Maria†Holic: Alive 8

Kanako is in despair, soon it will be the summer holiday during which she will return home and made to endure an intolerable separation from all the beautiful girls at Ame No Kiseki. Mariya points out that actually Kanako won’t be away due to the mandatory summer courses she has to take thanks to her atrocious grades.

Devastated by more academic torture, what little glee Kanako could muster thinking of spending a heart-throbbing summer in school with Yuzuru, Ryuuken, Honoka is soon tempered upon hearing everyone’s aspirations.

Kanako wonders which present to get for Sachi’s birthday and happily sifts through an album collecting candid shots of the cute girl. Realizing Kanako has been secretly taking photos of her classmates, Mariya and Matsurika are flabbergasted.

Everyone having gathered in the church to celebrate Sachi’s birthday, Kanako cannot contain her enthusiasm to give Sachi her present. Calling Kanako outside, Mariya quickly snatches the gift away and to her and Matsurika’s shock, they discover it is a daring cosplay lingerie set.

Confiscating the gift, Mariya scolds Kanako for even thinking about giving the cute and innocent Sachi such an unsuitable present that is only the embodiment of Kanako’s own twisted desires and doesn’t reflect in any way truly having through of Sachi’s happiness.

Forced to return without a gift, Kanako ponders about what to do while she waits in line, seeing the others give presents to Sachi that the kind girl seems to adore. Remembering Mariya’s words, Kanako realizes her own selfish folly and storms out after apologizing to Sachi for not having gotten her anything.

Sulking on a bench, Kanako is surprised when Sachi comes to thank her for the lovely gift, a photo album full of photos of Sachi at school. Seeing Sachi got her hands on the album of candid shots she clandestinely took, Kanako realizes Mariya gave it to Sachi.

Feeling guilty about the true nature of the album, Kanako wants to reveal everything, but is stopped short by Matsurika and Mariya, who tell her there’s nothing to gain by crushing Sachi’s happiness with the truth.

Thoughts on this episode~

While I enjoyed this week’s episode, bit of a shame it doesn’t seem connected to the general plot (if it is though, it is yet unclear how). The school wide event surrounding Sachi’s birthday seemed a bit over the top. Then again, most things in “Maria†Holic” are over the top, which makes the series more than often hilarious.

Though perhaps a significant element of this episode is the fact Mariya really looked out for Kanako this time, preventing the raging lesbian from offering an improper present to Sachi and ruining her own image as well as Sachi’s happiness.

Will we finally see Mariya and Kanako’s true feelings for one another? For some reason, personally cannot fathom these two as anything else but a fated pairing and would love to see the show conclude with them together as the ever dysfunctional couple of sadistic trap and pervert.
But will the original manga and this anime adaptation go in that direction? Only time will tell.