Low on Hit Points: Replacing that God-awful cake episode to better the first half of Mai-HiME

The first half of HiME provides fun to an extent, but episodes like Iron Chef HiME - Let's Bake a Cake! really stink up the joint. And while this portion of the show could certainly use more "fire of hell breathing dragon" and "drag the sword on the ground to make crazy awesome sparks everywhere" action, I'm going to tackle a different issue in this post: plot.

OK, so you don't want to in any way give away that huge battle royal plot twist midway through. Nonetheless, we could certainly shed some light on the HiME Star and Obsidian Prince, adding foreshadowing that's vital to keeping the suspension high. Because something has to keep the viewer watching until that amazing second half.

Luckily enough, we have the perfect vehicle to deliver all the necessary foreshadowing and plot snippets. Diner girl and teacher Midori does all this research during the first half, putting together a damn term paper on the subject of everything plot relevant. Show the girl some love for all her hard work and let the viewer see what she put together.

Kill the cake episode and bring the full cast over to Midori's place for a sleep-over where she can tell spooky stories of Fuuka lore. It can keep the lighthearted feel used during the happy days of the anime, but still divulge some substance and help flesh out the story. You get plot AND fanservice there. How did Sunrise miss that opportunity?

Foreshadow the battle royal with a battle royal pillow fight. Look at that, there's some action! OK, not really, but who would complain. Will this alone fix the first half of the series? No, but it removes the worst episode and replaces it with one that has both style and substance. An easy and realistic change with solid results... and fanservice. Don't forget the fanservice.

Michael is Low on Hit Points

Replacing that God-awful cake episode to better the first half of Mai-HiME

Commenting is closed