My-Hime, Volume 1 (Episodes 1-4)

Received the case but there was no dvd. Extremely disappointed by this.

I watched My-Hime for the first time as a Netflix rental and after finishing the entire series (all 7 discs), I decided to buy the set. If you're looking for a classic anime that will stand the test of time and challenge you (like Grave of the Fireflies, Nausicaa, etc.), My-Hime isn't it - it's not even ground-breaking in the way Sailor Moon was. But if you're in the mood for cute girls in short skirts battling evil while dealing with schoolgirl crushes (on boys and girls) with plenty of fanservice, then this is for you. Each "Hime" is different in one way or the other, but the focus remains with the central characters of Mai, Mikoto, and Natsuki. For me, I love the pairing of Shizuru and Natsuki - or ShizNat, for short and it's these two that bring me back to watching the series over and over again. The series is a fun romp and it wasn't made to be taken seriously. But on a technical note - depending on the kind of DVD player you have, some or all of the discs may not display the Japanese subtitles properly. I checked with Bandai Entertainment (when I first thought I had defective discs) and they said that in the way the discs were authored, subtitling may not work on all players and to try another player. FYI.

Content is very sexual & not suitable for children

Loved this series!

15 year old Mai Tokiha and her younger brother Takumi have been invited to attend the prestigious Fuka Academy, a unique island school that is administered by its own attendees. On the ship ride there they meet two of their fellow students. Yuichi is a normal guy but might just be a closet pervert, and he is always accompanied by his childhood friend, Shiho, whose tendril-like hair reflects her emotions, especially her jealousy of Mai! Things get a little stranger when a girl's body is pulled from the water. She is revived by Mai's CPR training but the strange thing is that when they pulled her out she was gripping a large grey sword! Another mysterious yet beautiful girl enters the picture, who seems to be either trying to kill or capture the sword wielder. She has some pretty fancy pistols that seem to materialize out of nowhere to match up against the sword. When the battle begins, Mai finds herself in the middle and awakening an unknown power in herself. Mai is a "Hime" and it is no coencidence that she is journeying to Fuka Academy. Secret powers are gathering together girls with supernatural abilties to fight against an enemy from the stars called "Orphans". Even if she takes on that battle and wins, she'll still have to do all her schoolwork too! When all the sword-play, shooting, and pseudo-mecha fighting ends in the frenetic first episode, My-Hime brings in a lot of comedy and bishojo elements. While the show might not be that original, the characters more than make up for it, with some top-notch acting by the Japanese cast. Everyone involved has a wide dramatic range, playing not only the action, but the comedy to the hilt and reminds me a bit of Full Metal Panic in feel. The designs and animation are fantastic, but once again it is the characterization that makes this show tick. The only danger I can see in this show is that it could have the potential to fall into the "Monster Battle of the Week" formula, but with some clever writing this first volume avoids that. It remains to be seen if this continues to be the case. This is the first series in a while that I've really enjoyed. It's a real treat. Extras are pretty slim. After each episode is over, there are some very funny featurettes about the characters in the show, which seem like they were already included, so they don't seem like "extras". There's also a Japanese promo clip. I would also recommend the anime Full Metal Panic, Azumanga Daioh, and Midori Days.

When I first saw Mai Hime it was on NewTypes' free DVD. It was good and I've been watching the dvd over and over until I found out you can watch the episodes on the internert for free. So far I've watched all of the episodes and there all good, but I will still stick to FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. :D

My-Hime is one of those animes that you come across usually by accident. When that happened to me I thought, "where the heck have they been hiding this one all these years?" It's great. The animation is pretty good and the voice acting isn't too bad either. What gives this series 5 stars is the story. It has very good characters and character development. You get attached to them very quickly and feel for them when the tragedies strike. Believe me there is a lot of tragedy in this story. It's technically a mecha anime I guess, but it's not conventional. The mecha aren't giant humanoid robots, nor are they the focus of the story the mecha are actually summoned by the Hime (princesses) to fight the demons that are after the ones they love. The demons are only a precursor to a giant plot that is very sinister and dark. While only one Hime can survive you won't want to let go of any of them. They are mostly just average girls with people they want to protect. This anime is great. It has a good mixture of emotion and action. You should definitely check it out.

This was a good Start to a fun and adventurous series to come. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series