Mai Otome 0 S.ifr - 01: The Lofty Crimson Jade

The new GEM in Mai Otome 0 S.ifr

It’s no doubt that Rena’s robe of The Lofty Crimson Jade is the main feature of episode 1 of this prequel to the popular series Mai Otome. No other robe in any of the Mai Otome series so far comes remotely close to it. I counted at least 7 different techniques she used in this episode.

Materialise!

Disclaimer: Except for the last one, the names of these techniques are not their official names.

#0. The Stare Down

I AM THE MONSTER OF WINDBLOOM.

Ok, technically this is not a weapon. But this scene has done well in ushering in the awesomeness that follows.

#1. Tail Whip

Did you see this coming?

This is a plain vanilla technique that is also seen in other robes too, but on this robe its speed seems to have been supersized.

#2. Particle Block

Water > fire.

Rena’s boots are probably sending out nano-machines that can manipulate free-flowing particles like water molecules and control them into various formations like the wall that she created here to neutralize the fire attack.

#3. Lasers — Residential Evil Style

I stole this from Strike Freedom.

She shoots these lasers from her wrists, and they form a net that not even dozens of missiles can fly through. Awesome.

#4. Nano-machine Armor

That’s not big enough to penetrate me.

It seems that physical attacks cannot harm her robe. In fact, the protection of her robe seems to extend to her entire body, even the parts of her that is not explicitly covered by her robe. This is evident when she took a bullet in the head from John Smith but yet came out unharmed.

Headshot, no problem; but nano-machines attack, that’s a different story.

However, we do see that the other otome, code-named M9, is able to penetrate Rena’s robe after all. I’m guessing this has to do with the nano-machines that M9 also carries. So, while traditional (non nano-technology) physical attacks have no effect on Rena’s robe; nano-machines, on the other hand, have no trouble against it at all.

#5. Phantom Mode

I’m a quantum particle: 50% of the time I’m here, the other 50% there.

This is the move where John Smith remarks that the Monster of Windbloom is about to get serious. In this mode, her physical appearance fades, and the otome M9 seems to be striking air instead of striking her. Also, she seems to be capable of splitting into two images of her, both capable of landing hits.

#6. Cross Bow

Not even Gundams have this one.

Simple but potent.

#7. Higher Order Matter Attack

Exactly what is she trying to compensate for?

This one actually has an official name. M9 calls it Higher Order Matter Attack and it cannot be dodged.

M9’s Counterattack doesn’t look too shabby either.

Let’s rock!

Err… I was hoping for a more spectacular explosion.

The Aftermath

You can really tell that the GEM is overloaded: It’s started to corrupt its text data segment.

Well, too bad that was the last of that GEM. Rena has overloded [sic] and broken it. Objectively speaking, the red GEM Lofty Crimson Jade is certainly more powerful than the blue GEM Sapphire of Azure Sky. However, Rena’s peaceful nature has not allowed her to use, or perhaps to even control, such overwhelming power of the red GEM. So, from this perspective, it could be said that Rena may actually increase her effectiveness when she switches over to a less powerful GEM.

Of course, I am only playing down the power of the blue GEM because of how Arika has used it in the other series. It is almost certain that she has not used it to its full potential yet. Perhaps in this series Rena will show us that the blue GEM can be even more powerful than the red GEM, in which case, it would be most awesome.