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Information
Title (English) Virgin Mary is Watching You
Title (Japanese) Maria-sama ga Miteru
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book cover

Fantasy Novel

Notes Adapted from a series of novels by Konno Oyuki.
Classification shoujo
Synopsis Nice but average schoolgirl Yumi, 16 years old, attends the posh Lilian Girl's School, a Japanese Catholic institution where the girls are expected to behave like ladies at all times. Student affairs are run by the curious but benign system of "Roses" in which there are three "Rose" groups in the student body, each with a principal, and a deputy or 'en bouton' . The 'en bouton' is also known as a 'petit soeur' and is the deputy, and will be leader next year. Any senior girl could have a 'petit soeur' and the 'boutons' generally do, so there is a 3x3 formation of Roses, Boutons and Petit Soeurs in the student council. I hope that's clear... Yumi is a 'fan' of the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton, Sachiko, a beautiful, elegant and talented older girl. Much of the early action is to do with how these two meet, and whether, or how, Sachiko is to make Yumi her 'petit soeur'.
Review The story starts pre-credit, and then the narration demonstrates a tendency to jump back and forwards at critical points, which can prove rather challenging on first viewing. However you'll want to see this series more han once..
The artwork is very pretty.

It's a lively story - unusually for this sort of thing, nobody is trying to be horrible to anyone else, and it's more of a Jane Austen - like dance of characters involved in complex social interactions. Not that there isn't a certain amount of drama in it too. There is quite a lot about the 'petit soeur' relationship between pairs of girls, and a competition which ends with the winners dating the girls they particularly admire - some people may be thinking of the "L- word" but there is only one genuine lesbian in the story, and it isn't Yumi or Sachiko.

As one might expect of a manga based on a series of novels, the script is exceptionaly good. Recommended. (GC)

Credits
Episodes 13
Release
TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date 2004 January 8 - 2004 April 1
Production
Broadcaster TV Tokyo
Animation Studio Deen
References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

 

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