Maria Watches Over Us: Difference between revisions

[[File:marimite.jpg|frame|The original cast. Clockwise from top left: Shimako, Sei, Yoshino, Rei, Eriko, Yumi, Sachiko, and Youko.]]

 

 

 

The student body is led by an [[Absurdly Powerful Student Council|self-perpetuating oligarchy]] (it's supposedly democratic in theory, but due to 100% incumbency as shown by the failed Rosa Kanina candidacy...) called the ''Yamayurikai'' of three groups of ''soeurs''. The oldest students are three leaders elected in a rubber stamp election by the student body at large. Their ''petites soeurs'', in their second year are upgraded to ''Boutons'' (rosebuds), and so on. This leads to lots of [[Gratuitous French]] such as "''Rosa Chinensis en Bouton Petite Soeur''".

 

 

 

Not to be confused with a food spread made from yeast extract that's known for its distinctive and controversial flavor.

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* [[Absurdly Powerful Student Council]]: This trope is played even straighter than usual, with the Yamayurikai positions being virtually hereditary (i.e., passed down from "older sister" to "younger sister"). The possible power abuse is mitigated by the fact that the Yamayurikai seem to be both benign and possessed of an acute sense for exceptional candidates.

* [[Alpha Bitch]]: Touko initially comes off as this, until she begins accumulating [[Pet the Dog]] moments and {{spoiler|Yumi discovers things that made Touko build emotional walls around herself}}. Better examples would be {{spoiler|Kikuyo, Kieko, and Yukari, Sachiko's social-climbing distant cousins in episode 1 of the [[OVA|OVAs]]. They take an immediate dislike to Yumi -- as much out of jealousy for her closeness to Sachiko as [[Hypocritical Humor|for her relative inferiority on the social ladder]] -- and spend most of episode 1 trying to humiliate her. Fortunately, Sachiko doesn't buy a word of it, and the end result is Yumi's modest "finest hour."}}

* [[Animated Actors]]: In the chibi "Maria-sama ni wa Naisho" omakes.

* [[Arranged Marriage]]: {{spoiler|Sachiko and Suguru}}. Called off later in the novels. The engagement was purely based on {{spoiler|their parents' assumption that they really love each other, only to realize that as time passed Sachiko no longer loves Suguru, who never loved her in the first place}}.

* [[Art Shift]]: From the third series onwards there has been a change in animation style, resulting in -- or possibly due to -- the characters' aging.

* [[Beta Couple]]: Two -- Rei and Yoshino, and Shimako and Noriko.

* [[Bifauxnen]]: Subverted by Rei, who does kendo and looks masculine but is actually very traditionally feminine.

* [[Bifauxnen and Ladette]]: Rei and Sei. Even their names fit the trope!

* [[Big Fancy House]]: Sachiko

* [[Boke and Tsukkomi Routine]]: In many of the [[Post Episode Trailer|Post Episode Trailers]], sometimes with Yumi using a [[Kansai Regional Accent]].

* [[Camera Fiend]]: Takeshima Tsutako. She's not a member of the school newspaper's staff, but she frequently takes pictures for them and is rarely seen without her camera. Sei remarks her reputation for this is well known despite being a freshman.

* [[Catch Phrase]]: "Gokigenyou!" also "Onee-sama!"

* [[Character Development]]: One of the principal driving forces behind the series.

* [[Cherry Blossom]]: Combined with [[Meet Cute]] on two occasions. Must be a White Rose thing.

* [[Crash Into Hello]]: Yumi and Sachiko

** Eriko

** Shimako seems to have traces of this.

* [[Cool Old Lady]]: Several, all of them former students of Lillian:

** The principal -- {{spoiler|during the Forest of Thorns scandal, she supports Sei's innocence... because she knows she was part of the original story.}}

* [[Discretion Shot]]: To avoid Sei and Shiori's kiss, and to avoid exposing {{spoiler|Yoshino}}'s chest when she shows off a scar left by her heart surgery.

* [[Does Not Like Men]]: Sachiko and Kanako especially. In Sachiko's case, so much so that she's ''utterly repulsed'' by the touch of a man, and {{spoiler|actually faints just by seeing an all-male student council}}. Surprisingly, Sachiko has no problem being with Yumi's younger brother Yuuki, possibly because he looks like her. Knowing this might lead people to [[Crack Pairing|''certain ideas'']].

** In the fourth season, {{spoiler|Touko's reason for rejecting Yumi's rosary}}.

** Yoshino also had this attitude toward Rei at some point, {{spoiler|which lead her to decide to have a heart operation so she's not so fragile anymore}}.

* [[Dramatic Wind]]

* [[Elaborate University High]]: Averted, which is interesting considering that just about every parody of the show portrays it as one. Lilian only has small facilities that you'd expect in any regular high school, it has no boarding division (everyone commutes) and most auxiliary buildings are made of wood. It does, however, border an actual university (which admittedly doesn't look like more than a community college, though).

* [[Enjo Kosai]]: {{spoiler|One episode revolves around rumors that Eriko engages in this. It turns out that she was just being forced to go out with her brothers and father.}}

* [[Estrogen Brigade Bait]]: Subverted in that Yumi is extremely popular with all the girls at her school as well as the majority of the boys at the nearby all male school.

* [[False Camera Effects]]

* [[Fan Service]]: Generally averted. Amusingly enough, however, one early episode has Youko insisting on Sachiko wearing a low-cut dress as service to her fans ''in-universe''.

* [[Flower Motifs]]: Lots of them.

* [[Giving Someone the Pointer Finger]]: Yoshino is particularly fond of this.

* [[The Glomp]]: Sei → Yumi. Also {{spoiler|Youko → Yumi}} on one occasion, much to the latter's surprise.

* [[Het Is Ew]]: While probably not intended, a mild case of this seems to be in effect throughout the series, as the majority of male characters are [[The Unfair Sex|philandering assholes]] while the relationships between the girls are presented as pure and beautiful.

* [[Hidden Depths]]: All the girls, but the Foetida Roses especially.

* [[Hidden Eyes]]

* [[Hide Your Lesbians]]: Despite a plethora of subtext, there is only one explicitly lesbian relationship in the whole series.

* [[Hilarious Outtakes]]

* [[Ill Girl]]: {{spoiler|Yoshino suffers from a congenital disease, which is later removed through heart surgery. She has since been making up for it... [[Genki Girl|in spades]].}}

* [[Important Haircut]]: Sei, ''twice'', and Mifuyu.

* [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy]]

* [[Jerkass Facade]]: {{spoiler|Touko, to stop Yumi getting too close.}}

* [[Joshikousei]]

* [[Keigo]]

* [[Kissing Cousins]]

** {{spoiler|Sachiko's arranged marriage with Suguru, which is ultimately called off after their parents (who misunderstood their situation) realized they never loved each other at all.}}

* [[Long Running Book Series]]

* [[Lovable Sex Maniac]]: Sei, being likely the only out-of-the-closet lesbian in a school filled with pretty girls.

* [[The Messiah]]: Yumi. Everyone who doesn't end up adoring her is obviously irredeemable. Well, everyone is [[Stealth Pun|Sachiko for Yumi]].

* [[Official Couple]]: Yumi & Sachiko. Also Noriko & Shimako, despite having a totally different dynamic.

* [[Omake]]: ''Maria-sama ni wa Naisho'' (''Keep it a Secret from Mary'')

* [[Ordinary High School Student]]: Yumi starts off as one of these, until she receives the attention of a certain [[Ojou]].

* [[Pinky Swear]]

* [[Princess Curls]]: Touko's magnificent "corkscrew drill" curls.

* [[School Festival]]: Two of them per year -- Lilian's and Hanadera's.

* [[School Newspaper Newshound]]: Minako and her soeur Mami.

* [[Shaggy Dog Story]]: Mifuyu's story in the "Valentine's Day Contest" arc.

* [[Shojo]]

* [[Shrines and Temples]]: In the "Spring" season.

* [[Shrinking Violet]]: Yumi being the most prominent.

* [[Squee]]: Especially ''that'' scene between Sei and Yumi.

* [[Team Mom]]: The Rosa Chinensis seat seems to be reserved for this role, though Youko and Yumi have generally comported themselves better in the role than Sachiko.

* [[The Quiet One]]: Shimako, lampshaded in one episode by Yoshino.

* [[Title Drop]]: The first episode, when Sachiko tells Yumi to pay closer attention to her appearance because "Maria-sama is watching." {{spoiler|Also after Shiori pushes Sei away in the church when Sei tries to embrace her.}}

* [[Tomboy and Girly Girl]]: [[Subverted]] by Rei and Yoshino. Rei, in spite of being tall and boyish-looking (and being [[Kendo Team Captain|captain of the school Kendo team]]) has rather girlish interests, while short, long-haired Yoshino loves thriller stories and watching sports.

* [[Troubled but Cute]]: Sachiko is a rare female example.

* [[True Companions]]: The Yamayurikai, which is also a periodically self-refreshing one.

* [[Tsundere]]: Touko ([[Pigeonholed Voice Actor|as you'd expect]] from someone voiced by [[Rie Kugimiya]]) and Yoshino.

** Yumi and Sachiko often seem to come dangerously close to a [[Relationship Upgrade]]. {{spoiler|[[Bait and Switch Lesbians|It never happens, though]]}}.

** And then of course there is the milder variety with all those girls chasing other girls to become their soeur.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Anime Network]]

[[Category:Long Running Book Series]]

[[Category:Anime]]

[[Category:Nozomi Entertainment]]

[[Category:Manga]]

[[Category:Light Novels]]