Maria-sama ga Miteru
Encyclopedia
, often shortened to , is a series of Japanese light novel
s written by Oyuki Konno and illustrated by Reine Hibiki
. The series focuses on a group of teenage girls
attending Lillian Catholic school
for girls in Tokyo
, Japan
. Its storyline largely revolves around the lives and close relationships of the school's student council known as the Yamayuri Council. Maria-sama ga Miteru is considered representative of yuri novels.
The series began as a short story in the February 1997 issue of Cobalt
, a shōjo fiction magazine published by Shueisha
. The first light novel was published by Shueisha on April 24, 1998, and as of December 2010 the series has grown to 38 volumes. Shueisha has also produced manga
and drama CD
adaptations; as of 2009 the latter is still ongoing. Between January 2004 and March 2009 the series was adapted into a four-season anime
produced by Studio Deen
. The Right Stuf International
has licensed all four seasons through its production arm Nozomi Entertainment, and is releasing them in North America under the title Maria Watches Over Us. It has also been adapted into a live-action film that was released in Japan on November 6, 2010.
), and can be considered character-driven, focusing on interactions between the characters rather than any sort of ongoing plot or goal to attain. At Lillian Girls' School, there is a tradition known as the sœur system (sœur being French
for "sister"), in which a second, or third-year student, the grande sœur ("big sister"), will give her rosary
to a first-year student, the petite sœur ("little sister"), and promise to look after them and guide them.
When the story begins, Yumi Fukuzawa, a first-year student at Lillian, is praying in front of the Virgin Mary
statue near the school entrance when she is suddenly approached by a cold second-year student named Sachiko Ogasawara who straightens Yumi's uniform neckerchief
. This seemingly simple act of kindness stays with Yumi the rest of the day, and she speaks of her meeting with Sachiko to her friends during class and lunch. After school is over, Yumi's classmate Tsutako Takeshima meets with Yumi to show her that she took a photograph of Yumi's meeting with Sachiko earlier that morning. Yumi asks if she can have the photo, but Tsutako says she will give her the snapshot under two conditions: one being that Tsutako can display it at the upcoming school festival, and two being that Yumi get Sachiko's permission to do so as well. Yumi agrees to this, which sets in motion a series of events involving the entire Yamayuri Council — the student council of the school. A few weeks after first meeting Sachiko, Yumi accepts Sachiko's rosary
and therefore agrees to become her petite sœur.
This officially inducts Yumi into the Yamayuri Council where she assists them in school matters alongside Yoshino Shimazu, and Shimako Tōdō — the petite sœurs of Rei Hasekura, and Sei Satō respectively. Through her activities in the Yamayuri Council, Yumi becomes closer to the other members and generally finds her experiences with the group to be enjoyable.
, Tokyo
, Japan
; the school is depicted as an elegant, clean, pure, and very prestigious institution. Among the facilities of Lillian, aside from the classrooms, there is a church, a greenhouse, a kendo
dojo
, an auditorium, a park, and the Rose Mansion, where the Yamayuri Council meet. The students are very respectable and in good standing. The uniform at the school is a long, dark green Japanese school uniform
with a white collar.
One notable aspect is the occasional use of French
, although one need not be fluent in French to understand the story. In fact, the series is given the French subtitle La Vierge Marie vous regarde, which means "The Virgin Mary is watching you". In keeping with the tone of the series, formal language is used — is a strictly formal and respectful greeting in Japanese, and is used both to greet and to bid farewell. By custom, this greeting is used often in the Lillian School; this has been one of the distinguishable and popular phrases of the series, and it is used to begin or to finish each volume. The Animax English language version translates the word as "Good day to you". The Lillian Girls' Academy uses the lily symbolism as the white lily is the flower of the Virgin Mary. The white lily is a Christian
symbol of virginity
and purity.
This lily imagery is also used as a reference to yuri: the story has some elements of romance between female characters; the use of lilies reinforces this in subtext, as do the names of the student council and of the school itself. The series is only explicit about a romantic relationship once in a flashback, but many of the sisters have romantic friendship
s.
The musical choices of Maria-sama ga Miteru are generally classical music-inspired. A song that is often referred to in the anime is "Maria-sama no Kokoro", or "The Virgin Mary's Heart". In the context of the series, "Maria-sama no Kokoro" is a children's song taught to the students at Lillian.
. The Yamayuri Council meet in a building called the . Located within the school, it consists of two stories, including a meeting room on the second story. The Yamayuri Council itself consists of three offices, named after rose
s: , , and . These are also referred to by their colors; the is Rosa Foetida, the is Rosa Gigantea, and the is Rosa Chinensis.
A , or , is one of three senior members of the Yamayuri Council, although it is also possible to generally speak of all the members of the Yamayuri Council as roses. A Rose makes the important decisions within this group, since she has control over the student council. Candidates for the position, which lasts through the school year, are chosen through an election. Any student can run to become a Rose, although the position is usually given to the en boutons, the Roses' petite sœurs.
The petite sœur of a Rosa is called an , otherwise known as . En bouton is French
for "in bud" — as used in the example Rosa Chinensis en bouton — and is unofficially considered part of the Yamayuri Council, as is the petite sœur of the en bouton, if she has one. The en boutons must be in a lower year than their oneesama, and generally the en boutons execute the plans discussed by the Roses, like assistants. Although the Rosa positions of the Yamayuri Council are traditionally passed to the en bouton on the graduation of the current holder, they are nonetheless elected offices which anyone may run for.
The petite sœur of the en bouton is called — as used in the example Rosa Chinensis en bouton petite sœur — and is otherwise known as . She must be in a lower year than her oneesama and performs small duties, such as attending to the Roses' en boutons, cleaning the Rose Mansion, and making tea and snacks for the Yamayuri Council. This lasts a school year, and the following year, when their oneesama is elected, the petite sœurs become en boutons automatically.
Most of the main characters are members of the Yamayuri Council. The following table shows their titles and sœur relationships: each character is the grande sœur of the character below them, if any.
). The basic etiquette demands the "petite sœur" (young sister) to call her guide back "oneesama" (older sister in Japanese
). Aside from being used in prayer, the rosary
is the instrument that certifies the sœur union and relationship between two students.
Even though the relationships are basically related to friendship, some prove to develop into further feelings. There is an implicit code of behavior between sœurs, especially in the student council, Yamayuri Council: quietness, measure and respect towards each other; values deeply attached into Japanese traditional education. Due to the high importance the three Rose families (Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida) have in the development of the student activities within school, those who become petites sœurs of any of the mentioned families receive a functional "inheritance" through the grandes sœurs teachings, to adopt a position given certain circumstances. In this way, there are patrons recognized through the generations of the members of the Rose families.
Still, after graduating, the grandes sœurs of the Yamayuri Council may continue with a fair participation in the events concerning their families, as shown in the novels which follows the story after the second animated season.
magazine Cobalt
. Konno was already an established author when she wrote the story: in the first half of 1993 she had won both Cobalt's Novel Award and Readers' Award for her debut work . Shueisha published the first Yume no Miya novel in March 1994, and by the beginning of 1997 nine volumes had been released.
The success of the Maria-sama ga Miteru short story inspired Konno to turn it into a series of novels as well. The first volume was published on April 24, 1998, with illustrations by Reine Hibiki
(the original short story was illustrated by Yuma Aoi). In terms of the storyline this first novel marks the beginning of the series; the short story of 1997 was reworked and republished in the ninth volume, Cherry Blossom, in 2001. As of December 2010 Shueisha have published 38 light novels in the series, plus a new edition of the first novel in June 2010 to tie in with the movie adaptation. In February 2003, with twelve volumes released, Konno began to publish more short stories in Cobalt. Counting the 1997 debut, 26 short stories have been published as of October 2011; so far 22 of these have been included in later novels. Like the novels, all the short stories except the first are illustrated by Reine Hibiki. The light novel series is being translated into German under the name Rosen unter Marias Obhut ("Roses under Mary's care").
In August 2008, Konno began a spin-off series of light novels called , also illustrated by Hibiki. These focus on Yumi's younger brother Yūki and his schoolmates at Hanadera. As of October 2010, six novels in the series have been published.
A manga
adaptation, drawn by Satoru Nagasawa, was serialized in the Japanese shōjo manga magazine The Margaret between October 2003 and December 2007. It has been collected into eight bound volumes
released by Shueisha
. The story in each volume follows the corresponding volume of the novels. In 2010, the manga began serialization again by adapting the "Cherry Blossom" story. The manga has been licensed and officially translated in Germany
, under the name Rosen unter Marias Obhut. The Latin names for the Roses are removed, in favor of using the color of the rose.
Original manga-only stories were published in the shōjo magazine Cobalt
by Shueisha, with drawings by Reine Hibiki
; these stories were based on some scenes from the novels. Publication details for these stories are as follows:
. Afterwards, given the success of the first season of the series, and the fact that this season only covered the first six volumes of the novels, it was decided to launch the second season of anime. Haru, with thirteen episodes and with the same personnel that worked in the first season, aired from July and September 2004 and would cover volumes seven to eleven of the novels.
Near the end of 2005, "Project Maria 2006" was announced, and a publicity campaign was run to publicize the new animated series to come in 2006. In August 2006, the third anime series was announced to be presented in Original Video Animation
format. It took place just after the second season, and with the same voice actors. The OVA series aired in Japan between November 2006 and July 2007. Plans for a fourth season were announced in the August 2007 issue of Cobalt magazine, and the final scenes of the fifth OVA. The fourth season, like the first two, was televised, and aired in Japan between January and March 2009.
In addition to the main anime series, a parody series, called , is included as an omake
on the DVD releases of both TV seasons and the OVA. Maria-sama ni wa Naisho consists of minute-and-a-half collections of fake outtakes and parody skits drawn in a super deformed
style and starring the cast of the anime.
The first official foreign-language broadcast of the series outside Japan was attempted by the Philippine
television network ABS-CBN
, translated and dubbed into Tagalog
; only seasons one and two were broadcast in early 2006. In May 2006, it was officially announced that both the first and second seasons of the anime series had been licensed in Spain
by Jonu Media. Shortly after that, the license of the OVAs was also confirmed. The complete anime series, including each season, has been translated and dubbed into English
for broadcast across the English language networks in Southeast Asia
by the anime satellite TV network Animax
from March 2007, being the series' first English language
television premiere. Animax have also aired the series across its networks in Hong Kong
and other regions. In April 2007, a subtitled DVD release was announced by Diamond Comic Distributors
, but this was an error.
On March 6, 2008, Nozomi Entertainment, the licensing branch of The Right Stuf International
, announced that they would be releasing both TV seasons and the five OVA episodes in box sets. The sets are in the original Japanese with English subtitles. The first set was released on July 29, 2008. A sampler DVD with the first episode was released for review. The release has two subtitle tracks, one with regular dialogue subtitles and a second subtitle track that retains the Japanese honorifics. Maria-sama ga Miteru: Haru has been renamed Maria Watches Over Us: Printemps and is due for release in November 2008. Right Stuf announced it had licensed the fourth season a month after it began airing in Japan.
was expanded with the publication of the first of a set of drama CDs, using the same voice actors from the anime series. The drama CDs have special stories that are based on the stories in the novels, and are published by Shueisha
. There have been twelve drama CDs so far, the latest of which was released on December 14, 2007; volumes five and ten were also released in limited edition versions each with a slipcase and a pair of character mini-figures. Original soundtracks of the first two anime seasons were published with the aid of musical duo Ali Project
in 2004. The first soundtrack contains thirty-five tracks, and the second contained thirty-six. In 2005, three image albums
were released, each one with seven tracks consisting of one opening with vocals, three instrumental intervals, one dedicated to each person, one ending with vocals, and the opening and ending themes of the anime series in karaoke
format. Each image album was assigned to one of the three families of roses; the songs were sung by the voice actors of the anime series.
show, starring the voice actors of the anime series, was produced by Animate
on their web radio channel. These broadcasts, which run for half an hour, are unrelated to the original story of the novels or the anime. They are more a kind of omake
of the series with conversations and publicity, often commenting with news of the third anime series and other funny situations from the plot of the novels. Initially, a special for Christmas was done on December 22, 2005, but the radio show's true beginning was on March 9, 2006. The show ran until November 24, 2006, with nineteen broadcasts; an additional New Year's Day
special was done on January 25, 2007, and the next broadcast was a Hinamatsuri
special on March 1, 2007. Further broadcasts are expected starting from December 21, 2007 as part of the Pizza Hut
tie-in campaign. The program was mainly hosted by Kana Ueda
, who voiced Yumi, although occasionally the specials were presented by other voice actors from the anime. Some of the programs have been collected on radio drama CDs.
}|| September 10, 2008 ||
|-
|24|||| September 24, 2008 || Marina Inoue (Shouko Naitou)
|-
|25|||| October 29, 2008 || Hitomi Nabatame (Nana Arima)
|-
|26|| || November 26, 2008 || Kaori Shimizu (Noriko Nijou)
|-
|27|| || December 24, 2008 || Mamiko Noto and Haruna Ikezawa
|-
|28|| || January 7, 2009 || Shizuka Itō
|-
|29|| || January 28, 2009 ||
|-
|30|| || February 25, 2009 ||
|-
|31|| || March 25, 2009 ||
|-
|32|| || April 28, 2009 ||
|}
and the live-action Tonari no 801-chan
. Terauchi co-wrote the script with Yoshitsugu Sagami, who had worked with him in 2007 as editor of the second Boys Love movie, Schoolboy Crush. The film's music is composed by Chika Fujino, who also worked on Schoolboy Crush. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD in Japan on July 29, 2011. To tie in with the film, a new edition of the first light novel was published in June 2010 with a cover featuring stars Honoka Miki and Haru.
: for example, Honoka Miki models for Love Berry
magazine and Haru for Seventeen
.
as Yumi Fukuzawa as Sachiko Ogasawara as Yōko Mizuno as Sei Satō as Eriko Torii as Shimako Tōdō as Rei Hasekura as Yoshino Shimazu as Tsutako Takeshima as Suguru Kashiwagi
(ANN) noted that the series leaves itself "wide open to cynical sniggering." Carlos Ross from Them Anime regarded it as "one of the most beautiful and graceful anime" series, adding that the animation is sometimes of questionable quality but overall "very appealing". Andrew Shelton from AMR found the series to be "fairly unique" compared to other shōjo
works, explaining that although the story is "a little basic" and "overly dramatic", what it is most important is the "response and actions of the character on who the story is focused." Stig Høgset, also from Them Anime, commented that the third season was criticized for being too short, but he personally did not feel "like it was lacking something." Jason Thompson
credits Maria-sama ga Miteru with starting "the modern yuri trend". Newer anime titles that Maria-sama ga Miteru is compared to include Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru
, Strawberry Panic!
, Best Student Council, and Aria
. Carlos Ross, writing about the first novel in the series, felt the story was a "classic rags-to-riches tale," but that it was "also sweet, touching and witty when it needs to be." He criticized the lack of teachers and schoolwork in the series, which lead to the plot being filled with extracurricular activities, which are common to high school series. He also criticized Yumi's low self-esteem.
A characteristic element of the series is the extensive use of French titles, which Carlos Ross has criticized as "distracting". Mania.com criticized the early episodes as being "difficult", and saying that the first episode "throws a lot of terms and names at you". On the other hand, Ross compared the "atmosphere" presented by the series' artwork with those from other anime titles of similar setting, including the bright and vivid Revolutionary Girl Utena
. Another reviewer from Them Anime also compared Maria-sama ga Miteru with Oniisama e...
, but noted that the former is much less dramatic. Marc Hairston commented on the unusual character designs compared to other series, and said they are "ordinary students". ANN also noted the "clear, expressive eyes and character designs that are gifted with an understated mobility", praising the casting choices, and noting that even "peripheral" characters are "well-realized". Active Anime described the relationships between the characters as "intensely platonic" and "pseudo-gay" for the most part. ANN noted that the second season tends to overdramatize, especially in the last three episodes. ANN also describes the second season as "more embarrassing and shoujo-ai oriented" than the first season, but that the solid characterization is still a strength of the series. Active Anime appreciated the focus on characters other than Yumi and Sachiko for the second season, regarding Shimako's loss of Sei and befriending Noriko as being "one of the more moving" arcs of Printemps. ANN regards the OVA season as the best so far, citing the improved production standards and the less melodramatic storylines. ANN notes that the fourth season is "a return to dramatic form" after the relaxation of the OVA series, but is relieved that it is not as melodramatic as the second season, due to the increased maturity of the cast. Chris Beveridge, writing for Mania.com, noted the focus on Toko in the fourth season, and felt that the series seemed odd due to Yumi and Sachiko not spending so much time together, and felt that the series needed an epilogue, but enjoyed seeing Yumi taking on some "adult responsibilities".
Andrew Shelton has suggested that Maria-sama ga Miterus "reduced capacity for epic drama" is due to the lack of malicious characters; he considers the series "pure shōjo", mostly due to its character-driven storyline. Japanese reviewers for their part regard the story as a revival of the Class S
genre, and specifically a modern-day equivalent of Nobuko Yoshiya
's Hana monogatari. Hairston notes that Maria-sama ga Miteru emphasizes romance and emotion over sexuality, and it has a respectful treatment of its homoerotic themes. He describes the series as "one of the most interesting and touching anime series of the last two years", adding that it is "about self-discovery and self-acceptance".
A Pizza Hut
tie-in campaign for the fourth anime series started on January 7, 2008. The Rose Mansion from the story was recreated in the Second Life
virtual world
and opened on February 8, 2008.
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s written by Oyuki Konno and illustrated by Reine Hibiki
Reine Hibiki
is a Japanese illustrator, born November 15 in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. She is a graduate of Joshibi University of Art and Design Junior College. Her work includes illustrating the Maria-sama ga Miteru series of light novels.-Light Novels:...
. The series focuses on a group of teenage girls
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
attending Lillian Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
for girls in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Its storyline largely revolves around the lives and close relationships of the school's student council known as the Yamayuri Council. Maria-sama ga Miteru is considered representative of yuri novels.
The series began as a short story in the February 1997 issue of Cobalt
Cobalt (magazine)
is a bi-monthly anthology of shōjo fiction, published in Japan by Shueisha, since May, 1976. Shueisha also publish light novels under the Cobalt imprint, many of which were originally serialised in the magazine.-Writers and series featured in Cobalt:...
, a shōjo fiction magazine published by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
. The first light novel was published by Shueisha on April 24, 1998, and as of December 2010 the series has grown to 38 volumes. Shueisha has also produced manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and drama CD
Radio drama in Japan
Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...
adaptations; as of 2009 the latter is still ongoing. Between January 2004 and March 2009 the series was adapted into a four-season anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
produced by Studio Deen
Studio DEEN
is a Japanese company that produces anime. Three years after Sunrise was founded in 1972, Studio Deen was established by Sunrise's members in 1975. As a result of this, anime shows such as Cowboy Bebop that were produced by Sunrise may have had assistance from Studio Deen.-Produced anime:* Urusei...
. The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
has licensed all four seasons through its production arm Nozomi Entertainment, and is releasing them in North America under the title Maria Watches Over Us. It has also been adapted into a live-action film that was released in Japan on November 6, 2010.
Story
Maria-sama ga Miterus story revolves around the students of the Lillian Girls' Academy (a Catholic schoolCatholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
), and can be considered character-driven, focusing on interactions between the characters rather than any sort of ongoing plot or goal to attain. At Lillian Girls' School, there is a tradition known as the sœur system (sœur being French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "sister"), in which a second, or third-year student, the grande sœur ("big sister"), will give her rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
to a first-year student, the petite sœur ("little sister"), and promise to look after them and guide them.
When the story begins, Yumi Fukuzawa, a first-year student at Lillian, is praying in front of the Virgin Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
statue near the school entrance when she is suddenly approached by a cold second-year student named Sachiko Ogasawara who straightens Yumi's uniform neckerchief
Neckerchief
A neckerchief, necker or less commonly scarf is a type of neckwear associated with Scouts, cowboys and sailors. It consists of a triangular piece of cloth or a rectangular piece folded into a triangle. The long edge is rolled towards the point, leaving a portion unrolled...
. This seemingly simple act of kindness stays with Yumi the rest of the day, and she speaks of her meeting with Sachiko to her friends during class and lunch. After school is over, Yumi's classmate Tsutako Takeshima meets with Yumi to show her that she took a photograph of Yumi's meeting with Sachiko earlier that morning. Yumi asks if she can have the photo, but Tsutako says she will give her the snapshot under two conditions: one being that Tsutako can display it at the upcoming school festival, and two being that Yumi get Sachiko's permission to do so as well. Yumi agrees to this, which sets in motion a series of events involving the entire Yamayuri Council — the student council of the school. A few weeks after first meeting Sachiko, Yumi accepts Sachiko's rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
and therefore agrees to become her petite sœur.
This officially inducts Yumi into the Yamayuri Council where she assists them in school matters alongside Yoshino Shimazu, and Shimako Tōdō — the petite sœurs of Rei Hasekura, and Sei Satō respectively. Through her activities in the Yamayuri Council, Yumi becomes closer to the other members and generally finds her experiences with the group to be enjoyable.
Setting and themes
was founded in 1902 in MusashinoMusashino
Musashino may refer to:* Musashino , a train service in Japan* Musashino, Tokyo, a city in Greater Tokyo, Japan* Musashino Line, a railway line in Greater Tokyo, Japan* 3249 Musashino, an asteroid* Musashino Terrace...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; the school is depicted as an elegant, clean, pure, and very prestigious institution. Among the facilities of Lillian, aside from the classrooms, there is a church, a greenhouse, a kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
, an auditorium, a park, and the Rose Mansion, where the Yamayuri Council meet. The students are very respectable and in good standing. The uniform at the school is a long, dark green Japanese school uniform
Japanese school uniform
Japan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century. Today, school uniforms are common in many of the Japanese public and private school systems. The Japanese word for this type of uniform is .-Usage:...
with a white collar.
One notable aspect is the occasional use of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, although one need not be fluent in French to understand the story. In fact, the series is given the French subtitle La Vierge Marie vous regarde, which means "The Virgin Mary is watching you". In keeping with the tone of the series, formal language is used — is a strictly formal and respectful greeting in Japanese, and is used both to greet and to bid farewell. By custom, this greeting is used often in the Lillian School; this has been one of the distinguishable and popular phrases of the series, and it is used to begin or to finish each volume. The Animax English language version translates the word as "Good day to you". The Lillian Girls' Academy uses the lily symbolism as the white lily is the flower of the Virgin Mary. The white lily is a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
symbol of virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
and purity.
This lily imagery is also used as a reference to yuri: the story has some elements of romance between female characters; the use of lilies reinforces this in subtext, as do the names of the student council and of the school itself. The series is only explicit about a romantic relationship once in a flashback, but many of the sisters have romantic friendship
Romantic friendship
The term romantic friendship refers to both very close but non-sexual relationship and at times physical relationship between friends, often involving a degree of physical closeness beyond that which is common in modern Western societies, and may include for example holding hands, cuddling,...
s.
The musical choices of Maria-sama ga Miteru are generally classical music-inspired. A song that is often referred to in the anime is "Maria-sama no Kokoro", or "The Virgin Mary's Heart". In the context of the series, "Maria-sama no Kokoro" is a children's song taught to the students at Lillian.
Chinensis family
- She is the main character of the series. In the beginning of the series, Yumi is bashful beyond words, very timid and unsure of herself. She first met Sachiko, the star of Lillian School, and had her tie fixed by Sachiko, which mortified Yumi. Yumi's friend, Tsutako Takeshima, took a cute picture of this and wanted to display it in the school festival. Tsutako gets Yumi to ask permission from Sachiko. Other characters often comment on how her emotions 'show on her face'.
- Prim and elegant, Sachiko has a rough side and a very sweet side. She is very protective over Yumi and cares deeply about her. However, Sachiko often has the same problem as Yumi does—she does not share most of her problems with her sœur, causing many misunderstandings. Sachiko was intended to marry her cousin Suguru after she graduated, this has caused her some distress because she initially cared deeply for him but he did not reciprocate. In the manga and novels, it is revealed that he is only romantically interested in men; they now have a complicated relationship. Sachiko comes from a wealthy family and she is somewhat sheltered. Yumi teaches Sachiko how to live informally, like helping her select her first pair of jeans and dining at a fast food joint. Despite her sometimes stern appearance, Sachiko has her own share of insecurities regarding her relationship with Yumi. She also has emotional insecurities arising from her home life. Both her father and grandfather openly have mistresses, unabashedly dividing their time between home and the mistresses, apparently leading to her general disdain for men. This was illustrated during a meeting with the student council members of Hanadera, an all-boys high school.
- Calm and reserved, but usually with a smirk on her face, Yōko is Sachiko's grande sœur. As the nearly indisputable leader of the Yamayuri Council during her time as Rosa Chinensis, she played a major role in maintaining stability in its sometimes unstable environment. Though usually cool and refined, she is also known to have a fun side. Additionally, it has been implied that she has feelings for Sei Satō. Her dream is to see the Rose Mansion filled with ordinary students before she graduates.
- A distant relative and fan of Sachiko. She arrives at Lillian during Yumi's second year. Tōko is a member of the Drama club, and nicknamed Mechanical Drill by Sei Satō for her corkscrew pigtails. In the beginning of her first year, Tōko causes some strain in the relationship between Yumi and Sachiko. However, it is apparent later on in the year that she may become Yumi's petite sœur. By the fourth anime season, Tōko's personality starts to unravel—she may be proud and headstrong, but she is still a fickle, fragile girl with a mysterious secret. This leads to events in volume thirty-one of the novels, and in the fourth season of the anime, where Tōko, after one rejection, receives Yumi's rosary and becomes the future Rosa Chinensis en bouton petite sœur.
Gigantea family
- A young girl with a fascination with Buddhist statues and art. She enters Lillian Girls' Academy (a strictly CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
institution) due to an unexpected turn of events. She has a fierce temper that contradicts her calm exterior and becomes Shimako's petite sœur after Shimako enters her second year.
- Prim, proper and very beautiful, Shimako is the most admired of the first-years. She is the petite sœur of Sei at the beginning of the story and later is her successor. Underneath Shimako's quiet, mannerly exterior lies a surprisingly strong resolve. However, Shimako is perhaps the most gentle and fragile of the three girls of her year in the Yamayuri Council. She is even unable to decide whether she should run for the next Rosa Gigantea at first, since she is not the type to lead people, and also because she just wants to work, not so much for the council, but for Sei herself. Reminiscent of Sei in her third year, Shimako is unsure of how to find a petite sœur in her second year after Sei leaves. She meets Noriko under the cherry blossoms, like how she first met Sei and later asks her to become her petite sœur.
- The exact opposite of most of the characters in the series: loud, rough-around-the-edges, she loves doing what she can to push other peoples' buttons. However, Sei is one of the wisest and most caring characters in the series. Though seeming to have a playful and laid-back attitude, Sei has experienced many tragedies in her life, especially in her second year. Sei's personality was very different in her first two years — she was uninterested in everything, and never joked around like she did in her third year. Sei believes that Shimako should learn to solve her problems on her own, only then will she become strong.
Foetida family
- In the beginning of the series, Yoshino is a girl who is very ill and cared for constantly by her grande sœur, Rei. Yoshino is voted as the best petite sœur near the beginning of the series, as everyone considers her to be soft and sweet; however, this is only her reputation. Yoshino is very independent and in some ways tomboyish, despite her sickly status and feminine appearance. After her heart surgery, she becomes more energetic throughout the series. In addition to being Rei's petite sœur, Yoshino is also her cousin and next-door neighbor. Their relationship is somewhat rocky, since Yoshino is eager to spread her wings, while Rei would like to protect her from the world's hardships.
- Rei, Yoshino's grande sœur, appears very tomboyish and 'bishōnenBishonenis a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth ". The equivalent English concept is a "pretty boy".The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man whose beauty transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation...
' on the outside but is in fact quite gentle despite her appearances. She enjoys reading shōjoShojoThe term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
novels, her favorite word is 'sincerity', and her hobby is sightseeing. She is involved in kendoKendo, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
, but obsessively cares about Yoshino and prefers the domestic arts, like cookingCookingCooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
.
- Rei's grande sœur; one of the most well-respected of the Yamayuri Council. She is very gifted and good at almost everything, although she is also enigmatic and eccentric. She has a large forehead, which Sei made fun of when they were young, and began their rivalry. She said once that she chose Rei as her sœur to see if anything interesting would happen. She often has friction with Yoshino, as the younger girl is jealous of her bond with Rei. Eriko has three older brothers. After leaving Lillian, she studies the Arts. She hates the dentist above all else. She is in love with a man who is interested in dinosaurs.
Yamayuri Council
Much of the story of Marimite revolves around the , which acts as the student councilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
. The Yamayuri Council meet in a building called the . Located within the school, it consists of two stories, including a meeting room on the second story. The Yamayuri Council itself consists of three offices, named after rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s: , , and . These are also referred to by their colors; the is Rosa Foetida, the is Rosa Gigantea, and the is Rosa Chinensis.
A , or , is one of three senior members of the Yamayuri Council, although it is also possible to generally speak of all the members of the Yamayuri Council as roses. A Rose makes the important decisions within this group, since she has control over the student council. Candidates for the position, which lasts through the school year, are chosen through an election. Any student can run to become a Rose, although the position is usually given to the en boutons, the Roses' petite sœurs.
The petite sœur of a Rosa is called an , otherwise known as . En bouton is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "in bud" — as used in the example Rosa Chinensis en bouton — and is unofficially considered part of the Yamayuri Council, as is the petite sœur of the en bouton, if she has one. The en boutons must be in a lower year than their oneesama, and generally the en boutons execute the plans discussed by the Roses, like assistants. Although the Rosa positions of the Yamayuri Council are traditionally passed to the en bouton on the graduation of the current holder, they are nonetheless elected offices which anyone may run for.
The petite sœur of the en bouton is called — as used in the example Rosa Chinensis en bouton petite sœur — and is otherwise known as . She must be in a lower year than her oneesama and performs small duties, such as attending to the Roses' en boutons, cleaning the Rose Mansion, and making tea and snacks for the Yamayuri Council. This lasts a school year, and the following year, when their oneesama is elected, the petite sœurs become en boutons automatically.
Most of the main characters are members of the Yamayuri Council. The following table shows their titles and sœur relationships: each character is the grande sœur of the character below them, if any.
| Yumi's first year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Foetida | Chinensis | Gigantea | |
| Rosa ~ | Eriko Torii (Third year) | Yōko Mizuno (Third year) | Sei Satō (Third year) |
| Rosa ~ en bouton | Rei Hasekura (Second year) | Sachiko Ogasawara (Second year) | Shimako Tōdō (First year) |
| Rosa ~ en bouton petite sœur | Yoshino Shimazu (First year) | Yumi Fukuzawa (First year) | None |
| Yumi's second year | |||
| Foetida | Chinensis | Gigantea | |
| Rosa ~ | Rei Hasekura (Third year) | Sachiko Ogasawara (Third year) | Shimako Tōdō (Second year) |
| Rosa ~ en bouton | Yoshino Shimazu (Second year) | Yumi Fukuzawa (Second year) | Noriko Nijō (First year) |
| Rosa ~ en bouton petite sœur | None | Tōko Matsudaira (First year) | None |
| Yumi's third year | |||
| Foetida | Chinensis | Gigantea | |
| Rosa ~ | Yoshino Shimazu (Third year) | Yumi Fukuzawa (Third year) | Shimako Tōdō (Third year) |
| Rosa ~ en bouton | Nana Arima (First year) | Tōko Matsudaira (Second year) | Noriko Nijō (Second year) |
| Rosa ~ en bouton petite sœur | None | None | None |
Sœur system
The sœur system is a fictional system incorporated in the series and is a central concept. In the graphic novel, any second or third year student might pick a younger girl who will become her "sœur" (sister in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
). The basic etiquette demands the "petite sœur" (young sister) to call her guide back "oneesama" (older sister in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
). Aside from being used in prayer, the rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
is the instrument that certifies the sœur union and relationship between two students.
Even though the relationships are basically related to friendship, some prove to develop into further feelings. There is an implicit code of behavior between sœurs, especially in the student council, Yamayuri Council: quietness, measure and respect towards each other; values deeply attached into Japanese traditional education. Due to the high importance the three Rose families (Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida) have in the development of the student activities within school, those who become petites sœurs of any of the mentioned families receive a functional "inheritance" through the grandes sœurs teachings, to adopt a position given certain circumstances. In this way, there are patrons recognized through the generations of the members of the Rose families.
Still, after graduating, the grandes sœurs of the Yamayuri Council may continue with a fair participation in the events concerning their families, as shown in the novels which follows the story after the second animated season.
Light novels
In February 1997 Oyuki Konno published a short story called Maria-sama ga Miteru in the shōjoShojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
magazine Cobalt
Cobalt (magazine)
is a bi-monthly anthology of shōjo fiction, published in Japan by Shueisha, since May, 1976. Shueisha also publish light novels under the Cobalt imprint, many of which were originally serialised in the magazine.-Writers and series featured in Cobalt:...
. Konno was already an established author when she wrote the story: in the first half of 1993 she had won both Cobalt's Novel Award and Readers' Award for her debut work . Shueisha published the first Yume no Miya novel in March 1994, and by the beginning of 1997 nine volumes had been released.
The success of the Maria-sama ga Miteru short story inspired Konno to turn it into a series of novels as well. The first volume was published on April 24, 1998, with illustrations by Reine Hibiki
Reine Hibiki
is a Japanese illustrator, born November 15 in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. She is a graduate of Joshibi University of Art and Design Junior College. Her work includes illustrating the Maria-sama ga Miteru series of light novels.-Light Novels:...
(the original short story was illustrated by Yuma Aoi). In terms of the storyline this first novel marks the beginning of the series; the short story of 1997 was reworked and republished in the ninth volume, Cherry Blossom, in 2001. As of December 2010 Shueisha have published 38 light novels in the series, plus a new edition of the first novel in June 2010 to tie in with the movie adaptation. In February 2003, with twelve volumes released, Konno began to publish more short stories in Cobalt. Counting the 1997 debut, 26 short stories have been published as of October 2011; so far 22 of these have been included in later novels. Like the novels, all the short stories except the first are illustrated by Reine Hibiki. The light novel series is being translated into German under the name Rosen unter Marias Obhut ("Roses under Mary's care").
In August 2008, Konno began a spin-off series of light novels called , also illustrated by Hibiki. These focus on Yumi's younger brother Yūki and his schoolmates at Hanadera. As of October 2010, six novels in the series have been published.
Manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation, drawn by Satoru Nagasawa, was serialized in the Japanese shōjo manga magazine The Margaret between October 2003 and December 2007. It has been collected into eight bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
released by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
. The story in each volume follows the corresponding volume of the novels. In 2010, the manga began serialization again by adapting the "Cherry Blossom" story. The manga has been licensed and officially translated in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, under the name Rosen unter Marias Obhut. The Latin names for the Roses are removed, in favor of using the color of the rose.
Original manga-only stories were published in the shōjo magazine Cobalt
Cobalt (magazine)
is a bi-monthly anthology of shōjo fiction, published in Japan by Shueisha, since May, 1976. Shueisha also publish light novels under the Cobalt imprint, many of which were originally serialised in the magazine.-Writers and series featured in Cobalt:...
by Shueisha, with drawings by Reine Hibiki
Reine Hibiki
is a Japanese illustrator, born November 15 in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. She is a graduate of Joshibi University of Art and Design Junior College. Her work includes illustrating the Maria-sama ga Miteru series of light novels.-Light Novels:...
; these stories were based on some scenes from the novels. Publication details for these stories are as follows:
- , February 2003, pp. 204–218
- , October 2003, pp. 257–267
- , December 2003, pp. 43–47
- , February 2004, pp. 36–41
- , April 2004, pp. 33–37
- , December 2004, pp. 26–31
Anime
Towards the end of 2003, an anime adaptation was announced — a season of thirteen episodes to run from January to March 2004, produced by Studio DeenStudio DEEN
is a Japanese company that produces anime. Three years after Sunrise was founded in 1972, Studio Deen was established by Sunrise's members in 1975. As a result of this, anime shows such as Cowboy Bebop that were produced by Sunrise may have had assistance from Studio Deen.-Produced anime:* Urusei...
. Afterwards, given the success of the first season of the series, and the fact that this season only covered the first six volumes of the novels, it was decided to launch the second season of anime. Haru, with thirteen episodes and with the same personnel that worked in the first season, aired from July and September 2004 and would cover volumes seven to eleven of the novels.
Near the end of 2005, "Project Maria 2006" was announced, and a publicity campaign was run to publicize the new animated series to come in 2006. In August 2006, the third anime series was announced to be presented in Original Video Animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
format. It took place just after the second season, and with the same voice actors. The OVA series aired in Japan between November 2006 and July 2007. Plans for a fourth season were announced in the August 2007 issue of Cobalt magazine, and the final scenes of the fifth OVA. The fourth season, like the first two, was televised, and aired in Japan between January and March 2009.
In addition to the main anime series, a parody series, called , is included as an omake
Omake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
on the DVD releases of both TV seasons and the OVA. Maria-sama ni wa Naisho consists of minute-and-a-half collections of fake outtakes and parody skits drawn in a super deformed
Super deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
style and starring the cast of the anime.
The first official foreign-language broadcast of the series outside Japan was attempted by the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
television network ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
, translated and dubbed into Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
; only seasons one and two were broadcast in early 2006. In May 2006, it was officially announced that both the first and second seasons of the anime series had been licensed in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
by Jonu Media. Shortly after that, the license of the OVAs was also confirmed. The complete anime series, including each season, has been translated and dubbed into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
for broadcast across the English language networks in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
by the anime satellite TV network Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
from March 2007, being the series' first English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
television premiere. Animax have also aired the series across its networks in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and other regions. In April 2007, a subtitled DVD release was announced by Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. is the largest comic book distributor serving North America. They transport comic books from both big and small comic book publishers, or suppliers, to the retailers. Diamond dominates the direct market in the United States, and has exclusive arrangements with most...
, but this was an error.
On March 6, 2008, Nozomi Entertainment, the licensing branch of The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
, announced that they would be releasing both TV seasons and the five OVA episodes in box sets. The sets are in the original Japanese with English subtitles. The first set was released on July 29, 2008. A sampler DVD with the first episode was released for review. The release has two subtitle tracks, one with regular dialogue subtitles and a second subtitle track that retains the Japanese honorifics. Maria-sama ga Miteru: Haru has been renamed Maria Watches Over Us: Printemps and is due for release in November 2008. Right Stuf announced it had licensed the fourth season a month after it began airing in Japan.
Audio CDs
In 2004, the media franchiseMedia franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
was expanded with the publication of the first of a set of drama CDs, using the same voice actors from the anime series. The drama CDs have special stories that are based on the stories in the novels, and are published by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
. There have been twelve drama CDs so far, the latest of which was released on December 14, 2007; volumes five and ten were also released in limited edition versions each with a slipcase and a pair of character mini-figures. Original soundtracks of the first two anime seasons were published with the aid of musical duo Ali Project
Ali Project
Ali Project is a Japanese band with a strong Japanese Aristocrat-style image, consisting of and .In the band's earlier days, their musical style tended towards light, cheerful and/or refreshing songs. However, the sound has changed in recent times to take on a darker and more mysterious tone...
in 2004. The first soundtrack contains thirty-five tracks, and the second contained thirty-six. In 2005, three image albums
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
were released, each one with seven tracks consisting of one opening with vocals, three instrumental intervals, one dedicated to each person, one ending with vocals, and the opening and ending themes of the anime series in karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
format. Each image album was assigned to one of the three families of roses; the songs were sung by the voice actors of the anime series.
Internet radio show
An Internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
show, starring the voice actors of the anime series, was produced by Animate
Animate
is the retailing arm of MOVIC and is the largest retailer of anime, games, and manga in Japan. The first and headquarters store of Animate opened in 1983 and is located in Ikebukuro, a district in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, there are 38 Animate stores in Japan, and two in Taipei, Taiwan...
on their web radio channel. These broadcasts, which run for half an hour, are unrelated to the original story of the novels or the anime. They are more a kind of omake
Omake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
of the series with conversations and publicity, often commenting with news of the third anime series and other funny situations from the plot of the novels. Initially, a special for Christmas was done on December 22, 2005, but the radio show's true beginning was on March 9, 2006. The show ran until November 24, 2006, with nineteen broadcasts; an additional New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
special was done on January 25, 2007, and the next broadcast was a Hinamatsuri
Hinamatsuri
The Japanese , or Girls' Day, is held on March 3. Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.- Origin and customs :...
special on March 1, 2007. Further broadcasts are expected starting from December 21, 2007 as part of the Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
tie-in campaign. The program was mainly hosted by Kana Ueda
Kana Ueda
is a Japanese Seiyū employed by I'm Enterprise. She is best known as the voices of Yumi Fukuzawa in Maria-sama ga Miteru, Rin Tohsaka in Fate/Stay Night and Hayate Yagami in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's and Strikers...
, who voiced Yumi, although occasionally the specials were presented by other voice actors from the anime. Some of the programs have been collected on radio drama CDs.
| Programs (first season) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Title | Date | Guests |
| 01 | March 9, 2006 | Miki Itō (Sachiko Ogasawara) Emi Shinohara (Yōko Mizuno) | |
| 02 | March 23, 2006 | Kaori Shimizu (Noriko Nijō) | |
| 03 | April 6, 2006 | Kaori Shimizu (Noriko Nijō), Miki Itō (Sachiko Ogasawara), Haruna Ikezawa (Yoshino Shimazu) & Mamiko Noto (Shimako Tōdō) | |
| 04 | April 20, 2006 | Rina Satō (Tsutako Takeshima) | |
| 05 | May 11, 2006 | Miki Itō (Sachiko Ogasawara) | |
| 06 | May 25, 2006 | Haruna Ikezawa (Yoshino Shimazu) | |
| 07 | June 8, 2006 | Haruna Ikezawa (Yoshino Shimazu) & Mamiko Noto (Shimako Tōdō) | |
| 08 | June 22, 2006 | Emi Shinohara (Yōko Mizuno) | |
| 09 | July 6, 2006 | ||
| 10 | July 20, 2006 | Shizuka Itō (Rei Hasekura) | |
| 11 | August 3, 2006 | Mamiko Noto (Shimako Tōdō) | |
| 12 | August 17, 2006 | Megumi Toyoguchi (Sei Satō) | |
| 13 | August 31, 2006 | Hitomi Nabatame (Eriko Torii) | |
| 14 | September 14, 2006 | Kaori Shimizu (Noriko Nijō) | |
| 15 | September 28, 2006 | Rie Kugimiya (Tōko Matsudaira) | |
| 16 | October 12, 2006 | Haruna Ikezawa (Yoshino Shimazu) & Mamiko Noto (Shimako Tōdō) | |
| 17 | October 26, 2006 | Shizuka Itō (Rei Hasekura) | |
| 18 | November 9, 2006 | Miki Itō (Sachiko Ogasawara) | |
| 19 | November 24, 2006 | ||
| 20 | January 25, 2007 | Kaori Shimizu (Noriko Nijō) & Mamiko Noto (Shimako Tōdō) | |
| 21 | March 1, 2007 | Mamiko Noto (Shimako Tōdō) & Haruna Ikezawa (Yoshino Shimazu) |
| Programs (second season) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Title | Date | Guests |
| 22 | August 27, 2008 | Ami Koshimizu (Kanako Hosokawa) | |
| 23 |
|-
|24|||| September 24, 2008 || Marina Inoue (Shouko Naitou)
|-
|25|||| October 29, 2008 || Hitomi Nabatame (Nana Arima)
|-
|26|| || November 26, 2008 || Kaori Shimizu (Noriko Nijou)
|-
|27|| || December 24, 2008 || Mamiko Noto and Haruna Ikezawa
|-
|28|| || January 7, 2009 || Shizuka Itō
|-
|29|| || January 28, 2009 ||
|-
|30|| || February 25, 2009 ||
|-
|31|| || March 25, 2009 ||
|-
|32|| || April 28, 2009 ||
|}
Live-action film
A live-action film adaptation began screening in Japanese theaters on November 6, 2010. The film is directed by Kōtarō Terauchi, whose previous work includes Boys LoveBoys Love (film)
refers to two Japanese films directed by Kōtarō Terauchi. The first, titled simply Boys Love, was released directly to DVD on November 24, 2006. Due to the commercial success of the first movie, Terauchi was invited to direct a new version of his film to be released on theatres, Boys Love...
and the live-action Tonari no 801-chan
Tonari no 801-chan
is a Japanese four-panel Internet manga written and illustrated by Ajiko Kojima. The story centers on the relationship between a male otaku named Tibet and his yaoi-obsessed fujoshi girlfriend Yaoi whose obsession manifests itself as a small, green furry monster...
. Terauchi co-wrote the script with Yoshitsugu Sagami, who had worked with him in 2007 as editor of the second Boys Love movie, Schoolboy Crush. The film's music is composed by Chika Fujino, who also worked on Schoolboy Crush. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD in Japan on July 29, 2011. To tie in with the film, a new edition of the first light novel was published in June 2010 with a cover featuring stars Honoka Miki and Haru.
Cast list
Most of the main cast are fashion modelsModel (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
: for example, Honoka Miki models for Love Berry
Love Berry
is a fashion magazine published in Japan by Tokuma Shoten. The magazine targets girls from early- to mid-teens. The magazine is known for its models . Love Berry is often abbreviated LB. The magazine is usually published on the first of every month.- Former LoveBerrina :* Hau Dan -External links:...
magazine and Haru for Seventeen
Seventeen (Japanese magazine)
Seventeen is a monthly Japanese fashion magazine for female teenagers published by Shueisha.Launched in 1967 as a weekly magazine based on the original American Seventeen, the magazine changed the name to SEVENTEEN in 1987, and to Seventeen in 2008.Since the late 1990s, Seventeen has been the...
.
as Yumi Fukuzawa as Sachiko Ogasawara as Yōko Mizuno as Sei Satō as Eriko Torii as Shimako Tōdō as Rei Hasekura as Yoshino Shimazu as Tsutako Takeshima as Suguru Kashiwagi
Reception
The English-language reception to the Maria-sama ga Miteru anime series has been generally positive, although Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
(ANN) noted that the series leaves itself "wide open to cynical sniggering." Carlos Ross from Them Anime regarded it as "one of the most beautiful and graceful anime" series, adding that the animation is sometimes of questionable quality but overall "very appealing". Andrew Shelton from AMR found the series to be "fairly unique" compared to other shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
works, explaining that although the story is "a little basic" and "overly dramatic", what it is most important is the "response and actions of the character on who the story is focused." Stig Høgset, also from Them Anime, commented that the third season was criticized for being too short, but he personally did not feel "like it was lacking something." Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
credits Maria-sama ga Miteru with starting "the modern yuri trend". Newer anime titles that Maria-sama ga Miteru is compared to include Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru
, commonly known as , is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Caramel Box and released on January 28, 2005 as a limited edition playable on a Microsoft Windows PC...
, Strawberry Panic!
Strawberry Panic!
is a series of Japanese fictional illustrated short stories written by Sakurako Kimino, which focus on a group of teenage girls attending three affiliated all-girl schools on Astraea Hill. A common theme throughout the stories is the intimate lesbian relationships between the characters...
, Best Student Council, and Aria
ARIA (manga)
is a utopian science fantasy manga by Kozue Amano. The series was originally titled when it was published by Enix in the magazine Monthly Stencil, being retitled when it moved to Mag Garden's magazine Comic Blade. Aqua was serialized in Stencil from 2001 to 2002 and collected in two tankōbon volumes...
. Carlos Ross, writing about the first novel in the series, felt the story was a "classic rags-to-riches tale," but that it was "also sweet, touching and witty when it needs to be." He criticized the lack of teachers and schoolwork in the series, which lead to the plot being filled with extracurricular activities, which are common to high school series. He also criticized Yumi's low self-esteem.
A characteristic element of the series is the extensive use of French titles, which Carlos Ross has criticized as "distracting". Mania.com criticized the early episodes as being "difficult", and saying that the first episode "throws a lot of terms and names at you". On the other hand, Ross compared the "atmosphere" presented by the series' artwork with those from other anime titles of similar setting, including the bright and vivid Revolutionary Girl Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena
is a manga by Chiho Saito and anime directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The manga serial began in the June 1996 issue of Ciao and the anime was first broadcast in 1997. The anime and manga were created simultaneously, but, despite some similarities, they progressed in different directions. A movie, was...
. Another reviewer from Them Anime also compared Maria-sama ga Miteru with Oniisama e...
Oniisama e...
is a Japanese manga series by Riyoko Ikeda. It has been adapted into an anime series that aired on NHK from July 1991 to May 1992.The series originally started out as a manga in the early-mid 1970s. The story is about a 16 year old girl who attends a prestigious academy and deals with life as a...
, but noted that the former is much less dramatic. Marc Hairston commented on the unusual character designs compared to other series, and said they are "ordinary students". ANN also noted the "clear, expressive eyes and character designs that are gifted with an understated mobility", praising the casting choices, and noting that even "peripheral" characters are "well-realized". Active Anime described the relationships between the characters as "intensely platonic" and "pseudo-gay" for the most part. ANN noted that the second season tends to overdramatize, especially in the last three episodes. ANN also describes the second season as "more embarrassing and shoujo-ai oriented" than the first season, but that the solid characterization is still a strength of the series. Active Anime appreciated the focus on characters other than Yumi and Sachiko for the second season, regarding Shimako's loss of Sei and befriending Noriko as being "one of the more moving" arcs of Printemps. ANN regards the OVA season as the best so far, citing the improved production standards and the less melodramatic storylines. ANN notes that the fourth season is "a return to dramatic form" after the relaxation of the OVA series, but is relieved that it is not as melodramatic as the second season, due to the increased maturity of the cast. Chris Beveridge, writing for Mania.com, noted the focus on Toko in the fourth season, and felt that the series seemed odd due to Yumi and Sachiko not spending so much time together, and felt that the series needed an epilogue, but enjoyed seeing Yumi taking on some "adult responsibilities".
Andrew Shelton has suggested that Maria-sama ga Miterus "reduced capacity for epic drama" is due to the lack of malicious characters; he considers the series "pure shōjo", mostly due to its character-driven storyline. Japanese reviewers for their part regard the story as a revival of the Class S
Class S (genre)
, or "S kankei", abbreviated either as S or , is an early twentieth century Japanese wasei-eigo term specifically used to refer to strong emotional bonds between schoolgirls, and a genre of which tells stories about the same, particularly a mutual crush between an upperclassman and an underclassman...
genre, and specifically a modern-day equivalent of Nobuko Yoshiya
Nobuko Yoshiya
was a Japanese novelist active in Taishō and Showa period Japan. She was one of modern Japan's most commercially successful and prolific writers, specializing in serialized romance novels and adolescent girls’ fiction, as well as a pioneer in Japanese lesbian literature, including the Class S...
's Hana monogatari. Hairston notes that Maria-sama ga Miteru emphasizes romance and emotion over sexuality, and it has a respectful treatment of its homoerotic themes. He describes the series as "one of the most interesting and touching anime series of the last two years", adding that it is "about self-discovery and self-acceptance".
A Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
tie-in campaign for the fourth anime series started on January 7, 2008. The Rose Mansion from the story was recreated in the Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
virtual world
Virtual world
A virtual world is an online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. The term has become largely synonymous with interactive 3D virtual environments, where the users take the form of...
and opened on February 8, 2008.