you really think so?
This DVD omake and special is done in NG out-takes with a SD animation style. They weren’t really that funny but the animation was cute and for me, the funniest lines actually came from the oyaji tone of the "director". Continue reading ‘Don’t Tell Maria-sama!’
Yumi’s panic turns out to be much ado about nothing but given it’s her first date I was disinclined to be overly harsh on her. After last episode’s tutoring of Sachiko in the ways of window shopping and fast food, she now takes the lead in helping Sachiko purchase rustic peasant clothes known as “blue jeans” while Shimako and Yoshino come to a typically enigmatic White Rose mutual understanding and Yoshino finds the resolve not to be Buffalo Bill. The series ends on an appropriately sweet note over tea and cake for Yumi, Sachiko, Yoshino, Tsutako and Minako, a tender reunion between Shimako and Sei as well as a typically emotional exchange between Yoshino and Rei. Continue reading ‘MariMite 13′
Anxious about her Sunday date with Sachiko, Yumi tries to get advice from her fellow petit soeurs but Shimako is on tenderhooks about her date with Shizuka while Yoshino is all insane jealousy about Rei’s date with Chisato. There’s some humour as Lillian Newspaper Club head, Minako and photographer Tsutako try to tail the daters and run into Yoshino. The episode ends on note of tensions: Yoshino has just spotted Chisato glomping Rei’s arm, Shimako’s unease has peaked with their arrival back at the empty Lillian while Yumi thinks that Sachiko has walked out on their date and, by extension, her. Continue reading ‘MariMite 12′
It’s Christmas and Sei reminisces about the events of a year ago. Essentially it’s a fairly simple tragic story of forbidden love. Girl meets girl. They fall in love and become completely absorbed with each other to the detriment of everything else. However one discovers that the other is going to become a nun and that their love is, afterall, not going to last forever. After attempting to break up, their irresistable mutual attraction leads to a desperate plan to run away. In the end, one is stood up while the other goes far away - the former realizes that there are those around her who care for her as well. Back in the present, Sei and the rest of the Yamayurikai prepare to celebrate Christmas and Sei’s birthday.
This is probably the favourite episode for the legions of Sei fans (shout out to Mangaminx!) because it shows so many sides of Sei: disillusioned, madly in love, deeply passionate, contented yet yearning, annoyed, angry, heartbroken, impulsive, having an epiphany - all of which undergrid her current state of uber-coolness.
Erica’s notes (Parts 1 and 2) which compare the third MariMite novel with the novel give an indication of the richness of the novel and also shows the additional depth of the anime’s source material which was cut for various reasons e.g. Sei’s teasing of Yumi (about being called in for their "illicit homosexual relationship") in front of a sizable number of first year students before entering the Student Guidance Room; Sei’s realization that the Academy director was the only one who really understood her situation; the reason for the Suga Sei pseudonym and how Yumi managed to figure out the link to Kasuga Seiko herself; more background about Shiori’s farewell letter to Sei etc. A very enlightening read which I felt really increased my appreciation of the MariMite universe.
Being one of a Sei fan, I’ve gone a bit overboard with the screencapping. (;^_^) Continue reading ‘MariMite 11′
Lillian is awash with rumours. Is Sei Satou the author of a scandalous new novel, The Forest of Thorns? Gnawed by curiosity, Yumi and Yoshino attempt to find out if Suga Sei is really Rosa Gigantea’s pen name but those who know keep their lips sealed. There’s some tension and drama when the Forest of Thorns becomes, briefly, a school disciplinary issue with the threat of expulsion for our favourite character. Yumi and Yoshino gradually realize that it is not merely the similarity of the names but also events in the novel and Sei’s back story. Seeing their concern, Sei decides to tell them about how she loved and lost an angelic pure girl called Shiori Kubou. Continue reading ‘MariMite 10′