[Mai Otome] Episode 16 Discussion/Poll

[Lonelyfighte]

I'm surprised that someone hasn't made a comment on Nina's wepons. Ya know, the twin sai's? Don't think it'll mean anything, just thought I'd point it out (you can see them at the end of the OP right before the end, when she attacks Arika). I kinda liked her robes too, but might just be because I like green. Really, I love Nao's robes, just because even in the worst of situations I'll look at her and laugh.

I'm glad they got rid of the old OP, but they could have made the new one less spoilerific. I enjoy it, but really... >_< Now...on to hoping they at least add some different pictures to the Ending, other then Arika running

All together, I thought this episode was good, even if it did end too soon. Did other people notice that sad/guilty look that Tomoe gave Ers-chan, when they were all gathered around her bed (after Tomoe had tried to kill Arika)? I'm probably wrong about what kind of emotion she was displaying >_<. Feel free to correct me, or tell me if someone else has said this already. >_<

~Lonelyfighte

[Eclipze]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

Because we saw in Ep15 her reaction to Arika's gem. Also how does Tomoe know how Rena looks like? How did Tomoe make such a connection when no one in the entire castle made that connection. And what do you mean by Arika looking like Rena? We as viewer thinks Arika looks like Rena becuase that is how she is presented to us. But in the story itself how do we know Arika resemble's Rena in other people eyes? As for connecting dots, Tomoe is smarter then your avg coral but for her connect the dots she would have to know what dots to connect in the first place.

I'l have to agree with Xellos on this.

We have seen 0 signs of Tomoe losing her love ones, 0 signs of her thinking that Arika looks like Rena, 0 signs of other reasons to hurt Arika besides Shizuru and probably the pendent.

On-topic:
Finally watched the episode. really liked how they set up the jolly mood in the beginning, and then throw it away with the slave attack.

For the OP, they could have done what the Karin OP did: Leave the spoilers in blank, and only reveal them when they are shown in the show.

But theres too many to cover though...

[PastPrime]

Originally Posted by Diodati

Also the recent development of her

Spoiler:

now targetting Natsuki (apparently)

seems to suggest Sunrise aren't being privy with her reasons. If she's willing to change targets, then the reason may stay the same - so it seems like it will be 'just' Shizuru...which doesn't work so well because we've only had one scene of them even conversing. Nice going Sunrise.

As I said, those were my thoughts. There is no proof as of yet anyways. As for changing targets

Spoiler:

In Episode 17 I think that Natsuki will pull a reverse Miyu and put the meister gems back in Arika's earring and Mashiro's ring, basically confirming Arika as a Meister Otome. Since, unlike Nina, Tomoe knows nothing of Arika's contract with Mashiro, I suspect that will be too much for her.

[PastPrime]

Originally Posted by Lonelyfighte

I'm glad they got rid of the old OP, but they could have made the new one less spoilerific.
~Lonelyfighte

There is the possibility that it was mostly red herrings, with just enough real spoilers in it to keep people guessing. Like Mai's "Red Scarf of Justice" that didn't show up until after she was no longer a HiME.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by PastPrime

On the Black Letter that the Coral Otome received, I doubt that it would contain one of those crystals. Even a Coral Otome would be worth too much to waste that way. I can think of three possibilities.
1. It tells her to sabatoge something when the attack sterts.
2. It gives her instructions on where to go to be picked up. Her nanomachines would definitely be woth studying.
3. It contains a Meister gem and instructions on how to swap them. Perhaps made using the information in that memory circuit so that no permission is needed to materialize.

Option 1 is the only one that makes sense. The Otome system has been around for 300 yrs, by now anyone who wanted to probably got samples of thier nano. And I don't see option 3 being option unless whoever they sending that gem to is really skill otherwise theres no point in tipping off the fact that they can make thier otome gems.

[PastPrime]

I really wanted to see Nina and Arika battle Chei and Shiho. Given their abilities I really think that there was the possibility of an upset. The compitition to determine the Coral representatives was useful too. Since Arika won she would become a Pearl even if she wasn't in the top 25 overall. No having to come up with an excuse to take the top 29 or 30 this time. I think that Natsuki assumed that the representatives would be Nina and Arika before the compitition started.

[Decagon]

Originally Posted by PastPrime

As I said, those were my thoughts. There is no proof as of yet anyways. As for changing targets

Spoiler:

In Episode 17 I think that Natsuki will pull a reverse Miyu and put the meister gems back in Arika's earring and Mashiro's ring, basically confirming Arika as a Meister Otome. Since, unlike Nina, Tomoe knows nothing of Arika's contract with Mashiro, I suspect that will be too much for her.

Except..

Spoiler for reply:

Except that Arika has the gems, and not Natsuki. We haven't been given any indication that anyone knew the gems were in the pendant, or that anyone knew where they were all these years either.

[Sakuya]

That reminds me, the spoilers did say that Nina and Arika's battle will be interrupted. And here, they didn't even start fighting and it was "interrupted."

[Sinestra]

I just finished it and damn i must say i loved this ep. First let me say that the new opening is great and mai looks like a total bad ass. however i will say that some of it definetly contained spoilers. if i had to guess it looks like no matter how close Nina and Arika get they are destined to become enemies. Also it looks like some loyalties might be split if you look at one part of the opening some Otome are on one side while othes are not. I like Nina battle green battle garb it suits her really well. I also noticed a completly diffrent look in Arika during the new opening that happy go lucky look is gone replaced by a die hard battle ready warrior. How about Nao being choosen as a piller (Hell Yeah). I really only have 2 compliaments and thats we didnt even get to see a little bit of fighting during the graduation before it was interrupted. Second did it really have to be a gaint lazer on top of the castle i mean damn all i could think to my self was oh great another gaint gun that has be taken out. I did feel sorry for the mashiro though shes finally acting like a queen and this happens id be uber pissed if that was castle. Over kick ass ep i hope it keeps up and i have found a new respect for Ers after what she did for Arika.



NOW IF THEY WOULD JUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT GOD AWFUL ENDING ID BE HAPPY

[MattAlchemy]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

I just finished it and damn i must say i loved this ep. First let me say that the new opening is great and mai looks like a total bad ass. however i will say that some of it definetly contained spoilers. if i had to guess it looks like no matter how close Nina and Arika get they are destined to become enemies. Also it looks like some loyalties might be split if you look at one part of the opening some Otome are on one side while othes are not. I like Nina battle green battle garb it suits her really well. I also noticed a completly diffrent look in Arika during the new opening that happy go lucky look is gone replaced by a die hard battle ready warrior. How about Nao being choosen as a piller (Hell Yeah). I really only have 2 compliaments and thats we didnt even get to see a little bit of fighting during the graduation before it was interrupted. Second did it really have to be a gaint lazer on top of the castle i mean damn all i could think to my self was oh great another gaint gun that has be taken out. I did feel sorry for the mashiro though shes finally acting like a queen and this happens id be uber pissed if that was castle. Over kick ass ep i hope it keeps up and i have found a new respect for Ers after what she did for Arika.



NOW IF THEY WOULD JUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT GOD AWFUL ENDING ID BE HAPPY

Yes, seeing Arika walking forward seems very funny... Why didn't they change it on Episode16 anyway? They liked to see Arika's back?

[ayyo]

The current ED is kind of fine, even though it might be too cheerfulish for the soon to come drama. The thing I'm afraid of from seeing the new OP is that the 2nd ED might be a horizontal or vertical scroller set in a wartorn or space background with still images of the characters looking at each other or from each other and the last set being Arika holding her hand out to Mashiro or Sergay or Rena's.

Not much to add from what other people probably repeated hundred times within these 300+ posts. But I love the 'spoilers' in the new OP. Gives alot to look forward to and the fact that Midori isn't bad after. (If she was, it would've destory her character, tho I doubt we will see the same cheerfulness of her Hime counterpart)

[roon]

Originally Posted by ayyo

The thing I'm afraid of from seeing the new OP is that the 2nd ED might be a horizontal or vertical scroller set in a wartorn or space background with still images of the characters looking at each other or from each other and the last set being Arika holding her hand out to Mashiro or Sergay or Rena's.

LOL. Oh the ideas for parodies just keep rolling in...

But yeah, if they do implement a new ED I'd like it to be something similar to MH's, which fit fine throughout the whole series IMO. 「乙女はＤＯＭＹＢＥＳＴでしょ？」 sounds extremely out of place, especially after a cliffhanger like this one.

[Shigan]

First, EXCELLENT EPISODE, let the mayhem begin as Windbloom now aparrently while rather unwillingly is in possesion of a massdestruction weapon. Even if Shwarz doesn't succeed with their attack, I had like to see Mashiro trying to explain that.

Nina's and Natsuki's robes= RAWR, althou I wish Natsuki's could have been a tad more different than Shizuru's. I don't know who the other two pillars in the preview are but -someone- shoot SpiderNao's robe designer... -_-

So who do you guys suppose the Garderobe Shirabatsu is? Is it obviously Tomoe or someone else?

OH COME ON NATSUKI, IS ONE LITTLE HUG FOR SHIZURU SO MUCH TO ASK OF YOU????? RAAAHR! X(

[Matrim]

Sorry, but if you kill a man or approve of killing one (even if it is a soldier) where you don't have to than you are evil. No excuses. If Midori is supposed to be not bad than they already destroyed her character.

Destroyed her character? If you ask me, an order to kill Arika is the best thing any character can do in this series but I guess most people would disagree.
Evil and good are concepts which should not get in the way of character development, the best character are neither fully good nor totally evil. I'd rather watch a series about a war in which there are "unnecessary" killings than one in which everyone is noble and kills only after a fair battle giving him and his opponent equal chances because the latter scenario would be very unrealistic. Why should we assume that the Otomes are good and Aswald and Shwartz are bad? I really hope it will turn out to be more complex than that and every faction will do its fair share of unpleasant things.

[PastPrime]

Originally Posted by Decagon

Except..

Spoiler for reply:

Except that Arika has the gems, and not Natsuki. We haven't been given any indication that anyone knew the gems were in the pendant, or that anyone knew where they were all these years either.

I doubt very seriously if Natsuki thinks that Arika and Mishiro made a contract with the Coral Gems. She recognized the pendant, and, as head of Gunderobe, should know what it contains. And, it is likely that the sensors in Gunderobe recorded everything that happened under the castle.

[Preston]

Originally Posted by Matrim

If you ask me, an order to kill Arika is the best thing any character can do in this series but I guess most people would disagree.

As would I. I doubt you hate her as much as I did but at least I recognise the fact that her presence and life are not only important, but critical to the integrity of the series. Many, many characters are dependant on a friendship with her, not least of all Nina, a character who's well being is of significant interest to me and the liking of this series.

Yes, Arika is a very dangerous character, but compared to what would happen if she was removed completely, her life suddenly seems all the more valuable. If you just look at what she has done for Nina since the start of this series as an example, Arika is pretty much a perfect friend. That's if you have some problem that needs remedying, but not if that problem is lack of tolerance for others, of course.

Without her positive influence on the more politically minded pessimists (and in Nina's case also a severe dependence on one individual), and the previously poor and selfish leaders (*cough*Mashiro*cough*) they would simply divert back to their previous selves, in what would be a very destructive manner.

And, plus, you kill Arika, you kill the storyline, at this point anyway. Nina also, and now, possibly, Erstin, which leads me onto another point.

So! Erstin knows a part of the song as well!? Well, perhaps Erstin is much more a character than the big breasted piece of fanservice that seemed to have fallen for Nina (and Arika), as she seemed to be labelled by many earlier in the series. As I always thought, as did a few others, that she had a much larger part to play that a simple 'bit of fun' and first fatality. I never liked people calling her fanservice anway..

But, more importantly, what does this mean for the series? Perhaps Mashiro is an all round fake, I mean, with the two new characters, Arika and Nina being the main ones, a returning character didnt fit the pattern. No matter how many revisions she had seen since the last series.

If Erstin is this third and all important member of the organ-thing (forget the name) group, then this could lead a lot of people (ie. Nagi/Sergei) off on the wrong path to discover the key to using the harmonium (remembered the name.. I think..).

All things considered, this was an excellent episode. Oh, and people, of course the damned OP is going to be full of spoilers, what the hell did you think they were going to make it out of, previous footage? If you didn't like the prospect of spoilers, you should have skipped it or closed your eyes of something. Besides, its not like there way anything that a good bit of logical thinking and viewing in the spoiler thread couldn't figure out anyway.

And, as I said yesterday in an MSN convo, the actual things we see as spoilers are unimportant, since we do not know why they are happening, when, in what order, what the emotions in the scene are like and the causes and outcomes of these events. When you see them in the episode it happens, you may as well being seeing it for the first time for all the good it will do you.

Great episode. Great OP.

[Matrim]

And, plus, you kill Arika, you kill the storyline, at this point anyway

It would be worth it, the storyline is nothing special anyway and it can be developed even without Arika, not to mention that her death would make the series really famous - it's not as if main characters often die in the middle of a series. And we could have a much better storyline if it is not burdened by characters who are as stereotypical as you can possibly get. Of course, I know fully well that no one is going to kill Arika so this discussion is quite pointless.

[PastPrime]

Originally Posted by Preston

Erstin knows a part of the song as well!? Well, perhaps Erstin is much more a character than the big breasted piece of fanservice that seemed to have fallen for Nina (and Arika), as she seemed to be labelled by many earlier in the series. As I always thought, as did a few others, that she had a much larger part to play that a simple 'bit of fun' and first fatality. I never liked people calling her fanservice anway..

But, more importantly, what does this mean for the series? Perhaps Mashiro is an all round fake, I mean, with the two new characters, Arika and Nina being the main ones, a returning character didnt fit the pattern. No matter how many revisions she had seen since the last series.

If Erstin is this third and all important member of the organ-thing (forget the name) group, then this could lead a lot of people (ie. Nagi/Sergei) off on the wrong path to discover the key to using the harmonium (remembered the name.. I think..).
[/B]

When Arika and Mashiro found the Harmonium two of the three circles on front lite up. That would seem to indicate that they are two of the three required.
Erstin said herself that she learned the song from Arika.
Mashiro has sang a third verse to the song, meaning that Arika, Nina, and Mashiro each learned a seperate verse to the song.

[Eclipze]

Originally Posted by Matrim

because the latter scenario would be very unrealistic.

I do believe such an issue with "realism" has been addressed in another thread regarding realism in anime. Plus, MO being set in another world, stuff that is "unrealistic" to our world may not necessarily be so in theirs.

Originally Posted by Preston

Some would say that person deserved to die. But who has the right to take another's life? This could easily turn into an argument over human rights, please let us not push it that way.

Yes, and in the eyes of the killer, the person he or she is killing deserves to die.

Ok, I'll stop right there.

Originally Posted by Preston

So! Erstin knows a part of the song as well!? Well, perhaps Erstin is much more a character than the big breasted piece of fanservice that seemed to have fallen for Nina (and Arika), as she seemed to be labelled by many earlier in the series. As I always thought, as did a few others, that she had a much larger part to play that a simple 'bit of fun' and first fatality. I never liked people calling her fanservice anway..

But, more importantly, what does this mean for the series? Perhaps Mashiro is an all round fake, I mean, with the two new characters, Arika and Nina being the main ones, a returning character didnt fit the pattern. No matter how many revisions she had seen since the last series.

If Erstin is this third and all important member of the organ-thing (forget the name) group, then this could lead a lot of people (ie. Nagi/Sergei) off on the wrong path to discover the key to using the harmonium (remembered the name.. I think..).

If you noticed, Erstin only knows (and sang during episode 16) the part that Arika knows, as explained by her that she learned it from Arika during the field trip episode.

The part she knew was NOT the missing part to make up the entire song, the part which is known by Mashiro.

Originally Posted by Preston

Oh, and people, of course the damned OP is going to be full of spoilers, what the hell did you think they were going to make it out of, previous footage? If you didn't like the prospect of spoilers, you should have skipped it or closed your eyes of something. Besides, its not like there way anything that a good bit of logical thinking and viewing in the spoiler thread couldn't figure out anyway.

Well, the funny thing is, before the new OP came out, people were hoping that they dont do the same thing that happened in GSD: Reused animation for the OP.

Now that EVERYTHING (well, almost) in the OP animation was "original" (in a sense, not previously used animation), they say its too spoilerish.

Its hard to please human beings.

Originally Posted by Matrim

It would be worth it, the storyline is nothing special anyway and it can be developed even without Arika

While I agree it can still develop without Arika, what example of a storyline would you consider "special"?

And I didnt know a good anime requires a special storyline.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by PastPrime

I doubt very seriously if Natsuki thinks that Arika and Mishiro made a contract with the Coral Gems. She recognized the pendant, and, as head of Gunderobe, should know what it contains. And, it is likely that the sensors in Gunderobe recorded everything that happened under the castle.

Watch the beginnng of Ep8 again. Natsuki and Shizuru knew Arika and Mashiro made a contract.