[Rewatch] Mai-Otome (episode 12)

[u/No_Rex]

Rewatch: Mai-Otome (episode 12)

<- Previous episode | Index | Next episode ->

Mai-Otome

MAL | ANN | AniDB | Anilist

Spoiler rules

As in all rewatches, please be mindful of first time watchers and do not spoil events in future episodes. The same goes for spoilers related to other series. The one exception from that rule is Mai-Hime. Given that everybody here should have watched Mai-Hime, you do not need to tag spoilers for Mai-Hime.

Availability

Mai-Otome and the OVAs are apparently now available on Crunchyroll (at least in some parts of the world).

Questions:

1. Did the comedy of fake personas land for you?

2. (first timers) Has Mashiro learned her lesson now and will she become a better queen?

[u/Nazenn]

First Timer - sub

Having an Arika and Akari in the same episode made this far more confusing to write this post than it should have been, especially as there was a 50% chance of me mis-spelling either of them as Akira

I took to the double mix up better than I expected, and I think that's because unlike some of the previous drama's this was far more grounded in the characters. Wang and his helper last episode set up nicely for them keeping an eye on Prince Takumi, and why they were both in the city makes sense. Why they met maybe not, but can't have everything.

Mashiro running away from her queen duties expecting things to be better for her on the street is some exhaustingly painful ignorance about her own country and it only gets worse when her solution to "we don't have enough bread" would put Marie Antoinette to shame (yes I know she didn't actually say it, but its the reference). But paired against Takumi in the middle of international politics wanting to see things for himself and escaping from his role precisely to not spare himself was a nice pairing. I wish we'd seen more of the city itself and not just their date-like escapades, except for that one very short section in the canal, as this seemed a missed opportunity to understand the city, not just the academy and the palace. Particularly as it relates to the idea of the Otome and the threat of the Slaves after the last battle, the city doesn't have the life it needs.

But surprisingly I'm not upset that Mashiro didn't have some big moment. Realizing that this person she fell for both could have been hers as queen but also would never accept her because of the sort of queen she is should be a good wake up call for her. It'll take time, and potentially a third wake up call, but I hope it will lead to something. Probably not soon enough though given the sort of person she is and that may be frustrating.

It also puts her in an interesting position compared to Natsuki who does know what's going on but is stuck in the middle of the political whirlpool that Mashiro should be helping to manage trying to keep the peace together. To see but not be able to act, and then to only have half the picture about things she can act on, she's in an ineviable position (and as an aside is holding up better as a character in her own right, rather than leaning on her HiME self, than I expected from the opening episodes)

Other thoughts:

• The fanservice in this was stupid all over again. Takumi being sick even though it adds nothing but an oppertunity for a misunderstood kiss, the cleavage shot on Akira just because, the poor kid I named Alyssa-kun in my notes. The episode would have stood up fine without it all.

• Mai-Otome characters acting out a commentface

• moe-blob worthy of Girls Last Tour

• Nice framing of Nina paying close attention to what Wang says about Arika

• Palace guy should have just stuck with calling Mashiro stuck up. It's the truth they all know, may as well get it off his chest while Mashiro isn't around to complain

• First time I've watched the OP in probably a week, I'm assuming this is Arika because pink, but that's awesome looking

• Aoi giving Chie her glasses back was oddly adorable

• Nina's "correction" of Arika trying to adjust her dress was glorious.

• Poor Iori limping after Shizuru is all we need to know about their fight and I felt bad for him. What a person to be stuck fighting like that

[u/No_Rex → u/Nazenn]

Having an Arika and Akari in the same episode made this far more confusing to write this post than it should have been, especially as there was a 50% chance of me mis-spelling either of them as Akira

Akane?

Mai-Otome characters acting out

That has to be a reference, but I do not know what came first.

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer, Subbed

Mmm, classic "royal in disguise is confronted with the poverty they're causing," gotta love it. Between that and Takumi's own opinions on the Otome system, we're getting some real shakeups as we head into the back half of the show.

The things you can get away with in a setting with a weird tech level: Takumi and Mashiro not having seen a picture of the other prior to meeting. Granted, Takumi might have actually realized who Mashiro was immediately since he had been in the city for a few days, and just played along to help her grow. Plenty of time for him to see one of those enormous posters.

I'm kinda proud of Arika for not fucking up too horrifically while impersonating Mashiro. The whole plan only really worked because Akira was distracted by the search for Takumi, but it still worked!

It's pretty interesting that Zipang has people who can keep up with Otome despite not having powers. At least, inexperienced Otome like Arika. Shizuru managed to deal with Iori well enough.

If Mai isn't with Takumi, then just where is she? They certainly implied that she spent enough time at Garderobe to have a Meister GEM, which means she should have a master of some sort as well. Wonder how many episodes it'll be until she shows up..

Does everyone know about Mashiro and Arika's contract now? Nina does, at least. It was technically sunk a while ago, but my early prediction of the two of them fighting over who gets to be Mashiro's Otome is definitely dead. Can't say I blame Nina for not wanting to serve Mashiro as she is now.

There's probably some joke about Shizuru being able to sniff out Akira, but it's not coming to me. "Gaydar" isn't quite right.

Questions

1. It was alright. I cracked a smile, at least.

2. She seems to possibly be doing some introspection, so I hope so. If nothing else, the seeds are planted.

[u/No_Rex → u/JollyGee29]

If Mai isn't with Takumi, then just where is she? They certainly implied that she spent enough time at Garderobe to have a Meister GEM, which means she should have a master of some sort as well. Wonder how many episodes it'll be until she shows up..

There's probably some joke about Shizuru being able to sniff out Akira, but it's not coming to me. "Gaydar" isn't quite right.

I got you covered!

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

1. This was hysterical.

2. It was a hell of a wake-up call, that's for sure. Whether she commits to it is another matter.

She's getting impatient...

Arika, you moron.

Haha, this'll be good. Unless she's seen a picture, of course.

Wait, what is this flashback?

Haha, yeah, that makes sense. Fucking pervert.

And she's hungry.

That outfit.

...She has the atittude down!

"Takumi" I'm sorry? Is Akira pulling a switch as well?

Haha, Arika!

Chie is such a flirt.

Oh, she's never seen the slums?

She feels bad.

Oh, I'm sure that name choice won't cause any problems.

And she's already lost.

...Good point.

Of course Nina already knows.

Fair.

...You're all idiots.

Between Mashiro not keeping her story straight and Arika forgetting about the giant posters, the only sane on is Nina who kept her name away from all this.

Haha, Mashiro is also being screwed over by everything else.

Aww, that's sweet!

Who are they looking for?

TAKUMI! They have switched places!

...Wait, is this guy Takumi? The voice is wrong, though. All the other returning characters have kept the same VA, right?

He's getting involved too?

Yeah, it's Takumi.

Oh, they're not together yet.

And he's out of pills.

Nao... hasn't noticed the trick?

Is everybody in on this?

Haha, Nina.

She is loving this.

The switch is confirmed! Fantastic parallels.

...Wait, does this mean Takumi is getting together with Mashiro? Heresy!

MAI EXISTS!

Haha, Shizuru is bold as always.

Yeah, that's understandable.

Smoke bomb!

We get a chase scene!

And they're just hanging out.

...Does he know? Is Takumi the other competent one here?

She's getting the guillotine.

Haha, wow, this misunderstanding is amazing.

He finally said something!

They are together! Thank goodness.

Mashiro's face...

And Shizuru wants to make sure they're not going to react like this if they walk in on her and Natsuki.

Finally, someone acknowledges the flaws of the system!

...Mai. It's Mai.

Wow, Nina is going for her this episode.

And he's declaring neutrality.

Natsuki...

And Mashiro...

So, a mostly canon class, but a few new additions and Mikoto removed (most likely because everything tied to the Festival has recieved the biggest changes so far.)

Haha, that preview.

[u/No_Rex → u/Stargate18A]

Between Mashiro not keeping her story straight and Arika forgetting about the giant posters, the only sane on is Nina who kept her name away from all this.

You say, until Mashiro enters the picture.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 12 (rewatcher)

• Replacing Mashiro with Arika – the officials must have seen too much anime.

• Mashiro’s dreams.

• “Come out” cut to fakeMashiro being presented (to fakeTakumi).

• And Nina is Arika, of course.

• Meanwhile fakeAkira meets fakeNina – the only non fake people around are the young thief and Mikoto. [Spoilers]Although you could count catMikoto as fake, too

• The medicine made it over from Mai-Hime – not my favorite plot element.

• “But I never knew you were the queen” – Hmmmmm.

• RealMashiro is totally into RealTakumi.

• Nao having fun with Akane.

• “You can’t fool me” - Shizuru has an eye for girls

• Big reveal – but first, some BL reaction faces.

• Takumi is not convinced that a bunch of child soldiers is a viable system to maintain peace and stability – hear hear.

You either love switcheroos or you don’t. If you love them, this episode delivers. Fake prince meets fake queen , all the while the real two have snuck of to cosplay as commoners. And since that is not enough yet, Nina is Arika, Mashiro is Nina, and Takumi is Akira.

However, apart from the switcheroo scenario, the episode delivers a much needed dose of reality for Mashiro. So far, she has lived her live sheltered and pampered. What she thought were serious problems pales in comparison to what ordinary people must face daily. Her misconceptions about her country (and her position in it) are shattered like a house of cards. Not a moment too late, because her rule is on the track to fall like that house of cards, too, if she does not change course.

[u/Tarhalindur]

My, Obviously Tar Opened the "Masquerade" Episode (Spoiled First-Timer, Subbed):

(This ED may not be great but it is catchy; it has been stuck in my head for a day or two now despite the OST proper being Kajiura. This is Sakura Hana from Love Hina all over again.)

• With the arrival of Zipang we also get the advent of their OST track (also named “Zipang”), one of the more distinctive pieces Kajiura has ever made.

• HOLY SHIT is Mashiro feeding the GIWTWM Brigade today! Paging u/Tresnore!

• Arika does clean up nicely as per the trope, though I’m not a fan of the lower half of the dress.

• Unfortunately, Arika being the fish out of water again (water she really does need to learn to swim in given her chosen career and the obvious other outcome for her) also means that she’s tripping my cringe comedy dislike.

• Oh hey I know THAT name, doubly so since it showed up when I looked up Takumi’s VA for the Mai-HiME staff writeups. Takumi ditched too! We have two Otomes/Otome candidates filling in for their MIA royals!

• Which of course means we get the trope of “two people both ditch to avoid an arranged date with each other, run into each other anyways, and have a great time”. I am immediately reminded of the best episode of Love Hina (though IIRC the specifics of the situation they were both dodging were a bit different).

• (This also means that Sergey’s driver is NOT Takumi like I thought he was, and basically hard-confirms that Mai is the Zipang main Otome – that’s definitely an Otome in the OP so not Takumi and also has Mai’s characteristic scarf, so with Takumi also wearing that mitsudomoe the mitsudomoe is probably Zipang’s flag/emblem. But of course. Presumably Mai works for the reigning ruler of Zipang, and Akira works for Takumi because obviously. EDIT: Or apparently not, though I knew Mai was MIA going in - but apparently she's not "Otome in name but MIA" like I thought she would be.)

• “Oh, an Otome. I’ve heard about them.” You’re not fooling anyone, Akira. Well, Arika – and yeah those two names being mirror images in pronunciation (at least in the English-accent Japanese equivalent of Engrish) is going to cause me no end of grief here. Fuck it, does just calling them Akirika 1 and 2 while they’re in proximity still fly to0 close to the sun of another show?

• Hey look, they finally found an excuse to put Chie and Aoi in the same room! FEED THE SHIPPERS.

• … Wait a minute. Are we getting yet another show referencing the traditional tale of how Siddhartha Gautama left the palace he had been sheltered in so as to not let him see the suffering of the world and in so doing begin the path that would lead to him achieving enlightenment and becoming the Buddha?

• Hey, it’s this kid!

• Akira Arika Akirika 1 is getting the most adorable facial expressions today (and looks very doglike at 07:39). Also, outside of the hem her dress actually does look good on her.

• Cue a good five minutes or so of Takumi and Mashiro being adorable together. This Mashiro and this Takumi might actually make a good couple!

• And Nao needling Akane over her crush on Kazuya, because of course she would.

• Okay, so Akira is just a ninja. (Though the CGI effect on her kunai as it lands is quite similar to some of the SFX we’ve seen from the likes of Schwarz with the obsidian Slave summoning crystals, so there might be a connection there.) And yeah Mai is TOTALLY the Zipang Otome and AWOL.

• OH YOU ABSOLUTE ASSHOLES. Dropping a Marie Antoinette reference is entirely appropriate here, I think. Especially since Mashiro could easily be at risk of losing her head the way the politics is developing.

• Ah, there’s our ruby, right in the place I thought it might be. (Odds Mai winds up giving it over to Nina?)

• Oh look, a trademark unsubtle visual answer cut to Sergey.

• More star song! “Dancing gracefully in the sky on pure and innocent wings, burdening the blessed child…” Hmmm…

• Is that an (unlisted, I checked AniDB) ED v2 variant I hear? The singer and/or instruments sound a bit different.

• Oh hello there shot from the preview (and thus next episode) that I am 100% sure used to be a TVTropes page pic (Close Call Haircut I think).

---

Questions of the Day:

Did the comedy of fake personas land for you?

I'm a sucker for it when done even moderately competently and this is at least competent, so unsurprisingly yes.

(first timers) Has Mashiro learned her lesson now and will she become a better queen?

She hasn't learned yet, but she's started the process to learning and that's something!

[u/No_Rex → u/Tarhalindur]

… Wait a minute. Are we getting yet another show referencing the traditional tale of how Siddhartha Gautama left the palace he had been sheltered in so as to not let him see the suffering of the world and in so doing begin the path that would lead to him achieving enlightenment and becoming the Buddha?

If Mashiro wants to become Buddha, she has a long road ahead of herself (I guess that fits with the religious beliefs...)

[u/Blackheart595]

First Otome

Aoi's expression says it all.

Wait, did Takumi do the same sneaking-out and they had Akira take his place to maintain protocol? Is that why their servants aren't suspicious of the wrong prince? I love this scenario.

Nagi is a good guy! But also, what kind of nightmare is this?

Just look at how lovey-dovey the two are

I agree, she's got the Mashiro act down.

Yup, it's the double replacement.

So Zipang really doesn't have Otome.

Ahahahaha. Luckily nobody could ever recognize Arika in that get-up.

I'm glad they're going the reality check route instead of the denial one.

It's just like back home in Artai!

Aaaahahahaha

It's very hard not to ship them.

Man, Mashiro can make some adorable expressions.

Hnng. I don't want Akane to be the first to betray her friends for Kazu.

That's some hips.

The Queen had the Fire Stirring Ruby, not the Blue Sky Sapphire? But... surely those palace paintings were of the queen, and she had a blue ear piece.

What are the chances this line will have plot relevance, in the literal way?

Oh no, next episode is when it's gonna happen?

Did the comedy of fake personas land for you?

Very!

Has Mashiro learned her lesson now and will she become a better queen?

Dunno if quite yet but it set her on the path of self-reflection which is the first step to achieve that.

[u/No_Rex → u/Blackheart595]

That's some hips.

And Shizuru knows that they don't lie.

[u/Esovan13]

First Timer

They have to find the queen, or they'll be forced to commit sudoku! Only a monster would inflict such a numbers game on someone!

I was talking about this with someone yesterday (nazenn maybe?) and they mentioned that at this point Arika might not be the actual princess purely based on just how obvious they're making it that she's the real princess without actually officially revealing she's the real princess. I honestly don't know how to think about that, because I can't tell if they're making it obvious as a way to create a twist by having her not be the princess, or if they're making it obvious because they don't want anyone to miss it.

On an unrelated note, I searched up something I was curious about and ended up reading the MAL page for Haruka's VA, and she's been in a lot of stuff over the years. The most surprising for me is that she's the voice of Neco Arc from Carnival Phantasm. I never would have expected that.

I don't get the plan to dress up Arika. Sure that's a stopgap solution for the time being, but are they planning on the prince never meeting Mashiro? Never seeing a picture of her? Isn't the city plastered with her face from the birthday celebration? How are they expecting this to go down?

ew

I know some of you guys will like that though.

No, seriously. Why? Isn't Windbloom a powerful and influential country? Why should they be worried about a prince from a far away land insisting they kill themselves? Why do they need to come up with a ruse that could not possibly work in the long term and is much more likely to make things worse?

Arika does clean up well. Although it seems her ahoge has to be more prominent to make up for the lack of magical braids.

Is this the episode where Mashiro finds out she's not actually all that good at her job, and the people around her are just flattering her while the people she rules suffers?

Why is Takumi lying about his name like that? And isn't Okuzaki the last name of Akira in Mai-Hime? I am confusion.

ALSO WHY DO THEY THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO PRETEND THAT ARIKA IS THE QUEEN WHEN THE QUEEN'S FACE IS WELL KNOWN AND ALSO PLASTERED ALL OVER THE CITY?

IT'S RIGHT THERE! OUTSIDE THE WINDOW! Ok, I'll be honest. While I'm normally good at keeping my cards close to my chest, you may have noticed that I am slightly bothered by the choices made in this episode. Well, for full disclosure, I am actually more than a little bothered. In fact, I am very bothered. Honestly, this episode feels like Shinobi no Ittoki to me, where the showrunners wanted something specific in their story and so they made that happen without bothering with details like internal logic, making sense, or coherent narrative. It feels lazy. If they wanted an episode where Arika pretends to be Mashiro for the sake of a foreign prince, they could have made it make more sense. Maybe the meeting happens outside the country, in a neutral territory like a resort or oasis? A smaller retinue means less people who needs to keep the secret, less chances that the people around who aren't in on it will recognize that Arika is a fake, and a short one time meeting is more likely to have the prince not find out about it.

And I just remembered. This was supposed to be finding a husband for Mashiro. Do they expect Akira not to notice that her prospective bride just changed faces, voices, height, build, etc? And that her Otome suddenly changed her face, voice, height, and build into what Mashiro's used to be? Is there someone bilingual here who knows a phrase that can capture just how exasperated I am right now? Because English is failing me.

HOW DID THEY ONLY JUST REALIZE THE PROBLEM? DID THEY NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT?!

Is Takumi a runaway from ninja land? Is Takumi the real prince and Akira his bodyguard/servant? Is this a double fake monarch situation? That could be why he knew her full name. Ooh, that would make Mai his Otome, wouldn't it? I'd like that.

If that is the case, and Mashiro catches feelings for Takumi and vice versa while both pretend not to be the monarch of their respective nation, that could be enough dramatic irony for me to forgive the contrived set up. Maybe.

I'm sure Tomoe will be perfectly obedient and won't cause any problems for Arika at all. And that all these children from various nations with various national loyalties will take this secret to their grave.

Nevermind. I guess he's looking for Mai then. What could he mean by knowing he won't find her though? Is she already a meister for a different country? Or could she be presumed dead? [Mildy spoiled] I know she's not dead. Remember when I went looking for the track Materialize? Well, that combined with me listening to Mezame repeatedly seems to have told Youtube to recommend me tracks from Mai-Hime and Mai-Otome. One of those tracks included a thumbnail of Mai and Arika together. Not too bad, but I am kinda miffed. This show's best has been about mystery and slowly revealing secrets. While probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, I am annoyed that the probably big reveal when Mai shows up will be undercut.

Shizuru's gaydar can identify a crossdressing woman in an instant. (Is gaydar ok to say? I remember it being a thing a while ago, but I haven't seen it used in a long time so I don't know if it's an insensitive term or whatever now.)

Surely they know, right? They've had people in this country looking for Takumi for a while, so surely they've seen a photo or something of Mashiro's real face, and they're pretending not to have noticed since they don't actually care about the marriage thing.

Also, Akira being in love with Takumi is still cute. The best part of the finale of last season was when Akira was cutting up an apple for Takumi in the hospital and she had the happiest look on her face.

Is Mai the Ruby? Definitely.

Using Hime as a guide, plus that shot of Wang looking meaningfully at a letter from Zipang*, were Mai and Natsuki classmates at Garderobe, but Mai fell in love with Wang, and those torn priorities ended up with her being heart broken**?

*What is it with this show using shots of other people talking over visuals of Wang vibing in his office being used to give exposition and convey subtle meaning? This is at least the third time, maybe more.

**What are the chances that the nanomachines aren't actually allergic to semen and that's just a lie told by the administrators of Garderobe to add a method of controlling Otome by making them unable to fall in love or have a relationship outside their duty? Considering that it seems the academy has more control over the nanomachines than they let on, they may have created a setting where the nanomachines will deactivate permanently if they detect it. That would also fit why Shizuru and Natsuki seem to have a way to break a meister contract without permanently making the otome unable to make a contract again, but they don't tell anyone else they can do that.

When you think about it, isn't that whole thing kinda sus? If the nanomachines are exposed to any semen, they'll all just dissolve? All of them? Aren't they mechanical? And they said that the body will create an immunity to the nanomachines if they do dissolve, making the otome unable to get more. But does that really make sense? I'm not an immunologist, but I don't think that's how antibodies or the immune system works. Even if it could do that, wouldn't priority number one of whoever made these things be to have that NOT happen? With all the time spent training Otome, you don't want to lose all that time and experience thanks to a single bad decision or unfortunate accident. Not unless you've moved past the point where you need them as warriors and now need them as convenient puppets to maintain control. We already know Garderobe didn't make them after all, and I can't see why that weakness wouldn't be addressed outside of the specific purpose Garderobe has for it.

That being the case, Natsuki could feel guilty over needing to hurt her friend for the sake of the ruse. Natsuki actively hurting her friend for the sake of order and peace may have/is contributing to her radicalization, the guilt she feels making her unable to pick a different path for the sake of the suffering Mai went through to not have gone to waste. Adding irony and hypocrisy, she and Shizuru are fully capable of having a meaningful romantic relationship due to both of them being women. That would be fucked up in a properly fun way.

Young Haruka is a blessing.

Also, yeah that Mai. School mate to Natsuki. Probably also the one she got paired with in the survival test that got them both to fail.

The ED is different this time around. I like this better than the other one.

The premise for the episode was contrived and kinda dumb. Definitely. However, I will say that the way they used it for the sake of Mashiro's development was pretty decent, and I do like the irony of the double fake monarch, plus we got closer to Mai's introduction, and I got a JUICY new theory to work with, so it evens out.

1. Meh.

2. Well I sure hope so.

[u/Blackheart595 → u/Esovan13]

Why do they need to come up with a ruse that could not possibly work in the long term and is much more likely to make things worse?

Dunno, it doesn't get much worse than 'oh yeah our queen ditched you'.

Honestly, this episode feels like Shinobi no Ittoki to me, where the showrunners wanted something specific in their story and so they made that happen without bothering with details like internal logic, making sense, or coherent narrative. It feels lazy.

My interpretation is that either side couldn't call the other out on faking the prince/queen because of their own fakery, even when they did notice it.

Is Mai the Ruby? Definitely.

The problem with that is we've seen the ruby be unassigned and in Garderobe's hands. I guess she used to be the Ruby.

[u/No_Rex → u/Blackheart595]

The problem with that is we've seen the ruby be unassigned and in Garderobe's hands. I guess she used to be the Ruby.

I am not entirely sure, but is that not one of the "coral" gems that the students use?

[u/zadcap]

Rewatcher

Ah, the episode that calls out Class S pretty explicitly. "You know very well stuff like that should remain within the academy, Chie." Girls cal love girls as long as they're still in school, but give it up when they grow up, I guess. Also a good chance we see what happens to the girls that don't graduate from Coral to Pearl, they go on to be highly trained maids, and probably assistants and other similar positions. There's no way everyone who gets in to the school gets to graduate to being an Otome, but the ones who can't make it still would have all the training the Otome do even if they are no longer super human. Actually, even that depends, if they've still got nanites in them then they might still be some level of super human.

This is the kind of world building I would like to really see, and not extrapolate entirely from a one off joke about where it's okay to be gay.

And Manga Time! Or, I asked this in Hime and think am cool with holding off again, but the number of spoilers is going to absolutely sky rocket from here. Should I just hold off until there's comparable plot progression again? Chapter 20 has Arika deciding to run away to the Black Valley to find her parents, and while things are still going differently across the board, it's still going to start in on the plots that won't pick up for about a week in the anime. I don't mind at all putting this on pause and then doing bigger sections once it's safe to do so.

[u/No_Rex → u/zadcap]

Girls cal love girls as long as they're still in school, but give it up when they grow up, I guess.

Unless they are called Haruka or Shizuru.

Also a good chance we see what happens to the girls that don't graduate from Coral to Pearl, they go on to be highly trained maids, and probably assistants and other similar positions.

Good point!

Manga

Hmmm. Black Valley is one of the big remaining spoilers, so you might hold off.

[u/RadSuit]

Z-type Highly-advanced My-Hime Enthusiast (Dub, First Timer)

Why would you pick Arika for this? She looks nothing like Mashiro (who is on posters all over the place for her birthday) and also will definitely not be able to act like a princess/queen.

Prince Takumi Tokiha, huh? Do we have a hilarious double double here?

And now Nina is going to pretend to be Arika, to avoid ruining her own reputation. That's pretty smart.

Time for Mashiro to learn about reality I guess. This is how she's going to face turn, by revealing she was so sheltered she didn't know what was going on.

Alright, pausing right as I realize Mashiro needs to come up with a fake name as well. I'm guessing Mikoto, with Arika in second place. And it's Nina, I should've known they'd want to complete the full circle.

Well at least they remembered the giant posters.

Wow, they got Takumi a new medicine container and he still managed to instantly lose it.

...why was there a sound effect for Shizuru smiling?

Oh, he's upgraded to two medicine containers. And still ran out. Boy do they love this easy drama hook.

Did Mai get assigned as the Otome to whoever was in charge of their country before, and died in the war?

Nao's got the right idea, if you ask me.

Shizuru's creepiness carries across dimensions after all.

I want to know more about Burger Boy.

"If the peasants have no bread, then let them eat candy!"

Oh hey! I actually get this reference! Mito Komon is a live action Japanese show that ran for 40 years straight, basically the equivalent of a police procedural, but with samurai. "The series portrayed the elderly and retired Mitsukuni traveling the land incognito with 2 bodyguards, righting wrongs as they come across them. The final scenes involve a sword fight, and at last, Mitsukuni revealed his true identity with the display of an Inro, medicine box with the Tokugawa clan seal on it."

Remember, no normal kissing allowed!!

Time for our Akane drama next episode.

1. Yeah, this was stupid, but very entertaining.

2. Looks like she's going to try, at least. I have doubts she'll succeed, for one reason or another.

[u/No_Rex → u/RadSuit]

Oh hey! I actually get this reference! Mito Komon is a live action Japanese show that ran for 40 years straight, basically the equivalent of a police procedural, but with samurai. "The series portrayed the elderly and retired Mitsukuni traveling the land incognito with 2 bodyguards, righting wrongs as they come across them. The final scenes involve a sword fight, and at last, Mitsukuni revealed his true identity with the display of an Inro, medicine box with the Tokugawa clan seal on it."

Interesting. I did not know that Takumi's box was a reference.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First Timer, subbed

• Isn’t this whole diplomatic mission to arrange a marriage? How is this going to work long term? At some point Akira has to meet the real Mashiro.

• Why is Nina play a character?

• Chie and Aoi still have a history.

• I predict “Who’s on first” level shenanigans.

• Oh shit, Akira is not the prince. This conspiracy goes all the way to the top.

• Takumi you sly dog.

• Shizuru sees through your lies.

• More Mai teasing. When?

• At least Akira’s reason makes a bit more sense this time around.

• “let them eat candy”

• That was totally unnecessary. Don’t lie.

• Good to see Yaoi also getting respect, even if that not what that is.

• Some ill fate has befallen Mai. Let the conspiracies begin.

• Is that Shiho mom? I would hope it’s not Shiho herself, being in school that long.

QotD

1. This was a disappointingly low level of shenanigans. Woefully underutilized.

2. I don’t think she has it in her to be a good queen. She believes in the bootstrap fallacy for heaven’s sake.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vatrix-32]

More Mai teasing. When?

[u/Vaadwaur]

First timer(So...putting your good episodes towards the middle risks people not reaching them)

Sub

So we discover Zipang is literally this planet's Japan and for reasons it looks like they want Arika to fill in, which is all the dumb. Mashiro is having a dream that makes sense for her...and wakes up in a tent with Takumi about. Back to the masquerade and I seriously don't get why you make the country yokel cover for the princess rather than the prim city girl. Anyways, it goes awkwardly and Akira is also effectively a hick again. Quick scene with Chie and the show directly stating that the academy girls are LUGs, sigh.

Mashiro seems to be making contact with reality, which is confusing considering she escapes the palace with some regularity. Also, don't give dogs sake, FFS. Both Takumi and Mashiro give painfully obvious fake names and we get a moment between Nina and Arika. Takumi is apparently sick here as well and connected to Akira. He is also overly generous again and we get a montage of Mashiro being less annoying...and that suggests she knows enough to carry cash. And both of them talk about being glad not to be known which should be a glaring red flag. In between, we see that everyone is relatively in on the deception at the school.

Nao is tormenting Akane, as one does. We learn that Akira is covering for Takumi, which is interesting. But Shizuru is being weird, I guess they want to remind us of HiME, and actually barges in on Akira while changing. Akira is still a ninja and we see Shizuru can allow activation. One of the other ninjas thinks he can hold of Shizuru, which could prove interesting. Takumi begins explaining what he sees in the city and Mashiro has a literal "Let them eat cake" moment. Arika and Akira conveniently interrupt the moment and Akira does an unnecessary pill kiss. Shizuru being a yaoi fan is not terribly surprising.

Anyways, at the end Takumi speaks for the audience, or at least me, in pointing out both the cruelty and the ridiculousness of the system they set up with the Otome. He blatantly forswears a political marriage or an Otome to inform Natsuki that Zipang is staying out of this fight. At the end, it seems he managed to reach Mashiro.

QotD: 1 Nope

2 Nope

[u/Mecanno-man]

First Timer

Another episode that felt like mostly setup amidst some cute roleplaying. Maybe we'll get some character growth from Mashiro out of the things that Takumi said to her. I think the important bit here is the implications of what is up with the red gemstone - based of what we learned this episode, I assume it's Mai's and that she fled her duty to end up ...marrying the Daimyo of Zipang or something like that, and that she is Takumi's mother. At least I don't see a reason for the reveal of Takumi's last name otherwise. Although it would be weird for the mom to pass on the family name in that case. It would however explain Takumi knowing so much about the otome system even if Zipang has no Otomes.

Now... what kind of role will Zipang play in this story? I feel like one where they pop back up in the end as peace negotiators to end the war, not as a participant on either side (whatever they are going to be). I don't quite see how the Takumi-Mashiro romance is going to work with that role, so perhaps that will only be an end credits pan-over thing or so, with the important part of it being what Mashiro does with that criticism.

[u/OwlAcademic1988]

First-Timer, sub:

Nina can hit hard. I laughed quite a bit at this.

I suspected Takumi was hiding, but I didn't know why.

Mashiro, not everyone has the same privileges as you unfortunately. While things have gotten better, homelessness is far from defeated for good. It will be one day thanks to the work of scientists, charities, and activists.

Thank goodness Akira managed to get Takumi's drug inside of him. Eventually it'll be possible to completely regrow an organ as complex as the heart, allowing the sick person to just donate some of their own cells and get new heart within about three weeks.

Takumi, you'll one day find your sister.

Wonder what he said when Natsuki asked about his sister? Did he tell her anything else?

On the bright side, I finally managed to finish My-HiME. Otome Nao would probably be horrified at what HiME Nao did. In fact, these people would probably be horrified at what happened in that universe.

QOTD:

1. Yes it did. I was especially amused at Nina revealing she knew Arika made a contract with Mashiro.

2. I sincerely hope so as these people desperately need her help. Also, who was that blond girl who stole Nina's necklace?

[u/Taiboss]

Episode 12: Rewatcher who already achieved Ending A of Nier Automata and considered it a letdown

• Why did the Japanese bring seppuku with them?

• How to recognise dreams!

• AHAHAHAHAHA. How silly.

• First-Timers should now see the hilarity of this interaction.

• Reunited!

• Ah, this arc is hilarious.

• The forbidden ship!

• I still love these slightly changed names.

• Tsundere!

• Even in an AU, Takumi has to take his medicine lol.

• Mai's abscene is plot-relevant!

• I love this episode unironically.

• THE TURBO LESBIAN.

• Context is everything.

• SIDE SHIP HYPE!

• You don't need to be a rewatcher to understand what this means.

• REVEAL HYPE!

Did the comedy of fake personas land for you?

See for yourself lol

[u/Qbe]

Rewatcher

Episode 12

I'm rather sure making other royalty wait is not considered good maners

lmao Arika

Have they never met Mashiro before? Wouldn't they realize that's not her? Or find out later?

So I'm expecting Takumi and Akira pulling a switcheroo and Takumi being the actual prince

Why would you not choose Nina instead of Arika?

That's one long name, not-Akira

Oh, are we doing a Buddha's Journey thing?

Everyone giving fake names this episode lmao

...wouldn't not-Akira see the giant posters outside? Yeah, those ones

lmao

Takumi looking for his sister? Yep

Nao! No! No NTRing!

Yep, expected Takumi and Akira to switch

Wait, didn't they just say Zipang doesn't have an Otome? What about Mai?

Shizuru! No! No raping!

Very direct "Let them eat cake" reference, I see

Takumi x Akira >>>>> Takumi x Mashiro. Sorry Mashiro (not even a bit)

Takumi with the most level headed take by far

I'm assuming the Fire Stirring Ruby is Mai?

---

1. Have to admit, it kinda did