Review of Maria Watches Over Us

First off, I'd like to start by saying this series (all four seasons) is one of my all-time favorite anime to watch. By the time I've written this, I've gone through a full viewing of this series at least 6 times, read the manga and started on a translated version of the light novels the series is based on. If you knew me personally, all of that would probably blow your mind simply because it doesn't fit my normal viewing patterns (I tend to go for beautifully animated flashy action in mostly male-oriented stories with big plot advancements and good guy vs. badguy narratives). To say that this series is a giant leap for me is an understatement.

But I'm a sucker for character-driven narrative, and while Maria-sama ga Miteru (MgM) lacks most of what I crave, what it delivers in character development more than makes up for any of that.

I'll review the other seasons in their respective review sections, so my comments will try to stick mainly to the story in this first season.

First, I'll start off with the cons, because the list is short and I want to get to the good stuff:

The animation is, to put it politely, not awesome. It's not terrible, and the scenery is beautifully drawn in most cases, but there is a noticeable lack of fluidity in most scenes, and the series often relies on still shots and a small amount of noticeable cgi to tell the story. None of it is obnoxious enough to make me lose interest in the story, and I feel its ultimately forgivable in a story like this one. Still, it's the reason I gave this series a 9 instead of a 10.

This isn't necessarily a con, but it does make a difficult point to try to sell the series with: there is basically no action whatsoever. There is a background subplot involving a kendo club, but it barely plays into the story as more than a temporary plot device. The kendo match shown in one scene is not a flashy anime kendo match, but looks like what a live viewing of a kendo match would look like from the stands, which is to say, pads and guards are worn, and there aren't any flashy moves. Other than that, apart from some much-frowned-upon running in the school hallways, the characters mostly glide along at a snail's pace as per the Lillian Academy's rules for proper young ladies.

Again, this isn't necessarily a con, but you do have to make it past the first ten minutes or so of the first episode before you can get a firm understanding of what is basically going on. Think the first episode of Stein's;Gate, but shorter and slightly more confusing. Fortunately, by the end of the episode, you're aware of where the story is headed and can sit back and enjoy the rest of the series as it comes to you.

And that's it for the cons. Seriously. I'm sure other reviewers would argue with me on that, but to be honest, all I ask of a story is to be interesting and have characters I can relate to or sympathize with, and who develop and change over time.

Honestly, my first viewing of this season almost ended within the first half of the first episode. This wasn't anywhere near my genres of choice, I hated Catholic school when I attended one as a child, and the only thing I have in common with high school girls is that my daughter is about to reach her teens.

What kept me watching was the main character, Yumi. If I had to describe her, I'd say she was scientifically crafted to fill the "little sister who must be protected at all costs so that her good nature is never soiled by this cruel world" role, and those scientists did a bang-up job. She is innocent (though not necessarily utterly naive), curious, famously expressive, friendly almost to a fault, and absolutely adorable without being sickeningly so. She's flawed by a heavy, though not debilitating, insecurity around those she feels are better than her, and at times she is a bit too humble. But she is honest and chipper and my gawd you just want to reach through the screen and hug her and tell her everything will be okay in scenes where she starts crying.

As the seasons progress, you watch as Yumi's personality grows in maturity and she works to correct her flaws as she deals with setbacks and obstacles that cause her trouble. This first season focuses mainly on Yumi's budding relationship with Sachiko, the daughter of a massively wealthy family, widely regarded as sort of a princess of the Lillian Academy, and who is - personality-wise - almost the complete opposite of Yumi. Where Yumi is often clumsy and overly expressive, Sachiko is cool and graceful. Where Yumi is friendly and good-natured, Sachiko usually comes off as disinterested and prone to bratty hysterics. They come from two different worlds, and Sachiko is the embodiment of everything Yumi is insecure about. While Yumi eventually agrees to become Sachiko's "little sister", it takes Yumi the span of the first two seasons to fully accept that she is worthy of the title.

When an episode isn't focused on Yumi and Sachiko, it focuses on the other sisters in the "Rose families" (the Lillian student council sister pairings). These are interesting in their own rights, and give a good view into the dynamic in the relationships between the Yellow sisters (most notably the boyish-but-girly kendo star Rei and her little sister/actual cousin, the sickly Yoshino), and a peak into the basic awareness that the White sisters (the playful and cheerful older sister Sei and the somewhat aloof and reserved Shimako) have for each other. Sei, thus far the only confirmed lesbian main character in a series that often inexplicably gets the "yuri" label, also gets some of her semi-tragic back story revealed to show why she's the Sei she is today.

Sei quickly became one of my three favorite characters from this series because of the relationship she has with Yumi. Where Sachiko starts out with more of a formal "big sister" role with Yumi, Sei immediately became a playful older sibling, often teasing or chiding Yumi, generally doing her best to keep Yumi on her toes while at the same time often stirring jealousy in Sachiko (something Sei seems to purposefully do to keep the bond between Yumi and Sachiko growing). And since most of Yumi's problems arise as a result of her tenuous relationship with Sachiko, Sei often steps in to dispense advice or offer an encouraging word.

The older Red and Yellow Roses, Yoko and Eriko respectively, are also there. There isn't much to say about them for this season, but that's okay. They served minor purposes and weren't shoe-horned into the plot unnecessarily. I can respect that choice.

There are no defined antagonists in the series. There is no "that one person" who is making life hell for someone else and must be brought down and defeated. There are a few characters that come along and are portrayed initially as possible antagonists or rivals, but as the story carries on, you see the reasoning behind their actions and motives was usually to protect or help someone else. The adversity in the series comes from each character's own personalities, and how they relate to others. There is no outright hatred between anyone in the series, and drama usually comes from misinterpretation, insecurity, or not being able to communicate properly, whether from circumstance or lack of courage.

In another series, the situations that provide challenges for Yumi and company would be seen as unnecessary melodrama lazily thrown in to try to humanize the plot. But with MgM, the situations fit in just fine with the setting and make a certain amount of sense in their context.

Also, I'd like to point to the voice acting for the series, which is nothing less than superb. Ueda Kana, especially, as the voice of Yumi, was an absolute treat. Toyoguchi Megumi brought a delightfully pleasant cheeriness to Sei's character, and Itou Miki was elegant in her portrayal of Sachiko. (Any time Itou said "Yumi" was like ASMR for me. I don't know why.)

So I absolutely recommend this series to anyone who likes a good story with a character-driven plot, actions with consequences, and natural character growth over time. Do yourself a favor and give at least the first season a try. It's one of those series that isn't going to be for everyone, but if you're willing to step out of your wheelhouse every once in a while, this is a good series with which to do so.