Author: Ky

I’m only about one page from finishing part 1.2, but I’ve come across a minor stumbling block. I no longer have access to most of the anime now, so I hope others can just fill in. :P

I’ve forgotten how people refer to each other–specifically, calling people by last name, first name, with -san or other honorifics. I don’t mind tweaking things for post-HiME-festival development, but I’d still like to keep them in habit for some things, at least.

So I need a list of who calls everyone else what:

Natsuki
Shizuru
Mai
Reito
Yukino
Haruka
Mikoto
Yohko
(and anyone else you can think of, though the people above will factor in more greatly in the immediate plot)

Thanks ahead of time to anyone who can fill in the blanks in my head. :)

Although this is from an art book, there are only two images in 14 pages, and all the rest is text. I’m hoping someone will be able to just summarize the content–I’m looking for basic facts or implications and “canon”-type material, not leisure reading (though I wouldn’t mind that either). Woof!

[Oops, old Photobucket links are dead…]

EDIT: Read the comments for more information. :D

(1) I hate estimating anime character ages. Actually, it’s impossible. So I’ll just say Natsuki was about seven when the car went off the cliff. Why? Because that’s a good number. Unless someone has a more solid ref or better arguments as to why one age is better than another (she’s pretty darn young there, I mean–though I don’t exactly have a screenshot of that scene and don’t remember what ep it was in).

However, I realized that working out the time between that event, +3 months coma, and up to the point of meeting Shizuru is more problematic. 7 -> 14 (13 being roughly the age middle school would start)

Seven years of hanging out by herself is an extremely long time for a child. Not only that, but she was certainly orphaned young enough that the state wouldn’t dream about sending her out on her own (no matter what money is involved–I’m assuming a lot that her mom had a trust, though). Foster care? Natsuki really never talked about such things in the anime. What a pain in the ass. Special arrangement? Ugh. (Oh, wait, I feel an idea coming on…*FD)

(2) Easy to write around this, unless I wanted to complicate it via (1). Oops, my finger just cramped thinking about that.

(4) Flashbacks? Hmm. Formatting issue.

(5-6) Got a good deal of material to work with concerning the Japanese schooling system. Happily, as someone reminded me, Fuuka is special, so some exceptions are okay in order.

(I might be outlining Shizuru’s backstory a bit too detailed, but c’mon… she didn’t get any in the anime.)

If there are no answers to these, I’ll just make my own estimations or try to work material around the issues in a generic fashion. Fun! It’s actually been a while since I’ve watched the anime, and I no longer have the first 2/3 to reference. I’m aware of the drama CDs and some of the DVD specials, but I don’t have direct access to those either (some forums have translations of some drama/radio CDs, so I’ll try to go off those if I refer to any of that material). Mai-HiME-only universe.

(1) Just how old was Natsuki when she was orphaned?

(2) There was no mention of her father, but there was that image in the anime of a man walking away with a woman. Thoughts? Or just random.

(3) How does voting for class president/student council members work in Japanese schools? (Can positions be inherited or not?)

(4) I don’t remember exactly when Shizuru met Natsuki (how old they were/what classes). I think these are in the DVD specials or drama CDs…

(5) I’ll be referencing materials like Wikipedia and matching Talk sections, but the Japanese schooling/education system articles at Wikipedia are out of date. (Can’t tell in what way.) I know terminology differs a little depending on sources: elementary/grade/primary, junior high/middle, high school/senior high school/secondary* (secondary might be used to include both middle and high school). Recommended links to current Japanese schooling system (or even more information about Fuuka) would be nice.

(6) I’ll have to do more research in the collegiate system, but AFAIK there’s the entrance exams, and you cannot double major (true?). Rules on dorm/apartment living during first year, cafeterias, etc…

**EDIT:

(7) Youko’s (don’t know how they’re spelling her name on the DVDs) clinic: She’s a full doctor and not a nurse, I’m assuming? I don’t know how clinics in Japanese schools work at all or just how much equipment is available (IV drips?). Eh. Maybe too much effort.