In 2004-05, the Sunrise studio created an anime series called My-HiME, centering on a group of girls with unusual abilities--enhanced by nanotech--who trained at a special school in order to defend humankind from monsters. The following year the studio produced this follow-up, which is not so much a sequel as it is a semi-remake with mostly different characters in another time and place--a futuristic planet colonized by Earthlings that now features various kingdoms. The story arc begins with the arrival at Windbloom of country girl Arika Yumemiya, who is determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps by training at the academy to become an Otome--a virgin warrior protecting the country against monsters called Slaves. Over the course of the series the narrative swerves wildly, with major characters like classmate Nina wavering between friendship and rivalry with Arika, and Nina’s foster father Sergay threatening Arika’s devotion to the idea of becoming an Otome. Another major figure is Mashiro, an arrogant princess whose often abusive conduct threatens the kingdom’s stability. The series features a good deal of action throughout, both in training sessions and actual missions, as well as some fan service, but while Arika matures somewhat over the course of the narrative, she also remains loud and mostly irritating to the end. Presenting all 26 episodes from 2005-06 in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-14, extras include a bonus featurette. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
My-HiME--My-Otome: The Complete Series
(2005) 7 discs. 650 min. Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $64.98. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 3
My-HiME--My-Otome: The Complete Series
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