Yumi, feeling the weight of collective school girl gossip and scrutiny, is also pursued for the school paparazzi who are eager for the scoop on the first year student who turned down Sachiko-sama. She escapes with Shimako’s help and they bond over lunch and each other’s eccentricities. Later she is ambushed in the music room by Sachiko and they play their awkward duet together. Sachiko takes Yumi to the play (Cinderella) rehearsals so that she can be her understudy - in case, Yumi does accept the rosary and thus the leading role. Along the way, Sachiko manages to fob off a curious teacher. Yumi’s akogare goes up a further notch at Sachiko’s grace and beauty while dancing. Youko talks to Yumi about Sachiko and, like Shimako, thinks that Yumi might make life more interesting for Sachiko. Sei takes it upon herself to get Yumi to join in the rehearsals which she klutzs up completely. After school, Yumi is accosted by girls who want to get the lowdown and breaks down in tears under the pressure of her sudden celebrity and her own feelings.
A surprising amount of Sachiko-touching-Yumi which didn’t stick in my mind the first time I watched the series. And now that I am noticing it, it is very tender and the studio was emphasising it - closeups on Sachiko’s hands in all three instances. I’m not a huge fan of the Sachiko x Yumi pairing but this rewatch has increased my desire to root for them.
Youko has a very dominant personality but for all her skill at handling Sachiko, to her credit, she sees the potential that Yumi has to unlock the inner sanctum of Sachiko’s heart.
Everyone wants a piece of Yumi. :) While Sachiko exudes tenderness with Yumi and Youko is very much Grand Soeur, Sei’s casual playfulness is the most fun to watch.
Well, some might think that Yumi is being a drama queen. After all, she’s being served a dream closeness to Sachiko-sama on a platter but she pushes it away. I have a lot of sympathy for her though. For one thing, she’s not entirely sure if Sachiko-sama’s feelings are pure and she still has enough self-love not to simply ignore those doubts. Another layer to it would that she would sooo love to accept Sachiko’s rosary and to spend all this time together with her Sachiko-sama but has to fight that impulse to protect what’s precious to her. While she is an Ordinary Girl (Erica’s parlance) thrust into an extraordinary situation amidst many exceptional people, and despite her emotional rollercoastering and lack of self-confidence, Yumi is also quite extraordinary for her sincerity and integrity. Very likeable lead. I can see how, just her presence alone on the Yamayurikai, would make that institution less elitist, exclusive and distant from the rest of the school population. Btw if the student council itself is named after the mountain lily, then why are the main trio of officeholders named after roses?
The dancing scene in this episode is one of my favourite parts of all of Maria-Sama (including ~Haru~ as well). This is the point first time round (I’ve seen the anime countless times), I realized what a fantastic character Sei was and just how much of a fan I’d become as the series progressed
My favourites were in Haru when Sei wipes Yumi’s mouth with Sachiko watching and when a tearful Yumi throws herself into Sei’s arms near the end.