Mar 5, 2025
"Ave Maria" is the title of one of the most moving and contemplative hymns. But this anime has nothing to do with contemplation. Maria†Holic doesn't mince its words and is definitely not an ordinary comedy.
The young high school student Kanako Miyamae transfers to the Catholic girls' academy Ame No Kisaki to find her true love there. (where else?). As soon as she arrives, she meets the spoiled chairman's granddaughter Mariya Shidou and her spiteful maid Matsurika Shinouji, who puts her down right from the start. Kanako would like to concentrate on her other new classmates, but when she accidentally bursts into Mariya's room, she finds
...
out that he is actually a boy.
For reasons that will remain unmentioned for now, Mariya is forced to crossdress and it is very important to him that everyone at school sees him as a girl. To prevent Kanako from spilling the beans, Mariya blackmails her, so Kanako is forced to agree to Mariya's demands. But that's not all: In order to keep a constant eye on Kanako, Mariya decides to become Kanako's new roommate, along with Matsurika. And so Kanako's chaotic everyday life at Ame No Kisaki begins.
The main focus of the stories is the interaction between the sadistic character Mariya, who can switch between innocent girl mode and sadistic-aggressive boy mode - seemingly at the push of a button - and Kanako, who desperately tries to find her true love (even though she is apparently the only lesbian on campus) and stumbles from one faux pas to the next.
Over time, more and more bizarre supporting characters join the cast, such as the dorm leader, who calls herself "God", or the school priest Tōichirō Kanae, who appears out of nowhere in every possible situation and disimproves everything.
The series lives primarily between the dynamic of the trio Mariya, Matsurika and Kanako, which in itself is really unique. Somewhere between sadism, despair and love-hate. There are whole chapters that take place in the three of them's room - which shows that you don't need a huge setting to be really entertaining, as long as you have characters that are exciting and captivating.
It was very interesting to see that between all the chaotic scenarios and crazy characters there was also time for serious and more contemplative moments in between. Among other things, the different forms of prayer were addressed and the fact that you don't have to belong to the same religion (or any religion at all) to come together through the form of prayer.
In general, I was surprised by the harmonious interplay between crazy ecchi-fun and church-related religious themes.
In addition, the manga doesn't take itself too seriously, so the fourth wall is broken often (in one chapter there is a discussion about whether a teddy bear should replace Kanako as the main protagonist) and there are many running gags (which are often more "running" than "gag", like Kanako's nosebleed fountains).
The crossdressing theme is presented very well. Although Mariya still sees himself as a boy, there are some moments that allow for a trans interpretation. For example, when Mariya, unobserved by classmates, talks alone with Kanako and Matsurika, who are in on the secret, and still behaves like a girl - which he always responds to with the excuse "I'm doing it for fan service".
All in all, I will remember Maria†Holic fondly. If you like crossdressing, wacky jokes, crazy characters who are somehow lovable in their own way, and a touch of yuri and church themes, then Maria†Holic is a good choice. It's definitely not the most sophisticated series of our time, but it's certainly one of the funniest. Even though it's been 10 years since Ame no Kisaki closed its doors, so there probably won't be anything new from Mariya and Kanako in the foreseeable future, I will carry the two in my heart and memory for a long time to come.
Amen
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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