Sei/Shiori
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Satou Sei/Kubo Shiori |
| Alternative name(s): | 聖栞 |
| Gender category: | F/F |
| Fandom: | Maria-sama ga Miteru |
| Canonical?: | yes |
| Prevalence: | rare |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Sei/Shiori is a minor ship from Maria-sama ga Miteru. While the ship was briefly canon, it appears only in flashbacks and is much less popular than other ships involving Sei.
Most works for the ship are angst, since the relationship wound up being a painful experience for Sei. This backstory contributes to the feelings some fans have that she's the only character who can truly be considered "lesbian", whose attraction to other women isn't curtailed by the limits of romantic friendship. Shiori, who attends a school known for its soeur system that almost mandates romantic friendships between female students, is disturbed by her own feelings for Sei, and it's made clear that Sei hopes for the relationship to last into adulthood.
Canon
Sei and Shiori had a brief relationship in canon that ended over Shiori's religious beliefs. Sei begs her to run away together, but Shiori ultimately fails to meet Sei at the train station where they'd planned to leave, sending only a note through another student. Shiori then transfers schools to pursue her original goal of becoming a nun, and Sei learns to accept support from Youko and the other girls in the Yamayuri Council.
Fan Reaction
Most of these relationships are platonic romance, but within the initial few volumes at least one story went beyond the confines of “Story A,” to tell what can only be seen as a “lesbian” narrative. However popular that story, Ibara no Mori, was, the bulk of the relationships in Maria-sama ga Miteru sit well within the confines of “Story A.” As much as we might wish for it, Noriko and Shimako, Yumi and Sachiko, Rei and Yoshino, will never go running off to make a life together, outside the confines of family or husbands.Erica Friedman summarizing her view of MariMite in 2011. The cited story, Ibara no Mori, is Sei's backstory involving Shiori.[1]
Sei and Shiori's relationship differs from others presented in MariMite, in that it is unambiguously romantic and even sexually tinged, especially in the novels. The series has been criticized for its use of the Class S trope, in which same-sex relationships are presented as transient "practice" relationships between teenagers, which are expected to end when the participants reach adulthood.[2]
With Sei being one of the most popular characters in MariMite, some fans have responded negatively to Shiori for breaking her heart.
Fanworks
- Sei no Shiori by phoenyxrain
Other
- SeiShiori tag on Pixiv
- Kubo Shiori/Satou Sei tag on Archive of Our Own