Maria-sama Ga Miteru 4th season episode 7

It’s time for the Yamayuri council’s Christmas party. While Shimako has Rei teaching her how to make a Bûche de Noël cake, Yumi and Noriko decorate the room. Yoshino on the other hand is rather anxious, for she’s about to introduce Nana to everyone and isn’t sure how Rei will react.

Soon the other girls all appear, but when Nana arrives, an awkward silence fills the room. Luckily, Tsutako from the photography club, who is attending to snap some photos in commemoration of the event, is savvy enough to divert everyone’s attention by making a group photo. Yumi notices that Touko is rather silent, clearly distancing herself.

The party starts but the awkward atmosphere seems to linger, Sachiko suggests they all introduce themselves which alleviates tension and relieves pressure from Nana by allowing her to get to know everyone that way.
Despite Yoshino’s anxiety, the Roses are quickly won over by Nana and the party starts in full swing, the girls have a great time by playing various games.

When Yumi and Shimako return after having left for a short moment, they find Yoshino and Rei in a heated argument. Rei has revealed that she will not be attending Lillian’s university department next year but will attend a university further away to follow a sports education for her kendo. Saddened, Yoshino is also outraged because Rei hadn’t discussed this with her beforehand.
Anxious at Rei’s revelation, Yumi asks her grande sœur Sachiko if she too will attend a university other that Lillian’s, but Sachiko reassures Yumi that she will definitely attend Lillian’s university.

Witnessing the exchange between Yumi and Sachiko at a distance, Touko leaves. Yumi runs after her, when Touko excuses herself to go home, Yumi offers to walk together so they can talk. However, there’s an uncomfortable silence between the two girls as Yumi seems uncertain on how to tackle Touko.
Surprisingly, Touko reveals a memory of her childhood when she tried coloring a map but wasn’t able to do it as she wanted, she then reflects how life is like that, one can’t always do what they want or be who they want. Embarrassed at her own revelation, Touko tells Yumi to forget what she said and hurries off.

Yumi stops Touko in front of the Maria statue, for a moment, the two girls gaze at one another. Decided, Yumi asks Touko to become her petite sœur, taking out her rosary. Initially dazzled, Touko unexpectedly puts on a different facade and bluntly rebukes Yumi’s request before running off.

Distraught, Yumi listlessly wanders back to the Rose mansion where Sachiko awaits her. Sachiko offers Yumi her Christmas present, handkerchiefs embroidered with red roses and their initials, Yumi in turn gives Sachiko what she had been knitting for her. Sachiko notices something is amiss though and is shocked when Yumi reveals in tears that she asked Touko to become her petite sœur but was rudely turned down. Trying to cheer Yumi up, Sachiko says that when she was turned down by Yumi last year, it never lessened her resolve and she encourages Yumi to not give up on Touko.
The two girls embrace each other crying.

An unexpected turn of events and the drama intensifies! I liked how this episode continued to deal with the looming graduation of Sachiko and Rei, Yoshino finding a suitable petite sœur candidate and how this affects everyone’s relationships. The mixed emotions the girls feel at not wanting to leave their petite sœurs, hoping their petite sœurs will find petite sœurs of their own to be happy with, yet also being anxious at losing their petite sœurs that way is well portrayed.

The turn of events with Yumi and Touko was nicely done and had me on the tip of my chair. They showed how Touko is increasingly withdrawing in on herself, becoming distant and wearing a depressed expression. When Yumi faces her at the Maria statue and asks Touko to become her petite sœur was a powerful scene.
Touko’s initial reactions and earlier revelation to Yumi shows she does care for Yumi and is crying out, so her sudden refusal was surprising, though it seems to me that Touko was putting on a mask, using her acting skills to brush off Yumi and close off her own emotions.

Even with this increased drama and emotions, “Maria-sama Ga Miteru” still remains a rather subdued series, with the characters having more natural reactions and emotions.
Love the plot evolution between Yumi and Touko, and how we’re seeing a more complex side of Touko, she’s becoming more endearing and is portrayed as such that she awakens the desire to protect her. Moe!

I’m anxious to see how things will evolve now between Yumi and Touko, though it seems they’ll keep us waiting for that as the next episode looks like it will tackle a different plot.