Mai Otome 0 S.ifr 3
Things got a bit emo in the second episode but I’ve been won over by the surprisingly (for SUNRISE, that is) ending. Most important for me was how much respect I gained for Sifr; in contrast, I could never feel very much for Arika or Nina. What a fantastic diatribe she delivered to the Columns! ‘I will not die for your convenience!’ is going to be a favourite anime line of mine for a while to come. This, in turn, put a definitive end to Lena’s funk so she can go and kick some serious ass for great justice.
I also liked how the fanservicey elements like Elliot’s yuri lust for Rena was integral to how the plot unfolded. Those feelings were the cracks through which Lena’s belief in Sifr reached her, causing her to realize that her original mission was strategically sensible but morally wrong. Erstin’s sacrifice also saved Arika from Nina and the latter’s eventual recovery but Elliot had a higher impact facotr probably due to her screen time relative to the total screen time of the series.
BTW Doremi did a great job but I think they fluffed the line about ‘Mama Rena’. My own understanding was that the presents were for Rena’s mama - an attempt by Elliot to make a good impression on her hoped-for mother-in-law. LOL And the silly ED sequence didn’t hurt either.
Despite her initial appearance in Ep 2 in her red bikini, Sakura didn’t really register in my memory. However Kyoko’s terrorized reaction to her appearance was pure winnage. Some imoutos terrorize their oneesamas by dint of their forceful personality but the very best examples are those who manage to also draw on a sort of social blackmail where every word, expression and glance reminds the senior and elder that they are not living up to the demands of that higher social status.
So Sakura, like Mai, is a member of the Sun Kingdom royalty that serves as an Otome. But for Artai? And for Nagi’s ancestor? Lovely how Yukana plays Sakura with a tsun-tsun flourish and I wonder how else she’s related to the rest of the Otome cast.
I’m actually looking forward to more from this particular iteration of the Mai Otome franchise.
ADD: Gai’s Zaku eye was also a plus point. But the off-handed way that Lena shrugged him as a mere nuisance reinforces my belief that people called Gai are morons.
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