you really think so?
I just loved how the shadow of Sei hung over the whole episode but also how we never actually get to meet her. Erica’s superb translation of the relevant novel (Parts One, Two, Three and Four) was, on the one hand, showing us how the OVA has been a masterly adaption and, on the other hand, provides more detail that helps to flesh out the story even further. The best of both worlds!
[Currently experiencing hosting network issues. Might have some access problems for a while.]
There was just so many scenes that reminded me of the Sakaki x Kaorin sports festival episode in Azumanga. The commencing announcement. The gakuran. The dance. Much mirth on my part and thinking how Kaorin would fit into the Lilian eco-system (sans Kimura). I think Sachiko would be quite Kaorin’s type but she’s already taken. :P A real pleasure to see Yumi enjoying her soeur relationship with Sachiko. Also I have never understood the appeal of Yoshino, whom Admiral Erica Friedman raves about from her Yuri Space Administration Bureau flagship Okazu. Until this episode. Just for all the facial expressions that she causes Yumi to make, I give the thumbs up for Ms Insane Pigtails. LOL
While I’m waiting for the subs, I have relied on Erica’s translations of the novel (parts 1, 2, 3). It seems that the anime has to de-emphasized Yumi’s role in escaping from her captors while the novel makes it very clear that the captive eventually starts to order her kidnappers around and even causing them to become besotted with her. And a warm welcome back for Tsutako who furnishes photographic evidence of Kanako’s stalking though that was reduced from twelve to three - the former would have waaaay scarier; overall, Kanako somehow seems generally less scary in the anime, probably because there weren’t any sparkles in the initial scene with Yumi. The impact is also lessened as we’re not privy to Yumi’s thoughts - which are some of the best parts of the novels - as she is significantly disorientated with the idea that anyone would admire her. Oh, and no pouting from Sachiko - just a closeup of a very very sharp nose.
Quite interestingly, Kanako is voiced by Ami Koshimizu who has played a wide variety of roles including Code GEASS’s Kallen Stadtfeld, Mai Otome’s Nina Wang and School Rumble’s Tenma Tsukamoto. She might have had other yuri-type series voice roles as Natsuko in Futari wa Pretty Cure and Mirano Entolasia in the Murder Princess OVA but I haven’t seen those so would appreciate input on that. And Touko just had to be played by Rie Kugimiya, she of snarky character voice roles fame e.g. Shana in Shakugan no Shana, Louise in Zero no Tsukaima, Alisa Bannings in Lyrical Nanoha etc etc. LOL
This OVA certainly had me "falling in love with the show all over again" - and then some more. This second installment built on the first two seasons and first OVA by showing how far the Yumi x Sachiko soeur relationship has come; only the barest hints of Yumi angst and Sachiko coldness were evident.
Although Sei is still my favourite character (well, the sky is blue after all!), I was pretty much surprised at how I have gradually come to find Sachiko an interesting and likeable character. I have to confess that I disliked her somewhat for most of the first and second seasons, mainly because of the agony that she caused Yumi. But one of the strengths of this series is how it got me to better understand each character, showed me how they grew and thus changed my views about them.
I tend to stubbornly stick to my first impression of any character. Any series that manages to change an impression from ‘bad’ to ‘magnificent’ (using Erica’s word in her review at Okazu) tends to indicate that the character development is definitely more than two-dimensional. Other than MariMite, my other big personal conversion was the Full Metal Panic! series. While I loved the action in the first season, Sousuke and Chidori felt like Keitaro and Naru… with guns when GONZO and KyoAni were co-producing it but things perked up considerably for me in Fumoffu! and The Second Raid (after GONZO had been ejected) and breaking way beyond the "Sousuke does something military otaku dumb, Chidori dishes out the harisan punishment" routine, especially when Tessa was thrown into the mix.
How far Sachiko and Yumi have come was perfectly encapsulated in Sachiko’s frank admission to Yumi - the latter was nothing like Youko but handles the former so well. Certainly this bears out the original troika’s view that Yumi would be good for Sachiko. It was really lovely how Sachiko turned to Yumi for support when the Hanedara council appeared at the Lilian gate and after the Alice incident. On the flip side, Yuuki hits the nail on the head when he observes that Yumi has become stronger, looks like she’s passed Sei’s assigned homework with flying colours. IMHO this kind of self-strengthening > GAR. The younger Fukuzawa twin was also hilarously spot on when he stopped Yumi from describing her ideal boyfriend as she rattled off an excruciatingly detailed description of Sachiko’s personality.
As always, Erica’s translation and notes on the source novels have been immensely helpful in enhancing my enjoyment of the anime. Many thanks, Erica! I didn’t have the same reading of Yuuki’s mild siscon though, as his criteria seem quite male-typical-generic: he only needed to add ‘Understanding’ to complete the Male Standard Answers to that particular Women’s Awkward Question (Examples of other standard answers - Q: ‘Does this make my butt look big?’ A: ‘Of course not!’ / Q: ‘What are you thinking about?’ A: ‘Nuthin’.) I got a stronger impression of how Yuuki just wanted Yumi to more big-sisterly towards him as indicated by his objection to her self-description as his ’sort of older sister’ and Sachiko pushing her towards him with the instruction to play her elder sister role - which she did magnificently too.
I also liked the formal meeting between the Hanadera Council (Kobayashi is cool!) and the Yamayurikai when both Rei and Shimako were slightly rattled whereas, in contrast, Yoshino was very definitely in control while Noriko just outed herself as a huge NERD. LOL
Looking forward, Kanako’s made two non-voiced appearances and she does her stalker thing towards the end so I can’t wait for the next installment when she finally emerges as a full member of the cast.
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
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