While Minari Endo’s manga series Maria Holic wrapped up in late 2014, we’ve definitely had fun enjoying the anime adaptations that were released over the years. While the shows streamed on HIDIVE previously, they departed some time ago in a pretty quiet fashion, which is always unfortunate. But now, as part of their fall streaming plans to bring back a few shows, both series have now returned to HIDIVE and are available in their original Japanese language with English subtitles. They’re very specific kinds of comedies but definitely worth checking out to see if it clicks for you.
The series began eight years ago and spawned to anime adaptations by Shaft, which have been licensed and released by Sentai Filmworks. The manga was initially picked up by TOKYOPOP with them releasing a few volumes before they shuttered their doors on the publishing business. The final volume of the manga will have some nice extras to it as there will be a booklet of illustrations from guest artists that will provide their take on the characters and situations.
Check out our review of the series.
Plot concept: It’s not easy to find the perfect girl, even when you’re the same sex! Kanako thought attending an all-girls school would be the perfect way to meet the girl of her dreams, but after her hot new roommate turns out to be a guy in drag, and catching the eye of the most popular girl in school only brings down the wrath of all the OTHER similarly obsessed girls, she’s not so sure! Complicate things with a cat-eared dorm leader, her roommate’s rude-mannered maid and identical twin sister (who attends an all-boys school, of course,) and WAY too many attractive girls of questionable persuasions and the question becomes whether Kanako can die from frustrated nosebleeds! (Life would be SO much easier if guys didn’t literally give her the hives!) Will Kanako ever find a non-polar opposite of a compatible non-opposing polarity? Let’s just say that the quest for true love will not run straight in MariaHolic – The Complete Collection!
