Maria Holic Alive - A reappraisal of the enchanting sister comedy

Maria Holic Alive - Maria Holic Alive - Reviews and Recommendations

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

April 7, 2011 - June 23, 2011

■Broadcasting station

AT-X, TOKYO MX, other UHF, ShowTime, etc.

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

Kaisei Endo

■ Director

Akiyuki Shinbo

■ Production

・Animation Production: Shaft
・Produced by Maria Holic Alive Production Committee

■Works

© 2011 Kaisei Endo, Media Factory/Maria Holic Alive Production Committee

■ Story

Kanako Miyamae is a high school girl who is not good with men and loves beautiful girls. Kanako transfers to the girls' school of her dreams in search of her destined love, and while she is excited to meet beautiful girls, she finds out the secret of the school's idol, Mariya Gido, through a trivial incident. In fact, Mariya, who is a sadist and a dark-hearted person, becomes Kanako's roommate in the girls' dormitory to make her keep her secret, and begins to watch over Kanako with the sharp-tongued maid, Marika. Although she begins to be bullied by Mariya and scorned by Marika, the yuri girl Kanako is surrounded by beautiful girls with unique personalities and is full of happiness! The beautiful girls surrounding Kanako are a diverse bunch, including the most popular male role in the drama club, Ishiba Takaaki, the bright and innocent little sister type classmate Momoi Sachi, the glasses-wearing girl Kiri Nanami who is not good at socializing, the demure Inamori Yuzuru who wears an archery uniform, and the compassionate student council president Shiki Ayari! Kanako's delusions know no bounds! A super high-tension comedy that weaves together yuri delusions, sadism, and sharp tongues!

■Explanation

Gido Mariya, a self-proclaimed beautiful girl who is a good-looking student but has an endless sadistic nature, and Marika, a maid who is 100% tsundere and has a sharp tongue, comically tease the protagonist Miyamae Kanako, who has a love for yuri! The original is a manga by Endo Kaisei that is serialized in Monthly Comic Alive (published by Media Factory). The manga has been published up to volume 8, and has sold over 1.6 million copies in total. "Maria Holic Spin-off" is also being serialized in Monthly Comic Gene (published by Media Factory), which was launched on June 15, 2011. The first season of the TV anime aired from January to March 2009, and the Blu-ray Box is currently on sale. The long-awaited second season, "Maria Holic Alive," began airing in April 2011!

■Cast

・Miyamae Kanako/Sanada Asami/Gido Mariya/Kobayashi Yuu/Shioji Marika/Inoue Marina/Ishiba Takaaki/Kaida Yuko/Momoi Sachi/Shintani Ryoko/Kiri Nanami/Kanda Akemi/Inamori Yuzuru/Goto Saori/Gido Shizuku/Hirano Aya/Dorm Head Teacher/Sawashiro Miyuki/Shiki Ayari/Yonaguni-san/Matsuki Miyu/Shioji Gentou/Okamoto Nobuhiko/Tateto Ichiro/Sugita Tomokazu/Narration/Ueda Yoji

■ Main staff

・Original work: Kaisei Endo ・General director: Akiyuki Shinbo ・Series composition: Masahiro Yokotani
・Character design: Hideyuki Morioka
・Series Director: Tokoro Tomokazu
・Assistant Director: Kenichi Ishikura
・Chief animation director: Noriyasu Yamauchi
・Art director: Toshiharu Iijima
・Color design/Izumi Takizawa
・Concept design/Nobuyuki Takeuchi
Director of photography: Rei Egami
Edited by Rie Matsuhara
・Sound Director: Toshiki Kameyama
・Sound production/omnibus promotion
・Music: Tatsuya Nishiwaki
・Music production/Media Factory
・Produced by Genco
・Animation Production/SHAFT
・Produced by Maria Holic Alive Production Committee

■ Main Characters

Kanako Miyamae is a yuri-loving girl who transferred to Tennohime Girls' Academy as a second-year high school student. She has a weakness for beautiful girls, and whenever she sees a cute figure, she gets excited and starts to get a nosebleed. On the other hand, she is not good with men, and breaks out in hives when they touch her.
・Gido Mariya is a first-year high school student. She is a pretty girl who is Kanako's type and everyone notices her at first glance. However, her outward appearance is just an act, and in reality she is a narcissist who is self-conscious about her beauty, and a sadist. Because she shared a secret with Kanako, she makes Kanako share her room with her and keeps her under observation.
・Shioji Marika A sharp-tongued maid who always accompanies Mariya. She speaks harshly to everyone, including her master Mariya. However, she generally follows her master's orders faithfully and acts when necessary. She is a 100% tsun character with no dere.
・Ishima Takaaki A high school senior. A tall beauty with short hair. She has a strong sense of responsibility and is caring. She is the most popular male role in the drama club, and is so loved by her juniors that she has a bodyguard for her.
・Sachi Momoi Kanako's classmate. A petite girl with her hair tied in two ponytails. She is lively and friendly. Her family runs a jewelry store. She often happens to have something that she needs. She is good friends with Yuzuru Inamori.
・Kiri Nanami Kanako's classmate. A quiet girl with glasses who loves reading. She has a cool and serious personality. However, because she is extreme, she sometimes behaves in a way that is difficult for others to understand, and she tends to be alone in class.
・A classmate of Inamori Yuzuru Kanako. He has a calm and gentle personality, and looks good with his long black hair. He is a member of the Kyudo club. For some reason, he likes to wear his Kyudo uniform even outside of club activities. He is good friends with Momoi Sachi.
・Dorm Head Teacher The dorm mother of Ten no Hibi Second Girls' Dormitory. Nicknamed God. She has a gentle way of speaking, and watches over the dorm students, sometimes strict and sometimes kind. She looks like a young girl, but her age is unknown. She also has very cute, movable cat ears, but no one knows if they are real or not...
・Shiki Ayari The student council president of the high school division. A beautiful woman with a good figure who looks good with her vertical curls. She has a strong personality and is able to understand people well. She is childhood friends with Mariya, but they don't seem to get along very well...
Yonaguni-san is a reliable watchdog at the Tennohime Second Girls' Dormitory. He has a fatherly face and wears an apron. His favorite food is vinegared kelp.

■Subtitle

・Chapter 1/"Forbidden Girls' Dormitory"
Chapter 2/Section 1: "Naughty Play" Section 2: "Secret Entertainment" Section 3: "Reward of Shame"
Chapter 3: The Trembling of Greed
・Chapter 4/The Captive Maiden
Chapter 5/Section 1: "Tainted Sisters" Section 2: "Mischievous Fingertips"
・Chapter 6/Exciting☆Mission School☆Scramble
・Chapter 7/True: A Swimming Meet Full of Beautiful Girls
・Chapter 8/Tainted Innocence
・Chapter 9/The Precocious Fiance
Chapter 10/Section 1: "Sacrifice of the Priest" Section 2: "Feast of Lustful Dreams" Section 3: "Forbidden Relationship" Section 4: "Summer's Nape"
・Chapter 11/"My Sister's Secret"
・Final Chapter/ Kanako's Birthday"

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Runrunriru Ranranrara ・Song: Yu Kobayashi ・ED1
・Can't Stop It・Sung by Heavenly Princess Girls Choir (Kanako, Mariya, and Marika)

review

"Maria Holic Alive" is a TV anime series that aired in 2011 and is based on the manga of the same name by Kaisei Endo. The second season, which follows the first season, provided viewers with new laughs and surprises. This work is a high-tension comedy about Miyamae Kanako, a high school girl with a love for yuri, who is surrounded by beautiful girls. In particular, the interactions between the sadistic and sly Gido Mariya and the sharp-tongued maid Shiouji Marika are worth watching.

The story begins when Kanako transfers to Ten no Hime Girls' Academy and, while excited to meet beautiful girls, she finds out about Mariya's secret. To ensure that Kanako keeps her secret, Mariya makes her his roommate and starts watching over her. From here, a unique worldview unfolds in which Kanako is bullied by Mariya and Marika, but feels happy being surrounded by beautiful girls.

The characters have very strong personalities, and Kanako's lesbian delusions and Mariya's sadistic personality especially add to the charm of the work. A wide variety of beautiful girls, including Takaaki Ishiba, Sachi Momoi, Nanami Kiri, Yuzuru Inamori, and Ayari Shiki, appear and color the world around Kanako. Their personalities and relationships enrich the story.

Shaft, the animation production company, has established a unique visual style under the direction of Akiyuki Shinbo. Character design is by Hideyuki Morioka, and color design is by Izumi Takizawa. Shaft's distinctive direction and beautiful colors enhance the atmosphere of the work. Additionally, the music was written by Tatsuya Nishiwaki, and the opening theme "Runrunriru Ranranrara" and the ending theme "Doumo Tomaranai" are memorable songs that viewers will remember.

The cast is also impressive, with voice actors such as Asami Sanada as Kanako Miyamae, Yu Kobayashi as Mariya Gido, and Marina Inoue as Marika Shioji, bringing out the charm of the characters. In particular, Yu Kobayashi's performance as Mariya is very realistic, portraying her sadistic personality and drawing the viewers in.

"Maria Holic Alive" entertains viewers with its unique worldview and charming characters in the yuri comedy genre. The original manga is also popular, with a total circulation of over 1.6 million copies, which shows its appeal. The second season, following the first, depicts an even deeper story and character relationships, making it a must-see for fans.

Recommendation

"Maria Holic Alive" is recommended for fans of yuri comedies and those interested in Shaft's animation style. It is also a great work for those who enjoy the personalities and relationships of the characters. In particular, it is a must-see for those who like sadistic characters and tsun characters like the sharp-tongued maid Marika.

In addition, the original manga is also very interesting, so I recommend reading it after watching the anime. The comics are currently available up to volume 8, and a spin-off is also being serialized, so you can enjoy the continuation of the story and new aspects of the characters.

This work will be the best entertainment for those who want a high-tension comedy full of laughs and surprises. Please try to experience the world of Kanako Miyamae and the beautiful girls.