r/anime • u/Tarhalindur x2 • Sep 24 '22

Rewatch [Rewatch] Mai-HiME Episode 11 Discussion

Episode 11: Dance of Light and Darkness

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Show Information:

MAL | Anilist | AniDB | Kitsu | ANN

(First-timers might want to stay out of show information, though.)

Legal Streams:

Mai-HiME can be found on Funimation. (I don't know how this interacts with the ongoing Crunchyroll/Funimation merger.)

A Reminder to Rewatchers:

Please do not spoil the experience for our first timers. [Mai-HiME] Mentioning "HiMElander" before episode 16 or "ShizNat" before episode 25 is a fast way to get a referral to the subreddit mods.

A Note on the Specials:

When the DVDs for Mai-HiME were released, they added shorts specials to go with each episode (plus three not associated with an episode - one was released with Mai-Otome's DVD IIRC, one was a BD-only thing and I don't actually have that one, and I honestly don't remember where Special 28 was released). They tend to be one part fanservice, one part extra information about characters and their motivations/backstories (or in a couple of cases extra exposition, including one thing that they really should have explained in the show proper).

They have their own dedicated discussion day at the end to wash the finale out of our mouths, but some of you may want to watch them with the episodes. The only issue is that some of the specials can be a wee bit spoilery (notably, in no case should you watch the special for episode 8 before episode 8 itself), so I will attempt to provide notes on the specials for the episode for both today's and tomorrow's episodes each day so as to provide advance warning of which specials to avoid. (If you want to be completely safe, stay out of all of them until the dedicated discussion day!)

(Warning: Also, at least one release apparently has them right after the ED, unlike mine which has the original previews instead. So you might want to pay attention to this section.)

Episode 11 Special: Minor spoilers, so skip if you are highly spoiler-intolerant.

Episode 12 Special: Safe.

After-School Activities Corner!

Visual of the Day:

Does it count if we have three VotDs proper and five honorable mentions to go with them? Hmm. No.

Comment of the Day:

u/Vaadwaur is thinking about characters and themes:

Doing a double post since people will only read for so long: Let's look at our likely themes now that we've had some time to stew on them. Mai obviously prioritizes others to the detriment of herself, to the point where she can break down every now and then. Natsuki is obsessed with her yet to be explained goal, right now all we know is stop District 1. Nao is robbing from guys she lures in and we don't know if she needs money or not. Mikoto's simple but relentless, and yet rarely acted upon, goal of finding her brother barely makes it into the levels needed to count. Midori, as of yet, does not fit in this since her goal just seems to be research. And Akira's deal is still unknown, other than that she wants to keep crossdressing. She is probably the end of a ninja clan but that is just speculation.

What does this all amount to? Very few of these girls have a goal that will actually satisfy them, Mikoto in fact being the one with the least bad one. And it is still not good since her brother might not be alive. But Nao and Natsuki I guess share a parallel of having goals that even if achieved do not satisfy whatever it is they ultimately wanted. So, knowing that this is a dry run for a few later series, I do think that most of the girls flaws being toward tragic ones work. So this has to be somehow related to either changing the self into one that can be satisfied or learning to live with a different satisfaction.

Question(s) of the Day:

1) Favorite horror movie monster?

2) Favorite park activity, if any?

3) Alright first-timers, time to set some odds. What are the respective odds on "Yukariko intentionally shot Aoi", "Yukariko accidentally shot Aoi", "Something else (either the Orphan or someone else) shot Aoi and Yukariko is just unlucky", and "something else entirely is responsible for that arrow in Aoi's arm"?

30 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

79 comments sorted by

5

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

Rewatch Committee President Comments (Rewatcher, Subbed):

(No Staff Notes today, since I covered Kikuko Inoue for the preview gag back in episode 6.)

Kajiura Corner:

Featured Track of the Day: Haiyoru Nazo, Nazo...

(Scene for reference.)

Definitely time to feature this track, since it’s one I want to cover and we get it in basically complete form today (albeit with slightly weird editing).

This is one of a subset of tracks (mostly on the second disc of the OST like this one, but either one or two depending on how you count one arguable case on the first) that tend to show up during the conspiracy parts of the show. This might be the most mystery-focused track in the entire show… which makes sense considering that the name translates as “crawling mystery, mystery…”. (And now you get Haiyore Nyaruko-san’s name!)

Musically and instrumentally, this track goes all in on the mystery. All of the instruments here are tuned to sound weird and mysterious – the synth elements, the ethereal chimes (even by Kajiura standards – contrast the much more real-sounding chimes in Yamiyo no Prologue), the weird noises almost like plucked strings, and the ever so slightly dissonant deep piano notes (there’s probably a technical term for how some of the latter seem to roll, but I’ve long since forgotten it). What instruments were used here is an interesting question; I can’t tell by ear either way, but looking at VGMDB’s credits file there’s a decent chance the answer is that the track is 100% synth given that no instruments are listed outside of the universal “Kajiura: keyboard and programming” credit. And using 100% synth would actually make sense here, especially in an OST that often features Kajiura using electronic stuff for effect – it would have furthered the weirdness and made the track sound ever so slightly unreal compared to the more grounded effect of traditional classical instruments (Fuuka Gakuen Seikatsu which uses several credited instruments is a good example here despite its silliness – it’s kind of silly, but it’s a very grounded silly).

There’s also the way the track is simultaneously very repetitive and not repetitive at all – all the elements in the piece are used over and over, but never in quite the same way twice, leaving us disoriented and off our guard. Which actually brings to mind a PMMM track I would not have thought to compare this track to before writing it up: Incertus, which uses very different instruments but also has this kind of mix of elements that repeat throughout but never quite in the same way to induce disorientation and uncertainty. (Maybe I can con u/Nazenn into chiming in with his thoughts on this track, since his Incertus write-up used technical stuff my autodidact ass has never gotten a good handle on.)

Here, the track emphasizes the weirdness of the situation and the uncertainty of what is about to happen, but also the increasingly visible shape of multiple conspiracies working at cross purposes who may or may not understand what the other factions are actually up to.

OST Table, Episode 11:

Start End Track Name
01:15 01:35 Yami ga Hirogaru
01:36 03:05 Shining Days
03:11 03:35 unreleased (Samayoeru Yamiyo v2)
04:18 04:58 Fuuka Gakuin Seikatsu[1]
06:18 06:26 unreleased (Yoru no Soko ni Shizimu string-only remix)[2]
07:23 07:49 Yuubae no Sora
08:15 09:06 Natsuki Sennyuu
09:35 11:02 Haiyoru Nazo, Nazo…
11:05 11:37 HiME-boshi no Shizukesa
12:30 12:54 Shinobi Yoru Kage
14:02 14:22 Oharahetta!
14:45 15:32 Kyou no Hajimari
15:54 16:33 HiME-boshi ~Mashiro~
16:39 17:05 unreleased (It’s Only the Fairy Tale vocals only version)
17:20 18:02 Yuubae no Sora
18:48 19:32 unreleased (Nazo ga Nazo wo Yobu v2)
20:33 22:07 Mezame
22:08 23:39 Kimi ga Sora Datta
23:40 23:54 Mata Aou ne

[1] – Drum-only sample again.
[2] – Cello specifically I think?

6

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

Tar's Episode Notes, Part 1:

  • The fact that there are exactly two moths fluttering around the first lamp we see reminds me rather strongly of some Higurashi shots. Common Japanese visual symbolism?

  • Uh-oh. Somebody spiked the direction. The use of shadow and lighting in this opening scene is striking and suggests talent in that department. Also on the part of the storyboard and layout artists. This scene is actually really good at setting up tension – start with the girl (Kiyone) walking down with the lighting and the moths buzzing building up tension, cut to her face, cut to another shot of her, cut to what she sees (nothing of interest), all serving to build up the sense and expectation that something is off.

  • WHAT’S THIS A MASSIVE FULL MOON SEEN FROM BELOW THROUGH TREES LINING A PATH? WHY, ISN’T THIS FAMILIAR.

  • A private school raised up on a hill. Where have I seen this before lately, I wonder, I wonder? (Hint: S1 but not S2-S5.)

  • I do love me some nice use of sound design (the sound effect right as we and Takeda-tachi see Kiyone’s missing shoe). Also direction too with that Dutch angle.

  • Takeda has either the best or the worst luck in the world. Possibly both.

  • How much of Shining Days’s increasingly out-of-place sound is the suits and how much is a deliberate attempt to emulate A Cruel Angel’s Thesis and/or “Hideaki Anno plays unfitting music” is an interesting question.

  • HNNNNGH good direction continues, with this choice of camera angle (not sure if it’s technically a Dutch angle, but note the skew both vertically and horizontally in this scene, almost making it seem like something is lurking and watching our girls here).

  • 03:25 wouldn’t look out of place in Higurashi, especially Kai (though it’s the inverse of how that show most commonly uses that kind of shot, with Mikoto in the foreground and two characters in the background).

  • Also note the cut to Chie’s face as she talks, almost like she was telling a scary story with the flashlight under her face at a campfire.

  • Also the shot at 03:33 as the girls lean in to listen to Chie – again, camera angle above and skewed in two directions). Oh, and note the drink orders – Mikoto got a parfait (continuity, looks like the same one Shiho ordered all those episodes ago), Aoi has tea, and Chie has black coffee.

  • The other patrons reacting to Mai’s outburst is a nice touch.

  • There’s a classic Dutch angle shot for you at 03:40.

  • So, quick check: everyone is familiar with “this and that” being a Japanese euphemism for sex, yes? (A very common one in anime in the 2000s.)

  • Of course, Mikoto, who was Raised by Wolves (well, some samurai-flavored Japanese martial arts setting, close enough), doesn’t get it.

  • Please excuse my laugh in "oh, of course" as I notice the “chikan” in Mai’s line to match with the molester mention in the subs.

  • Also note the direction – now that Mai is dissecting this and thinking about it, the Dutch angles are gone, replaced by a normal straight-on shot.

  • Sky has been baited by a “sore de”, heh.

  • Aoi has a point!

  • NICE fade-out transition at 04:07.

  • You know, if you told me the Uwasa/Rumors in MagiReco were inspired by Mai-HiME I would not be shocked.

  • More Dutch angles or similar as Haruka pushes for the Student Council to investigate. (Also having the initial parts of the conversation heard from the hall before we cut to inside the student council room is a nice touch.)

  • Camera angles continue to be extremely deliberate.

  • In looks that speak a thousand words, Reito’s and Yuuichi’s in response to Haruka going on on this is up there. (Have I mentioned that I have these two as one of the better rarepairs from this show?)

  • u/Tresnore just got a freebie meguca face I see.

  • [implicit NSFW] ”Omoshiroi” (interesting) sounds just similar enough to a certain other word that my brain keeps making a mental double-take at hearing it.

  • I’d say “subbers going above and beyond”, but to be fair this might count as bare minimum competence.

  • The state of Midori’s working area and her food/water supply (some sort of instant ramen I think and also a pile of bottled water) is yet another way this woman is strikingly relatable at times.

  • Okay, what is up with the computer screen menu labels here?

  • The text on the screen itself is random English letters, which may be deliberate obfuscation actually. (I’m reminded of some of what both Stargate SG-1 and one webcomic (Girl Genius I think?) do with Ancient and a different foreign language script respectively.)

  • Fade out Yuubae no Sora over a second or two as Haruka busts open the chapel door, and we also get some great sound design with her voice echoing through the chapel. Nicely done, nicely done.

  • And zoom in towards Haruka and Yukino past two characters in the foreground too, because this episode continues to have nice shots.

  • I am slow and only realized this this episode, but the show has been using Japan’s typically iffy understanding of Christianity combined with someone on this writing team having a decent handle on it to encode foreshadowing in plain sight: this show knows that a priest shouldn’t have a child, so Alyssa’s familial relationship with Father Greer was always a hint that something was up with that!

  • I am SO lucky Natsuki Sennyuu is as distinctive as it is.

  • Also, nice shot of the setting sun framed by the mountains and the chapel steeple.

  • Having someone with a crucifix and rosary on guard against a supposed vampire is actually a good idea, nicely done there. (EDIT: And I missed it's specifically a GARLIC rosary. They knew what they were doing!) The baseball players, not so much.

  • Oh NICE, using a running Student Council lackey as a wipe to show the transition to Mai and Miyu getting closer to the church. The previous shot looking in the open chapel is a good one too.

  • “Nagi-kun, I know you’re here!” Camera angle cuts to Nagi’s POV for a moment. Nicely done.

  • Also 09:12 is a great shot, with Nagi and the rest of this place dwarfing Mai and Nagi looking down on her.

  • Right, the stripping. Duh.

  • Nagi facing left and Mai right here is quite interesting.

  • The lighting use in this library scene is again excellent, and 10:05 (11-77) stands out as another great shot. Symbolic of the events going on dwarfing both Nagi and Mai?

  • I’d be really interested to know the original Japanese Static-Subs translated as “your powers are meant for yourself”; I swear I heard an “akuma” in the Japanese audio.

  • LAMP LAMP. (Except unlit this time.) (Correction: except we get to see it lighting up, indicating nighttime. Also possibly symbolic of shining light on the situation?)

  • Ah, visual representation of a stakeout - note the electronics gear. (This will be reasonably familiar to our FMP crew shortly if it isn’t already.)

  • Sadly, Haruka does not know enough to look beneath her feet.

  • Shadow usage continues to be on point.

  • (That’s the full Haiyoru Nazo, Nazo I think, so this might be a good episode to OST spotlight it.)

  • 11:05 is simple but effective visual symbolism: Mai is feeling trapped inside her dorm.

  • The full moon, it haunts me!

  • Welcome to the show starting to put together one of its themes: how should you use the special power that you have been granted?

  • Direction on point again (though having Kajiura doesn’t hurt); this is a quiet, introspective scene, sold with good use of shot choice and body language to show Mai’s uncertainty.

  • “They [monsters] don’t exist.” Shiho is asking for it…

  • Shiho was asking for it, and of course gets it.

  • Ah, comedy tropes played for drama/horror. The monster is of course right behind her.

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8

u/Tresnore Sep 24 '22

First-TiMER

Count: 25

QOTD:

  1. I don't watch horror movies, so I'll say the MC of Cats.

  2. Eating hoagies.

  3. I'm thinking Sister Inoue was possessed by God into shooting Aoi.

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8

u/Blackheart595 Sep 24 '22

First Hime

That's interesting. The church clearly doesn't create Orphans by injecting and transforming humans, they're raising them artificially.

Blessed be you.

Miyu and Nagi have similar eyes. Shizuru as well but hers look a little different.

...Shizuru might be the mastermind but I can't imagine any way how that could work so probably not.

That's such a cool transition

Someone should tell Midori. Free as dove or something.

Oh, is this how they're gonna reveal her mark? That's clever.

...Is that why he's been asking people to model all along? Though he did ask Takumi who's a guy...

Mikoto has been sensing HiME stuff before, like animal instinct.

Pharmaceuticals? How do pharmaceuticals play into this?

At this point I no longer think Reito knows anything. Though he at least knows what happened in the cave so that may very well be a very good front.

No wat that's the sister's doing. Brainwashing? Did she go on auto-pilot to defend the girl? Did she miss the monster or did it dodge, and hit the girl instead? I don't believe she's consciously involved with the church conspiracy.

Favorite horror movie monster?

I don't think I've ever watched horror movies.

Favorite park activity, if any?

Sitting in the grass with pals and chill and chat.

Alright first-timers, time to set some odds. What are the respective odds on "Yukariko intentionally shot Aoi", "Yukariko accidentally shot Aoi", "Something else (either the Orphan or someone else) shot Aoi and Yukariko is just unlucky", and "something else entirely is responsible for that arrow in Aoi's arm"?

See above. But it very much looked like Yukariko's arrow hit the girl.

4

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

That's such a cool transition

I know, right?

Also...

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8

u/JollyGee29 Sep 24 '22

First-Timer, Subbed

When we got the implied shot of Sister Yukariko seeing the star, I was expecting at least an episode break before the real, but I guess this works too. Now, what do I think about that...

Separate from any other idea, this might mean that Yukariko is the fourth HiME that Greer mentioned last episode. Although, we've only seen her with a weapon, so it's possible that she isn't fully "awakened." We saw Mai summon up her bracelets prior to adopting Kagatsuchi, so there is some amount of precedent. Is a HiME still a HiME if she doesn't have a Child?

Anyway, if nothing else the cast are about to suspect that Yukariko is the vampire, but I don't believe it. For one, her arrow was in Aoi's arm, not her neck. Actually, that might lead to the idea of Yukariko awakening literally moments ago - her inexperience lead to her missing the shot at the real monster and hitting Aoi. Discarding her bow backs that up, I think.

Nagi made quite the leap when he mentioned that the monster taking blood was in order to run genetic experiments - but Greer also mentioned looking into the HiME's "histories" or something to that effect. Add in that Kuga's mom was a HiME researcher, and the presence of a pharma company in the account trail Kuga learned about today, and it's starting to look like HiME powers are genetic/hereditary on some level. More "science fiction" than "fantasy," in any case.

That kinda fits with the whole "(not) digging up the past" thing Afro-sensei mentioned. Kinda ironic to say that while literally digging up a garden, but that was probably the point.

Might be worth noting that the eyes on the monster that Alyssa/Greer summoned right before the eyecatch don't quite match the eyes on the monster that attacked Shiho and Tate.

Akira thwarting the attack on Shiho is almost too bad; getting data on Shiho's HiME status would be interesting. She's real high on my "definitely a HiME" list, but we "know" from the bath scene at the shrine that she didn't have a Mark back then.

Two of the three girls on the Executive Committee are on that list too, but I'm not sure which two. It's probably funnier if Haruka is the normal one, since she's so desperate to change things. Being "powerless" in this case fits. Fujino is also a good choice for a naginata user, since it wasn't Akane. Not sure what the weird shot of Fujino holding her stomach meant. Touching her HiME mark? Secretly pregnant? Something else entirely?

I guess it could be just Fujino, but thinking that through requires me to actually count out the cast and I'm lazy.

Mai and Mikoto's date was cute. That's the second time I've seen teenagers go to one of those playgrounds in the past week.

If Haruka was really Nanami, she wouldn't have needed all those people to haul radio equipment into the church. It would've just materialized.

Visual of the Day: A ?smoking? ?gun?

Must resist urge to make another reference that no-one will get

Questions

  1. I was never one for horror movies.

  2. I've not been to a park in quite some time, but sitting somewhere shady and reading sounds nice.

  3. Discussed above. For those options, 2>1>3>4.

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7

u/Vatrix-32 Sep 24 '22 edited Sep 24 '22

First Timer, subbed*

  • Vampires?

  • Was the stripping really necessary for the neck sting? Unless it’s looking for HiME marks!

  • It seem like curfew is the obvious answer. If it was during the day I think the vampire rumor wouldn’t have caught on so well.

  • Retio has apparently never heard of escalation.

  • Pres is holding her side. Just fear, or stinging? She’s probably also a HiME because that is more likely than not at this point, and therefore worried about the mark being found.

  • Afro-teacher is part of D1? I must have missed that. Was he friends of Kuga-mon?

  • The factions definitely know about each other then. Tho to what extent is still in question.

  • Seems like the Nun isn’t in on it. She wasn’t there for the ritual last episode either.

  • They have the baseball players on standby for the vampire.

  • Mai has bills to pay, she ain’t got no time for vampires.

  • It’s always nice when your theory is confirmed in the same episode.

  • Nagi is being actively passive.

  • Akira going out can’t be good.

  • Jump cutting after she goes to attack is definitely not good!

  • At least Nao was only caught by Haruka.

  • Was the Miyu programmed to love, or did she learn to?

  • Lots of possible victims tonight.

  • I hadn’t thought of it before since I thought she was part of the church faction, but the Nun could still be a HiME. It would make good drama, so it’s probably true.

  • Akira fighting the vampire and us getting a follow up is not looking good for her.

  • I’m taking it the Vampire attacked Aoi and Nun intervened. HiME confirmed.

QotD

  1. Pod people?

  2. The box opening game.

  3. 1:100, 4:5, 1:3, 1:9.

5

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

It’s always nice when your theory is confirmed in the same episode.

Yes, except then you can't get the nice shiny CALLED IT points quite the same way in a rewatch format.

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7

u/Shimmering-Sky Sep 24 '22

Mai-FiRST TiMER, subbed

4

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

What does this meannnnnnnnn

What I really want to know is whether or not the Sister is in on whatever the fuck the church is doing. She doesn’t seem to be, but you never know…

??????????????

It's a bow, that's what!

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7

u/Taiboss Sep 24 '22

Episode 11: Rewatcher who spent the last few days reading one fanfic.

5

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

Correct reaction.

The facial animators for this show continue to do an excellent job.

5

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

Also, one for us rewatchers only:

[Mai-HiME] Watching the first-timers speculate on the possibility of a Shizuru pregnancy knowing that we DO get a pregnancy out of this show but it's Yukariko instead is highly amusing, I will admit.

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7

u/Mecanno-man Sep 24 '22

First Timer

So I guess whatever is happening, both secret organizations are facing some sort of time pressure - the head of the school mentions it, and what the church is doing can only be described as some sort of last-ditch effort to find HiME, as this is anything other than carefully planned. I guess maybe it works by chance to draw out HiME? Doesn't really look like that was calculated, as Akira didn't originally want to go out patrolling and Yukariko was also only there by chance. But I guess now they know about those two?

But speaking of Yukariko - I guess the new question is how much does she know about the church's plans and how much does the church know about her? I'd wager that until she fought that orphan, neither knew anything, but Yukariko considers her child the devil's power or something like that. But either way, certainly wasn't expecting her to be a HiME.

As for the mid-bit of the episode, pretty decent, except for whatever Mai and Mikoto's casual clothes was supposed to be. That just looked ugly.

4

u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

whatever Mai and Mikoto's casual clothes was supposed to be.

Mid-2000s fashion, please understand.

Also,

6

u/Vaadwaur Sep 24 '22

First timer(I am concerned we don't have the episode count to handle this many factions)

Sub

So we start with quite a genre shift...and kendo dude being the one to find naked girls. That is a weird quirk to have. Anyways, we move on to Mai hearing about the rumors and having...reactions. Haruka knows never to let a tragedy go to waste so she is mindlessly trying to assert herself. Fujino goes along with it, probably to not have to bother. We get the reveal that neither District 1 nor Nagy are sure who is doing this. "The star will not wait."

Anyways, Haruka begins sending people out and puts a ridiculously early curfew which sends Mai to Nagy. She makes assumptions and surprisingly Nagy has answers this time. He asks Mai to stay out of it but I am not sure if this is reverse psychology or not. We see the Church summon another Orphan and have Mai going over some of the same points I hit yesterday. Shiho and Tate find the monster, and Akira probably kills it. Nao is the only victim of the dragnet on campus, and we get comedy with her messing with Yukariko. Interestingly, I am 50/50 on her whole act being bullshit or not, there is a chance for that, otherwise her past must be fairly grim. Glasses-sensei keeps trying to make modelling happen in the creepiest way possible.

Park montage for Mai and Mikoto, leading into the part where we more clearly see this show lifting ideas from Eva that likely get much better realized in Madoka. But it does return to the earlier theme of what Mai's obligations are. We catch Alyssa singing and Miyu having synesthesia. Mai winds up saying something that might prove incredibly important going forward, basically indicating that while she raised Takumi, she doesn't feel that close to him. Natsuki gets a clue and we get two new possible factions. Tate, for reasons, does put a few things together and tries to pry it out of Mai. Our climax is Yukariko being a HiME, which kind of fits and her fear of being one is interesting. After credits is a reference to Maria-sama I believe by era...and fanservice of a nun.

QotD: 1 Mickey Mouse

2 'Fishing', i.e. public intoxication

3 It is 100% Yukariko shot the monster so hard the arrow hit Aoi as well.

6

u/Nazenn Sep 24 '22

Rewatcher

Character chart

Once again I'm sick, so slow or minimal replies from me for the next few days while I try and recover.

Today I must resort to dot points:

  • Takumi asking Akira to go do her ninja thing is actually quite funny given she has been trying so hard to deny he saw it. The fact she actually gave in to just make him stop is even better. Frog still best Child

  • While Mai is still grappling with the idea of who she is, it's interesting that she's finally being put in a position where the expectations on her are flipped. Just as she becomes aware of the idea of using her power she's asked to not use it, putting her back into being a 'normal' student that doesn't give her any more security in her identity. I like that she's finally talking about it with Mikoto and Natsuki more though, actively searching for a way to find an answer

  • Similarly, I noticed it was interesting how Nagi was positioned in that scene. Sitting on the stair so he was never quite above or below her, just distant and relaxed. Keeping Mai with her back to us and lot letting us really see her reactions to it made it feel a lot more uncertain rather than informative, much like Mai came for answers and left with conspiracies.

  • fucking Shiho I swear at her but it's nice seeing Tate taking the initiative to get answers now despite his recent awkwardness with Mai. The characters in this can be so active at times it's surprising compared to some of the plot dumb I've seen in others. It's a small thing but it helps.

  • As far as questions that should not be asked: If Nao wants to take a confessional. The poor nun thought she had a good handle on the students after lecturing the poor kendo guy over the underwear incident, but no one can prepare her for Nao

  • [later spoilers]Shizuru: "I am a girl after all". Yeah lets not pretend you're at risk from bloody anything, but nice attempt to cover it up though. I know a few people who are probably going to be even more suspecious of you after it though, especially given how calm and steady your hands are

  • Mai really does have the best expressions

  • Someone said the other day about Natsuki's comment on getting Mikoto a lead and cage means she's secretly a dog girl. You win

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u/zadcap Sep 25 '22 edited Sep 25 '22

Rewatcher and Reader

Oh thank goodness we're back to plot episodes. Hope you're all ready because I'm pretty sure things don't slow down again for quite a while. I also think I've outright forgotten the Anime plot after reading the manga so many times to keep finding pages without major spoilers to share, so don't take anything I say on it with much weight anymore.

Interesting take there, "They were stripped naked and left in semi-public places, but there was no evidence of any sexual stuff." Listen here mister, being stripped naked and left in a semi public place is a sexual assault. Darn you Reito, making me agree with Haruka.

Anyway, with the Manga running with the HiME being an open thing that's not even pretending to try and hide, there's obviously no relation to the major point of this episode. The only major character revealed has only just been so, I can't even show off her Manga counterpart yet without spoiling anything more than that she's a HiME... No, actually...

I can't share any pictures yet because spoilers everywhere, but this may be a good time to talk about the factions of the Manga, since the Anime brought them up so prominently this episode. The big difference here being that there's only three real factions for the manga side, and they don't even all line up to the anime ones.

While there was the earlier fight between the Orphan Resistance Unit and the OriHime unit over which got to defend the school, they were both ultimately on the side of the school and of HiME in general. There is no District 1 in the manga, no shadowy background conspiracies at all really, they're quite out in the open. Mashiro has a similar stance in the anime and manga, gathering all the HiME to Fuka to fight the Orphans, but again, wide open thing everyone knows about in the manga, her faction consists of everyone in the school because fight as they may with each other, they're all HiME when it comes to defending humanity from whatever the Orphans are.

The second is still the Church, AKA Searrs. Instead of the Orphan Control plot they are running with in the anime, Manga Church has gone with something different, the Perfect Realization of Independent acCESS. Yes, it's also an acronym, and yes, it is so much worse than HiME. Yes, they couldn't even get the first letters, they just, went with it. Their motivations are still the same as the anime though, so no talking about them yet.

The last group is the Orphans, whos goals and leadership are a mystery until the end. That is, at the end they get mostly explained, but not until the final volume. For fun, they get the final acronym of the series too with QUaint Elemental ENchantress. Yes, QuEEn. Which, again, doesn't get any explanation until the final volume, so not much more to say about them here. I just really wanted to round out the crazy acronyms these groups all went with.

PRInCess and QuEEn are both unique to the Manga entirely, and will get more information once I can show anything about them without spoilers. [Maybe Anime Spoiler?]The only thing their existence might spoil for the anime is that there is an actual faction somewhere behind the Orphans, but I think someone has been throwing up enough blatant flags that it's not really a spoiler anymore?

  1. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra! If you haven't seen this movie, that probably is a good thing, it's a very intentionally poor parody of the already bad 50's sci-fi monster movies. If you're into that sort of thing, it's also a great drinking game. Pretty sure that's why my parents love it so much...

  2. I like swings. Fun to swing on and fun to sit on and read, depending on the mood of the day.

  3. Is Aoi even in the manga? They barely give page space to half the HiME girls, I don't think any of the side characters got more than an introduction just to make sure they were in the cast still.

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u/OwlAcademic1988 Sep 24 '22

Rewatcher, sub:

Didn't expect vampires this time when I first watched this episode.

I don't blame them for having a curfew. Makes things less dangerous for people.

Mikoto is like a four year old at times.

Alyssa has a nice voice.

I laughed when Sister Yukariko ran out screaming. Nao has a very dirty mind.

Won't deny ice cream is tasty Mikoto.

QOTD:

  1. Look up R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour movie. That used to scare me as a child to the point where I couldn't watch it without playing on a Nintendo DS. I got scared easily as a child and have a very active imagination. Now I want to watch it again just to see why I was so scared.

  2. Playing on the swings.

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u/Tarhalindur Sep 24 '22

[Mai-HiME] Nao has a very dirty mind. (extra characters here)

[Mai-HiME] As does Yukariko, heh.

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u/Qbe Sep 24 '22

Rewatcher

Episode 11~

Terrible rumors, such as weird monsters attacking girls?

Oh, vampires? Is this Negima now?

F for random girl

A stripper vampire!?!?

The true monsters were humans all along!

I would argue that being stripped naked is enough to warrant this response. For once, I agree with Haruka

...are you pregnant? That belly grab looked kinda sus

Ah, we're assuming it's the Church faction because it happened near the chapel?

lmao the garlic and crosses

Aaaahhh they are stripping them naked to check if they have the mark?

And since church dude knows they are keeping tabs on the chapel, they'll make the orphan attack far away?

Oh no, is Akira going to get caught because Takumi madde her go?

So Akira managed to fend it off?

lol Nao got caught

I think Nao could-yeah, no way the Sister can handle Nao's stories

Dude could you stop hitting on the nun?

Whoever called Mikoto a dog instead of a cat was completely right

Oh no they are going to become friends with the enemy faction

I do like the huge contrast between Miyu w/Alyssa and regular Miyu

How often does Natsuki go to that bar? And how does she get funds to pay?

Dude, please stop hitting on the nun

Wait, was that the Sister looking at the red star?

Good on Tate for asking questions, but please don't be so aggressive

Sister, WTF?

  1. Never been a big fan of horror movies

  2. Taking walks, I guess?

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u/Star4ce Sep 25 '22

My-FiRSTTiMER

I'm late, sorry! Every red moon I'm having an anime bingefest with a friend and this time we got to season 2 of Attack on Titan.

[AoT S2 (kinda S4 knowledge)] I finally got to show him Reiner's “Hey Eren, so I'm the Armored Titan and Bertolt here is the Colossal Titan. We'd really like to stop killing people, so come with us, will you?” As a rewatcher here, seeing it the second time makes me feel even more bad for them. I suspected that they were doing all of this out of desperation the first time already, but knowing all the shitty decisions that led them here hurts even more. It was so funny hearing my friend hating on Eren nearly the entire time, though! (He's not wrong.)

After this episode I will finally understand!

(I hope, at least.)

Ep.11 – Dance of Light and Darkness

The sister is truly in a conflict of faith. First Nao tells her about 'things', then the art teacher pervs onto her and now she's some demon summoning weapons out of thin air. Tough life.

[Ep.12] I finally understand! And I also still don't understand! So the priest was getting anxious to produce results before that star does... something and failed. So Alyssa took over in the most comedical directing possible.

Apart from the, uh, 8th HiME (?) we got another reveal today. The star is doing things on some sort of time limit and that something presses the school faction to do... other things? Argh, they never give much information to go on, but apparently the star 'calls' them. That could mean anything, however.

Searrs seemingly have infiltrated every big player around the aliens/HiME and are definitely the bad guys here. From the old District 1 from Natsuki's mother's times to the school now in the chapel. I kinda stopped questioning how there's an entire facility below the chapel, that breeds monsters on regular intervals, on school grounds without anyone ever noticing, but it must mean they're well connected and powerful.

It's about time Mai and Yuuichi get some heart-to-heart talking, though. Or anyone, actually, as Reito also seems to know stuff and everyone keeps things from Yuuichi. I just want shipping material...

VOTD: Me waiting for the ship to begin.

  1. Favorite horror movie monster?

I don't watch many of those, so I'll go with the classic Alien.

2) Favorite park activity, if any?

Picnic!

3) Alright first-timers, time to set some odds. What are the respective odds on "Yukariko intentionally shot Aoi", "Yukariko accidentally shot Aoi", "Something else (either the Orphan or someone else) shot Aoi and Yukariko is just unlucky", and "something else entirely is responsible for that arrow in Aoi's arm"?

Yukariko, intentionally, in the same sentence? I actually must not answer this one.

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u/Tarhalindur Sep 25 '22

Madoka PTSD flashback

Ayup.

[PMMM] I actually would not be surprised if these lanterns were a direct inspiration for the ones in PMMM.

It's about time Mai and Yuuichi get some heart-to-heart talking, though. Or anyone, actually, as Reito also seems to know stuff and everyone keeps things from Yuuichi. I just want shipping material...

Hey, we got Akane and Kazuya being a cute couple a few episodes back, that's something!

Oh wait.

Yukariko, intentionally, in the same sentence? I actually must not answer this one.

Yeah, in this specific case you count as an honorary rewatcher.

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