More Maria Watches over Us
Thanks to Netflix, I have now watched the whole release of Right Stuf/Nozomi’s "Maria Watches Over Us" first season. I went in with some serious reservations about the series but wound up falling in love with the characters and sympathizing with most of them.
I've mentioned to angharad_gov that I was having a hard time warming up to Sei. She is a complicated character. In the early episodes, she's played very much as the comic relief, trying to get under Yumi’s skin. She's meant to be provocative. But later you see other sides of Sei. Strangely I find she gives the best advice. But for someone who reads people so well, she does seem to misstep sometimes with Shimako. Learning about her romantic past helped me see past her comic façade somewhat. I did love her grand soeur even if she was never named in the series.
With older students moving towards graduation, my favorite Yoko didn’t have many appearances in the latter episodes. Her best moments was when she told everyone of her dream of seeing the Rose Mansion filled with "ordinary" students and the flashbacks dealing with Sei. The younger Yoko was less commanding, but you could still see flashes of who she became.
On the other hand, I still find Mifuyu’s Valentines storyline very strange. Oh well, I guess, there are characters you will never "get".
All in all, it’s still a lovely character-driven series about young girls and their relationships and their dreams. (And yes, there’s even some shopping involved.)
I've mentioned to angharad_gov that I was having a hard time warming up to Sei. She is a complicated character. In the early episodes, she's played very much as the comic relief, trying to get under Yumi’s skin. She's meant to be provocative. But later you see other sides of Sei. Strangely I find she gives the best advice. But for someone who reads people so well, she does seem to misstep sometimes with Shimako. Learning about her romantic past helped me see past her comic façade somewhat. I did love her grand soeur even if she was never named in the series.
With older students moving towards graduation, my favorite Yoko didn’t have many appearances in the latter episodes. Her best moments was when she told everyone of her dream of seeing the Rose Mansion filled with "ordinary" students and the flashbacks dealing with Sei. The younger Yoko was less commanding, but you could still see flashes of who she became.
On the other hand, I still find Mifuyu’s Valentines storyline very strange. Oh well, I guess, there are characters you will never "get".
All in all, it’s still a lovely character-driven series about young girls and their relationships and their dreams. (And yes, there’s even some shopping involved.)