Was Natsuki Kuga REALLY a lesbian? [Mai-HiME]

Was Natsuki Kuga a lesbian? [Mai-HiME]

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She is in love with another woman Post-Episode 26 to me, that much is certain. She accepted a woman's feelings during the last episodes of the series. My question is, was Natsuki into other girls before this all happened? I didn't want to make this thread at first since Natsuki didn't have romance on the mind throughout the series, she was too busy plotting against First District and fighting Orphans. Not necessarily a good time to start exploring your sexuality, so we never got to see her go for anyone. There have been moments where she would dismiss being into other girls, responding with "Will you stop kidding around?!" when Mai asked her about her hostility towards men...possibly swinging in the other direction. Suffice it to say, us guys have little chance with Natsuki (not that I wanted her in THAT way, she is more like an idol to me), though her blushy reactions to Takeda's piss poor attempts made me think of her incarnations from the manga. You know, the mayonnaise addict who desired Tate? XD

Share your feelings, maybe I can capitalize on your opinions if they tickle the brain enough. I don't think much about the subject, her and Shizuru are united nao and that's just another example of love transcending all.

Kagura wrote:I didn't want to make this thread at first since Natsuki didn't have romance on the mind throughout the series, she was too busy plotting against First District and fighting Orphans. Not necessarily a good time to start exploring your sexuality, so we never got to see her go for anyone.

That.

I actually have no idea, if she is a lesbian or not and I don't care either.
We can see that Manga HiME Natsuki is straight <_< But Anime HiME Natsuki a lesbian??

I think Natsuki doesn't care about the gender, when she is in love AND WHEN she realizes she is in love (the second when goes for Epi 22-24 (was it 22?? XD)). As she said herself, Shizuru was the first person who cared about her after her mother died. So I have to admit that Shizuru could have been a guy, too (urgh, scary *goes to cry in Wolvetta's corner). I think it doesn't matter for Natsuki as long as she feels teh love.

Whatever. I dunno. Leave me alone XD

Oi what are you guys discussing here? Stay the fack out of it *materializes pistols*

((I don't think she knows that she has a lot lesbian potential. I mean she's in a way too boyish to find a guy who has more balls than her. That's why she would eventually go for girls because girls simply would fall in love with her and Natsuki's interest is bound to trust and I guess girls are way better to make a emotional connection))

Kino karutta-chan wrote:So I have to admit that Shizuru could have been a guy, too (urgh, scary *goes to cry in Wolvetta's corner).

((nao that you mention it, Natsuki's whole storyline could of worked with Reito as well. ^_~ He is a male Shizuru in a lot of ways, and everyone's always saying how Natsuki feels more like a main character than Mai Tokiha *cough* Hollowed-Words *COUGH*. And don't go crying in a British woman's corner, they don't like that too much. o_o; ))

Kuga Natsuki wrote:((I don't think she knows that she has a lot lesbian potential. I mean she's in a way too boyish to find a guy who has more balls than her. That's why she would eventually go for girls because girls simply would fall in love with her and Natsuki's interest is bound to trust and I guess girls are way better to make a emotional connection))

nao, nao, I wouldn't say that. Girls can relate to each other better when it comes to going through same experience, but females can be emotionally unstable compared to guys. ;p Like you said in the lesbian stories thread (which I will get to next, forgive my procrastination!), "Lesbians love to share. It's hard to have a girl that is faithful." The moment someone like Natsuki is betrayed, it's hard for her to recover from that. Man or woman. o_o

Guys like Kazuya and Tate are males-in-distress, they were fortunate enough to find someone (in Tate's case, two people) who cares about them. Natsuki's case, Shizuru arrived during a difficult time and that's why those two belong together. Mai-Otome is a different story lately, I'd like to blame you for that Fräulein. NatNao support is growing everyday...))

Kagura wrote:Mai-Otome is a different story lately, I'd like to blame you for that Fräulein. NatNao support is growing everyday...))

((That is because someone had to it^^

I have very weird pictures in my head nao after you mentioned the thing with Reito ))

Kino karutta-chan wrote:

I think Natsuki doesn't care about the gender,...

the same goes for me.
For me, Natsuki doesn't care about gender. hmm.. i guess she doesn't exactly understand the "love" thing. if i'm going to explore her sexuality (seriously, they must elaborate some things and events in Natsuki's Prelude. XD), it's kind of vague but for nao it's neutral (is there such?! ). she's neither straight or a lesbian. she didn't show any interests in guys, also in girls.

so... the "love" thing that Natsuki understands is only the "love" on the friendship level, or she's still confused even in this level. wew. the "love" she knew was sort of give-and-take, about making pinky swears, a mix of every friendship-theme you see in Cartoon Network and Nickeloden, and didn't involve this and that.

maybe she just discovered a new level of "love" in episode 24 (when she got her pistols back), from Shizuru.

I like to think that Natsuki is pansexual. While most guys wouldn't go for her type, I have met some who actually would. Regardless, if she's not a lesbian, that won't stop me from shipping her with Shizuru.

The critics say that she does confess not loving Shizuru *that* way but I think that changes in the last episode. Don't ask me why but if I recall Shizuru was willing to stay in school even though she was graduating that year. I'm not to be quoted on this because I haven't watched the series in ages and my memory fails. So, if Shizuru was willing to wait for Natsuki to catch up, chances are it would be during that time that she falls for Shizuru.

Lerena wrote:The critics say that she does confess not loving Shizuru *that* way

The critics didn't read between the lines, nor read Natsuki no Prelude.

This is an excellent topic, and here is my opinion regarding it. Something I've discussed with J. Peterson at length XD.

I /personally/ believe Natsuki is a lesbian. In the Anime series, anyway. In the manga, and certain games, I have no clue to whether she is bi, straight, etc., and frankly am not a fan of those alternatives anyway.

This is why I believe Natsuki is a lesbian (in the anime series):

1) As it has been pointed out, Mai made a reference to her having "other thoughts" about Natsuki's sexuality. Natsuki responded with "don't joke like that", but never really denies it, does she? (something JP pointed out);

2) Nao calls Natsuki a lesbian in the drama CDs. Yes, she meant it to be offensive, but again, Natsuki doesn't say much in her defense XD;

3) Natsuki's Prelude makes that brief mention how Natsuki doesn't seem to embrace the opposite sex (or rather, through Takeda's thoughts it mentions it);

4) Again, back to the drama CDs. We know Shizuru initiated Natsuki's obsession with lingerie, and she also had a touchy feely moment with Natsuki in doing so XD (heheheheh). Natsuki beat the crap outta Takeda for simply falling on top of her, yet she let Shizuru get away with actual grabbing, touching, and admits that it felt good? Let me put this another way. I am a lesbian, and no matter how talented a straight man might be, if I was to be grabbed in that same manner, I wouldn't consider it pleasurable in the slightest. That's not meant to be offensive to any guys out there, I'm just using myself as an example and a comparison for my reasoning :);

5) Another little hint from Sunrise. Natsuki /noticing/ Shizuru's breasts when Shizuru leans over behind her to enter the password on the laptop in Natsuki's Prelude. I thought the fact they even added that into the book to be another "hint hint, nudge nudge" moment from Sunrise. "She's gay, but we really can't say."

6) The most obvious - she ends up with a woman. Again, through Natsuki's Prelude we know this. Yes, that could also mean she's bi, but I just see a few hints there from Sunrise.

Like I said, that's my opinion. Of course, it's subjective.

And I believe this is why I am more of a Shizuru fan *drooools* than I am a Natsuki fan. With Shizuru, you know definitively who she is. There is no guesswork, no subject to the viewer's interpretation. That, plus she's elegant, graceful, and Naomi Shindou just breaths so much life into that character.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

Lerena wrote:The critics say that she does confess not loving Shizuru *that* way

The critics didn't read between the lines, nor read Natsuki no Prelude.

Natsuki no Prelude? I WANNA READ IT! O_____O;; And yea, I suck at reading in between the lines but my biggest argument is you don't kiss someone you don't love. End of story.

Lerena wrote:Natsuki no Prelude? I WANNA READ IT! O_____O;; And yea, I suck at reading in between the lines but my biggest argument is you don't kiss someone you don't love. End of story.

Natsuki no Prelude

^ Natsuki no Prelude (translated by my lover). ;3 After reading it, all the good points raynejan made will make a creepy-kinda sense.

My apologies, Lerena. I should have used Spoiler Alert. Hope I didn't ruin it for you.

And thanks, Luu I'm glad you consider them to be good points ^^

raynejan wrote:And thanks, Luu I'm glad you consider them to be good points ^^

I do. Your entire post deviates towards Natsuki being more comfortable around women in general, easing her into having a relationship with one and enjoying it greatly. :)

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

raynejan wrote:And thanks, Luu I'm glad you consider them to be good points ^^

I do. Your entire post deviates towards Natsuki being more comfortable around women in general, easing her into having a relationship with one and enjoying it greatly. :)

Natsuki does seem to be more at ease with girls, huh? Well, considering her Father, the lead male in her life, left her when she needed him most, it may account for her being less comfortable or trusting of men. Which, like Luu said, probably helped her along the way. She's not as much of a man hater as Nao is, but still, I think like Nao, trauma has something to do with her not being comfortable with men.

Konaxookami wrote:Natsuki does seem to be more at ease with girls, huh? Well, considering her Father, the lead male in her life, left her when she needed him most, it may account for her being less comfortable or trusting of men. Which, like Luu said, probably helped her along the way. She's not as much of a man hater as Nao is, but still, I think like Nao, trauma has something to do with her not being comfortable with men.

It could be the cliche Daddy-made-me-this-way element that made Natsuki who she is today. In this case, she suffers from the "Casablanca Memory" syndrome. Natsuki (especially in Natsuki no Prelude) reminds me a lot of manga Rei Hino from Sailor Moon.

If anime Natsuki is straight, I'll eat my Shizuru-, I mean hat, I'll eat my hat! haha

RayneJan has basically explained everything from the Natsuki no Prelude, to various scenes in the anime so I don't have much to add that XP

and Kino has basically described what I think of Natsuki; She's just looking for love and comfort and Shizuru happened to be the one giving it to her. Lone wolf or not, everyone needs to feel love and affection from somewhere. She's spent so much of her short life looking to avenge her mother's death, I really doubt that she had a second to contemplate her sexuality and in the end, when the battle was done, I still don't think she would have cared about the fact that Shizuru is a girl, she'd have just embraced the love Natsuki style (With a red face and yelling "Baka!").

Natsuki being a lesbian? Just impossible! At first sight I mean, 'cause she really doesn't seem to have more attraction to girls than boys, she's just too much busy thinking about her revenge and her HiME identity.
But she didn't reject Shizuru's feelings though, she apologizes for not being able to love her that way too but feels happy that her best friend loves her so much -gyaah, so cuuute <3!! In the end, she shows more feelings to the girls around her, and THAT girl in particular, than to any boy or man she knows.
And what GoldenSun said about Shizuru is giving her the love she was longing for -even if she was not aware of it- seems true.

My, learning so contradictory things about people is so impressive O_O

Hohoemu wrote:Natsuki being a lesbian? Just impossible! At first sight I mean, 'cause she really doesn't seem to have more attraction to girls than boys, she's just too much busy thinking about her revenge and her HiME identity.
But she didn't reject Shizuru's feelings though, she apologizes for not being able to love her that way too but feels happy that her best friend loves her so much -gyaah, so cuuute <3!! In the end, she shows more feelings to the girls around her, and THAT girl in particular, than to any boy or man she knows.
And what GoldenSun said about Shizuru is giving her the love she was longing for -even if she was not aware of it- seems true.

My, learning so contradictory things about people is so impressive O_O

Yeah, exactly Hoho-chan. We can pretty much agree with ranyejan's input from our recent podcast show where she stated Natsuki can be anything YOU want her to be, as SUNRISE never labeled her with anything and it would be wrong to do so with a such large fanbase. Plus there is Manga Natsuki in case ShizNat fandom, which stems from the anime, makes males feel isolated and not worthy of loving Natsuki in THAT way.

I certainly never labeled Natsuki as anything, except maybe a sexy butch with a hot ass & bike. There is one absolute truth though, she loves Shizuru. Nothing will change that.

SO WHY DIDN'T SHE ACCEPT TO BE HER GIRLFRIEND???!!! Oh yeah, I know! She was just afraid of being a revealed lesbian, but she can hide nothing to us, yeck yeck *evil laugh :twisted: *

Hohoemu wrote:SO WHY DIDN'T SHE ACCEPT TO BE HER GIRLFRIEND???!!! Oh yeah, I know! She was just afraid of being a revealed lesbian, but she can hide nothing to us, yeck yeck *evil laugh :twisted: *

XD Natsuki's afraid of coming out of the closet? Then that would be another thing her and Nao Yuuki have in common. ^_~



Treats Shizuru nicely, treats Takeda like a disease! >:3

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:
XD Natsuki's afraid of coming out of the closet? Then that would be another thing her and Nao Yuuki have in common. ^_~



Treats Shizuru nicely, treats Takeda like a disease! >:3

Of course she would Takeda treat like a disease since there's nothing between them. Isn't it natural to be nice to a friend of you (or at least a person about you care) and be unfriendly to some idiot who's depserately trying to date you. That's just annoying.
Still, I can't see a real proof for her being a lesbian. Same goes for Nao by the way. I mean she hates men but does that make her a lesbian? Maybe in the long term.But in the anime the only lesbian potential has Shizuru and Yukino. The rest, for me, is just speculation and wishful thinking. Don't get me wrong. I love wishful thinking. But the main-part of the Mai HiME shoujo-ai is fan-made.

Anything to do with the subjetc but first I totally love the way Natsuki's hair fall on her back at that moment



and I'm totally in love with Shizuri's original voice so her English version sounds so bad to me >_<

Back to the subject now o/
What if Natsuki just hated men because of her mother's death and her father living away?
To my mind, Nao hates them since she hates adults, but we don't know what is her general behaviour towards women. She doesn't really appreciate girls in general, always alone and never friendly. She just does what she wants to do as a HiME without care for the other ones and try not to be hurt anymore by people but she definitely isn't a lesbian. She doesn't even try to make friends or let them come to her. Natsuki, despite being cold with everyone, becomes more friendly when she gets on with people like Mai and Mikoto.
(THAT made me cry like a baby. Natsuki's ice melting in front of Mai' despair T-T)
And she never treated Shizuru like she does with anyone else even though she didn't realise or just tried not to admit that she really loved her in a way or another.
Compared to Nao, she is the lesbian of them. Anyway, they both need a psy...

Hohoemu wrote:Anyway, they both need a psy...

make that three with Shizuru^^

I don't know. I think Natsuki really cares about Shizuru in a way a friend would. Natsuki is also holding mai when she lost it. She just is a really good friend.

Natsuki was at least kind enough to say the panty stealing wasn't caused by Takeda in episode 4. It's easy to blame a guy for something like that and she didn't. ;3

Daddy issues being the reason behind their awkwardness around men? Maybe, it wasn't made very clear in the series, but it's a good theory Hoho-chan. :D