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is an on-going series of light novels by Oyuki Konno. The plot revolves around the lives and relationships of the student council of a Catholic girl's high school. The story has been adapted into a manga series by illustrator Satoru Nagasawa, a three-season shōjo anime series, and a series of drama CDs.
The third season of the anime is currently being released as an OVA series. The fourth OVA was released on May 30 2007, and the fifth will be released on July 25 2007. Plans for a fourth season have been announced in the August 2007 issue of ''Cobalt'' magazine.^[3]

Contents

History

Story and setting

Characters

Chinensis family

Gigantea family

Foetida family

In Sachiko's year

In Yumi's year

In the year below Yumi

Two years below Yumi

Others

Yamayurikai

First Season

Second Season (Haru/Spring)

Trivia

See also

References

External links

History

In February 1997, Oyuki Konno, who was already an established author, (having won prizes in 1993 for the series of novels ''Yume no Miya'') published in ''Cobalt'' magazine a short story called ''Maria-sama ga Miteru'', that told of the experiences of preparatory students in an austere, elegant school called 'Lillian School for Young Ladies'. The success of this story in the magazine inspired Konno to turn the story into a series of novels.
Thus, on May 10, 1998, the first volume of ''Maria-sama ga Miteru'' was published, with additional illustrations from Hibiki Reine, an artist who specializes in shojo. This volume is the true beginning of the ''Maria-sama ga Miteru'' story. (The short story of 1997 was republished in the ninth volume, in 2001.)
In February 2003, with already more than twelve volumes published, Oyuki began to publish short stories in Cobalt Magazine, as well as continuing work on the light novels.
Towards the end of 2003, the adaptation of the novel series to anime was announced - a season of thirteen episodes to run from January until March 2004, produced by Studio Deen; also, in February 2004 a manga adaptation was to be launched, drawn by Satoru Nagasawa. Given the success of the first season of the series, and the fact that this season only covered to the sixth volume, it was decided to launch, between July and September of that same year, the second season of anime - ''~Haru~'', with thirteen episodes and with the same personnel that worked in the first season. ''Haru'' would cover to volume eleven of the novels.
Additionally in 2004, there began to be a more commercial character to the series with the publication of drama CDs of the series, using as voices the same voice actors of the anime series. Also in 2004, an ''omake'' was made that appeared in the DVD of the anime series, called ''Maria-sama ni wa Naisho'' マリア様にはないしょ Keep it secret from the Virgin Mary!). ''Maria-sama ni wa Naisho'' was a brief animated parody of the anime series, which were mostly faked "outtakes". Additionally in 2004 the OSTs of the two seasons were published with the aid of musical duo ALI PROJECT.
During 2005, there was not another anime series. Nevertheless, more volumes of novels, more short stories, CD dramas and new manga volumes continued to be released.
In that year there were more releases of commercial products such as three CDs of Image Albums and various merchandise. Towards the end of 2005, "Project Maria 2006" was announced, and a publicity campaign was run to publicise the new series to come in 2006.
Thus, at the beginning of 2006, Internet radio shows began starring the voice actors of the anime series, commenting with news of the series and other funny situations out of the main plot of the novel. In August 2006, the third anime series was announced to be presented in OVA format. It would take place just after the second season, and with the same voice actors. The OVA series aired in Japan between November 2006 and July 2007.
In May 2006, it was announced officially that both the first and second seasons of the anime series had been licensed in Spain by Jonu Media. Shortly after that, the license of the OVAs was also confirmed.
The first official foreign-language broadcast of the series outside Japan was attempted by the Philippine television station ABS-CBN, translated and dubbed into Tagalog. Episodes 1-6 of Season 1 were aired from January 28, 2006 to March 5, 2006, every 10:30am on Saturdays. But after Episode 6, without any official explanation from the station, Marimite was taken off the air.
The manga has been licensed and officially translated in Germany, under the name ''Rosen unter Marias Obhut''. TOKYOPOP - Bücher: Manga: Rosen unter Marias Obhut : Einleitung TOKYOPOP This translates to "Roses under Mary's care", and the Latin names for the Roses are removed, in favour of simply using the colour of the rose. ''(See The Yamayurikai.)'' The light novel series is also being translated into German under the same name. TOKYOPOP - Bücher: Romane: Rosen unter Marias Obhut : Einleitung TOKYOPOP
The complete series, including each season, has been translated and dubbed into English for broadcast across its English language networks across Southeast Asia by the anime satellite TV network Animax from March 2007, being the series' first English language television premiere.^[4] Animax have also aired the series across its networks in Hong Kong and other regions.
In April 2007, a subtitled DVD release was announced by Diamond Comic Distributors, but this was in error.^[5]
Plans for a fourth season have been announced in the August 2007 issue of ''Cobalt'' magazine,^[6] and the final scenes of the fifth OVA.^[7] It is not yet known whether it will be created as a TV series or as a direct-to-video OVA series.

Story and setting

The story revolves around the students of the .
The story of ''Maria-sama ga Miteru'' can be considered character-driven, focusing on interactions between the characters rather than any sort of ongoing plot or goal to attain. One reviewer has even called it "pure shoujo" due to its character-driven storylines. Anime Meta-Review Maria-sama ga miteru One notable aspect is the occasional use of French (it is in fact subtitled ''La Vierge Marie vous regarde'', "The Virgin Mary is watching you"), although one need not be fluent in French to understand the story.
The school, which is depicted as having been founded in 1902 in Musashino, Tokyo, is depicted as an elegant, clean, pure and very prestigious school. Among the facilities of Lillian, aside from the classrooms, there is a church, a greenhouse, a kendo dojo, an auditorium, a park, and the Mansion of the Roses, where the Yamayurikai meet. The students are very respectable and in good standing. The uniform at the school is a long, dark green sailor fuku with a white collar. In keeping with the tone of the school, formal language is used. is a strictly formal and respectful greeting in Japanese, and is used both to greet and to farewell. By custom, this greeting is used often in the Lillian School; this has been one of the distinguishable and popular phrases of the series, and it is used to begin or to finish each volume. The English Animax dub translates the word as "Good day to you."
The Lillian Girls' School is based on a real school in Nishi-tokyo known as the Musashino Joshi Gakuin (''Musashino School for Girls''). Although it is a private school, it is not a Catholic but a Buddhist school. The author Konno Oyuki graduated from a Catholic kindergarten and Musashino Joshi-Gakuin. It is not strange for most Japanese if a person has gone to schools of different religions. The Lillian Girls school uses the lily symbolism as the white lily is the flower of the Virgin Mary. The white lily is a Christian symbol of virginity and purity, as well as a minor reference to Yuri.
At Lillian Girls school, there is a tradition known as the Soeur System (''sœur'' being French for "sister"), in which a second- or third-year student, the ''grande sœur'' ("big sister"), will give her rosary to a junior student, the ''petite sœur'' ("little sister"), and promise to look after them and guide them. One reviewer has said that this 'gratuitous' use of French titles is distracting. THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - Maria-sama ga Miteru At the start of the story, new first-year student Yumi Fukuzawa is suddenly approached by the seemingly-cold second-year student Sachiko Ogasawara to be her ''petite sœur''.
The story often has some strong elements of romance between female characters; the use of lilies reinforces this in subtext, as do the names of the student council and of the school itself. (See the etymology of yuri for details.) It is only explicit about this sort of relationship once (in flashback), but many of the sisters have relationships that go beyond simple friendship — though not quite so far as to confirm romance between any of the primary characters (although the ''omake'' on the anime series' DVD release does, if only in jest). Nonetheless, this has not stopped fans of the show and dōjinshi creators from attempting to elaborate on these relationships as such: frequently, ''any'' artwork of the series is often placed in the yuri sections of image boards. The ''Marimite'' novels, anime and manga series have an enormous yuri fandom as well.
The art design of the anime series is very flowing and sometimes of questionable quality. The color palette is significantly muted, taking advantage of the lesser palettes of fall and winter (such as yellowing ginkgo leaves and snow on the ground) to present a very minimal palette of colors. This is in sharp contrast to many other anime titles, like the bright and vivid ''Revolutionary Girl Utena'', a show that ''Marimite'' is frequently compared and contrasted to because of their similar elegant natures revolving around school relationships. Another anime that ''Marimite'' is compared to is ''Oniisama e...'', but ''Marimite'' is much less dramatic. THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~
One reviewer has suggested that ''Maria-sama ga Miteru's "reduced capacity for epic drama" is due to the lack of malicious characters.
Newer anime titles that Marimite is compared to include ''Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru'' and ''Strawberry Panic!''. THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru Okazu: Yuri Anime: Strawberry Panic
The musical choices of ''Maria-sama ga Miteru'' are generally classical music -inspired. A song that is often referred to in the anime is ''Maria-sama no kokoro'', or "The Virgin Mary's Heart". In the context of the series, ''Maria-sama no kokoro'' is a children’s song taught to the students at Lillian.

Characters

Main articles: List of Maria-sama ga Miteru characters

Chinensis family

Yumi and Sachiko

()
:Yumi Fukuzawa (福沢 祐 巳 Fukuzawa Yumi?) is the main character of Japanese light novel and anime series Maria-sama Ga Miteru created by Oyuki Konno.
First Season
Yumi is bashful beyond words, very timing and unsure of herself. She first met Sachiko when she prayed in front of Maria statue and had her tie fixed by Sachiko. Yumi’s friend, Tsutako Takeshima, took picture of this and wanted to display in the school fete. Tsutako got Yumi to ask permission from Sachiko.
In the Rose Mansion, Sachiko was arguing with the Roses. They say that she couldnot object their plan, as she did not have a pettie soeur. Sachiko ran out of the meeting and knocked Yumi over. She then asked if Yumi had a grande soeur, and promptly offered Yumi her rosary. Sachiko thought that if she had a petite soeur, the Yamayurikai could not force her to play Cinderella alongside a male. Yumi refused Sachiko's rosary, as she would be accepting it for the wrong reasons. Then Sei Satou offered a bet to Sachiko - if she could convince Yumi to be her petite soeur, the role of Cinderella will go to Yumi. If she could not, she must play Cinderella. Sachiko told Yumi that she, Sachiko will definitely become Yumi's soeur.
When the play Cinderella came, Yumi and the Yamayurikai found that the male who played the prince, Suguru, is Sachiko’s cousin and fiance. Sachiko accused him of going too far and ran away. Yumi followed her to the greenhouse. Yumi thought that she could not do anything for Sachiko, but Sachiko cried on her shoulder. Yumi offered to take the rosary, but Sachiko refused. Sachiko told Yumi about the arranged marriage, and that he did not love her, but she loved him. Sachiko calmed down, and danced with Yumi. After the play, there was a bonfire. Yumi thought sadly that she would not have an excuse to have anything more to do with Sachiko then suddenly Sachiko appeared and offered Yumi her rosary, Yumi accepted.
Second Season
On New’s Year Day, Sei picked up Yumi to Sachiko’s house, the Yamayurikai had a party there and Yumi also met Sachiko’s mother.
When the third years were about to graduated, Yumi asked Sei if she had anything to ask Yumi, like taking care of Goronta, or looking after Shimako. Sei said Yumi is the type of girl who will help even if not asked, so she was not worried about Shimako. Sei instead asked for a kiss on the mouth as a parting gift. Yumi tried to run away, but Sei hugged her. Sei thanked Yumi for helping her pass her examinations, since Yumi gave Sei a reason to live again. She also said that Yumi tried to run away so that it wouldn't be Sei who was leaving her, but the other way round. Yumi realized that this is true.
Yumi found out from Shimako, however, that Sei would actually be going to the Lillian's Girls' University, which is just next door. She was angry at Sei for not telling her, but is happy because Sei won't be leaving her after all.
After the third years graduated, spring came, the situation is made even worse with the arrival of Touko. Yumi feeled jealous of Touko's closeness with Sachiko, but did not say anything about it. Yumi the found out the truth about Sachiko’s grandmother was dying. At the day of the funeral, Sachiko apologized and Yumi said that she loved her onee-sama very much.
Maria-sama Ga Miteru OVA
At the beginning of the OVAs, Sachiko invited Yumi to her summer home for vacations.
Then Lilian and Hanadera collaborate on a school festival. Yumi tried to fix Sachiko's hatred for men.
Trivia
• Yumi offen got hugged by Sei, who thinks her to be very cute, which sometimes made Sachiko angry because of jealousy.
• Other characters often comment on how her emotions 'show on her face'.
()
: Prim and elegant, Sachiko has a rough side and a very sweet side. She is very protective over Yumi and cares deeply about her. However, Sachiko often has the same problem as Yumi does-she does not share most of her problems with her sœur, causing many misunderstandings.
:Sachiko is slated to marry her cousin/fiancé Suguru after she graduates. This has caused her some distress since, because although she initially cared deeply for him, he did not reciprocate. They now have a complicated relationship.
:Sometimes, Yumi must teach Sachiko how to live informally, for example, helping her select her first pair of jeans.^[8] Despite her sometimes stern appearance, Sachiko has her own share of insecurities regarding her relationship with Yumi, not to mention emotional insecurities rising from her home life; both her father and grandfather openly have mistresses, unabashedly dividing their time between home and the mistresses, which apparently led to her general disdain for men, as illustrated in the OVA during a meeting with the student council members of Hanadera, an all-boys highschool^[9].

Yoko Mizuno

()
: Calm and reserved, but usually with a smirk on her face, Yōko is Sachiko's ''grande sœur.'' As the nearly indisputable leader of the Yamayurikai during her time as Rosa Chinensis, she played a major role in maintaining stability in its sometimes unstable environment. Though usually cool and refined, she was also known to have a fun side. Additionally, it has been implied that she has feelings for Sei Satō.^[10] Her dream was to see the Rose Mansion filled with ordinary students before she graduated. ^[11]

Gigantea family

Sei and Shimako

Noriko, Shimako's ''petite sœur''

()
: The exact opposite of most of the characters in the show: loud, rough-around-the-edges, she loves doing what she can to push other peoples' buttons. However, Sei is one of the wisest and most caring characters on the show. Though seeming to have a playful and laid-back attitude, Sei has experienced many tragedies in her life, especially in her second year. Sei's personality was very different in her first two years. She was disinterested in everything, and never joked around like she did in her third year. Sei believes that Shimako should learn to solve her problems on her own, then only will she become strong.
:This seems to be a cold attitude, but Shimako is extremely devoted to Sei. Their relationship, as Yumi noted, is something that cannot be easily understood. After graduating from the high school division of Lillian, Sei studies English and American Literature at Lillian University. Sei has also shorten her hair when she is studying in Lilian University.
()
: Prim, proper and very beautiful, Shimako is the most admired of the first-years. She is the petite sœur of Satō Sei at the beginning of the story and later her successor. Underneath Shimako's quiet, mannerly exterior lies a surprisingly strong resolve. However, Shimako is perhaps the most gentle and fragile of the three girls of her year in the Yamayurikai. She is even unable to decide whether she should run for the next Rosa Gigantea at first, since she's not the type to lead people, and also because she just wants to work, not so much for the council, but for Sei herself.
: Reminiscent of Sei in her third year, Shimako is unsure of how to find a petite sœur in her second year after Sei leaves. She meets Noriko under the cherry blossoms, like how she first met Sei.
(''Voiced by:'' Kaori Shimizu)
: A young girl with a fascination with Buddhist statues and art. She enters Lillian Academy (a strictly Catholic institution) due to an unexpected turn of events. She has a fierce temper that contradicts her calm exterior and becomes Shimako's ''petite sœur'' as Shimako enters her second year.
'Former Rosa Gigantea' (Sei's Onee-sama) ()
: Sei's Onee-sama is not given a name, but appears in flashbacks. She apparently chose Sei because of the she like the latter's beautiful face. She really does, however, care for Sei, as shown after Shiori leaves. Sei began to depend on her a lot after this too. She graduated from Lillian wishing Sei to find a good petite sœur.

Foetida family

Yoshino, Eriko & Rei

()
: In the beginning of the series, Yoshino is a girl who was very ill and cared for constantly by her ''grande sœur,'' Rei. Yoshino was voted as the best petite sœur near the beginning of the series, as everyone considered her to be soft and sweet. This is only her reputation however. Yoshino is very independent and in some ways tomboyish, despite her sickly status and feminine appearance. After her heart surgery, she becomes more energetic through out the series. In addition to being Rei's ''petite sœur'', Yoshino is also her cousin and next-door neighbor. Theirs is a somewhat rocky relationship, since Yoshino is eager to spread her wings, whereas Rei would like to protect her from the world's hardships.
()
: Rei, Yoshino's ''grande sœur,'' appears very tomboyish and 'bishounen' on the outside but is in fact quite gentle despite her appearances. Her favourite books are shoujo, her favourite word is ‘sincerity’ and her hobby is sightseeing. She is involved in kendo, but obsessively cares about Yoshino and prefers the domestic arts, like cooking.
()
: Rei's ''grande sœur;'' one of the most well-respected of the Yamayurikai. She is very gifted and good at almost everything, although she is also enigmatic and eccentric. She has a large forehead, which Sei made fun of when they were young, which began their rivalry. She said once that she chose Rei as her ''sœur'' to see if anything interesting would happen. She often has friction with Yoshino, as the younger girl is jealous of her bond with Rei. Eriko has three older brothers. After leaving Lillian, she studies Arts. She hates the dentist above all else. She's in love with a man who's interested in dinosaurs.

In Sachiko's year

()
: Both head editor and president for the school's newspaper, Lillian Kawaraban. She is very dedicated to her duty as president, and can at times give Yumi an uneasy feeling.

Shiori and Sei

()
: Sei Satō's ex-lover and best friend who was Sachiko Ogasawara's classmate. Her parents died when she was young. She left Lillian in her first year to pursue her dream of becoming a nun, which broke Sei's heart.
()
: Also known as ''Rosa Canina'' (for the Dog Rose) she is the star singer of the school choir. She admired Sei, but later on it is shown that she has also found an interest in Sei's ''petite sœur'', Shimako. She left Lillian at the end of her second year to pursue a singing career in Italy.
()
: Sachiko's classmate. She is shown as having a stalker-like attraction to Sachiko. Okazu: Maria-sama ga Miteru Sixth Novel, Part 2 Final

In Yumi's year

()
: Another staff member of the newspaper team, and Minako's sometimes irreverent ''petite sœur''. However, like Minako, Mami herself is also always looking for the latest scoop.

Tsutako Takeshima

()
: Yumi's friend and avid photographer, she's part of the Photography Club and helps out sometimes for the school's newspaper. Never without her camera, she is always looking to capture the latest gossip about the Yamayurikai, and swears she can never be tied down to having a ''sœur'' of her own.
()
: A classmate of Yumi Fukuzawa. A member of the tennis club. Her family name is not given.
(voiced by Mikako Takahashi)
: She's part of the Kendo Club. She's an admirer of Rei Hasekura. She went on a date with Rei in the first season, after finding Rei's card in the treasure hunt on Valentine's Day.

In the year below Yumi

Touko & Yumi

()
: A distant relative and fan of Sachiko. She arrives at Lillian during Yumi's Second Year. Touko is a member of the Drama club, and nicknamed ''Mechanical Drill'' by Satou Sei for her corkscrew pigtails. In the beginning of her first year Touko causes some strain in the relationship between Yumi and Sachiko. However, it is apparent later on in the year that she may become Yumi's ''petite sœur''.
()
: A big fan of Yumi Fukuzawa, who only made a brief cameo appearance in the second season of the anime. She had a more major role in the OVA, where she revealed a similar disdain towards men to that of Sachiko, apparently stemming from problems she has with her father (she calls men "the lowest possible form of life"), and also that she had an initial impression of Yumi as being a "pure" girl (i.e. one who would not involve herself with men) that was shattered later on, causing some grief on her part.^[9] She is 178 cm tall, and referred to by Marimite fans as ''Denpa''. She is presented as one of the girls who may become Yumi's ''petite sœur''. She is introduced in the fourteenth novel, ''Suzukaze Satsusatsu'' (A Breath of Fresh Air).
(not voiced)
: Another staff member of the newspaper team, and Mami's ''petite sœur''.
(not voiced)
: She's part of the Photography Club. She loves photography, and wanted to be part of the Yamayurikai because of the photos she saw of them. She becomes an admirer of Tsutako.^[13]

Two years below Yumi

(not voiced)
: A girl in her third year at Lillian Middle High School, and very likely to become Shimazu Yoshino's ''petite sœur''. Mistaken to be Yoshino's ''petite sœur'' by Eriko at a kendo tournament.

Others

()
: Sei Satō's friend and course-mate at Lillian University. She is first seen as the girl who rescued Yumi from the rain along with Sei. Sei mentions that she stood up during the welcoming ceremony when Kei was called because she thought she had heard her own name.

Yumiko and Sachiko's grandmother in their younger days

()
: Landlord in lodging house of Kei Katō. A graduate of Lillian.
()
: Sachiko's grandmother. A graduate of Lillian. Her family name is not given.
()
: A graduate of Lillian, she wrote the novel ''The Forest of Thorns'' under the pen name "Sei Suga". She was confused with Sei Satō by most of the students of Lillian, which caused an uproar.
()
: The cousin and arranged fiancé of Sachiko; in order that a trusted man inherit the Ogasawara company, their engagement was arranged, although Sachiko detests it and denies that he is her fiancé. He is very arrogant, and especially disliked by Sei, but he has prestige in the Hanadera school since he is president of the Student Council there. He is gay,^[14] and seems to have a crush on Yumi's brother, Yūki.
()
: The younger brother of Yumi, though both were born within the same year. He loves her very much and tries to help her in everything he can. He has good relations with the students of Lillian and is somewhat popular. At the beginning of the series, he did not empathize with Suguru, but Suguru invites Yuuki to stay over for new year’s in his house; subsequently Suguru begins to perturb Yuuki by giving him the nickname “Yukichi”. Yuuki becomes the president of the Student Council of Hanadera due to his neutrality, as he does not belong to the cultural clubs or the sports clubs.^[15]

Yamayurikai

Main articles: Yamayurikai

Much of the story of ''Marimite'' revolves around the Yamayurikai (山百合会 Japanese, lit. "Mountain Lily Club"), which acts as the student council. The Yamayurikai itself consists of three offices, named after roses: ''Rosa Foetida'' (ロサ・フェティダ), ''Rosa Gigantea'' (ロサ・ギガンティア), and ''Rosa Chinensis'' (ロサ・キネンシス).^[16] These are also referred to by their colours; the Yellow Rose (黄薔薇さま) is Rosa Foetida, the White Rose (白薔薇さま) is Rosa Gigantea, and the Red Rose (紅薔薇さま) is Rosa Chinensis.
A rose (薔薇さま, bara-sama; ロサ, rosa) is the most senior member of the Yamayurikai, although it is also possible to generally speak of all the members of the Yamayurikai as roses. A Rose makes the important decisions within this group, since she has control over the student council. Candidates for the position, which lasts through the school year, are chosen through an election. Any student can run to become a Rose, although the position is usually given to the ''en boutons''.
The ''petite sœur'' of a ''Rosa'' is called an ''en bouton'' (薔薇のつぼみ, bara no tsubomi; アン・ブゥトン an būtun^[17]) (French, "in bud") — e.g., ''Rosa Chinensis en bouton'' — and is unofficially considered part of the Yamayurikai, as is the ''petite sœur'' of the ''en bouton'' (if she has one). The ''en boutons'' must be in a lower year than their oneesamas, and generally the ''en boutons'' make the Roses plans happen, like assistants. Although the offices of the Yamayurikai are traditionally passed to the ''en bouton'' on the graduation of the current holder, they are nonetheless elected offices which anyone may run for; this is part of a subplot in the first season.^[18]
The ''petite sœur'' of the ''en bouton'' is called ''en bouton petite sœur'' (薔薇のつぼみの妹, bara no tsubomi no imōto; アン・ブゥトン・プティ・スール, an būtun puti sūru) — e.g., ''Rosa Chinensis en bouton petite sœur'' —. She must be in a lower year than her oneesama and performs small duties, such as attending the Roses ''en bouton'', cleaning the Rose Mansion, and making tea and snacks for the Yamayurikai. This lasts a school year, and the following year, when their oneesamas are elected, the ''petite sœurs'' become ''en boutons'' automatically.
The Rose Mansion (薔薇の館 Bara no Yakata) is the building where the Yamayurikai meets. Located within the school, it consists of two storeys; the second storey is where the meeting room is.
Most of the main characters are members of the Yamayurikai. The following table shows their titles and ''sœur'' relationships at the start of the story: each character is the ''grande sœur'' of the character below them, if any.

First Season

	''Foetida''	''Chinensis''	''Gigantea''
'''Rosa ~'''	Eriko Torii (3rd year)	Youko Mizuno (3rd year)	Sei Satō (3rd year)
'''Rosa ~ en bouton'''	Rei Hasekura (2nd year)	Sachiko Ogasawara (2nd year)	Shimako Tōdō (1st year)
'''Rosa ~ en bouton petite sœur'''	Yoshino Shimazu (1st year)	Yumi Fukuzawa (1st year)	''None''

Second Season (Haru/Spring)

	''Foetida''	''Chinensis''	''Gigantea''
'''Rosa ~'''	Rei Hasekura (3rd year)	Sachiko Ogasawara (3rd year)	Shimako Tōdō (2nd year)
'''Rosa ~ en bouton'''	Yoshino Shimazu (2nd year)	Yumi Fukuzawa (2nd year)	Noriko Nijou (1st year)
'''Rosa ~ en bouton petite sœur'''	''None''	''None''	''None''

Trivia

★ Sei Sato drove a Volkswagen New Beetle to their mansion with Yumi Fukuzawa in the "Haru" season. On the other hand, Sachiko Osagawara's fiance Suguru drove a Maserati Quattroporte V in the final episode of the "Haru" season. He used that to fetch Yumi from Lillian Jogakuen to bring her and Youko Mizuno (Sachiko's former ''grande soeur'') to the Osagawara Mansion.

★ One common mistake that non-Japanese fans make is that the Fukuzawa siblings are twins. This is not the case. Yumi refers to Yuuki as her ,^[19] which means "younger brother that was born within a year" which explains why Yumi and Yuuki are in the same grade. The Japanese word for twins is .^[20]

See also

★ Soeur System (Fictional, fan-based)

★ List of Maria-sama ga Miteru media

References

1. Interview with a Japanese Marimite Fan
2. Yuri Week: Marimite and Yuri History Erika Azuma Translated into English by bseeked
3. ''Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season'' Anime Announced
4. Animax East Asia
5. http://www.animeondvd.com/news/archives.php?datearch=0407
6. ''Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season'' Anime Announced
7. http://okazu.blogspot.com/2007/08/maria-sama-ga-miteru-oav-45-ciao.html
8. Episode 13, Gokigenyou, Oneesama
9. OVA Episode 3 A Breath of Fresh Air
10. A Guide to the Marimite Characters and their Relationships
11. Episode 7 The Surprising Chocolates Part I
12. OVA Episode 3 A Breath of Fresh Air
13. Marimite Story Summaries, Footnotes and Comments
14. Maria-sama ga Miteru Novel English Translation Project
15. http://okazu.blogspot.com/2006/09/notes-on-14th-maria-sama-ga-miteru.html
16. Dē Rosīs Puellārum Lilliānēnsium - "Concerning the Roses of the Lillian Girls" Ian Andreas Miller
17. In the anime episodes, Japanese casts clearly pronounce the word "būtun", although the katakana ブゥトン indicates the sound "būton", which is closer to the correct French pronunciation.
18. Episode 6, Rosa Canina
19. Maria-ga Miteru manga Volume 4, Page 6
20. Jeffery's J/E Dictonary

External links

;Official:

★ Official web site (Lillian Jogakuen)

★ TV Tokyo's official web site (first season)

★ TV Tokyo's official web site (second season)

★ Animax East Asia's official page (first season)

★ Animax East Asia's official page (second season)
;Other:

★ Maria-sama ga Miteru Novel English Translation Project

★ Yumi–chan no Ribbon, fall and spring - Yumi's ribbon database

★