Ranked #579

Maria-sama ga Miteru

Try to imagine a school drama with no debauchery, no love triangles, and no fanservice. Sounds unreal, doesn't it? Nope, I'm talking about Maria-sama ga Miteru.

This anime has really stood out to me as being one of the best school anime ever created, and being a great drama series. The story follows a group of Japanese girls who attend a Catholic school. They are maidens, and must remember to be polite, never run in the hallways, make sure their pleats are always neat, and be upstanding young ladies in society. Such is the calibre of women in Lillian Jogakuen.

Maria-sama ga Miteru does have several arcs in which the story follows individual characters, but it mostly chronicles the school life of a young teenager named Yumi who suddenly garners attention from the most popular girls in school: the student council. And no, this student council doesn't plot against the teachers, they don't each have special superpowers (but they each have something special about them) that enable them to fight crime or keep order in the school, and they don't even transform into magical girls. Yes, Maria-sama ga Miteru is about the lives of ordinary (and extraordinary) girls who attend a prestigious high school. It's astounding how a story about nothing great can eventually turn out great itself.

I will admit, it is confusing with the whole aspect of the soeur system (in which a senior student makes an agreement with a junior to sort of guide her and be a surrogate "sister" to her while in school) and the names for the leaders in the student council (Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Chinensis en bouton, or Rosa Foetida en bouton petite soeur are some examples of those difficult-to-remember names). But after you get the hang of it, it becomes easier to follow.

Maria-sama ga Miteru has an interesting and unique art style. There's a lot of debate on whether it is beautiful or hideous, but it is in the eye of the beholder. There are some good character designs: large, detailed, soulful eyes, pointy noses, scarily symmetrical faces. The background art tends to range from good to being weak. Also, it seems that this anime is tinted with a beige colour. I can't explain it, but it has a lot of dull colour themes. It isn't bright and flashy, and it keeps with the atmosphere of the anime.

Piano, strings, a cappella hymns--this anime has an amazing sound. The OP and ED themes are piano compositions, and the entire score is soothing and very traditional. Again, it evokes the nature of this type of anime. Although, admittedly, it may be too relaxing. I may have been guilty of falling asleep during the OP...

And the absolute best part of this anime that makes it worth the watch: the characters. Honestly, if it weren't for the astounding cast, I would have dropped Maria-sama ga Miteru about three episodes in. But there is an absolutely great group that comprise the main and minor characters. They are all extremely well rounded, complex and thoroughly developed. Most of the anime is spent exploring their characterisations. Also, there's bound to be at least a handful of girls you will like.

There's Yumi, a sort of clumsy, good-hearted girl who isn't dull-witted--she actually is concerned about a lot of things even though she's pretty simple. Of course, there is Sachiko, who can be pegged as a "spoilt brat" but she is more than just that. Then there's the show stealer, Sei, whose antics will leave you grinning and whose past can get your heart wrenching. There are of course numerous other important characters. Each are carefully rendered and deeply characterised. If there's anything to watch this anime for, it's for excellent characters.

Its slow pace and lack of action may bore a viewer to tears, but if you are into this sort of anime, then you shouldn't pass up Maria-sama ga Miteru. Given, this series is definitely not for everyone. Also, there is a viewer penchant to associate the relationships between these girls as homoerotic. Some are, some aren't, some may be--but it's all speculation. There is one thing for certain: all these girls care for one another. Romantic or not is up to you to decide.

Plus, this isn't exactly audience-friendly. Maria-sama ga Miteru does not cater for the impatient or for those who like ecchi or shounen or mahou shoujo or even shoujo. It exists mostly for itself, which is a rather commendable thing as it never compromises to satisfy its audience like countless other anime do. Another "problem" is the borderline melodrama. You may watch this and wonder why they're making such a big deal over a particular topic, but remember--these are things that are important to the characters, not to anyone else.

Maria-sama ga Miteru is a brilliant series. May or may not be your cup of tea, but if you like this sort of thing, pour yourself a cup, sit back and enjoy this series that is meant to be sipped and savoured, and not chugged down. read more

I've had a very complex history with this series. I only started watching it because people were making a fuss about how another series copied an extremely famous scene from Maria-sama ga Miteru, but I ended up watching both the first and second seasons. (The third season wasn't out at that time.)

This is now my favourite series. But it was far from being a favourite then-- I watched it all very quickly, and I don't think this is a series that was meant to be seen like that. I overlooked a lot the first time around and it ended up seeming the characters were making baseless observations about others. It's easy to watch those slice-of-life school comedy series quickly, for example, since you're just in for a laugh or two, but Maria-sama ga Miteru has got characterisation, believability, and complex interpersonal dynamics that should be savoured slowly.

The seiyuu are great overall and generally convey characters' thoughts and feelings very well. The animation, however, could've been better... some parts look a bit unnatural or perhaps a bit mechanical, but I don't think it detracts very much from the series overall and I enjoyed the art style.

I fell in love with the series when I rewatched it because there's so much in it. This isn't your typical, run-of-the-mill series where you can just watch for mindless enjoyment. It isn't something you just watch because you know there's f/f in it either. This is possibly the best f/f series you'll ever watch-- without your usual crazy and melodramatic minor character lesbians in it, to boot. (Note that the f/f present is largely on the subtext level, which I find makes it even more delectable. There's canon stuff though, so it's not "just wishful thinking".)

On the other hand, I am of the mind that Maria-sama ga Miteru would still be enjoyable for those who don't like f/f or aren't particularly into it. The wonderful characterisation alone should be enough of a draw, should it be the sort of thing you look for in anime. Let me put it this way: This series doesn't necessarily focus on f/f too much if you're inclined to see it that way. Such is the beauty of subtext.

Oh, and if it matters to you, the focus isn't on religion despite the series name and the setting (a private Catholic all girls' school). It's really just about a group of young women and what happens to them and between them... which I guess makes it fall pretty firmly into the shoujo genre.

Maria-sama ga Miteru, then, is not recommended for those who only enjoy panty shots or seeing two girls somehow ending up in unrealistic, compromising situations. (Please go watch seinen for that fanservice stuff because there's no fanservice in this at all.) I wouldn't recommend this to people who like a lot of action either, because, well, it doesn't have much. It's slice-of-life (probably leaning more toward drama), so if you need an overarching plot to sustain your interest, this is also not for you. This is for those who are starved for a series with, finally, good characterisation.

And lastly, there are no self-pitying and screaming adolescent boys piloting mecha, thank goodness. read more