Maria: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

Sora, the third of four sisters, inherits from her father Sakamoto Medical Practice in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. Sora sees even those with no money and the waiting room is always crowded penniless patients. Keeping the indebted surgery going is tough but Sora manages to carry on with a smile and becomes a popular figure in the neighbourhood.

The oldest sister, Umi, is a single doctor researching gene therapy. The second sister, Riku, is the wife of the owner of a large hospital. The fourth sister, Mimi, is a trainee doctor dreaming of becoming famous. The four of them have very different stances on what it means to be a doctor, assuring that every gathering results in a fraternal fight.

One day, Umi calls the four sisters together and introduces them to a young girl they have never seen before. It turns out to be Hiyo their heretofore unknown half-sister from Hokkaido. Hiyo is very sick, her body being invaded by a heavy illness.

Series details

• Title: Maria
• Format: Scripted
• Language: Japanese
• Genres: Drama, Family, Medical
• Premiere date: 2001-07-04
• Final broadcast date listed: 2001-09-12
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: TBS
• Network country: Japan
• Typical episode runtime: 60 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 37318
• IMDb ID: tt0307773
• TVDB ID: 256598

Cast and credited roles

• Asano Atsuko — Sora Sakamoto

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2001-07-04; final listed air date 2001-09-12; episode order: 10.

Source and licence

Adapted from Maria on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.