Notebook display still fubar but rewatching the MariMite OVA has lifted my grumpiness enough to post on it. Firstly, Erica Friedman’s notes on the novel really helped me to understand the raw and to enjoy the story so much more. Okazu is THE ultimate yuri anime/manga blog.
There are probably going to quite a few Hannibal Lecter jokes about the title of this OVA but the lambs come off pretty well. I’ve often wondered at how I’ve been able to enjoy the first and second seasons even though I disliked Sachiko (though I could understand why Yumi adored her). I was really a little worried about how I would have approached this Sei Satou-less anime but Sachiko has grown as a character.
It also helped that she looks a lot less evil (compared to her fugly eyes in season one). I was pretty shocked to discover that her seiyuu was none other than Miki Itou who voices Asa Shigure in SHUFFLE! I only realized this when listening to MariMite soundstage clips and scratched my head at how Sachiko sounded weirdly Asa-like. Apparently, Itou’s Asa voice is much closer to her natural voice. As a result, even more kudoes to her for voicing Sachiko so effectively - just listening her speak makes me mindful of my posture.
Really nice to see Yumi x Sachiko move beyond Yumi angst and Sachiko insensitivity. There’s still bits of it, like how Yumi’s fleeting dismay and puzzlement by Sachiko’s question of whether she wants any one to join them at the summer house - ‘I’m not good enough, on my own, for my Oneesama?’ vs ‘Sooo jealous of Sei’s rapport with my imouto’ respectively. Excellent teamwork during their showdown at Great Grandma’s birthday party and then Sachiko teasing Yumi about her loach scooping performance at the conclusion. Youthful innocence and great-grandmotherly curmundgeon triumph over spoilt rich biatches. Huzzah.
I was a tad disappointed that the bits in the novel that didn’t make it into the OVA. E.g., Mrs Fukuzawa’s ‘marrying off’ Yumi to Sachiko which I found hysterically funny. Looks like some things in Lilian don’t change across generations. Oh, I did think it was a pity that Sachiko didn’t shag Yumi senseless now that they’ve finally established a sort of steady state and plenty of privacy but not at all surprising. And for that kind of thing we do have StoPani. LOL