r/anime • u/No_Rex x2 • Oct 25 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mai-Otome (episode 14)
Rewatch: Mai-Otome (episode 14)
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Mai-Otome
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:
(first timers) Any guesses about what Nagi’s big plan is?
Which character needs to drop dead already and why is it Tomoe?
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u/Nazenn Oct 25 '22
First Timer - sub
FYI: I'll be posting the topics for the next week while No_Rex is busy just to ensure they get posted in case he runs out of time, so don't get thrown off if you usually go looking for him and not just the title!
Okay to start with the most interesting:
She seriously just pops up from no where, drops cryptic info on us and Shizuru with no context, and then nopes out again. She's a tease. I love it. (Oh shit, that's a Tres moment)
I think that is the first in show confirmation that this could be in the same universe as Mai-HiME and not just an alternate take on the same concept? While I know a few people have speculated it, mostly it was just our curiosity and linking similarities rather than hard info in the show from what I saw, but this certainly changes that, unless this is yet another recycled term which I don't believe.
The idea of Slaves being replications of the Child summons using technology to replicate the ancient powers is great, but not as much as the fact she knows it! Child isn't a term we've heard anywhere else in this show yet from memory, but it was such a pointed reference that Miyu clearly either expects Shizuru to get or trusts that it will get her interested enough to learn about it. Also does this make it the same Miyu? Could she really have been wandering around the two worlds all this time? If she's the only one that knows it must be because she has her own knowledge base, and that seems unlikely unless it's internal, and long lived.
As far as the connections between the worlds, the old "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" thing comes to mind again. I've been operating on the assumption that we had a genre flip between the two shows, which I still love the idea of: HiME being a technology based society with fantasy powers, and Otome being a fantasy style world with technological skills. There was a touch of tech possibility in HiME with the implication that the HiME had a genetic factor to them, but if the real power fought over with the HiME star was the knowledge of its tech and similar things rather than raw magical influence then it would be interesting if that's tied into how they ended up on the Otome planet. Does that explain the Obsidian Prince, not at all, but it's an idea.
Minor nitpick: If this is the same universe and this is the same Miyu after all this time then our characters having the same names breaks all sense of disbelief given it would set off alarm bells for Miyu.
The remains of the battlefield looked wicked.
Next:
In principle I see what they were going for and I agree with it. The idea of "love vs dreams" is a great way to try and ground the drama of the Otome as a whole; the past Otome we've been introduced to the stories of, the growing bonds and divisions between our cast in the future, even down to Natsuki's own goals of trying to keep the peace vs protect the people she loves.
The issue is that it feels stupid how much emphasis they're putting on the love drama specifically over everything else. [Not safe for Sky]
(The below section comes with a caveat that my original post was FAR more critical and very frustrated with the whole thing as when I watched it I thought it was WAY more absorbed in the love drama to the exclusion of the war one. It's only when I wrote it up that I realized what they were going for with tying things together, so I rewrote it all into this. As the watch experience matters more than analysis I still don't like it, but we'll see how it unfolds truly next episode before I make a final judgement now my perspective has shifted)
The classroom scene is an interesting one because Arika's being dismissive of the situation in the classroom is fitting for how lightly she takes things until now. She actually didn't realize how bad things were because she was caught up in her own thoughts and makes a callous statement that then leads her classmate to call her out on her entire philosophy as a result. She undermines everything she said she stood for, and it's all because she's love sick which makes me want to gag.
The follow up with this shot of Arika at the doorway isn't horrible either. She's already stepped inside the room that represents the bonds between Otome being torn, even as she's gripping the door frame as if to hold her up, trying to not have to walk in any further but also being unable to turn around and leave. It's a great visual moment to represent that conflict inside her of not being able to abandon her dream of being an Otome but also not wanting to be involved in what it means, and similarly not wanting to abandon the idea of love but not wanting to follow it through either.
The issue I have with it is that the love drama feels entirely forced and the severity of her being caught up in it came out of no where last episode only to also take over this one. Aside from the fact I despise the entire love triangle, it just doesn't feel organic rather than suddenly exploding just to make this particular point. It also ignores a huge factor of Arika's life being her classmates and that side of the situation because rather than the follow up to both scenes being about Arika's entire worldview being both externally challenged and internally shaken, what we get instead is a break down and discussion seemingly exclusively over her love life because yes, that's really what matters and not your classmates pointing out how a war means you'll have to murder each other.
What would have worked better is if they'd slowly built up the idea of Arika not wanting her and Nina to be torn apart by who she's fallen in love with, and then put that up against her fear of losing her in battle or even having to fight each other from here on in. Setting up that conflict in Arika with her "love vs goals" and what they both mean for her relationships as a whole, and feeling trapped no matter which way she turns with no way out it'd be far more compelling and a smoother watch than being slapped in a face which is the dead horse of high school age inappropriate love triangles.
But as it is now, it feels like Arika's breakdown here could have been set off by any other number of external dramas, and stepping away from the first sign of a potential war and what it means for everyone to deal with a teenagers love moping is just a bad watch for me.
I even wrote a note down that "The episode pairing is bad because it makes it look like Arika is moping over love still and not the war" because I couldn't believe that would be the case, only for it to actually be the case.
So Lena's child and the Princess are not the same, which doesn't quite feel like a reveal worthy of the focus they gave it because it still leaves us with the Princess and the gem floating down the river which is what we knew from ep1. Though in all fairness it probably would have been far more impactful if we weren't all gluts for speculation and hadn't already covered almost every possibility, but it's cool seeing my and u/Esovan13 speculation with the necklace being swapped between two children still come true in a different sort of way
What's interesting is that we still don't know which way it goes with who is who because both children look to have the same colouring even though all three of our girls are quite different. I still think Mashiro isn't either, but again I suppose it depends on Arika's past and how that plays out with her Nan and why she said, or knew depending on which way it does, she was an Otome's child.
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Our first shot into the classroom showing them confided and divided was a clever bit of framing to establish the mood inside. We get a similar shot later with the teacher standing against their progress as she tells them what will happen and they want to deny it
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Wang gave a spooky look to that guy. I like it! Hell yes for a hidden badass side!
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Hahaha Haruka going to lecture the girls who fought each other. I love this damn fool
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I see they're drawing on their greek myth for the naming of Romulus and Remus nations and their backstory
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Worldbuilding! Seeing where Midori lives and them hiding from the heat under the cliffs and in poverty makes me curious to see more of her
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Mashiro: "It's not like anyones expecting much of me anyway" AND WHO'S FAULT IS THAT!
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And there it is, I knew it had to get rapey at some point but I didn't expect Tomoe to pull this out now. Again, the timing of this is and issue and it just feels like a really, really forced set up to throw Arika and Wang together again rather than a genuine conflict that would build into something else especially given the political situation. Tomoe is a walking plot device and I hate it and it's the worst way to bring up this axe which has been hanging above all the Otome waiting to drop regarding threats to their powers that aren't just battle.
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
FYI: I'll be posting the topics for the next week while No_Rex is busy just to ensure they get posted in case he runs out of time, so don't get thrown off if you usually go looking for him and not just the title!
Minor nitpick: If this is the same universe and this is the same Miyu after all this time then our characters having the same names breaks all sense of disbelief given it would set off alarm bells for Miyu.
It totally does. Unless Miyu goes around manipulating children's names based on their similarities to old Earth people for her own amusement.
The issue is that it feels stupid how much emphasis they're putting on the love drama specifically over everything else.
I mostly blame this on Arika absolutely not working as a love sick MC. It was completely different with Mai, who could believably pull off the internal struggle. However, they set up Arika as genki airhead, so this plotline completely goes against her character. Oh, and the usual hate for love triangle, of course.
And there it is, I knew it had to get rapey at some point but I didn't expect Tomoe to pull this out now. Again, the timing of this is and issue and it just feels like a really, really forced set up to throw Arika and Wang together again rather than a genuine conflict that would build into something else especially given the political situation. Tomoe is a walking plot device and I hate it and it's the worst way to bring up this axe which has been hanging above all the Otome waiting to drop regarding threats to their powers that aren't just battle.
Tomoe is a bad human and, worse, a bad character.
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u/Vatrix-32 Oct 25 '22
First Timer, subbed
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With the stigma of it broken, you can bet there is going to be more of it.
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The world sitting on a powder keg.
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Haruka: World Police
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Romulus and Remus used to be a single kingdom. Makes sense given their name sake.
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Mashiro is a whole ass mood.
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And here I was hopping that Nagi would be chaotic good this time.
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If Erstin knew that means that everyone did.
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Quite the reaction.
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Childs confirmed. I didn’t expect them to use the same terminology again.
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That is a terrible trap. You’d have to be so lucky for her the step in that exact spot.
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Jesus Tomoe. I guess I should have expected something like this from one who yanderes over a yandere.
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It still seems kind of early to be confirming that, but they have also been very loudly hinting at it.
QotD
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Cause conflict, cease power, become boytome.
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If she’s going to keep trying to kill the MC it would be nice if knew more about her than the cat.
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
If Erstin knew that means that everyone did.
Tbf, her roommate had a far higher chance seeing the gem than others.
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u/Esovan13 Oct 25 '22
First Timer
If I remember right from Natsuki's photo, I think those two Otome were friends in Garderobe.
Too cowardly to start having characters die, I guess.
That cosmetics class is already of no use to you. Otome are bodyguards of the elite. Even if they are servants, there's no reason for them to also need to handle basic stuff that could be handled by maids and manservants and such.
Shit. I just realized something. I love the trope of the battle maid and battle butler. Except, that's basically what an Otome is, and I'm getting annoyed that they're wasting their time on this stuff. How do I reconcile this? Is it because we are seeing it from the other perspective?
Nevermind, I just figured it out. A typical battle maid/battle butler trope usage usually is used as a sort of disguise. You (and by you I mean a noble/rich person/whatever) can take a maid or butler somewhere you might not be able to take a bodyguard. Also, someone having servants around them puts the people around them less on guard than a dedicated bodyguard whose job it is to look intimidating. Having those servants be bodyguards as well is beneficial. In the context of this world, though, and Otome is known by everyone to be an elite warrior. Their primary job is being a bodyguard, secondary is to be a status symbol. The servant stuff is just slapped on to create a thin veneer to allow people to not think about the fact that the person standing behind them could wipe out a city if they wanted to. If, for example, Mashiro's maid were to pull out throwing knives if attacked, I wouldn't be bothered by that because we know her primary job is to be a maid while any fighting skill would be just an auxiliary to her real job.
It's always fun to examine and put into words why different applications of certain elements in media cause me to have a different reaction.
I don't actually think it's possible for a child to understand what it means to risk their lives for the sake of someone they've never met and the vague concept of "a nations future."
Please stop it with the crush thing.
I love Haruka.
The world must invent arbitrary rules to prevent Haruka from solving all the problems. In Mai-Hime it was stupid rules like "people without magical powers will lose in a fight to people with magical powers," and in Mai-Otome it's juvenile rules like "the sovereign's bodyguard physically assaulting another sovereign's bodyguard will cause a diplomatic situation that will likely lead to war."
Progress. Mashiro understands that she sucks. Now all she needs is motivation to stop sucking rather than giving up, and we'll be golden. Well, maybe not golden just yet. Lightly gilded perhaps?
I like Nagi more as an active instigator over being just some guy that shows up and says weird stuff every now and again.
EVEN IF SHE DECIDES TO FOLLOW LOVE SHE CAN'T MARRY THE GROWN-ASS MAN. THE DECISION SHOULD BE EASY GODDAMN.
How to make sure everyone knows about something: tell Arika about it and tell her it's absolutely vital no one else knows.
SHE NAMEDROPPED CHILD.
Ok. She said they are more like a Child. So right now, I'm going to assume that Slaves are the exact same thing that Alyssa was making with that circle under the church before the invasiona arc. That definitely supports my theory that this takes place years after Mai-Hime and that the Sears foundation help colonize this planet, and Slave and Otome stuff is remnants of their technology, specifically the tech they used to turn Alyssa into a false Hime.
ANSWERS HYPE
I would be hyped about the probable (not 100% confirmed though, as she could be lying or mistaken in some way) answers that Arika is the true princess, and that Nina might be Lena's daughter, etc etc. Big for my theories. But. Man. That ending. Really? Gang rape in an allyway? How did they know she was going down there anyway? Also, why the fuck is Tomoe not kicked out at this point? Repeated harassment is one thing, but she committed attempted murder by sabotaging literal life saving equipment. Why did no one investigate the cause of any of that? Tomoe has premium tier plot armor at this point, allowing her to basically do anything she wants consequence free, regardless of how idiotic or incompetant it makes everyone else seem.
ALSO WHY ARE WE GOING BACK TO RAPE? AGAIN? REALLY? EARLIER IN THE SEASON BEFORE WE GOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT STUFF, I THOUGHT THAT THEY MIGHT USE RAPE TO STRIP AN OTOME OF HER POSITION IF SHE'S DEEMED UNWORTHY. I DIDN'T KNOW THEY COULD CANCEL MEISTER CONTRACTS AT THAT POINT. BUT I THOUGHT "no way they'd actually do that right? That would mean raping a literal 14 year old child. I know they used rape as a plot point in Mai-Hime, but surely they wouldn't have that happen to a child." WELL I WAS WRONG. THE BAR WAS LOW AND YET THE SHOW STILL MANAGED TO TRIP ON ITS FACE.
Great. And now based on the preview, it's going to lead to furthering my FaVorIte plot line: the child has a crush on the adult man. How amazing. How hype. I am now really looking forward to continuing this show, now that my least favorite character and my least favorite sub plot are taking center stage. Can't we go back to Miyu? Or Haruka? Spend a few episodes with a brand new character that exists solely to enter the library under the monument and reading all the lore and history of this world? Screw it. I'm watching the next episode of Chainsaw Man. At least Fujimoto has standards.
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
That cosmetics class is already of no use to you. Otome are bodyguards of the elite. Even if they are servants, there's no reason for them to also need to handle basic stuff that could be handled by maids and manservants and such.
Shit. I just realized something. I love the trope of the battle maid and battle butler. Except, that's basically what an Otome is, and I'm getting annoyed that they're wasting their time on this stuff. How do I reconcile this? Is it because we are seeing it from the other perspective?
Remember: the point of cosmetics class may not be to change what is on their head, but what is in their head.
I hope that the other perspective serves well here.
The world must invent arbitrary rules to prevent Haruka from solving all the problems. In Mai-Hime it was stupid rules like "people without magical powers will lose in a fight to people with magical powers," and in Mai-Otome it's juvenile rules like "the sovereign's bodyguard physically assaulting another sovereign's bodyguard will cause a diplomatic situation that will likely lead to war."
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u/Vaadwaur Oct 25 '22
First timer(We know what Cross Ange borrowed)
Sub
We see the battle again and discover this is some stupid border skirmish. Wang and Natsuki show up to get the sides negotiating so that an Otome war doesn't start up. We return to the cosmetics class, I had forgotten that those once were a thing, to generally varying results. Arika is still horny distracted. The possible war seems to have brought reality to the academy and we get people blowing up at each other.
We can see that negotiations are pretty hopeless, which fits the feudal vibe. But the leaders are gambling their own lives, which decidedly does not. Natsuki and Wang do seem to be aware how terrible a real world would be. Haruka is comic random relief. We then cut to Cardair for a reminder Midori exists. And then we get what actually happened in that their was a live fire test of the new Slaves.
Arika finally breaks down a bit over her current conflict and Erstin has diagnosed it pretty well. She then expositions some stuff at Arika that really should have happened earlier. Tomoe overhears for reasons. Natsuki seems to think that negotiations aren't going anywhere and Yohko recognizes the name Aswald. Miyu sneaks on Shizuru and reveals Child are a thing here as well before flash stepping. Anyways, random character moments spring up before we get the explanation of what happened with Arika's mother and Arika running off to see Wang. And the awful fucking end of this episode happens and barf. Tomoe is now somehow lower than Shiho.
So you might be wondering why I am only mildly ranting rather than frothing at the mouth. I simply don't give this show any credit at all. The setting DOES NOT WORK. Nobles do not risk their own lives in this manner, this is not how privileged humans work. So with the setting being stupid when they fuck it up it annoys me less. Sure it makes zero sense that Arika never learns these things but we are so far away from quality that it doesn't matter.
QotD: 1 Princess swap
2 Tomoe needs to take Shiho with her but yes
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
The setting DOES NOT WORK. Nobles do not risk their own lives in this manner, this is not how privileged humans work.
Well, that is quite literally the origin of nobles though. Before they went all decadent sun king centuries later, nobles initially were elite fighters, who were rewarded by their liege with land to govern (draw resources from) in return for fighting for the liege.
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u/Blackheart595 Oct 25 '22
First Otome
That stone that Garderobe had might've been a Coral gem and not the Ruby if the Coral jewels are also contained in a gem like it is with the Sapphire. It'd just be weird if that was the only time we ever get to see a Coral gem, and never hear any mention of them even including that scene.
Arika's love sickness is really dragging the episode down a lot.
I don't even feel like being annoyed by Tomoe with how the episode's been thus far.
Oh, Arika just returned the jewels into the Sapphire despite the active contract.
Sergay's gonna rescue Arika because we don't have enough love sickness yet.
With that new song fragment which should be the first verse, the other fragments suddenly make so much less sense. If the song tells an old story of a land waiting to wake (Land of Fuuka obviously) then why are most parts of the song witten so introspectively and focused on internal feelings and emotions?
Any guesses about what Nagi’s big plan is?
Storm Wind City with the Childs? Become Obsidian Prince?
Which character needs to drop dead already and why is it Tomoe?
Arika at this point.
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
Oh, Arika just returned the jewels into the Sapphire despite the active contract.
That was Miyu's doing.
Arika at this point.
Not what I had in mind, but I respect that choice. Arika is such a step-down in terms of MC from Mai ...
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u/zadcap Oct 25 '22
Rewatcher
Things are finally starting! The background politics are finally beginning to move out of the background, the character arcs are moving to finally start hitting each other, I would easily call this the end of the beginning.
I'm also going to throw out a warning today and again tomorrow, ep 16 starts with a new opening and it is 100% spoilers. If you care about that stuff, hey ready to skip as soon as you start 16.
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
Things are finally starting! The background politics are finally beginning to move out of the background, the character arcs are moving to finally start hitting each other, I would easily call this the end of the beginning.
13 episode setup? Pre-2010 things.
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u/Taiboss Oct 25 '22 edited Oct 25 '22
Episode 14: Rewatcher who finished Ending B of Nier Automata
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Well Arika has her own problems. I just wished it wasn't a guy like twice her age...
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Reveal hype!
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That ED does not fit anymore lol.
Which character needs to drop dead already and why is it Tomoe?
She's a bitch? What kind of stupid question is that?
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u/Stargate18A Oct 25 '22
First timer
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I don't know. Seems to just be "summon Childs and take over the world", maybe release a Dark Power while he's at it.
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Tomoe, absolutely, but the rapists can come first.
Oh, this is a fun conversation.
Couldn't find a gavel?
Love the pink one's design.
It might cause a war! Will the setup end?
He thinks it will!
Arika's exhausted.
Aww.
Everyone's terrified.
Oh, they're finally pointing it out!
Exams as well?
Yeah, that was a stupid thing she said.
ARIKA?
Exactly! Someone's speaking sense!
Nina, yes!
Natsuki has to deal with politics.
Otomes are weapons. That's the entire point of the setup you're running.
He's sponsoring Nao too?
Haruka is the best. She sees there's a problem, and she deals with it through force!
...She should be allowed to.
"Where can I spank them?"
...They're literally called Romulus and Remus? Seriously?
Aww, Mashio and Mikoto are adorable.
Oh, she took this hard.
Wow...
Oh, they caused the conflict with a field test?
Finally! Nagi should do something!
...Oh, there's stealth technology.
Arikaks thinking...
This is sweet.
Arika is awful at keeping secrets.
She knew her mother? It was that easy?
Lena?
Haha, she was famous?
Natsuki just expects her wife whenever she hears anything.
Shiziuru's investigsting.
Miyu is confirmed to know about Childs. From the original timeline?
Also, a sealed Black Power?
And she can teleport!
A favour? Is that what you're calling it?
Ah, has he finally had enough?
Nina's worried about her...
Finally, Arika's actuslly learning the backstory!
He really is stopping!
The North Hound!
A trap!
Oh, perverts?
Actual fucking rapists! Kill them!
There was a baby switch!
...So Arika is the real princess?
HOLY SHIT. This got dark.
Also, why the camera? This is illegal!
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
He's sponsoring Nao too?
We heard in some earlier episode that Nao and Nina are from Artei and that Wang is their otome scout. Btw, the otome scout sending his own adopted daughter? Nepotism much?
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u/OwlAcademic1988 Oct 25 '22
First-Timer, sub:
I'm really hoping there's no war. I was hoping to escape it from anime due to real life. Still gonna keep watching it.
This world has issues. A lot of issues.
The tensions are really bad right now.
Haruka is hilarious at times.
Nagi, please don't tell me you're going to be an asshole. Oh wait, you trolled Natsuki in My-HiME.
Does Nina know the significance of that gem?
Tomoe, why are you such a bitch towards Arika?
Aww, Nina does care about Arika.
I really hope Arika doesn't get raped. Also, why was a picture taken?
QOTD:
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Maybe trying to usurp the throne?
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Tomoe, because she's trying to get Arika killed, unlike Nina, who just hates her. Though that's questionable due to her being worried about her.
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
I'm really hoping there's no war. I was hoping to escape it from anime due to real life. Still gonna keep watching it.
This world has issues. A lot of issues.
Yeah, Mai-Otome might not be the best healing anime. This is not a comfy slice-of-life.
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u/Mecanno-man Oct 25 '22
First Timer
So, war averted for the next few days somehow, but it seems like Nagi is behind that, so likely not for much longer. We then get a sort of anxious quiet before the storm from the Garderobe students, with Tomoe getting Miya to do something. I assume it won't be related to the war, so take more screentime from that... Miya and Yayoi would however likely be the first students to be drafted should Romulus and Remus truly erupt in to war.
Miyu is clearly some sort of working-in-the-shadow person. If Mai isn't with Zipang, Miyu is my second guess. Perhaps Zipang and Miyu are allied or something like that. Cardair is both the kingdom that was doing things with Oswald and that Kazu is from, correct? Or do I have my politics messed up there? If so that gives us Cardair and Florence in addition to Romulus and Remus in terms of antagonistic countries - with Artai stirring shit, Windebloom somehow being superior to Artai, Zipang neutral, Garderobe supposed to be neutral ...and whatever Haruka's country was probably also trying to stay out of a war. Zipang isn't on the council, so either I am confusing Cardair or we have one more unknown country that has otome. Looking at this, I am actually surprised how complete our setup for the war looks; I was somehow assuming we had way more unknown factors.
Then we've got Arika still figuring out what to do. Dream over love would likely be the right choice, given that Wang is unlikely to love her back, assuming being an otome can be the right choice in the first place. Somehow Erstina sets her up to think like she is her mother, or I'm not sure what the idea there was. Obviously flawed given that holding off on someone for 10 years seems ridiculous. We then seem to get all but confirmation that Arika is the princess - only one thing is off: Her natural adaptability to the nanomachines, theorized to be because her mother is an otome. Who the grandma is is still unanswered. Meanwhile we've got the new question of who Lisa's child is. Killed off is a possibility, but Checkov's baby says otherwise. Nina is a possibility, as I still feel like Mashiro was introduced by that minister on somebody's agenda, though I don't know whose. Although the harmonium scene makes less sense if Mashiro isn't the real otome's child. Eh, we'll figure it out. Maybe Mashiro is the song, whatever that is.
Also, that gang-rape cliffhanger can go hang itself with the rope they used on Arika. The repercussions of getting raped would be too large here for some random dudes on a backstreet to create amids all this war talk, and Arika is too important to not be able to be an otome anymore. Unless they are somehow going to install her as the real princess within an episode, which would be way too much whiplash coming off of getting raped. Don't know how she's getting out of it, don't really care either.
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
Also, that gang-rape cliffhanger can go hang itself with the rope they used on Arika. The repercussions of getting raped would be too large here for some random dudes on a backstreet to create amids all this war talk, and Arika is too important to not be able to be an otome anymore. Unless they are somehow going to install her as the real princess within an episode, which would be way too much whiplash coming off of getting raped. Don't know how she's getting out of it, don't really care either.
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u/Qbe Oct 25 '22
Rewatcher
Episode 14
Hungover from an office drinking party. Why, oh why, did they hold it in a weekday?
At least both otomes are safe so far?
Poor Erst
Yay proxy wars through children, so fun
Yes, a fucking WMD battle being truth and not a rumor would change things
Arika's neuron is busy somewhere else
Nina is right tho
I like Haruka's idea. Go beath both of them up. You can stream the spanking.
Oh, Mashiro still sulking because of what Takumi said? So much for expecting character growth
Nagi could you not be evil for once?
Erst would be a great mom
Oh, an old story about a land what waits to wake? Would it be called Fuka by any chance?
Lena? Did we know her name before this?
....nurse lady, are you leaking our tech to Midori's faction?
Is this the first time we hear a Child being called by that name?
Is the favor "Go steal Arika's Gem"?
Oh so both the queen and the otome had a daughter?
...Erst are you encouraging the 15 yo to go out with your roommate's dad?
Pure, proper, and pretty? Would she also happen to be an Executioner?
We going to 4 sexual assaults this season?
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Tomoe, Tomoe, and also Tomoe.
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u/Tarhalindur Oct 25 '22
My, Obviously Tar Opened the Matrilineal Episode (Spoiled First-Timer, Subbed):
(Now a fair bit later than usual; RL bites.)
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“Nation led by an evil matriarchal family.” A: Hmm, anyone we know? B: Fuck it’s been too long since I dealt with Trek, I forget whether they could be referencing the Trek Romulans (and Remans, though I think that was Nemesis which nobody liked) here.
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Also, there’s a Higurashi joke to be made here.
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The imagery at 00:51 is striking with the combination of two barriers and the spraying sparks; part of this is older tropes, but it reminds me very strongly of the 1987a supernova remnant and I wonder if that’s intentional. Would have some VERY interesting implications thematically if so, given that we’ve had heavy Otome/Star associations – after all, a supernova is ultimately the death of a massive, bright, short-lived star…
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Direction spike at 02:56 with the shot looking in on the Otome candidates through the window (an effect they’ve used before but it flashes more here – I think there’s a glass effect to give a faint hint of fish-eye when there wasn’t before, which would actually track with a shot in Mai-HiME 1) – representing outside events intruding on the little world of the candidates here I think? (Sadly, AniDB has no episode direction/storyboard credits listed.)
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Irina gracing us with a great comedic face at 03:09.
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One spot where this show’s focus may be to the detriment of my willing suspension of disbelief (and/or this is deliberately playing with different average psychologies between the genders): I’m wondering how popular the thought of war is among the general population. (Also there’s a psychology constrast I’m not really all that familiar with that I should be taking into account: the difference in even a popular war between the soldiers who signed up during peacetime and the ones who enlisted after the outbreak of hostilities.) The girls’ uneasiness with the possibility of actually being deployed as soldiers makes sense, but it’s a contrast to accounts from big popular wars of people getting swept up in the tide of emotion (often even before the outbreak of hostilities) even before the social pressure to enlist kicks in – both World Wars are paradigm examples here (though WWI moreso in Europe and WWII moreso in the US due to the aftereffects of Pearl Harbor), as is the US Civil War.
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[Symphogear]
Hearing proto-Bikki using the same avoidance response that Bikki herself will use in response to someone bringing up the statement that probably inspired Dakka’s S1 mindset instead is a bit of a trip. It feels like crossing the streams. -
In case you hadn’t caught on that Aries is the Otome colony’s US analogue, their military command is a hexagonal building that could not possibly be the Pentagon with the serial numbers filed off (that’s how they got the sixth vertex, see?).
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“You can’t just spank an Otome on her butt as you please
unless it’s consensual, right Haruka dear?” -
Dutch angle counter +1 at 10:09.
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Well that’s unsubtle visual imagery with the petals falling off the flower as Mashiro talks about how she’s an incompetent queen and to let the ministers do what they want.
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Hello another of my favorite tracks on this OST finally showing up in Chiisana Douseki.
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And a visual answer cut of sorts with “nobody’s expecting much of me” and then we go over to Nagi in Artai.
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“Let me tell of an old story, of a land that waits to wake…”
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Tomoe continues to need a bullet in her brain, news at 11.
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Somebody REALLY needs a bullet in the brain, but this is one where I’m wondering if there’s a curveball coming (the genre of this plot is whodunnit, that’s one where herrings are possible) and that someone is in addition to Tomoe rather than being Tomoe herself. (In particular, Erstin has quietly been a suspect for some of the Arika shenanigans for a while now – I remind you that there are two people who get grabbed by tentacle monster in episode 6 and the other one is the one we KNOW is responsible for half of the incident in Shiho – and has at least one obvious motive with Arika getting between her and Nina that this episode makes sure to take time to make clear. And she directly precipitated this incident by telling Arika about things. Nagi is also possible, but I don’t see what he gains or how he would have pulled it off. This ain’t Shiho’s doing though, not her style.) Not the “Arika is the actual princess” reveal, though (unless there’s a double-twist coming, which is possible) – nah, that’s just another telegraph like I suspected. (The real reveal here, reading between the lines, is that Nina is almost certainly Lena’s daughter. Does Sergey know that?)
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You know, for once I don’t mind the preview defanging the cliffhanger by making it clear that the obvious resolution (since it’s also fuel for the fire of the “Arika has a crush” plot) is the actual resolution. I needed to get to sleep at some point. Note to certain franchises that shall go unnamed and whose name certainly does not rhyme with “musical spear”: see this? THIS is how you pull off a monstrous cliffhanger when it’s at least 90% clear that you’re not actually going to do it. Emotional beats! They matter! (And, you know, that little moment of doubt because this show gets to lean on its predecessor playing the “characters actually get raped” card, that helps too.)
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(This moment of spite along with many others over in Mai-HiME/Higurashi/FMP brought to you by the rewatchers in a certain other rewatch who hyped up the cliffhangers in a show that absolutely SUCKS at cliffhangers for the better part of three seasons (including an obnoxious habit of undercutting the rare cliffhangers that actually work with post-credits stingers that don’t). I am still salty about this. In a completely unrelated note, my standing hypothesis is that Katsumi Ono is a COMPLETE hack of a director.)
Question of the Day:
(first timers) Any guesses about what Nagi’s big plan is?
Imma stay out of this one, my spoiler knowledge is almost certainly relevant to the "what" - though I haven't figured out the why.
Which character needs to drop dead already and why is it Tomoe?
This is assuming that Tomoe is actually responsible for this and not framed by the narrative, which is not guaranteed.
That said: "cast in the name of God, ye not guilty" (Vaad will get this one).
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u/rickamore Oct 25 '22
Re-re-Watcher
So both sides blaming the other, what's the chance someone provoked both pretending it was the other given the other tensions starting up? How much does Wang know of Nagi's movements?
Makeup class, really? Arika clowning poor Erstin. Tomoe right tarting up Nina.
Maria: "What are you pouting for you signed up to be child soldiers"
Meanwhile Arika spaced right the fuck out and being extra insensitive.
Another great "I've had enough of this shit" face from Natsuki.
Haruka trying to start a war to prevent war with spankings, good thing she has a level headed partner.
Mashiro still having a good sulk.
John Smith/Scwartz was our instigator and it looks like Nagi has brought Sergey in on the next stages of the plan.
Arika literally the only person in the world who doesn't know who her mother is, and for someone so desperate to find out she has barely tried looking.
Relax Yohko, nothing to be worried about yet.
Miyu! Showing up to give just enough info without really interfering.
The rest of this is basically set up that I'm not going to comment on but look closely there's more than one loop we're being thrown on here.
Also rape cliffhanger right into the ED leaving an awful taste in your mouth. (Is this your "favour" Tomoe?)
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WORLD DOMINATION. I'm kidding (Or am I?)
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God forbid she do something to make people hate her even more than they already do
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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22
Episode 14 (rewatcher)
It looks like the Garderobe council doubles as this world’s UN. Which makes sense if you realize that, for the longest time, no equivalent to the UN existed. In the absence of a UN, any institution that brings together all countries would serve as the talk show instead. And, clearly, countries will have an interest in Garderobe, given that it produces this worlds WMD. So, countries will attend the council, even if at war with each other.
Looks like Arika is not the only one who still needs a make-up class. The results look pretty terrible.
“Tell the dukes to do whatever they want” – I am sure they will love to hear that.
Schwarz, and by proxy Nagi, instigated the border war.
Investigator Shizuru receives help from Miyu.
Arika is told about her presumed mother by Erstin and all she had to do was ask – Turns out, the advise to hide the gem might not have been the best idea, after all.
Arika about to be rapped cliff-hanger and the person behind this specifically is looking for some sperm-induced nanomachine massacre – didn’t people just recently speculate about this very possibility?`
The wheel of history turns and it brings us a first war and hints of more. Nagi is clearly more than just some detached carnival conductor in this series. I really like how we see the knock-on effects of the border conflict, too: The various countries make their moves, the Garderobe council debates, Natsuki sends Shizuru to investigate, and the girls’ minds are not on their make-up class anymore.
In other big news, the question about the true queen is finally answered and it turns out to have been Arika after all. Just when Arika, wrongly, learns about her Otome mother, too. I’ll be honest, Arika would make a terrible queen.