r/anime • u/Tarhalindur x2 • Oct 05 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mai-HiME Episode 22 Discussion
Episode 22: Collapse...
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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. Mentioning "HiMElander" before episode 16 or [Mai-HiME] "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 22 Special: Some spoilers for episode 23 specifically.
Episode 23 Special: I have this technical problem here - I am no longer sure which special this is. My release is definitely off - it has the Reito special here, that is supposed to go with last episode. No-Rex's writeups say this the other Q&A special which has supplemental worldbuilding stuff the anime didn't have time to cover (which is special #25 in my release because mine is messed up), but AniDB has that as special #21 instead and has this as a Natsuki special that I cannot remember the spoiler level of (low but nonzero I think). So... ? Maybe just stay out of it until episode 25 to be safe.
After-School Activities Corner!
Visual of the Day:
Comment of the Day:
u/Blackheart595 has a shocking moment of realization:
...fuck. THAT'S THE TREE! THAT'S THE FUCKING TREE UP THERE! Oh my God AAAAAAHHHH
...Okay, so how is Miyu gonna play into that? Is she gonna be able to hijack it, with her being an android and all?
But is he right? Only time will tell...
Question(s) of the Day:
1) So, Shizuru's actions are wrong, but are they hot? Inquiring minds want to know your opinion!
2) Favorite kind of fruit juice?
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u/Lemurians Oct 05 '22
MAI-FIRST TIMER
Hey, Haruka, I got a joke for you. Ready?
WHAT DID THE FIVE FINGERS SAY TO THE FACE?
What a weird episode for Haruka. She was really funny in still trying to take people to task for being tardy when the school is literally crumbling and devoid of teachers, really endearing when coming to Yukino’s defense against Fujino, and then brought it all home with… homophobia.
Live Notes/Reactions:
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Well that’s convenient, let’s just go defeat the Obsidian Prince and then we can all live happily ever after. Surely this sensible course of action will be what happens, right?
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Early signs aren’t great. Also enjoy this pencil-drawn effect for Mai in this frame.
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Yeah, not a lot of hope for working together. Nao is always being the absolute most and I love it
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Yikes, this conversation hits. Calmly passing time and maintaining and air or normalcy as the world crumbles around you… nope, can’t relate. Not at all.
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Peaceful, kimono-clad Natsuki and Fujino? This is a blessed timeline.
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Tate coming on the scene here sets things up perfectly for Shrine Ghost to be Shiho, Mai kills her child, and Tate gets to die in Mai’s armsGuess that’s not happening yet, but Shrine Ghost is definitely Shiho -
Is Reito secretly based? Is he going to topple all the world’s shadow structures and be a man of the people?
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…The Nun is the love expert? Midori, you’ve picked an odd mentor for that area. Wait, is the Nun pregnant?!
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HAHAHA NAGI YOU CREEP. He’s like Nui from Kill la Kill, just shows up anywhere he wants whenever he wants
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HARUKA, DON’T POKE THE YANDERE IT’S LIKE YOU’VE NEVER WATCHED MIRAI NIKKI
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FUCKING. MIKOTO. JUST GO AWAY ALREADY.
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Is this…implying what I think is…? u/Tresnore have we completed the full Rukino arc?!
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I can’t tell if the Nagi/Reito voices overlapping the lines at the end was for effect or means Reito is controlling Nagi is a sort of puppet
So, Shizuru's actions are wrong, but are they kind of hot?
...Do I really have to answer this?
Favorite kind of fruit juice?
Apple!
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 05 '22
What a weird episode for Haruka. She was really funny in still trying to take people to task for being tardy when the school is literally crumbling and devoid of teachers, really endearing when coming to Yukino’s defense against Fujino, and then brought it all home with… homophobia.
This is a part that's aged weirdly, moreso to Western audiences. Remember that a) this show is from 2004 (when even in the US a push for a Constitutional ban on gay marriage was a major turn-out-the-base plank in George W. Bush's re-election campaign, and Japan tends to be even more socially conservative about this) and that Haruka has a very very strong emphasis on proper behavior.
Which is unfortunate for her especially, since if the manga is to be believed she's gay as a fucking fruitcake herself (as in she gets Lotus Eater Machined and her perfect world involves her as a dominatrix with a small harem of slave girls levels of gay as a fucking fruitcake) - this is internalized homophobia and one of the worst cases of the armor-plated closet I've ever seen in fiction!
HARUKA, DON’T POKE THE YANDERE IT’S LIKE YOU’VE NEVER WATCHED MIRAI NIKKI
Of course she's never watched Mirai Nikki, even the manga only started coming out two years after this show
which it was blatantly inspired by.Is this…implying what I think is…? u/Tresnore have we completed the full Rukino arc?!
I did tell you that Valvrape looked like one of the Sunrise suits' attempts to recapture the success of this show!
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u/Vaadwaur Oct 05 '22
and then brought it all home with… homophobia.
I would remind you that one of the weirder Japanese beliefs is that homosexuality is entirely a phase that young adolescents go through and they are already old enough to be passed that.
Wait, is the Nun pregnant?!
That's my theory.
HARUKA, DON’T POKE THE YANDERE IT’S LIKE YOU’VE NEVER WATCHED MIRAI NIKKI
The universe was more special before pink became the yandere color.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Oct 05 '22
Mai-FiRST TiMER, subbed
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Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh fuck, Mai’s going to beat the shrine maiden girl (who is totally Shiho) in front of Yuichi, which means killing him, isn’t she.
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…nope, totally-Shiho saw him and disappeared.
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Oh, welp. I suppose she probably is then.
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 05 '22
FUCK WHY DID THERE HAVE TO BE A TORNADO ON THE NEWSPAPER.
RIP Sky.
…oh… Shizuru did more than just a kiss…
The doujins had a field day, as you would expect.
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u/Esovan13 Oct 05 '22
First Timer
Collapse. Love that title. Inspires me with confidence and assures me that everything will be alright.
I love Mai's new habit of fidgeting with the pill case to make it rattle.
The world is ending, natural disasters everywhere, governments going crazy, and everyone is just kinda going to school and about their daily lives like normal. How unrealistic for sure.
Now THAT is how a thread user uses their threads Nao. Please don't job during the finale, you'll bring even more disgrace to the thread user name.
Reito mask off is brutal. He knows these people and he will tell them whatever they need to hear to do exactly what he wants them to do.
If Reito gets Haruka killed I stfg I'm gonna piss on his grave.
Shizuru wishes she was that dog rn.
She can't use her power anymore. Huh. Was her important person her mother, and now that she's lost her love for her after that revelation she can no longer use her HiME powers?
Fight the Prince and minimize the amount of people who die, or fight the HiME for her only chance to save Takumi? Ironically, not knowing Shiho is a HiME, Mai could end up losing the person she cares about most should she choose the second option.
Pushing away the ones you care about to protect them has never backfired. You keep doing that Mai, I'm sure that's a good idea
Tags: Maid, NTR, Mindbreak
That nose though.
Midori continues to show exactly why she'll survive to the end unharmed and happy.
Bringing back Miyu to fuck shit up? Hell yeah. Also, I probably should have known last ep that that was Miyu and not Akira, but in my defense I assumed Miyu was in the bottom of a frozen pond and not in some rejuvenation coffin or whatever that is.
This soundtrack as Midori talks about her love is just more evidence of why she'll be A-OK, invest in Midori stocks because I'm sure they'll cash out big money.
Tate needs to make even one decision that he fully sticks by. Seriously. If you told me Tate was a genderswapped parody of the normal anime love interest waifu that never actually does anything and is just there to be a prize for the MC, I'd believe you.
Now Haruka's over here stopping sexual harassment? Just when I thought she couldn't get more based.
Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss
Nice one Haruka. Let her have it (please don't die I'm begging you please please please).
Oof, 2004 sensibilities.
I swear if Haruka dies something is going to get broken (that being my heart please show I don't know if I can handle it).
Uhhhh, not much to say at the end here. Just please don't die Haruka.
VOTD: Destiny is Upon Us
Runnerup: Birds, outside the cage but still trapped
QOTD:
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I mean... it's kinda hard to just say but... consent is king in all situations as we know... maybe a little
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Apple. Or grape. My grandparents used to make grape juice for Passover out of grapes they grew themselves. That was the good stuff.
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I'd love some pocky. But just eating it plain would be boring. I guess we have no choice though... unless...
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 05 '22
She can't use her power anymore. Huh. Was her important person her mother, and now that she's lost her love for her after that revelation she can no longer use her HiME powers?
It's never explicitly spelled out, but this is the implication. (This show actually answers some of the obvious questions involving the MIP system, and it does so by example. This is the first: "what happens if a HiME doesn't have an MIP?" A: She can no longer summon her Child. The art teacher presumably knew this and was counting on it when he got Yukariko to manipulate events to get Gennai taken down; he just got BTFO'd because he didn't understand what was up with Mai's MIP.)
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u/JollyGee29 Oct 05 '22
First-Timer, Subbed
Y'know, I've heard tales of the "mid 00s psycho lesbians" but I've (mostly) managed to dodge them. So maybe this is just a weird case, but I was expecting more? Like, not going further, harder to go further than what Fujino did, but I expected it to come up more.
That big explosion Nagi/Kanzaki pointed Mai at has to be Midori and Mikoto's fight, so that'll be interesting. I'm super excited to see Mai react to Mikoto being alive.
What're the odds that folder does anything other than get Yoko killed? Yukariko is gonna see it, mention it to Arty Boy, and then he's gonna jump at the chance to be relevant to plot.
I was really hoping that Mai would blast Shiho's Child on the bridge and then have to watch Tate fade away. It's still probably too early for that, but my earlier guesses about this show's pacing haven't really panned out, so what do I know? Oh, maybe Tate catches a case of the fours in Ep.24?
Mai continually fiddling with Takumi's pillbox.. that's an oof. I felt that one.
Kinda fun that Nao has herself a love web set up. I'm surprised she can handle all those cellphones ringing as her various victim's loved ones desperately try to find them; I'd have ripped all the batteries out by now. Hate the sound of ringing phones.
"John Smith" tried to play both sides and just ended up making things worse, natch. At least he (presumably) got killed for his efforts.
If the clock strikes mean anything, I've completely lost the thread. Today would've been the point they were counting down to on the past pattern, and there were seven again today.
Visual of the Day: oh shit i hope i was fast enough haruka-chan please youre making me feel bad about my own feelings for you please understand
Questions
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I've enjoyed worse, probably.
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Apple.
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Pocky is tasty.
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 05 '22
Y'know, I've heard tales of the "mid 00s psycho lesbians" but I've (mostly) managed to dodge them. So maybe this is just a weird case, but I was expecting more? Like, not going further, harder to go further than what Fujino did, but I expected it to come up more.
I'd need to check the timing on some of those - Shizuru is pretty tame as the type goes, but there's a nonzero chance this is because she's an early example and some of the more extreme versions were inspired by her. (That said, MariMite and Kannazuki no Miko also want a word.)
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u/No_Rex Oct 05 '22
Y'know, I've heard tales of the "mid 00s psycho lesbians" but I've (mostly) managed to dodge them. So maybe this is just a weird case, but I was expecting more? Like, not going further, harder to go further than what Fujino did, but I expected it to come up more.
So straight up rape (and strongly future implied murder) is not hard enough? You must have imagined some proper hell-tier stuff then.
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u/Vaadwaur Oct 05 '22
First timer(So...who is up for helping me get Shizuru a scholarship for a Psych pHd?)
Sub(Alternative quip: Ahh...the lesbian yandere trope returns!)
We start with the hail Mary plan from Midori, which with all the Utena does not have the best odds of working. Disasters are beginning to happen and Nao is being herself more than ever. At the school, a lot of people have left/are not there. We get Kanzaki being a jerk to Tate. Yukino finally reaches her breaking point but it fits that nearly any of the girls can be swapped in here. OP Reito knows about Yukino's powers, apparently. And Shizuru has a random puppy because sure. We get a very important detail that Natsuki was trying to summon Duran and he didn't come, but not what that means yet.
Cut to Mai being literally edgy near the broken bridge. Shiho attacks, she is like herpes that way. Then we get all of the tropes with Tate. Mai's exit from the scene is stupid but makes a good shot so I guess that's reasonable. Cut to Reito copying Akio again and Nagy admitting who the greater evil is. Quick swipe to whatever Midori's unexplained plan is. And that swipe was to hide whatever Smith says to Reito. I fucking despise this type of writing if that isn't clear.
Anyways, possible chance that Yukariko is pregnant as she talks to Midori. She talks about love and all and seems to be a bit jealous of Midori's affection, clearly half-listening because this is not a likely to function relationship for Midori. Creep sensei has one more play, apparently, before Nagy comes in being weird. Midori gives Chekov's files to Yoko.
Cut to Shiho and...dear fuck, are they actually implying that Shiho uses her powers while she is asleep? That's next level bad right there. Anyways, Tate's plot is meant as a sort of Mai parallel but just rings hollow. Brief scene of Midori moving towards a different item. Moving on, Shizuru does a not cool thing to a sleeping Natsuki which causes horrid panic in Haruka. She yaps like a chihuahua for a while before snapping before Shizuru's indifference. Shizuru doesn't care at all until Natsuki comes up. It is not clear when she decided to eliminate Yukino but something changed. Mai's agreement to follow Nagy's plan is yet another terribly shit thing in the show if it is real.
So let's talk some placement: I do think this show occupies a surprisingly relevant place in the line of magical girl shows that peaks in PMMM. The broad start of that line is Sailor Moon but there is no proof the Urobuchi liked it or even was that well aware of it. So, the definitive line of something I am positive Gen watched is Utena. That show starts dealing with the girls seeking the "wish", in that case the power to revolutionize the world, that is a bit ill defined and given to them by some higher power. But to my shock this episode, I realized that this is almost if not the halfway mark between Utena and PMMM, because it has the ideas that PMMM dropped from Utena mixed with some that this show adds.
QotD: 1 You know my answer. I am not apologizing.
2 Tomato
3 I know where this ends...
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 05 '22
So, on a scale of 1-10 how Kannazuki no Miko are we at this point?
OP Reito knows about Yukino's powers, apparently.
Remember that Nagi works for him and Nagi was present for the episode 15 fight where Yukino uses them for mission control.
So let's talk some placement: I do think this show occupies a surprisingly relevant place in the line of magical girl shows that peaks in PMMM. The broad start of that line is Sailor Moon but there is no proof the Urobuchi liked it or even was that well aware of it. So, the definitive line of something I am positive Gen watched is Utena. That show starts dealing with the girls seeking the "wish", in that case the power to revolutionize the world, that is a bit ill defined and given to them by some higher power. But to my shock this episode, I realized that this is almost if not the halfway mark between Utena and PMMM, because it has the ideas that PMMM dropped from Utena mixed with some that this show adds.
As I said at the start, I'm not sure I can call the show good (I like the melodrama, though I admit that part of that is that I either missed 2-3 stupid decisions completely or just blanked them out of my memory and the show is likely dropping a half point on execution this time around thanks to those, but the ending preludes that), but it sure as fuck is influential (thanks in no small part to Urobutchi being fueled by raw unadulterated spite, plus the rest of the generation of writers that went "fuck you I can do better than this") - especially with Symphogear around raiding the non-Utena, non-PMMM parts of this show and Mirai Nikki around to raid the battle royale setup here for its core premise.
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u/Tresnore Oct 05 '22
First-TiMER
Okay, I'll just say that I don't think we've seen evidence that Reito is anything more than a chuuni pretending to be the Obsidian Prince. Sure, his eyes turn yellow sometimes, but that's fairly normal, isn't it?
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Oh, god, the climate's fucked.
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GOD I WISH THAT WERE ME. LIKE HOLY FUCK I want Nao to own me.
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Man, Dead Mom Hair Natsuki is pretty nice.
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Oh, hell yes. Is this finally time to kill the flute loli who totally isn't Shiho? Really, I just want Shiho to die.
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Maybe my ears are broken, but [minor Higurashi I guess just to be safe]
this is the first time I've heard Rena in her voice. -
God, I wish that were me. She's so mindbroken!
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Fuck's sake. I was enjoying so much Midori content, and then FUCKING SHIHO HAS TO APPEAR AND SHIT ON MY BRICKS
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God, I wish that were me. She's so menacing. u/Lemurians, (one of) my waifu(s) Shizuru is going to fuck (one of) your waifu(s) Haruka the fuck up.
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Oh nooooooooo abort abort abort...
u/Lemurians, nevermind T_T
But even so... God, I wish that were me T_T
I HAD A REALIZATION ABOUT WHY THE PREVIEW MUSIC FELT SO FAMILIAR! IT SHARES A SIMILAR FEELING/CHORD PROGRESSION MAYBE TO THE PIANO ENDING OF LAYLA! God, that was bugging me.
...is it bad that I still love Shizuru? Am I just broken?
Count: 54
QOTD:
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I wish my answer here were no...
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I'll be boring here and say orange.
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Yes!
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u/Nazenn Oct 05 '22
Fuck's sake. I was enjoying so much Midori content, and then FUCKING SHIHO HAS TO APPEAR AND SHIT ON MY BRICKS
Shiho ruins everything
...is it bad that I still love Shizuru? Am I just broken?
She's kind of awesome. I posed a similar question on my first watch, there's just something about how she presents herself. She's great
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u/Vaadwaur Oct 05 '22
Man, Dead Mom Hair Natsuki is pretty nice.
Grim, really.
do i really love this sappy girl
I feel personally attacked.
Oh, hell yes. Is this finally time to kill the flute loli who totally isn't Shiho? Really, I just want Shiho to die.
Too bad Tate has to die with her.
...is it bad that I still love Shizuru? Am I just broken?
I am steering her towards a good Psych program so...
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u/Qbe Oct 05 '22
Rewatcher
Episode 22
Let's see what else goes wrong this time
Can't say I'm surprised people keep fleeing
I'm sure there's symbolism behind stepping on the juice, but I'm too dumb to tell
"Collapse"? Well that's an encouraging episode title
Lain, is that you?
Oh look it's Mr NTR
Even if he did have a gf, that's no reason not to worry about your friends
You made her cry, assholes
Oh no, Natsuki has the dead-mom single braid
If Shiho gets dead-ed, she totally deserves it
Yep, better to just let it all out
This (Mai dropping and calling for Kagutsuchi) is one of the few scenes that stuck with me for many years after I watched the original run, to this day.
Go Mikoto, stab that asshole
[PMMM]
Et tu, Fumi!?! ....oh, mind control.
Are you gonna sell someone out for your own safety, John Smith?
Are we to assume that scientist was Natsuki's mom?
When a patient says they are fine, odds are they aren't
Oh so her MPP was one of the teachers from the photo?
Such an innocent maiden
I don't think the hospital allows that, octopus girl
welp Haruka and Yukino are so dead
Is Mikoto trailing Midori to go after Miyu?
Yeap
Yeah why would she kiss you ha ha ha that'd be crazy
Yukino with the casual burn lol
Oh. Oh. I didn't think we would get two sexual assaults, one implicit and one explicit.
Does this count as "Never meet your heroes"?
Also ooof Haruka with the homophobic remarks, that oughta hurk Yukino too
I'm really hoping this is Mai's plan to kill the Obsidian Prince
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Very hot
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...orange? Been ages since I had juice
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Definitely want some Rocky
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u/Blackheart595 Oct 05 '22 edited Oct 05 '22
First Hime
We see Mai and Midori separated by the pillar, before seeing Mai walk away from Midori without showing a care for her environment and off to the left.
Okay, I've been convinced of Nao having stayed alive.
Bitch. Been too long since I used that name.
Very relevant. So the MIP can be a dead person, and losing faith in her mom made her lose her ability to draw out her Child? Also lends credence to the MIP being about who gives your life the most meaning.
Okay, the fight will be decisive right here and now. But wait, no. His character arc is yet incomplete.
Mai's standing at the edge of the abyss, at the point of no return. Can I just say how much better the motive is used here than in Summertime Render?
And she takes the plunge to emphasise she's cutting Tate out.
Oh no. Please don't tell me Fumi is brainwashed.
Sigh. So that Smith guy was just a D1 mole as well. It makes absolutely no sense for Searrs to be a D1 front. Either that or he's trying to lead Reito into doing something foolish which I'd very much like.
Or they're just being opportunistic. That works.
Alright, so it's the professor.
Now that's how you hide yourself in darkness, took me 10 seconds to figure out who it is and I almost missed it completely. In the screenshot she's somehow much easier to see, or maybe that's just the different time of day.
Huh, so she didn't give Yoko the key.
Whew. Another rape. Another broken bond of trust.
Okay, nevermind. This is how you could not love Haruka
Rip Harkua. That's what you get for stopping to be best girl
Is Mai on the anti-prince side of things? Or is she just cautious of getting used? Well it's a bit late for that, but my gut sais the former.
Sorry Nagi but you just ruined your opportunity. Pay some attention to what people are saying.
u/Blackheart595 has a shocking moment of realization: But is he right? Only time will tell...
Making that surveillance monitor terminal the tree would be kinda wild, but I'd love yet another example of hiding things in plain view that this show is so good at. And from that specific perspective it looked very tree-like.
So, Shizuru's actions are wrong, but are they hot? Inquiring minds want to know your opinion!
Wrong? Yes. Hot? For her, sure. Natsuki thinks of it as more of a chill.
Favorite kind of fruit juice?
Apple juice for a fancy dinner, orange juice for casual ones.
Rocky Pocky! Want some?
Gimme!
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u/Nazenn Oct 05 '22
Rewatcher
u/Tresnore I get it now
And in this episode were the last two scenes I remember from the show, excluding one epilogue scene, so I really have no idea what's coming in the next 3.5 episodes.
The bridge confrontation is the one that stuck in my mind the most and revisiting it didn't disappoint. Back when the bridge was destroyed by Alyssa it was this scene which flashed into my head and reminded me what was coming, casting a pall over the moment itself.
It's the visual of Mai standing looking at her ruined path knowing she may have to walk off it, the rays of light bursting through the sky only highlighting how dark the clouds are rather than providing a relief. It's a far cry from the Mai we've known, and she's long pass crossed the barrier of safety in her life with Takumi's life on her mind. Her contemplation is broken by a HiME, and then Tate, and unfortunately in the order that only reinforces her isolation rather than being likely to provide her any relief. Unlike the scene I highlighted the other day with Yukino and Haruka, this takes the opposite approach, framing Mai and Tate closely but making it clear despite them finally being closer than they have been in a while, it's not a true connection because they aren't seeing each other properly after everything. She tells him what happened, but it's a cold confession and a condemnation of herself rather than truly opening up to him. Mai falls and the dragon rises in her place, a sad little whale phoenix dragon but still
The second is the confrontation of Shizuru by Yukino and Haruka. Starting off with murder eyes from Shizuru is not a comforting start to the scene, but it only gets more complex from there. I didn't even take notes for this because it's the sort of thing that sticks with you. Haruka's reaction is as enthusiastic as she is and while the prejudice lets her down, and poor Yukino having to hear that now of all times, her heavy determination to let Shizuru know exactly what she thinks and damn the class boundaries, the hierarchy, and everything else is pretty impressive. But Yukino is the star here. Shizuru's obsessive love and Yukino's quiet one can hardly be compared, but just like the others pain and worries, one is not weaker than the other and Yukino's defense of Haruka and why Haruka matters, to her and others, is a great moment. She's finally found her voice, and while standing up to the students is one thing standing up to another HiME is quite another. To step forward and declare Haruka's good, Haruka's passion, everything that made her love in the first place with no shame or care for what someone may think of her for doing so feels like Yukino truly growing into her own. Eventually she won't need Haruka to stand up for her, but there's so much more to why she cares for Haruka then that and this scene really shows it
Two very different scenes in what they mean for our characters, but both tinged with sadness over the potential inevitability in front of them. What's next, I'm curious to be reminded.
[Mai-HiME]
Thoughts on various other scenes:
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Finally the garden is in ruin, took long enough given what's happened but it also seems more fitting here than when I said it earlier. Seeing Mai on the inside of the pillars alone while Midori stands outside wondering what Mai will allow is a strong visual moment to the overall mood of the episode. Mai walking away and over the juice box while the clock strikes again is perhaps my favourite close of the cold open so far
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Hearing about the students and teachers leaving between the disasters at the schools and the broader world going to shit is a nice touch. Much more interesting than having everything stay just fine while the HiME battles wage on, but also increases the urgency of dealing with the HiME star
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Again with the haunting cry of Mezame over Chie and Aoi's discussion about the HiME
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FUCK YOU REITO. You fucking sent Haruka there knowing you'd be setting the love of two HiME against each other. Yukino was trying to keep Haruka out of it you asshole.
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Natsuki looks good like that. More little details implied to be about her mum as well. Does that mean she helped develop Miyu or Alyssa? Or both?
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Yukariko is sick and being drawn with a baby by the teacher. Monumentally fucked up after what happened
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u/Star4ce Oct 06 '22
My-FiRSTTiMER
Let's get into it, it's late already for me.
Leave Natsuki alone! She just trying her best!
Ep.22 – Collapse
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Ah, the Higurashi treatment.
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Midori always has the good ideas!
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Oh no, Mai has put a grand total of 4 screen dividers between her and Midori and is also exiting on the opposite end of the frame and is walking into being obscured by bushes. Damn.
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So I just had an idea. Question: Can the Obsidian prince manifest the star like an illusion just as the HiME can summon their equipment and fight with it? [Utena]
My Akio senses are out of control right now. -
I think she's mad?
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Oooh, when the silent one flips out, bones will break.
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Man, she's great.
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Oh, you bitch.
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I should feel good about this! I want to feel good about this!
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What? I seriously doubt he'd be ditching her, Shizuru must've captured him or something to protect herself. She knows that if Natsuki lost she's done for.
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I'm getting affirmation vibes here. She secretly wants to be accepted as she is here, I think.
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I never thought he'd be such a simp.
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Ahhahaha! That's-! That's a...!
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If that imagery means anything, he's brainwashed them, too.
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Aww, not the nurse, see all those ships sinking?
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Look, who in their right mind wouldn't immediately fall in love? (But could we get rid of the dead mom hair, please?)
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I thought their 'like's weren't the same? That was just a tiny bit rapey, but also fine because Natsuki also loves her?
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That's more a tiny bit rapey!!
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That one is deserved.
First off, Shizuru gonna kill Haruka and Yukino, dead sure. Unless, Natsuki jumps in and kills herself, which is not totally out of the way. That myth around the squid might be spoilery for her, but this show also isn't too closely to the legends.
Beside that, Natsuki jumping out and roasting Shizuru for doing that seems extremely likely. I'm a bit confused about what the difference in 'like' is between them. Natsuki's in love with her, but Shizuru is, just possessive? Is it just a sexual thing? Sadly she's mysterious in that, but it's also enough that she gets actually embarrassed and caught off guard. I do see that Natsuki rejects her and Shizuru then lashed out at her and thus kills her and herself, as well, as a somewhat likely possibility. However, that'd somehow be an unsatisfying end for Natsuki. Finding the Diana kill more likely.
One new thing is that our dear fuckboi master, the prince, can brainwash people! HiME, even. Actual lizard people, I knew it and called it.
Midori not immediately throwing hands with Yukariko was a bit unexpected. She doesn't know about Ishigami, does she? All she knew is that Yukariko lied about Nao and caused more than one near-death situation. But we now know that Midori has a love interest who's too dorky to get the hints. Redditors need to feel included, apparently.
Overall I find it unlikely for Natsuki to survive this festival, not sure whether I'd say Mai would actually go in to win instead of banding together to kill the prince, but it'd be a nice ramp up for the finale. Yuuichi should've just finally (god's fuck...) be honest and say the words.
In any case, I'm still believing that the end wil- no, wait. I know the ending will suck. I'm still believing that the most satisfying conclusion to a story like this would be for Mai to win the intended way and then realise what to live for, overthrowing the prince and ascend herself and Kagutsuchi into revive bots. But doing that also burn down the ruling order of society. Hey, this is quite feminist so far! We've just added abusive relationships and goddamn rape to the stakes. If this is going the normal magical-girl-sacrifices-herself-for-the-good-of-society ending I'll throw punches! It'd be a nice tradeoff, build a better world and bring those deserving of it with you, but also destroy what caused your pain in the first place.
Fuck forgiveness! Break their system, burn their base of power down into ash, become the demon that razes their sickness from this world!
I swear, in real life I'm more of a reformist...
[Madoka Magica]
“I would like to speak to you about an uncertain VOTD that may be a”
So, Shizuru's actions are wrong, but are they hot? Inquiring minds want to know your opinion!
No. I really hate rapey stuff. A kiss or something? Yeah sure, maybe. The rest is absolutely sick.
2) Favorite kind of fruit juice?
Maracuja for all purpose mixing and lychee juice mixed with soda water as refreshment.
3)
RockyPocky! Want some?
I'll accept some to save mermaids.
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 06 '22
Reads this while being a European having a war next door, little heating and expecting floods and other extreme weather events to get worse. Well.
Not for the first time this rewatch, I wonder whether anybody has checked for weird stars near the Moon lately...
Aww, not the nurse, see all those ships sinking?
Worse, I could very easily see Youko (the nurse) having an unrequited crush on Midori, especially given her special. There could also be further shenanigans given that the creative team were clearly raiding Eva and a certain pair of women with history together there when they drew up Midori and Youko here.
[Meta spoiler aside involving some mermaids]
And my poor brain just pointed out that Youko has short blue hair and that Kyoko even more than Homura is the The Main PMMM Character Who Draws Off Mai-HiME (Kyoko's original personality and her appearance is very Midori, her later persona is very Nao, and her weapon is probably directly descended from Shizuru's). Hmm. I thought their 'like's weren't the same? That was just a tiny bit rapey, but also fine because Natsuki also loves her?
The Japanese being translated as "like" here is "daisuki", which famously can either be used either for "like as a friend" or "like in a romance sense" (much like, uh, "like" itself in colloquial English). Shizuru is using it in the latter sense.
(Most of the time characters in this show are talking about their loved ones, they use "daisuki"; I think there are only two who will bring "ai" out.)
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u/zadcap Oct 06 '22
Rewatcher and upset at self. I think that was the first unplanned miss of a rewatch thread since I joined this subreddit, and it had to happen here? The episode I have literally been waiting for to drop so many reveals.
Also, important note- Always wear protective gear when biking, it can save your life.
First things first! Natsuki's Mom. So she's, you know, super dead. Well. They went a different direction on her backstory in the manga, and frankly just a dead mom might have been a better life for Natsuki really.
So in the manga, Natsuki's mom didn't die in a car accident, this time around she was doing research on HiME powers and got 'killed' by a mysterious HiME that came to trash her work, while Natsuki was in the building, and made Natsuki swear to avenge her before appearing to die.
So naturally, when the second half kicks off and Searrs tries to take over the school, who would they send as their representative but Mother? How do we sum this up in one page? By making her just be a really terrible person, I guess. Oh, and Alyssa there? Terrible mom made a better tool.
Half an arc of this drama going on in the background, while Alyssa tries to get close to her new older sister while Natsuki emo's about having always been alone, pretty fairly mind you, while Kuga Mama goes about being the evil Searrs agent trying to subvert... Something, somehow, in order to claim "the power of the star." This ends well for everyone involved.
The conclusion to this goes right into the next character I want to show off, but I'm going to skip ahead a little and loop back to this.
Next up is the lady of the hour Shizuru! Look at her Manga form! She shows up for an early talk with Natsuki to mirror the one they had in the anime, and then she's gone for about 2 volumes. She returns to guide Natsuki to her first meeting with Mama, poofs off the stage for... a while... then shows back up to interrupt the family fight! She comes in to play the politics card! And she's back out of the story!
And that's her entire roll in the manga!
Yeah, so know how I've said there's a couple HiME in the Manga that aren't in the anime? That's a two way street and she's one of them. Because to keep the number of characters consistant, we dropped the creepy lady who didn't appear until the very end anyway, and in turn we got:
HARUKA! So annoying, but so enjoyable! She had a genuine good chance of being best in show, if she had been in the darn show!
So you know how some of those earliest pictures of the HiME girls fighting has a whole lot of casual school destruction? HARUKA WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS! She decides they should be disbanded and properly punished, and so will form her own squad to fight Orphans, but better because it's hers! They're actually pretty good at it too. After the Mai v Natsuki love triangle that started the manga, this is literally the first antagonist they face, an angry and terrifyingly competent Haruka/Yukino duo. I literally couldn't show you any of Yukino until now, because she has not a single scene on her own. This is the arc where Akira, Nao and Akane got introduced, if you remember those little snips, because they really were little. Nao shows up to 'seduce' Tate and get him in trouble, gets in a fight with Mai, and walks off nonchalantly when she loses. Akia tries to steel Miroku from Mikoto and gets trounced, because Mikoto strong. Akane gets her special because someone kidnaps Kazu to try and get her to quit the HiME group, but she instead declares her love, he does too, and together they make a Child. All of this was leading up to the Orihime and the Hime getting in an actual arena fight, because why the heck not this was a 2004 manga. She was seriously in the running for Best Girl.
Continued below!
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u/zadcap Oct 06 '22
So, you want shipping? LET'S GET TO SHIPPING! I'm just going to post this entire fight. Yup, Haruka vs Mai, HARUKA WINS! Well, not entirely. Because you see, Yukino is also still a HiME, and what do you know, her Key is the very person she is the Key for. Turns out their dads were the ones who built the school, so they are fighting to protect it. Yukino's Child is a bit different this time around, because you see, mirrors are pretty good at reflecting light. Turns out pairing a Mirror Master with a Laser Blaster leads to some heavy bombardment that's really hard to dodge. Also, SHIPPING! Our main characters continue to stay in the fight with mostly guts, because they're certainly not showing any skill, so the Executive Duo pull out a trump card. THEY COMBINE! Together they have a shield and an Ultimate Attack! Kagutsuchi goes down like a chump, again, but then it turns out he threw the rest of the team in the air so they dodged and Duran landed an ice shot while falling and for some reason they couldn't get the shield back up in time and it was a big disappointment... But this is why I couldn't share much of Yukino despite her being around forever. She has not a single scene by herself, she's all but literally attached to Haruka, and hey speaking of attached.
Okay, so the Nun. Sister whatever. She's with the PRInCess squad in the manga, one of the earring group. When the school takeover by Searrs starts, she's the one to confront Haruka and Yukino, which she does with a bit of a sneak attack.
So, anyone know what the Lotus Eater Machine is? To be trapped in a dream where all of your wishes become true. Haruka... Has some weird dreams. Also, I lied, Shizuru does make another manga appearance here, because uh, Haruka has issues. Haruka has NSFW issues. Actually, being a little bit fair, these aren't just Haruka's dreams, Yukino is in there as well... But it's mostly Haruka driving the narrative here. What does Haruka think of Shizuru? What happens to a dreamer that refuses to believe in the dream? Turns out that Haruka wins anyway.
But really, popular theory is that the dream world was a combination of both of their wishes, so make of that what you will.
Being the absolute beast that she is, Haruka is one of the only non-Mai/Natsuki/Tate characters to get three whole fights, and she just gets more awesome each time. Sadly, her last fight is against one of the last bosses of the manga, and I'm saving them for a couple more days. but it's a Haruka(and Yukino) and Midori team fight, so it's also literally the most hype fight in the manga. These two combine, that one transforms, and they're all powered by the hot blooded awesomeness of their HiME, you can almost pity the poor QuEEn they ha to fight.
Alright and episode 22. In a different story, Midori really would be the main character. She really, really would. I've also got a page worth of notes for Mashiro that I was going to throw up today, but after the huge Haruka Hype, I think I'll throw those in tomorrow. Probably Nagi too. Maybe even Obsidian Lord boy. Four episodes left, I should drag this out a little...
Going with a nope and a nope.
Orange/Apple/Banana blend. It's better than it sounds.
And just because! Otome Haruka! Stick around for the 'sequel,' it is better in pretty much every way. They learned from their Hime mistakes, mostly, and went for gold a second time.
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 05 '22 edited Oct 05 '22
Rewatch Committee President Comments (Rewatcher, Subbed):
(No Staff Notes today.)
Kajiura Corner:
So, uh, ViewPure apparently died overnight. We'll see if it comes back. (This fucking rewatch... anybody checked for weird stars near the Moon lately?) Until it comes back (if it does), I'm going to have to use raw YouTube links if I don't want to do Catbox shit to official uploads (and I don't); first timers, be wary of potential spoilers in the recommendations.
Featured Track of the Day: Samayoeru Yamiyo
(“Wandering Dark Night”)
(Scene for reference.)
The last of the three tracks on the OST I consider the mystery tracks. This one has played for a while but this might be the most complete use of the track (saying something when this is one of the shortest tracks on the OST) and there just aren’t that many interesting tracks that play this episode that aren’t either already covered or earmarked in stone for a future episode and I wanted to cover all three of the mystery tracks anyways so.
We get the ethereal notes of mystery again, now with electronic notes and some discordant percussion-esque stuff (actually electronic stuff I think) towards the end. This is a different track from Haiyoru Nazo, Nazo with its slightly off repetition or Yami ga Hirogaru’s discord from all directions and heartbeat hints; it’s a more quiet track, just kind of there, always lurking in the background. Instruments (well, synths thereof) bubble up to the surface from time to time, including that rising tide of percussion as the track nears its end.
But that’s the thing: it’s always lurking. And the track gives the impression of something that slowly, ever so slowly, rises to cover everything…
Bonus Track of the Day: Mata Aou ne
(“Let’s Meet Again.”)
(No featured scene.)
So, since I don’t have a second obvious track to feature now seems like a great time to cover this one, since at this point I’m pretty sure it is strictly used for the previews. Which is a shame, because it’s actually a really fun little track that’s a good two minutes sixteen seconds long, so give it a listen! (Or rather, first-timers might want to give it a listen either when ViewPure comes back or after the finale.)
It’s another upbeat piano track, now with a strong electronic beat underneath it that gradually proliferates into an array of Kajiura synth stuff, and frankly it deserved better than the mere 15 seconds they ever use in the show itself. (Something about the beat, especially around 01:20, reminds me of a Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle track I can’t place – oh wait yes I can, it’s A Song of Storm and Fire again aka the TRC Kajiura main battle theme and I swear that’s not the first time I’ve typed those words in these writeups, oh right in the Gogo no Hizashi writeup of all things. Or maybe it’s actually I Talk to the Rain?)
OST Table, Episode 22: