Weekly Anime Recommendation - 15th December 2010 - Maria+Holic

Yup, that's a dude. Desperately sexy, but still a dude...

Something I have never really understood before is the unique fanboy love for traps. That is beautiful boys who dress as gorgeous females. I have seen numerous real-life transvestites, and their entertainment may be over the top, but is a lot of fun. A recent trip to Thailand gave me more perspective on just what it is that makes certain ecchi perverts go weak at the knee. Many of the infamous lady-boys are gorgeous, there is no other way to say it, and they also hold some kind of forbidden promise. So, what does this have to do with my weekly recommendation? Only the sexiest trap on this planet - Mariya.

The opening credits are visually stunning - the
graphics aren't bad either.

The story revolves around the new girl Kanako at Ame no Kisaki, a highly regarded institution for young ladies. Her first encounter is with a playful blonde named Mariya, who soon reveals a very dark and extremely humorous side. Instantly falling in love with this stranger, Kanako becomes the centre of comic relief throughout the show with her sensuous feelings towards other women. Twin this with her allergy to men, and the plot is reasonably predictable.

Definitely deserving of more screentime,
Matsurika is a lot of fun.

With visuals and an offbeat plot similar to Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Maria+Holic is probably regularly overlooked because of its gender-bending central protagonist. Pulling no punches, the perversion used is often cliché, especially the numerous nosebleeds, but this is definitely a show for a more mature fan who enjoys character development alongside their boobies. The comedy is the darkest shade of black imaginable, especially the excessively violent Matsurika. Sporting a kickass soundtrack, this is definitely a series that will surprise many and delight even more.