This site is designed for accessibility. Content is obtainable and functional to any browser or Internet device. This site's full visual experience is available in a modern browser that supports web standards. Please consider upgrading your browser.
ファイト／ステイナイト 
Finally, after 25 episodes, I get the feeling that I understand what Mai HiME is all about: "Omoi" - Feelings/Emotions. This is the underlying theme which has been presented and repeated in dozens of variations. And if my hunch is right, this will be the key to the resolution in the final episode. More about that in the extended entry.
On the outside, this episode has given us most of what we expected after the last one - however, in a much more gentle, almost sweet way compared to the brutal high-impact melodrama of old. I'm particularly impressed by what's one of the sweetest and satisfying death scenes which I've ever seen. It never ceases to amaze me how this show manages to show so much believable character development, and I particularly loved the resolution to the Natsuki/Shizuru storyline. I wished that more anime would invest as much emphasis on character growth, and maybe - with Mai HiME's great success in Japan - this is going to happen. One can hope.
After alot of thought, I eventually decided to give "only" a (+) rating, because compared to the strongest drama arcs, this episode didn't feel quite as gripping and enthralling. But this was not due to poor execution, but because the storyline called for a more somber tone. One more to go! I can't wait!
Episode Rating: +
RAW complexity: Fansubs are out
This time, the yesy sub was out 18 hours after the episode aired, so I assume that everyone has watched the episode yet. Therefore, I will completely skip the play-by-plays this time and only comment on what happened.
As I wrote before, I've come to believe that the real Mai HiME theme is "omoi" - which roughly translates to feelings and emotions. This is what the festival was all about: Feasting on the desperation of the HiMEs, who try to protect their loved ones. As Natsuki will explain later in the episode, it's the "omoi" the HiME holds towards her most important person which empowers her child. Mashiro was asking Midori two times if she believes that "omoi" can alter the HiMEs' fate, and only after her wholehearted confirmation, she decided to take the gamble and oppose the Obsidian Lord. And lastly, Mai rejected Reito's plans of worldwide urban renewal because of the "omoi" everyone was carrying inside their hearts - a line which felt a bit contrived, so I believe it to have a bigger significance. Consequently, I suspect that "omoi" will also be the key to this anime's resolution. If it is, the story has come full circle, and I'd be VERY impressed.
Think back at the huge cast and how meticulously their relationships between each other were worked out. The most important form of "omoi" - love - has been fleshed out particularly indepth due to the rule of the MVP, in all of love's different forms. First, we had the most generic form of love: The honest and requited romance (Akane and Kazu-kun). Since it's the least "interesting" form, it got offed first to introduce the spectator to the downsides of being a HiME. And after that so many different kinds of love were described. The cats-and-dogs style of attraction (Mai), the child-mother love (Mikoto), the admiration from afar (Midori), the scared love unable to come forward (Yukino), the possessive-clingy love (Shiho), the suppressed desire (Shizuru) etc etc... you can go through the cast, and basically all of them have different "omoi" going. I think that this is no coincidence, but carefully constructed. Which probably also explains why Mai HiME was such a great experience for me, because I'm a huge fan of detailed character development.
That said as a foreword, let's quickly skip through the episode. Chie's and Aoi's farewell from Mai was done very nicely. It was obvious that the crying Aoi had a bad case of foreboding, and boy, was she right. It makes me wonder if they will ever meet again...
Natsuki's and Sakomizu-sensei's meeting at the severed cliff was also pretty enlightening. This episode was totally stolen by Natsuki and her growth over the deadly struggle during the festival. I find it very believable that she decided to trust her mother after all, concluding that people can get confused and make mistakes for those they treasure. It was interesting to see Sakomizu indirectly defending Shizuru with exactly this insight. Natsuki doesn't want to know "this" kind of love (leading to confusion and mistakes) - but accepts Sakomizu's comment with a smile that this is what keeps people going.
The Natsuki-Mai female bonding part was cute. I've recently been working on the initial Mai HiME episodes, and looking back at the hostile ice queen quarreling with the headstrong Mai, it's amazing how much they have grown, particularly Natsuki. The melancholy of these parts, having the both of them reminisce on happier times, was fairly effective. Especially, seeing the lonely and forlorn Mikoto watching the school from afar with a sad look on her face.
The really heartbreaking scene of this episode was Mikoto eating a bowl of luxury ramen prepared by the still-apathic Fumi. The "umai" (delicious) reminding her of Mai and the much less sophisticated but much "better" cheap instant ramen prepared by her was a nice touch. I never felt more sympathy for Mikoto than in this scene, when she was crying over Mai, the person she loved and lost. She is a child who got abandoned by her mother and decided to attach herself to the wrong kind of person, ani-ue or not. A child who wants to go back, but simply cannot. And I never hated Reito more than when he comforted Mikoto with "You don't have to think about it, because I'll take care of everything".
The way things are shaping up, Mai's wish to understand the meaning behind Mikoto's tears after the fights will only be fulfilled when it's too late. I wonder how they will resolve it. I think it SHOULD be a scene in which Mikoto is forced to choose between Reito and Mai, and ultimately decide for Mai. Which is probably going to cost her life. I'll make sure that my kleenex stockpile is sufficient before I start ep26.
Natsuki soaking demands a mention. Dang this hardly-transparent water ;) ... besides, even though she is probably the tastiest treat to look at, she's most definitely the most prude character in the anime. It's almost hilarious how panicky she reacts to Mai's entering the bathroom, which also relativates her reaction to Shizuru a little bit.
On the next day, Natsuki is well aware what she is about to do. She is going to stop Shizuru on her path of rampant destruction, and this will cost her life - not because she expects to lose, but since she intends to win. Telling Mai that she is entrusting everything to her was quite a powerful scene, in conjunction with the final farewell they gave to each other.
Miyu's meeting with Mai was interesting, albeit a bit confusing. Why is she looking for Valhalla's gate? She clearly has a mission to accomplish, but what would that be? Is it some form of "plan b" after Alyssa's demise, in the hope to save her? But if so, why would she first entomb herself in ice together with Alyssa's corpse? After all, Alyssa was assassinated by Father Glear, she didn't greenspark. Or was she rather partially reprogrammed by Mashiro? Clearly what she's doing at the end of the episode will have a huge impact on the end. My suspicion is that she is (probably unknowingly) executing Mashiro's _real_ plan, whatever it may be.
The beginning of the Shizuru/Natsuki showdown had me laughing. Cool and composed as always, Shizuru is drinking tea in the student council room when Natsuki crashes through the door and tables to confront her, throwing the gauntlet. It was obvious that Shizuru expected this outcome with Natsuki intending to fight her - but it came as a little bit of a surprise to me to see a different Shizuru fighting this time. Not dazed-oblivious-menacing anymore, but rather highly emotional and very brittle.
Let's not talk about the unintentionally funny scenes in which Natsuki is playing Supergirl flying through the air and everything. I really cringed when I saw this animation. Puhleeeeeez. Well, at least it gave me some more reason to suppress the (++) in the episode rating.
In fact, the Miyu-Mikoto showdown was even worse. Gatling gunfire against a swordfighter? Miyu must be the worst shot ever. Also, her "Scarlet" outfit makes her look more like a ridiculous harlequin than a scary fighter. Dear Sunrise, this part really sucked ;)
Back to the Shizuru/Natsuki fight. Shizuru's point of view is clear: She is convinced that Natsuki hates her now, but Shizuru is determined to "make Natsuki hers" anyway. She loves her and doesn't want to hurt her, and as she's remarking a bit later, she doesn't want to let go of her.
Natsuki's response is very important here. When she suddenly shows up with Mega-Duran who now is a giant where he was a dwarf before, she explains that the power of a child is provided by the "omoi" the HiME has towards her most precious person, and the stronger the feelings are, the bigger and more powerful is the child.
Shizuru is totally misinterpreting this part. She correctly concludes that she is indeed Natsuki's MVP, but incorrectly assumes that Natsuki's omoi towards her is hate. I never expected to see a crying Shizuru, but this is exactly what we see when she charges Natsuki in desperation, yelling "Do you hate me this much?" in anguish. Seeing her loved one's hate be so powerful to create such a monster obviously shocks her.
Meanwhile, Mai and Nagi are visiting the pillars. Nagi explains that the pillars suck up the lifeforce of the greensparked MVPs, therefore I stand with my earlier theory that the extra pillar is indeed Alyssa's. I believe that when Nagi later comments about the extra pillar, Mai's "Mikoto??" was just an incorrect assumption - she didn't read a tag ;) ...
Garten will scold me for that, but Mai picked up alot of brownie points with me when she mourned Shiho and addressed her with -chan. It's her forgiving and caring nature which all the cruel setbacks in the recent past hasn't wiped out. Way to go, Mai! I'm glad that her gloomy post-Takumi phase is over.
It was funny to see that the storywriter gave a nod to the original Kiyohime legend when he decided to bury Natsuki under the bell. He also proved once more that no HiME is remotely as fun to tie up as Natsuki. Nicely animated scene in which Shizuru first freed and then whirled Natsuki into her arms, if I may say so.
However, I was really going "zOMG" to see Natsuki taking Shizuru's shoulders and kissing her on the lips. What a surprise! Her following explanation was quite convincing to me. Natsuki doesn't harbor the same romantic/sexual interest that Shizuru does, but she is very happy that Shizuru fell in love with her. After all, she was the one who took the first step towards her. And she also loves her back in return.
I disagree with the yesy way to translate Natsuki's "suki" as "like" here. In context, this "suki" meant so much more than the "like" of a mere friend. Natsuki can't respond to the sexual/romantic aspect, but she does dearly love Shizuru otherwise. Those who have doubts should try to measure the new Duran. And that Shizuru was indeed Natsuki's MVP becomes clear when she executes the double-suicide via Duran point-blank shot.
Also, look at Shizuru. Her "ureshii" (I'm so happy) in the end wasn't the reaction of someone feeling rejected. It's also not just relief that Natsuki didn't hate her after all. It was the fact that her "wicked love" which couldn't be returned WAS returned after all. Their relationship has reached a point which is way way past the "suki" in episode 19's veiled confession or episode 21's "I like you too" after Shizuru tended to Natsuki's wounds. Also, look at the final shot, in which Natsuki protectively held the snuggling Shizuru, in a total reversal of the former roles. The two of them found their peace in what felt like the sweetest death scene I've seen in a loooong time.
The Gate now open, Mai descends to meet the Obsidian Lord. Nagi's reaction was very interesting - he admitted that he liked Mai. And based on what he said, he obviously witnessed many more festivals. So it seems that he isn't the old Obsidian Lord, but simply his trusted servant. Strange. I had expected him to have a hidden agenda of his own. With THIS setup however, he becomes almost tolerable - awakening and "training" the HiMEs to serve his lord.
Reito is totally off the rocker. His genocidal ramblings are so delusional. Two details deserve mention, IMHO: First, obviously Mashiro, the victor of the last festival, was a Kagutsuchi user aswell. And it seems that she was purposely "difficult" to handle for the OL, too. I really had to giggle when Reito complained about these damn Kagutsuchi users...
What's the deal with Reito in the first place? It was interesting and certainly significant for the end when he suddenly was in pain when the charm started glowing two times earlier in the episode - but what does it mean? Opinions welcome.
Then, Mai's rejection to his plans. Again, the twist about the "omoi" of all the people involved. I don't quite see where all this leads us and how this will resolve the crisis in the end, but I suspect that this one holds the key. We'll find out soon.
Finally, the Miyu-Nagi showdown. It seemed to be Alyssa's voice, but why would Alyssa be there? What is this anti-materializer she is invoking in the end? I'm still mulling over this part, but it seems that the MVP pillars will be affected by what she's doing. What is going to happen? I want to know!
I said I wouldn't speculate anymore, but it's impossible to keep. For now, I favor the theory that what Miyu is currently doing is part of Mashiro's plan. I expect the Crystal HiME to somehow play a role in the resolution aswell. I hope that SOMEHOW, there will be a bittersweet partial reset. And I hope that however they decide to end the story, it will make sense and tie the remaining loose threads together.
Please surprise me one more time, Sunrise! You have my DVD dollars anyway no matter what, but ONE MORE good episode to a masterpiece. Don't botch it (though I'm almost certain you won't)
Conclusion
I can't remember a SINGLE anime in my entire LIFE which created so many discussions on how the series is gonna end on the community boards one episode before the end. Tons of mutually exclusive theories are flying around, and nobody can really say what's going to happen. That's the sign of great storywriting.
I think I'll try my hardest to stay away from the spoiler threads on the 2chan and the other spots until I've downloaded the RAW, to make sure I'll be surprised. And I think I'll be weak and fail nevertheless.
Ep26 now, please. NOW.
Garten will scold me for that, but Mai picked up alot of brownie points with me when she mourned Shiho and addressed her with -chan
Uhm, Mentar, I don't think she was mourning for Shiho. I think that was Mai thinking about Shiho's MIP, which is Tate.
I disagree with the yesy way to translate Natsuki's "suki" as "like" here. In context, this "suki" meant so much more than the "like" of a mere friend.
Once again I have to disagree. :) Here's what Natsuki said in that scene:
"Demo, yappari watashi wa, omae no nozomi youna kimochi wa motenai"
Roughly translated to "But as I thought, I can't give you the kind of feeling that you wish for"
To me that makes the 'Suki' that comes afterwards as a simple assurance to Shizuru that while she can't return her feeling, she likes her anyway as a sister/close friend.
It also appears that the feelings of a HiME is enough to set someone as their MIP. Mai manages to summon Kagutsuchi using the memory of Tate.
I'd like to believe that one of the pillar belongs to Mikoto. But if that's the case then where did that Searrs guy went after he turned into green sparks?
I don't think Reito is actually in the pillar itself. He's probably imprisoned inside that pendant that OL wears. Which is why OL feels some kind of a pain when the pendant lights up. It looks like the real Reito tries to get out.
As for traces of Alyssa, I suspect Mashiro plants some parts her DNA/body one way or the other.
I liked how Mikoto's CHILD has those ropes, even though it doesn't have sleeves =D.
I wonder if they will really delve into the Kagutsuchi mythology the way they did with Kiyohime, although I thought it was a bit heavy handed. I had suspected that the Shizuru-Natsuki connection existed, although the Duran-growth made it make a lot more sense. I KNEW it couldn't be Afro-san!
*throws out his theories of Afro-san being related to Natsuki and somehow being her MVP*
joking joking... ;)
Just re-watched MH25 again after reading Mentar's godly review. Helped a lot with stuff I just didn't catch in the first watching (and once again making me realize how bad my japanese is, lol).
I don't have any thoughts or remarks about the show since I've given up trying to think of anything that doesn't remotely get tossed out after watching but... I did have two random thoughts on it:
1) thanks to Momotato's caption of Mikoto's child, I cannot but help laugh everytime I see it!
2) now knowing that previous HiMEs have had CHILDs similar, if not exactlly the same, as the ones we know... it'll make for a great spin-off or fanfiction. Wouldn't mind seeing the previous "generation" (add 300 yrs) and how the beginnings of the series we currently know got started. Who here wouldn't want to see more shrine miko Mashiro right?!?! :)
I think Mentar meant to imply that Natsuki loved Shizuru platonically
In that case, I don't see the problem with the word 'suki' translated into 'liking'. Both 'like' and 'love' are always difficult to use because there is always a possibility that someone will misinterpret the sort of 'like' and 'love' implied in the scene. If they had put 'love' instead of 'like', there will be some people who think that the 'love' in question is a romantic kind. I guess the best way to translate it would be 'I love you as a friend'. But the dialogue in question is not like that. So I think it's not that big of a deal to translate the 'suki' in this case into 'like' to prevent confusion.
Concerning the like/love debate, I'm with Mentar on this one. From Natsuki's point of view, Shizuru is the one person who changed her life for the better. A friendship 'like' doesn't seem strong enough to express that kind of feeling. Additionally, look at the size of Dhuran (that is, if we accept that size does matter, in this case :) ), after Natsuki acknowledged who her MIP is. Compare it to Nao's child (love for her mother) or Yukariko's child (romantic love for sleazy scumbags). But I guess either way it's up to personal opinions, since the japanese script can conveniently sidestep a definite answer, due to the ambiguity of 'suki' and I don't see the director stepping up and giving us his opinion on the intended message.
BTW now that we know that feeling alone are enough to make a child appear, what are the opinions on Natsuki's MIP when Chibi-Dhuran was still around? Was it already Shizuru back then, or her (deceased?) mother? The fact that she couldn't summon Dhuran for some time would indicate the mother, since it's her that Natsuki lost faith in for a while. OTOH that leaves the question, what the pillar is supposed to suck up, if the MIP is already dead to begin with?
...and that would make them what? close friends,"sisters" (like Garten said), more than friends but less than lovers...I also noticed that people have different opinions on the "way Natsuki returned Shizuru feelings", some say she did (not romantic/sexually), others that she didn't (romantic/sexualy cause she's straight, asexual, doesn't to be in any kind of relationship, or she's not ready (mentally) to have those kind of feelings for anyone) and others that maybe she will in the future. Uh, so what do u guys think?
I think Natsuki's 1st MIP was her mother. Which explains why she couldn't summon Duran when she felt that she was betrayed by her.
The pillars, as I mentioned last week, seem to absorb the green sparks/the life force of the MIP. See how the pillars now have those green shimmers all around it. Which explains why Mai looks as if she's about to hug Shiho's pillar.
As for relationship, I think Natsuki is simply not willing to be in any kind of relationship. She sees how relationship destroys and twists those around her so I supposed she does not want to get involved in that kind of love. I guess she simply enjoy singlehood and not attached romantically to anyone.
I say I love you to my parents a lot of times. Love isn't that limited of a word.
In this context, though, I agree that love works a lot better than like.
The StaticSubs version will definitely use love has they have been doing all along.
What Nagi didn't tell you
-MIPs can change. Ex: Mai, Akira, Natsuki
-You can hold a memory of a person as your ichinban taisetsu mono. Ex: Mai, Natsuki
I wonder what else he isn't telling.
I say I love you to my parents a lot of times. Love isn't that limited of a word.
It is not a limited word by any stretch of imagination. However, when most people hear the word, especially between two people who are unrelated to each other, it's normally associated with the romantic kind. Let's put it this way: if you're a guy, do you say "I love you" to your male friend (or any friend for that matter) unless you're joking around or really in love with him/her? I personally think it's a misleading word to use unless you add "as a friend" into the word. That's why I think it'll be confusing to use especially since before this Natsuki said that she can't return Shizuru's feeling. Having said that, it's good to know that Static-subs will provide an alternative to people who prefers this translation instead.
I thought Natsuki's reaction in the bath wasn't a matter of her being unnaturally prudish (for Japan, at least, where same-sex communal bathing still isn't all that uncommon), but her being unusually sensitive about that whole nudity thing *because* of Shizuru.
I've got to say, every word in this review delt with Natsuki/Shizuru made me laugh so hard. I've never been this exiting until now and TOTALLY agree with almost everything in this summery, swear to god. (and yes, Sunrise, Miyu part really made me hit my head against the wall. What is with the thigh-missiles anyway....) Well, after the double KO of Natsuki and Shizuru, I can't wait for the next episode, my guts forshadowed an RESET of the world for Natsu- oops, my fault.- I mean Mai HiME's ending. Something fishy will happen and make me lower my eyebrows but smile at the same time.
Ok, back to relationship, I agree with Garten on this one. Yes, our dear Kuga-san enjoys singlehood very very much, ok?? OK??? (aww... But I also desire Natsuki/Shizuru hood...) After replayed the kissing scene for several times, my eyes discovered that Natsuki set a light smile before the attachment. So I say that their relationship will definitly last forever. But to what extend? Judging from ep 22, wait Shizuru actually rape her, probably. (sorry, just kidding, if you dont like my comment.) .................. but somehow I can imaging that Natsuki will take on Shizuru's desire.(:)) Hahaha, good to hear that, TY3.
And with all the love/suki thing... There is just so many explainations for it. I read a thread somewhere where they compared the Occidental love and the Oriental love. Western believe love indicate only one thing- either family or sexually. On the eastern side, friends can say to eachother "I love you" but still means "friendship".
>> It is not a limited word by any stretch of imagination. However, when most people hear the word, especially between two people who are unrelated to each other, it's normally associated with the romantic kind. Let's put it this way: if you're a guy, do you say "I love you" to your male friend
If you're a guy, It's quite common in sport teams
If you're a girl, this happens more often than you imagine.
If you're a guy, It's quite common in sport teams
If you're a girl, this happens more often than you imagine.
Yes, in a throwaway kind of manner. As in "OMG, we win!! I love you" or "You know, I love you, don't you?". But never in a serious situation like the one that Natsuki and Shizuru found themselves in. A situation where Natsuki clearly wants to ensure that her words are not misinterpreted but is still comforting.
Well, Yesy did a literal translation. Natsuki DID literally say "suki". She didn't choose to say aishiteru...although that would definitely carry a romantic meaning with it. What I found confusing wasn't Natsuki saying "like", but rather...her saying she's happy that Shizuru "liked" her. Shizuru doesn't just like her...she LOVES(with every letter of the word capitalized)her. What was even more comical was that she just finished saying she can't return the feelings Shizuru wishes for. But that she is happy Shizuru likes her. THEN she goes on saying, "I like you Shizuru". Uhm...that didn't make sense. Okok, I know her "like" was meant differently than the one she used to describe how Shizuru feels about her. But THAT'S the part where "love" would've been more appropriate. Maybe Natsuki was a bit dazed from her recent battle;p.
And yes, Natsuki doesn't want to get involved romantically/sexually in any way. Shizuru does have the best chance to become the first candidate when she's ready though. Unless, of course, she's straight. Than nothing really could be done about that.
Natsuki already made herself clear what kind of love she has previously whens he told Shizuru that she can't return the kind of feelings Shizuru has for her.
Think of it this way... look at the size of Duran. I'd say, considering this intensity, love would have a more fitting connotation.
You've probably heard countless "I'm doing this because I love you" lines in parent / child soap operas haven't you? Natsuki and Shizuru's relationship is similar to that. They're not strangers. They're not lovers, but they're closer than friends.
great site,love your blog
question though, what is the original kiyohime legend?
I still think using the word 'love' will confuse Shizuru (and the viewers) due to what Natsuki said beforehand. But we have to agree to disagree here.
Smithy, Kiyohime legend can be read here:
http://www.sinister-designs.com/graphicarts/ghosts.html
Quoth Ben Stein...
"...wow..."
*speechless*
Loved your summary. Brilliant stuff.
I agree entirely about the shocking amount of discussion regarding the ending when there's only 1 episode left.
Keep up the good work!
the kiyohime legend has lots of different versions by the way. but they all end in a similar manner, i.e. bell + serpent+unrequitted love, just like shizuru's weapon around the bell with natsuki inside.
Quote Garten:
>>I think Natsuki's 1st MIP was her mother. Which explains why she couldn't summon Duran when she felt that she was betrayed by her.
I agree with you, since I also saw her inability to summon Dhuran as a pointer to her mother. However, if that's how the writers intended it to be, then the HiMe festival seems to have a serious design flaw. As far as we know, Natsukis mother is dead. As a result, if little Dhuran went poof, there shouldn't be any life force for the pillar -> not enough energy, for whatever they want to do with it. Imagine this scene:
OL: There goes another one. Bwahahaha..ha....eh? Nagi, the pillar isn't rising.
Nagi: Huh? Let me check.......
OL: ...
Nagi: Oops. It's the 'dead MIP exploit' again. Seems we'll have to start over. See ya in 300 years. (poof)
OL: NOOOOOOooooooo....
:)
Unless of course, the gathered life energy is more than enough, even if one or two pillars don't actually get charged with life energy or the life energy isn't needed for anything specific in the first place (which would make the MIP poofing rather pointless).
I though Miyu was awesome before, but this episode puts her close to demi-goddess. I think a reset isn't going to happen, but seeing Miyu's "Anti-Materialization"/"Secret" mode makes me think that perhaps the MIPs could be restored.
About Alyssa's voice, my suspicion is that when a Hime is defeated, not only does she lose her MIP, she also loses part of herself. Even strong characters like Midori become near comatose after defeat, and so something must be happening to the Himes too other than just depression and sadness. Alyssa's voice may be the part of Alyssa that was lost when she got defeated. If Miyu is releasing the energy in the pillars, then I hope that all the defeated Himes (like sleeping Midori, and crazy Akane) will return to normal.
Natsuki and Shizuru developments also made me happy. Natsuki's love for Shiruzu is actually even purer than what Shizuru feels because there is no lust involved at all. The size of super Duran alone says it all :) .
The Dark Prince said some things about how this time everything was different, and also made a remark about how the old rules had been changed. At this point, I'm starting to think that maybe, ... just maybe, the Prince isn't really evil at all but is just a temptation or reaper.His job is to periodically conduct a test to see whether humans are fit to continue their current path. If a Hime has enough love for something (i.e. the world is worth saving), she would have enough love (i.e. strength) to win a battle against the Prince. If a final Hime ever believed the world wasn't worth it, then the current civilization will be erased.
What I'll need to make this series great, is to have some more Miyu, and some more action for the Crystal Princess (I'd like to actually see her in action this time). I hope the MIPs can also be restored so that Natsuki and Shizuru can be together. However, seeing as how Mai has stopped wanting things for Takumi and wanting things for herself now, I wonder if it's a hint to the viewers that there'll be no "Undo". Or maybe, they want to surprise us again :D
Good read on the whole Natsuki-Shizuru bit:
http://www.nomakegirl.com/tabibito/index.php?p=65
There may be some clues we're overlooking, at least in regards to Miyu. We again see her internal routines and her full name: Multiple Intelligential Yggdrasil Unit, and she asks Mai about the "Gates of Valhalla", both coming from Nordic mythology. Yggdrasil is the world tree, the gate between heaven and hell. Valhalla was Odin's great hall of slain warriors. So Miyu was most definitely seeking the pillars out explicitely, not the Obsidian Lord. Way back when Miyu knocked out Natsuki under the church she refused to do anything further, saying it was useless to attack a Valkrie unless the child was out. There's the clue, at least what I think is a clue.
According to Nordic mythology, "The Valkyries, a band of warrior-maidens that included Svava and Brunhild, served Odin as choosers of slain warriors, who were taken to reside in Valhalla." That implies that not only are the MVPs of each HiME in the cave with the pillars, but that the souls of the dead HiMES are there as well. Miyu's systems detect Alyssa twice, once at the "Gates to Valhalla" when she encounters Mikoto, and a second time inside the cavern, where we get to hear Alyssa's voice as well. Given the series huge ties into various mythologies, even going so far as to drop the bell on Natsuki (from Kiyohime's myths), this makes a lot of sense. Alyssa IS really there.
An interesting question then, if Alyssa's there, could the souls of all the past HiMEs, or Valkyries, also be there? And what's up with Miyu's locked attack? Platinum, Vortex, Anti-Matierializer. It's interesting that HiME means Highly advanced Matierializing Equipment. It seems unlikely this is a weapon to destroy HiMEs though, as Miyu appears to be using this in some way to help Alyssa, who's already dead.
Nagi told Mai that the sealing pillars sucked up the life force of the HiME's MVPs when their childs were defeated. Those pillars don't stay up after everything's said and done, so apparently there is a purpose for the life force, it's not just meant to cause the HiMEs grief. The whole thing we see with the Crystal Princess appears to be, well, some kind of equipment, with the Crystal Princess as its core. Reito seems to confirm this, telling Mai that the winning HiME is sealed away, becoming the Crystal Princess, and the core of the shrine of Fuuka which controls the HiME star. Onc thing that really strikes me as intersting is the entire rock formation the shrine is on appears to have the same green sparkles throughout it that the sealing pillars do. I'm betting that's the life force from the MVPs _AND_ HiMEs of the last HiME Festival 300 years ago. The winning HiME becomes the controller of this vast device, and the power is used to keep the HiME star at bay. That only causes the cycle to continue however.
Given everything Reito stated that's the normal course of events, but this time he wants Mai to marry him and they will repopulate the world. That assumes something will destroy everyone, sounds like a good job for the HiME star. The SEARRS foundation talked of bringing about a Golden Age, this was apparently why they created Alyssa (the fake HiME) and Miyu. Scarily enough here it sounds like the Obsidian Lord and the SEARRS foundations' motives were partially the same -- to stop the normal progression of events in the HIME festival. Both seem to revolve around the HiME star.
Other interesting things to note: the star that the Crystal Princess (aka Mashiro) is sealed in appears to be filled with the same liquid that Miyu was stored in and of course Mashiro also had Kagatsuchi as her child. That didn't surprise me, I think I predicted that at one point, although I have no clue why. And finally, it appears to me that the Obsidian Lord's "soul" is in the necklace that Reito wears, perhaps half in it and half in Mikoto's. I think Reito is stlll alive and well, but has lost control to the OL completely. He may be saveable. (Assuming he's not a rat bastard himself as well.)
I think in the end either Mai defeates Mikoto or Mikoto refuses to kill Mai and the OL kills Mikoto. Mai will refuse to join him and she, with or without Mashiro's help, will kill the OL, but possibly not Reito. Mai will end up destroying the HiME star with Kagatsuchi, we already know he can go into outer space. Whether Mai will live or not is up in the air I think, perhaps Mashiro will be able to save her. Reito may end up key to the ending somehow, not the OL, but Reito. I also will not be surprised if Miyu's actions restore all the dead MVPs and HiMEs so far. (Of course that wouldn't affect anyone who dies afterward, the Vortex thing looks to be destroying Miyu.)
Your analysis of Shizuru driven to extremes due to rejection is off-base. Many fans or of the theory that she "snapped" or became driven to extermity by a certain event. But this is false:
1. Before the "rejection" scene in 23, we recall that she moved in to save Natsuki from Nao in 21. After having completely beaten Nao, with her Child thrown into the sea and its master on the ground struggling weakly, Shizuru is shown with glowing demon eyes right before cutting the cliff face out from under Nao, also symbiolically slicing her cell phone in two. No matter how you look at it, Shizuru must have meant to kill her. There's no way you would expect someone to survive that.
2. After defeating Yukino, she smiles at Haruka as she disapears. Why would she take joy in essentially killing a long-tiem classmate and comrade if she was just desperate for Natsuki's feelings?
3. She is shown personally stalking and supposedly murdering several old people while smiling. Why would she take joy in murdering complete strangers that haven't done a thing to her? If she was just doing it on a misguided attempt to get rid of things natsuki doesn't like, does that mean she must also like commiting mass-murder? Sorry, but it doesn't.
The best theory is that Shizuru was never all there in that she had become warped after a long period of time. In other words, the dependable, easy-going, insightful Shizuru is the same Shizuru who molests friends in their sleep and comitts mass-murder. She was just hidden before, and aftwards simply did what she wanted. The show should have played that up for maximum effect and had a real resolution. There should have been a scene in which the striken Natsuki demands what happened to the "real" Shizuru, who replies that everything -- consoling her, taking care of her, counseling her, being a dependable friend, etc, was all just an act in order to get into her defenses and to fullfil her desires.
We gotta agree to disagree, Garten, on both counts ;)
About the Shizuru/Natsuki bit: It's very much a discussion if a glass is half full or half empty. That Natsuki isn't loving Shizuru "that" way is uncontested, but what about the rest?
All pieces of evidence I can see are pointing towards something which simple "friendship" is totally insufficient and actually misleading to describe.
Think back to episode 21. There, Natsuki used "suki" aswell, but Shizuru got sad because she realized the huge gap between them. In episode 25, Shizuru flushed with emotion.
Then, the kiss. That wasn't just a battle tactic to throw her off - it was obvious that Shizuru didn't intend to harm her when she looked at Natsuki with concern. The first kiss led to Natsuki recoiling back in horror and disgust. This time, she _returned_ the kiss, and not on the cheek or forehead, but on the lips, after a slight smile and a very conscious decision. You don't do that to a person you _reject_. She qualified the kiss by the caveat of not requiting THESE kind of feelings - but what remains in love (and this is alot) WAS included.
It seems that many people seem to have difficulties imagining "love" without the sexual/romantic aspect without degrading it back to "friendship" level. What Natsuki and Shizuru had before was friendship. What they had in the end was MUCH more than that. Close your eyes and Mega Duran will eat ya ;)
Finally: The best person to "judge" Natsuki's confession is Shizuru. She didn't feel rejected or relegated to "friends" like before. She was "ureshii".
I also disagree on Shiho. You don't lean your forehead against the pillar and call your mortal enemy Shiho-CHAN while thinking about someone else. I see no indication that Mai ever directed personal hostility towards Shiho. Even in the fight, she never became offensive towards her and instantly stopped Kagutsuchi when he started firing. I think that she still regards Shiho with kindness.
I don't think Natsuki rejects Shizuru per say. But she definitely does not love her in a romantic sense of the word. I, however, do not contest that Shizuru is more than 'just friend'. It's just that it's hard to describe a position that is neither friend nor lover.
And 'Chan' is not always a term of endearment. Parents normally add this suffix to the name of their young children. In this case, Mai simply considers Shiho as a little kid and that's why she added that suffix to her name. There's nothing more to it. Besides, I doubt Shiho will appreciate it since throughout the series, she has always wanted to be seen as an adult.
On top of this, Mai clearly mentions the name of every other defeated HiMEs before saying 'Shiho-chan'. So why does she look as if she's about to hug/sob on the pillar. Why the special treatment for this pillar? Because it's Shiho? I highly doubt it. There are other girls that Mai had a closer relationship with (ie.Midori) so it doesn't make sense that she gave special treatment to the pillar because of Shiho - even if she has no animosity towards the kid.
the extra pillar was alyssa-chan. so i guess the victor has already been decided? mai and mikoto?
questions
1. why did natsuki have to kill kiyohime? wouldnt it be easier to help mai win the battle?
3 vs 2; mai, shizuru, natsuki - vs - mikoto, reito
2. why is mai(according to nagi) the "best hime"?
3. so, i guess kagutsuchi is the most powerful child..? >_>
4. umm, child's power is based on one's feelings, so does that mean the other himes didnt have "enough" feelings for their MVP?
5. am i the only one who hates miyu? she killed akane's mvp ^^ and i hate her for that
I think the Kokuyougo is actually a derelict Alien space ship
garten, your question regarding why Mai gave special treatment to Shiho's pillar...
It's probably because that pillar represents Tate's soul. And all the memories just came back to Mai the moment she sees it. How messed up things have become.
This doesn't appear especially hard to follow -- Mai is remembering Tate. Moreover, she's shown herself to be fundimentally incapable of holding a grudge or really hating anyone.
Who thinks this show deserves a sequel series???
*raises hand*
Mai-HiME-The Another (yes...that friggin game)
Mai-HiME 2XXX (...too explicit...)
...I've haven't had this much fun watching an anime in quite a while. MH is one of those shows that can really pull you in and I hope Sunrise does make a sequel series or do more animes with excellent storywriting in it.
Here's my take on Byakuyan's Questions:
questions
QUESTION 1. Why did natsuki have to kill kiyohime? wouldnt it be easier to help mai win the battle?
Fact: If Natsuki and Shizuru fight, then both will disappear.
Fact: Natsuki knows this, but Shizuru didn't know what Natsuki's feelings were.
Fact: Shizuru would never hurt Natsuki (the worst would be to hug her too tightly ;) ).
Fact: Mai at the start of the episode didn't have an MVP (since Tate disappeared).
We know there are 9 pillars. 11 pillars are needed to open the gate. Our goal is to open the gate so that someone can go in and challenge the dark prince.
Case 1: Suppose Natsuki and Mai go after Mikoto. That would only give 10 pillars. So They'd have to go after Shizuru anyway. Which will give 12 pillars. One more defeat than is necessary.
Case 2: Natsuki goes after Shizuru, knowing that whichever one wins, there will just 2 people lost.
Case 3: Defeat Mai. But that is pointless because like Miyu pointed out, defeating a Hime without her child doesn't do anything. Which will lead us to have to consider case 1 or case 2.
Natsuki may not have intended from the beginning to cause a double K.O. But I think that at some point during the fight, Natsuki learned something about both herself and Shizuru, and decided to contribute the two pillars and place her trust in Mai. This situation is actually best since there is one less defeat (case 2) than others (case 1).
QUESTION 2. why is mai(according to nagi) the "best hime"?
That's just Nagi's preference.
Reito even liked Mai before he got possessed by the Prince. From the perspective of the sadistic Prince, Mai has suffered a lot, and if you're into suffering, then Mai is awesome (to provide you enjoyment).
Personally, I think Mai is one of the best Hime in this group because she honestly cared about everyone and tried to do avoid fighting. But I wouldn't think she is the best one.
QUESTION 3. so, i guess kagutsuchi is the most powerful child..? >_>
Not necessarily. From Natsuki's comments about a Hime's feelings (actually Alyssa also said something similar to the Himes about the will to fight), the strength of a Hime is proportional to how true their feelings to the MVP are as well as their determination.
Personality also plays a role because even if you have a strong child, how you use it determines whether or not you'd lose. Mai would have lost a long time ago, because she had been unwilling to fight (and kill). Luckily, Mai has always had friends to help her when she's in such positions.
QUESTION 4. umm, child's power is based on one's feelings, so does that mean the other himes didnt have "enough" feelings for their MVP?
Not necessarily. Sometimes people don't even know what they feel. I think that for a the power to be realized, you must be aware of your feelings also. When Natsuki realized her love (not sexual I think) for Shizuru, she got a Super Duran. Mai also just discovered that she could use the memories of Tate to call her child (very very impressive). But it's all in the same ballpark. A hime must know her feelings, not just feel them :).
QUESTION 5. am i the only one who hates miyu? she killed akane's mvp ^^ and i hate her for that
In Miyu's defence she was just following SHEARS (sp?) orders. A person's true character is revealed when there are no rules. Since Shears lost control of her, she has only killed the priest who killed Alyssa. She even managed to get around Mikoto without killing. Even when she knocked Natsuki out cold, she didn't try to kill her. All these leads me to believe that Miyu is one of the most trusting, loyal and true people in all of Hime-land :) . Even though she has nothing to gain in this matter, she is still fighting for Alyssa (and indirectly may be a huge factor in the defeat of the festival).
Further, Miyu might have actually helped the Himes. Nagi was never going to come straight about what was really at stake during a fight. Miyu doing Akane in helped point out to everyone that MIP were at stake.
Obviously, I am totally biased for Miyu. IMO, she's an interesting character such that a whole show can be done for her. I could go on and on about Miyu for hours, so I'll stop here :p .
ps: I apologize for such a long post. ^_^;;
Actually, Akane was head-over-heals in love with Kaze. She was so deeply involved with him that she went into a psychological collpase when he greensparked. Is this love any less than Natsuki's friendship towards Shizuru? Is it any less than Shizuru's lust-based love, is it less than Nao's feelings for her mother, or Midori's feelings for the absent sensei? No it isn't. But yet her child was fairly small and defeated effortlessly.
The REAL answer is that the anime producers simply made it up when they needed it for the final arc.
Well, there could be many reasons for Akane's psychological collapse. Akane wasn't as well prepared as the others concerning the loss of her MIP. She hasn't been brooding and pondering about this particular info for half of the series like the other Himes have because she didn't know. Shock can be a big factor to her emotional damage. She may also be, simply, weaker emotionally than the other Himes. Maybe she's just not the kind of person able to handle heavy emotional burden and guilt. I think Mai probably wins as the person most able to carry such burdens and still remain some sanity.
Still, the main reason Akane became somewhat insane is, I think, because everything came at her too fast. Confusion, followed by realization, then guilt and loss.
I think that while GUTB's "they needed it so they did it" comment is a little bit cynical, but he has a point ^_^
Nevertheless, let's keep in mind that so far we've seen NO single HiME in a normal state after losing their child/MVP. All had a certain brief grace period and then collapsed completely. Therefore I'm not sure that we can reliably use Akane's collapse as an indicator that it was her extreme infatuation with Kazu-kun leading to her condition.
ok, thank you guys for answering.
i wish the title wasn't mai hime, then it could be this way:
mai = KO; natsuki & shizuru - vs - mikoto & OL
*lol* ^^ sorry guys, i'm a natsuki-shizuru fan; i like shizuru mainly because the voice actress did a very good job ^^
if there would be a season 2, i'm thinking either
a. continuation of tv series or mashiro's time
b. storyline from the manga!! ^^, i havent actually read the entire thing but i think tate has a bigger role in the manga.. dunno what he does though >_<
There's something different about Natsuki.
She went into battle knowing that she was sacrificing herself and Shizuru.
That omoi is far more intense than whatever Akane has.
as for Shizuru, her omoi is a powerful scar.
Repressed forbidden love does that to you. It's like Yukino's but she decided not to put herself in a comfort zone.
I'm so last, and have so many questions.
Was Aylssa really a "fake hime"?
Because the trailer says "13 maidens".
If Aylssa is a Hime why did Miyu kill
herself in the river instead of dying as Aylssa's MIP? Is it because Miyu is a robot so the Hime rule don't work on her? or because Aylssa really was a "fake Hime"? Was Shizuru really Natsuki's MIP? We know that Tate hasn't Mai MIP, but Shiho's, so who is Mai's MIP? (maybe MIkoto?)
Tate is both Mai's and Shiho's MIP. It doesn't matter if more than one HiME shares one MIP. The important thing is that the HiME feels something for the MIP. This is why Mai managed to summon Kagutsuchi out of her memories of Tate despite the lack of his physical presence. Similarly, this is why Natsuki was capable of summoning Duran using the memory of her mother prior to the realisation that Shizuru is also her MIP.
Mashiro's refusal to become the OL's wife and her defeat at the hands of Mikoto placed her at his mercy. Her punishment was to remain on earth in the form of a soul only. Her body was sealed in the crystal that we see and Kagatsuchi was sealed in cave. This kept her from reuniting with her body and from ever using Kagatsuchi again.
I used Mikoto's name because I have no idea what she was called 300 yr's ago. The OL has always been the OL, just that he uses different containers for each festival. Mikoto is his insurance that he uses like a tool to make sure that the end results of each festival turn out with the HiME of his choice being the winner. Mikoto's container most likely changes with each festival as well.
This time it's different! Mai is probably the first HiME that has ever had the ability to forgive and not seek revenge. Her friendship with Mikoto and Mikoto's love for Mai will be the OL's undoing. Mai want's to know the meaning of Mikoto's tears and I believe that she will realize what they mean and forgive Mikoto. Mikoto will then realize what Mai means to her and turn on the OL. The power that the OL gives to Mikoto will be taken away and Mai, knowing that if the OL dies so does Mikoto, will hesitate and the OL will go in for the kill. Kagatsichi will return the sword that he caries to Mikoto (which was hers to begin with) and Mikoto will protect Mai with her life. The OL cannot withstand Mikoto's true abilities and is defeated. With the OL gone Mikoto's life is also forfeit and she green sparkles away as Mai watches helplessly.
This is just the way I see things happening and should not be taken as what actually will happen.
...why do I see "Gundam" Battle...sheesh
*scratches head*
...and then ending with the Sailor Moon bit..."The HiMEs powers transfer to Mai and she blasts the OL straight to hell"
...though cliche, I just see that happening. Yeah, it's strange...
o______________________________O'
hi! u said u didn't like Miyu's change of clothes. well, i loved it plus her weapons array system, GAT-03, etc. if you watch gundam seed destiny (also by sunrise), you'll get the joke like i did.
btw, i really enjoy reading your reviews and analyses all this time. thanks for doing them and keep up the gd work! :)
Ronbo: Earlier on I would have agreed with you, but now we know that this festival's totally different. It takes 11 pillars to open the door and this is the first time there were 13 HIMEs thanks to the SEARRS Foundation. We also know Mashiro was the last HIME last time (she's the Crystal Princess now and we see the flashback of her from the OL) so by that point there was no other HiMEs left, not even a sister of the OL. The fact that Mikoto has finally summoned a child shows she is most definitely a full HiME, and Nagi even acknowledged her as one, thinking the extra column was Mikoto's, not realizing it was Alyssa's instead.
Right now it looks like the "normal" cycle has been for all the HiMEs to fight it out and the last one to refuse to become the OL's wife. Then they get sealed into the crystal and become the Crystal Princess, somehow warding off the HIME Star for another 300 years when the whole cycle repeats.
To those talking about another series, I'd love to see one too, especially one about Mashiro, I always liked her for some reason. (Probably because she's cute. ^_^)
Love this site, been reading it since ep01.
I do have some few comments to state though:
1) I'm sure you all noticed but when Mai calls Kagutsuchi (or Natsuki calls Duran), you can see their "soul/spirit" pop out prior to the summoning of their child. Is there any revelance to this or it's just for show?
My guess is since they are the only 2 that have multiple MVP/MIP, it would be revelant somehow or so.
2) And speaking of Mai, would you consider that her unique ability to summon Kagutsuchi regardless of the loss of her MVPs (Tate, Takumi) is what maybe the reason why Nagi consider her as the best HiME?
I would assume, with Natsuki's quote above "love = Child's strength", that when Kagutsuchi transformed in the SEARRS Arc (into that robot-spaceship thing) would have to be due to Mai's feeling for everyone (as it shown while she's flying towards the sky prior to the transformation).
Either that, or it's a fluke.
I apologize if this was mentioned before but I felt this episode really put some pointer(s) on those 2 "small details", somewhat.
Can't wait for Thursday for the final episode! I hope they also make more omakes too!
In order to understand what I'm trying to convey we need to go back to the very first festival. At that time there would have been only 12 HiME's and their MIP's. There would have been no OL or CP at that time. Nagi (the devil's advocate) would have most likely been the one to set this festival in motion. The winning pair would then become the OL and the CP. 300 yr's later a challenger would appear and try to take over their position. The winning HiME at that time would then become the OL's new partner and the old one would be discarded. If all of the previous winning HiME's refused the OL's offer then he would have to fall back on the previous festivals winner. He would also have to defeat this winner in order to remain the OL. The winning HiME of that festival would then have to accept whatever her fate was as decided by the OL. Since Mikoto is by his side now I have to assume that she has always been by his side and has never been replaced. This is why I believe that she has participated in all of the previous festivals.
The OL remains the OL regardless of which container he uses. I only use Reito's name because Reito is the current container.
Mai's fate was to become the OL's wife, Tate was just there to get her emotions flowing and produce a strong HiME. The stronger the emotions the more power the OL receives once the festival is over. But since Mai refused him he now has to defeat her and fall back on his alternate plan. This is where Mikoto comes into play. But unfortunatly this time Mikoto likes Mai and has sworn to protect her.
Ronbo: The main problem I see with this approach is the pillar count - because by now, there wouldn't have been a "plan b" in the past. It's only in this festival due to Alyssa that even though 11 pillars are up, 2 HiMEs are left standing. And the "Mikoto-pillar-even-though-she's-obviously-an-active-HiME" theories somehow don't strike me as too convincing...
Assuming SS translations were accurate. Nagi and OL both comment on how the fake hime caused all sorts of problems for the current festival.
btw, did anyone else notice that Nagi seemed to have a tone of respect/admiration for Mai as she was entering the area where Mashiro is imprisoned? I certainly didn't expect that. ^^
eagerly awaiting the finale, I think Sunrise should finish it off pretty good.. if not I'll be one annoyed fan :/
I wonder what was the meaning of scene, where Mikoto was standing and crying over old man who she defeated. She said she had to kill him, although he was her loved one, isn't his soul in Mikoto's pillar (I don't believe in Nagi's mistake, he is the one who has always the best information after all)? I may be wrong, but Mikoto's inability to summon hers own child and her words "it is a gift from my brother (child)" may have some special meaning here. Well, maybe necklace she has contains also some life energy of OL, I mean she acts sometimes like possessed one (she has red eyes then, doesn't she?).
About Shizuru I have my own view on her personality, but it looks like hers character is "a bit" screwed (in terms of development), they made her looks like she was some crazy lesbo, who has complete fixation over Natsuki and because she was thrown away she destroys everything she doesn't like, I mean there is way too huge gap between hers earlier behaviour and recent one (before "incident" with Haruka she behaved quite well, I don't remember her being sadistic even once - she didn't even kill Nao, when she knew Natsuki won't see it)or did I miss something?
i just wanna point out a small thing about nagi.
the part where he said (when mai was going into the 'shrine' area) he said that Mai's his favourite HiMe ever. But when he said "Mai Hime" in the very end, I don't think it should be translated as "Mai HiMe" or "My Hime". I think Nagi meant "my princess" (sound: mai hime) instead. Just a pun.
Has anyone else noticed this?
MarmoO: Keep in mind that pillars only rise when the HiME's _child_ is killed and the MVP is greensparked. If the MVP is killed the "normal" way, nothing happens.
And there is no such thing as a "Mikoto pillar", there's only one extra. Nagi never said anything about Mikoto, that was only Mai's assumption.
If you disregard Alyssa as counting my theory works just fine. My theory is based on the idea that one of the pillars belongs to Mikoto and has always belonged to her. Tho OL uses this ploy to put a ringer into the festival that works just for him.
I''ve noticed one factor people are ignoring when analyzing Shizuru's mental instability, Nagi and Reito. Considering they happily use her as a proxy to take out a couple HiME and the First District, I just wonder what role they played in making her snap.
On the subject of the pillars, I think the extra one Nagi points out does in fact belong to Mikoto. If one buys into the assertion that Alyssa was a fake HiME, then the argument could be made that a pillar would not rise with her defeat, being that she was not part of the designated twelve. Considering that a HiME loses part of herself and MIP to a pillar when defeated, Alyssa's forfeited soul/energy/karma/feelings/whatever from her defeat would have to take on a disembodied state. This disembodied state was represented by the energy swirls Miyu.
Back to Mikoto, she was defeated when BBQed by Kagutsuchi back when Akira was defeated and Mai went postal. So a pillar rose, but since her MIP was the Prince of Darkness, he was able to cheat green sparkly-fu. Couple points to support this. One of these is that Mikoto is a whole less outgoing in the current arc when compared to the rest of the series, kinda like she's missing a good part of her soul. The other is when Reito hunches over in pain during the latest ep. This could very well be whatever power he's using to prevent going green sparkly is starting to diminish.
A few things on Miyu. She was not Alyssa's MIP because Alyssa thought of the SEARRS chairman as a father figure and valued him more. Plus while I think she appreciated Miyu's help and company, I think that she veiwed Miyu as more of a tool for her goals than anything else. IMO Miyu's appeal among fans is that as much as being a badass as well as being one of more caring characters. So in other words, she's just a cool character. While it may have been a bit cheesy, I kinda liked her multiple weapons and outfit color changes.
There are always 12 HiME that fight in the festival until only 1 is left. This makes the pillar count and the number of HiME's match. Eleven of each. After the first festival we now have an OL and one HiME left. With his new found power he gives this HiME eternal life and a role to play in the next festival. (there was nothing in the rule book that says he can't do this) The next festival comes along and now only 11 HiME's are needed instead of 12. 11 new ones and his ringer make 12. 11 pillars need to go up but with his ringer included only 10 actually need to rise. The OL raises the 11th pillar once the festival has gotten underway so that no one really notices an extra pillar has risen. I'm sure he could spare enough energy to do this.
When Mashiro said "you did it again" after seeing Mikoto come to his defense, she could just as easily have said "you cheating S.O.B" in reference to his use of Mikoto to survive. Something that she is most familiar with since he used the same tactics on her.
If Mikoto's role in all of this is not as I have described then why was the OL not surprised to see that she was still around after the gate was opened? I think it's because Mikoto has always been part of his plan to remain the OL.
This time we have Alyssa to consider. Did she or didn't she count as a HiME and one of the pillars? It doesn't really matter in my theory. If she did count then the OL was able to get his pillar up without using any of his power. If she didn't count then nothing changes. The end results still remain the same.
Wow. Time to inject some sense into these opinions.
For obvious reasons, Alyssa doesn't and shouldn't count. Because if you can make one, why not two, three or five-hundred fake HiMEs and have them all generate pillars? The whole Festival, the destiny of the HiME and the fate of the red star becomes a joke. Duh.
Assuming Mikoto is a real HiME and not some sort of wierd proxy operator for the OL, her element would have disapeared when she was hit by Kagustuchi, but we clearly see it embedded in the ground following the blast. Of course by this point, I have lost all faith in the anime producers at writing something in internally consistent and logical manner, so anything is possible I guess.
And Akane was so deeply in with Kazu that she immediately had a psychological collpase following his demise. Saying that this is due to suprise, etc, is just being silly and making excuses for the writers who decided to pull one out of the backsides for the final arc. The scene should be taken at face value -- the loss of her beloved made her go crazy. The love that was so strong it was all they ever did or talked about between those two. Are we to believe this is so much weaker than Shizuru's unrequited lust, etc? We can't, and no one would think it.
And so we head to the grand finale...
I would imagine the actions of Miyu are going to dematerialize the pillars, thus freeing the life-energy trapped within them. There is of course no guarantee that the freed life-energy will re-materialize into people again, but perhaps some transitive rule applies..who knows? My offhand guess is they need to be guided back into what they were, and Mai as the Crystal Princess could probably do that given her compassion for everyone.
By now I think the spare pillar is in fact Alyssa's. Mikoto still stands while all other Hime save Mai have fallen. That Miyu detected some trace of Alyssa's life-energy seems to support this. The pillar, while not Alyssa herself, could contain the essence of the man who remembers her most fondly, and the memories one holds for another are at the core of the story. Alyssa is dead, but the memory of her is not, thus a trace of her remains.
I can only speculate that Mikoto perishes on Reito's blade when she defies her brother and steps in front of Mai during his attack. Likewise, I think the OL gets his goose cooked when the thing that binds him to Reito--probably the emotional link between he and Mikoto (as evidenced by the winking pendants) is broken. The OL visibly suffered a weakening of strength at the same moment Mikoto was crying in her ramen over some fond remembrance of Mai. When he is permanently replaced in Mikoto's heart by Mai, he loses his hold on his 'container'. With him gone or otherwise incapacitated, it then falls to Mai to set what she can of the world to rights.
I don't see a giddy-happy ending happening; it would short-sell the writer's efforts up to this point. If anything, I think some or all of the lost Himes and lost MIPs will remain lost, and that Mikoto, Mai and Reito will not survive. The world will survive, however, and be free from the cycle of the festival. It all depends on what it means to "manipulate the power of the Hime star."
As always, taken with a grain of salt...
yeah, i think the cycle of the festival will be broken, but i'm not too optimistic about Mai. although all the MIP may return (or may be not ).. it would be a more dramatic ending with everyone forgetting about Mai and all the memories. although it would be a shame considering natsuki's new found friendship with mai.. i really don't know anymore. but i'd like to see shizuru and natsuki revived.
Shizuru fully realized her what her feelings are and was willing to be an extremist demon.
Akane's love was the pure romantic INNOCENT love
So, no, unfortunately not much EXTREMITY in that.
Hmm, while the love that Akane and Shizuru displayed are completely different, the intensity of both love are quite equal. Pure/innocent love can be as intense as extreme/obsessive love. The only thing that is different is the way in which each love is expressed.
hi, i've been reading this site, and i think its great. this is the first time i'm posting a comment, tho! cos i want to say a few things, and i have no idea where mai hime forums are.
i havent seen that many speculations on what the *basis* for this entire festival is about, but to me that is the key to understanding the whole anime. the reason, why there are so many speculations just one episode before the conclusion, is that the underlying *reason* for all this madness is still very very unclear. The writers have refused to give anything concrete away until now.
what *is* the hime star? who or *what* are the hime's, the OL, nagi, the crystal princess? what are orphans and childs? why is the first district called the first district? what is this ancient contract that has led to cycle after cycle of ikusahime?
i don't know japanese, so all my opinions will be based on the SS translations and this sounds more ridiculous now that i am going to type it out, but i think that the original OL and Nagi and Himes (and their childs and orphans) were aliens come to earth somehow by the power of the Hime Star. I base this on the fact that 'normal' humans in the anime have no powers at all; that the himes and the OL co. are indeed a breed apart.
i'm guessing that the 'materialising' bit of the HiME acronym comes from the aliens' ability, technological or magical or both, to manifest physical objects from their emotions. i'm guessing that the Star has this same ability, only on a massive scale, and it leads to disasters on earth. and with this ability, comes the power to shift souls into vessels, hence the OLs, Nagis, and childs/orphans immortality.
i'm thinking that, from the way the Star gets larger in the anime, that for some reason, the HiME star will actually *crash* into the earth every 300 years if not for the ikusahime festival.
i'm speculating that a long time ago, a multiple of 300 years ago, the HiME Star, an alien vessel or entity of some sort, was going to crash into the earth and destroy it. because the kagutsuchi, OL etc names are apparently retained every festival, i think that these entities were also present at the first meeting between the HiME star and humans.
some ancient contract was then made, between humans and aliens. for the humans, apocalypse would be averted if they kept their end of the bargain. not only that, but the 'materialising' power of the himes would be available to them once every 300 years, and make their nation strong.
from what the old women the first district said, i'm guessing that the aliens first met some ancient japanese ladies, and they formed the very first district.
and again I guess, that the first crystal princess was either a First District lady, and that she was endowed with HiME powers; or an alien herself. the very first himes were then endowed in the same way to act as bodyguards, or they might be children of the first OL and CP.
i think there must be a genetic link of some sorts through the ages for himes, seeing as well, they are all japanese, save for the fake hime alyssa. why has it only been now that a fake could be created? because perhaps, it is only now that the SEARSS foundation has been able to successfully mimic the genetic imprint of a hime.
hence i agree with others who say that the biggest anomaly of this festival is alyssa, rather than mai. the latter , a kagutsuchi user, is after all remembered by reito OL as an image of mashiro, indicating they are not that different.
what i really am uncertain about is what the advantage is for the aliens (ie the OL, and Nagi and orphans etc. ) so the OL gets a 'bride' every 300 years. but this wouldn't be much good to the OL, cos the winner of the festival gets locked in a bubble of water.
its also established that the OL and Nagi are two sadistic creatures. i assume that it was not these two who want to save the world. rather, it has to be the crystal princess.
if the crystal princess was a human at first, this would make more sense. a scenario would be as such.
long ago, the hime star came close to earth, bringing with it disaster. along with it came the obsidian lord, nagi, and Kagutsuchi et. al., all in Orphan-like form. however, the OL then possessed a human vessel, and came to know the very first, human Crystal Princess. Perhaps then either one or both betrayed the other's feelings.
Either that, or the hime star is a galatic phenomenon that *has* to come around every 300 years. either way, an ancient (and sadistic) contract is formed in which the hime's powers are realised through their suffering, and then used to control the hime star. to prevent it from destroying the earth, to use it to empower japan, and send it off on the next 300 year cycle.
kagutsuchi et. al. then attain their current forms through their materialisation via the human/alien himes.
as a side point, there was a little debate over kagutsuchi's, duran's, etc power compared to the size of the hime's emotions. i think that not all orphans are created equal, and that kagutsuchi *is* one of the most powerful among them, even originally. the power of the hime emotion is then the *next* determining factor in the child's size and strength.
if anyone suffered through my long-winded post, please comment. thanks!
I'd say Shizuru's intensity of love is much higher, purely on the basis of Kiyohime's size *ducks*
Diana is very big in size but very useless in fight. Does that mean Yukino's love for Haruka is any less? I highly doubt it. Yukino has loved Haruka for as long as, if not longer than Shizuru's love for Natsuki. Nao loves her mother such much to the point that she lashes out on every single guy that she encounters to exact her revenge. That doesn't make Julia any bigger.
And do you really see the plausibility of Kiyohime being any smaller than its current size? Ditto with Kagutsuchi? I highly doubt that. Some of the children are already large to begin with. Imagining Kiyohime the size of the original Duran makes the presence of the creature less powerful and ridiculous. I have to agree with those who says that the writers only use size when it's purely convenient for them to do so such as in the case of Mai and Natsuki. There has been no consistency in the correlation between the size and the emotion of the HiMEs because how do you measure the strength of one's love?
Let me put it in a real life context: does your love for your precious person, be it your parents/significant other is any less than the love of a crazy stalker who's been following you? Is an act of insanity a proof of a more intense love? Not necessarily. The only thing that insanity proves is that the person has lost handle on reality.
To say there has been no correlation isn't true, the case with Duran is one example. Perhaps it is only for the writer's convenience, but i would like to believe that the original dinkiness and subsequent hugeness of Duran was planned.
However, I think that without knowing the *original* size and strength of the childs, it is difficult to judge exactly how the correlation goes. i would say that kagutsuchi was one of the largest and most powerful no matter what.
There hasnt been as much of a change in the strength emotions of the other himes for their MVPs... for akira and mai, even