Review of Maria Watches Over Us

Review free of spoilers. The daily life of the students of Lilian Girls' Academy. That's about all this show is about, and yet it absorbs you into its world and doesn't let you go, but don't be fooled, even though it's addicting, it is still slow paced and very dramatic, if you rush things you might get bored. Try watching only a few episodes a day, that way it'll maintain your interest and you won't get tired of it. Savor it slowly. Every episode you learn something new about one of the characters, even if it's only an supporting character that only appears in a couple ofepisodes, you still get to know everything about them, how they are involved with each other and the situation they are at. You get to like all the characters.
Just like in real life, Maria-sama ga Miteru has sad, happy, dramatic and fun moments. It deals with the relationship of the girls, how they solve their hardships with the help of their friends, and how they get over past problems.
At first their personalities might seem shallow and cliché, but after a few episodes you start to understand the reason they are that way and how they change because of the ones surrounding them.
Creating so many characters with original and likable personalities and the way they interact with each other is the strong point of this show. Even if you aren't a fan of yuri I would still recommend, as lesbian romance isn't the focus of the story (only 2 or 3 actual lesbians in the 1st season) what you get is sister-like relationships.
After saying all I could about the story and the characters without spoiling anything, I shall now talk about the sound in the anime, and sadly, background music is forgettable (I really don't remember it lol) voice actors couldn't fit better, perfect for their characters. Opening and ending songs are very fitting and enjoyable in my point of view.
And now, for the art, well, I love it. The main point of the story is its characters, so what matters is them. Basically hair and eyes is what makes the difference in between any and every anime character. In Maria-sama ga Miteru, I loved the shoujo-ish art (especially the eyes). Animation was sometimes robotic, but I don't pay much attention to those details because the anime isn't action based so animation isn't all that important.
The background is crappy but well, I spent more time reading than looking at the art so it really didn't bother me (those who watch with subs will understand).

Overall I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected and ended up caring for every character in my own way. Truly a masterpiece. One of those that creates its own world and invites you in, so that you can enjoy happy moments or feel depressed with sad parts as if you were there. It's not everyday you pass through such a beautiful and deep story like Maria-sama ga Miteru.
There are those who hate romance. Those who hate drama. Those who love action (shounen). Those who don't endure melodramatic stories.
If you are one of "those" you probably won't be able to enjoy like I did this anime, and so I can't recommend it for you, one of those.
But if you like drama and slow-paced animes, don't brush this one aside because it is worth all your time for all 4 seasons.
I definitively recommend Maria-sama ga Miteru.