Not a lot of people like ShizNat

PostoronnimV wrote:
I, by the way, noticed this tendency too... And it always surprises me, when people make Shizuru a monster, unworthy person and make Natsuki a pure, innocent and naive... A feeling, that the people from this category watched Mai-Hime very selectively, skipping some scenes or watched only episodes 22-26. Even though I love Natsuki dearly, but she is very-very-very far from being a pure, innocent and naive... I even think, that Natsuki is the one in the pair, who is fundamentally screwed up in the head, imo.

Hmmm, I share the sentiment. I think both are flawed, and both have emotional healing and growing up to do. I think even think that despite the circumstances they handled the whole thing quite maturely! I never saw anything that warranted such hatred towards Shizuru though and as you said, people were selective while watching it.

I am a little biased, but in both fanfiction and fanart I'm a lot more comfortable in having Shizuru be the one to experiment with others rather than Natsuki. So deep inside I may think Natsuki should experiment the loss of Shizuru to see what she put her through. But then again, Mai Otome did a wonderful job of it. I am still pissed there was no footage of Natsuki glomping Shizuru when she was depetrified though.

Off topic for a second, but your statement makes me wonder why people think Bella Swan of Twilight fame is a Mary Sue. Kristen Stewart, to me, is one big giant flaw. ;p

tsk tsk tsk. TWILIGHT is one giant flaw. No redeeming qualities sorry.

Alrighty, before I get to the main topic, I'll give everyone a fair warning: I do not exactly love ShizNat. But I don't hate ShizNat. Peace out, everyone.

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Ruby's response:
I think the very reason why they hate or dislike (choose, it's the same anyway) the famed pairing is that they have misunderstood the very reason why Shizuru has done so many things that falls as bad. A lot of people have taken everything the wrong way, even to Natsuki. This is quite offending, if this was the case for MaiTat (my favorite pairing of them all here, to be honest).

How about we take this the easy way?

Imagine yourself in Shizuru's standpoint. Certainly, anyone with the right mind would understand Shizuru's actions. Suppressing your feelings for the person you have loved the most is not an easy task to do. It is a feat that Shizuru had done for the entirety of the whole series. When someone hurts your loved one, wouldn't you get back at them? I admit, Shizuru had overdone this part, but it was part of the plan that the Obsidian Lord had prepared for this Festival. She unwittingly became a pawn for the OL, but thanks to that, Natsuki was able to accept the core reason why Shizuru had done everything.

Shizuru has done everything out of love. Can't read? L-O-V-E.

She may acted like an evil lady sent to extinguish everything that broke Natsuki out of this Earth, but she did it out of love because Shizuru, as what Luu have said in the last page, "[was] protect[ing] Natsuki from ever being hurt again."

: I love you, Natsuki~

Shizuru fought to protect Natsuki in some other way, trying to show how much she holds Natsuki dearly to her heart. This was evident ever since Shizuru met Natsuki back on Natsuki no Prelude. She ran for the presidency of the Student Council for Natsuki's sake (and probably convenience) although she never had any plans to do so at all! She provided her all the information she could muster out of the school's intranet even though she stop it altogether and ask why Natsuki was doing this. But she never did, and continued to provide Natsuki everything she needed.

In my eyes, Shizuru has been a martyr for so long. I mean, she held out for so long! These feeling were bottled up, only to burst with a wrong perception. It's a very sad fact that many people took ShizNat in a very different vibe. :evil: They never have seen the light of the day about ShizNat.

Let me end my response with a simple quote:

"I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies."
~ Pietro Aretino

CaptainVonCookie wrote:I am a little biased, but in both fanfiction and fanart I'm a lot more comfortable in having Shizuru be the one to experiment with others rather than Natsuki.

Same here, though for a different reason... Here, on this Forum, was already mentioned the term 'Shizurusexual'... And I'm one of those, who believe, that Natsuki is Shizurusexual =) So no experiments with others for Natsuki...

CaptainVonCookie wrote:... So deep inside I may think Natsuki should experiment the loss of Shizuru to see what she put her through.

Personally, even though I partly(on 50-70%) blame Natsuki for Shizuru's mental breakdown... still, Natsuki in her life had enough tragedies... And I think, Natsuki for the rest of her life will always have a fear of abandonment... Every person(excluding Shizuru), whom she loved and who claimed to love her too, did something unforgivable... Her father left/abandon her, when she needed him most; her mother sold her... And if she would experience the loss of Shizuru, I do believe, it most likely would result in not the nicest consequences...

The Fire Stirring Ruby wrote:Imagine yourself in Shizuru's standpoint. Certainly, anyone with the right mind would understand Shizuru's actions. Suppressing your feelings for the person you have loved the most is not an easy task to do. It is a feat that Shizuru had done for the entirety of the whole series. When someone hurts your loved one, wouldn't you get back at them? I admit, Shizuru had overdone this part, but it was part of the plan that the Obsidian Lord had prepared for this Festival. She unwittingly became a pawn for the OL, but thanks to that, Natsuki was able to accept the core reason why Shizuru had done everything.

I agree! ... and I want to add...

Copy-paste from 'Top 10 favorite Mai Hime-Otome characters?' topic:

PostoronnimV wrote: Shizuru not only had to suppress her feelings for Natsuki for a long time... but also when Nagi told her what fate awaits her most important person, I think, she already at that moment began to lose her sanity, because if you think about it... From what side do not look at it, Natsuki was doomed because of Shizuru (because she is Shizuru's most important person)...

- If she(or Kiyohime) were to be defeated, then Natsuki will die...
- If she defeats Duran, then Natsuki's most important person will die (considering the fact, that Shizuru did not know, that she herself is Natsuki's most important person) and it will not only hurt Natsuki, but it will destroy their relationship completely...
- And they can not survive together, should remain only one Hime, otherwise the whole world will end and they along with it...

So Natsuki(and Shizuru, too) was doomed, how not look at it... I think mostly it drove Shizuru crazy, that she would be the reason to Natsuki's death sentence, the girl she wanted to protect the most... and Natsuki's reaction (I can not call it a rejection on the part of Natsuki, but in Shizuru's state of mind it was seen as a rejection) to her touch was only the last straw...

shezaei-neko wrote:Also I do wonder what some of you have pointed. How is it possible to stop loving them?
To me, they are my foundation, my pillar for my yuri love (along with FLight and Mionna). So, it'd be pratically impossible to stop loving them.

ShizNat are an intregal part of Mai-Multiverse and indeed, the entire yuri community. Ranking up there with legends like Chikane and Himeko and Hachiru x Michiru of Sailor Moon fame. In some ways, A LOT of ways, ShizNat has surpassed them. It's impossible to stop loving what has argubly been, the most common introduction to this fandom. You read our "How did you discover Mai-HiME" thread, ShezNek. Almost everyone points to discovery of ShizNat through the series or random AMV searching on YouTube.