24 minSeason 1 • Episode 26
LatestThe Etoile elections have started. Shizuma makes her final decision about her relationship with Nagisa when she tells Nagisa she loves her in the middle of the ceremony, and the two end up 'eloping' just before the announcement of who won the election. While Amane and Hikari go forward together as the new Etoiles, Shizuma and Nagisa finally consummate their love, but Nagisa has to make up with the heartbroken Tamao.
Nagisa Aoi is a new transfer student into one of the three prestigious all-girls Catholic high schools on Astraea Hill: a school called St. Miator (the other two are St. Spica and St. Lelim (known in the anime as Le Rim, for some reason). While getting totally lost on her first day, she stumbles into a clearing with a tree, and also into a girl with long silver hair. Nagisa is immediately smitten with the girl, Shizuma Hanazono, otherwise known as the Etoile of the three schools (the most idolized girl). Shizuma, after picking up a figurine dropped by Nagisa, kisses her on the forehead, leading to Nagisa fainting. After waking up in the school's infirmary, Nagisa then meets her new roommate, Tamao Suzumi. Things, however, will be getting a lot more complicated for the new student than just that.
Direction
Sakoi leans hard into longing glances and dramatic wind.
Score
OP slaps, OST commits to every emotional beat unapologetically.
Ai Shimizu
Tamao Suzumi / Kizuna Hyuga
Hitomi Nabatame
Shizuma Hanazono
Mai Nakahara
Nagisa Aoi
Junko Noda
Miyuki Rokujou
Chiwa Saito
Chiyo Tsukidate
Yokote Kumiko
Shion Toumori
Kotomi Iwamura
Kaori Sakuragi
Miyu Matsuki
Hikari Konohana
Natsuko Kuwatani
Yaya Nanto
Saki Nakajima
Chikaru Minamoto
Sakura Nogawa
Tsubomi Okuwaka
Saori Goto
Momomi Kiyashiki
Sayaka Kinoshita
Kaname Kenjou
Ui Miyazaki
Remon Natsume
Yukari Fukui
Kagome Byakudan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Strawberry Panic rode the 2000s yuri boom alongside Maria-sama ga Miteru, but traded subtlety for maximum melodrama—becoming a gateway drug for many queer women in anime fandom.
The Astraea Hill school system and Etoile title became so iconic that 'Etoile' entered fan lexicon as shorthand for 'absurdly beautiful unattainable sapphic love interest.'
JP
