Noriko Nijō is a main character introduced in the third season of Maria Watches Over Us. She is a young girl with a deep and somewhat unusual fascination with Buddhist statues and art, an interest that stands in notable contrast to the Catholic environment of Lillian Girls' Academy, which she attends after entering by mistake. She has a very plain and jet-black hairstyle that gives her a traditional appearance, and beneath her calm exterior lies a straightforward and fierce temper, making her someone who can be unexpectedly blunt or confrontational when provoked. Her motivations are rooted in a pragmatic and grounded worldview; she initially dislikes the academy's rituals and traditions but grows fiercely loyal to the Yamayuri Council, the student governing body known as the Mountain Lily Council. Her role in the story is closely tied to her becoming the petite soeur of Shimako Tōdō, the ethereal and gentle member of the White Rose lineage. This relationship is central to her development: Noriko acts as Shimako's emotional anchor and protector, grounding Shimako's more dreamy nature with her own realism and serving as a voice of reason during family crises and religious conflicts. Through her bond with Shimako and her growing involvement in council activities, Noriko transforms from a cynical outsider into a steadfast and capable member, eventually becoming Rosa Gigantea en bouton, the bud of the White Rose. She also cares deeply for Tōko Matsudaira, with whom she shares a close friendship. Among her notable traits is her ability to bring a modern, no-nonsense perspective to the traditional Rose Mansion environment, balancing the group's dynamics with her maturity and lack of pretension.