Mai HiME vs. Mai Otome.

[Darth Joker]

Having watched both anime series' through, I'd like to get the takes of other folks who have seen both in their entirety as to which series they liked better.

For me, it's a bit hard to choose.

Mai HiME's big negative to me is the ending. Other than that, I don't have too many complaints... but a bad ending is a fairly significant complaint, of course.

Mai Otome's ending shines brilliantly compared to Mai HiME's ending, in my view, but on the other hand... Mai Otome has a couple romances in it that just strike me as really sick and wrong (one of the two in particular). Mai HiME more or less lacked that, in my view.

Aside from the big negative for each, I thoroughly enjoyed both animes. All in all, I'm not sure which of the two series I perfer.

So, I'd love to know what my fellow HiME/Otome fans think. :)

[darksaint124]

HiME was the original, with a more grounded story, various personalities, and morality questions that just made it all the more excellent. Also, Mikoto was so much better in HiME.

Otome played around with the question of giving everyone powers and setting events in a different reality. While some characters were different, some felt as if it were a natural progression to the age difference seen from Otome to HiME. With HiME being more of a mystery and a darker tale, Otome was more of an action-adventure. The one thing I like about Otome over HiME is that they gave my personal favorite(Haruka)powers to go along with her larger-than-life personality.

[Darth Joker]

HiME was the original, with a more grounded story, various personalities, and morality questions that just made it all the more excellent. Also, Mikoto was so much better in HiME.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with all of this.



Otome played around with the question of giving everyone powers and setting events in a different reality. While some characters were different, some felt as if it were a natural progression to the age difference seen from Otome to HiME. With HiME being more of a mystery and a darker tale, Otome was more of an action-adventure. The one thing I like about Otome over HiME is that they gave my personal favorite(Haruka)powers to go along with her larger-than-life personality.

Haruka was my favourite character from Mai HiME too. :)

[darksaint124]

Yeah, I'd have to agree with all of this.



Haruka was my favourite character from Mai HiME too. :)

Its funny how that works. You would think the creators planned that.


Hey, wait a minute..............

[yeoman]

Well, my opinion can't be based on watching the whole of them, but I'll thorw in my two cents.

Hime is fun. Not great, but there's some intresting characters, and it's fun to watch.

I watched two episodes of Otome and wanted to claw my eyes out. And everythign I heard about where it went pretty much backed that call up.

But then, I hate lots of things other people like.

[Darth Joker]

Well, my opinion can't be based on watching the whole of them, but I'll thorw in my two cents.

Hime is fun. Not great, but there's some intresting characters, and it's fun to watch.

Honestly, I'd almost be willing to call HiME a masterpiece anime work if it had a really good ending. That's how good the bulk of the second half of the 26 episodes are.



I watched two episodes of Otome and wanted to claw my eyes out. And everythign I heard about where it went pretty much backed that call up.

But then, I hate lots of things other people like.

Well, I have to admit that most of the main characters in Otome were really annoying early on, and almost turned me off from watching it at all. However, I found that Erika became rather likeable after a few episodes, while Mashiro made a late-season turnaround of sorts. So, those were two of the main annoying characters early on that became better as the series progressed (though I have to admit that I had a strong loathing for Otome Mashiro for about a dozen episodes or more).

After giving it some more thought, I do perfer Mai HiME. I perfered Otome for a short bit simply because they managed to get their ending right, but then... even with this advantage over Mai HiME (imo), Otome simply has more minor flaws through out the entire anime that HiME largely lacks.

[yeoman]

Honestly, I'd almost be willing to call HiME a masterpiece anime work if it had a really good ending. That's how good the bulk of the second half of the 26 episodes are.

You know, I don't mind the bright sunshiney "everyone lives Rose!" ending. Most series that get dark stay dark, and every once and awhile it's nice to see a series that pulls up out of that at the last minute.

[OverMaster]

Somehow, even after hating Otome with a passion, I found myself buying the Mai Otome Zwei OVAs yesterday. It was as cringe inducing as the series. Meanwhile, I love HiME. The only character Otome didn't savagely butcher in the translation was Haruka (whose Made of Winness catapults her over Sunrise Screwing). And, okay, I guess Shizuru too, but I never liked Shizuru to begin with.

The problem with Otome is multifold, but largely steems from the fact most of the new, important characters fail to meet the previous series' standards, and heck, most liking standards. Arika is a bad compilation of every airhead protagonist cliche, Nina is harder to like with each new watching (and I kinda liked her at first), Erstin is so much fluff it is awkward, and so on. Pretty much the only new character I liked was Irina.

[darksaint124]

Somehow, even after hating Otome with a passion, I found myself buying the Mai Otome Zwei OVAs yesterday. It was as cringe inducing as the series. Meanwhile, I love HiME. The only character Otome didn't savagely butcher in the translation was Haruka (whose Made of Winness catapults her over Sunrise Screwing). And, okay, I guess Shizuru too, but I never liked Shizuru to begin with.

The problem with Otome is multifold, but largely steems from the fact most of the new, important characters fail to meet the previous series' standards, and heck, most liking standards. Arika is a bad compilation of every airhead protagonist cliche, Nina is harder to like with each new watching (and I kinda liked her at first), Erstin is so much fluff it is awkward, and so on. Pretty much the only new character I liked was Irina.

The only thing I guess we all really liked about Otome was Haruka. They depicted Mikoto horribly, but IMO Mai was close enough.

[Robotech Master]

RE; You know, I don't mind the bright sunshiney "everyone lives Rose!" ending. Most series that get dark stay dark, and every once and awhile it's nice to see a series that pulls up out of that at the last minute.

Most people that complain about Hime's ending aren't complaining that its too bright or happy; they're usually upset that the final act arguably has a deus ex machina resolve most of it.

[Darth Joker]

RE; You know, I don't mind the bright sunshiney "everyone lives Rose!" ending. Most series that get dark stay dark, and every once and awhile it's nice to see a series that pulls up out of that at the last minute.

Most people that complain about Hime's ending aren't complaining that its too bright or happy; they're usually upset that the final act arguably has a deus ex machina resolve most of it.

That's where I, personally, am coming from yeah.

I loved the ending to Buso Renkin, which is about as bright and shiney as an anime ending can get after a dozen episodes of "Oh Noes! This great, wonderful main protagonist is going to have to die , and there's nothing that anybody can do about it!".

Still, with yeoman included, I now know at least three fellow anime fans with great taste in anime (Ghost, The Real Nemo, and now yeoman) who like Mai HiME's ending, so maybe I'm the oddball here. ;)

[yeoman]

That's where I, personally, am coming from yeah.

I loved the ending to Buso Renkin, which is about as bright and shiney as an anime ending can get after a dozen episodes of "Oh Noes! This great, wonderful main protagonist is going to have to die , and there's nothing that anybody can do about it!".

Still, with yeoman included, I now know at least three fellow anime fans with great taste in anime (Ghost, The Real Nemo, and now yeoman) who like Mai HiME's ending, so maybe I'm the oddball here. ;)


Eh, I'll be the first to admit I have weird tastes. The wanting to claw my eyes out two episodes in? I coulnd't make it past the first episode of Stand Alone Complex.

Also, I totally understand the last two episodes of Eva and what the hell was oging on in Utena.

[yeoman]

RE; You know, I don't mind the bright sunshiney "everyone lives Rose!" ending. Most series that get dark stay dark, and every once and awhile it's nice to see a series that pulls up out of that at the last minute.

Most people that complain about Hime's ending aren't complaining that its too bright or happy; they're usually upset that the final act arguably has a deus ex machina resolve most of it.

Hey, last mintue plot device save that reincarnated the cast, that there's a staple of the Magical Girl Genre!

[darksaint124]

That's where I, personally, am coming from yeah.

I loved the ending to Buso Renkin, which is about as bright and shiney as an anime ending can get after a dozen episodes of "Oh Noes! This great, wonderful main protagonist is going to have to die , and there's nothing that anybody can do about it!".

Still, with yeoman included, I now know at least three fellow anime fans with great taste in anime (Ghost, The Real Nemo, and now yeoman) who like Mai HiME's ending, so maybe I'm the oddball here. ;)


Busuo Renkin was good. For some reason after like 10 minutes of the first episode I avoided it like the plague.

[Robotech Master]

RE: Hey, last mintue plot device save that reincarnated the cast, that there's a staple of the Magical Girl Genre!

True there. Not a staple I'm particularly fond of but yeah. Still, I always thought of Mai-Hime as less of a magical girl genre and more of a "Hey, we're gonna make a series that's essentially Shounen, but its gonna be all about girls and only girls will have super powers and its going to be so good that plenty of guys will watch it in spite of you snobby TV executives who tell us that boys shows won't succeed unless they have a male lead," kind of series.

RE: Also, I totally understand the last two episodes of Eva and what the hell was oging on in Utena.

I can understand how people can both like and not like Eva's ending, but for what it was I still don't understand how people "don't understand it." It may require several viewings, but theres enough stuff in there several interpretations--but even multiple interpretations counts as a conclusion.

RE: I coulnd't make it past the first episode of Stand Alone Complex.

Though its one of my favorites, I can understand why a lot of people don't get into the show on any level. Still, I might suggest watching one more episode if you can dig it up (Youtube probably has it, it has everything *sigh*), episode 10 "Jungle Cruise," just to see if that one grabs you more than the first episode.
Or you could scrap the whole first season altogether and try seeing if you like 2nd Gig more, since Oshii was involved as a sort of consultant for that season and therefore its atmosphere might be more to your liking.

RE: Still, with yeoman included, I now know at least three fellow anime fans with great taste in anime (Ghost, The Real Nemo, and now yeoman) who like Mai HiME's ending, so maybe I'm the oddball here.

Actually I think a majority of fans thought the ending could have been better, but its such a minor gripe that most people still walk away thinking that the show was good to fantastic.

[yeoman]

RE: Hey, last mintue plot device save that reincarnated the cast, that there's a staple of the Magical Girl Genre!

True there. Not a staple I'm particularly fond of but yeah. Still, I always thought of Mai-Hime as less of a magical girl genre and more of a "Hey, we're gonna make a series that's essentially Shounen, but its gonna be all about girls and only girls will have super powers and its going to be so good that plenty of guys will watch it in spite of you snobby TV executives who tell us that boys shows won't succeed unless they have a male lead," kind of series.

It's about a teenage girl gifted with mystical weapons and powers that fights monsters while wearing a school uniform. That's about as magical girl as you can get.


RE: I coulnd't make it past the first episode of Stand Alone Complex.

Though its one of my favorites, I can understand why a lot of people don't get into the show on any level. Still, I might suggest watching one more episode if you can dig it up (Youtube probably has it, it has everything *sigh*), episode 10 "Jungle Cruise," just to see if that one grabs you more than the first episode.
Or you could scrap the whole first season altogether and try seeing if you like 2nd Gig more, since Oshii was involved as a sort of consultant for that season and therefore its atmosphere might be more to your liking.

Oh, I've seen a bit more. I saw part of an episode on CN and was like "Hey, this is actually pretty good. Too bad I have no idea what's going on and am not watching that first episode again to find out what is."

But, hey, yah never know. One clip from toward sthe end of StrikerS and I'm making my way through Nanoha.

RE: Still, with yeoman included, I now know at least three fellow anime fans with great taste in anime (Ghost, The Real Nemo, and now yeoman) who like Mai HiME's ending, so maybe I'm the oddball here.

Actually I think a majority of fans thought the ending could have been better, but its such a minor gripe that most people still walk away thinking that the show was good to fantastic.

I'm in the good camp. Parts of it are fantastic, but it doesn't do enoguh to rate fanstastic for me. A series must be as least as good as Vandread to make it on my "Fantastic" list.

For the record, since we've kinda gone into person tastes, that list includes:
Vandread, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Read or Die, El: Hazard (1st OAV only), Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Vandread, pretty much anything Miyazaki did, Tylor, Escaflowne and maybe Gunbuster.

Mai Hime sits with Slayers, and the Meloncoly of Haruhi Suzamiya. Good, possibly great, but not among my all time favorites that everyone should see.

[Robotech Master]

I remember Vandread--still own the box set too. That was a great series, though I don't know if I'd count it in my top ten. Escaflowne was in my top ten at one time, but I'd have to rethink that since its been six years or so and a lot of other anime may have dropped it down. And I really need to see Tylor again. I actually saw both the TV series and the OAV YEARS ago by chance when the subtitled version actually aired on International Channel, but I obviously haven't been able to rewatch any of it.

[Darth Joker]

Eh, I'll be the first to admit I have weird tastes. The wanting to claw my eyes out two episodes in? I coulnd't make it past the first episode of Stand Alone Complex.

I actually wasn't able to get into Stand Alone Complex myself.

I mean - the artwork/graphics was clean and gorgeous, the voice actors were solid, and it all had a very nice professional feel, but... it just wasn't as action-packed as I thought it would be.

I thought it would at least be on par with Kiddy Grade in the action-packed department, but instead it was heavily about political intrigue, and stuff like that.

That's why I dropped it after three episodes.

I can definitely see why some would like it, but it wasn't for me.



Also, I totally understand the last two episodes of Eva and what the hell was oging on in Utena.

Well, I interpreted the last two episodes of Eva as watching how the gears in Shinji's mind were turning in trying to cope with his exterior world. The last two epiosdes were, I think, meant to be representative of how Shinji was maturing as a character, and coming to grips with everybody.

My only major disappointment with it is that, aside from knowing/sensing that Shinji ended up A-Ok, you didn't know what was really going on in the outside world, or how other key characters ended off.

Of course, the End of Evangelion movie settled a lot of that... ;)

Utena... is odd. Much of it I get, but some of it is strange, and I admit that I didn't quite get it. I didn't watch it all the way through though.

[yeoman]

Utena... is odd. Much of it I get, but some of it is strange, and I admit that I didn't quite get it. I didn't watch it all the way through though.

Funny thing. Around episode 34 is when they stop and explain what's literally going on. Subtextual is up to viewer interpretation. But it pretty much lays out what Akio and Anthy are and what Akio's plan is. Also, the final two espisodes are made of win.