Maria Holic: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Maria Holic: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

An anime comedy with a twist.

Reviewed by Neil Lumbard January 21, 2022

Maria Holic is an anime comedy created by Minari Endo. The series features unique animation from acclaimed animation studio SHAFT (Black Jack, Dirty Pair). Produced by Hiromasa Minami (Queen's Blade: Beautiful Warriors, The Sacred Blacksmith), Kazuya Takahashi (Cuticle Detective Inaba, Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru: Futari no Elder), Nobuhiro Osawa (Dance in the Vampire Bund, Daphne in the Brilliant Blue), and Toshiaki Asaka (Sweet Blue Flowers, Aria the Origination), audiences seeking a goofy anime comedy set against an all-girl school backdrop will find it a worthwhile series.

Kanako Miyamae (Asami Sanada) likes girls – and dislikes guys – so joining an all-girls school seemed like it would be a match made in heaven for her. Seeking the perfect girl, Kanako starts her journey in school. Excited to meet her roommate, Kanako is surprised when she discovers that Mariya Shido (Yu Kobayashi) is actually a cross-dressing boy. Trouble ensues.

Mariya comes to school with a faithful maid, Matsurika Shinouji (Marina Inoue). School starts off on an odd note as Kanako's dreams of meeting an instant dream girl becomes dashed. Yet Kanako finds herself in more unexpected terrain as a series of unexpected adventures – and misadventures – await. Kanako soon finds herself swooning for the most popular girl at the school. The problem? So is every other girl. Can Kanako win the affections of her dream girl?

The characters are integral to the production. The series wouldn't be as entertaining or engaging with less interesting leads. The focus on the journey of Kanako Miyamae is at the heart of the story. The character explores a new path in her life – one where she journeys forward while learning about everything her school has to offer her. The maid character, Matsurika Shinouji, provides the production with a comedic backdrop that is similarly helpful in enhancing the tone. Cross dresser Mariya Shido is another effective piece of the puzzle – adding a sense of unique flair to the ensemble cast of characters which make up the DNA of the series.

The animation adds unique charm to Maria Holic. The art direction by Hisaharu Iijima (Hidamari Sketch, Brighter than the Dawning Blue) is effective at helping to explore the school setting and surrounding environments. The background art work is effective at helping the storytelling. The production has a sleek aesthetic that imbues the series with a sense of creativity that is worthwhile. There is something commendable about the effort of the animators and the work brought to the table with Maria Holic.

"Holiday time?!"

The production also benefits from having impressive character designs by Hideyuki Morioka (Arcade Gamer Fubuki, Sakura Wars). Each of the central characters has a unique design aesthetic which fits the series tone. The effort helps to establish the production as something worthwhile and compelling for anime fans to watch. The designs showcase the personalities of the characters and there is a lot to appreciate about these designs. A top-notch effort by Morioka.

The cinematography by Rei Egami (And Yet the Town Moves, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story) is another compelling element of the series. The production has an interesting aesthetic which showcases the visuals of the program with relative ease. The bright colors offer audiences an interesting visual experience (one that imbues viewers with something unique).

The original music score composed by Tatsuya Nishiwaki is effective at providing Maria Holic with a musical landscape for creativity and fun. The score provides some worthwhile music that offers the audience something entertaining. The score is effective at adding to the production – even if it isn't something that stands out as being in the same league as a top-tier anime score.

The series is written by Masahiro Yokotani (Deltora Quest, The Devil is a Part-Timer!) and the anime benefits from a unique storytelling style. The storytelling focuses on the characters and their strange journeys – and all of the comedic hijinks that accompany their (mis)adventures. The concept of the program is an entertaining one and it starts things off on a good note. Fans of character-based anime series (with more of an emphasis on comedy-drama storytelling) will find something worthwhile here

Directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl), Maria Holic is worth checking out. The anime series has a compelling visual style. Director Miyamoto brings Maria Holic to life with a unique aesthetic and tone. The series is one that is full of goofy antics while also exploring the character-journeys. For audiences looking for a slice-of-life anime program to explore, Maria Holic is worthwhile.

Maria Holic: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Maria Holic is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series has an impressive looking transfer. The animated style looks crisp and clean throughout. This is a wonderful transfer for the anime series. Colors have a nice sense of pop and the image has a sense of depth that enhances the viewing experience. The series is well encoded and doesn't suffer from egregious issues like banding.

Maria Holic: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound quality on the release is exceptional. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music soundtrack is also well implemented in to the sound design. Though not as robust as a 5.1 surround sound track might have offered, the stereo audio mix is effective and does a solid job of enhancing the listening experience for the series.

Maria Holic: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 2:

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 18:14)

Club AT-X Interview (HD, 19:20)

Special X'Mas Night – Amenokisaki Holy Night Festival (HD, 22:03)

Japanese Commercial Collection (HD, 2:37)

Japanese Promotional Video (HD, 2:05)

Disc 4:

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 3:04)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 16:53)

Japanese Promo (HD, 00:55)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Heaven's Memo Pad (HD, 1:37), Dusk maiden of Amnesia (HD, 1:32), My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax (HD, 1:34), To loveru Darkness (HD, 1:32).

Maria Holic: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Maria Holic is an entertaining comedy-drama with a unique cast of characters. The anime has a fun concept with a school setting – lots of comedic hijinks are had. Anime fans looking for something entertaining in the comedy genre will want to take a look at the program. The animation is quite impressive and the production has a number of worthwhile merits. The Blu-ray release has a strong video and audio presentation. The release is light on bonus materials but there are a few worthwhile pieces for fans to chew on. Recommended.