Fan Origin "What got you interested in Mai HiME?"

by **depression76** Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:32 am

Hey! It's me again xDD And I'm here with vengeance, posting a new topic for a certain someone's challenge >8D

And like the title said, the topic of this thread is

"What got you interested in Mai HiME?"

I'll start with myself. IIRC my first interest in Mai HiME was caused by a magazine article my sister bought. It was a local magazine back in my country and they were doing a special coverage of this big new anime Sunrise released. I remember seeing the designs of Kagutsuchi and thinking that it was cool, and reading Midori's 17-forever biography created a slight interest in me, coz hey, you don't get that kind of character everyday you know xD And so there ya go, me likey the monster designs and the characters were interesting.

However, I didn't get to watch the anime until somewhere around 2006ish, and it was also then I came to notice ShizNat which was prolly my official gate to the Mai-fandom.

Not too interesting, but hey, that's my story xD

How about you guys? Post it here and lets geek out with nostalgia!

by **SpiralDasher** Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:29 am

AMVs. Not Shiznat ones or anything, but action-y AMVs. I got interested in it because it looked good and so I watched it. I was familiar with yuri by this time because I had watched KnM and SP!, but Shizuru's love for Natsuki completely flew over my head until the big reveal. XD; I feel slow whenever I think back on that.

by **Luu Sky Sapphire** Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:08 pm

Here's my answer from 2010:

For the longest time after Sailor Moon, I've been desperately looking for the next big all-female super heroine team. Around when magical girls were given their 2nd chance on mainstream U.S./Canada TV, I had a chance to experiment with a few different series'. Mew Mew Power (which I've seen long before it arrived, as Tokyo Mew Mew), The Winx Club (an Italian magical girl series) and W.I.T.C.H. (yet another Italian magical girl series, but unlike Winx it was dark).

While each of these shows were good in their own way, they didn't match up to Sailor Moon. Memorable villains? Nope. Memorable music? Nope. Likable main heroine? Nope. None of these shows could dazzle me like Sailor Moon did, that is until I discovered the first Mai HiME (known as My-HiME on my shores) episode on Anime Suki in the mid 2000s.

I was hooked from the first episode. It started out subtle, getting a little introduction from everyone including our main heroine Mai Tokiha. Then it quickly escalated to an all out brawl between a beautiful blue haired maiden (we'll get to that VERY shortly) and a sword wielding girl that was found nearly drowned at the beginning.Immediately, my brain goes into a frenzy as I'm amazed by the beauty of the blue haired girl and the skills of the sword wielding girl. We then discover Mai has powers of her own and once they land at the world renowned Fuuka Academy, everything skyrockets.

The series had girls with fierce powers, the classic Monster-of-the-day formula (which evolves into something much more) , and an interesting plot going on.Most of all, it had character development! VERY important in my book.

---

Since then, I have expressed vast amount of more detailed info on why I took interest in the series. Enough to start my communities. You can thank Shizuru and Natsuki of Mai-HiME most of all. While I wasn't captivated by Shizuru from the start (that was Natsuki), their ordeal in the Carnival arc was both tragic and beautiful to watch. And I thought Chikane and Himeko were the most emotionally powerful yuri couple at the time! Shizuru and Natsuki beat their act by miles by being surrounded in a better animated and better told story that captivated my imagination ever since. It helped that neither one was overly uke like Himeko. Shizuru made her own choices while Natsuki went by the age old rule "by any means necessary". So my interests stem from the appeal of the show and the brilliant characters within it. Shizuru, Natsuki, Midori, Haruka, just about all of them. Except Nagi, I still hate that little bastard to this day. Although he's nothing compared to Kyubey.

Nagi >>>>>> Kyubey.

I. Hate. Kyubey. But that's another story....

by **Kiros Razer** Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:55 pm

I think my curiosity was due to finding more Yuri pairings.
When I came across ShizNat pairings I did the research and thought the series was interesting and gave it a shot.

by **Luu Sky Sapphire** Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:45 pm

Kiros Razer wrote:I think my curiosity was due to finding more Yuri pairings.
When I came across ShizNat pairings I did the research and thought the series was interesting and gave it a shot.

What would be your favorite Mai-Series pairing aside from ShizNat? I'm curious.

by **Kuga Natsuki** Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:53 am

As I said before, I got interested in Mai-HiME because I was completely bored, and it was all thanks to this picture:

Spoiler:

And the tag that picture had said "My HiME" and I was all "What the hell is 'My HiME'?" so I decided to check it out. I love my boredom sometimes Natsuki Kruger2

And when I was watching Mai-HiME, I saw Natsuki and Shizuru on screen and I was all "OOOOH So THAT'S where they're from!", since I saw fanarts of them in the past, and I had no idea who they were or where they were from before, so then I knew that they were an item of some sort. But anywho...

When I was watching the very first episode, I already started to like the art and the music and eventually the characters. I was only halfway through the first episode and I was all "DAMN THIS SHOW IS AWESOME :shock: " and that was where it all started. I decided to watch more and I'm glad that I did. After a few more episodes, I showed a couple of friends Mai-HiME, and one of them decided to watch it, and he had the same reaction as me. First episode and he told me the show was awesome :3 Then I showed more friends and all of them said that it's the best anime ever Mikoto Minagi

Spoiler:

The first 15 or so episodes, I was pleased with the storyline, til the storyline took a drastic turn to part 2 of the storyline. When I was at episode 15, I said to myself that I would finish the rest of the show in a couple of days. Nope. I finished all the other half in one night because I was so interested Natsuki Kruger2

Worth it~

I really enjoyed the storyline. It was full of dark twists and turns that's not like your natural chick flick-themed anime~ Shizuru Kaichou

I enjoyed the backstories the characters had. I enjoyed the designs of each character (~~Except John Smith... That bastard~~ Akira Okuzaki

). Each HiME had their own pros and cons, and each had their own cool abilities, no matter how much I love or hate them. The show was just perfect for me to enjoy fully. Mai-HiME was one of the greatest anime shows I've seen beer

Before Mai-HiME, Rin Asogi was my #1 favorite female character:

Fan Origin "What got you interested in Mai HiME?" Tumblr_m0paf7dOIP1r2dkjw

But when Mai-HiME came in, Shizuru kicked Rin off the list... ~~But she didn't last long because Madlax kicked Shizuru off the list like a month later~~ Akira Okuzaki

Spoiler:

There's my story Shiho Huit

by **Kiros Razer** Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:26 pm

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:
Kiros Razer wrote:I think my curiosity was due to finding more Yuri pairings.
When I came across ShizNat pairings I did the research and thought the series was interesting and gave it a shot.

What would be your favorite Mai-Series pairing aside from ShizNat? I'm curious.

Mai X Mikoto, Natsuki X Mai, Chie X Aoi, Nao X Miyu, Midori X Yohko,
Yukino X Haruka, Akira X Takumi, Arika X Mashiro, Arika X Nina, Erstein X Nina, Tomoe X Shizuru, Sometimes Nao X Mikoto.. I wasn't much for Akane but I liked her weapon.. but I really disliked Shiho.
I wasn't much for Arika but I do like reading some of the pairings she is with in fan fiction.

by **Grawrr** Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:37 am

It was in 2010 I believe.. I remember being bored one night, and wanting to watch a Yuri anime. I was browsing AMV's and started watching a Yuri one. It had Shizuru in there.. I though to myself "who on earth is this woman!?!? I must find out!" Unfortunately the creator didn't mention the names of the Anime in the video, nor did they reply. A couple of weeks later, I stumbled upon a photo of Shizuru and Natsuki. I finally found out her name so googled the Anime she was from, and read up on it. I loved the idea of girls having powers. Like Luu, I also watched shows with super heroines, and while they were alright.. None could stack against Sailor Moon. Mai-HiME however, just reading some of the plot (I didn't want to spoil too much) it caught my interest, it was an instant must watch right meow for me. Even though it wasn't a Yuri anime like Strawberry Panic, I still loved it. ^_^

by **Luu Sky Sapphire** Thu Jan 17, 2013 5:47 pm

Grawrr wrote:It was in 2010 I believe.. I remember being bored one night, and wanting to watch a Yuri anime. I was browsing AMV's and started watching a Yuri one. It had Shizuru in there.. I though to myself "who on earth is this woman!?!? I must find out!" Unfortunately the creator didn't mention the names of the Anime in the video, nor did they reply. A couple of weeks later, I stumbled upon a photo of Shizuru and Natsuki. I finally found out her name so googled the Anime she was from, and read up on it. I loved the idea of girls having powers. Like Luu, I also watched shows with super heroines, and while they were alright.. None could stack against Sailor Moon. Mai-HiME however, just reading some of the plot (I didn't want to spoil too much) it caught my interest, it was an instant must watch right meow for me. Even though it wasn't a Yuri anime like Strawberry Panic, I still loved it. ^_^

Pfft, even I don't Strawberry Panic and Mai-HiME on the same level. One has very shallow character and the other has some of the most well developed females ever. Good to know you were also looking for that follow up to Sailor Moon during it's long hiatus. I felt Mai-HiME/Otome really delivered on everything a modern day magical girl show should be, plus more.

And Grawrr? I wonder what Shizuru did in that first video you watch that made you go "who on Earth is this woman?!" Must of been the hair scene, I can't think of anything more gay than that. Except maybe the girls fighting over who was going to rub lotion on Shizuru's smooth skin. :3

by **Grawrr** Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:43 pm

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:
Pfft, even I don't Strawberry Panic and Mai-HiME on the same level. One has very shallow character and the other has some of the most well developed females ever. Good to know you were also looking for that follow up to Sailor Moon during it's long hiatus. I felt Mai-HiME/Otome really delivered on everything a modern day magical girl show should be, plus more.

And Grawrr? I wonder what Shizuru did in that first video you watch that made you go "who on Earth is this woman?!" Must of been the hair scene, I can't think of anything more gay than that. Except maybe the girls fighting over who was going to rub lotion on Shizuru's smooth skin. :3

Lol I know they aren't, not even close. I enjoyed Strawberry Panic's story, but I felt it was lacking, I still enjoyed it though. Yup yup ^_^ I was very please with Mai-HiME, it's been awhile since I felt like that with an Anime.

Lol surprisingly it wasn't either of those. xP The scene showed Shizuru summoning her naginata on the cliff that stance is just *drools*.

by **Kuga Natsuki** Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:06 pm

Grawrr wrote:It was in 2010 I believe.. I remember being bored one night, and wanting to watch a Yuri anime. I was browsing AMV's and started watching a Yuri one. It had Shizuru in there.. I though to myself "who on earth is this woman!?!? I must find out!" Unfortunately the creator didn't mention the names of the Anime in the video, nor did they reply. A couple of weeks later, I stumbled upon a photo of Shizuru and Natsuki. I finally found out her name so googled the Anime she was from, and read up on it. I loved the idea of girls having powers. Like Luu, I also watched shows with super heroines, and while they were alright.. None could stack against Sailor Moon. Mai-HiME however, just reading some of the plot (I didn't want to spoil too much) it caught my interest, it was an instant must watch right meow for me. Even though it wasn't a Yuri anime like Strawberry Panic, I still loved it. ^_^

You and me the same about catching interest ^_^ The first episode is pretty brainwashing @_@

by **Grawrr** Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:37 am

Nymphetamine wrote:
You and me the same about catching interest ^_^ The first episode is pretty brainwashing @_@

I agree! I was hooked! I couldn't stop watching it XD

by **The Fire Stirring Ruby** Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:39 am

I might as well have my say here.

~~Although I did remember typing one myself a few years back. >_>~~

What got me interested in Mai-HiME was because of my typical want to watch any anime. I ain't the nit-picky watcher.

It was way back in 2008 or 2009-ish, and it happened that Mai-HiME was one of the early animations I saw being aired on the debut of a new local TV network. So I said, "Why not give it a try?" And turns out, I wasn't wrong.

I had fun watching it, especially on the Cake Wars episode. Everyone had this charm that made me hooked to the fandom.

So that's it, pretty much. ^0^

by **Luu Sky Sapphire** Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:47 am

The Fire Stirring Ruby wrote:I might as well have my say here.

~~Although I did remember typing one myself a few years back. >_>~~

What got me interested in Mai-HiME was because of my typical want to watch any anime. I ain't the nit-picky watcher.

It was way back in 2008 or 2009-ish, and it happened that Mai-HiME was one of the early animations I saw being aired on the debut of a new local TV network. So I said, "Why not give it a try?" And turns out, I wasn't wrong.

I had fun watching it, especially on the Cake Wars episode. Everyone had this charm that made me hooked to the fandom.

So that's it, pretty much. ^0^

^0^ It's rare to find someone who isn't nit-picky. I'll take it as a good thing since that means you'll watch any of my recommended series. Thanks for sharing your story, the Cake Wars episode is an easy lure for the casual anime viewer. Shizuru Fujino

by **hildebrant** Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:16 pm

truth be told Mai HiMe would have been just another series I'd have forgotten about and ignored but, the way the fans talked about it and how they treated certain characters drew me in and the rest is history, though not necessarily good history though there have been some brief glimmers of hope in the years I've been involved with this series

by **Luu Sky Sapphire** Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:56 pm

hildebrant wrote:truth be told Mai HiMe would have been just another series I'd have forgotten about and ignored but, the way the fans talked about it and how they treated certain characters drew me in and the rest is history, though not necessarily good history though there have been some brief glimmers of hope in the years I've been involved with this series

The fans still loved it in 2013. That's one glimmer of hope for me, personally. :)

by **hildebrant** Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:02 pm

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:
hildebrant wrote:truth be told Mai HiMe would have been just another series I'd have forgotten about and ignored but, the way the fans talked about it and how they treated certain characters drew me in and the rest is history, though not necessarily good history though there have been some brief glimmers of hope in the years I've been involved with this series

The fans still loved it in 2013. That's one glimmer of hope for me, personally. :)

mine was finding at least one more person who liked Mai/Tate, even if it was just every so often or once in a blue moon

by **Luu Sky Sapphire** Wed Mar 27, 2013 4:54 pm

As long as the Mai-HiME fan doesn't ship Mai with Reito, I think they're all secretly TatMai shippers.

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