First Impressions / Mai-Otome / OVA/Movie

Summary:
It has been one year since the incident at Windbloom and a new threat has appeared in the shape of a meteoroid hurtling towards the planet. An attack team has been formed consisting of the world’s Otome, including Arika, Haruka, and Sara Gallagher among others. Each of them throws their special Meteor Breaker weapons towards the meteor, but its trajectory changes, meaning that the weapons don’t completely destroy it. The largest fragment continues to hurtle toward the planet on a course that would crash it into Windbloom. Arika is the one who springs into action and gets Mashiro to activate her blue Zwei robe from the ground. She then proceeds to get in front of the meteor, brings forth her Sword of Akatsuki, and make a charge directly at it. The force of the impact with Arika shatters and destroys the meteor in a bright explosion. From the ground, Miyu watches as the smaller pieces burn up in the atmosphere, but she sees something in particular falling and goes after it. Back in space, Arika is happy that she was able to protect everyone, but a winged dark shadow suddenly appears behind her.
Arika then falls out of her chair, causing her to wake up. She becomes afraid that everything she saw was just a dream, but Miss Maria reassures her by showing her a newspaper clipping that says she saved the world. As she runs through the castle grounds, Arika mentally composes a letter to Nina talking about how Mashiro is working hard as a queen, how she herself is still studying to be a good Otome, and how she wants Nina to come and play. She stops running because she notices that there are a group of laborers gathered at the front gate demanding to see Mashiro. Meanwhile, Irina and Gal are investigating one of the desert crash sites of the meteor. With them are Natsuki and Shizuru, the former of whom is reading in the newspaper about those same laborers and their wages. Irina finishes up and is ready to go back, but Youko radios that she has one more place for them to go check. Shizuru offers to go by herself, allowing Natsuki and the others to go home. Upon arriving at the new site, Shizuru sees Miyu fall from the sky, except Miyu’s body has been turned to stone. In a fuzzy voice, Miyu tries to warn Shizuru to run away, but it’s too late. A dark figure has appeared on the cliff above her, and Shizuru gets surrounded by giant stalks that come out of the ground.
Back at Windbloom, Arika and Mashiro get into an argument after Arika takes the side of the protesters. Arika ends up spending the next day in Youko’s lab while Mashiro heads off to the Black Valley. Although Mai and Mikoto still live there, the Black Valley has actually been turned into a national park. In any case, strange things soon start happening in both places. Natsuki visits Youko’s lab inquiring about Shizuru, who still hasn’t returned. When Irina tries to contact the missing Otome, there is no response because – unknown to them – Shizuru has been turned to stone. Over at the Black Valley, a shadowy figure that has Shizuru’s shape suddenly appears perched on top of one of the rocks. Having just finished eating, Mikoto suddenly gets a vision of this figure, but she then yawns and falls asleep. The ground there soon starts shaking and at the same time, Youko’s lab gets a warning of a Highly-advanced Materialising reaction. Something resembling a Slave comes out of the ground in the Black Valley, so Natsuki and Arika head there immediately. With the Slave starting to wreak havoc, Mai gets a sleeping Mikoto to kiss her earring and then materialises her robe.
Arika and Natsuki soon arrive, but Mashiro and Arika continue to argue until Natsuki turns their attention to more pressing issues. Mashiro activates Arika’s robe and then Arika brings out the Zwei version. But even with the strength of three Otome and their most powerful attacks, the girls are unable to make a dent in their enemy. Arika tries her “Bolt from the Blue” attack, but the Slave just disappears into a void and reappears after Arika has passed through where it was standing. While that fight is raging on, a shadowy figure resembling Miyu is approaching Fumi’s mausoleum at Garderobe. Youko’s lab gets alerted of the intruder and contact Miss Maria, who transforms into her younger form as she goes down. Miss Maria encounters someone floating around her, taking different forms, but then the nearby Fumi’s chamber suddenly lights up and Miss Maria’s robe disappears. With the Fumi System going down, Youko switches over to the emergency mode’s Surrogate Mother System in order to keep Natsuki’s robe on. Natsuki and Mashiro learn of the intruder from Youko, but then Arika alerts Natsuki to a group of people who need to be saved.
Much to Arika’s dismay, Mashiro ends up ordering Natsuki to return to Garderobe to deal with the intruder instead of going to help the people. After Natsuki flies off, Arika questions this decision since their promise is to create a world where everyone can smile. When Arika claims not to understand what Mashiro is doing, Mashiro angrily tells her to shut up and follow orders. Mashiro immediately realizes what she just said, but it’s too late to take back her words. Their effect causes Arika to lose her blue Zwei robe, returning her to the pink and blue one. What’s more, Arika stands motionlessly as the Slave suddenly grabs her and throws her against a rock. Though shocked at first, Arika then notices some toys in the rubble: a figure of her inside a wood replica of one of Mai’s flaming rings. This gives her the idea to work together with Mai to defeat the Slave. At the same time, Natsuki is arriving back at school, but the Surrogate system has terminated, leaving Natsuki without a robe. However, before she can even go inside Fumi’s mausoleum, a dark winged figure bursts out and flies away. Arika and Mai meanwhile are able to defeat the Slave after Arika uses her “Bolt from the Blue” attack through Mai’s flaming ring.
This victory is short lived because clouds soon start gathering over the Black Valley. Arika and Mai receive a warning from Natsuki that something appeared and stole Fumi’s Pure White Diamond. Just as they’re getting the message, the two get attacked by the winged dark figure. While this is going on, the rocks around the town start to glow and retract into the ground. Arika rushes toward Mashiro, but she can’t make it in time before the ground that Mashiro is standing moves away and disappears with the queen. At that time, somewhere far away, Nina notices the lightening in the sky as she returns to Sergay. As the dust clears in the Black Valley, Arika can only cry out for Mashiro, who is now gone.

Preview:

Man, this OVA reminds me of how much I’ve really missed this show and its large cast of characters. Not everyone was featured (I was hoping for some Shiho or Nao fun), but that’s probably for the better so that they didn’t squander the time showing too many people. Before anyone corrects me though, both Shiho and Nao were briefly shown, but they didn’t have much involvement. In fact, the first time I watched this, I missed Shiho’s very brief shot during the first scene in the Airies observatory. And yes, she was still doing the maki maki. In any case, I was just glad to see everyone at it again.
Being an OVA, this episode was pretty much full force animation quality and action. The words “mad orgy of stuff that made Otome cool” come to mind when I try to describe it. You’ve got pretty shots like this, Miss Maria showing her young side again, Arika and Mai working together, and more. The end also shows Nagi, Sergay, and Nina, making me wonder if they’ll all play a part. I’m willing to bet that at least Nina will return in one of the future episodes.
The story here is about a new threat that can apparently take on shapes similar to people that it has encountered, including Arika in the blue robe, Shizuru, Miyu. Surprisingly enough, it’s already turned Shizuru, Miss Maria, and Miyu into stone! That knocks out three very powerful people, and means that Miyu probably won’t be saving the day like she did so much in Mai-Otome, which I think is a good thing. As for the shadowy figure, at first the dark wings reminded me of Nina’s winged form from the end of the series, but I’m not really sure what it is. Looking closely at this shot reveals someone that doesn’t seem familiar to me.
And because I enjoyed watching this, the worst part about this episode is that it ends on a cliffhanger, and the next DVD episode (out of four total) isn’t due out until February 23rd, 2007. Something to look forward to… *marks calendar*

82 Comments

  9. WHATS GOING ON………I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO SHIZURU……….i hope shes not dead…..i like the clip of Shizuru and Natsuki in together…….i hope you put a summary……

    darkredeyes
    Reply

  10. Thing that I hate about mai hime and mai otome is the way everyone comes together at the end. Seems to be a common theme with like everyone surviving and being happy. While this normally isnt a bad thing its done soo unaturally in the show…

    NinjiKiran
    Reply

  19. it looks good, but again… Mai series always start good and always ends bad.

    In the end everyone will get together, no one get harm, running towards the sun rise crap ending.

    oh well…the animation is good anyway.

    quinaa
    Reply

  26. Nice one, very very well-done! I’m very pleased with how they managed to overcome one of the main weaknesses of the Otome universe: The ability to project the feeling of a serious threat. And even though they reused some canned animation sequences (even twice in the same episode!), overall the animation was spectacular. Too bad that it will take so long before we see the continuation.

    Hilarious side-realization: The story looks so utterly Stratos 4 that I was giggling throughout the entire first half. Not just that we have our squadron of Comet Blasters (the Otome squad), but then Arinko goes all Meteor Sweepers on cleanup duty on us. And still, some unspeakable threat hidden in the comet fragments reaches earth… and young cute girls in alot of fanservicey poses will deliver us from evil!

    Mentar
    Reply

  32. OMG!!! the OVA was so good
    i like it very much i hope the subs will be soon
    at first i saw the black shadow i think that was nina (same with the last episode of mai-otome)
    and the last scene nina similar with natsuki “i think”
    i even think miyu ands chizuru was so fast get turn into stone

    muhi_kira
    Reply

  33. OMG!!! the OVA was so good
    at first i saw the black shadow i think that was nina because of the last episode of mai-otome
    i even think miyu and chizuru was so fast turned into a stone
    and the last scene i think nina hair style like natsuki in mai-hime

    muhi_kira
    Reply

  35. I just watched this and it wasn’t as bad as I feared, needs more fat cats though.

    kacpy, I couldn’t really tell if the music was new because it sounded very similar to some of the themes Yuki Kajiura seems to use in a lot of her work. I’d err on the side of “very slightly different remixes so we can release an OST without doing too much work”.

    Karura
    Reply

  38. the power hierarchy is very intriguing here…its a real pity that miyu (probably one of the strongest in the mai otome universe) was defeated so easily…

    IF nina will return as an otome (likely)…i wonder which GEM she’ll use. since the black shadow thing already took fumi’s pure white diamond…i wonder…

    mewmew
    Reply

  42. every time i see those shodow things i keep thinking clow cards….

    btw its probabley a good thing that miyu is out of the picture seeing as in both mai-hime and otome she was like uber powerful (like several times that of everyone else except mabye alyssa and mai or arika and nina?) so now we can finally get a plot ending NOT invovling a crazy ass powerful robot….(i dont think that happens very often in these types of series lol)
    also seeing as this is mai-w/e series everyone should be alive still by the end of the series along with several new additions to the cast (and mabye 1 or 2 mia people who the forgot about)

    anamesis
    Reply

  43. I can’t believe 3 most powerful characters got KO in the first part of the OVA. Shizuru better not died or this whole OVA Otome show will be a waste. She is the reason why the show is so cool plus Natsuki, of course. Ma, I love the scene with Shizuru and Natsuki. I’m so happy to see them again but I’m so mad that Shizuru, the lady killer of the show got knock out just like that. Natsuki better do something. Fanclub should english sub this. I can’t wait unti Feb. 23 for the second one. Want to know if Shizuru is alive, if she’s not, this show gotta go.

    Venn
    Reply

  44. The biggest thing i don’t like about otome (besides how annoying the mian char is) is that the technology they use can’t be used for dudes which is utterly stupid, never would technology be created in the future(b4 they fell and became idiots again) that was dependent on what chromosomes you had. At least not without some alternative for guys.
    i know its 4 the otakus out there but at least mai-hime made more sense, plus the character development was great i just hate the sappy ass ending.

    bak3donh1gh
    Reply

  50. >
    > Will watch this as soon as a few more eps come out ^_^
    >

    Well, see you around august 2007, then, when all four eps will be out :p (one episode per trimester, as I heard on the AnimeSuki forum…).

    Fubar
    Reply

  54. o and one more thing that shadow u say one is arika’s mother is not cause if u look carefully if u watch the show pause it at where before it show the face that part and u will see a hair on the head one is arika style!!!!

    sus
    Reply

  57. It´s a pretty damn start for Mai Otome ^^

    But i ask me what the hell is going on with Shizuru in the desert? Is she a stone figure now? Or what? I can´t wait for the next ep ^^ I love it..So kawaii

    Carina
    Reply

  59. to those just curious: there is only one an ED, no OP song in this OVA and its sung by kikuchi mika (arika’s va)

    also, yes, shizuru is petrified. i suppose her role in the ova series will be very minor then…

    mewmew
    Reply

  60. I have to agree with the other poster who said that they can’t stand how everybody is alright at the end of the series. I hope Shizuru remains stone, you know so these episodes actually have some sort of repercussions.

    Plus I just can’t stand ShizNat it always felt tacked on to me. (Now I’ve got to go run for cover from the flames of crazed ShizNat fans).

    stone3458
    Reply

  62. I so loved the first episode of the OVA.
    It was great !Everyone of my favorite characters were there,and got their screen-time.
    It’s too bad that Mikoto didn’t get a chance to fight in the first episode.
    Damn it!Damn that evil-shadow-mutant-alien-otome,it’s all her fault tha
    Mikoto didn’t even get a chance to fight!
    I mean everyone saw how Mikoto had sensed danger approaching the Black Valley?
    But she couldn’t do anything to stop it?She fell asleep!

    Ah,well,can’t wait to see the second episode of the ova?
    It’s gonna be great!!

    DiosSan
    Reply

  65. the best thing about this is

    A) nina might get some action
    B) shiznat becomes offical
    C) Nagi finally succeeds in an evil plan
    D) Mai actually does something plot worthy in this
    E) if this bombs AoMM will make a killing

    The bad things

    A) its 3 episodes long (its not enough, im pointing at you stargazer)
    B) sir-gay is back in full molester mode
    C) shizuru is stoned
    D) this evil shaodw people reminds me of episodes of DBZ
    E) and now we have to wonder in sunrise will screw up again(keyword AGAIN!)

    idiot
    Reply

  66. Well I soooo agree with Idiot (LMAO).. everytime I get excited about a Mai series I have to worry about how Sunrise is going to screw it up..
    and please can we finally get sergay killed? we still have 3 OVAs, we can do it..
    BTW what´s the WOOKIE baby working at mai´s? and where is yoda then?

    philk
    Reply

  67. OMG…February 2007? *cry* thats too far away. Show Spoiler ▼

    Dang it, Natsuki go save Shizuru!

    renny-chan
    Reply

  68. To renny-chan: it was Erstin… but she might as well come back to life in the OAV, seeing how they all came back, in My HiME… (and I heard people saying she was quite popular… I don’t remember if it was here, or on AnimeSuki…)

    Anonymous Coward
    Reply

  70. Forget Shizuru/Natsuki. How about some Mai/Irina? Go go redheads.

    Just saw this, gotta say, the animation is beautiful in this. The episode starts off with a bang, and just keeps building up. It’s a nice feeling, and it was something the other two Mai series had going for them.

    The question is, will the end go as badly as the other two?

    Gotta say, I agree with the person who said, basically, it’s okay for everyone to live and for it to be a happy ending; the Mai series’ have just made it feel unnatural, though. The end always loses the feel that the entire series was building up to create. From fanservice-filled action (during the series), to something like slightly-supernatural high school life (at the end).

    Things that could make this better?
    1. Longer. I hate short OVAs. I love full-length series (at least 13 episodes.)
    2. Keep the tone of the show throughout. Don’t get happy and sweet right at the end.
    3. Make the fight-scenes a little more action-oriented.

    Things that could make it worse?
    1. Typical Mai ending.
    2. The villain turning out to be something extremely cheesy.
    3. Recycling more plot themes from the other two. (We don’t need more technology from the Searrs Foundation saving the day, I love you Miyu, but you’re overpowered kthx.)

    Darke
    Reply

  71. gahhhh…im sooo excited XD yay!!!…..ahhhh but im so disappointed…i didnt like that nina lives with/got sergay, i had somehow hoped that it would be arika + sergay…poor arinko lol…

    melonberry
    Reply

  77. How the hell is Arika going to find the Black Valley now?!
    And the Otomes are gonna have some major trouble to figure out.
    How are they gonna fight Ishigami without Mai, Arika,Miyu,Mikoto and Shizuru?!

    Oh well,they’re smart girls so I’m sure they’ll figure it out real soon.

    DiosSan
    Reply

  78. The new enemy seems to be able to emulate the outlook (and power by implication) of anybody, dead or alive. That makes it so invincible and unidentifiable.

    Is it my delusion? I see Mashiro catching up Arika in height (colume 10, row 3)!

    How come they make Mikoto sleeping all the time when the ground is shaking and shattering? That’s unreasonable! Mikoto should live up to her reputation of Kungfu no. 1, and letting her sleep is a stupid excuse to deprive her of screen time.

    Blue Sky
    Reply

  81. SETSUNA F. SEIEI LOVE ARIKA YUMEMIYA YOU LIKE IT GUNDAM 00 AND MAI OTOME WELL YES OK THANKS SETSUNA AND ARIKA TO GO HOT WATER ARIKA HAVE BLUE SWIMSUIT AND SETSUNA HAVE LIGHT BLUE SWIMSUIT SHORTS HAVE FUN MY FRIENDS NINA WANG AND TOMOE AND LACUS KIRA AND MAI ATHRUN AND NATSUKI CAGALLI AND SHIZURU NAGI AND GILBERT DURANDAL AUEL NEIDER AND JULIET NAO STING OAKLEY AND ERSTIN HO STELLA LOUSSIER AND AKANE SOIR BY SUNRISE

    JOEL PEREZ
    Reply

  82. QUOTE:

    Good Tings

    A) nina might get some action (What kind of action??)
    B) shiznat becomes offical (Haha, fans are really getting over them…)
    C) Nagi finally succeeds in an evil plan (Congratulations!!)
    D) Mai actually does something plot worthy in this (But Arika is still better IMO…)
    E) if this bombs AoMM will make a killing (yah right…)

    The bad things

    A) its 3 episodes long (its not enough, im pointing at you stargazer) (4 episodes…)
    B) sir-gay is back in full molester mode (yeah right, nonetheless)
    C) shizuru is stoned (fans went crazy over this event… and yells “Natsuki do something!!”)
    D) this evil shaodw people reminds me of episodes of DBZ (Haha…)
    E) and now we have to wonder in sunrise will screw up again(keyword AGAIN!) (Uhm, no comment…:D)

    AxiumX
    Reply

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