primarily on three girls:

Arika, a familyless, countryless girl who only knows that her mother was an “Otome” (this world’s Valkyrie-esque female warrior-types) and that the blue stone around her neck is from her mother. Arika, by not having any country or family allegiance is refreshingly free of formal manners, without being a bumpkin.

Nina, The adopted, over-achieving, emotionally crippled star of the school who is Arika’s immediate rival.

Mashiro, the spoiled and willful Queen of Windbloom. In Mai Hime, Mashiro was a gentle, kind and tortured girl who ran the school. In this series she’s a raving brat who runs a country. Nice, huh?

Arika is accepted to Garderobe, an exclusive academy in which Otome hopefuls train. Countries send their fair youth in hopes that they will become Otome, and give the country parity in military might to those who do have Otome. (Otome are super-powerful and excessively cool, despite having silly costumes.)

There’s lots of hints about the past and about connections of all three girls to big secrets and yadda yadda, but I don’t care much. (Partially because Mai Hime‘s ending sucked so badly that I refuse to care about this until it proves that it doesn’t suck.) But I do care about the Yuri. So let’s talk about that. ^_^

Right off, Natsuki tells Arika that Otome can’t have sex with men, because PSA and testosterone destroy the nanowhatever that gives a girl her Otome powers. Oh, really? So…hmmm…guess they have to learn to love the women they serve. And speaking of serving…

Shizuru is still cool. Certainly more mysterious, and definitely kick-ass. She is the Otome for Shinzo, the heart of Gaderobe Academy, one Kuga Natsuki. As one of the Five Pillars Shizuru has to stay close to her Master. This means she has to stick pretty close to Natsuki. How close we aren’t yet sure, but they certainly seem comfortable in each other’s company this time around.

Chie’s yuri playboy cool rating was upped by about 2000x. And her one wink at Aoi is enough hint for most fanfic authors. Aoi is Mashiro’s maidservant this time around.

Haruka and Yukino both did well in transition to the new series. Haruka is a quite excellent Otome serving the President of whatever country…yup, you guessed it. Yukino’s organizational skills and detante finally aren’t played for laughs. Haruka’s no less nutsy than she was originally, but in a fun, powerful, and really competent way. (A very sexy quality in a woman, I always think.)

Yuri fanservice is plentiful – the older “Pearl Class” Otome in training are assigned younger “Coral Class” students as attendants. Chie isn’t above making them blush cutely. Nor is Shizuru avoiding physical contact with the girls either. She must grab one often enough to cause Natsuki to roll her eyes when she does it to Arika.

When an invisible tentacle eel-monster-thing invades the pool, she thinks (bizarrely) that Nina is copping a feel. (Nina’s reaction is, btw, perfect – she tests Erstin’s head for a fever…) Erstin tells Nina, quite unnecessarily, that they are both girls – but she qualifies this by saying that if it’s Nina, it’s okay. Later she gives Nina a form of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation that is definitely NOT approved by the Red Cross.

Ratings:
Art – 6
Story – 8
Character – 8
Music – 7
Yuri – 6
Service – 8

Overall – 7

In short, pretty, shiny fun with a 40% chance of “good.”

 





Yuri Anime: Autumn 2005 Season

November 5th, 2005

It’s that time again – the new anime season has arrived. We’re a few weeks into it, so I thought I’d give a few quick overviews of what I’m watching and why I think it has yuri potental:

Aria – I went over it only yesterday, but here’s the short version. Beautful girls practice piloting gondolas on a terraformed Mars. Many fun things happen in which the girls are either beautiful or cute. Yuri potential: Watch Akira and Alicia, and Akari and Alice.

Jigoku Shoujo – Hell Girl, Ai Enma, comes armed with big eyes, Noto Mamiko’s (Shimako in Marimite) voice and a retinue of three: gorgeous woman, pretty boy, old man. People with grudges can condemn their tormentors to hell, but will also have to go there when they die. Yuri potential: None at the moment, but on the principal that this anime has basically ripped off Vampire Princess Miyu, I’ll bet it does, eventually.

Mai Otome – A fantasy riff using the character’s from last year’s Mai Hime. Different heroine, completely different world, same lesbian couples. Shizuru is even cooler this time than before. Yuri potential: Practically anyone, but keep your eyes closely on Shizuru and Natsuki, Chie and anyone she comes in contact with, and maybe even Arika and Nina. Otomes can’t be with guys – poor Akane is doomed…again.

Blood+ – Different from both movie and manga, this Saya is a decent kid just trying to figure out who she is. Tragedy is sure to follow her. Lots of violence, not as much blood as you’d expect. Pretty excellent graphics and an overall cool factor, if only we could lose the goth “Look! I’m in a vampire anime” guy. Yuri potential: Saya’s best friend Kaori and she are *very* snuggly in the first episode. Kaori will probably be left behind, but you never know.

Not much, I know, but perhaps other things will pop up. Keep an eye out for Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl this winter, too.  ^_^