Maria the Virgin Witch (2015)

[純潔のマリア]

Director: Goro Taniguchi
Studio: Production IG
Starring: Hisako Kanemoto, Yoko Hikasa, Mikako Komatsu
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
At the height of the Hundred Years' War, the witch Maria will do anything to stop the fighting around her, even though her interference draws the wrath of the powers of Heaven and Earth.

Impressions:
I was initially drawn to this series due to some superficial similarities to a project I'm working on. I didn't really come in with any expectations, so I can't say it hit above or below, but I thought it was a worthwhile experience. As the main character's virginity is plot-centric and her familiars are a succubus and incubus, there are some ecchi comedy elements particularly in the early episodes, but this goes into the background as things get more serious later on.

This isn't a documentary, obviously, but there's an attention to historical details that you don't normally expect to see which I thought was a nice touch. On the core philosophical arguments bandied about, I was interested in the the outsider's perspective the author provides. Issues like the problem of evil and the nature of conflict get covered and might just get you thinking. Whether you agree with any of the characters or not is irrelevant. You get a range of opinions without much railroading in favor of the protagonist.

Character designs are appealing and animation quality is at a decent level and pretty consistent throughout. Pacing is pretty good and the episodes flow fairly smoothly from one to the next. Performances are solid, but I want to give particular mention to Kikuko Inoue for her portrayal of the emotionless, androgynous Saint Michael. (The character design is quite unlike what you'd expect and his unblinking eyes give a strong unsettling vibe which I rather liked.)

If you're easily offended, you may want to avoid this series, but otherwise I think it's worth a watch.

Rating:
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