Mai Hime ep.26 (Final)

April 3, 2005 | 117 Comments

All things that begin eventually come to an end. Mai HiME is no different in this aspect, and here we have the final episode of one of the most exciting animes in quite a while.

The conclusion in the final episode is fairly controversial, so Garten had the idea to turn the review into dialogue-form to make sure that we get more than one side in. This is an experiment, so we'd like to get some feedback if this is a worthwhile format or not.

Garten's Episode Rating: +/-
Mentar's Episode Rating: +
RAW complexity: Fansubs are out

Garten: The episode begins with Miyu executing her anti-materialiser weapon. Her action immediately produces bright light that ends up enveloping the area as well as causing major tremor to its surrounding. The tremor quickly makes its way into the crystal where Mashiro is imprisoned, setting her free and allowing her to levitate herself to the area where students used to placed ribbons for their loved ones. Mashiro then produces a bright green light that quickly shoots its way through the rooftop of the building and eventually spreads through the sky, clearing the darkness around it. Mashiro calls out to the HiMEs, saying that now is time to break away from destiny.

Mentar: The result of Miyu's effect didn't come as a real surprise - it was to be expected that unleashing her power at the pillars would have a profound impact. What I slightly regret here is that it remains unclear till the end what the purpose of it was. Was it a "plan b" in case Alyssa gets defeated? Was it really Alyssa who had the short appearance as golden cloud in 25? We'll never know for sure.

Garten: I agree with you here. First of all though, I have to say that I like how cool Miyu looks in this scene. I knew that she will somehow free Mashiro here and I also knew that she will also make the MIP return to their previous state. What I want to know though is if Miyu has always been equipped with this ability or if this was something new that Mashiro added to her repertoire/ability when she fixed the robot. I also want to know what was the original purpose of Miyu and Alyssa but I guess we'll never know about it. As for your question, I get the impression that Alyssa's appearance was planted by Mashiro somehow. But then I realised that doesn't make sense if Nagi/OL have been guarding the area. What's your opinion on this one?

Mentar: Miyu is a toughie anyway. Since she'll reappear at the end yet again. ;) About the pillars: The explanation I favor here is that whenever a HiME is defeated, not only her MVP gets sucked into the pillar, but also the "tears and desperation" of the HiME aswell.

Garten: That will explain why some of them look like zombies after they lost their MIP.

Mentar: Some part of the HiMEs seem to be lost. When you look at the semi-zombies we'll see later, we can all see that they're not running on all cylinders. Maybe this residual "part" was what Miyu sensed. That's the best I can come up with. It would clearly be more logical to assume that this special function was added by Mashiro, but who knows? I'll just accept this as fact and move on.

Mentar: The OL smiles one more of his smug grins and remarks that Mashiro is doing well - but it's too late since the destiny of the HiME star can't be changed anymore. And while Mai muses what happened to the disintigrated pillars, the OL clears up the pillar riddle of old: The festival was supposed to be celebrated by 12 HiMEs, but this time, one more showed up - a fake HiME, but she had the power. "Alyssa-chan", Mai concludes. And turns to the "extra" HiME still in contention, Mikoto. Thinking back about her past with Mikoto, Mai apologizes to her for not understanding earlier, but she really wants to know the reason for the tears Mikoto shed when she took out Akira and Shiho. The OL doesn't like the way the talk is going and orders Mikoto not to forget her duties - and regardless of her obvious internal struggles, Mikoto decides that for her ani-ue she has no choice but to fight. As an early proponent of the Alyssa theory, I felt mild vindication here - forgive me ^_^

Meanwhile, Mashiro appears in front of every single HiMEs who have been defeated. It's rather disturbing to see the state of these girls. Most of them, except maybe Yukino who was in the middle of doing something normal (crying), looks like a bunch of zombies. We then see Mashiro reviving some dead people including Sister and creepy Ishigami. At the same time, the 11 pillars that used to contain the MIP's life force has now been destroyed. Sparks come out of those pillars and in the middle of the area, the shape of a person appears. Personally, the revival scene was the emotional highlight of the entire episode for me. In the past I had dreaded a reset. Looking at the girls convinced me again that by now I _wanted_ one. The anime had managed to form a strong bond between the HiMEs and me. I didn't want the story to end in misery.

Garten: It was emotional for me as well. Although I don't think I'll cry over it. Having said that, I feel sorry for the girls, well except for one of them, so I think there's no other way but to return those MIP to them.

Mentar: And seeing Mashiro breathing some new life into them, healing their wounds and undoing the damage, felt damn damn good. I always liked Mashiro. Now I have one more reason why ;)

Garten: It wasn't difficult to guess who the figure in the middle was. And I was right when I said those pillars contains the MIPs life force. Although I wonder what would have happened had Miyu didn't set them free with her anti-materialiser. And now we know why Mai looks at one of those pillars longingly. It's definitely not Shiho ;P

Garten: Meanwhile, Kagutsuchi is seen crashing into the ground. The creature looks pissed off and tries to make a toast out of Miroku, Mikoto's child. Unfortunately, Miroku easily dodges Kagutsuchi's fireball using its sword. At the same time, Mikoto is seen charging at Mai. She is angry because Mai doesn't seem to fight her seriously. Despite this, it's obvious that she's worried for Mai. In the middle of the fight, the OL asks Mai for one more time if she'll consider the offer to become his wife. Mai asks the OL what will happen to Mikoto if she accepts his offer. Upon hearing that Mikoto will gladly accept defeat, Mai refuses OL's offer once and for all. The OL finally loses his patience. He pulls out his sword and orders Mikoto to stay quiet. Upon saying this, Mikoto's pendant begins to flare up again and she is once again overtaken by OL's power. The OL then moves to strike Mai. However, before he manages to do so, a figure speeds up towards the two and manages to stop OL's sword with Miyu's sword. The person turns out to be none other than Tate. Mai doesn't seem to believe what she sees but Tate quickly assures her that he's real.

Mentar: Tate coming to the rescue had me howling in pain. A rumor had been going around that the voice actor of Tate had let the information slip that there would be an awesome swordfight for him in the final episode, but most people (including me) had been doubting the veracity. I wonder if this is some concession to the very macho-centric japanese view on males, but NOW he gets the limelight? :} ... I could have done without this part. Fortunately, it didn't matter too much in the end. Mikoto's story is a tragedy. She has been rejected by her mother figure (Mai) and attached herself to a ruthless bastard. Hearing her confirm that she would be gladly defeated if ani-ue wished so was sickening. Brr.

Garten: Well, I didn't exactly howl in pain but I thought it was cheez-tastic. I don't mind him helping Mai. But that dialogue and the use of Mezame in this scene was inappropriate. I always think that Mezame should be used in a dangerous/urgent scenes. Not when a character comes into a frame. I also feel sorry for Mikoto. The thing is, that person is not even her real ani-ue. But I guess Mikoto doesn't know about this. I'd wish that she did though because I'd hate to think that she believes Reito really wants to kill Mai. As for Tate's appearance, I don't think it has anything to do with Japanese view on Male role. It was simply that Tate has always wanted to do something for Mai no matter how small it is. And he finally gets to save her from Reito's sword once. Besides, if the animators want to be sexist, they wouldn't have included the scene where Mai ends up saving Tate later on.

Mentar: Meanwhile, Mashiro is talking to all defeated HiMEs in her apparition form. She is rallying them to rebel against their accursed fate, to be sacrificed in this perversion of a festival, and to alter their fate with their own hands. To put an end to all the fighting, the HiMEs must take a stand, and defeat the HiME star with their "omoi". At the same time, Mashiro resurrects the fallen MVPs in front of their respective HiME's eyes. Even Yukariko and Ishigami, who I expected to be dead due to fire and St.Vrus iron-maidening, make a reappearance. Natsuki and Shizuru deserve a special note. Upon returning back to life, Shizuru is immediately plagued by a severe case of bad conscience due to her lethal rampage before. Under tears, she begs Natsuki for forgiveness, and Natsuki calms her down. "It's okay, Shizuru" she says - and they decide to start their mission which Mashiro has given to them.

Mentar: The last scene is pretty important. Here, Shizuru's moral compass is clearly reset. She realizes how horrible her deeds have been, and this indicates that she was indeed not in possession of her mental faculties before. There has been an interesting theory going round that the curse of the children - especially the Kiyohime curse - may have affected the HiMEs aswell, making them much more evil than they would have been before. Shiho would have been another candidate for this. While it's impossible to really determine whether or not it has been like this, the drastic change in Shizuru's behavior after the resurrection is noteworthy. I guess you win the "insanity" debate of old on this one ^_^

Garten: I personally think this is where this episode fails. I'm glad Shizuru realises the mistake she made to Natsuki. But I don't appreciate her light-hearted apology to Nao and Yukino. I think the animators should have made her looking serious when she says her apology. Not looking like she just stepped on their shoes or something. But I'll just chalked it to the lack of time and a desire to reset things to the comedic mood of the early episodes. Ishigami returning to life makes me sick. He was blushing in that scene though. Do you think he fell in love with Yukariko now? And what do you think Nao saw that made her cry? I don't know why but I always feel sorry for her and was extremely glad when she regains her eyes back.

Mentar: I disagree on the "serious apology to Nao/Yukino" part. Both have enough on their own slate - especially Nao who said to kill Natsuki more than once. In fact, I was laughing about the AIR-like "Gao!" reaction of Natsuki, Nao and Yukino. By then, the past was more or less the past, IMHO. They had a new common goal. About the Nao-scene, I thought that this was pretty obvious: Her mother rematerialized in the glow like all the other MVPs did. I also found it hilarious that right upon regaining her powers, Nao immediately played bondage queen to the thugs threatening her before again.

Garten: Wasn't she in the hospital though? Or does it mean Mashiro healed her too?

Mentar: Well, since Professor Sasaki also materializes in Midori's apartment, I guess that Nao's mom will have appeared before her eyes aswell. Eyes as in plural. I was glad to see that too.

Garten: BTW, what the hell was that thing that returns to Shiho's head?

Mentar: Sanity? ;)

Garten: I was hoping humility but I guess not :P

Mentar: Oh, I forgot - Ishigami. He certainly blushed at Yukariko quite a bit. More about him in the epilogue!

Mentar: Kagutsuchi and Mikoto's child continue to rack up collateral damage. The OL is visibly displeased about Nagi's failure to protect the pillars - it seems that he can feel that something very contrary to his plans is happening outside. Then he proceeds to taunt Tate about his wishy-washyness and lack of spine and will to fight, but this is easily deflected by Tate commenting that this person died a long time ago. Enough chitchat. The OL tells Mikoto to stop slacking and the battle is back on. While Tate/OL and Kagutsuchi/Miroku face off, Mai continues in purely defensive mode. Life-and-death battles are great for deep emotional inflections, and Mai muses about what it means to really "suki" someone.

She comes to the conclusion that she simply does like Mikoto, so she has to act on it and say it - because otherwise nobody will know. Looking at the fighting Tate and the possessed Mikoto, she concludes that she needs to stop being timid and express what's inside her heart. When she sees even the possessed Mikoto crying in anguish, she makes her move, unsummons her elements and steps in to hug Mikoto, barely avoiding impalement by her sword. Telling Mikoto that she likes her, and still holding her in her arms, the accursed glowing pendant breaks apart, leaving a crying Mikoto in Mai's arms behind.

Garten: As far as a villain goes, OL truly sucks. If a normal human like Tate can hold his own for that long, it's no surprise he lost to Mai so easily. I do, however, like the fact that Sunrise decides to copy the idea of Reito/OL duality from Fuuma Monou/Dark Kamui's personality though. If you've seen X, you'll know that Dark Kamui exhibits some of Fuuma Monou's true feelings. Similarly, OL here says some of the things that I'm sure Reito wanted to tell Tate. I kind of expected that the solution to Mai/Mikoto feud will be for Mai to acknowledge that she really does care for Mikoto and that she must say something if she wants the people that she loves to know about her feelings for them.

Mentar: Yup, this was the logical half-solution to Mai-Mikoto, and I'm pretty happy how they pulled this part off. And it's obvious that the OL is much better at scheming from the shadows than swinging with the swords.

Garten: As Mikoto cries in Mai's arms, Miroku's eyes shut off, causing the creature to fall down to the ground. I swear I see Kagutsuchi smirking and saying "Bye, bye, loser!". Meanwhile, OL continues his Dark Kamui impersonation, telling Tate that he can't possibly beat him. Tate realises that it's true but he can't back down now. OL smirks and tells Tate if that's the case, then he should be ready to die. Foiled again! Mai comes to Tate's rescue and manages to make OL's forehead bleed. I wish she'd be more careful there. Poor Reito will have to live with broken limbs if she continues like this. OL is pissed off now, he tells Mai and Tate that this is the end. Tate stands up and tells Reito that he will protect Mai. Tate then screams at the top of his lungs that he does it because he loves Mai. Ugh. I'm fine with him declaring his love since I already root for the two right from the start. But who directed Tomokazu Seki to deliver his line in that cheesy tone? I want his head on my platter right now. Mai and Mikoto look happy to see Tate finally admitting his true feeling.

OL, on the other hand, is angry beyond belief, he immediately moves to strike Tate. But at the last minute, Mikoto attacks him from behind and manages to injure his shoulder. Mikoto asks her brother to stop the madness because she'll willingly go with him, with the brother that she loves. Upon hearing this, the pendant that OL wears begins to glow and eventually breaks into pieces. Reito's eyes then turn back to normal and his body falls to the ground alongside Mikoto's. So Reito's soul/life force was indeed trapped inside the pendant instead of in the pillar.

Mentar: If you get his head, I get his... no wait, let's not get too explicit here. Gawd. I was howling in pain at the first scene, but this one was the low point of episode 26. Puh-leeez. Ah well. It made Mai happy. Okay. Enough about it.

Garten: Actually I want his head whether or not that scene exists. I blame the cheez-tasticness of this episode on this director.

Mentar: I'm not sure if Reito's lifeforce was in the pendant, and I see no reason why it should be in any pillar. I'd say that he was simply controlled by the _real_ OL, and that the declarations of love broke the control for both Mikoto (by Mai) and Reito (by Mikoto)

Mentar: After Reito and Mikoto collapse on the ground, a purplish-black ghostlike appearance leaves Reito's body and growls "Foolish!". Please spare me from describing what rises on Kokuyouguu, because I have no idea. A pillar with an eye in the middle and a very deep and menacing voice. He introduces himself as the real Obsidian Lord, the one guiding the HiME star, and the one who is balancing the peace and chaos on the earth. This introduction makes him lose favors with Mai who orders Kagutsuchi to toast him, but the OL has a trump card: He is able to control the sword limiter plaguing Kagutsuchi, so the annihilation plan falls flat. As long as the HiME star exists, the OL can't be beaten.

Mentar: More than the "Mezame" entry before (which I was really glad to hear again, by the way), they really botched the piano entry here.

Garten: You know that a big boss is easy to defeat when you are barely able to tell its shape. KnK reminds me of 'Sin' from Final Fantasy X. It's also as useless as 'Sin'. I also think it's an attempt to do the tree of life scene from Evangelion but the scene falls flat to me. The tune is actually a Piano version of "Chiisana Hoshi..."

Mentar: I was almost falling out of my chair, because the effect of the upbeat piano part happened right when disaster struck and Kagutsuchi was rendered ineffective.

Garten: LOL. True. It's like the director thinks that KnK is the hero here. I want to know how he managed to stick that sword into Kagutsuchi's mouth though. Maybe one of these days we'll get Mai Hime: Heian-Kyo.

Mentar: Well, Chiisana Hoshi is the "HiME sentai" battlehymn, so it's logical to play it, but they could have quietly faded it in a bit later.

Garten: Well, as expected, the HiME sentais arrive on the scene. It looks like all of the HiMEs have now mastered the technique to make their child evolve so all of them can fly now, even creatures you normally think wouldn't be able to fly such as spider and snakes. What follows then are cheese, cheese, and more cheese. And while we're at it *points rocket launcher at Shiho and shoots*. Damn, I miss. Shiho wonders if it's okay for her to be there. No, it's not but Yukariko assures her that God will forgive her sins. Before I forget, St.Vrus/Brass looks scary and fugly in its evolved state. It looks more like a crow instead of a horse now. Anyway, Nao and Yukino don't look happy upon seeing Shizuru but Shizuru simply smiles and asks them to forgive her in her usual cheery tea-drinking personality. Midori chides the girls to stop joking around and tries to do her cool sentai personality.

Unfortunately for her, Natsuki takes over and says her line. Midori is unhappy. Is this what she gets for saving them? Midori just want to play pink ranger and Natsuki robs her of that opportunity. Poor Midori. Meanwhile Mashiro tells the HiMEs to show the true Ikusahime spirit for the sake of their irreplaceable loved ones. As she says this, we get glimpse of Ninjas, Fuuka students and various spectators watching with hopeful eyes. So, would you like cheese on top of your corn, sir? The HiME is then seen looking proud and speeding towards the HiME star. All of a sudden, KnK lost all of his power and his stronghold over Kagu. Kagu immediately powers up and upon Mai's order, Kagu blasts KnK with his fire power. And KnK lost just like that. The HiME star also disappears at once.

Mentar: To answer your question: I want that cheese, double portion please ;) I strongly disagree with your assessment of this scene. In fact, I think it was really well-done.

Garten: Well, I honestly was mortified with shame when I was watching this. It was too cheesy for me, unfortunately.

Mentar: That the childs were able to miraculously fly shouldn't be any news, we had that before. And it went down very well that after the disaster arc, the girls manage to be "reunited" again, with a common and plausible goal - retribution against the fate imposed by the HiME star. We remember from the storyline that the HiME star grew and was nurtured by the "omoi" of the HiMEs, especially their tears and desperation on losing their loved one. Therefore, I can see some logic in now using their "omoi" in the opposite way, destroying it. Okay - don't ask me how they eventually do it ;) ... but this is a fantasy anime series, and I'm willing to work in "suspend disbelief" mode occasionally.

This was such an occasion for me. What I liked is that the storyline came around full circle. The "omoi" made the Star phat and powerful, and now the "omoi" was its demise. Then, the HiME interaction. Maybe it's because I had one life experience in which I miraculously managed to avoid the loss of someone very precious. But I can perfectly understand that in the elation of the escaped cruel fate (not losing the loved one after all) gets you in a certain mood which forgives whatever happened before. And I really found Shizuru's approach to ease the remaining tension in this comical way both funny and effective but I can understand if people see this scene differently, Haruka wielding the revolutionary banner - priceless.

Garten: I wish I'm not so cynical but the scenes with the spectators remind me of too many cheesy Hollywood films such as Independence Day. As for the HiME interaction, I guess I see it from the other way around. I put myself in Nao's shoes and I know I'd be pissed off if someone doesn't look serious while saying their sorry after almost killing my precious person. I also had no problem with the flying scene nor with the return of the relatives. It's the cheering crowd that feels a bit cheesy.

Mentar: Nao was threatening to kill Natsuki more than once. SHE has no real right to complain about being threatened by Shizuru in return.

Garten: Threatening is not the same as killing though. In one case, the act does not happen, in the other, it happens.

Mentar: She didn't kill Nao. Both Nao and Shizuru threatened to kill Natsuki and Nao. Both in a believable way.

Garten: I mean her MIP. If she just wants to scare her, chopping off Julia's legs was enough.

Mentar: They did the same. I'd understand if Yukino made a case against Shizuru. Not Nao.

Garten: Meanwhile Nagi is seen screaming in pain. His eyes then turn yellow and he collapses on the rooftop of a building. Nagi then opens his eyes and tells himself that the girls finally did it. He is not happy because he tried to ensure that such things won't happen. I don't get this scene. I thought Nagi was under OL's control as well but it turns out he also has some nasty intention of his own. So why the hell didn't Mashiro do anything about it? The next morning, Mai is seen nursing the injured Mikoto while Tate takes care of Reito. Mai then realises that Mikoto's and her HiME marks disappear. Once this happens, Kagutsuchi bids his goodbye to Mai and then disappears into nothingness. Nooo, Kagu!!! I find this to be more tragic than anything else. Meanwhile Mikoto herself seems to be losing her ability to live. But just as everyone think Mikoto is a goner, it turns out she just passed out from hunger. No, just no. This scene doesn't work for me. It feels too abrupt and silly.

Mentar: I see Nagi's role as the OL's faithful master of ceremonies for the festival. The festival is his masterpiece, which he has meticulously planned and then executed. I found his frustration in the end really funny, especially the pouty "Mou!" in the end. Mashiro didn't (couldn't) take him out, because she is supposed to HELP with the festival too. This is what she told Midori when she first confronted Mashiro with the intent to force answers out of her. The decision to openly oppose and defy the OL was made much much later. And by then, she had no more contact to Nagi, who was hiding in the underground place. Kagutsuchi's goodbye was well-done. The final scene between Mai and Mikoto - I only had noticed before that things were "over the top" a bit. Especially Tate slamming his fist to the ground was a bit too much.

Garten: Like I said, I want the director's head.

Mentar: And since the screenwriters obviously wanted a drastic break away from the drama and towards comedy, I think it made some sense ;) It certainly didn't bother me, and I giggled at the "Hara hetta" quite a bit.

Mentar: Well - I doubt that we really have to cover the comedic ending in entirety, right? I'd say we only touch down on the highlights.

Garten: Oh hell yes. I want every single one of them. Especially the Sisters in training. WTF was that?

Mentar: HAHA. Okay. You start with the sisters then.

Garten: Fast forward to a couple of weeks/months later... Sakura blossoms, the academy is re-built. Fumi is the middle of delivering her speech to graduates. It looks like she is now the school's headmistress. Meanwhile Akane and Kazu are in a lovey-dovey mode. Kazu tells Akane that their love is undefeatable and flashes his pearly white, sparkly smile. Yikes. On Yakitate!! Japan, this would have been funny but here it made me cringe. Meanwhile Haruka is seen trying to teach Yukino how to become a good Executive Director. Unfortunately for her, she can't even write 'Shiawase' properly. Inside the church, Miyu is seen telling a girl that she has little chance to be chosen for a Fashion contest. It turns out Miyu has become a Sister along with Nao. And it keeps getting weirder. The two 'advise' the girl to backstab her 'enemy' so she'll get that chance. Alyssa then suddenly comes out of nowhere and tells the poor girl that her mistake is that she's too soft. Because of this, Alyssa believes that she shouldn't compete with anyone. The girl freaks out upon hearing this and decides that she's had enough of their 'advice'. Once the girl left, Nao chides Alyssa that she's too scary for a little girl. Miyu is not happy to hear this insult. But pregnant Yukariko is even more unhappy to know that Sister Nao and Sister Miyu have been giving suspect advice to innocent little girl.

Garten: I don't know what is more scary here. Pregnant Yukariko? Sister Nao/Miyu? The fact that Alyssa miraculously appears in the scene? Or the absurdity of the entire thing?

Mentar: The absurdity is exactly what's making it so awesome. Whoever takes this scene too serious is to blame for any brain damage he inflicts on himself ^_^ This scene and almost all of the upcoming ones demonstrate the huge potential for good comedy in Mai HiME. You have a gigantic cast of well-fledged-out characters and can play with their strengths and weaknesses. Nao or Alyssa as nuns? Or Miyu? I was in stitches the entire scene.

Garten: Oh I was in stiches all right but my eyes were rolling as well at the same time.

Mentar: Natsuki has her usual talk with Sakomizu-sensei. Both are relieved that the entire HiME business is over, and Sakomizu reflects on going back to becoming a simple teacher again. Natsuki plans to take a break for some self-reflection too, but Sakomizu stops her and tells her that due to Natsuki's miserable attendance record she is about to repeat the grade unless she gains some extra credits. In what I consider one of the funniest SD-sequence I've ever seen, Natsuki tries to weasel out of this pinch by asking Sakomizu for help, but he declines.

Garten: I swear I thought Natsuki was going to say "But Daddy, won't you help your daughter?" :P

Mentar: That would have been hilarious! Shizuru approaches from the background, having heard the exchange. Natsuki isn't thrilled about that at all. Especially when Shizuru flashes her trademark smile and remarks that this sounds like fun - and in this case she should better not graduate after all, dropping her diploma.

Garten: I wish that Sakomizu had turned out to be Natsuki's dad so she can go "Noooo!!! Haven't I suffered enough?"

Mentar: Well, she still has Shizuru for that. Okay, onward. Mai and Tate prepare for a picnic in the school garden. Tate blushes and points out that the two of them have never really kissed so far. The implication is obvious, so Mai's cheeks flush aswell, but she goes along with it and leans forward offering her lips. Tate zooms in right on target, but Mai has noticed something and averts her face, causing the kiss to go to the cheek, before she pushes his face down and tells the poor confused Tate to look around. Riiiight. Several people are watching them, and especially Shiho is not in the least amused. With a jealous "Oniiiiii-chaaaaaaaan!" she jumps Tate using her hairdo to punish him in the best "Kiyohime light" impersonation I've ever seen. Reito arrives to get himself involved too, but Mikoto makes clear that she has no chance, since Mai is HERS and hers alone. Some general ruckus ensues and the HiME team plus MVPs have their little picnic.

Garten: *blasts Shiho with a laser beam* Die! you annoying twat!!

Mentar: *Mentar prepares a water hose to save Shiho after Garten's onslaught*

Garten: I guess several things will never change.

Mentar: That's all? :) I found this scene hilarious aswell.

Garten: That's all. It's a funny scene but it's not that funny.

Mentar: We'll have to agree then that our tastes in comedy are different. I found the entire comedic aftermath wonderful.

Garten: I found them amusing and mortifying at the same time. :)

Mentar: Lots of little tying together loose threads happening then. Takumi is in America, and the surgery was successful. Akira is around in a much more feminine way than before to care for him. Midori has teamed up with Profesor Sasaki to be the female counterpart to Indiana Jones. Mikoto makes clear that Mai's breasts are HERS, sorry Tate, sorry Reito. But at least Tate receives a comforting hug from Reito. Ain't he lucky? And finally - the anime's biggest secret is finally unveiled. Mai's most precious thing, the one she desires most, is... Karaoke! Off they are to celebrate the birth of the "Karaoke Lovers Association", with Mai giving her best performance with the microphone she got as birthday present in episode 10.

Garten: Indiana Midori is amusing. I also think that Akira using her l33t Ninja skill to carve apple is very funny. I am more interested with the next scene actually. So that's all from me.

Mentar: For the shoujo-ai faction I should point out that Natsuki is looking distressed when Shizuru glomps her from behind, but she tolerates it. That's quite a change from her earlier very drastic reaction when anybody wanted to get close to her goods ;)

Mentar: In the library where the huge clock of fate was located before, Nagi and Mashiro get philosophical. Just because the HiME star is gone, that doesn't mean that all bad things are gone from this world, Nagi muses. The future might become even tougher now. Mashiro remarks that this is the future the girls chose, and they would be able to deal with it, since they've become strong. Nagi concurs and Mashiro says that it's time for the two of them to return to where they belong. They part from a teary-eyed Fumi, and Nagi passes on the book of Fuuka Academy to her before they leave and the doors close behind them.

Garten: I want to know what Mashiro means with 'Where we belong'. Is it alien ship? Valhalla Gate? And why does Nagi becomes her servant now? I'd thought Nagi will be unhappy to work for her.

Mentar: Well, Nagi and Mashiro have always been close. Especially Nagi - he has never been really _hostile_ to the HiMEs, with the caveat that he's been trying his hardest to keep the festival going. He's been a very intriguing character, and I never knew if I should like or hate this little bugger. If you ask me where Nagi and Mashiro belong now - I don't know. I guess that's what's called "intentionally vague" to leave it up to the viewer to interpret it.

Garten: Oh I like Nagi all right. I like the fact that he can manipulate people so easily. But what the hell is he anyway?

Mentar: Personally, I don't care where they're going now, but it's clear that they don't belong there anymore. The HiME cycle is broken, they are obsolete. Well, as I said, I think he was the festival's master of ceremonies. Nothing more, nothing less.

Garten: Well, it's the final one.

Mentar: Too bad that you disliked it so much ;) I loved the comedy in the end.

Garten: Oh, I don't really dislike it. I actually kind of enjoyed it. I put it on a loop for 3 times at least.

Mentar: It was the RIGHT ending, IMHO. Catastrophe would have been wrong. Hehe.

Garten: The ending is right but the execution is not very desirable. I want it happy not cheesy.

Mentar: But you saw that we agreed in most uber-cheese part.

Garten: What part was that?

Mentar: I love Mai! Gawd, was that BAD!

Garten: The one from Mikoto or Tate?

Mentar: Tate. Mikoto's was okay.

Garten: Tate was cheesy, Mikoto was tiring after a while. We get it. You like mai.

Mentar: LOL. One final thought. I think the anime might have been more interesting if it hadn't been named "Mai HiME" ;)

Garten: Tell me about it. It should have been MY-HIME

Mentar: Would have made the end of the HiMElander discussions more heated.

Garten: And less predictable. But watch out for the sequel: My-Hime 2: Back in the Habit. Starring Sister Nao and Sister Miyu.

Mentar: I wouldn't mind a My HiME Fumoffu

Conclusion (Garten):

I'm one of those people who feel that the series never adequately explain some of the mysteries that it had created. What are the Children? Where do they come from? Why did Reito told Mikoto that he's not her brother back in episode 7? I also think that while this final episode was entertaining, I have to admit that I was embarassed throughout the episode. It was cheese-tastic and feels kind of weird all around. The problems that the HiMEs faced were never really addressed in this episode and yet everyone somehow managed to sit together in peace as if all of the bad things they did to each other never really happened. But again, maybe I'm not meant to take this series seriously. If I had done that maybe I'd have enjoyed this a bit more.

I think it's also unfortunate that this series never really had the time to properly develop Mashiro, who I think is one of the most interesting characters in the series. I have this unresolved feeling upon seeing seeing her and Nagi entering that big door. It's like a big chunk of what makes the series interesting was never really resolved. Overall, I'd have to say that while this series is entertaining and have some repeat values, I'd be hesitant to put it in my top 5 series. Top 10 maybe but I never really bothered to make a list for that many anime. Okay, I sound kind of negative about this episode and the series as a whole but the truth is, I enjoyed them. I just wished that the series was more serious and less goofy.

Conclusion (Mentar):

I plan to write up a full anime review for Mai HiME, so I'll try to be brief. The anime ended the way it should end - it was impossible to let it go down in catastrophe. Face it, Mai HiME was a comedy first and foremost, and eventually it went back to its roots.

Some people will rightfully complain that lots of story threads were not fully resolved in the end. Details like "What gave Reito the heartache in the last ep?" or more fundamental questions like "What exactly WERE the HiME star and the Obsidian Lord?". On the other hand, the anime managed to come full circle with the HiME's "omoi" first feeding and then destroying their curse, and most of the really important aspects of the anime were resolved in a satisfying way.

Mai HiME will go down as the anime with the biggest "working" lineup of characters I've ever seen. Over 30 characters who were all very different and excellently fleshed out turned the show into a thrilling ride, especially in the final exceptional drama arc. However, if the comedy buildup hadn't taken place in the earlier much more lightweight episodes, it could have never worked out so well.

It also takes the cake as the best "detective" anime I've seen so far. It was thrilling to see so many people exchanging thoughts and opinions so vividly about nearly every aspect of the anime. So fun, and yet, Sunrise managed to surprise me again and again. However, the anime never became random, all developments were motivated pretty well. Especially the cold logical way the storyline unraveled in the final arc was exceptional.

So what we have here is one of the better endings of anime series. We get a full conclusion which makes me keep the anime in fond memories. I so own the R1 DVDs already when they come out and already look forward to rewatching it one more time.