"Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" Review: The bittersweet days of youth revisited

Strawberry Marshmallow Encore - Strawberry Marshmallow Encore - All-round review and recommendation

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

January 23, 2009

■Release and sales

・Distributor: Geneon Entertainment

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■Original Story

Rose

■ Director

Takuya Sato

■ Production

Animation Production: Dome Production: Ichigo Marshmallow OVA2 Partners (Geneon Entertainment, ASCII Media Works, Movic)

■Works

© Barasy / ASCII Media Works / Ichigo Marshmallow OVA2 Partners

■ Story

Nobue, a junior college student; her younger sister Chika, a sixth-grader; Chika's childhood friend Miu, also a sixth-grader; Mari, a fifth-grader who lives nearby; and Anna, a British girl who is Mari's classmate. The story depicts the casual, yet somehow unique, daily lives of four elementary school girls, including Nobue, a junior college student.

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Explanation

Sorry to have kept you waiting, this laid-back and cute daily life is back again in an OVA!!
The hugely popular "Strawberry Marshmallow" has been animated twice, as a TV anime and an OVA, and now it's back as an OVA! It depicts the heartwarming daily lives of "these girls" in a cute way!
The main cast will include five popular and talented voice actors, who will also sing the opening song, which is sure to be a hot topic!

*Quoted from the Amazon official website

■Cast

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

■ Main staff

Planning: Yuichi Sekido (Geneon Entertainment), Yasuhiko Goto (ASCII Media Works), Naohiro Otobu (Movic)
・Original work: "Strawberry Marshmallow" by Barasui (serialized in "Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh" published by ASCII Media Works)
・Director, composition: Takuya Sato ・Character design, chief animation director: Hisata Sakai ・Art director, art setting: Hiroshi Ohno ・Mechanics, prop design: Yoshihiro Watanabe ・Color design: Yuka Maniwa ・Editing, cinematography: Kouji Tanaka ・Art: Kouji Ohno ・Digital painting processing: Kouji Tanaka ・Subtitles: Kosuke Endo ・Video editing: Q-Tech Motoki Shirai ・Sound effects: Katsuhiro Nakano (Soundbox)
・Sound production / Music Brains ・Original soundtrack / Geneon Entertainment ・Producers / Miyagawa Michiyo (Geneon Entertainment), Umezawa Jun (ASCII Media Works), Kanba Kozue (Movic)
・Animation producers: Takeshi Anzai, Daisuke Nishioka ・Animation production: Dome ・Production: Ichigo Marshmallow OVA2 Partners (Geneon Entertainment, ASCII Media Works, Movic)

■ Main Characters

Nobue Ito is a 20-year-old junior college student. He is a heavy smoker and loves cute girls. He always pays attention to Chika and the others.
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.
Mari Sakuragi is a timid and quiet fifth grade girl who lives in the neighborhood. She is always being bossed around.
- Anna Coppola A foreigner who transfers to Mari's class (but can't speak English). By chance, she joins the girls.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1/Hello (2009/01/23)
・Episode 2: See you tomorrow (2009/03/25)

■ Related works

・Strawberry Marshmallow ・Strawberry Marshmallow Prologue ・Strawberry Marshmallow OVA

■ Theme songs and music

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

・ED1
・Always, Always・Lyrics by Kumano Kiyomi・Music by Watanabe Tsuyoshi・Arrangement by Watanabe Tsuyoshi・Singer by Orikasa Fumiko

Detailed review of Ichigo Marshmallow encore - Ichigo Marshmallow Encore -

"Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" was released as an OVA in 2009 and is based on the popular manga "Strawberry Marshmallow" by Barasui. The series is known for its depiction of small everyday events while highlighting the personalities of its characters. Now re-released as an OVA, "Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" is a long-awaited new release for fans, and is sure to appeal to new viewers as well as existing fans.

Story and Characters

The story of "Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" depicts the daily lives of five girls: Nobue, a junior college student; her younger sister Chika, a sixth-grader; Chika's childhood friend Miu; Mari, a fifth-grader from a nearby elementary school; and Anna, a British girl who is Mari's classmate. The small events that occur in their everyday lives and the intertwining of their personalities are depicted in a heartwarming atmosphere.

Nobue is a heavy smoker who loves cute girls and acts like an older sister to Chika and the others. Chika is a reliable girl and the most sensible of the five, and is nicknamed "Chii-chan." Miu is a troublemaker whose thoughts are hard to understand, and she loves Nobue. Mari is timid and quiet, and is always being pushed around, while Ana appears as a foreigner who cannot speak English and joins the group.

One of the highlights of this work is how the personalities of these characters intersect and the chemical reactions that occur in the midst of small everyday events. In particular, scenes where Nobue's mature perspective intersects with Chika and the others' pure perspective provide new discoveries for the viewer. Anna's presence also portrays the excitement of intercultural exchange, and her character breathes new life into the story.

Animation and Art

The animation for "Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" was produced by Dome. Under the direction of character design and chief animation director Sakai Kyuta, the characters' expressions and movements are drawn with great detail. In particular, Chika's reliable expression and Miu's troublemaker expression leave a strong impression on viewers. Additionally, under the direction of art director and art setting director Ohno Koji, the everyday scenery is drawn realistically, creating an environment that makes it easy for viewers to become immersed in the story.

Under the direction of Yoshihiro Watanabe, who was in charge of mechanic and prop design, the tools and props used by the characters are drawn in great detail, enhancing the realism of their daily lives. In addition, under the direction of Yuka Banba, who was in charge of color design, the colors are well-balanced, pleasing to the eyes of the viewer. Under the direction of Tsunehisa Tanaka, who was in charge of editing and cinematography, the images flow smoothly, creating an environment that makes it easy for the viewer to concentrate on the story.

Sound and Music

The sound for "Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" was produced by Magic Capsule and T&T Studio. Under the direction of Nakano Katsuhiro, who was in charge of sound effects, everyday sounds were realistically reproduced, creating an environment that makes it easy for viewers to immerse themselves in the story. Additionally, under the direction of Negishi Nobuhiro, who was in charge of recording adjustment, the voices of the voice actors were recorded clearly, making it easier for viewers to understand the emotions of the characters. Under the direction of Aketagawa Jin, who was in charge of sound direction, the overall sound was well-balanced, pleasing to the ears of viewers.

The music was produced by Tsuyoshi Watanabe, and the opening song "Ichigo Splash" and the ending song "Zutto, Zutto" add to the atmosphere of the story. The opening song in particular is sung by the five characters Nobue, Chika, Miu, Mari, and Ana, and their personalities are expressed through the music. The ending song is sung by Fumiko Orikasa, who plays Miu, and brings out the charm of her character. With Music Brains in charge of music production, the quality of the music overall is high and it captures the hearts of viewers.

Voice acting and acting

"Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" features five gorgeous voice actors, all of whom are popular and talented. Namatame Hitomi, who plays Nobue, realistically portrays Nobue's mature character, leaving a strong impression on viewers. Chiba Saeko, who plays Chika, realistically portrays Chika's reliable character, providing viewers with a sense of security. Orikasa Fumiko, who plays Miu, realistically portrays Miu's troublemaker character, providing viewers with laughs. Kawasumi Ayako, who plays Mari, realistically portrays Mari's timid and timid character, eliciting sympathy from viewers. Noto Mamiko, who plays Anna, realistically portrays Anna's foreign character, providing viewers with a new perspective.

The performances of these voice actors bring out the individuality of the characters and liven up the story. In particular, the sister relationship between Nobue and Chika, Miu's troublemaking behavior, Mari's timidity and timidity, and Anna's perspective as a foreigner are all portrayed realistically by the voice actors' performances. These performances leave a strong impression on the viewer and are the reason they immerse them in the story.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" is a work that depicts the small everyday events while highlighting the individuality of its characters. In particular, scenes where Nobue's mature perspective intersects with Chika and her friends' pure perspective, as well as the interesting intercultural exchange caused by Anna's presence, bring new discoveries to viewers. In addition, the high quality of the animation, art, sound, music, voice actors and acting creates an environment that makes it easy for viewers to immerse themselves in the story.

This work is appealing not only to existing Strawberry Marshmallow fans, but also to new viewers. It is especially recommended for those who are interested in the small everyday events and the personalities of the characters. It is also recommended for those who are particular about the quality of animation, art, sound, music, voice actors and acting. It is also recommended for those who are interested in the fun of intercultural exchange.

"Strawberry Marshmallow Encore" depicts the small everyday events while highlighting the individuality of the characters, and is a work that will bring new discoveries to the viewer. Please watch this work and enjoy the small everyday events and the individuality of the characters. Also, enjoy the quality of the animation, art, sound, music, voice actors and acting, and feel the fun of intercultural exchange.