Mai-HiME (2004–2005) User Reviews (5)

Hey wait! Don't run off, I know it sounds trite and goofy but it's good I promise.

[Pritcher · 8/10 · 16 September 2006]

Mai-HiME, (HiME, (pronounced 'hee-meh'), stands for Highly Advanced Materializing Equipment), is about a group of middle/high school girls, called HiMEs, with the ability to materialize weapons and large monster guardians called Childs. Ostensibly, the HiME girls are gathered to this school in order to fight off monsters called Orphans, though it isn't too long before we begin to see darker developments. Hey wait! Don't run off, I know it sounds trite and goofy but it's good I promise.

While it is about a group, it mainly focuses on Mai, hence the show's title. This is a good thing as Mai is probably one of the most likable main characters in recent anime that I've seen. However, there is a large supporting cast of unique characters that are almost all very likable, even the bad guys. The one exception would have to be the annoyingly jealous and clingy Shiho. While some of the characters aren't as well developed as others, none are totally left out and with a cast as large as this that's an accomplishment.

Visually I suppose this show isn't quite as impressive as some other new shows out there, but it is by no means bad. I particularly like the character designs; each and every character has a very distinct look and they are all nicely done. The battle scenes as well look very well done even though some of the Childs do look sort of silly.

Kajiura Yuki is a name I learned with this show and one I'll be trying to remember. She was of course responsible for the musical score here and the music really shines in Mai-HiME. There are a few scenes peppered throughout the series that are set to song and they truly stand out in a good way. The background track is also very impressive and changes to suit the scenes properly.

I cannot speak for the English dub as I have only seen this show in Japanese with English subtitles. Normally, most Japanese voices, especially the girls, sound extremely similar to me and I often have trouble picking out whose voice I'm hearing. However, I don't know if I've just heard so much Japanese lately that I'm starting get a better feel for it or not but, again I found all of the characters to be quite distinct, this time in voice.

******THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS******

Around episode sixteen or so is where the big plot twist comes in and in my opinion it's one of the coolest plots I've seen. After finally banding together and deciding to work as a group the HiMEs are informed of the real plan for them; they have to defeat each other's Childs in order to determine who the strongest is and move on to the next stage. The kicker is that their Childs are directly linked to whoever it is that they consider to be the most important person to them; if their Child is destroyed then so too is that person. They can't even take the noble self-sacrifice route since their Childs are also linked to the HiMEs themselves and so if they choose to kill themselves their Child would die and so would the important person linked to them. If they all simply choose not to fight then the whole world will of course be destroyed. While at first banding together to find a way out of the whole mess they are all the while being manipulated by sinister forces and with so much at stake tensions are high and the inevitable battle begins.

This whole idea coupled with the entangled web of relationships within the group makes for some pretty fantastic and emotional episodes. I have some issues with the ending though, as a few things don't seem to fit quite right or just aren't exactly explained properly, but nothing too huge. The last issue I have with the ending, (and the biggest SPOILER yet just to let you know one last time), is that it's just too happy. Happy endings are nice and all and this one does leave you with a good feeling so that's great, and I don't really know if I'd prefer it to go the sad depressing ending route since I am a sucker for a happy ending. It's just that it sort of cheapens all the death scenes that hit you so hard in the episodes prior to the miracle resurrections in the end.

******END SPOILERS******

All in all Mai-HiME is a great character driven story with a pretty intriguing plot. If you can get past the seemingly clichéd premise you'll realize that it is actually a bit different than standard fare and has a lot more depth than you might notice at first glance. I enjoyed this show quite a lot and I highly recommend it to any anime fan.

The most fun I've had watching anime in years.

[cjd-16 · 9/10 · 2 November 2006]

This show is absolutely fantastic. It goes well beyond the Anime conventionality of the "monster battle of the week", with a huge and diverse cast of characters, deeply moving drama, and some great humor thrown in too. This show ranks among the very best in dramatic animation by far, and is addictive to watch.

The story begins with 15-year-old Mai Tokiha heading off to the Fuuka Academy with her brother Takumi. The boat is attacked in the night by a mysterious girl named Natsuki. Natsuki has a strange power to materialize hand-held flash pistols and summon a mechanical monster named Duran. Natsuki attacks Mai, but a mysterious power comes from within Mai to protect her. As Natsuki fights, the boat breaks apart. Mai is sucked down into the sea. The next thing she knows, she is waking up in the courtyard of Fuuka Academy unharmed, with a trail of singed grass behind her and no memory of how she got there from the sea.

In the successive episodes, Mai learns that she is a "HiME", a maiden blessed by a star which only HiMEs can see, and she has the power to manipulate higher-order matter. As a series of strange monsters called 'Orphans' attacks the Academy, it is up to Mai and the other HiMEs to save the world from them.

The show begins fun, exciting, and light-hearted, with some very good action in the battles with Orphans, and spectacular animation and music. Another high point is the boy-girl humor, which ranks as just about the most hilarious I've seen. This is the general mold for the first ten episodes... humor, character introduction, and a monster battle to cap it off. At episode 11, the first set of 'big bosses' show up, and try to steal the power of the HiMEs for themselves. The result is amazing action and some very touching moments.

Then, at Episode 17, everything changes. This is where Mai-HiME turns from being a fun and enjoyable anime into one of the most intense dramatic shows ever. Everything the main characters know is ripped to shreds bit by bit, and the world comes crashing down around them. These episodes have amazingly intense and complex emotion, and the way in which everything falls apart is so believable. I have never felt so much emotion while watching an animated show.

Another of the great parts of this show is the wide and diverse cast of characters. Almost every possible personality is in this show, including the butt-kicker, the devoted big sister, the gossip queen, the quiet sidekick, the lost kitten, the femme fatale, and the bratty little sister. It is handled surprisingly well. Even though there are over ten characters who could be considered 'main', I found it surprisingly easy to keep track of them all. The show does a wonderful job handling the enormous cast, and each of them are well thought out.

Plain and simple, if you like anime you MUST watch this show. The last ten episodes rank as one of the greatest moments in anime history in my opinion. Since first viewing the fan subs about six months ago, I have watched the series from start to finish no less than four times. It is simply amazing, worth re-watching, and slightly addictive! Check out the DVD's, and enjoy the show!

Awaiting DVD release in full in Australia

[joldershaw · 10/10 · 25 July 2006]

This series inspired me and re-fueled my passion for Anime.

Never have I come across a more complete and sturdy storyline. It is about (especially) a girl, Tokiha Mai, who has recently been granted a scholarship at the Fuka Academy.

Strange events unfold and all the tiny threads of the underlying darkness come to light. Each episode wrapped me instantly and made me want to watch more.

It had so much raw emotion that has never hit me in such a way before, and as I have only seen it in Japanese with English subtitles, I believe I have had the true experience with little lost in translation.

If you liked "Neon Genesis Evangelion" even a tiny bit, you'll LOVE Mai HiME.

Be on the lookout for "Mai Otome" - the second series.

Beware, no magical girl anime!!!

[Ysquare · 2 November 2007]

Okay given, the story somewhat sounds like your typical magical girl anime. Sailor Moon and Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne comes to mind. But, wrong! The first few episodes are fun. The main characters ar introduced with nice slap stick humor. But even there you get the feeling there is more to Mai Hime han meets the eye. It's more drama with way darker themes. With episode 16 things start to get serious and we get know what it really means to be a HiME. Now things change and it becomes one of the most intense animes ever. Everything is ripped apart and you feel with each one of the characters. Never before has an anime managed to create such a variety of believable characters, but yet even though there are so many you still won't get confused. I really recommend this anime also male viewers and older anime fans. You won't regret it.

BTW: The animation is really good too.

My-Hime is THAT good!

[DanielBergDK · 10/10 · 27 December 2008]

I could go on for hours about how good this is but I'm gonna do it as short as I can without spoilers.

1 of my 4 favorite Aime's of all time(My-Hime, Mai Otome, Eureka Seven, Berserk. Can never decide which one I love the most.) My-Hime is just THAT good. Great, fast paced storyline with deep lovable (or hatable :P) characters. Has a couple of unforeseen twists that you will just love, lots of humor as well as soon as you get into the characters - and you will pretty fast.

It also has maybe the best soundtrack I have ever heard to an anime. Not talking about just opening and ending songs (love the ending, find the opening okay) but the background music hitting at the perfect times, gets you hyped as all hell in the cool scenes, or tearing up in the sad ones.

I can see why many people compare it to Neon Genesis Evangelion since it also takes place at a high school and involves a lot of teenage school life with all its fun and problems but that is pretty much as far as it goes IMO. My-Hime has a much broader panel of characters and a much more tightly constructed storyline with very few loose ends once it's over (and sorry if I tick off some NGE fans now, cause NGE is a good series with a lot of nostalgia but looking at both series from a distance - putting aside the age difference and just looking at both as Aime's - My-Hime is superior all together. NGE did have a better opening song though :D)Also NGE had a much darker view on life all together, not meaning it was more serious, just darker. My-Hime has the dark, sad sides as well but still not in a depressing way. Just the way I felt about comparing those shows at least.