| | Alternate title : My-Otome
Studio : Sunrise
Licenced by : Bandai Entertainment
Length : 26 Episodes
Year : 2005
Genre : Action - Drama - Fantasy
Synopsis :
Otome (Maids) aren't quite your usual run-of-the-mill maids. In society, they play the important roles of guards and advisers to the socially elite, such as royalty and politicians. To become an Otome is the dream of girls all over the world. Garderobe is an academy that places these girls under intensive training to become a full fledged Otome.
The main character is 14-year-old Arika Yumemiya. She came to the Windbloom Kingdom to look for her mother, who used to be a Meister Otome. When she arrived, she met an otome, who inspired her to become an otome herself. The story revolves around Arika as she tries to graduate from Garderobe.
Added : 2005-10-30
Synopsis by : blehgg
Last update : 2009-07-12
Last update details : Seiyuu added
Score : 7.96
Number of reviews : 24
Link(s) :
Official #1 : BiGlobe's Mai-Otome Website (Japanese)
Official #2 : Official Mai-Otome Website (Japanese)
Official #3 : TV Tokyo's Mai-Otome Website (Japanese)
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : Minami Kuribayashi - Dream ☆Wing
Opening #2 : Crystal Energy - Minami Kuribayashi
Ending #1 : Mika Kikuchi, Ami Koshimizu - Otome wa Do My Best deshou?
Release(s) :
2007-01-01 -- Episode(s) 0 by Static-Subs. BT Link
2006-09-30 -- Episode(s) 9 by Doremi-Fansubs. BT Link
2006-09-02 -- Episode(s) 8 by Doremi-Fansubs. BT Link
Found 88 releases. Click here to [ Find them! ]
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Posted by : kevinchaosvs 
Posted on : 2008-12-12 
Story/Dev: 82%
The concept of the Princess' identity being swapped is probably one of the most common and overused storyline, not just in anime, but in films and novels as well. However, of the many anime out there deploying this ever-popular plot, only few are actually good. Mai-Otome belonged to that few. The plot has quite a fair bit of twist too - not everything is as obvious as it seems, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the outcome of the story. Also, there were several touching moments as well. Not exactly the heart wrenching, tear jerking sort, but nonetheless a decorous dose of drama. Mai-Otome has a modest share of comedy to balance off the emotional scenes too. However, one mild flaw is that the ending could have been more dramatic, and (on the overall) the series prolonged by maybe about 5 episodes more to really tie up everything properly.
Characters/Dev: 80%
Indeed, it's not just the plot. The characters too are made of the usual archetypes. You have the naïve protagonist who is always cheerful and optimistic, followed by the rival with a cool and silent personality and such. Nevertheless the characters' developments are considerably well done and despite having such a large cast, the characters in the side cast was not being neglected. Generally every character had a distinct personality.
Animation/Graphics/Design: 88%
Animation style is good and those who have watched Mai-Hime beforehand would no doubt be familiar with the art style. The graphics are great too. However, Sunrise could have made the fight scenes much better. For example, they could have made the more important battles last much longer and on a more palatial scale. In addition, they also could have made the finale more climatic. On the other hand, I must say that the designs for the Robes were splendid and I also personally like the way some of the Otome Materialize their Robe, which is pretty cool.
Music: 80%
The BGMs are fantastic. I particularly loved the opera-ish tracks played during the Materializing of the Robes scenes. The OPs and ED were alright though; not really to my liking. Overall, the music in the series is great, nothing particularly outstanding, but still great.
Summary:
Those who are in for a nice mix of action, henshin sequences and fair bit of drama will enjoy this series. Worth the watch.
Personal Overall Rating: 84%
Posted by : ErwinRommel
Posted on : 2008-03-29
An entertaining show that delivers a solid story and cast of characters. Although not as much of a tear-jerker like its predecessor it still nonetheless holds its own. If you don't mind the occasional fan service à la naked women then I recommend this anime.
The anime plays it safe with its characters. It never descends into hatred and vengeance. At times Mai Otome is very optimistic and ideal which seems to contradict some of its story but I think it is great that it does not sink into a pit of despair. Mai Hime made one mistake at the end when it forgot that the main draw to the anime is the action scenes. Although Mai Otome is more emotionally shallow compared to Mai Hime it is far grander in its battles and execution of its plot is much better than Mai Hime. Thus making Mai Otome a greater experience compared to Mai Hime.
The fight scenes in general were well directed and fluid. The early Butou fights are among my favorite scenes. A drawback would be that the scope of the battles forces the anime back from its richly detailed characters. The characters are beautifully drawn and each has a richly detailed attack yet some battles had them zip around like fireflies. What a waste! The fighting is exciting yet the Meisters aren't shown in all their glory.
Lots of cute girls, great fight scenes, and a good story. It may not be one of the best out there (Seirei no Moribito!) but its entertainment worth watching.
8/10
Posted by : MrSentimental
Posted on : 2007-06-30 
Very enjoyable like Mai Hime! It was real neat seeing all those Mai Hime characters doing different rolls in Mai Otome. Like Mai Hime, this series kept my interest pretty much throughout. I couldn't finish either series in just one sitting, and I was always eagerly looking forward to going back for more.
More good strong emotions and caring, although perhaps not as much humor or romance here. The ending was OK.
The artwork was great like in Mai Hime. There was actually some theme music I did like.
So, if you enjoyed Mai Hime as much as I did, you'll like Mai Otome also. Have fun! 4 1/2 STARS. 9 out of 10 Rating.
Posted by : du5k
Posted on : 2007-02-27
Ah, the sequel to Mai-Hime. Well, it does takes place in another universe, but you can see all these Mai-Hime characters doing the usual things. One might say that there will be disappointment if Mai-Otome is watched after Mai-Hime, but I beg to differ. Having Mai-Hime as a background would probably be a reason for liking it; you know their background story as they’re made to be near identical, as well as seeing their further character development and stuff.
Plot... Great
Well, it is funny how the Mai-Hime tries to relate to their old characters in the preview of the next episode, aside from them doing the same stuff they did. The plot is unique with its many plot twists; it's great, but I'm afraid I got to say that they got a little too ambitious with the plot. Thing became more and more complicated and probably confusing. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but it creates a need to explain stuff, which gets tiring sometimes. Time like this I really admire the awesome simplicity of Rozen Maiden.
Well, the first half was interesting with plenty of character development and moe, until things start to junk in. It had a flaw; the root of all problems just comes down to one, which is Nina's jealousy. It is not a bad way of development but it becomes infuriating that everything is all because of one little bitch.
Like Mai-Hime, I feel that it still lack aftermath character progression, they kind of owe the fans. It was quite a disappointing ending, it could have brought so much more. This plot-heavy series could have spanned for a 50 episode series for so much room for character development and plot pacing, but the intensity gives me a headache.
And yeah, for a series called MAI-otome, it had very little to do with Mai, and there could have been more development on her.
Story... Good
It has a very cute way of bringing character development, though it still likes to exploit the characters by repeatedly having them undress in front of other characters. I feel sorry for Natsuki. No wonder this series got a NC16 rating.
Unlike Tate of Mai-Hime which had rather good progression, Sergay's a bastard that pisses me off with his attitude.
Otherwise, Mai-Otome doesn’t really have any of those really clichéd development and expression, which might be unconsciously a main draw for the anime. The ending part, the remove restrictions to materialize, seemed like a copy from Mai-Hime.
Animation... Great
It seems like the animation received an upgrade from its prequel. Things don’t look so 2D anymore with its stronger and richer colors.
I just realize that this series really know how to draw a female's body.
Music and Sounds… Rather good
The music is nice, but isn’t really worth remembering. In fact, I already forgot about it already.
I liked Nao and Arika voice, especially her "Desho? Desho?" I got to say that Arika's voice is really unique.
And I REALLY can’t get enough of Nina’s cute scream ^.^
Overall… If not for the flaws...
Yeah, if not for the rather big flaws (complication, ending, Nina’s jealousy), it would have been perfect. Unfortunately, well...
Definitely recommended to those who want to see lot of moe (and 16 and above... I guess).
It does not deserve to be among the ranks of the worst animes.
Posted by : Ikuzou
Posted on : 2007-02-06
I enjoyed this more than I enjoyed the first one, Mai HiME. Its full of story, good action, and development of characters. Many people probably won't understand this sequel much unless they watch the first one though. It's full of cameos that have an impact on the story, and watching the prequel will give you a good idea of what their personalities are like.
Story
Yumemiya Arika is on a journey to find her mom after her grandma died. All she knows of her mom is that she was a great Otome and was enrolled at a Otome school. As she wanders around, she eventually meets a Otome-in-training named Nina. She somewhat follows her around and they end up meeting another girl. After a while, they are attacked by a giant monster thing, called a slave. Nina activated her Otome powers and retaliated. Soon afterwards, reinforcements come in the form of another Otome. After she beats up the monster, Arika decides that she wants to become a Otome herself.
Animation/Artwork
Really good. The artwork style isn't exactly to my liking, but they do a god job of portraying emotions and character. I really like how all the characters look their age and none look overly weird. The animation is good and there aren't too many reused scenes. It's fluid and it's clear to what is going on.
Characters
Well, the characters are generally well explained, but a lot of it would make a lot more sense if you watched the prequel, Mai HiME. The characters from Mai HiME all retain their personalities and they will feel familiar to the fans of the last series. And nearly every character shows up at least once. That being said, their position in the story are always a little different so it isn't exactly like Mai HiME. The new characters are well done. The bubbly and optimistic Arika to the quiet and serious Nina. In this show, for the most part, there is a fine line between who is good and who is bad. The good characters are easily likable while the evil ones you will really detest. Some are in the middle, but have their reasons to do so. Only thing I found a little disappointing was the lack of different weapons. Pretty much every Otome uses the same little stick weapon. You don't start seeing the really cool weapons until near the end, and even then, it's only for a little bit.
Music/Sound Effects
They are pretty good. I definently like the 2 OPs and the END songs. They portray the right types of mood for where they show up in the story and are appropriate for the type of anime this is. The sound effects are above average. I only found one second of a odd sound effect, but thats just probably me.
Overall
Doesn't have as many twists as Mai HiME, but I think the story flows better. Everything has a purpose and goes along smoothly. Even the trivial things at the beginning of the anime serve a purpose as you start finding odd things as the story develops. I was really surprised and delighted when Mikoto and Mai finally show up, even if it is only for a few episodes and don't serve much of a point in the story.
Who would have thought that my friend and I would have loved a magical girl anime like this? I guess it's because it's not as cheesy as others I have seen and had enough action and cool characters to keep a guy like me interested. I seriously like this anime and recommend it to really anyone. But, again, I suggest you watch the first one, Mai HiME, if you haven't already.
Posted by : Kas_F
Posted on : 2007-01-13
What can I say about this show..other than that I watched it in two nights, right after finishing Mai-Hime, starting less than a minute after Mai-Hime 26.
I like this one alot.
The thing that sticks out to me is the character development. For me, if the characters aren't there, I don't care how nice the animation is (and in this show the animation is quite excellent)-- it is garbage. But this show brought it hard. Literally every character had me interested, regardless of how short their appearance was. (This was somewhat of a minus in Mai-Otome by the way.) The various conflicts were well planned out and some were actually suprised me in the way they were resolved.
Now some may say that this is not a sequel, but I totally disagree. Through Miyu, it's pretty obvious she's the same Miyu from Hime. She still has the Searrs software running, has knowledge of the Himes, and mentions that Arika is a descended of Alyssa. She even states that she has lived for hundreds of years, and I'm pretty sure she migrated with the rest of humanity to the new planet.
That set aside, the real treat was seeing things we recognize from Hime. I was excited to see things that were rather esoteric within Otome
Over all I'd rank this somewhere in my top 20 anime series ranking. Check it out, although I think that to truly enjoy this show, you should check out Mai-Hime first.
Posted by : Myrah
Posted on : 2007-01-05 
Let's just say.. I am a bit ashamed to admit that I watched a magical puri puri shoujo anime twice, and burned it into cd so I can watch again. I feel like a mad Otaku I tell you.
I didn't quite expect much when I first watched it. I just pick and watch if I think the animation is decent - or made by something like I.G. production. I watched OP thinking it's half decent, then I felt the gag was kinda forced and story is too plain. But, right then, something amazing happened before my eyes. It's something that I missed from many so called shounen / shoujo anime. A very important thing you need for all younger viewers - timing.
Let me explain in details. For all general movies / plays / anime / cartoon you need a good story to make a great scenes for directors to play with, actors/actress who can play the role, right music at the right moment, and the last but not least, sound effect to draw awe from the people watching the show. You need all at the right time, at the right moment in order to make it count. Any story telling / jokes is all about timing, and expert knows where to emphasize in order to entertain the people.
Let's look at an example. In one of the last episodes, Arinka and Mashiro at last arrives at the Windbloom city just as the plan to retake it goes horribly wrong. Just as the villian smiles and about to deliver the finishing blow, they appear at the center of the show again, stops the laser and send it straight back to the tower without further edo. Bam. All done in less than 10 seconds, and what better way to announce the arrival of the heroines than the exploding sound and the music?
It really doesn't take the perfect animation, music, story to get 10/10 from me. Couple of great scenes here and there, while other scenes build the suspense for the climax, as long as action is there, and gags are there, I know they tried day and night doing story board over and over to come up with best way to entertain the audience.
Posted by : glidedream
Posted on : 2006-06-03
It seems this show is pretty much hit or miss, but in its defense, it seems like a hit for most people. I don't really understand why some people seem to dislike it so much, but I will explain why it impressed me. After watching Mai Hime, I felt the ending was its greatest weakness, and its characters its greatest strength. Thus, I was optimistic watching Mai Otome because I felt it had the potential to retain its greatest strength while fixing its greatest weakness. I'm not sure it totally did that, because halfway through the show I decided there was something important about the way you watch it. It's not related to Mai Hime, and any attempts to really box it into that mindset will fail and you will just not enjoy the show because you are expecting it to somehow be like Mai Hime. You have to watch this show as if it were completely different from Mai Hime, and it had nothing to do with Mai Hime. At the same time, I derived great pleasure from watching the characters I was familiar with get incorporated into the show one by one, even if they were in different roles or had slightly different characteristics. I feel it made the anime run much smoother because they didn't have to explain each character as much. I'm not sure that this is not so similar to what Clamp does with Tsubasa Chronicle. In any case, I consider this show completely different from Mai Hime, to the extent that I can not really compare which is better or worse because in a way they're so different, even though they seem so similar.
Getting to the actual show, Mai Otome is fast paced and addictive with a great storyline. The plot is wonderful, a story so intricate and well woven that I got completely sucked in and each episode seemed too short. The storyline is unpredictable, entertaining, and always keeps you on your toes waiting for the next event. What makes it really great is how it manages to keep everything related to the central ideas and to the incident from 15 years ago that starts off the show. Within the storyline, the themes are executed flawlessly from identity crisis, forbidden love, dreams and their importance, relationship between kingdom and citizen, and so on. Speaking of themes, I must mention that there is some heavy 12 kingdoms influence in this show because of the whole 12 kings war that they talk about, and how the Otome-ruler relationship is so similar to the Kirin-emperor relationship from 12 kingdoms. Digression aside, the other themes are really nice, specifically the one about choosing what's most important to you. I must admit I didn't find the Akane-Kazu scene to be uplifting at all because I felt both of them were sacrificing their ambitions and dreams for love, which I didn't like. However, I have no doubt that most people liked that scene because it shows the triumph of life or whatever they want to call it. It's great how Arika's dream changes to fit her life and what she learns from being an Otome, and Mashiro's emergence is also inspiring.
This brings us to character development, which is undoubtedly a strong point for this show. I think the Mashiro-Arika relationship is the key to the show, it is the factor that keeps everything from falling apart, and it also symbolizes their individual growth. It's great that as the two go from hating each other to trusting and believing in one another, they also grow to be more independent and reliable individuals. Arika becomes a strong Otome with conviction and determination, and Mashiro becomes a strong and worthy Queen. Aside from those two, Nina's development into a tortured soul for her father and Erstin's story are also very well done. Although I must admit that the whole Sergey-Nina relationship is just a little disturbing, despite the fact that she's not his real daughter. Everybody else is thrown in for fun, and they certainly deliver from Miss Maria's big debut to Natsuki and Shizuru's theatrics to Haruka's guts to Nagi's completely likeable evil villain character are all highly entertaining.
Logistics are pretty standard, although the animation is really nice as is expected of today's shows. The soundtrack is really impressive though, I really like the music that plays in the background of the school scenes and some of the dramatic scenes, it's catchy and really suits the tone. The voice acting is great as well, especially for Arika, Mashiro, and Nagi. It just seems that Nagi's voice is cooler each time you listen to it. Also, the ending song of this show is a complete enigma to me. I think it's childish, immature, and of really low intelligence, but I can't stop from singing along because it's so addictive and catchy. It did seem really odd to hear it after watching some of the more dramatic and serious episodes though. Well speaking of endings, the ending to this show is actually very good. It's really similar to the Mai Hime ending, but in a way it's completely different. It resolves all the storylines and establishes a bright future while admitting the difficulties and obstacles that had to be overcome to get to that point, and in general it was completely suited to the show.
Posted by : Luuk
Posted on : 2006-04-12
I started watching this series because of its connections with Mai Hime, I finished it because of an unanswered hope that it would improve at least a bit.
The reason I loved Mai Hime was the great story devellopment and appealing characters. Since Mai Otome uses basically the same characters as Hime I thought that at least the characters would turn out to be okay. All I can say about that is: I hate being wrong, they were downright annoying and I couldn't care less about what they did.
The reason I continued watching this, despite of its annoying characters, was the hope that the story would develop as well as it did in Hime. Even though that hope was lost as well around episode 20 or so I had to finish it. Yes, I'm a slow learner, I should have seen that it would turn out to be a piece of, well.., poo, a lot earlier, but for me the point of no return had allready passed.
My last hope was that at least the ending would make sense, since that was the only downside to Mai Hime. Again I hoped, 'maybe they've learned at least a bit from Hime', but again I was wrong. The ending was nothing better than the rest of the series, and if you've read what I've said before, well, then you know I didn't exactly like it.
Was this series good for nothing? No, it was good for one thing: I've stopped hoping after this series. I've finally seen the light and I've realised that when a series starts like crap it is most likely to end likewise.
In short:
-annoying characters, big downside
-no progress in the story, not so fond of that either
-the final episode is supposed to be a climax, not a mediocre end of an allready weak story like in Mai Otome.
-for god's sake: do not have high hope's for this series, it might make the pain more bearable. And also, please do not compare this to Mai Hime, it's just not the same (I thought I could at least be mild for once, in fact, it doesn't even deserve to exist compared to Mai Hime)
Posted by : eternitymas
Posted on : 2006-04-11
This is certainly a great anime. Should it be considered a spin off from the original Mai Hime is still a question. But nonetheless, this is a great anime with such great suspense. With the lead character Arika and her happy go lucky attitude at the beginning of the anime was certainly an up point for the anime.
And there is also Nina who has been considered as a friend by Arika. The story was dodgy, but had a great significance when it shows that Arika and Nina were new characters of the anime and not look alikes from the anime Mai Hime.
It has quite a number of differences between Mai Hime and this anime. Indeed this proved to be a great piece of anime for those who enjoy Mai Hime. This is because people, like me would like to see what had really happened in the future of the Mai Hime story after the appearance of a Miyu.
I would also like to point out that it was touching to see such friendships between the characters. The costumes of the Otome are quite beautiful indeed. The music is also quite exquisite to listen to.
It also has a slight different kind of ending for Mai Otome compared to Mai Hime. In Mai Otome, a few sad events that really makes it dearer to the heart especially for me.
Overall, this anime is indeed a must watch, even though over and over again.
Posted by : Yuun
Posted on : 2006-04-05
Another amazing series from Sunrise Studios after the magnificent production of Mai-HiME. Sunrise introduce another of their amazing production, Mai-Otome!! Before I continue, please let me keep things straight between Mai-HiME and Mai-Otome. First thing first, both series have no connection at all accept for the characters. Secondly, Mai-Otome is an entirely stand alone anime and has no concern with Mai-HiME. Now let’s talk about Mai-Otome in details.
Production Quality/Animation Quality: (9/10)
Well, this is Sunrise Studios we are talking about so no doubt their production is always at the best quality that any studio could offer. If you watch Inuyasha, Keroro Gunsou, Yakitate! Japan, Escaflowne, and ALL the GUNDAM SERIES, and you love their production/animation quality. You’ll be more than satisfied with Mai-Otome.
Mai-Otome was presented with beautiful and bright color. Besides being smooth and captivating, everything seems so clear and crisp. Sunrise Studios always find their ways to keep their audience satisfied in their every production. So please rest assure if you’re worried of the production or animation quality.
Plots and Development: (9/10)
The production staff did an amazing job in presenting the story plot. Everything goes smoothly without a single filler episode and every episode serve their own purpose in supporting the main story.
Basically, this anime revolves around Otome and their purpose and duties. We learn from the start that Otome are meant to protect their master and as the story progress we learn more about the truth and the sad path an Otome have to venture. Audiences were brought along with the characters to face their daily routine and challenges, be it mentally or physically.
Besides being Original and interesting, the concept is strong and supportive enough to build multiple emotions within the audience’s feeling. To be able to feel what the characters is feeling is the strong point in this anime, this is what really make an anime worth watching. Personally, I was really surprise and stunt at the amazing twist here and there during the development and climax stage of the anime. The ending was quite predictable but it is still satisfying, this I can assure you.
Characters & Their Development: (8/10)
Well, I’ve always like Sunrise Studio’s character and how they developed them. So personally, I think Mai-Otome is a very enjoyable anime and every single character was interesting and magnificently portrayed. For a new anime who share “Almost” the same title with Mai-HiME, it is not strange to see old characters being revived in Mai-Otome. Of course Sunrise introduce lots of new characters such as the Arika Yumemiya (heroine) and some major supportive characters such as Nina Wong, and Erstin Ho.
Development was really given enough effort in bringing out the full potential of the new characters. Combo with experience and veteran voice actress, the characters can never be more lively and lovable. Although there’s a lot of characters and mostly all of the characters from Mai-HiME were being revived to aid the story. There were almost no developments or extremely little development to support these revived characters. This would somehow cause dissatisfaction to those who didn’t watch Mai-HiME. However, this is not necessary a negative effect since most of these revived characters from Mai-HiME were given new role and different responsibilities in Mai-Otome compare to Mai-HiME.
I’ve watched Mai-HiME so I don’t felt alienate for the revived characters since I was feed enough of their attitudes and personalities in Mai-HiME. If we think of other perspective, the huge cast of characters can be interesting but it can easily backfire without a decent development and this is what Mai-Otome suffered.
At any cases, please rests assure that the new characters are as interesting as they can be. Personally wise, I really like Nina Wong and all the other new characters like Erstin Ho. Even the new Hero, Sergay Wong (Which is also the revived Hero from Mai-HiME) went through a much detail renovation to the extend he look much better and mature.
Most of all, what really impressed me is the outfit of the Otomes. The robe of Meistar Otome were really beautifully and gracefully drawn and I would say that the sense of costume for the character design, Hirokazu Hisayuki were more impressive than ever. What I really enjoy in this series would be none other than the design of the individual robes of the Meistar Otomes.
I would have given 10/10 for this section if not for the serious underdeveloped of the revived character from Mai-HiME series. Well not that I really complain on their actions of doing so, but this is to be expected in a 26 episode. Is rather impossible to give a decent development for each and every character in Mai-Otome since the cast was way too large. There were almost new faces in every 2-3 episode.
Music & BGM: (8/10)
Well, the opening and ending theme are decent but not masterpiece. Personally wise I prefer the songs in Mai-HiME than the new songs in Mai-Otome. As for the BGM, I admit that Mai-Otome did a much better job in making the series a lot livelier with its boosting BGM. A compliment from me in this section but it could have been better.
Overall: (9/10)
Well, if I were to compare Mai-Otome with Mai-HiME, I would say that I prefer Mai-Otome. To simplify my reasons, Mai-Otome introduces a much interesting story plot, much magnificent, interesting and lovable characters, as well as a much better character design. (The Meistar’s Robes)
This anime is really good and enjoyable, and I would recommend it to most anime fans out there. Especially those who like Fantasy and Action anime, not only Mai-Otome provide those genres, a little Fan-service and Drama certainly boost the anime to another level. So what are you waiting for? If you haven’t watch Mai-Otome yet, go and get your own copy. Oh! And when you’re at it, don’t forget to grab Mai-HiME as well…(If you haven’t watched it) As an appetizer!
^_^
Posted by : Xess
Posted on : 2006-03-13
This is one of the more enjoyable animes I've seen, and the show I currently look forward to watching most every week. There's just something about lesbian, high school girls in maid uniforms that makes this show a great watch.
The storyline is kinda dodgy, but interesting nonetheless. The characters are fleshed out and have personality. The animation is beautiful with nice and bright colors.
The story takes place in a parallel universe of the Mai Hime series. Doesn't have anything to do with each other except for identical characters and voice talent. At first glance, the show may just seem like a super girl fighting anime or something, but there really isn't all that much fighting. The focus of the show is Arika and how she relates to the people around her. How she copes with the feelings of love, despair and betrayal. And how that affects her ambitions to become an Otome as she learns about the dark secrets of the Otome at the same time.
All in all, a great watch.
Note: Otomes are girls implanted with powerful technology using nano-machines and certain other things which are explained in the series. Their body and soul become one with the masters they serve and lose all their powers if ever engaged in any kind of sexual activity with a man. Why is this so is further explained by watching the series.
Posted by : Pherose
Posted on : 2006-02-26
This is a great anime for everyone, it's filled with myseries, action, drama and comedy.
The show is very similar to Naruto so I think this is a must-see for Naruto-fans.
The show has a lot of silly sounds which shows the characters moods and intentions, it gives the whole show a little more comedy. Sound: 7/10
The characters are both interesting and funny, they all have their problems which leaves you craving for the next episode because you want to see what happens next. Characters: 8/10
The story is well-developed and it takes back to some of the characters past often, to give you extra clues about Arika's mysterious past. Sometimes the flashbacks awnser a few questions, sometimes they raise some new questions, always leaving you hungry for more. Story: 9/10
The animations are often cute and filled with silly details to make you laugh, but when the action heats up the characters get serious and the style changes to a more detailed kind. Animations: 6/10
Overall I think this is a great anime to watch because it's got a unique feel to it, it's a great escape from the real world to a world filled with magic, action, mysteries and drama. Overall: 8/10
Posted by : derfman1963
Posted on : 2006-02-14
I am going to say this right off. This is not a sequel to Mai Hime. Period. The characters while similar, are not the same, the setting is different, the powers are similar, and the main characters have completely different personalities. I thoroughly enjoyed Mai Hime, but I am glad that this is not a sequel, as the story had been told and did not need to be expanded. Mai Otome is about privilege and responsibility. It tells the story of an orphan who wishes to follow in her mothers footsteps and become an otome. An otome is a female who is given extraordinary powers through an ancient technology. She acts as body guard, personal assistant and in times of war as a soldier for those she pledges her allegiance too. In return the rich and powerful are expected to use their otome wisely. The otome’s powers are so great that they can cause mass destruction. The main character, Arika, joins the school where otome are trained. Normally she wouldn’t have been allowed to join, but exception was made due to the jewel she was given as an infant. Because she started late she has a lot of catching up to do. And since the school is very competitive she runs into trouble from other students who are jealous of her natural abilities. Despite this she remains very kind and light hearted. She tries hard to make friends and do the work assigned her. She is funny, cute and naive. But her abilities are not to be denied. She also has a knack of getting into trouble, both on her own and with the help of others. Soon after she arrives she has to help the soon to be Queen Mashiro out of trouble. The queen is a spoiled brat and seems to be unredeemable. But somehow Arika befriends her and, even though they fight a lot, they become close. This has been a good watch so far.
Animation: Very Good. Not quite as good as Mai Hime at it’s best, but the character designs and fight scenes have been quite good. The many characters, different kind of soldiers, and different cultures, give it a nice variety. The few times they have fought full power has been very well done.
Story: Outstanding. The one similarity between Mai Hime and Mai Otome has been the pacing of the story. Both start out light and switch to a darker tone as they progress. The message in Mai Otome is very strong. If we don’t learn to use power wisely we may destroy all we have built. I don’t want to get into politics so let’s just say that it has a very timely story.
Music: Outstanding. The opening and closing themes have been really good so far. The background music is very strong and provides a good mood setting device.
Overall: Outstanding. I have not been disappointed at all. This show has a lot to offer, and it gets better every week. I am always anxious to download the next episode. That is the sign of a great anime.
Posted by : zimmea
Posted on : 2006-01-08
If you've read the other reviews then you know about the similarities/differences between Otome/Hime.
I look at the two has seperate animes. Yes the characters are somehwat similar, and some of the ones which they ported over have the same characteristics, but the two shows are different
I'm enjoying the show. It has some sweet action, and a little bit of comedy/ecchi-ness. I also like the main character, she is one of the classic anime character stereotypes of a "hard worker who eventually gets some cool powers and cheers everyone up" much like Naruto. The main characeter, Arika, is struggling to become an Otome, like her mother before her. She was raised by her grandma out in the country and is now getting a crash course in everything she needs to be an Otome.
So Overall:
Animation: 8. The overall animation is good, and they blend CG and special effects in as needed.
Sound: 8. The voice acting is good. The sound effects are well done, and the music is good (I especially like the semi-opera battle music)
Story: 6.5 Not anything too over the top. It is developing nicley though and has kept my interest.
Character developement: 6 As with the plot, theres nothing too spectacular here. A good assortment of characters, but no mind blowing developement so far.
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