"She’s definitely getting a pretty girl right now," was my favourite line from Mai Otome Zwei Ep 1. Gal’s knowing comment about Shizuru’s wandering ways and Natsuki’s annoyed response was pure winnage. While Shizuru Fujino’s psychotic obsession with Natsuki Kuga, in Mai HiME, was a focus of much OMGSOHAWT fanboyism, I enjoyed the tantilising crumbs of the Shizuru Viola x Natsuki Kruger relationship in Mai Otome so much more. The latter relationship is a lot more settled; they’re clearly very comfortable with each other. It is also tenderly playful, with a fair bit of humour from how Shizuru unsettles Natsuki by flirting with a starstruck Arika.