“My-HiME” was no doubt one of the coolest anime series to come out back in 2004. And to watch it again over a decade later as a complete series in HD was no doubt nostalgic. A well-written story, great voice acting and great animation, “My-HiME” is an anime classic worth owning on Blu-ray!
Image courtesy of © Sunrise. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: My-Hime – The Complete Series
DURATION: (26 Episodes) 650 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080i High Definition (4:3), Japanese and English Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: Funimation
RATED: TV 14
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Directed by Masakazu Obara
Series Composition: Hiroyuki Yoshino
Music by Yuki Kajiura
Character Design: Hirokazu Hisayuki
Art Director: Shinji Takasuka
Anime Production: Sunrise
Featuring the following voice talent:
Ai Shimizu/Caitlynne Medrek as Mikoto Minagi
Mai Nakahara/Carol-Anne Day as Mai Tokiha
Saeko Chiba/Cheryl McMaster as Natsuki Kuga
Akiko Kimura/Melanie Rison as Youko Sagisawa
Akira Ishida/Graham Ko as Nagi Homura
Junko Iwao/Morgan Partridge as Akane Higurashi
Kikuko Inoue/Allyson June Smith as Yukariko Sanada
Kiyomi Asai/Maizun Jayoussi as Miyu Greer
Mamiko Noto/Morgan Partridge as Yukino Kikukawa
Mitsuki Saiga/Hazel Forman as Chie Harada
Naomi Shindoh/Melanie Risdon as Shizuru Fujino
Ryoka Yuzuki/Lori Barnes-Smith as Haruka Suzushiro
Ryoko Shintani/Jayna Mitchell as Aoi Senou
Sakura Nogawa/Leda Davies as Shiho Munakata
Sanae Kobayashi/Annika Odegard as Akira Okuzaki
Tomokazu Seki/Jordan Schartner as Yuuichi Tate
Toshihiko Seki/Ethan Cole as Reito Kanzaki
Yugo Takahashi/Cole Howard as Takumi Tokiha
Yukana as Fumi Himeno/Mashiro Kazahana
Yukari Tamura/Mariette Sluyter as Midori Sugiura
Yuko Miyamura as Alyssa Searrs
Yuuka Nanri/Marcy Lannan as Nao Yuuki
Mai Tokiha thought she had enough trouble in life between taking care of her ailing brother and transferring to a new school. But when she saves a mysterious girl wielding a sword, everything changes. A power awakens within her and she becomes a HiME, a battle princess! But she’s not alone with this power—eleven other girls share her fate, and the burden is a heavy one.
Back in 2004, Sunrise created the anime series “My-HiME”. Directed by Masakazu Obara and written by Hiroyuki Yoshino, the anime series lasted for 26 episodes and would lead to a new series “My-Otome” (26 episodes, 2005-2006), two OVA series: “My-Otome Zwei” (4 episodes, 2006-2007) and “My-Otome 0: S.ifr” (3 episodes, 2008).
The series is Sunrise’s first Moe anime series and an animation series that captivated viewers.
A manga series adaptation would be created, including a PlayStation 2 and two PSP fighting games plus a PC game and a manga series “My-HiME EXA”.
While the anime series was released on DVD courtesy of Sunrise years ago, the license for all three series was acquired by Funimation and will be released on Blu-ray/DVD in January 2018.
“My-HiME” is a series that revolves around Mai Tokiha, a high school girl who transfers to the prestigious Fuuka Academy with her sick brother, Takumi.
One day, while on a boat trip, she comes across a girl named Mikoto Minagi who was found in the water. She is pulled aboard but not long after, another girl named Natsuki Kuga has been searching for her and a battle ensues. Not long after, Mai starts to exhibit strange abilities.
While Mai and Takumi are to attend their first day of school, Mai decides to bond and create a friendship with Mikoto and she makes her a bowl of ramen.   But not long after, Takumi is attacked by a monster and Mai and Natsuki team up and put aside their differences and fight it. Mai is surprised that she was able to summon Kagutsuchi and defeat the monster, Orphan.
They are visited by the chairwoman of Fuka Academy, Mashiro Kazahana and explains to Mai that she is a HiME.
And as Mai, Natsuki and Mikoto discover more HiME, they learn there are other girls who are marked and they were given the power of the HiME to protect humans from the monsters known as Orphans and they have abilities similar to HiME.
And as they encounter other HiME, they learn that others have different motivations than to protect humans but learn quickly, the Orphans are not their only enemy. And quickly learn that if a HiME is defeated, they will lose a person most closest to them.
The main characters in the series are:
- Mai Tokiha – The main protagonist and the always keeps her problems to herself. She has never had a chance to live her life, because she put most of her time trying to take care of her ill brother Takumi. When Mai and Takumi were younger, Mai was supposed to watch over Takumi but went to play with a friend. Takumi fell into a river and is unable to swim. His mother rescued him but she would end up being hospitalized and die. So, she harbors that guilt and puts everything towards taking care of Takumi. She starts to make friends with other HiME.
- Mikoto Minagi – She was taken in and befriend by Mai and often wants to be around her. Always carrying a two-handed sword and is trying to search for her brother. She is naive and trying to understand her emotions. She is a HiME.
- Natsuki Kuga – Beautiful, wealthy and often rides a Ducati sportsbike. A power HiME that befriends Mai.
- Yuuichi Tate – A member of the Fuuka Academy Student Council. Often hanging out with Shiho Munakata. He is falling for Mai and was a member of the Fuuka kendo club until he suffered an injury.
- Miyu Greer – The adopted daughter of Joseph Greer, the priest at Fuuka Academy. While nice to Mai, she acts odd with people and is very protective towards Alyssa Searrs.
- Shizuru Fujino – The president of Fuka Academy student council. She has a Kyoto accent and has a secret obsession towards Natsuki.
- Reito Kanzaki – The Vice President of Fuuka Academy’s Student council. He is very popular and likes Mai but there is something mysterious about Reito.
- Shiho Munakata – A childhood friend of Yuuichi Tate. Despite not being related, she loves Yuuichi Tate and is jealous that he shows affection towards Mai.
- Akira Okuzaki – The roommate of Mai’s brother Takumi and attends Fuka Middle School. Akira is actually a girl and has kept secret that she is a HiME and is falling for Takumi.
- Nao Yuuki – A HiME who robs perverted men. Her family were robbed and because her mother was hospitalized, Nao was an orphan at a young age and despises men.
- Takumi Tokiha – Mai’s younger brother who suffers from a heart condition. When he and Mai were younger, Mai was supposed to watch over Takumi but went to play with a friend. Takumi fell into a river and is unable to swim. His mother rescued him but she would end up being hospitalized and die.
- Alyssa Sears – She is an android created by Joseph Greer that was to monitor the HiME. She was part of a genetic engineering program to produce fake HiME and was the only success. Often hangs around Miyu Greer.
- Nagi Homura – The instigator of the HiMe’s. Is he antagonist or is he trying to assist the HiME’s? Or is he just a casual observer?
VIDEO:
“My-HiME” is presented in 1080i High Definition (4:3). This is an older anime series, so it doesn’t have the vibrancy of today’s anime series as one can expect. The series is a bit soft (as many TV series are) but background art is done very well, character shading and detail is very good.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“My-HiME” is presented in Japanese and English Dolby TrueHD 2.0. Crystal clear dialogue and music through the front channels.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“My-HiME – The Complete Series” comes with the textless opening and closing songs plus a Director’s Cut Ending for episode 26.
EXTRAS:
“My-HiME” comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD of the series.
When “My-HiME” was released over a decade ago, it was no doubt considered as an amazing anime series from Sunrise and unlike anything they have done before.
It was the studio’s first moe anime series and one showcasing a strong female cast of characters.
While the series starts off as female with special abilities trying to protect the city from monsters known as Orphans and you see the characters having fun but also Mai trying to discover her emotions and trying to hide the pain from her friends, by the second half of the series, the series kicks into full gear as the anime series goes from fun and lively to dark and emotional.
While I don’t want to spoil the anime series of what prompted the change in storyline direction, I will say that Mai, Mikoto and Natsuki start to learn overtime of who are the HiME are and that their motivations are not all kind. That they must worry of other HiME, because if they go into battle and one loses, they will lose the person they most care about.
“My-HiME” was no doubt one of the coolest anime series to come out back in 2004. And to watch it again over a decade later as a complete series in HD was no doubt nostalgic. A well-written story, great voice acting and great animation, “My-HiME” is an anime classic worth owning on Blu-ray!
