The appeal and evaluation of "Strawberry Marshmallow": A masterpiece of soothing anime

The appeal and reviews of Ichigo Marshmallow

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

July 15, 2005 - October 14, 2005
TBS July 14, 2005 - October 13, 2005 (Episodes 1-12) Every Thursday 25:55-26:25

■Broadcasting station

TBS

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

Rose

■ Director

Takuya Sato

■ Production

Animation production: Dome Production cooperation: Geneon Entertainment, MediaWorks, Geneon Entertainment (USA), Movic

■Works

© Barasy / ASCII Media Works / Ichigo Marshmallow Partners

■ Story

Cuteness is justice!

Nobue, a 20-year-old junior college student, her younger sister Chika, a sixth-grader in elementary school, Miu, Chika's childhood friend who is also a sixth-grader, Mari, a fifth-grader in the neighborhood, and Ana, a foreign girl who has just transferred to Mari's class. This is a comical depiction of the laid-back, seemingly everyday lives of these four cute and unique elementary school girls and one junior college student, whose lives could happen anywhere.

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Explanation

The TV anime "Strawberry Marshmallow" is a comical depiction of the seemingly laid-back daily lives of four very cute and unique elementary school girls and one 20-year-old junior college student.
Stylish fashion, slightly precocious behavior, and a continuous string of jokes and comedic remarks. There are plenty of scenes that will make you chuckle. We recommend this pop, cute, offbeat animation for both boys and girls to enjoy!

■Cast

・Nobue Ito/Hitomi Nabatame/Chika Ito/Sako Chiba/Miu Matsuoka/Fumiko Orikasa/Mari Sakuragi/Ayako Kawasumi/Anna Coppola/Mamiko Noto

■ Main staff

・Original work: Barasy・Director, composition: Takuya Sato・Character design, chief animation director: Hisata Sakai・Mechanic design, prop design: Yoshihiro Watanabe・Art director, art setting, art: Hiroshi Ohno・Color design: Yuka Maniwa・Editing, chief cinematographer: Kouji Tanaka・Cinematography: Masanori Sasaki, Tetsuji Higuchi・Sound director: Jin Aketagawa・Music: Tsuyoshi Watanabe・Producers: Yuichi Sekido, Jun Umezawa, Hideki Goto, Kozue Kanba, Tetsuo Minamoto・Animation producers: Takeshi Anzai, Daisuke Nishioka・Animation production: Dome・Production cooperation: Geneon Entertainment, MediaWorks, Geneon Entertainment (USA), Movic

■ Main Characters

Nobue Ito is a 20-year-old junior college student. She is very caring and always looks out for her younger sister Chika and her friends.
Chika Ito is Nobue's younger sister and a reliable sixth grade elementary school student. She is the most sensible of the five. Her nickname is "Chii-chan."
Miu Matsuoka is a sixth grade elementary school student who lives next door to the Ito sisters. She's a troublemaker whose thoughts are hard to pin down. She loves Nobue.
A friend who lives nearby with Sakuragi Marichika and Miu. However, because she is timid and quiet, she is always being bossed around.
-Ana Coppola A foreigner transfers to Mari's class (but can't speak English). By chance, they become friends.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: BirthdayEpisode 2: AnnaEpisode 3: Home VisitEpisode 4: Part-time JobEpisode 5: GoodbyeEpisode 6: Midsummer DayEpisode 7: BeachEpisode 8: FestivalEpisode 9: Growing UpEpisode 10: FlowersEpisode 11: First SnowEpisode 12: Presents

■ Related works

・Strawberry Marshmallow Prologue ・Strawberry Marshmallow OVA
・Strawberry Marshmallow encore

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Strawberry Complete・Lyrics by Kumano Kiyomi・Composition by Watanabe Tsuyoshi・Arrangement by Watanabe Tsuyoshi・Vocals by Chika (Chiba Saeko), Miu (Orikasa Fumiko), Mari (Kawasumi Ayako), Anna (Noto Mamiko)

・ED1
・Class Mate・Lyrics by Kiyomi Kumano・Music by Yoko Ueno・Arrangement by Yoko Ueno・Singer by Fumiko Orikasa

The appeal and reviews of Ichigo Marshmallow

"Strawberry Marshmallow" is a TV anime series that aired in 2005, originally based on a manga by Barasui. The series aims to bring smiles to viewers' faces by depicting the small, everyday events in a humorous way. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of "Strawberry Marshmallow."

Story and Characters

The story of "Strawberry Marshmallow" depicts the daily lives of five girls: 20-year-old junior college student Nobue Ito, her sister Chika, Chika's childhood friend Miu, her neighbor Mari, and Ana, a foreign girl who transfers to Mari's class. Their daily lives may seem like any other, but the humor and warmth of the unique characters make the story appealing.

Nobue Ito is a caring older sister who is always concerned about her younger sister Chika and her friends. Chika is a reliable person and is the most sensible of the five. Miu is a troublemaker who has special feelings for Nobue. Mari is timid and quiet, and is often bossed around by her friends. Ana is a foreigner, but cannot speak English, and experiences Japanese culture from a unique perspective. The story depicts the growth of these characters as they influence each other.

Animation and performance

The animation for "Strawberry Marshmallow" was produced by Dome. The character designs are by Sakai Kyuta, and the color scheme is by Banba Yuka. The backgrounds, created by art director Ohno Koji, are also beautiful, and realistically recreate everyday scenes. In particular, the depiction of the scenery throughout the four seasons allows the viewer to feel the change of seasons.

In terms of direction, director Takuya Sato has faithfully recreated the atmosphere of the original work while adding his own unique humor. The timing of the jokes and punch lines is perfect, and there are plenty of scenes that will make viewers laugh. In addition, the sound effects and background music by sound director Hitoshi Aketagawa are also important elements that enhance the atmosphere of the work.

music

The music for "Strawberry Marshmallow" was composed by Watanabe Tsuyoshi. The opening theme, "Strawberry Complete," is sung by the four characters Chika, Miu, Mari, and Ana, and symbolizes the pop and cute atmosphere of the work. The ending theme, "Class Mate," is sung by Orikasa Fumiko, and has a gentle melody that evokes friendship and bonds. These songs are sure to stay in the hearts of viewers.

Evaluation and acceptance

"Strawberry Marshmallow" has been loved by many fans since it was first broadcast. It has been particularly praised as a slice-of-life series depicting the daily lives of girls, with many viewers saying it was "healing" and "funny." The characters also have distinctive personalities, with Miu's troublemaking tendencies and Anna's unique perspective becoming a hot topic of conversation.

Anime critics have praised the series, saying, "By depicting the small everyday events in a humorous way, it has succeeded in bringing smiles to the faces of viewers. The beauty of the character designs and background art was also highly praised, and the quality of the series as a whole was praised.

Related works and their appeal

"Strawberry Marshmallow" has related works such as a prologue, OVA, and encore. These works not only complement the story of the TV series, but also allow you to enjoy new episodes and delve deeper into the characters. In particular, the OVA includes many scenes that were not depicted in the TV series, such as Miu's family and Nobue's part-time job, making it a must-see for fans.

Recommendations and how to watch

"Strawberry Marshmallow" is recommended for those who want to enjoy the little things in life, those who want to smile, and those who like cute characters. You can watch it on Bandai Channel, DVD, or Blu-ray. You can also enjoy it by watching related works to gain a deeper understanding of the work.

"Strawberry Marshmallow" is a work that aims to bring smiles to viewers' faces by depicting the small everyday events in a humorous way. The humor and warmth of the unique characters is appealing, and the show has gained a lot of support from viewers. There are also many related works, making it a must-see for fans. Be sure to watch "Strawberry Marshmallow" and experience the small joys of everyday life.