By Rick Bruce Page 2 By Rick Bruce Page 2 My Hime (My Otome)
A good anime is one that leaves me hungry to watch more after the last episode which this anime delivers nicely. The initial episode is all important for this as it establishes the character(s) you care about and wait eagerly to see what will happen to them next. In MyZhime that character is a young girl named Arika who wanders into town from the dessert and finds a dream for herself when she sees the beauty and strength of a female warrior known as an otome. That scene is the most striking for me as the costume and sexy body of the role model female warrior is really cool. Just like the young girl looking for a dream I found myself wanting to attend the school and become worthy to have such power and glory. It turns out there is a heavy price to pay for it as Arika learns otomes must give up the happiness of women because their power is gone forever if they have children with a man. The idea of attending school to become a beautiful and glorious female warrior servant is compelling and the story follows the hardships the young girl encounters as she progresses at the school, and there is a backdrop hint she is descended from a previous otome but she does not know who her mother really was.
As with a lot shows the setup and initial scenes are the most interesting and in MyZime the character development has some weaknesses and incoherencies which if shored up could have made it more memorable. Therefore I would argue that it is better to have less characters but more detail about them. I expected to see more about the training and the hidden strengths of the main character and for otomes in general. With a more detailed background about what these superpowers require the fight scenes would have been more interesting and suspenseful. The story broadens into the threat of war between the nations which is previously kept in check by the power of the otome but there are those who wish to destroy them so as return war to the grasp of the common man.
The plot thins a bit as the villains and the good guys get blurred and the love interest character is hazy because his evil actions do not make it clear if he is a good guy, and further it is not clear exactly why he does what he does or deserves to be adored by two of the primary female characters. The ending and wrap up are at least not unsatisfying mysteries but the truth of Arika’s mother is a ongoing question throughout the episodes which is not clearly explained at the end. I would have liked to see some kind of conversation, even if spiritual hypothetical, between the mother and daughter so that the truth of the mystery of her heritage is revealed. Also even the primary character becomes a little vague and there are scenes which are incoherent in their transition leaving that floating dream feeling rather than rapt suspense and emotion for the characters. Overall however this is a cool anime which I liked a lot and is worthy of the archives. The costumes and initial story setup are great and left me inspired to do something more with it. For those with female hearts it provides a cool inspiration for power, beauty, and something that girls have apart from boys: cuddling and kissing each other. In a world where men have the bigger end of the stick in almost everything, it’s one glory girls can enjoy distinct from boys.
Otoboku From the cover you might think this is another horny boy fan service anime, but actually it is a transgender masterpiece. A boy named Mizuho finds out it is in the will of his grandfather that he attend a certain school, but it is a refined girls-only academy with long standing tradition. Therefore his childhood friend prepares him by teaching him to dress as a girl, and so he begins his life of delicate disguise at the school. To his surprise the girls are enamored of his beauty and unusual characterizes, but what is compelling is the back-story by which he comes to be in his situation. His mother died when he was young, and through clues, including a cute ghost of a girl who haunts his bedroom, he learns more and more about her. It addresses the heart of a woman in a male body, and a search for meaning in mystery of femininity. He finds himself fascinated by his mother who came before him, and whom left such an impression on the people who knew her. Though he is a man, the resemblance reminds the elder staff of her, and when he searches for her past at the school he catches a glimpse of her ghost which he chases calling “kausaka!” (Mother). He finds her standing in her white school dress by a railing, and as he approaches her image fades, and his matching image takes its place. More than the fact of crossdressing we see the soul of a woman searching for herself from the separation of her true identity. One might think her unusual qualities are only because she is really a man, but it is realized there is a quiet, strong, and graceful feminine leader, which his mother was before him. The ghost of his dormitory describes her as being very unusual, and assured as an authority figure, which is why she loved her so much. It is compelling to recognize his feminine character through the lens of a male life, giving him a unique perspective from which to interact with his schoolmates. As I mentioned in my I, My, Me, Strawberry Eggs review, anime is the one medium where crossdressing works without flaw of appearance, and while not quite as excellent as Strawberry Eggs, Otoboku is a fine addition to the genre and deserving of treasured anime status. (10 out 10. A great TG anime work.)
|
 |
|||
| A boy must attend a girl's school, but to his surprise he is not only accepted, but revered. 10 out 10. A great TG anime work. | ||||