Maria-sama ga Miteru Light Novel: Hello Goodbye (マリア様がみてる―ハローグッバイ)

March 3rd, 2009

Well.

So here we are. Referring to the series that has supplied (indeed, is still suppyling) many hours of entertainment, in the past tense.

Like all good fans, I bought Maria-sama ga Miteru: Hello Goodbye as soon as it came out. But unlike most Fans (those of us with personal engagement in the series) I did not stay up all night reading it. For one thing, I have been synopsizing the novels as I read them, so it takes me longer to “read” the novels than just reading them for myself. And, I openly admit to a bit of hesitation at facing the end of the series.

Bu, like all good things, Maria-sama too, must end. End it has, with the lovliest, most appropriate ending possible. It ended not with tears, but with smiles.

I will share with you these few things: The graduation ceremony was not without excitement; that a bumblebee gets a feature part in this book; that Yoshino, Yumi and Shimako are going to be a brilliant Yamayurikai and; that the next Yamayurikai after them might well be three of the sharpest-witted girls to ever attend Lillian.

I’m sad it’s over, I’m thrilled it exisited at all. Because it’s a series of novels, I can visit the lovely ladies of Lillian over and over.

Konno Oyuki-sensei – thank you. It was great.

Ratings:

Overall – 10

36 Responses

  1. *Applause*

    “I’m sad it’s over, I’m thrilled it exisited at all.”

    And I’m thrilled you brought it to our attention! Many thanks.

  2. neo_hrtgdv says:

    I got spoiled, but I have to admit it is a good ending.

    Konno Oyuki Sensei. Thank you!

    And thank you Erica as well, your notes on the novels have been just wonderful.

    And now we are on the “thank you” mood, is there any way we can thank Konno Oyuki? other than the obvious buying original material, I have the first novel (can’t read it though). Is there a way to let the world and Konno Oyuki know we are very very grateful a bit more directly?

  3. @neo_hrtgdv You ca write her care of the Japanese publisher, Shueisha.

  4. Mara says:

    Yay.

    Indeed thank you Erica for your hard work noting down such detailed synopses of each book as they came out.

    However now I can only say that I can not wait for the ‘next thing’ to come along. What will rush in to fill the marimite void?

  5. Anonymous says:

    Oh wow… I won’t read the spoilers (not now, anyway :p) but I still can’t believe it’s really the end… Hmm, it’ll be the end of the novels, but the girls will always live in our hearts!

    Thank you so very much, Konno Oyuki; thank you so very much, Erica, for sharing your thoughts and love for the series with us!

  6. Katherine says:

    Wow, I’m glad Marimite got a great ending. I’d like to thank Konno Oyuki for writing the wonderful novels, and thank you, Erica, for reviewing it in its various incarnations.

  7. BruceMcF says:

    … and the anime seems to be rapidly catching up to what I gathered a little while back on this very blog would be the end when Sachiko-sama graduates.

    The Wikipedia entry has long described it as a final season, but until three weeks ago, I was in De Nile.

  8. Anonymous says:

    If they’re keeping the season to 12 or 13 episodes then I doubt it will be the last one. Or at least that it will reach the same conclusion on same path that the novels do. I would be crazy for a 5th season though

  9. BruceMcF says:

    I get the strong impression that they are going to get to the same conclusion, but skipping some of the loops and bends in the path. True, it would seem like they would have to finish eight books in four episodes to complete the series at Hello, Goodbye … but OTOH, don’t the side stories and back stories proliferate as the author was foot dragging toward Sachiko-sama’s graduation?

    And at a pace of a about a book an episode with some books skipped, there’s wouldn’t be much left for a 13 episode season in four or so books.

    Plus, commercially, I’d understood they dropped down to an OVA after poor season 2 ratings and were able to get the tie-in with Pizza Hut and get back on TV … they may simply have decided not to press their luck.

    (wait a minute … are they skipping enough side paths for “Lillian Tales” OVA??? … oh, imagination, you tempter you)

  10. Rowan says:

    I think a 5th season may be pushing it. All stories must have a good ending.

  11. Kiarash says:

    Thank you Erica!
    Thanks for Updating us about Marmite, I couldn’t be a fan of series without your notes about it.

  12. Anonymous says:

    thank you, erica, for your updates on this series. I’m filled with dread that the series is over, but I’m glad that I’m only on season 2 in the anime series. i know aria will be ending soon for me as well. man, this sucks- the best/worst thing about anime/manga is that, eventually, the story will come to an end. as someone else posted earlier, Konno Oyuki Sensei. Thank you!

  13. For those wishing to thank the author, here’s the full address (from Ziggr.com):

    〒101-8050 Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku Hitotsu-bashi 2-5-10
    c/o Shueisha Cobalt Editorial Department
    KONNO Oyuki-sensei
    JAPAN

    Or in kanji:

    〒101−8050 東京部千代田区一ツ橋2−5−10
    集映社コバルト編集部 気付
    今野緒雪先生

    By the way, even this far, it’s a wonderful closure to this great epic. Two thumbs-up! :D

  14. Motormind says:

    Whew… just how long has Konno Oyuki been dragging this out? You have to admit that it became a tad ridiculous in the end. But overall it is a nice series–one of my definite favorites, really.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Doumo-Arigato, Konno Oyuki-san, for creating such a wonderful universe (Lilian) and beautiful characters.

    And many thank yous, Erica, for your effort with the summaries and synopses…

    Kiitos.

  16. ArcaJ says:

    You’re right, it was the only ending that could have been. It wasn’t perfect, though, I am VERY relieved it didn’t end in classic 70’s style (loveless marriage, suicide or both). I know MariMite isn’t strictly Yuri (Sei notwithstanding) but I just can’t help thinking “Yuri” whenever I read a chapter or view an episode. Whatever it is, it’s a lovely series that brings me joy. I’ll support this series as long as I am able and recommend it to everyone.

    Thanks for your hard work Erica. I blame you for getting me hooked on this series! ^_^

    ::HUGS::

    Arca Jeth

  17. Anonymous says:

    Why do I feel like crying?
    ;_;
    I’m going to miss them so much.
    ;_;
    Whay will fill the emptiness I have in my heart now?
    ;_;
    Thanks for the synopsis.

    ;____;

  18. Another thing I forgot: as well as Konno-sensei, we should be thanking Reine Hibiki as well. So for those able to understand a bit of kanji, and wishing to give some props, she has an email form ready at her blog:

    http://hibiki.cside3.com/modules/formmail/index.php?id_form=1

    Gotta head off to dinner outside. :) Darn, got a lot of fanfic ideas churnin’ again.

  19. Ellen says:

    I just received an e-mail saying my order for the Season 3 DVDs was shipping. Thank you Konno Oyuki, thank you RightStuf!

    Is there any possibility of RightStuf publishing translations of the light novels? Any ears to the ground here on that?

  20. @Ellen – Right Stuf is an anime licensor and distributor. It would seem unlikely that they are going to move into translation of rinted materials for this series.

    Shueisha’s manga licensor here in the US is Viz. You should probably ask them. but don’t hold your breath.

  21. Melissa says:

    What a beautiful ending to a beautiful series. It feels so right somehow. Thank you for all the synopses, Erica! I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the anime develops. It’s good to have that still to look forward to.

  22. Arista says:

    Can’t imagine a more perfect ending. Marimite is truly unique, and I’ll remember it with fondness. Thanks so much for the translation.

    I’m disappointed this season of Marimite has skipped so many non-Yumi stories in its haste. Even so, I’m suspicious that we’ll get a good organic ending. There several books left and lots of story to tell. Perhaps we’ll get a OVA that focuses more on the other rose families.

  23. jackie says:

    the sentimental feeling i get from reading your blog about marimite is contagious! initially, i felt that maria sama is probably going to continue so i wasnt worried about the ending. and im not particularly attached to this anime. however, the sentimental feeling i get from reading some notes about how people dont want this series to end is.. contagious!

    and the sentimental-ness can be seen in the synopsis you wrote. =) a person who writes the synopsis must really like the manga/anime, or else they wouldnt do all that extra work!

    P.S. i still had some hope inside that sachiko & yumi would have developed their friendship into something more than just a friendship. and also that there would be more angst & misunderstanding between sachiko & yumi. it would’ve raised the stakes & the tension which wouldve made it nice.

    however~~ an anime is only just an anime… but i’ll always have my fantasies!

  24. jackie says:

    and i’d also lke to add that Maria-sama ga miteru is a very unrealistic portrayal of lesbian relationships. (if its considered having lesbian relationships)

  25. Anonymous says:

    It’s not.

  26. Anonymous says:

    Yuri or no Yuri, we’d been given a very commendable, heart-wrenching and hard-hitting story, one that would’ve put most soap operas to shame.

  27. Creg says:

    All things must come to end and this is a good end. But…

    I’m going to miss them all. I’m especially going to miss seeing Yumi, Shimako and Yoshino’s third year and the interactions between the roses and their souers, now that all are present. I wanted to see Touko’s growth and maturation and the spats with Yumi she had in getting there. I wanted to see how Noriko dealt with finding her own soeur and how Shimako dealt with it as well. I wanted to see Yoshino and Nana’s likely tumultuous relationship.

    Ultimately though, while all the relationships were important, the focal relationship of the series was between Sachiko and Yumi, and now that Sachiko has graduated, the relationship must change to beyond the setting of the stories.

    What a long, strange, melodramatic (and wonderful) ride it’s been. Thanks to Oyuki-sensei for writing it, to Studio Deen for animating it and to you, Erica, for bringing to us the stories that had to be abridged or left out of the anime.

  28. Anonymous says:

    the link broken !!!http://www.Yuricon.org/Endof.txt

    i wanna know the spoiler please

  29. @Anonymous – That file may have been lost in the sudden downfall of the Yuricon site. And I don’t seem to have a copy, so…it’s gone.

    I’ll lose the link.

  30. Poruporu says:

    That’s too bad, I want to see the spoilers too T_T

    maybe I was addicted to Marimite a little too late hahaha…..

    anyways, I really love your every comments on Marimite, it’s really well written ^_^

  31. Anonymous says:

    are you sure it’s over? i don’t have ‘hello goodbye’ yet, but it says there’s a new installment of marimite is in the may edition of cobalt (on the official website).

  32. @Anonymous – The series continues, but the Yumi/Sachiko focus has ended. The next novel that came out is the second volume of “O-Shaku-sama ga Miteru” about Yuuki and I’ve read several stories about non-Yamayurkai characters as well.

  33. Anonymous says:

    someone knows where i can buy all the light novel of maria-sama ga miteru?

  34. Anonymous says:

    Is there a possibility for the Season 5? I’m relly looking forward for the ending of this lovely story.

    >>>thank you

  35. Thay says:

    Rei went to which university after graduating?

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