Archive for the Maria-sama ga Miteru Category


A Second Look at Maria-sama ga Miteru

April 12th, 2004

Well, Anime Boston was incredible. Not only did I get to spend time with some very good friends, but met many new ones and got to greet tons of Yuri fans at the Yuri Panel. (I know no one was listening to me much, because everyone was distracted by my Yuri Screensaver o’Death, but I had a good time anyway – and watching the run on the Yuricon table afterwards was amusing and satisfying…almost makes me want to work a little harder getting out more Yuri manga!

I am bleary-eyed and voiceless today and need to sleep, so instead of thinking and doing a review of something, I thought I’d make random comments without context about Maria-sama ga Miteru, which completed its first season of 13 episodes a few weeks ago.

When I wrote about Marimite for the first time in December, I wasn’t sure if I would actually find it as lovey-dovey as everyone seemed to think it was going to be. We all know how reliable fan pairings are as an indicator of canon Yuri. Which is to say, I had little faith that we’d actually see any Yuri at all in the series. Well…I was wrong again, which makes me awfully happy. ^_^

Because there is no plot*, per se, in Marimite, I focused on my initial perceptions of the characters, as I perceived them from the websites and writeups I had managed to see and read. Now, 13 episodes, and several chapters of manga later, I have significantly different perceptions and thoughts, and wanted to share them with you.

Plot is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, but as I see it, Marimite‘s plot is the primary shoujo non-plot, that is, “Normal Girl of average (below average, above average) ability finds herself in not-at-all normal situation, surrounded by people of exceptional ability.” The story follows the personal development of Normal Girl, as she adapts, changes and grows in this situation. In fact, IMHO, this is the primary force behind almost all anime and manga, shoujo or not, and any other plot that happens to occur in a story is just a bonus. ;-)

In any case, here are my character overviews of the Yamayurikai from December, and my current thoughts, starting with the White Rose hierarchy:

The Rosa Gigantea is Satou Sei – another uber-cool character, with a great personality. The En Bouton for Gigantea is a first-year, a very perceptive and forthright (despite her delicate appearance) girl named Toudo Shimako. We learn later that Shimako actually *asked* to be En Bouton. There is no Petite Soeur in this hierarchy, because Shimako is a first-year student.

When I first saw Sei, and her casual touchiness with Yumi (mostly to tease stuffy Sachiko) I would have sworn, and did make public statements to the effect, that I thought that Sei, of all of the girls, HAD to be straight. In my experience in the real world, only straight girls are touchy and huggy and grabby like that…gay or possibly gay girls are too terrified of being found out, usually. Yeah, well, so I was as absolutely wrong as possible. So sue me. ^_^ Sei is probably the only really gay girl on the damn council, and pretty much almost everyone’s favorite. I like her devil-may-care attitude, and the fact that she’s genuinely mature and solid in herself (we can see this, I think, when she tells Yoshino and Yumi about her story, not out of obligation, or to quell rumors, but because she wants the people who she cares about – and who care about her – to know. Since that goes back to the what her onee-sama was trying to teach her, it shows that she’s come a long way. By the end of the series, I felt like she was probably the most seriously mature of all of the Rosas. Tragedy has a way of doing that to a person.

Shimako. After 13 episodes, it’s still hard to put a finger on Shimako. I think she and Sei were and are very alike – easy to be with, but not easy to touch. At the end, we can see that her feelings for Sei definitely run very deep, despite their lack of public…display. But when they are alone together, the masks come off. Shimako seemed very solid and strong, but we could also see that inside she was full of doubt…a very human character and one I look forward to learning more about in the second season, when she chooses her own petite souer. (Look for a continuation of the Rosa Gigantea trend here, hint, hint.)

Next up, the Red Roses:

The Rosa Chinensis is Mizuno Youko – she seems like a really solid person, with a teeny bit of a mischievous nature. Her En Bouton is Ogasawara Sachiko, a moody and mysterious girl. Sachiko does not like many things – including men, ginkgoes and sakura. She is reticent about herself, and in many ways distant, but determined in her desire to have Fukuzawa Yumi as her Petite Soeur.

Oh my god, did I want more Youko, more Youko, more Youko!!!! Calm, controlled, quiet…with Shinohara Emi’s sweet voice, I wanted thirty episodes about Youko, when all we had were snatches. Boo hoo. I felt that her relationship with Sachiko was ignored and I would very much have liked to see a little bit more of that. Also, we got brief glimpses of the fact that Youko, despite her hard-working nature, was not a natural at schoolwork, so it might have been nice to delve a little deeper into Youko’s life – to watch her in her struggles. I want a Youko backstory, dammit!!

Sachiko. She was, for me, very hard to like. In fact, until the very last episode when she admitted to having such a hard time adapting to outside expectations, I wasn’t ever really sure I l really did like her, except for brief flashes (including, I’m sorry to say, as a kindergartner. She was so utterly adorable….) But then I thought about the scene when Yumi asks her to go out on a date and the look on her face is so eager, so excited…so happy, that I realized that Sachiko is a terribly lonely person and that Yumi is the best thing that ever happened to her. I’m sure Youko could feel happy when she graduates, knowing that Sachiko has Yumi taking care of her, and teaching her how to relax and just be happy.

And then there’s Yumi, our protagonist. She is Normal Girl, drawn into not-normal situation. Because she really *is* a normal girl, she spreads her charm and goofiness equally throughout the Mansion, and everyone, very quickly, begins to be comfortable with her. It takes her a little while to be comfortable back, but by the time she’s planning on making nasty chocolates for Sei as revenge, you know she’s cool with it all. ^_^ I love the fact that she makes goofy faces and funny noises and that she genuinely adores Sachiko with every fiber of her being. Their date together was delightful. I’m glad we’ll get more of them in the next year – I want to see them together more.

And finally, the Yellow Roses:

The Rosa Foetida is Torii Eriiko, her En Bouton is Hasekura Rei. Rei is ultra-cool and unflappable and she finds Yumi (the heroine) adorable. Her Petite Soeur is Shimatsu Yoshino, a very sweet and shy-type girl.

Oddly, Rei and Yoshino were the only characters I knew, prior to the anime and manga. I have a doujinshi of the two of them from a few years ago. I like it alot, and in some ways the characters were pretty solid, but I think the art was off a little – especially for Yoshino. But I digress. ^_^

Eriko suffered badly in this series. Because her love interest is a guy, and older, it never comes into the anime at all (which most definitely focused on the girl love aspects.) So she was pretty much shafted. We learn peripherally that she’s naturally good at everything she does, but lazy and laconic by nature. We barely see her at all through the second half of the anime. I hope the manga gives us more of a chance to get to know her, because my image of her is fuzzy and kind of…lame. Like, why did she pick Rei as soeur? They barely seem to talk.

Rei is as advertised – a big, sweet galumph who, despite her boyish appearance is really quite girly. I think they struck a perfect balance between these – Rei in the anime looks like a tall, somewhat boyish girl, but definitely a girl. And her natural girliness felt natural…it never felt forced.

Yoshino was a little harder to understand, but I loved her. Weak from illness, she was forced to be gentle, even though her heart was not at ALL gentle. In alot of ways, I completely sympathized with that…I was a very weak, sickly kid and couldn’t do alot of the things other kids did. But stuck at home, I was reading cowboy and sports books, much like Yoshino’s samurai stories. So, you know, I COMPLETELY understand why, after the surgery, she’s a lunatic. ^_^ She’s just trying out being able to yell at last! I also liked the way that, by the end, she and Yumi were actual friends, not just acquaintances.

The one thing I didn’t like at first was the fast pace of the story, but then a Japanese friend told me that it was done on purpose, to remove it from the usual, long, slow, lingering death of most other shoujo series. Every storyline was short, snappy, touching, funny. It kept the audience interested and alert. Thinking about it that way, I do understand…nonetheless, I’m looking forward to the manga, which has more detail!

All in all, I have to say, I thought the anime adaptation of Maria-sama ga Miteru was really exceptional. I didn’t expect to care as much as I did about the characters – or want to know more. And I find myself wondering about and anticipating with much pleasure, the second season, which will be Yumi’s second year at Lillian. (As an interesting aside, she hasn’t *yet* chosen a petite soeur in the novels…so we can wonder if that news will break during the anime series. ^_^)

And there you have it. The new poster child anime for Yuri was a huge success and we can look forward to more. Yay.

Next entry will be, at last, a discussion of publishing a doujinshi, because I’ve been asked about it a lot. Then back to anime and manga. ^_^





Maria-sama ga Miteru: Thoughts on the first story arc

February 6th, 2004

Well, the first arc of Marimite is complete, in both anime and manga, so I thought I’d write a quicky note on this series (you had to expect occasional Marimite updates, since it is kind of *the* yuri anime right now.)

Japanese fans of the novel series (which is still running monthly in Shuiesha Cobalt and now that there’s an anime and manga to stimulate interest, probably will continue until the author gets utterly sick of all the characters and stops) are not exaclty thrilled with either the anime or the manga. As a fan of many novels that have been poorly to adequately treated in film and TV, I completely sympathize. (I may well be one of the only people on the planet who did not like the film adaptation of the Lord Of the Rings. Sure, it looked pretty, but the movies managed to miss the *point* of nearly each and every scene in the book.)

In the Marimite novels, there are many and various conversations which, for time and censorship issues, needed to be cut from manga, anime, or both. Of course, many of these speeches are the relationship-defining words between two soeur. The Yuri Kokoro web log actually listed scene by scene, “significant” speeches which were cut from the anime and manga arc of the first novel.

The manga suffers slightly less from this problem. On the whole manga is a freer art form than anything made for television, and the pacing of the manga is significantly slower and more dignified than the anime. What in the manga takes 7 chapters to cover, is handled in three episodes. So the anime, instead of being stately and graceful (which would be in keeping with the atmosphere of Lillian Academy) seem rushed and a little harried.

Then there’s the issue of detail. Because of the pace of the anime, details have been left out that affect the audience’s perception of the story. For instance – in the first arc, we learn that Sachiko is Kashiwagi’s cousin, they are engaged and, more importantly that Sachiko actually has feelings for him. So, then, why does she seems so angry with him?

Well, in the manga (and the novels) we learn that Kashiwagi is gay. So, look at the situation from Sachiko’s point of view – her father and grandfather don’t respect their wives (it’s well-known that they have mistresses). And because Kashiwagi is *really* not interested in Sachiko, she knows that she, too, will be in a loveless marriage of convenience. Yet, when we see Kashiwagi and Sachiko together, he pretends that he likes her, even going so far as to try and kiss her. Since she actually does like him (which, let’s face it, will turn to bitter contempt in time…indeed has already begun to do so) she, rightfully, thinks he’s a hypocrite.

Here’s what we don’t learn in the anime or manga – Kashiwagi recognizes that Sachiko has a genuine affection for Yumi, and he himself is interested in Yumi’s brother, Yuki. (Yuki doesn’t return the interest.) Kashiwagi actually suggests, at some point, that Sachiko become pregnant by Yuki, since he is unwilling to actually sleep with her himself. He implies that this way, they will have done their duty by the family and Sachiko can have Yumi’s baby, in a twisted way.

NOW you understand why she is so angry, yes?

So, in conclusion, we’re missing a *lot* of information from the novels in the anime and, to a slightly lesser extent, the manga. Nonetheless, the anime is very pretty, the manga is very lovely and I’m enjoying the heck out of watching these girls and their courting ritual. :-)

Check back for a quick overview of the second arc in a few weeks. This time it’s all about Rei and Yoshino, the only *real* couple among the Bara-tachi.

And don’t forget to join us on the Yuricon Mailing List to talk about Marimite to your heart’s content!





A First Look at Maria-sama ga Miteru Anime

January 12th, 2004

Yuricon makes the Animefringe.com Top 25!

Congratulations to the Yuricon website – we were named #22 in Animefringe.com’s annual Top 25 web poll. Yuricon is the *first* con-related web page to ever be so named. And considering the other ranked sites (Bittorrent, Anime on DVD, Anime News Network…) I think we have a lot to be proud of!

A First Look at Marimite

This past weekend, I screened the first episode of Maria-sama ga Miteru the anime. I’ve been following the manga, and there are some small differences – and again, these are different from the original novels, or so I’m told. That having been said, here’s my first impression:

Marimite is not an action-filled anime. It is quiet and deliberate. The tone is set at the very beginning when our heroine, Yumi, tells us that the girls of Liliian Girls Academy are expected to be neat, speak politely and move slowly. Set within this frame of contemplation and good manners, any extreme – not matter how trivial – seems out of synch. Sudden movements, a raised voice, a firm touch…all these things stand out as being not usual, out of tune with the rest of the school. Because of the focus on deliberate movement, there is a tension in each scene, that can’t really be accounted for by the apparent situation. (The tension feels similar to that of the sketching scene in the Utena movie, when Utena is sketching Anthy in the Tower…Anthy’s movements are *so* deliberate, that they feel symbolic. The eyecatches are also consciously reminiscent of Utena: the theme heavy with violin, and a flower-filled frame. Trust me – its *really* obvious.)

While I have no doubt that the plot will resolve happily, this anime is driven by character, not plot. The plot revolves around manipulation and emotional connection in a girl’s school… in other words, it’s about nothing. :-) The thing that will bring viewers back will be the interaction between the characters, the growth of their relationships, and that tension I mentioned above. Do not expect any great climaxes of action…but do expect a few emotional outbursts. ^_^ This is a truly shoujo series.

As an anime, this series as defintely the love-child of Oniisama E (Brother, Dear Brother) and Utena. Sitting somewhere between the strong flower imagery of Utena and the emotion of the Sorority storyline of Oniisama E, lies the outwardly sedate Marimite. Ultimately, like most classic shoujo, Marimite is about an average girl who, by circumstance or fate, becomes involved with the Great Ones of her school.

Whatever happens, I think it’ll be an interesting ride. ^_^

For more conversation, art scans and info about Marimite, and other Yuri anime and manga, join us at the Yuricon Mailing List.





Maria-sama ga Miteru: The Most Eagerly Anticipated Yuri Anime/Manga of 2004

December 30th, 2003

Maria-sama ga Miteru (Virgin Mary Watches Over Us) based on the novels by Konno Oyuki, has Japanese lesbians hopping with excitement and anticipation. Marimite, as it is called in Japan, is actually a series of 12 novels written about girls who attend Lillian Girls’ Academy, a Catholic school at, roughly, the beginning of the 20th century. Similar in its flowery, talcum-scented feel to Yoshiya Nobuko’s TwoVirgins in the Attic, Marimite is a fairly straightforward story about love between girls. In other words, almost ten years after Sailor Moon brought us Uranus and Neptune and five years after Anthy and Utena, the new yuri poster children for the 21st century will be Sachiko and Yumi, from Marimite. How do I know this? Because for decades, Sachiko and Yumi have been an insanely popular doujinshi pairing in Japan…and that was before the anime and manga were even created.

Here’s a *very* basic overview of the plot:

Lillian Academy’s Student Council is call the Mountain Lily Council. (Note the ubiquitous lily imagery…) They all live in a house called the Lily Mansion. The Council is composed of three girls, each of whom takes a flower title: Rosa Gigantea (white); Rosa Chinensis (red); Rosa Foetida (yellow).

Each Rosa can take a junior, referred to as “Rosa XXX En Bouton.” Each En Bouton is allowed to pick a junior, referred to as “Rosa XXX En Bouton Petite Soeur.” The usual pattern is a senior student as Rosa, a second-year student as En Bouton and a first-year student as Petite Soeur.” You can see this easily on the character chart on the Mariamite anime site. The procedure for asking someone to be your junior is to very formally address them with, “Please accept my rosary.” Not surprisingly, this leads to a very romantic/adoration-filled relationship between each girl on the Council.

The Rosa Foetida is Torii Eriiko, her En Bouton is Hasekura Rei. Rei is ultra-cool and unflappable and she finds Yumi (the heroine) adorable. Her Petite Soeur is Shimatsu Yoshino, a very sweet and shy-type girl.

The Rosa Gigantea is Satou Sei – another uber-cool character, with a
great personality. The En Bouton for Gigantea is a first-year, a very perceptive and forthright (despite her delicate appearance) girl named Toudo Shimako. There is no Petite Soeur in this hierarchy, because Shimako is a first-year student.

The Rosa Chinensis is Mizuno Youko – she seems like a really solid person, with a teeny bit of a mischievous nature. Her En Bouton is Ogasawara Sachiko, a moody and mysterious girl. Sachiko does not like many things – including men, ginkgoes and sakura. She is reticent about herself, and in many ways distant, but determined in her desire to have Yumi as her Petite Soeur.

The heroine of the story, Fukuzawa Yumi, is a cute first-year student at Lillian Academy. She has always admired Sachiko but, when Sachiko asks her to become her little sister, Yumi declines. When pressed for a reason, she herself isn’t sure, but she knows that something is not right. As the story progresses, she realizes that her feelings for Sachiko are deeper than admiration but…

The plot of this story has no major conflicts – it’s a warm, fuzzy look at a developing relationship, a complex and romantic courting ritual and a hothouse environment designed to create intense, romantic relationships between girls. Just *exactly* what yuri fans need. :-)

The official Marimite website has some lovely art – and its minimialism gives you an idea of the feel of the story. :-) The official anime site, as mentioned above, has a nice character chart and will, eventually, have some other features. And, lastly, here’s an anime trailer that gives you a really wonderful idea of what we’re in for!

All in all, I’m thinking this is going to be 10 out of 10 for pure “S”. For more news, manga synopses, and lots of enthusiasm join the Yuricon Mailing List and share the excitement!