Notes: I was going to do a individual response to each volume, but the overall badness was such that I could only manage one. Also, I'm trying to avoid major spoilers... Mai Hime: The Manga Reaction Final "Why are we doing a random hot springs episode at the beginning of volume four?" Haruka wondered. "Such blatant nudity!" "Sex sells books," Nao Yuuki noted. "But who would want to look at you?' Natsuki wondered. "Hey, I'm pretty hot," Nao protested, "and I have the fan-club to prove it." "What, those dirty old men you like to abuse?" Natsuki sniffed. Nao shook her head, "Better that than your lesbian fanclub." Mai flipped ahead in their scripts then gasped softly. "It was WHO?" Mai blurted out at the revelation of who the Obsidian Lord really was in the manga series. "It's always the last person you inspect," Haruka muttered. "Expect, not inspect," Yukino corrected gently. Haruka blushed then kissed Yukino's cheek, "Thanks." "Damn," Natsuki muttered, "I was almost hoping it would be Tate." The brown haired young man looked up in surprise as Tate asked, "Why's that?" Natsuki smirked, "It'd give me a better excuse to beat you bloody." "Hey!" Shiho protested, "Don't threaten big brother!" "Don't get too cocky just because you got to be a princess in this version," Shizuru warned with a cool smile, "Mai still defeats you." "Hmph," Shiho frowned. "Hello, everyone," Alyssa Searrs smiled as she drank a cup of coffee, Miyu following her in with a tray of similar drinks and a bag of donuts, "we're back." Just after them a tall, black haired woman strode in, and despite her glasses she bore a remarkable resemblance to Natsuki. "Hello, Natsuki," she smiled. "Mother..." Natsuki sighed. She looked down at her script, "This is very strange." Ms. Saeko Kuga smiled wryly, "I suppose so, considering I survived in the manga but died in the anime." "I think I prefer the anime," Alyssa muttered. "Yeah," Nao drawled, "you get Miyu for sex and a mother to look after you." Miyu materialized her sword in a instant as she coldly commanded, "Do not speak to Alyssa that way." "Break it up," Midori commanded as she summoned her element, "the leader of the anti-Orphan squad commands it." "You're cute when you're commanding," Yoko smirked. "Don't start," Midori blushed. "Alyssa," Saeko smiled as she petted her daughter's head. Looked up at Natsuki she grinned, "Give your momma a hug." "Don't push it," Natsuki made a face. "Miss Kuga," Shizuru said respectfully. "Yes?" Saeko looked at her curiously. Shizuru knelt as she formally said, "Ma'am, I would like your permission to take Natsuki as my wedded wife." "Of course!" Saeko smiled back, clearly pleased by the idea. And as a bonus they could have a double wedding with Alyssa and Miyu, too. "Wha..." Natsuki blurted. "Don't I get any say in this?" she demanded. Not that she objected, of course, but she wanted a say. "No," both Shizuru and Seako smiled at her sweetly. "I still can't get over my part," Takeda groaned, the black haired young man putting his head in his hands. "You're in there other than as comic relief?" Mai sounded surprised as she continued, "I hadn't got that far yet." Nao smirked, "He's my new key." "How the..." Yukino looked startled, "I thought he was focused on Natsuki?" "The fires of youth defeated me," Takeda whimpered. "Huh?" Mai blinked. Nao cupped her breasts with both hands, "One flash of these puppies and he was mine!" Natsuki blinked, "I don't know why, but somehow I feel slighted." "Hey, you didn't want him," Nao shrugged. "Still, for him to fall for someone like you..." Natsuki shook her head. "What do you mean by that?" Nao glared. "And there they go again," Haruka shook her head. Yukino patted her arm comfortingly, "Don't let it get to you." "So who gets to play the two Queens?" Tate wondered as he munched on a donut. "They really should hire new actresses," Mai sighed, "but knowing how cheap they are they'll probably just dress up two Otome." "Too bad we appear in later scenes," Chie noted, "you'd make a wonderful Marie Antoinette." Aoi blushed charmingly, "Oh Chie." "If you two start that up again," Natsuki growled, "get a room." Shiho brightened a bit as she read, "At least I still have a chance with big brother at the end of the manga." "Oh god," Tate whimpered softly. Shiho's eyes widened and glittered with unshed tears as she asked, "Big brother doesn't want to be with me...?" "That's not what I meant," Tate said weakly. "He is so whipped," Nao smirked. "Takumi!" Akira whimpered as she emerged in a girl's uniform, "do I have to wear this?" Takumi Tohkia sighed, "It's that or star in another one of the girl's yaoi mangas." "There are yaoi mangas on them?" Aoi looked interested. "NO perverted fantasies about my brother, please," Mai said firmly. "Aww, Mai!" Aoi pouted. "Oh my, so cute!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Mai, can I have one of Mashiro's white rabbits?" "Depends on if Disney sues us for the blatant Alice in Wonderland rip off," Mai said as she looked over the script. "Wait a minute," Aoi noted, "I thought Mashiro was in part Fumi's Childe? How can she have her own Childe and powers in the manga?" "No one was comparing notes between the two productions?" Nao yawned. Aoi nodded, "Probably." "I vote we just refuse to do it," Natsuki said, wincing at several of the upcoming Mai/Tate/Natsuki scenes. "We have to, or they'll just use your older Otome body double," Tate noted, "like that damn scab Sergei." "There's no way Kruger could pass for me!" Natsuki protested. "And," Nao noted, "I bet her Shizuru would find her dressing in a school uniform hot." "I know I do," Shizuru noted dreamily. "Shizuru!" Natsuki blushed. "Doing a little schoolgirl cosplay on the side?" Mai smirked, "Junior Natsuki and upper-classman Shizuru, maybe?" "None of your business," Natsuki said, blushing furiously. End Notes: A mix of my impressions from volume three to five of the Hime Manga. I didn't go through scene by scene because it would take WAY too long, but I at least wanted to touch on a few interesting points. As it is I'm kinda tempted to write a Natsuki/Shizuru fic following the manga in some way...
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