Marmalade Boy

Shoujo stories honestly are very hit or miss with me, and not just because I'm a guy! But they tend to be much too sweet, too fluffy and indulgent for it's own good. Catering to the daydream love fantasies of both young girls and middle aged women alike, I heard the name Marmalade Boy for a few years, and even considered picking it up at one point when I read an article about the series on another site. But a critical opinion of the show, given to me by a friend made me lose any interest in pursuing this one.

About 2 years later, I took ... the plunge and decided to give an actual try...and I think it's safe to say that I'm glad I did. Marmalade Boy is a classic shoujo series from the 90's, and it's influence is probably seen in just about every other shoujo manga ever since. There are love triangles galore, angst, hormones, crying, everything you'd expect from a show like this! But what makes MB stand out is the fact that it plays out like a Soap-Opera-- In that it's twist come at such fierce speed that you can't help but go"Wait...what?", and boy is like crack. MB turned out to be one of the most addicting animes that I've seen in quite some time, you can never really comprehend how or why the melodramatic 'drama' entices you so to keep on going.

Miki Koishikawa is your average highschool girl, aside from being rather at first embarrassed by her parents' eccentric and illogical behavior by switching spouses from another couple, then all together moving into one big house, bringing daughter Miki and son(from the second couple of course) Yuu with them. Miki and Yuu soon fall in love together though, and their relationship is challenged and manipulated many times by jealous ex's. There will not be a single moment where you don't think"Why are some of these kids so damn selfish?", but then you realize that that's the point of MB in the first place. It's about young men and women falling in love for the first time, and acting on their emotions, not logic. What makes MB work is that it's so addicting in it's own indulgent little way, but at the same time it shows an innocent and honest side to the human heart.

The animation and art can be an acquired taste-- this is an anime from 1994, and it shows by rearing it's low budget head pretty often, but it's quite manageable once you get used to it. The ost also fares well, my only complaint regarding it is that they use/reuse/remix the main theme way too many times, making the song too tedious to listen to outside of watching. Regardless, I have to say that the final ending theme("Yoake no Etude") really complimented on the events of the final half.

While I may have have enjoyed it quite a bit, like all shoujo-- It's probably not for everyone, especially people who nitpick and complain about as many illogical fallacies they can find in a show. Because frankly, there will be too many to really even count. The best example would have to be the New York City arc that pops up during the 3rd quater of the anime. These kids will infuriate you, baffle you and annoy you at how stupid they can act by being so self-absorbed. But like I said earlier, MB continued to hold a charm that kept me from losing my composure. It may sound like it's not even worth a shot, but in an odd way, it's still worth plowing through.

MB really was a wild ride in the end, so much that after the final episode was complete, and the final credits rolled, I couldn't help myself but feel saddened that I had to say goodbye to this cast of folk that I soon found myself attached to. And I'm confident to tell you guys that I thought the ending tightened up all the loose ends we wanted tightened by the end, so no annoying cliffhangers.

While the final arc can get pretty twisted, and the irrational behavior will baffle some people. I also believe that it's fantastic as it still provides a lovable cast, and shows us a very sweet and sincere look at growing, learning and falling in love with someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. With an open mind, and despite some of it's issues with the wonky mindsets, MB is a very enjoyable watch for both women and men.

And certainly one that'll go down in my books as one of my personal favorites.

"Marmalade Boy" is one of the sweet shoujo anime in the world, maybe even the sweetest. It is one of my favorite anime, and I can watch it over and over again and not get bored. I can even cry in sone scenes every time... T___T

The story was written by Wataru Yushizumi (Ultra Maniac belongs to her too).
The art is very nice, but the animation is actually not that good (an anime from 1995, what do you expect?) but you can live with that.

The OST of the anime is very good. In some ways it is very childish (the opening theme, for an example), but ... mature too (some songs).
Most of the melodies in the series are actually kind of karaoke of the songs. The voice actress of Miki, the main female character, sang many songs in the series.

The love story in the anime is very original and displayed to us, the watchers, by a point of view that makes us cry with the characters, laugh with them and even be angry and more. The events are very realistic, the characters and the relationships between them too.

The only bad thing in the series is that in some episodes the events are... not make sense. I won't say what they are, but I am not the one who thought so...

With the series there is a 25 minutes movie, which is a a point of view of somebody else, that made you understand the things better. [though it is not existed in the manga XD]

Why did I love the anime? Because of the childish atmosphere, the point of view and the plot itself.

Well, I could say 1000 good things about it, but I will shut up. Go watch!

MY OVERVIEW:


Miki Koshikawa is a high-school girl looking for a change of pace in her life. Little did she know that as soon as she had entertained this thought her parents were downstairs conspiring to reveal something that she would not have expected in her wildest dreams. They had met another couple and are going to switch partners with them.

Yes, you heard me, switch partners.

Miki is entirely against this and will not stand for it. Hearing that they have a son of their own a new hope emerges. She will have someone to assist her who disagrees with this situation entirely.

Boy, was she wrong.
...
Not only does Yuu not mind what is happening but he is completely cruel to Miki, playing jokes and making fun of her at every chance he gets. Or at least that's what she initially thinks until she realizes that the Yuu is really like.. Marmalade on burnt toast???!?

Now they all live in the same house together but they will go through a lot of trials and tribulations in relationships, both family and personal, as they go through daily school life together with other characters such as Ginta, Arimi, Satoshi, Satomu, Meiko, Natchan, Kei, Suzu and later in the series The American Crew. Who will end up with who, that is the question?

There is way too much that goes on within the series to describe it in words.


PERSONAL OPINION:

Once you watch this anime you will never look at another Shoujo/Romance/Drama the same way again. It may have been a couple of years since I completed the series but ever since that day I have not been as entertained by many romance based anime simply because the standards Marmalade Boy has set are too high. I'm completely serious, if you are a fan of this genre and you haven't seen this it is the most entertaining experience you will have.

Whilst there are lots of different things happening at any given time it never becomes overly confusing and the story is generally entertaining with something that happens at the end of an episode that makes you want to tune in the for the next one. Kind of like a Soap Opera setup. 'Tis good stuff. It's not too difficult to follow but at the same time isn't mind numbing.

Some say the Soundtrack has got a 80's or 70's feel to it (after-all it is an anime made in the 90's), I say its pure bliss. The tracks are astounding. They suit the mood perfectly and I looked forward to every time my favorite tune played in the background. The opening theme, "Egao Ni Aitai" is upbeat and sets you up for a great time. The slow variations of this opening theme song throughout the anime are a great touch. I'm not going to say there aren't a few lackluster compositions but trust me, you will know what I mean by the amazing soundtrack once you watch it.

Miki is my favorite female character in any anime. She had childish traits yet she comes across to be a genuine, nice and sweet young lady. Yuu is my favourite male character in any anime. He is a nice guy and likes to make fun of Miki but at the same time letting her know that he cares for her. Ginta and Arimi are also both REALLY strong characters by the end of the series. Enough said? Might I also say that the character designs are REALLY good.

All the females look exactly like the character they are made to portray. Satoshi is kind of another version of Yuu but with a mullet :P He does have his differences but I won't go through them here. Miki and Arimi are simply cute and Meiko has a pretty but mature look going for her, closely reflecting their personality traits.

Whilst I personally love the animation it is a little outdated because of the age of the anime. Although it takes a little getting used to I personally LOVE the style, especially how the characters look. Don't let the animation quality deter you from the series solely on that though as you will come to appreciate it and even if you don't, the story and just the plain ROMANCE is worth the price of admission in itself. I think the style is really unique with nice colours and it's ultimately nice on the eyes to sit back and watch. If you take a look at various pictures from the art books you will see that they are still vibrant and appealing to look at even by today's standards.

Some of the characters that may or may not have been in the manga can be annoying and a distraction from the main plot. This was the case for me when they were first introduced but it was something that I was willing to look over. This series is amazingly well dubbed and includes the talents of some of my favorite English voice actors (If not before, they are now). The sub also holds up strong.

Highs:
Fantastic Cast of Characters; has good humor; fascinating Relationships

Lows:
Overused Themes; very predictable; unlikable lead character; a season too long

This one was quite the adventure. It took me a significant amount of time to complete this anime and for the most part I was fairly pleased. Spanning 76 Episodes, Marmalade Boy is your standard high school romance, with a twist. Our two main characters have two parents who switch spouses that force them to live together. This alone was an interesting concept.

There are many other strengths in this anime. For one is the wonderful cast in Marmalade Boy. Almost each and every one of the characters ... is memorable and have marvelous, fleshed out personalities. The cast is truly what makes Marmalade Boy special. Of course, with great characters, come the intricate relationships. Sprinkle the great character interaction, with an icing of great characters and a dash of humor; you’ve got yourself the recipe for success.

Although, as the series progressed the story seemed to run out of fuel, as Marmalade Boy is clearly a season too long, as the same themes keep bring revived…only with different characters. The “I love you, you have a lover” theme is played out so much, it’s almost ridiculous. This sort of repetitiveness also leads to another flaw, Marmalade Boy’s occasional predictability. If you pay enough attention, you can basically build the conclusion for yourself and find that you were mostly correct, if not completely correct, which I must stress, not a good thing. The last season could’ve easily been written out and still have left a strong anime behind.

Nevertheless, Marmalade Boy is a good entry in the Romantic Humor category. With it’s exceptional cast of characters, it’ll be sure to catch your attention, just don’t be surprised if you figure out the ending before you even watch it.

Wriiten by AlterGenesis-X
August 8th, 2005

What makes a romcom anime good? Is it the show's ability to present relatable characters, is it the strong character chemistry or maybe is the fantasising love journey that is filled with strong character development, emotion and thematic exploration?
1994’s Toei Animation Marmalade Boy fits the bill. Marmalade Boy is a special and rare breed. It takes all the elements that the genre has established in the past and manages to not only to enhance those elements. It also creates its own elements that would appear in later romcoms anime down the line. Add up this show’s fantastic balance of journey and destination elements of a ... story and you get yourself a beautifully crafted romcom on your hands.

The story follows a happy go, lucky schoolgirl, Miki Koishikawa who is living a perfect home life. Then suddenly her life is turned upside down when her parents come back from holiday and announced that they are getting divorced because they have met another Japanese couple and they fell in love with them and decided to switch partners. To make things easier for both families they decided to live together and as a happy family. The Matsuura’s also have a handsome son named Yuu who is the same age as Miki and from there Miki and Yuu must adapt to living with each other as well as dealing with the former relationships that they’ve had and developed from other characters from the series.

To say that Marmalade Boy has a lot of angst is an understatement. Almost a character in the show goes through some angst session about love and friendship. However, despite Marmalade Boy having a lot of angsty it actually synergises with some of the show's core themes such as running away from your problems, growing up and understanding one another which this show does very well.

The one thing that spreads Marmalade Boy from other romcom anime is that the whole story is told. As a person who prefers the journey over the destination, Marmalade Boy is one of few animes that make question my own values.

Ultimately I still prefer the journey over the destination although I can only accept so until I get fed up of manga/light novel adaptations that don’t even adapt the whole manga/light novel. Marmalade Boy doesn’t suffer from this. Yes, it did give us some anime-original characters as well as having an anime-original arc that featured Yuu going to New York, but the arc actually did more favour to the series rather than hinder it.  

Another strong aspect of Marmalade Boy is how it establishes its setting. Watching Marmalade Boy is like going back in time to the early 90s where things were a lot simpler despite the lack of technology. For example, nowadays people would use technology just to do the most basic stuff such as navigating places, applying education on board, planning dates etc. but in the 90s you had to go the extra mile to do all of those things like knowing locations perfectly since the technology of navigation did not exist.
The reason why I'm bringing this up is that the show perfectly captures Japan in the 90s. It really makes the world of Marmalade Boy feel so real and alive.

Naturally, this is a long-running romcom series and you expect the romance itself to be epic or at the very least be competent. Fortunately, Marmalade Boy didn't disappoint in that aspect. This is not the typical rom-com anime that you will see nowadays where the romantic progression goes up to a single kiss and that's it. Marmalade Boy goes beyond more than just a single kiss. Through the 76 episode run you see characters go out on dates, dealing with romantic obstacles such as love foils, family and education and learning about one other. This is what a romance anime should be and it makes me sad that we don't see this level of romance nowadays.

When Marmalade Boy is not being a romance series, it's being a well-written comedy series that never falls flat. Everything from the humour, comedic timing, reactions to the jokes themselves were well executed.

The most important element for any romcom anime is the characters that Marmalade Boy has that covered in that department because Marmalade Boy, for the most part, has a strong cast of characters that they were well written and engaging.

Let's start with Miki. I wasn't a big fan of Miki in the beginning mainly because she constantly gets over-dramatic about everything as she often behaves like a weak woman. Thankfully as the series progresses she overcomes her over-dramatic attitude as she quickly becomes a much better character where not only she gets great character development but she changes as a person where she's able to become a strong dependable girl that I can root for.

Her relationship with Yuu while predictable was well executed. They really play off each other nicely and it makes you feel they are meant for each other. Overall, Miki may start off as a bit rough but she's starting to grow on you as the series progresses to a point where she became a great character in her own right.

Yuu is an interesting character that grew on me as the series progressed. He's not your typical perfect Shoujo lead as he's a detached individual who is not able to express feelings towards others. As the series progresses he starts to open up where he's able to express his feelings towards others. On top of his great character development, he's a fun and likeable person that you can relate to.

If I had to rate them as a couple compared to the other couples I honestly had to put them in the bottom. This is not to say that they are a bad couple or anything, in fact, I would say they are better than most romcom that you see nowadays but, the main issue that I had with this couple compared to the other couples in this series is they were most predictable out of the bench. Yes this couple line may have the best thematic exploration as well a fantastically written love foil that is Kei (Which I will mention in a bit) I feel like the love journey was the least engaging out of all out of the bunch thanks to predictability.

It didn't help that compared to other characters Miki and to a lesser extent Yuu started off rough in the earlier episodes of the series. I did like them as the series progresses especially towards the second half thanks to their outstanding character growth but I was not a fan of how they behaved in the earlier episodes which led me to root for other characters in the earlier episodes of the series like Ginta and Arimi more. Overall I liked Miki and Yuu as characters and a couple but they could have been better written in the earlier episodes.

My favourite female character in Marmalade Boy is Meiko. I absolutely adore this character because not only she is a very well written character but she is also a very likeable and relatable character to watch. She is the only child in a wealthy family who is struggling to cope with her home life thanks to her parents constantly arguing with each other. She falls in love with a tennis coach/English teacher named Namura after realising that he has the maturity that she craves. However, she has to deal with the nasty consequences of a teacher/student relationship where people would be constantly shocked and angry.

While Meiko and Namura were not my favourite couple in the series they were still the most intriguing one of the bunch.

The writers could have gone for the creepy route where Namura would have nosebleeds for young girls but I'm glad that they made Namura a human being with common sense. Speaking of Namura I thought he was a pretty good character. He may not be as engaging as some of the characters but I still found him to be interesting.

If there's a word to describe Ginta and Arimi as characters it would be awesome. They were a fun, hilarious and interesting duo that I loved from start to finish. I also felt that they were the pair that had the most chemistry out of all the pairings. What makes two so special to the point where they became my favourite pairing was how they were treated and developed in the story. At the beginning of the series, Ginta and Arimi were trying to reach out for their respective pairings Ginta with Miki and Arimi with Yuu but, after their plan failed instead of parting ways, they started to fall in love with each other.

The thing that makes this pair stand out from each other is how they learn from their past mistakes. Sure every other pair do also eventually learn from their past mistakes but I feel like Ginta and Arimi went through that motion the best. On top of all that, I simply prefer Ginta and Arimi more than Miki and Yuu as characters from beginning to end.

While Yuu and Ginta were outstanding characters in their own right, the male character that stole the show for me was Kei. On the surface, he appeared to be another forgetful love rival for Yuu however once the series dives into his sad backstory as well his motivations he became the most sympathetic in the series. Not only that but his relationship with Miki and I actually wanted him to beat Yuu for Miki's love. This is not to say that Yuu was a bad choice for Miki but Kei was a more interesting and sympathetic character in my eyes and that's how he became my favourite male character in Marmalade Boy.
The side characters are just as strong as the main cast. Each of them were memorable in their own right, the majority of them help the main characters grow throughout the series and they were overall fun. Special mention goes to Tsutomu and Satoshi for being fantastic and humorous chararters.

Marmalade Boy visuals can be best described as charming. Sure it won’t be winning any awards in the visuals in the 90s, but it has the unique charm that most Shoujo animes from that decade lacked. Toei Animation did a splendid job at bringing Wataru Yoshizumi art style to life. 
Background scenery while basic has that beautiful early 90s charm.
The animation itself may be limited is acceptable. It has its fair share of recycled animation which can put some newer anime fans off, but I feel that is one of the few cases where the story, character and music overshadow the limited animation and Marmalade Boy did just that perfectly.

The soundtrack in Marmalade Boy is very good as it's filled with classical, upbeat, piano and focus tracks that help spice up key moments in the series.
The opening theme Egao ni Aitai by Rie Hamada is a pretty catchy song that perfectly fits the tone of the series.
The series has three ending themes, and they are all remarkable songs in their own right. 
My favourite ending out of the bunch is the final ending three Yoake no Etude" by Yoko Ichikawa as it's a lovely song that perfectly closes off the final third of the series.

Marmalade Boy's dub is outstanding especially back then. 
If you have seen the dubs for Naruto and Code Geass then you will easily recognise the voice actors. 
Familiarity aside, the dub is fantastic as every single actor did a phenomenal job with the roles that they were given. Highlights include the late Michael Lindsay as Yuu, Tom Gibis as Tsutomu, Kate Higgins as Meiko, Michelle Ruff as Miki, Carrie Savage as Arimi and Yuri Lowenthal as Ginta.

Marmalade Boy is one of the most satisfying and memorable animes I have seen in a long while. Even if I had a few minor issues with it, I still had a blast with it thanks to its likeable characters, strong romance and outstanding thematic execution.
If you're looking for a great and charming romcom that has strong characters and nicely executed romance, I strongly recommend Marmalade Boy.

Am glad that I watched and later brought Marmalade Boy. It is a series that will stick with me for a long while.

This show has been on my radar for decades as one I wanted to watch some day, but its length (76 episodes) made it a costly proposition for importing until recent years. I'm glad I finally bought it, since it's instantly become one of my favourite shows.

Miki finds herself living with a handsome but aggravating boy called Yuu when their parents swap partners and all start living together. After this quirky setup, Miki falls for Yuu, and the two become embroiled in the kind of love dodecahedron you would expect from a romance anime as various other suitors show up. What makes ... Marmalade Boy special is how sympathetic most of the characters become, and how every shift in the relationships between any of them tends to have a devastating knock-on effect on others. Though the mid-episode eyecatches flat-out tell you who really loves who, the trials the various couples face keep escalating to the point of being virtually insurmountable, and I was never certain if any of them would manage to stay together by the end. It goes through all these different permutations where happiness for some means misery for others, and by the final few episodes it was an almost unbearably nail-biting experience waiting to see how it would all play out.

Only two things bothered me about the show. Too many of the male characters forced the first kiss at times when the girls clearly weren't interested yet, and some straight up harrassed a girl into dating them until she caved in. The story didn't always vindicate this approach, but it cropped up far too often. The other problem is the show's chronic case of flashbackitis. Fortunately it doesn't have any actual recap episodes, but it's forever flashing back to scenes from the previous episode, or often just earlier scenes from the same episode. Some key moments are repeated up to a dozen times across the course of the series.

None of that dampened my enjoyment too much though. Despite its length, it took me barely a week to watch all 76 episodes. It never feels like it's spinning its wheels or going in circles. There's always some new challenge facing the characters, and the story arcs don't outstay their welcome. I can see this being a show I'll revisit time and again in the years to come. If you have any interest in the romance genre, it's essential viewing.

Intro: This anime had the most UNIQUE story ever. Girl meets boy through her parents. Her parents met eachother on vacation in Hawaii and have decided to switch spouses with another couple. The story takes place from there. I honestly thought this anime to be one of the most messed up shows out there,but once again,i'm proven wrong. (:

Story: Like I said,this was one of the most UNIQUE stories on the face of romantic comedies. HAHA. The first time you read or hear about the story and plot line,you may be feeling iffy about watching it,but believe me when i say that despite all the ... ups and downs of the story,it is WORTH sticking through and seeing it to the very end. It's soooooooooo worth it. I ended up liking the story way more than i thought. & i really hope that all of you that consider this anime, will see it through to the end. [alll 76 + one special] to the end. (:

Art: Like most of you can tell or have heard, this anime is rather old. It was made in 1994(?). But despite that, the art was rather good. If any of you have seen Kare Kano,then hear me out. Kare Kano was made in 1998 and yet the art was worse than Marmalade Boy's. So I didn't have much to complain about the art. It fit well with the story. It was a soft, and bright type of art. (:

Sound: I watched the dubbed version of the anime. I have no complaints about the sound. It was cute. I loved the voices and the cutesy music. I don't know what their voices had sounded like in Japanese, but i thought the dubbed version was enjoyable and decent.

Character(s): I LOVED THE CHARACTERS OF THIS ANIME! Alllll of the characters were surprising all very nicely developed. They each had a story and the anime showed their lives all unravel and come into play. And you end up not hating ANY of the characters. Of course,when they show up,there's hardships and spite for them, but in the end, you find that all of the characters are absolutely adorable and you may end up finding them to be one of your favorite characters. The main leads were worth watching. Their relationship has gone through so much, and it's worth seeing from the verry start, to the worthy and sweet end. Thumbs up. (:

Enjoyment: As you can tell,I enjoyed the anime very much. But that's only because i stuck to it through the verrry end. Therefore, although there are times when you watch this and wanna give up on it [it's long, i know], don't do it. It's sooo worth the wait. Don't skip episodes either! Every episode has something worth watching. I enjoyed this anime soo much. It gave me such a warm feeling. I know some of you will love it like i do.

Overall: I rarely give out 10's. I must give this anime a 10. It has made me feel great and i even feel empty now that it's over. I enjoyed every minute of this heart warming anime, and i hope you all do too. Stick through it, and enjoyyyy (:

Let me start by first saying that Marlade Boy is amazing. I loved it and it changed my life , and I reccomend to all looking for a very well done/ complete romance story, it is very heartwarming , with many plot twists you will never be bored YOU WILL LOVE THIS ANIME.

IF YOU DONT FEEL YOUR HEART WARMED AND DONT FEEL THE LOVE AND SADNESS YOU ARE NOT HUMAN

The story was very complex and you will fall in love with Miki and Yuu, you will feel sad when the characters are sad you will feel happy when the characters are happy. ... The show includes many love triangles and follows many other couples relationships as a secondary while Miki and Yuu's relationship is in the forefront.

I am a 22yr old male who saw this anime 3 yeras ago and i still love this anime it will forever be one of my favorites and I plan to show this to my kids, as i already own this on DVD. This anime taught me the power of love and friendship. I am writing this review years later simply because this anime is amazing and I feel every anime lover especially romance anime lovers should watch this.

Their are so many more positve things i could about the show but for now i leave you with this :


THIS IS A MUST WATCH IF YOU ARE A FAN OF ANIME


Dont worry if you havent heard much of this anime that is simply because of the shows length(76 episodes) and the movie. Basically you have to let the anime develop.

Note: Give it time it will get very ,very good and complex you will submerse yourself into this anime

The very first episodes gave me high hopes. They cut to the chase, seeing as Yuu and Miki's feelings since then (though, it's more true for Miki than Yuu). I thought it was a very cute show, and it sure kept me entertained for some time, but I'm not the one who usually likes such long series.

The whole story depends on various love triangles. That seems to be each of the characters' main conflicts. I'm sorry, but there's more to romance than just some other person getting in the way. I found it funny that there was only one episode called "Love Triangle," I mean, ... why not just name the whole darn show that?

The characters were okay, still when it's something that long, I found it disappointing to find the characters, though round, they were all static. None really changed, as far as I got anyway.

It's just one of those stories you watch just to finish it. I couldn't do that. It might be interesting for a while, but it sure gets old pretty quick.

I remember watching this series when I was in high school but due to school stuff I didn't get to finish the whole 76 episodes, only made it until episode 15 I think.So fast forward, 11 years later, I've finally decided to re watch this anime. I've also read the manga prior to watching and although I loved every bit of the manga - the anime series, imo was even betterl! This anime marked my really high standards when it comes to the romance type genre.

To start, the story is not your normal highschool romance type plot.The first few episodes started with a very ... cute light drama between the main protagonist Miki and her love interest, Yuu (main guy) but as the episodes progressed, it gets more complicated. Each episodes gets a hold of you like how soap opera's would where in you can't really wait to watch one episode after another.

Art & Characters: I'm a sucker for classic shoujo animes. For a series released in the 90's the art was pretty decent. I actually liked it. The character drawings' were on point. Almost all the characters are extremely likable. It's the kind of series where you'll learn to love a character you used to hate and vise versa. There are tons of love traingles which gives you tons of "ship" options.

OST: Was superb, and I really couldn't stress this out more. This is one main reason why I enjoyed the anime more than the manga. There were certain important scenes in the anime that "involved" music. You'll know what I'm talking about if you watch the show.

Overall, MB is one hell of an emotional ride. This is the type of anime that really really gets to you deep. You feel connected with the casts as you laugh with them, cry with them and even sympathize with their situations. You also can't help but feel frustrated, angry, delighted with each characters in the series...They all have their ups and downs and it is not light drama to say the least.

After watching the entire 76 episodes and one "movie" of MB, I felt really sad to a certain degree that it's a little hard to say goodbye to the characters you've become attached with. As I said, this anime really gets to you deep. With that said, Marmalade Boy raised the bar (for me anyway) when it comes to the romance / heavy drama genre. To think, it was released in the early 90's (1994) I could say, the story is fairly original, and definitely holds up to its time.

I guess, my only problem with this anime was how light it ended. The last 5 episodes were really problematic and heart breaking and I don't think that was necessarily needed for it to come up with an ending so light. Even after 76 long episodes, I felt like there was more to build in the story before reaching it's conclusion. But that's also why I like this anime, cause you just can't help but want more of it!

This is going to be short and sweet.

I just finished watching the series and I feel physically exhausted. There were so many ups and downs, it certainly put the audience through the wringer.

Liked: the characters (particularly the parents as a group) and the last 20 or so episodes, the Meiko storyline

Disliked: the CONSTANT (and I do mean constant) "I love you!" quickly followed by "we can't be together!" - it was freakin exhausting and instead of making me more interested in the show, it really just irritated me to the point of almost giving up the series a few times. I compromised and ended ... up just skipping over parts. Also, the love triangle theme was incredibly overused - see above for a recommendation on how to cope with this.

If you're in the mood for something that will take you on a roller coaster of love and angst (EMPHASIS ON THE AGNST) then I suggest you check this anime out.

Story: The main story of this anime was pretty original and different. Although sometimes the characters can make very sudden decisions which sometimes make me feel too unrealistic. For example, Miki and Yuu's parents moving into the same house. The love triangles throughout the story were pretty cliche and nothing extraordinary. Also, the plot twist towards the very end was pretty hard to watch because it was a very emotional part of this anime. However, it was all a misunderstanding in the end, which makes me feel like the story ends very abruptly even though the entire anime was 76 eps long.

Art: The quality ... was pretty good considering that this anime was released in the late 80s/early 90s. I personally love this style of anime the most.

Sound: I thought the music was cringe at first especially the intro but I quickly grew to love this song towards the end of the anime. I also like how the song in the intro was sometimes used in the anime to create suspense.

Character: I really like the character of Yuu, because he isn't just an ordinary perfect cute main guy any typical anime has. His character is pretty relatable and goes perfectly well with MIki's character, Character development was also another part which i thought this anime did pretty good on, especially Meiko's character. However, the anime also included characters that are easier to understand like Ginta and his cousin.

Enjoyment: I did enjoy this anime because I personally like watching long series ( i don't like things ending when I really do enjoy it) I wouldn't recommend this to people who hate complicated drama and plot twists thrown randomly throughout the anime. It's a pretty nice pick if you're just bored and need something to kill time or something nice to watch after exams.

Overall: GO WATCH IT IF U ENJOY ROMANCE AND CUTE GUYS!!

so the truth this is my first review even though I have been watching anime pretty much since I was borne so tell if I need to change anything

Story 10/10

the truth is that when I saw the first episode of this anime I was completely shocked because of how unique the plot was, this story is basically about Miki koichikawa this girl suddenly gets her world turn around when her parents suddenly came home that day and happily said to her that they were going to basically switch partners with the matsuura family, and as if that was not bad enough the other family ... has a son of her same age, who enjoys teasing 24/7 but the truth that only she knows is that she is actually in love with the young boy, to tell you the truth at first I though that it was going to be the typical sibling forbidden love but it was the opposite even though is true that they do not say anything till the end from their parents they do not really mind showing themselves in public and must of their friends find out what they feel for each other not that far from when the show starts.

Art 9/10
because this is a pretty old show the art is not as good as an 2019 show but the art is not bad actually when you see how old it is, it is actually really good the truth is that the art is pretty classic which makes me get more into the show and also it does a good work with the romantic scenes, background talking, so actually I would not be able to imagine this show in other type of art.

Sound 9/10

sound is something that i have been wanting to talk about because most people say that the music of this show is not that remarkable, I actually say is true that the endings are not that interesting but I really really enjoyed the opening of the series, I felt like the music really showed the roller coaster of emotions both characters are feeling.

Character 10/10
well the truth is that this characters are really good for the way the story, Miki is a really main character because basically the anime shows all of her emotions and thoughts referring to yuu, also the other way around yuu is a character even though he shows explicitly his emotions with his actions the story also lets him share his thoughts and emotions, though I would say that I laughed the most with their parents who keep leaving them alone and do not have a singe care in the world.

I've really LOVED this anime and this anime really IS my FAVORITE, ANIME, EVER! I've watched 40 of the episodes subbed, but I was really upset when I had to switch to dubs, but I did because I just LOVED the anime so much!

Story: Story is VERY good and you really don't find a story like this often. The whole story is what made you fall in love with it every episode. Every time, you were always at the edge of your seat at the end of each and every episode. I give this a 10.

Art: I'm very picky with my art but this anime, ... the art was FANTASTIC! I loved how the characters looked, but it wasn't "perfect", you know what I'm saying? Again, I really LOVED how the characters looked, but due to this anime being pretty old and being aired in 1994, it doesn't look all new and stuff, but that's what I enjoy about it. It doesn't look like the style you see every day, but that's what makes you love the characters, because they're different and they're actually really good-looking. I give this a 9.

Sound: I LOVE ALL THE MUSIC! I love each and every song of the anime and you will find yourself singing the EXACT words of the opening, IN Japanese and you will find yourself singing and humming ALL of the Ost's! All of my friends would ask what I was singing and I would just be like "A song from this awesome anime called Marmalade Boy"! Again, I really hated when I had switched to dubs because when the ost's had played, they had taken ALL of the Japanese lyrics out and that is what I hate about America, lol! But the subs were very good and I really hoped that the group had finished the subs to the very end, but, it is what it is. Although, I swear I will learn Japanese and move to Japan, even with all the struggles it is going through right now and I will watch the whole anime in Japanese, with no subs and actually understand it, because I've REALLY loved this anime with all the songs and osts! I give this a 10!

Character: I LOVED THE CHARACTERS! EVERY ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE MY BEST FRIENDS (lol!)! No seriously, I loved all the characters and the good thing about Yoshizumi Wataru (or Wataru Yoshizumi) is that in Marmalade Boy and in many other of her stories, she makes you fall in love with EVERY character, including the side characters! I've really loved Miki and Yuu, but I've also loved all the side characters and even the very minor characters because Yoshizumi Wataru really makes you open up to each and every character. I've really liked Meiko and I've really fallen in love with Kei and Michael and how their characters are portrayed. These are some of the BEST characters you will ever meet! I give this a 10.

Enjoyment: MY FAVORITE ANIME, LITERALLY! I enjoyed each and EVERY episode of this anime and I want more and more and more of it. The anime went to the very end of the manga, but I really was sad when it had ended, because it was SUCH a great anime! Seriously, when you watch this anime, it will be like falling in love all over again! I give this a 10!

Overall: I've already said, this is my VERY favorite anime I have ever watched and I've enjoyed everything, the story, the art, the sound, the characters, just everything! As I said before, because I loved this anime so much, I will learn Japanese, move to Japan, buy some videos of this anime and I will watch the whole anime in Japanese, just because I've loved this anime so much! Overall, I give this a 10!

And so, I really don't give 10s to so many qualities before, but this anime was well deserved of it, thank you Yoshizumi Wataru (or Wataru Yoshizumi) for all your hard work, I've fallen in love with EVERY one of your stories and this was my very favorite one. Thank you, Yoshizumi Wataru.

Being the first anime I have ever seen, I have a lot of attachment to it. I watched it at about 11 years old, and it's really a product of the times. But that's not always a bad thing. Growing up, however, I do realize there are a lot of flaws with the anime (all anime have flaws, don't get me wrong, but the flaws in this anime are...bad, in my eyes).

I understand this anime is planned out to be a school comedy, and kind of set the frame for anime like School Rumble or Toradora. But still, there are a lot of things that ... bother me in this show.

The story is basically about Miki KOshikawa. Her parents decide to divorce and remarry another couple they met on vacation. In order to avoid confusion, they all move in a big house together. Now it's Miki, her parents, their new lovers, and the other couples son, Yuu Mattsura. And the rest of the anime is just following their relationships ups and downs. They meet a lot of characters along the way, like Miki's BFF, Meiko, and Yuu's old girlfriend Arimi. It's sounds like a pretty solid story, huh?
If you add the fact that it's way to long, a total of over 70 episodes, it gets old extremely fast. I feel like it's a chore watching every episode now a days. Story is about a 8

Characters: First off, the main character, Miki, is annoying. She's basically a Mary Sue. She's clumsy, quirky, and almost every guy around her age is in love with her. She feels stressed because all these pretty boys want to be with her. She even does get with one other guy, Kei, but breaks his heart because she still loves her first boyfriend, Yuu. I hate girls like that. I feel like the protagonist is just portrayed as a perfect being that is always possessive of her boyfriend and thinks she is always the victim. (She literally gets upset because Yuu didn't tell her he wanted to be an architect. Really?)

All the other characters are average. The Yuu fun and playful, and my first anime crush (oops). Those who fall in love with both of the main love couple are okay too. They mostly manage to get over their feelings and find love in the end. But my favorite character is the best friend, Meiko. She's a strong-willed girl who just wants love, and the one person she loves, she can't have. But that doesn't stop her. She's the best character and I wish the show focused only on her and her couple, with Miki in the background. She's mostly why this is scored a 9.

Sound and animation are good, being as it was in the early nineties. That's all I'll say about that.

My enjoyment is still pretty high, despite my dislike in the main character and her stupid problems. It's fun to joke about the old fashion things and make fun of how corny it is. I still watch it and do that sometimes with my younger sister.

Overall, is the anime bad? No. Not at all. It's a good gateway into anime, even though some characters are annoying, or too perfect. I understand it was the 90s, and anime was just becoming a big deal with Sailor Moon and Pokémon being big brands all over the world, so these now clichéd ideas of multiple love triangles, constant thoughts of affairs and constantly seeing the couple break up and get back together weren't all that bad back then. It's basically a guilty pleasure for me. I would recommend watching it if you do enjoy cheesy romances that are set in a high school, because that's all it is. Yes some characters may bother me, but that's just me. It's up to you to chose who you like in the show and who you do not.

I loved Marmalade boy. The story was just pure genius. There's drama, romance, a lot of comedy; Practically everything a hopeless romantic needs. In the pilot episode you see that Yuu is in love with Miki. We know the reason in the movie.
Although the show is long, it is worth it. It's a very light show, but then builds up more tension and drama as the show ends.

Overall I give this show a 10 because it was a just a whole package delivered; An interesting plot line and good characters, with a solid background. It just kept me hooked.

marmlade boy is a very good shoujo manga it made me cry and laugh and feel the pain of the characters too

besidemiki and yuu it has a couple of other love stories in it like meiko and her teacher namura and miki best freind geinta and arimi

i can say it is very interesting though the story sometimes tend to be so predictable but it also makes you want to see what you predicted being acted by the characters i have to say one of the things i liked is the actors voices whether it`s the English or the Japanese version they ... both did nice job made you want to watch even if you know what will happen

the story has a lottt of love triangles but unlike most shoujo mangas you find yourself unable to take the side of one character and leave the other sometimes you even tend to like the one who you know will not end with the girl or the guy at the end

the art is considered old but it was made in the 90th so it`s to be excpected but still although it is old it`s not bad and the characters are cute

all in all this is an anime that i consider a must to watch if you want a love story full of emotions

Well, let me start out by saying that this has to be one of the most overdramatized anime's I have ever seen! Everything about it reminded me of a soap opera!
However, I completely enjoyed watching this, which is odd since I hate soap opera's! The characters, though a bit annoying at some times, were really well thought out. For the time period this was made in the animation was decent. I LOVE the music they chose, the voices all fit! And the story...
Well, the story could've been perfect but I really had to dock it down a point because it really did get repetive ... at times. Way too much jealousy over and over again.

The ending was what really did it for me though. Two of the most important things for a story; the beginning and the end. Of course the beginning was wonderful otherwise I wouldn't have gotten hooked watching it! Yet, the ending was completely different from all the repetive stuff! It really was like "Oh my goodness that can't POSSIBLY be true!"
I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of drama! And I ADORE drama! Drama is what gets the heart pumping and makes you jump up and down, cry, or shout out of anger. The show really gets the viewer sucked into their own world! You see the faults of everyone loud and clear! Some are pushy but really sweet while others are cool and collected on the outside and a mess on the inside.

Overall, if you love dramaa as much as I do I COMPLETELY recommend this. Though I do warrn you, you'll get annoyed at the repetetiveness of it a few times. ;)

This review is about a series that used to be my #1 favorite. But now it's not - why, you might ask? Well, it just doesn't live up quite so well when viewed years later and against what is currently available. It is still a great story but not as interesting a watch 5, 6, 7 times through and 10 years later. The series is very heavy on the melodrama, which might get to some. If you like soap opera type TV shows (without them actually being soap operas) than this series will be for you. Note that it ... doesn't have any special powers so you're talking real people, almost realistic situations. The cast of characters is great ranging from aloof cool guys (Yuu, Miwa, and Kei), to emotional mature girls (Arimi and Meiko), to immature child-like teenagers (Mike, Miki, Suzu). If you've only read the manga I would suggest giving the anime a try. Just to wet your appetite the beginning premise is - what if your parents decide to get divorced, swap partners, and move in with the newly created family (including children)? Not a good series if you don't like somewhat taboo relationships (step-siblings, teacher/student) but it handles them very well.

After watching (and loving) Touch and Maison Ikkoku, I decided to give Marmelade Boy a try since there were so many recomendations from people who liked those two animes.

The storyline began in a really good way after the first episodes, when some characters were introduced. I found myself smiling from the beggining to the end of some of the early episodes. It really caught me due to its inocent humor and cause it didn't cross the "forced drama" line, despite bordering it a lot.

But after the first set of stories, the anime became too predictable and repetitive. Boy, even the intermissions started to annoy me, ... cause they would spoil some of the few small surprises tou could have with some of the couples.

I don't recall when exactly the plot went downhill, but it was somewhere after episode 26. The whole Meiko part was almost unwatchable.

The anime started having good episides followed by really bad ones, until closer to the end, when there was one part that didn't involve some kind of love triangle (in spite of a love triangle had lead to this part). I almost dropped right before episode 61~62, but then it got better again.

I don't know if I'd recomment it to other people, cause I feel most people would get bored easily after the 30 first episodes. But I could enjoy it.