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.

* [[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

* [[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''.

* [[Giving Up the Ghost]]: This occurs in one of the [[Omake|Niwanaishos]]. Yumi and Youko are trying to get a scene right that involves drinking a nauseous mix of strawberry juice and milk. They mess the scene up two times. During the last take Yumi passes out and gives up her ghost.

* [[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.

* [[Hilarious Outtakes]]

* [[Hime Cut]]: Yoshino and Touko.

* [[Hot Blooded]]: {{spoiler|Yoshino}}

* [[Huge Schoolgirl]]: Kanako. Played for laughs in the [[Omake]].

* [[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 Ojou]]: Sachiko. Most of the cast fits since they come from rich families. However, the ''Chinensis'' family seems to be a natural Ojou breeding ground. Sachiko and Youko have a regal air about them (with Youko as the undisputed "queen" of Lillian during her term as Rosa Chinensis and Sachiko as her princess). Even sweet, down-to-earth Yumi has a following among her schoolmates worthy of an Oujo; also, {{spoiler|her incoming ''petite soeur''}} Touko definitely counts as a haughtier variant.

* [[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]].

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: They're there, but we almost never see them. {{spoiler|This also fuels Touko's [[Jerkass Facade]]: with her parents killed in a car crash, the infant Touko -- the sole survivor -- was adopted by Sachiko's distant relative, who happened to be a classmate of Touko's mother in Lillian... only to grow to resent the fact that [[Don't You Dare Pity Me|she mostly receives help out of pity for her situation]].}}

* [[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.

* [[Schoolgirl Lesbians]]: Just one explicit case, even though [[Memetic Mutation|references to the show in other media]] ''always'' invoke this across the board. At the same time, it is noteworthy that few of the girls are ever shown to be interested in romance, ''period''. Romantic relationships would likely only distract from the premise of "maidens" with strong emotional bonds. [[Word of God|Even the author admits]] that the series [http://okazu.blogspot.com/2008/01/light-novel-maria-sama-ga-miterukira.html should best be seen as a fantasy story]. None of the girls even use mobile phones, even though it's obviously set in the present.

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

* [[Shojo]]

* [[Straight Gay]]: Suguru.

* [[Suspiciously Specific Denial]]: '''Sei''' (this is from when she was asking to borrow Yumi in order to have them get food for her while she read a novel) "It's not like I am going to strip her naked and play with her body."

* [[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.

* [[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.

* [[Whole Episode Flashback]]: Sei gets one in both the first and second seasons. {{spoiler|The first was about the backstory in the "Forest of Thorns" arc, and the second was about her meeting with Shimako.}}

** 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.