Romance is not quite at the forefront of the anime series Baki the Grappler. But the characters on the show do not lack complex romantic relationships. Be it Yujiro and his wife Emi Akezawa or Baki’s girlfriend Kozue Matsumoto.
The series has many interesting partnerships. One such striking companionship that stands out is between Biscuit Oliva and his girlfriend, Maria.
Let’s dive deep into their unique relationship and a glimpse into the exciting life of Maria Baki.
Maria is an obese woman and the girlfriend of Biscuit Oliva, an assassin working for the US and a special jailor of the Arizona State Prison.
History
Maria was pretty and slim in her younger days. Hints of her residual beauty are still prominent.
A sudden unknown disease forced her to take certain medication, which triggered extreme weight gain. She is the fattest person in the entire show.
Physical Appearance
Maria is a tall and obese woman with fair skin and short, wavy blonde hair. There are few details available about her height and weight. But her obesity has crossed all limits, and now she is confined to her bed for the rest of her life.
She wears nothing but white pajamas, and if we go by the observations made by Baki Hanma, she has soft, supple skin and smells great all the time.
Personality
Maria comes off as a rather arrogant and entitled woman. She believes the world revolves around her and she deserves to get everything at the tip of her fingers. She might have been conditioned this way by Biscuit Oliva, who misses no opportunity to pamper her.
She is often rude to others, including Oliva, despite having a hidden soft spot in her heart. It could be out of frustration with what happened to her body. Transitioning from a beautiful woman to an obese woman changed her world in many ways. Moreover, she has accepted the change and the fact that she is no longer attractive, which further added to her inner turmoil.
She is always tense and in a bad mood. Except for rare occasions like when Baki Hanma makes her feel happy and comfortable. Her character is somewhat mysterious, and there is not much of her story in the series. It is her relationship with Biscuit Oliva that brought her under the spotlight.
Physical Abilities
Maria’s physical abilities are quite limited. For example, owing to her weight, she is confined to her bed. Once in a while, she can get up and move around the lower floor of the prison. But even a physical activity as light as this gets her exhausted.
Also, despite her limited mobility, she has a great aim when it comes to throwing things, like at her boyfriend, Biscuit Oliva. She is strong enough to throw heavy objects and skilled enough to point them exactly at the target.
Who Is Biscuit Oliva?
Biscuit Oliva (also known as Biscuit Oriba) is a special assassin working for the US government and a Jailer at the Arizona State Prison. He is a tall and strong African-American man born in Cuba.
His brown skin and short black hair are complemented by his thin, black mustache. From a distance, he might look obese, but a closer look will reveal that he has a strong body with enormous muscles.
Personality
Biscuit Oliva has an interesting life. For example, he is the only one to have unlimited freedom within the walls of Arizona State Prison since he is part of the prison staff.
He is strong and has super sharp cognitive skills, thanks to his interest in books and the massive library he owns in his living quarters at the prison. From historical facts to toxicology, he shines in every department.
Oliva’s demeanor towards his opponent is like Yujiro Hanma. He is arrogant, condescending, and walks with an air of superiority over his opponents. He might not be as strong or skilled as Yujiro, but it is much easier to work with him.
The only thing that melts his heart is his girlfriend Maria, who is the most important person in his life.
Maria’s Relationship With Biscuit Oliva
Maria’s relationship with Biscuit Oliva is the main arc of her storyline. There are no two ways about the fact that Oliva is in love with her with all his heart. Even though she is no longer beautiful, he sees her as the attractive woman he met years ago and often went out of his way to meet her needs. This is why she seems to be a little pampered and spoiled.
Maria is often misbehaving with Oliva. She lashes out at him often and even throws things at Oliva.
She does have a soft spot for him and expresses her feelings in her unique way. But somehow her frustration over what happened to her body always gets in the way.
Despite all her tantrums, Oliva’s love for Maria knows no bounds. When it comes to Maria, he is somehow too patient and forgiving.
Maria’s Best Scene in Baki the Grappler
The most popular and impactful scene of Maria was during the fight between Baki Hanma and the unchained beast, Oliva Biscuit, in prison.
Before the Fight
We get the first glimpse of Maria in her room when she throws a pillow at Oliva, who is all dressed up in a tuxedo. She keeps verbally abusing and throwing things at him, but Oliva, who could take down any strong fighter in seconds, does not lose his calm. A moment later, they settle their fight.
During the Fight
He starts the fight by bringing his girlfriend to the fighting arena. Since Maria cannot walk, Oliva carries her huge king-size bed on his shoulders. This is where we also get a glimpse of Oliva’s unbelievable strength when he tosses the bed with Maria on it and then grabs it before it touches the ground.
When he places the bed on the ground, we get the first glimpse of Maria. She is big enough to cover the entire bed alone. There are visible rolls of fat around her neck, and her cheeks look puffy. There is an air of arrogance around her which is further intensified. This happens when she takes a puff from a cigarette and asks Oliva not to keep her waiting for the fight.
This is where we also see glimpses of her mistreatment of Oliva. The inmates are staring at her. When Oliva tries to assure her they are admiring incredible beauty, she unleashes her frustration. She does this by throwing a cigarette at him and spitting in his face.
Even then, Oliva retains his temper and consoles his girlfriend before beginning his fight. What is supposed to be a rather intense fight scene soon turns hilarious when Baki, bored of the fight, decides to nap next to Maria. Oliva is already enraged to see Baki next to his girlfriend, who is still trying to wake him up.
At the same time, Maria belittles Oliva in front of everyone and mocks the way he fights. This triggers Oliva, who, in an attempt to please Maria, knocks out his opponent in one swift strike that throws him straight to the wall.
Once Oliva wins the fight, leaving all his cellmates spellbound, he lifts Maria in his arms and takes her back to her room. Although Oliva loves her the same way he did when she was pretty and slim, Maria has a hard time accepting her reality, which makes her conscious of her body. It is fair to say she does not like how Oliba downright denies the changes in her body.
Maria’s Interaction With Baki
Maria, who seems to hate everyone, is rather polite towards Baki. She lets him nap on her bed and accepts the compliments he gives her.
After all, Baki is not blindly in love with her like Biscuit Oliva. He sees her the way she really is and compliments her.
After waking up from his nap, he thanks her for her kindness. He also admires her soft bed and the warmth of her skin and tells her how good she smells. All these things are acceptable compliments to Maria, who blushes upon hearing them.
Bottom Line
Maria does not have a huge presence in the series. Like the other female characters on the show, she makes Biscuit Oliva’s backstory a little more interesting.
Despite this, her character has interesting shades. It is the tragic tale of a woman who lost her beauty and loves her man, but her frustrations belittle every aspect of her life. There is much more to her story than we get to see in the series.
