Mai Tokiha is just an ordinary high school student struggling to balance the trials of school with the tribulations of love. She is a recent transfer to Fuka Academy, a prestigious school where students have a significant deal of autonomy; apart from classes, taught by various lecturers, the students have a great deal of freedom, doing what they will under the aegis of the Student Council. However, strage occurrances recently have shown that things are not as they seem at Fuka. Why have creatures -- "Orphans" -- started appearing around the school, and what are HiMEs? What exactly is the secret of Fuka Academy?
Credits: shinsengumi
Story & Characters
If Kannazuki no Miko and Mai Hime were cousins, Kannazuki no Miko would be the depressed, sad cousin that takes
everything seriously while Mai Hime would be the cousin who likes to go out partying and lets off steam after a long
day.
Mai Hime continues the trend of Mecha/Shoujo titles where it has girls who possess abilities to call upon mecha like
"Childs" to battle the monstrous other worldly "Orphans." Tohika Mai, an average (though
well-endowed) girl balances her homework, her job and her saving the world ability in order to find some kind of balance
in her life. Along the way, she makes a lot of friends including a cat girl, the college student pretending to be a
teacher and the gender bending ninja.
What's really great about Mai Hime is that all the characters are balanced and don't act too one emotion. They
get laughed at, they become victims of jealously and anger and most of all, they can become serious when the time comes.
Take Mai, for example. She takes care of her brother Takumi by getting a job, babying him and making sure he takes his
medicine. However, Nao (another Hime) doesn't particularly like Mai, because Mai seems to so fake and so selfless
that she only gets Nao's hatred. Another character that's great is Natsuki Kruger. She plays an active
character when she tries to fight the antagonists, but at the same time, she's not so high and above to be the
victim of comedic situations.
Another strong point of this anime is the blending of Shoujo and Shounen elements. One of the key points of Mai Hime is
that if your Child is destroyed, the Hime isn't killed. It's the person the Hime feels so attached to. This
brings up so much discussion and thought that it compels a person to keep watching more. Just who does Mai care for? Is
it her brother, who's physically unhealthy and needs to be cared for? Or is it Tate Yuuchi, a boy that Mai acts
like she couldn't care less for? It creates brilliant set up and execution.
The anime isn't without its flaws. There is the occasional plot hole or two, bewildering even the keenest of anime
buffs. The humor itself is a bit of hit and miss. Sometimes you'll laugh due to the brilliant execution, other
times you'll roll your eyes over the predictable humor.
One of the most popular things to come from this series is the lesbian couple of Natsuki Kruger and Shizuru Fujino.
While many people debate over this couple, I will say this. They have great chemistry together. Both play active and
smart roles in the story. As for their relationship, it's not only deep but very well written. If anything I was
hoping they had a little more screen time.
Overall, the story is a solid 8.
Rating: 8
Art
The art work itself isn't too much to brag about. It follows the same format as any other anime. However, it is
brilliantly matched with the genre and possesses a certain beauty to the work itself.
I was pleased with the character designs in Mai Hime. Other than some oddly colored hair, the designs remained as
realistic as they could. This is important since characters often have to shift from serious to comical, and the shift
to chibi and normal doesn't come as a surprise. Even Mikoto, who has the feral look of a feline about her,
doesn't look so distracting that it takes away from the work.
The environments aren't that original but they work. The school itself doesn't bring anything new to the
table, but it does look pretty and makes a distinct difference between a school during times of peace and times of
chaos. Overall, the look of the work feels just right.
Rating: 8
Sound
This is a very strong point of the anime. The sound work itself is rather strong and intuitive that it makes the anime
watching over and over again.
The Opening song and Ending song have such an addictive flair to it, that it doesn't become tiresome. For Example,
"Shining Days" by Minami Kuribayashi fits perfectly for the tone. It's a techno pop song that's
addictive and fun that sets the mood for what's to come. Usually I don't care for ending songs, but Yuki
Kajiura's "Endless Crossroads" has that sort of slow, smooth charm to it that brings a sense of closure
to each episode. It's delightful, charming and has a great guitar solo at the end.
And the music matches each mood perfectly: Light and bouncy for everyday moments, Eerie for a feeling of suspicion and a
Heavenly choir for battle scenes. Take for example, Alyssa Sears' song "It's only a fairy tale."
It's not only sung beautifully, but there's this analysis about the Himes and their inevitable fate and how
they cannot be with the one's they love.
Rating: 9
Presentation
Mai Hime is just one of those good animes that any casual fan can get into. It's likable, it doesn't leave the
audience out of the loop, and it gives opportunity to write about the characters and their relationship in general.
Where other series struggle to combine elements of different genres, Mai Hime perfectly blends two genres into one. If
there's any complaint, it would be the ending. Considering the amount of development throughout the work, the
ending feels like a cop-out. However, this anime is just fun, dramatic and good.
An 8/10
Rating: 8
Final Verdict
8.1667 (good)
Reviewed by Burnouts3s3, Aug 20, 2008
