Mai-Otome - 16 January 26

Filed under First Impressions, Mai-Otome by Omni | 60 comments

OP2 Sequence

OP2: 「Crystal Energy」 by 栗林みな実 (Kuribayashi Minami)
*picks jaw off ground* This fast paced song is really growing on me, and both the song and the scene of Arika, Nina, and Mashiro sitting in the ruins reminds me of SEED. Of course the highlights of the new OP are all of the spoilerish preview shots we get. That includes Mai, Natsuki, and Nao in uniform, along with Mashiro probably joining Midori’s group and Arika having to fight Nina.

Summary:
Arika is able to defeat all of her foes, and so she and Nina advance to the fight against two Pearls. Meanwhile, across the city black letters arrive to several people. While Arika and Nina are training for the battle, Chie and Tomoe watch on. Chie knows about what that Tomoe has done and tells her to stop. Erstin overhears the two of them talking and runs off in surprise. She tries to tell Nina and Arika about it later, but Nina and Arika are enjoying themselves too much, so she decides not to bring it up. During this time, Nagi asks for Rad and Midori’s cooperation, but they turn him down.
With Miya gone,, Youko is using amniotic fluid to re-crystallize her GEM. In a ceremony sometime after, Nao is chosen to be the next of the Five Pillars. On top of that, Shiho is selected to become the Otome of Florence and Chie will be the subordinate of General Armitage (Haruka). As to be expected, Nao expresses her dissatisfaction to Nina and Arika about being chosen to be a Pillar, but Miss Maria catches her badmouthing Shinso-sama. In class, Erstin watches as Tomoe offers to return a book for Irina to Youko. Tomoe takes the vial of corrosive amniotic fluid from the lab and is about to pour it on an unaware Arika. However, Erstin, who was warned by Youko, pushes Arika out of the way, but Erstin herself ends up suffering burns to the leg.
Although she saw Tomoe do it, Erstin doesn’t implicate her classmate. She recovers fairly quickly thanks to her nanomachines and is out that night with Arika when they hear something. Nina is singing the lullaby and remembering when Sergay first found her - she had pointed a gun at him. She hears two more voices, Arika’s and Erstin’s, join in after she finishes. Erstin comments that it’s strange that the same song would have different lyrics. After she and Arika fool around for a bit, Nina notices that Arika has embroidered a handkerchief for her benefactor, though she made a mistake and stitched in “With Sanks.” The girls bond, and they all promise to become Meister Otome. Sergay later gets a letter with the handkerchief enclosed, which has been fixed to say “With Thanks.”
The day of the graduation battle finally comes. Arika sees Sergay with Nina before the fight, and comments rudely to him that she’s going to become a Meistar Otome for the sake of her benefactor, but then runs off with tears in her eyes. Before the battle actually starts, Mashiro wants to unveil her new castle. However, she soon sees that the design is now what was planned. In fact, John Smith is with one of the recipients of the black letter on a platform at the top of the castle. They activate the center piece, a cannon, and blow a hole through a mountain on the other side of town. At the same time, an armada of Slaves comes flying in over the very shocked spectators.

Alright, I really have to gush now about how good the story is. There are just so many factors at work now - some stuff is finally beginning to come together and others are just starting.

  • Nao is now a Pillar. In this episode, she’s been (reluctantly) chosen to be a Pillar, though she hasn’t gone through the ceremony (I assume there’s a ceremony) or been initiated somehow. From the new OP shot, it’s clear that she, Natsuki, and Shizuru make up three of the five pillars, with the other two being unknown. As several people have pointed out, her new robe is very reminiscent of Spider-man, even if it does fit her character.
  • Nina becoming a Meister under Nagi? If Nina becomes a Meister Otome, it’ll be under Nagi, which would pit her against Arika since Nagi is clearly the face of evil (again). It’s interesting how they’re setting the girls up as good friends (especially during the middle of this episode when they’re sprawled out on the grass). The handkerchief seems likely to become the item that will make Nina crack if and when she finds it in Sergay’s possession, since she knows Arika made it for her benefactor. And I bet that Erstin is going to be the force that brings the two back together again. That is, if Erstin survives to the end of the series (which I think she will).
  • Young Nina with a Gun. Maybe Sergay’s head scar came from Nina? She was pointing a gun at him in that flashback, and his head was already bleeding, so perhaps she had grazed his forehead.
  • The girls all know either different parts to the same song or different lyrics to the same song. Either way, that lullaby is most likely going to be the song required for the Harmonium.
  • The evil Tomoe… Well she tried to kill Arika despite Chie warning her to stop. The OP shows her with what appear to be Slaves behind her, so she’s probably joining Nagi/Schwarz. Erstin should have reported her to the Trias or Miss Maria.
  • The attack on Windbloom will probably put Mashiro into hiding. From the OP, we see her among the Aswald and Mikoto getting buddy-buddy with Rad, so I assume that they will take her in. The preview shows the Aswald group arriving on the steps of Garderobe, so maybe this is when they start playing a bigger role (as good guys).

    • Like I said, great episode with huge developments and tons of juicy story.

    And here’s a special treat, video of the new OP: Mirror 1 and Mirror 2.


     

    60 comments»

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    1. mangamaxx at 2:32 pm on January 26th, 2006

      The new opening does look awesome indeed! Can’t wait to see and hear it!

    2. Anza at 2:36 pm on January 26th, 2006

      New opening is awesome! Now where is that raw…

    3. ShinigamiRukia at 2:50 pm on January 26th, 2006

      OH WOW! whay a treat! all this looks so awsome! thank you so much for the video of the new opening!

    4. JT at 2:50 pm on January 26th, 2006

      YES!! finally and we can c how mai looks…. super cool

    5. JT at 2:57 pm on January 26th, 2006

      oh and forgot.. that means there is no new ending :( SH*T i hate the ending…i have soooooo many questions.. one is .. is nina going to be a pillar? her costume is super sick!! and as for rina.. is she alive? why is she flying in the new opening

    6. Nigredo at 2:59 pm on January 26th, 2006

      the OP feature her but Rena change to Arika after

    7. wanderer at 3:00 pm on January 26th, 2006

      OMG Natsuki is her robe!! AND Mai too *squeals in joy* XD XD
      I like Nao robe…..totally fits her!! lol!
      But who’s the girl in the black robe with mask? O.o

    8. mangamaxx at 3:13 pm on January 26th, 2006

      I didn’t notice before, but the design they gave Mai’s robe really is interesting. While looking like a robe, it gives off the same feel as when Mai was just wearing her school uniform and a scarf in the opening of Mai-Hime.

    9. JT at 3:36 pm on January 26th, 2006

      oh ok i just watched the openning..the song is brilliant!! amazing stuff.. im thinking that mashiro is gonna find out about arika being the queen thats why she decides to join the midori clan.. as for nina.. who do u think her master is? and i agree with u mangamaxx ..whoever designed mais costume connected it to her school uniform…and as for the 5 pillar talk… are there more than 5 pillars? cuz inthe cap where natuski,nao, and shizuru are standing.. those 5 girls look like the 5 pillars.. then where does that put arika? confusing..

    10. Mentar at 3:44 pm on January 26th, 2006

      There’s no reason whatsoever to assume that the five girls are gonna be the pillars (who we know to be Natsuki, Shizuru and Mai for sure and Yukariko and Maria by simple deduction).

      Great OP, great ep. We’re getting somewhere ^_^ … now, please let’s get rid of the ED, and I’m a happy unhappy camper.

    11. animaniac at 3:56 pm on January 26th, 2006

      This serie has proved to be the best side story with used caracters form a previews anime!!And even better than the original.I mean that story sucked like hell

    12. Omni at 3:58 pm on January 26th, 2006

      For the record, Nao was chosen to be a Pillar in this episode. So I assume that the pic from the OP of the five girls including Nao, Shizuru, and Natsuki shows all five of the current Pillars.

    13. deftoned at 3:58 pm on January 26th, 2006

      Nina vs. Arika, now that will be awesome to see! The new OP is great, and I agree the ED needs to go. I like the song, but watching Arika run in slow-mo got boring after episode 2.

      As to the pillars, what the reasoning behind thinking Maria and Yukariko were pillar? I hear that a lot, but never could figure out why people argue for it. Is because they’re not contracted with anyone?

    14. Anza at 3:58 pm on January 26th, 2006

      snimaniac how the heck do you think Mai-HiME’s story sucked!? o_O

      What are you drunk or something?

    15. Anza at 4:04 pm on January 26th, 2006

      Nao may have chosen to be a pillar but I just don’t see the 5 Pilliars being without Mai, unless they all think shes dead and someone has to take over the position (of course without the Flame Ruby or whatever it is Mai’s gem is)

    16. suckoja at 4:11 pm on January 26th, 2006

      Got to say that the new OP did more impact than the episode itself here!

    17. Nietono no Shana at 4:13 pm on January 26th, 2006

      Damn! Now I won’t be able to fall asleep! *dreams of Arika and Nina fighting*

    18. Warukyure at 4:19 pm on January 26th, 2006

      I hope they don’t pull a GSD, and have Mai, Natsuki and Tate steal the show again…

      And if Arika and Nina do fight, I hope Nina wins (even though thats impossible)

    19. animaniac at 4:28 pm on January 26th, 2006

      that story had no head or feet that would fit in any place!!
      Think that if someone kills your dog, than your wife, girlfriend, koibitto whatever, is dead!^^ Man the caracters are very nice but the story and the main plot had no sense!!I mean look at the facts even after making zhime the creators had more spectations for manga sales and the anime, because the envoiriment was changed to make the anime better than the first story!^^ this anime now is one of my “10 most liked, watching now!!” cheers^^^^

    20. mangamaxx at 4:30 pm on January 26th, 2006

      oh maaan. Tomoe is slowly developing into a diabolical villain, and the shot of her in the op doesn’t disprove it.

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