My-HiME

Reviewed by Chris Hori
January 28, 2007

Artist: Sato Ken-etsu Author: Kimura Noboru Publisher: TOKYOPOP Website: Click Here Review Rating: 6 out of 10

My(Mai)-HiME follows the character Yuichi Tate as he is transferred to a new co-ed school and is instantly thrown into the action as Mai and Natsuki are in the middle of a training duel.  Following the general theme of the anime series of the same name, HiME are young girls who are capable of summoning magical weapons (elements) and creatures (childs) to fight against monsters that they call Orphans.  However, similarities between the manga and the anime (which the manga is themed after) end there.

In the manga, HiME are all well known and Orphans are a common sight to all the students.  From there the manga further distances itself from its anime counterpart by changing the role of Yuichi Tate.  Introduced as a "key", he is what 'unlocks' a HiMe's ability to summon a child; however, he must be in the immediate area of a HiMe for this to happen.  Adding to the complication, Tate is the Key for two of the main characters, Mai and Natsuki.

The artwork of this manga is beautiful, and easily a step up from what I would normally expect from a manga with detailed shading on every panel and clean and clear images that are often used for the first page of other manga.

Sadly that’s where my praise ends.  The manga is also rated T for teen and might border on an H (adult) rating in Japan, for nudity and the sexual suggestions that seem to be overly forced into each line of dialogue and each page.  Even the character designs and poses are all blatantly suggestive, and while beautiful, at times comes off as unnecessary and serve no purpose.  Even the new concept of a "key" has obvious sexual overtones as Natsuki comments on how Duran is 'Their Child'.

The light hearted comedic elements from the anime come off as forced sexual jokes, and while each character retains their personality from the anime, many of the introductions are rushed to cram as many recognizable characters into the first manga as possible.

Clearly the manga was produced to cash in on the popularity of Mai HiMe but it falls flat as it misses the elements that made the anime so enjoyable.

Unless you are a serious fan of the anime, Mai-HiME could easily be ignored in favor of other mangas with better stories and equally beautiful artwork.  As someone who enjoyed the original anime series, I found this to be sadly disappointing.