Friday, October 28, 2005

   Mai Otome Ep1
[Posted 10:00 PM]
Finally! I've finally finished Mai Otome Ep1 review!! LOL, took me around 1+hr to finish the other half ... shessh. Whoa 3000+ words lol. I'm good! LoL. Anyways here's the awaited Mai Otome Ep1 screenshots with a special 9 shots tonight!




Finally! First thing first, [Drools at Shizuru-sama's parts~], NO! Uh ok, i know there's many great Mai Otome reviews by veteran anime bloggers, mine might look stupid and my english ain't that good cos i juz type whatever comes into my mind and my mind consist of simple english words LOL. So don't really expect much from this, i'm juz doing it for fun and for my own viewing pleasure =). Ook, so if you don't mind my mediocre review, read on then!

Ok Ep1 started with a city [Probably Wind Bloom] under attack by monsters later known as Slaves and the princess's missing. Then we see a lady wounded cradling a kinda oval-shaped container running away from a Slave, then taking refuge in a canal. After the Slave left, the lady placed down the oval-like container containing a baby [Most probably the princess?], told her to live on and let the container flow down the canal. After that, the lady got up and was surrounded by baddies. Seems like the lady's the Blue Jewel of Heaven Otome and she lost her Otome powers. As one of the baddie attacked her, scene changed to the container, the pendant with a big blue gemstone smack in the middle the baby was wearing glowed brightly for a moment and faded. The container continued flowing down the river ...

Scene changes to 14 years later, Yumemiya Arika stumbling in a desert then couldn't take the heat anymore and fainted among the sands. In the desert, some sort of ship was sailing through it ... then we see Tate uh i mean, a Tate-lookalike, who's name is Sergay Wang sitting on a bench probably returning from a search. suddenly there's a commotion that Coolaks were sighted. As Sergay got up to check it out, a kid ran out from nowhere and told him there's something at the back, Sergay juz said it's trash lol and kiddo said no, it's a big trash! LoL. While looking at the Coolaks, Sergay was flirting with one of the lady there. [How Tate like.] As the ship zoomed back, in the mist of the sand, lol Arika got up upset that her plan for the ship to notice her and rescue her failed LOL.

The big trash the kid was refering to was probably her lol. When Arika found out that her water bottle was empty, lol she went 'Ahhh, Hold on a second! Seriously, save me!!~' and ran after the ship lol. -Inserts OP 'Dream * Wing' In- Oook, the OP's not really that powerful but it does have its effects anyways but not as strong. Gives me like 'Hope' feeling whereas Mai Hime's 'Shining Days' gives me this 'rush' feeling lol XP. Oooh lol, i like some parts though especially at the start of the OP when the characters are lined up in two lines then the cam went back to front, then to the left, cam back to front, great feeling. Tons of spoilers in the OP manz LOL, i shouldn't type much anymore ahhh~ LoL.

Ok after OP ended, scene changed to Arika who probably walked all the way to Wind Bloom kingdom lol, the ship didn't even stop for her XP. Scene change to a cafe in WindBloom Kingdom, Nina Wang's staring at a picture of her father, Sergay and herself in a pocket watch. [Later we'll know more about her father-complex lol] A waiter served ice-cream soda on her table, Nina's surprised cos she didn't ordered it. The waiter said it's a treat by a customer, scene changed to the people in the Cafe toasting to Nina, the future Otome. Then everyone around stood up and toasted too. LoL, Nina blushed, stood up unsure of how to react but thanked everyone anyways. Behind Nina, Arika's feeling pretty thirsty ... saw the ice-cream soda on Nina's table and went *o* LOL.

LoL guess what happened, clumsy old Arika fell face forwards, overturned the table sending Nina falling backwards. Oh what about the ice-cream soda i hear, lol up it goes in the sky ... Arika dashed for it, caught the glass with the soda without the ice-cream, drank it, felt satisfied and passed out. [LoL really reminds me of Mokona from Tsubasa Chronicle!!!] Hey how about the ice-cream lol? Nina, still sitting on Arika's back, had her face directly under the dropping ice-cream lol. [Damn funny scene.] Sergay came rushing in, asking if Nina's alright. Nina's surprised to see her beloved otou-sama, and so was Sergay cos of Nina's sitting position with her legs wide open. LoL, Nina shrieked out loud. Scene change to Natsuki Kruger as the principal of Galderobe, an Otome school.

And Shizuru Viola [KYAAAAAAHHHH!] having tea as usual~ wooo. Natsuki seemed pissed over this Swartz organization who's bugging them recently. Natsuki also said it's been 14 years and they have yet to find 'her' [I suspect it's Arika] so had asked Shizuru back to help her. Shizuru doesn't seem to mind and said that it's the job as the Five Pillars to serve the academy. Ooh, Natsuki did her 'flip-hair' thingy~ then said she's counting on Shizuru. Shizuru simply said that listening to Natsuki's concerns part of her job too. [LOL! As expected of Shizuru-sama~~~] Scene change to Arika awaking on a bench and saw Nina apologizing to her father about the earlier incident. Sergay doesn't really seem to mind but Nina's making it a big issue about it. LoL, afterall her beloved Otou-sama saw her in such a embarrassing position lol.

Arika walked towards them, wanted to return the handkerchief and thank Ni-na-chan for the soda. Nina lol gave her a kinda sinister expression, snatched her handkerchief away and told Arika to call her Nina. Only her father can call her Ni-na LOL! Later one of Sergay's subordinates [Yukino lookalike!] came to fetch him. As Sergay was preparing to leave, lol he said that Arika reminded him of an ant. [Scene change to Arika with an ant head LOL!] Arika's not pleased at all lol and yelled her name out loud. Sergay kinda shrugged it off and introduced himself as Artair Kingdom's residing embassy officer and left. LoL, Nina also left with a persistent Arika trying to make up for the soda she drank. Nina was like get the hell away from me lol. [Manz, Arika's voice sure is loud if i was Nina, i would do that too]

Then blah blah, scenes of Wind Bloom kingdom are shown and Arika getting hyper excited over it lol. Nina's pretty embarrassed over it and sat faaarr away from Arika in the train. As the train passed the castle, Arika asked Nina how the princess in the castle is like. Nina doesn't know cos the princess had yet to ascend the throne. Scene changes inside the castle where the servants are searching and calling for the princess. Woot, the we see Aoi carrying a cat, Mikoto, she's one of the maids working in the castle and probably the princess's personal maid. Mr Afro guy probably the head security or something, yeah they're searching for the princess too. Scene change to Nina and Arika walking outside the train station and Nina was like, u go ur way, i go my way, bye. LOL.

Arika cut in by asking if Nina knows where's Galderobe. Nina looked surprised for a moment and thought that maybe Arika got the idea from her school uniform and asked what business Arika has with the academy. Arika replied that she's searching for her mother and she used to be an Otome so she hoped that by studying in Galderobe, an Otome school, she could ... [find her mother] Nina cut in with an impossible before Arika could finish her sentence. Arika a little bothered by Nina's words got excited quickly when she saw Shizuru on TV LOL! [As expected of Shizuru-sama!] Arika thought Shizuru's the princess and Nina corrected her by saying that she's an Otome, Meister Shizuru-sama. Arika commented that Shizuru's pretty. [Duh LoL] Then Arika goes around touching the holograph stuff and saying if they're holographs ...

That is until she pointed to a building where a girl was stand at the rooftop ready to jump lol. In comes bratty Mashiro~, yes she's the girl who's getting ready to jump, lol a complete different from her character in Mai Hime. In Mai Otome, Mashiro is the princess of Wind Bloom Kingdom and she had just ran away from the castle. Scene change to Mashiro turning around, making a face at her pursuers [=O] and jumped LoL. I think she's aiming for the next building but couldn't reach it ... and fell down of course. Nina saw the whole scene, jumped to the rescue and halting the traffic. Nina's shocked to see Arika running pass her even though Nina had ran first. Arika opened up the cloak she's holding and told Nina to hold the other end so that it makes a big blanket for Mashiro to fall on. But the pressure's too big for the both of them, Mashiro came down on the cloak, bounced up and into the nearby wooden box filled with paper boxes.

LoL, Mashiro got up, acting like a true born royalty and compliment Nina and Arika for saving her. Mashiro's pursuers caught up to them and demand for Mashiro to be returned. Mashiro accuses the pursuers to be kidnappers and command Nina and Arika to save her. LoL, Arika got so worked up that she grabbed Mashiro's hand and ran away. The pursuers were trying to explain and one of them reached to his coat for something. [Most probably some ID to tell them they're guards from the castle.] Nina mistook them as probably taking out his gun and attacked him. As Arika and Mashiro were running, a pursuer blocked the path in front of them, Arika pushed Mashiro to the side [LOL! Mashiro's expression when she was pushed was damn funny LOL] and jumped over the pursuer, pushing him back and Nina gave him a final blow.

As Arika's praising's Nina's Kungfu skills, Nina asked her where's the girl. LoL, Arika was like 'Are?' searched high and low for her and found Mashiro flat on her face in the nearby drain's water LOL. Arika went 'Arara.' LOL. At the same time, a baddie [looks like one, his face was covered by his hood] had a photo of Mashiro and confirmed Mashiro's identity although her face was in the water LOL and took out this ... strange crystal ... Scene changed to the castle where Mr Afro's screaming at the pursuers earlier that lost Mashiro and company LoL. Scene change to Arika, Mashiro and Nina hiding behind the bushes in an old airport. Mashiro's feeling soaked and wet due to the earlier accident and was demanding for a set of new clothes. Arika offered her cloak, bratty Mashiro refused and said it's dirty lol. Arika's pretty upset and called Mashiro an ungrateful person.

While Arika and Mashiro were aruging, Nina said she's leaving. Mashiro got worried and said that if Nina's abandoning her lol. Pissed that Nina wasn't going to protect her, she displayed her royal ring sending Nina kneeling before her. Mashiro then blah blah on how Otomes from Galderobe are juz decorative flowers to put beside royal sides and can't disobey them in any way. [Bratty!!!~ LoL] Arika's surprised to hear that Nina's a Otome. Scene changed to a baddie from earlier, he's probably from the Swartz organization sent to kill Mashiro. Using the crystal's sharp point to prick his finger ... blood flows out and on the crystal and it glowed. The baddie then chanted some magic words and summoned a 'Slave' with it. Scene change to the Slave Mr baddie had summoned emerging from the mountains behind where Arika, Nina and Mashiro were standing.

Hearing the loud boom voice, three of them turned and saw the Slave turning and target locking at Mashiro LoL and sent a blast over them. Arika grabbed Mashiro's hand and ran away from the fireball. Mashiro freaked out when the Slave appeared in front of them and demanded Nina to protect her since she's an Otome. Nina replied that Mashiro's not her master. Wanting to gain recognition of her father, Nina suggested that they have a temporary contract where Mashiro would be the interim master and give Nina certification to use the Robe. Leaving with no choice, Mashiro asked Nina for her name, mumbled Nina's name then the chant to activate Nina's Robe, which is kissing the ruby ear stud Nina's wearing. After that, Nina went 'Materialize!' and get ready for some ass kicking action!

At the side, Arika's pretty surprised at Nina's transformation lol while Mashiro seems pretty embarrassed cos she kissed Nina's stud or annoyed at Arika's dramatic expression lol which ever. Scene change to Youko's lab, [The school doctor/nurse in Mai Hime] and she notified Natsuki about Nina, Number One Coral's activation of the Robe and also the Slave. After hanging up the phone, Shizuru, as keen as ever commented that Swartz's here. Natsuki said they're at Wind and Nina's fighting in her robe which it's against the treaty ... Shizuru saved the day by merely stating that there's only one person capable of activating which Natsuki after a while said, the princess. Shizuru continued by saying if so, won't it make everything even? Then Natsuki said this gives them an excuse intervene and ended by telling Shizuru that they're going off to kick some Swartz ass.

LoL, Shizuru then requested to borrow a person. [Seems like Shizuru's fighting~ kyaaaahh~ In this particular scene where Shizuru seems to be the advisor of Natsuki giving her leads and pointers on how-to-break-the-rules-legally LOL As expected of Shizuru kai-chou in Mai Hime~] Scene change to Nina fighting the Slave and she's having troubles apparently. Nina's coral robe's probably not strong enough to take down a Slave, the Slave then launched out a blast that Nina couldn't handle and the pressure send Nina, Arika and Mashiro crashing to the building behind. Pissed, Arika grabbed the long metal pole Nina was using to fight the Slave and plunged it into the Slave's forehead lol and it got stucked there making it even madder. The Slave then blasted a fireball towards them, they ran in this abandoned aircraft.

The last one to run in the aircraft, Arika suffered the highest pressure from the blast and was sent rolling in the aircraft with her pendant hanging out. Both Nina and Mashiro stared at the pendant and suddenly it glowed and the power of the pendant activated the aircraft. The aircraft crashing into the Slave then it flew up with the Slave hanging on to it lol. Scene change to Wind Bloom police rushing to the scene ... Mr Afro was saying that a real battle after 50 years of peace. Natsuki, Shizuru and Akane [Woo Akane got handpicked by Shizuru to assist her! She's top in the Pearl class afterall] rushed in a cooool limo and Natsuki dilated Akane the task of saving Nina and the princess while Shizuru take down the Slave. [!!!!!!!] Akane seems pretty uptight and Shizuru [As expected of Shizuru-sama!!! Lol] soothed Akane by assuring her that it'll be alright.

LoL god then Akane was like, 'Hai, Shizuru Onee-sama.' LOL reminds me of Maria-sama ga Miteru ... hahaha. After that Natsuki sent them out, whoa the seats actually got like ... uh ejected out to the sides and both of them flew off like what you see Gundam Seed Eps LoL. Really. With the wings behind them and all, but very cool. At the aircraft, Arika was like 'man, it's not a dream right?' while Nina's staring at Arika's pendant and was saying that it's the power of the GEM but ... while Mashiro's marveling over how small people are from the sky lol. Suddenly Arika's pendant stopped glowing and the aircraft went crashing down. While falling, Mashiro got knocked out lol cos Nina and Arika are crashing against her. WHOA then Shizuru and Akane flew in while Shizuru took out her uh whip slash as seen from Mai Hime and sliced the aircraft into two.

That scene so damn cool and dammmmmmmmmmmn sexy!!! LOL, the way Shizuru moves + Kajiura-sensei's genius background music kyaaaahhh truely intoxicating!!! I almost fainted from pure pleasure~~~ LoL. Ok back lol, when Shizuru sliced open the aircraft, the girls fell out [Free falling!] along with the Slave. Some quick thinking from Nina to hold three of them together. Just then, Arika's pendant glowed again and this time, it gives Arika a near invisible of a Robe and stopped their drop. But as usual, the pendant stopped glowing and they went tumbling down again. Luckily Akane's there to catch them and Nina greeted her with a 'Akane Onee-sama' lol, aaaahhh Marimite flashbackssss! LoL. The Slave landed in the city and Shizuru's there to do some clean up, KYYAAAHHHH!!!! Shizuru's entrance is soooo fucking damn cool!!! i got a GIF of it!

Whee and it's my avatar in Chuang Yi Forum =D The background music and glasses breaking due to Shizuru's landing pressure is soooo freaking cool! God, this must be heaven!!! LoL. Mr Afro and the police of Wind Bloom are lucky witnesses to Shizuru's fight. There, Mr Afro introduced Shizuru properly as Purple Crystal of the Banquet, Meister Shizuru Viola. Shizuru walked into the scene by stating it's clean up time, the Slave roared and launched a fireball at Shizuru. Shizuru calmly used her whip slash weapon again, do the mambo jumbo [SO FREAKKIINNNGGG COOOOOLLL!!!!] and zoomed glided behind the Slave. With the sunset as the background, Shizuru coolly said to the Slave that there's something stuck on its forehead. The Slave turned back, raised its hand to pick it out but the effects of Shizuru's attacks kicked in and its head dropped LOL along with other parts dropped and goes kaboom!

With the Slave's blast as the background, Shizuru's outfit breezed with the effect displaying a kaaaakkkkoooiiii scene!!! Somewhere, the baddie from the Swartz organization went greeny poof lol. Seems like when the Slave got defeated, the user also fade away. [The concept is the same in Mai Hime, when the Hime loses, VIP dies] Scene change to Akane holding Nina, Mashiro and Arika's going 'Sugoi Sugoi' [Sugoi=Wow!] over Meister Shizuru's display. Sergay's watching from afar said that a slave appears, battled by an Otome after 50 years ... there's going to be a hell lot of problems coming later. As Akane and company flew past, Sergay saw them and was like 'Nina?'. Scene change to Mr Afro worried over the fact that how the princess will react when she knows that her castle's on fire from the Slave's blast lol. Scene change to Akane landing them in front of Galderobe while Arika goes 'Sugoi Sugoi' again

When Arika asked what is that, Natsuki came out to answer her question, 'That's the power of an Otome and the place that trains Otome is Galderobe which is here.' After that, Natsuki noticed the pendant on Arika and frowned when Nina called out to her father. Sergay arrived and asked if Nina's alright, Arika rushed forward with her pendant shown to Sergay. Sergay went 'O_O, The Blue Jewel of Heaven?!' Nina ain't pleased that her father noticed Arika's pendant. [I seem jealousy lol] Just then, Arika noticed Shizuru descending from the sky like a goddness with her ear stud sparking, [FREAKING COOL!!! ATASHI NO TENSHI!!!] ran forwards and went 'Kakkoii!!! I wanna be an Otome too!' Seems like Arika's really smitted with Shizuru's coolness! LoL, Welcome to the club Arika!!! LOL. I like the ending more than the opening, gives me a 'go-go-go' feeling lol probably due to too much Shizuru's coolness!!!!

Whoa great starting ep but the fighting scenes are not enough ... Shizuru's scenes were definitely cool but i got this feeling of no kick. However, Shizuru's coolness is there to perk me up LoL. But overall, nice ep to start =), and there u have it! A looonnng summary of Mai Otome Ep1, i'm off to rewatch and rewatch Shizuru scenes again LOL. XP.

Art: 7/10
Story: 7/10 [Not bad, alot of thinking to do =)]
Characters: 8/10 [Shizuru!!!!!!!!!!!!! LoL]
Overall: 7.5/10

Anyways, here's the rank of the Otome thingy;
Coral - Nina's ranked number 1 for beginners.
Pearl - Akane's ranked number 1 for advanced.
Meister - Graduates
Pillars - 5 Most Powerful Otomes, for example Shizuru and probably Natsuki too.

Ahhhh, i feel so happy lol, ohhh before i forget, i updated the YanZi album, 'A Perfect Day' review post, i added in a photo shot of the Preordered Taiwan version album and added a few of my comments abt the Taiwanese version =). Click here to go to that post. Scroll down below to the Freebies section.

Oook, i'm feeling pretty tired after such a long day lol, i got this feeling to type fanfics sia ... lol i wanna do a forbidden love kinda story!!! The more forbidden it is, the more i wantttt! LoL, i think i better go think a plot instead of juz starting ... like what i did with the Ziyan x Wang Chan fanfic i did when i was not thinking ... just going with the flow till i saw a dam slammed down on me lol. And i stopped. Oh speaking of TCZ, i got TCZ II #34 today yay and i was the first to post in TCZ forum abt it! Yay! To read spoilers, juz go there k? Celestial Zone Website

Argh ... oh i better go watch animes later lol, lappy left ... 3GB ahhhh, nooo. LoL i'll do up Gokujou Seitokai Ep17 summary tomorrow ba, i got this feeling LoL. Then i'll post up Blood+ Ep1's review tomorrow! Wait, i haven't typed it out yet ... noooo lol i'll do it tomorrow ... night all! Have fun.

[Signing off @ 10:39 PM]
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