Mai-Otome Episode 20

Japanese Title: ニーナと呼ばないで (NI–NA to Yobanaide)
English Translation: Don’t Call Me Niina


So Arika came to her senses after getting “counseled” by Mashiro/threatened to be melted alive, Argos called it quits in his alliance with Aswad, Tomoe and her posse went Erstin on their school, and Nina still couldn’t get rid of her daddy-con. To be honest, I don’t have as much to comment on this week compared to the others, probably because most of what I wanted to remark on has already been said in the previous entry. Nothing new then... Imho, I find the pace rather slow in terms of plot development except for the last part. To think by this stage, HiMEs would have started killing each other, Takumi as well as Akira got screwed real good, and Mai went so insane she fried nearly the whole Fuuka forest. AND it gets nastier from there. I know I shouldn’t compare Otome to HiME but I still can’t help feeling the former is slowly losing the momentum it has been building on since Episode 17. Well, I guess the good thing is that more of our questions surrounding various events were answered. A little revelation is necessary; otherwise this would have gotten no where at all. In addition, I really like the positive expansion on Mashiro’s character. She has grown so much in these past few episodes and it was definitely a pleasant treat to see her being this levelheaded in any situation. Usually, it’s Arika who’s calm in a serious pinch but in her confused state of mind, Mashiro made the wise decision of taking charge of the mess they were in, so mad props to her. Now, moving on...



~Highlights of the Episode~

Nothing like a good ad to give you tummy cramps

This is the reason why Haruka is one of my favorite characters of the Mai franchize... Time and time again, she effortlessly proves herself to be so damn hilarious! Undoubtedly entertaining... I mean, just watching her LHAO at Natsuki’s predicament is enough to make me demand 100 rounds of “This Week’s Armitage” XD. Top class voice acting from Yuzuki Ryoka. Yukino’s “You’ll die if you laugh that hard” comment was equally amusing as well. Guess she realized the danger of having the Otome-Aruji relationship. If Haruka goes, she goes too and laughing to death is certainly not the most dignified way of dying for the both of them :p. Leaving that aside, I must commend Natsuki’s maturity in dealing with her humiliation. If she were her HiME self, she would have exploded in one of her usual tantrums, but she swallowed it and composed herself very appropriately. Nothing less from the revered Gakuenchou of Garderobe. She did look adorable when she was shaking in embarrassment and annoyance though. ^^


Estranged, hopefully not for good

This is where the title comes in, although it’s kind of less significant than originally meant. Nina’s attitude here is a tad bit strange... “Please don’t call me Nina anymore”? If Sergay doesn’t call her “Nina” then how else is he supposed to address her? By her Meister title perhaps? Or maybe she wants him to stop using that affectionate tone when he calls her name... Nevertheless, it’s pretty clear she’s pining for her father to treat her more like an adult and her response is obviously triggered by Sergay’s “kawaii musume” comment. Despite the grounded front she had against Sergay, it’s evident her internal conflicts are tearing her from inside out. She still seems to harbor genuine romantic feelings for him, consequently wanting him to stop regarding her as a child and to start looking at her as an independent woman. Sergay’s opinion on all of this is unclear. He looks as if he’s gradually distancing himself from Nina, and trying to reach her heart at the same time. Hope he succeeds in doing the latter. He and Arika are the only two who are capable of guiding Nina back on track.


No, Kal-El wasn’t in that capsule

And what do we have here? It looks like one of the capsules that was in Rena and the maids’ possession during the invasion of Windbloom. And so, the mystery is partially solved (Actually it was rather obvious earlier on, but now we have solid evidence). Nina is confirmed to be one of the two babies sent drifting down the river. Now the biggest question is Nina’s true identity. Who is she really? Some have speculated she’s Rena’s daughter due to her flashback scene when she was drowning in the pool in Episode 6. A few others think she’s the missing princess since it was hinted she’s familiar with the castle’s surroundings (Pst... Nostalgia :p), although being the king’s Otome’s daughter does not make a difference anyway because they had to live in the castle. However, the princess is claimed to hold the Souten no Seigyoku, current candidate – Arika Yumemiya. How much can we trust that old woman’s words? Is it possible for the GEM to have switched owners over the past years? Why did the Shikkoku no Kongouseki, a legendary GEM unexpectedly react to Nina’s feelings? Was it because she’s in the same boat as Arika, having an Otome as a mother and inheriting the nano-machines during pregnancy?


An eye for an eye, and this is how we do it the Yuri Way

You know, I don’t really mind Tomoe getting it down with Shizuru..... *Slaps herself* Oh HECK, yeah I do!! For the love of all things fluffy!! WTH?! Damn you Sunrise :p!! I’m sure the whole legion of Shiz&Nat fans all over the world would be after the writers’ heads. Seriously, what friggin’ stunt are they trying to pull here?! Have they been competing in smoke-a-thon when they came up with this?! Pft... Okay, that was my initial reaction upon witnessing the whole thing (in horror). Now after thinking about it thoroughly (and calmly), I’ve begun to have my own interpretation about what is really transpiring behind the scenes. Oddly, I’m even beginning to feel more relieved that Shizuru didn’t downright reject Tomoe despite how bizarre the circumstances are (Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a die-hard Shiz&Nat fan and I will always be). I may be mistaken (which I am most of the time), but I think Shizuru has a plan in mind. She’s undeniably a very intelligent woman, to the point of being extremely dangerous when the need calls for it. She may be well aware of Tomoe’s attraction to her early on, which is probably why she didn’t respond in a shocked manner when Tomoe made the move on her. Apart from that, Shizuru also knows what Tomoe has gotten herself into by agreeing to an allegiance with Artai. Perhaps she takes it as a precaution not to provoke the younger girl in any way, which may be the reason why she didn’t refuse her. Instead, Shizuru resorted to act indifferently towards Tomoe’s advances although she’s plainly not happy about this one bit. She also possibly sees the situation as an advantage, most likely indicated by her looking away when Tomoe kissed her (albeit it didn’t look as though it was a proper liplock ;p). By playing along, she’s able to subtly manipulate Tomoe into spilling important info, persuade her to accomplish certain tasks, or simply divert her attention. Speaking of which, I find Tomoe’s character to be rather inconsistent, if not poorly developed. She underwent quite a dynamic change in terms of personality over a short period, even though she didn’t get much screen time. Not too long ago, she was acting like a typically flustered teenage girl who would hesitate on her choice of words and shyly watch her crush from afar, and the next thing you know... She’s boldly making out with Shizuru without a hint of reluctance. Wha ^^;;;? Additionally, the brief shot of Natsuki gazing upwards before that scenario was worth noting. It seems the writers are trying to imply something about her relationship with Shizuru. *Sigh* I feel so sorry for our dear Gakuenchou..... I want COMPENSATION for this, dammit!! Sunrise had better come up with some Shiz&Nat love love service later on. And make it steamy!!
PS. Mind you that I still like Tomoe despite this retarded setup. She’s hawt when she’s evil. ^^


Harmonium Trio completed

Well, another mystery solved. Nina is the third chosen one to use the Harmonium (Like duh~ We didn’t see that one coming :p). Three roles filled and possibly confirmed. Arika has been tagged as the “Protector” by Sergay and Schwarz, whereas Mashiro the “Song” by Nagi, so that leaves Nina as the “Player”. Sounds about right but I’m not too quick to fully accept it yet because the three of them have been predictably identified as so due to the various characteristics they possess and the circumstances which are linked to them. Furthermore, there is a possibility of them sharing common roles, which means one or two of the other roles may be attributes belonging to objects instead of a person, for instance the “protector’s charm” being the two legendary GEMs. For now, I’m mostly sticking with Schwarz’s ideas but I still have my own little doubts. Of course the more noteworthy question in our minds now is who is Mikoto? She looks like the Harmonium’s guardian and from Episode 21’s preview, we can see that she’s able to fully materialize into a physical being. What would she do from here on after the confrontation with Nina? Is she the key to Mai’s return? .....Hey, where the heck is Mai anyway?


Next episode still seems to be at a moderate pace with perhaps a little action courtesy of Mikoto and Nina. Arika may be facing an adversary as well, although it’s ambiguous as to what is really happening. Midori and Mashiro have finally agreed to a truce and this could be the suggestion of a huge battle against Nagi and Schwarz very soon. Maybe in one or two eps time...


~Entry by Dav~