Ichigo Mashimaro

Ichigo Mashmiaro is another slice of life anime set around the life of four Elementary School friends and a sister. Theres no ecchi but there are LOADS of fanservice in this show. You can tell just by watching the first episode. Its even more frequent in the ova's. Also, the power word for this show is CUTE. I cant emphasize this enough... CUTE is allover.

For some reason the chemistry between all of them really make for a unique experience. Their character traits sound so standard for a slice of life comedy but the way its executed is far better than most anime of its ... kind. Every minute you'll be going "aww" or even "omfg how CUTE!" Thats mainly in part by the way the girls react to each other and feed off each others actions/reactions.

The voice acting is top notch for what its worth... all the girls all have their cute tendancies intact and their voices are just to gaddamn cute *_* Their singing the credits is even good too. Speaking of singing, theres no music whatsoever during the show. Just the seiyu and the enviromental sound effects, with a fair dose of typical comedy sounds. I think absence of the music is just a plan to emphasise how cute the girls are in their "tranquil" and "innocent" enviroments. it does work very well to set off that cute aura that surrounds the entire show.

When i said the power word for this show was "CUTE" the art and animation shows that in spades. First of all you'll notice the color scheme consists of only pastel spring colors. Even the dark colors like black and brown have that pastel touch to it. Theres so much color that some might even be drowned in the pastel. The enviroment art is half part of how they show how great their cute theme is executed. Every thing from the Chika's simple bedroom layout with the pink bed sheets and sunflower yellow wall, to the dirty laundry stacked in the laundry basket filled so high sleeves are pouring out the side, down to the different individual lunches ALL the kids in the classroom are eating with their little milk jugs. They even seem to enjoy their art so much that there is quite a few still life shots when they're showing time is passing. This just shows how much time and effort they put into setting the mood and enviroment for their viewers.

The character artwork are in a whole nother level than any other anime you've seen. Not only do they draw individual background characters with sheer detail and cuteness, but they somehow manage to give the main characters dozens of different costumes to wear. Theres so many, i wouldnt be surprised if there were over 100 costume designs for the girls. The character themsselves are detailed as any high value anime should be. You can also tell this anime has its own art style from the begining. And it works very well showcasing the cuteness of the girls.

Everything about this show seems to mold together extremely well. When it seems like theres a school comedy, or 2, or 5 every season, Ichigo Mashimaro surely sticks itself out far above the rest. Its a school anime that if you like it, you'll definitely remember it long after your finished. But if youre not into all that cute loli stuff then by all means, avoid this like the plague. But this is by far one of the best loli anime i've ever seen. Too bad im not really into the cute loli anime.

Excuse me while I gush over this series, it's almost too cute to bear. I, perhaps, would have overlooked it if it wasn't for the 3 volumes of the Ichigo Mashimaro manga I have sitting on my shelf. I often find myself not liking the art in the anime if I was exposed to the manga first, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised; the characters in both were drawn very similar, almost identical. The backgrounds lack the detail of other anime, but I can't say that it bothered me much.

(If you've read the manga, you'll notice the shuffling of the chapters, the ... anime certainly does not follow the manga faithfully, but that does not detract from the story.)

The premise is quite simple, we follow 5 girls - Nobue the oldest, her sister Chii, their friends, Ana, Miu and Matsuri - but not continuously, mind you, but rather, we drop in and out of their everyday lives. And what cute lives they lead! Don't expect complex plot here, each episode is filled with the every day things we all have done, the girls go to school, enjoy cake, shovel snow, get lost and play sports. But it never gets boring, because mischief is just right around the corner and it will have you giggling to yourself over the silliness.

The simplicity of the plot is the anime's strong point but also it can be its undoing. If you appreciate the innocent, stress-free and, dare I say again, CUTE things in life, you most likely will love this series, I certainly did. Otherwise, you may find the cuteness tooth-rottingly sweet.

Ichigo Mashimaro (Strawberry Marshmallow) sticks to the "slice of life" and "comedy" formula without growing stale. Its truly a must see for fans of this genera!

Story: 8/10
Based on the ongoing manga of the same name, basically its about four grade school girls and their big sister (only one is actually related to her, but they all look up to her as one) living life in Japan. I feel I should state at this point that it keeps its story as realistic as possible, so there is no princess to save, no student counsel to form, nothing! This is about everyday life! Which may be ... a turn off to some fans wanting an actually plot in their shows. Each scene opens up with something different though, such as the girls going on vacation, the big sister on her never ending quest to find a job, the girls making birthday presents for someone special, or them just trying to not make too much noise so another member can sleep! I almost felt like I was watching someones animated home videos about their life sometimes, as apposed to an actual anime. One of the girls is actually from America, so there is plenty of references to both Japanese and American culture made by the girls, which is nice for those of us wanting to learn more about their ways. The story is warm hearted and cute all the way through, though I couldn't help but feel that if it wasn't for Miu (main lead) this series would not have been nearly as entertaining. As she is the only real member that actually has a comical personality to her, where as most of the others are more down to earth. While Ichigo doesn't do anything new with its over all concept, it does indeed to it right! Its soft soothing storyline can either be its greatest feature, or worst, depending on your taste.

Soundtrack: 8/10
The opening theme has the girls singing a party theme to Ichigo Masimaro, while the ending is the complete opposite, and is sung solo in a soft layed back tone, which fits the anime nicely for its theme. The background music is sparse however, in fact a good portion of the time there really is no BG whatsoever. And while I do feel it enhances some of the moods in the series overall, it would have been nice to actually have had at least some memorable tracks! Still, what they do have there is good! The Japanese voice cast they got were great however, every girl was matched perfectly with the appropriate voice over. Whether it be Ana's soft sweet voice or Nobue's more layed back personality.

Characters: 8/10
The cast is very likable, while they don't have the most deep or versatile personalities (like Miu has), they at least never come off as annoying. In fact all the personalities that have been given to each girl is pulled off sweet and charming. They really know how to interact with each other well!
One thing I found to be interesting though, was a lack of supporting characters. The only people you’ll see in this title for the most part are the main cast themselves. (with the exception of some old guy that is used as a running gag, the girls just never seem to give him any peace and quite) This can be seen as both a positive and negative depending on your view point, while I personally loved this feature, some may feel that this might make the story all the more bland. Again, it just depends on your perception of it.

Artwork: 7/10
It is soft and cuteness at its best. Nothing is ever "overly" detailed that it comes off as too much for the eyes to take. Color and art are focused on the characters themselves, while the backgrounds look more along the lines of soft water color paintings. It does have a nice appeal to it, but certainly isn't the most well detailed series out there. As the clothing and backgrounds have a much more plain look to them, still it is nice to look at.

Bottom line: 9/10
If you like a large cast of characters and a deep storyline in your anime, then it would be best to avoid Ichigo Mashimaro, as this title contains none of those whatsoever. But if your like me and love slice of life anime with a nice realistic layed back sense of humor, then it doesn't get much better than this! As this title has some of the cutest and most lovable cast you'll see in one, and will give you a sense of joy and fondness after watching it!

As specified in the synopsis "cute girls do cute things in cute ways" is what it delivers. Based on the slice of life manga series, the story is considered plotless and instead, viewers are being treated with laughter and uber cuteness by 4 adorable 3rd graders and 1 big sister who just wants to find a decent 'good paying' job without being distributed or 'attacked' by either one of them, in particular Miu, one of their group members who is 'hyper' active.

From the beginning of the series towards the end, you basically see the activities these girls do on a day to day basis. ... You see how they socialise and what events they enjoy doing. As you get to know what they like to do, you will start to get to know more about their personalities and maybe relate to one them when you were younger or as of now. Their personalities is so common to the average 3rd grader in the real world, it's not too hard to fall in love with them and laugh at the things they do and say, in which we may have experienced them in our life time.

In referring to character development, there isn't a solid base where we learn about the characters step by step. Instead, we are learning about them in a group while we are laughing and enjoying quality entertainment provided to us. Its how they socialise and the activities they do in which we learn so much about them.

In conclusion, a series in which is shouldn't be missed by the young and the old because series like these lifts your mood and gives you a smile on your face each episode of the way.

Ichigo Mashimaro, in my opinion, is one of the most misunderstood shows out there. Under its loli-clad outer shell, and the too-easily tossed around explanation/catchphrase "cute, not pedo", the show seems to have given people the impression that it is a moeblob series aimed at pedophiles who like to watch little girls do cute things. For me, and many other fans of the series, that impression couldn't be more wrong. The true appeal of Ichigo Mashimaro to me, and many others I've discussed the show with, is its comedic genius, rooting from Barasui's source manga and further improved by the excellent anime adaptation.

Ichigo Mashimaro ... can be considered many things. It's a story of four young girls in elementary school. It's a story of their older sister. But most of all, it's funny. The strongest point of the show is its excellent timing of the jokes. From the delivery of one-liners to the repeated Miu on the ground gag, the timing is always near perfect, augmenting the humor all the more. At the same time, the humor restrains itself from becoming a run-of-the-mill, "hurr durr" type of a slapstick show and retains something of a sophisticated feel to it. Barasui also puts in a fair bit of clever wordplay (one please!) and his own twists into the series, and his efforts in the manga carry right over to the anime.

However, the anime takes it one step further with its excellent auditory effects. The seiyuus are perfect for each character, especially Chika and Miu whose voices seem to fit their tsukkomi-boke relation perfectly. Ana's ojousama attitude is conveyed wonderfully, while Matsuri's helplessness is reflected just as well by the voice actor. The excellent voice acting helps portray the characters the way the manga intended them to be, and as a result improves the comedy - with each character often playing off one another - immensely, adding to the already brilliant character-based humor of the manga. On the other hand, the sound effects, such as the laundry-pole sales man on the megaphone, greatly add to the situational aspects and in establishing the timing in the jokes.

The characters of Ichigo Mashimaro, while pretty memorable to their own right, are pretty typical of a slice of life series aren't as impressionable as those in some character-driven series are. However, they are perfect vehicles through which the humor is able to manifest itself, and thus are more than excellent for the show. Would I watch Ichigo Mashimaro if it was cast with a bunch of old men? Probably. But I do admit that the "cuteness" of the show is what brings attention to a show that may otherwise go unnoticed despite its excellence (Hyakko comes to mind).

So while this show may be famous for is cute (and pedo) factor, I feel many are unaware of what an excellent comedy series this is. So if you've neglected the show because of what you think it is, I would strongly suggest you take another look at it, but just watch it with an open mind and don't expect it to be your typical moeblob anime.

(PS. Yes, the girls really are cute. Especially in the manga.)

It's a surprise; I did not expect something as such to arise.

Slice-of-life anime has a reputation that makes it liable to misled criticism. The constant attacks of "there's no plot" or "nothing happens" is common when it comes to criticising the genre. Disregarding the literal meaning of said criticism, to some extent, it holds value in trying to get the point across, the point being that SoL is boring. An individual's take on the genre is nothing more than their own respective opinion on what exists, but I agree with this to a degree. I've not watched as much anime as I would like ... to believe, so I don't exactly have the whole experience in my hands, but in the many SoL anime that I have seen, unfortunately, most of them don't cut it when it comes to high quality works. Take note of the term "high-quality". Most of them are, indeed, very enjoyable, but none of them sticks out to me as being works that have had good execution to the ideas they are presenting, be it production or writing going on behind. It is just a fun SoL with nothing more to add.

I bring up all of this in this review because IchiMashi is not just some fun SoL. If anything it is quite literally a slice-of-life, as if it was taken out of real life. This may sound absolutely boring on paper, I mean, if the fun is taken out (which it isn't but more on that later), how can you enjoy something so bland? I've gone on about how much I love simple things, and yet again, IchiMashi is one of those simple anime that brings a lot more to the table than meets the eye. It doesn't look like it can offer a lot, it really doesn't, but it is only when you view it for yourself that can you really understand the treatment that this gem offers.

The selling point in what I liked about it is that it is entirely human. From what each episode brings to how everyone behaves, it all comes across as a rather genuine thing. It achieves the presentation of what it seeks to be, that is, the actual lives of people. In terms of plot, there's really not too much to go on about other than it all fits together and is written well. I suppose you could mention how the characters go to school and outside to the beach or something, but that is stuff you usually see in SoL, so it isn't like it is unique in that category nor is it anything worth mentioning about. It's more of how each of these episodes is conducted with the characters that exist in the story—as is all SoL, I guess.

As for the characters. There are only really the main five to cover, the rest are either ongoing gags or people that you shouldn't really care too much about anyway. Starting off with the loudest mouth, the small troll, Miu. She is your typical troublemaker kid annoying pretty much everyone in her sight, be it her friends or teachers. Her personality can be a little hard to appreciate for obvious reasons, but this juvenile behaviour isn't some random spawn to discourage users to continue watching for the sake of it. We've all seen how troublemakers can behave, and Miu is no different. Again, SoL usually takes this to the extreme and would make a character like her an entire gag in of herself, which to be fair, is present here, but you do have moments where Miu isn't just causing trouble around her surroundings, she is still just a kid at the end of the day, one of the more hyperactive ones. A fun character to see what mischief she can get up to, and she does hold a special place in this anime making it that more enjoyable to watch despite being so damn annoying.

Nobue, the oldest of the bunch, the big sister (I suppose onee-san is more fitting) to the kids. Her character is enjoyable overall: she does the cool stuff like smoking cigs, is very relaxed, somewhat a peacekeeper, and a little perverted (gets called "old man" here and there). Her time in the series usually involves breaking or getting into Miu's mischief, but also other big sister things like going to work (when possible) and looking after those who come around via her sister Chika. She doesn't have the brightest personality in terms of attention radiation, but I can assure you that she is still a fun person to watch. She has that cool vibe to her unified with her relaxed tone. She fulfils her role to a realistic standard and utmost presentation no less. A character that fits well with all rather than just literally being the big sis of the house with little to no personality. I enjoyed watching her interact with the others and her own life she has for herself because there wasn't anything about her that wasn't good. Really and truly, I'd imagine everyone else would agree.

I suppose Chika isn't the most flashy character like Miu, nor is she the get-along-with-most-others like Nobue, it could even be argued that she has less of a more intriguing role than Matsuri and Ana. However, in my eyes, she is just the most sensible one of the lot, doing her work when the time comes and just acting like a sane child (keyword here is "child"). She doesn't offer a lot for sure, and it is easy to just forget that she is around from time to time, but with her interactions with the others be it complaining about Miu or Nobue, she is quite underrated in some sense. Her presence may not offer the most laughs or enjoyable moments, but she can certainly deliver. Ana and Matsuri are a nice pair, the two quietest ones who give off the "we mustn't do something bad!" vibe you usually get from little girls like her. I mean, one is a posh brit and the other is Japanese so there you have your polite duo. Aside from the stereotypes, the two do well to complement one another in terms of friendships that arise around the age, as well as just being nice and innocent people. Nothing too much to go on about them, but they are considered to be very cute which perhaps may enhance enjoyment there, I would say the same thing in all honesty. Sometimes it comes across as a little too cute, goes into dangerous territory almost drawing you into the "protecc" culture and what have you, but that goes off on a tangent. Still, it is incredible how much emphasis the pair has on being cute. Maybe that is a plus? You decide.

The production of IchiMashi is pretty well made honestly, I didn't really think it'd be this good for a 2005 anime, but the simple design yet fluid animation worked so well, I haven't seen anything quite like it really, but I am not too experienced in anime around this time so I wouldn't know for sure if this is "high-quality". Regardless, it didn't feel as if I was watching some 2000s OVA moe short, this had an original fresh breath of air to its atmosphere that isn't something to take too lightly, considering it captivated me when I first watched it. The backgrounds looked nice, the character models weren't anything to fuss about—with the use of moe and the likes, there's not a lot there, but there is a lot to take in. It's pretty powerful stuff. Unfortunately, the same cannot really be said for the OST. I will get out of the way that the OP is probably the most memorable soundtrack of the entire thing, which I suppose is a given, but it also is probably the only thing you will remember other than the intermission OST, which isn't saying too much but also tells you that there is nothing of note here. It's so-so. The ED is pretty good but not as good or memorable as the OP. Nevertheless, all fit here, nothing is disconnected or misplaced in a way that destroys immersion, as should the standard be. Though nothing was really there to remember anyway, it only comes off as filler background music, although OST wasn't all too common throughout the viewing itself. Silent background was no stranger here, but it worked faithfully. It's strange, such a superficially empty show contains a tremendous amount in every corner, it is unfathomable. Great production, for sure.

So there it is. My thoughts on the series. It was an enjoyable surprise and one that gave realism a good name. I didn't think showing kids going around to school, their friend's places, or going outside was that fun, but here we are with IchiMashi, within reach of all anime fans. I'd imagine this would be universally enjoyed, I won't lie, this is unsettlingly cute that it almost feels like some kind of loli pandering, but I am not cynical enough to believe that was the intention behind this work—you never know though. But yeah, it is a good anime, one that knows how to execute its premise to an apex, it is really not like the other SoL out there that just exist as we move on to the next. This is an actual wholesome setting to take part in, really, not a lot like this come around. Enjoy it whilst you can.

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TLDR Review:

Story - 8: Typical SoL plots are presented in a great way
Visuals - 8: Fluid and clean for its time. Everything looks well made.
Audio - 6: Box standard. Goes out as fast as it comes in.
Characters - 9: Fun and memorable characters who have a very human feel to them in playing their roles in the story.
Enjoyment - 8: Very fun SoL with all the pieces coming together to make for a relaxing short that isn't too wild, but one that looks to offer a peaceful atmosphere.

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I honestly don't know how many will care but I haven't been watching anime and reviewing like I used to. I still plan to watch and write a lot more but time and god awful time management is really getting to me, watching IchiMashi happened to be in this time period unfortunately and like the rest of my recent reviews, falls into the late review upload. I am sorry if this didn't reach a high-quality standard, I can only hope to do better. But honestly, picking this up as a recommendation from Mitsudomoe and Minami-ke was a great choice. Went and watched this on a whim and if my review has still somehow managed to fail in selling my thoughts, I did indeed thoroughly enjoy this lol. But chances are watching anime that sit on my ptw (very useless, only used when bored af) or whatever my whim feels like it's going to slowly die out as I finish the remainder of what I have left. There's too much to go through it seems. Still, I am glad I watched IchiMashi sooner rather than later. Despite the extended watch time, it was something that only left me with a good feeling. It is indeed a nice show.


Overall - 7.8 (8)

Unlike the other reviews of this show, this review is written in 2023, almost EIGHTEEN YEARS after the show was broadcasted. However, with this time gap, modern reviews like this can prove that old shows can hold the test of time.

Ichigo Mashimaro is a masterpiece slice of life anime. The relationship of these characters mesh to create something entirely unique that cannot be compared to any other show out there.

The story is great. Why? Because this is slice of life. A show like this does not need a complicated plot. That's not what slice of life shows are about. Thus, let's just look ... at it from each episode. Each episode has an interesting story that never caused boredom.

The voice acting is stellar. Each character's VA is a perfect fit for the character and the way they are portrayed in both the show and manga. Their singing in the credits makes it even better.

The OPs and EDs fit the show so incredibly well. They're peaceful to listen to before and after the episodes. At the end of 12 and the OVAs, tears almost came out. They're just so well-made.

Finally, let's talk about the artwork briefly. For a show from 2005, the artwork would be even acceptable in today's time (for the type of show this is). The artwork fits the show. For example, if the artwork was something comparable to BTR, it wouldn't feel right. The artwork just fits the show, even if it is 18 years old, everyone should agree it is still perfect now.

Overall, Ichigo Mashimaro is a brilliant slice of life show with unqiue and enjoyable characters. And so, has the anime held the test of time?
Yes, yes it has.

There are certain times in your life when you want to just clear your mind of everything and just enjoy the simple things. This is one of those simple things.
Ichigo Mashimaro isn't action pact, it isn't full of angst, and it isn't full of itself. What it is full of is funny little moments, nice moments of friends bonding, and just plain pointlessness.
All of those things are what make this such a great little series. At 12 episodes and three OAV's it can be watched in one long afternoon.

Now, it might seem a bit weird giving an anime a 10 like Ichigo Mashimaro, but this is to be justified. I am rating this on how well it works as a comedy, not as "a masterful piece of visionary art". Since it is not.

A master comedy? Why yes, it is.

Ichigo Mashimaro has an unusual sense of humour and that will be noticeable right off the bat. The story is dependent on timing and the subtlety of the humour. While there are instances of pure crazy slapstick, most of the comedy comes from the sarcastic remarks or the feeling of "yeah, life's like that" aspect ... of it.

The characters completely complement the show. There is Miu, the show stealer who is insane and has ADD, I'm sure of it. Then again, the girl doesn't forget and holds madly funny grudges, so maybe she has selective or self-inflicted ADD. Her best friend is Chika, a normal girl who gets pissed off for being the only sensible person out of all her friends. What makes Chika great is her chemistry with Miu. They make a good comic dup. Sort of observing everything is Chika's older sister, Nobue, a college student who drinks, smokes, and loves "moe". Additionally, there is Ana, a British girl who can't speak a lick of English and Matsuri, the resident moe blob who can barely stand straight far less function properly in society.

The jokes are hilarious and tight, the concepts are unual though normal at the same time, and there's also a bit of emotional, real story in between all the comedy.

Ichigo Mashimaro is a great series, and highly recommended.

Does anyone else play the random anime game, when you find a long list of series, close your eyes, and then pick one randomly? That's how I was introduced to Ichigo Mashimaro. Normally, I never go with the choice I pick, if I get tired in the first five minutes, I'll change it. However, when I first heard the theme song, I was almost immediatly hooked.

I thoroughly loved every character and episode. The fact that it was nearly random on each episode made it easier for me; I didn't need to remember everything about the last episode to understand the one I was watching ... currently.

My least favorite thing about the series? The amount of Engrish was nearly enough to make me wanna cry. Call this weird, but I'm also slightly dissappointed in the ferret's screen time. While I typically don't care about animals in anime (unless, of course, I'm watching Fruits Basket) when they are seen in the opening, I had high hopes of seeing that weasel! D8

But, despite my unusual expectations, I loved this series. Something I will defiantly force my friends to watch. :)

When watching anime and you're hooked on the story, you feel that time goes by too fast, quickly scarfing those 12 or 13 episodes in one go, and you don't notice that you have already consumed five hours. Conversely, if you're watching anime and it feels that time drags on and it passes so slowly, it's a sign that you're bored and it's not surprising that you'll find yourself sleeping within the next 15 minutes or so. But what if there's an anime that makes you, well, at least me, feel that time has slowed down, and actually made me feel drowsy—even making me sleep, ... but in my mind, not bored at all? That anime, my friends, is Ichigo Mashimaro, or in English, Strawberry Marshmallow.

Ichigo Mashimaro is a CGDCT, or cute girls doing cute things, comedic iyashikei slice-of-life and as such, it portrays the daily lives of five girls, Nobue, her sister Chika, and Chika's schoolmates and best friends Miu, Matsuri, and Ana. Due to the nature of the anime, there's no deep plot or story, so there's nothing much to critique about it. It does have your usual slice-of-life elements like the cast going to school, school breaks, summer homework, beach episode, festivals, candied apples, and many more from what you can expect from a series like this. But then again, even though it's repetitive "in my perspective" due to me already watching many anime and reading many manga similar to this series' premises—quite ironic for something adapted in 2005, by the way—it did not get boring.

That's where the iyashikei part of this anime comes in. For a quick refresh, the term "iyashikei" refers to anime and manga that "heal" the audience by instilling a calming feeling or evoking emotional catharsis. I guess that I have been a little bit sleep-deprived within these past few days and as such, this anime's relaxing aura healed me and allowed me to sleep soundly. Now that I think of it, it might sound that I'm just saying that the anime is boring to the point that it made me sleep in a respectful way, but I'll just hope you'll take my word for it. Like I said earlier, the plot isn't boring—there isn't even a plot in the first place—it's relaxing. And slow. But relaxing.

For a 2005 anime to be in 16:9 resolution is quite a spectacle and it really represents how anime is becoming modernized around that time. Apart from that, my thoughts about the art can be summed up into one sentence. The first line of the opening theme goes like:

" 'Kawaii' nante sonna koto iccha dame desu!" (Don't call us something like "cute!")

*inhales*

Sonna koto wa jijitsu dakara sou iimasu! (That's the fact so I will say it.)

The characters are simply cute. There's no need for any more convoluted explanations. It's simply a fact. However, each of their personalities shines the most in the nostalgic sense. It might seem strange that I feel nostalgic in the first place, but watching this anime really reminds me of me and my siblings' childhood. Since I am four years older than my sister and the fact that she has her group of friends and there is no one in the neighborhood that is my age, I really relate to Nobue's role in this anime where she looks after her sister and her best friends as the mature, well, at least the oldest one.

Moreover, the girls' personalities hit close to home as well as they really resemble my sister's group. We have Chika, who is the mature one in the group, but sadly she isn't comparable to my sister, who's more like Miu, the noisy, boisterous, and over-energetic girl. Then we have Matsuri who's the most timid and shy, who also reminds me of my cousin, and we have Ana, who's overly polite and has the aura of a prim and proper girl, and I think my sister also had that kind of friend, but I recall her moving away and I can't remember her name. What a shame. Still nostalgic though.

As for the sound, I'm just going to critique the opening and ending themes. However, this might be the most impactful thing this anime has left me, so I'll savor the moment and go through it profoundly. As such, I recommend that you finish the anime first before coming back here.

For the opening theme, "Ichigo Complete," is totally something I'd expect from an anime of this caliber—the four main girls singing together. It's common but it never gets old. From the opening line:

" 'Kawaii' nante sonna koto iccha dame desu!" (Don't call us something like "cute!")

Once again, how can I not say that they're cute if it's the truth? Then there's the bridge before the refrain, which is totally a perfect transition really good to the ears!

Chigu hagu na iro de ii mon rakugaki shichao (Mixing up the colors is fine, let's just scribble!)
Shippai mo atari mae da yo ne (It's perfectly fine to make mistakes, right?)
Watashitachi wo yurushite agenasai (So please forgive us!)

If that bridge isn't complemented by a good refrain, then it would be a waste, isn't it? Thankfully, it is a good refrain, and the energy radiated by it really gets you going, quite ironic from my earlier statement that this anime is perfect for getting a good night's sleep.

Okoranaide ne okoranaide suki ni sasete ne (Don't get mad at us, let us do what we want)
Otona ni wa wakannai (Adults won't understand)
Suteki! Kiseki! Kanpeki! (Wondrous! Miraculous! Perfect!)
"Kawaii" nante sonna koto iccha dame desu (Don't call us something like "cute)
Totetsumonai egao mashimaro na onna no ko (Us marshmallow girls with fantastic smiles)

As for the ending theme, Classmate, it feels weird.

Wasurekaketa yume wo omoidashitara (When I remembered the dream I've begun to forget)
Fuini kimi no egao ga ukande kita yo (You smile suddenly came into my mind)

From these first two lines, in my first impression, I immediately thought, what's with these awkward one-and-a-half beats that don't make any sense and make the song more difficult to sing?

Ashita sae mada shiranai (Even if we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow)
Nee, asonde bakari ita ano hi (Those were the days where we played a lot)
Kyuunasaka michi demo (Even if it was a steep uphill road)
Nee, heiki na furishite hashitta (We'd run while pretending we're fine)

At first, I didn't really think much of the song as it was, to be honest, clunky. But as the series went on, everything made sense.

Isoide isoide (Hurry, hurry)
Mimimoto de sasayaku itazura kageboushi (A mischievous silhouette whispers through the ear)
SKIRT yurameki suzukaze ga hiza wo tataita (The skirt flaps as a cool breeze waves through the knee)
Ano ne, kimi wa ima doko ni imasu ka? (Hey, where are you right now?)

I felt the strongest impact during episode 12. And that's where I finally got it. This song isn't just any song haphazardly written with lots of abrupt one-and-a-half beats and sung without any kind of musical proofreading, it's actually kind of a genius production. As the series went into its final episode, accompanied by this song, gives the feeling that not only the episode has ended, but the series as well. It has the spirit of ending written all over it. It pains the heart, telling you one and one thing only. It has ended. A sublime work of art. I love it.

Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the anime. Nostalgic to the point that it reminded me of my childhood, and it managed to slow down time for me, helping me fix my sleep schedule. It's slow-paced but not boring, and overall, another unique experience to add in my book. If you feel burnt out, burdened by the realities of this life, then Ichigo Mashimaro is there to relieve your pain.

When I first heard of this anime, I was about 10.
Ever since then, I've always wanted to see it.
Now that I have, I have to thank my past self for taking interest in it.

Story(8/10)
The story is not very set, but it's a great series to watch if you don't want commitment or just need to kill some time. (Not necessarily a bad thing!)

Art(9/10)
The art is pretty cute, a plus if you like the 'moe' style.
The animation or anatomy never flips out or is half-assed (unless I just didn't notice), and it flows pretty nicely.
...
Sound(9/10)
While the site that I watched this on didn't really provide me with the best quality ever, I could still hear and see everything. And you have to admit, the voice actors really pulled-off that little kid-ness!

Character(8/10)
While the characters are very fun to look at, I wouldn't necessarily say they were the most original.
You've got the energetic, bossy girl, we have the foreign blond exchange student, the timid meganekko, the person who gets dragged along, and the sane-man.
Additional things are at least added to enhance hilarity, but for the most part, they're so-so in originality.

Enjoyment(10/10)
I've gotta say, it didn't take me long at all to finish this series; I latched onto it until the very end.
The humor is fantastic and cute, and each episode flows pretty nicely.

Overall(9/10)
Although I did have lots of fun with this show, unfortunately it still gets a nine. I was really disappointed that it didn't last very long, I could have gone for a second season!

would you rather watch an anime about 12-year old girls, rather than buff spikey haired dudes? If so, Then you came to the right place.


Seriously, Have you ever wanted to watch an anime, and just relax, not have to worry about Monster's blowing up the planet? Something without sad deaths and drama? Something simple and down to earth? To share a good laugh? This is a show with theme's of friendship, bonding. I've got a series for you. It's called...Strawberry Marshmallow.


Strawberry Marshmallow is a slice of life anime released in 2005. It’s a typical slice of life that focuses on Elementary School ... Girls, rather than high schoolers.


(I will try and keep this as spoiler free as possible, and not ruin any of the jokes for you)


The Plot: The plot is extremely simple, it's just 4 cute little girls doing cute things. That is literally it. No, there's no complicated storylines, no god tier enemies, no giant robots, none of that. The series focuses on the daily lives of 4 grade school girls, and their older sister figure, that’s all. Just little girls living out their daily lives, making friends, playing, baking, going to school, and all of it is done realistically as well. Since there is no Plot per se, most of the show relies on the characters and the way they interact with each other to make up the meat of the show. They are really the only focus, the kids, parents are never seen, at all. It’s actually kind of like an anime version of Peanuts. Or maybe a Disney or Nickelodeon sitcom (except, you know, actually entertaining.)


However, this is one of the major flaws in the series, is how simple it is. One flaw, is that if you aren't interested in whats happening, you'll likely be bored with the whole episode, since a whole episode usually focuses on one or 2 plot points. For example, in episode one, after all the introductions, the entire episode is focused on making a birthday present for Nobue, and them trying to stay awake. Which is almost 15 minutes of a 24 minute show, so if you aren't hooked into the show's plot, you will probably get bored, since the show does kind of drag at times. But, that's what you signed up for, to watch these girls go about their daily lives, (Not gonna lie, a couple episodes are outright snoozefests)


One of the best parts of the show, is that the events are all done extremely realistically, it's not like Lucky Star or Nichijou, where they have random references, or bizarre looking action scenes for comedic effect. It's like something that could be live action as well as animated. It’s kind of like watching someone’s home movies.


The plot structure is also fairly basic, it goes A plot, which serves as a catalyst for the B plot, B plot, heartwarming ending, credits. That's the structure for every episode. For example, in episode 11, the A plot focuses on the upcoming winter and trying to stay warm and kill boredom, and ending with Nobue wanting a hot bath...but let's just say things don't go well for her, with the B plot focusing on her and the girls going to a public bath


Antoher positive, The show does have some continuity, it starts off in spring, and as the show goes on, the seasons change, other than that subtlety though, it's purely episodic.



The Characters: In general, Each character is very dynamic. Plus, they are also written very realistically, they behave and react like normal children, and have an appropriate amount of intelligence for a child as well, they are portrayed as usually being wrong-headed but well-meaning, or applying incredible talent and creativity to a completely asinine pursuit, A good comparision would be Peanuts, which also does this well, as both have the cast often making pretty intellectual observations of their very grounded, mundane lives. It's certainly better then most modern sitcoms,like Modern Family, that go way too far in making the children witty and self-aware,


There character's themselves are
Chika, whose more of the bland audience surrogate with no personality, that pretty much all anime have as the lead. And that's not just my opinion, that's really how the show describes her.

Matsuri, who is somewhat gullible, very shy, and a bit of an airhead (Heck, she's 11 and still believes in Santa claus).She really serves no other purpose, except to scream and cry anytime something bad happens. To be honest, She's a bit annoying, and certainly my least favorite character.

Ana, a girl from england, but she speaks no english.. .seriously, the running gag of her speaking broken english is quite hilarious. (One please scene). That and She's pretty assimilated to Japan, and even knows more about Japanese culture then her native friends,

Miu, who serves as a tomboyish, perverted, problem child. She is always playing elaborate pranks on her friends, and out of all the girls, she's the most memorable. Also, most conflicts in the story are caused by her antics, and while she can be annoying to some, she is definitely the best part of this show.

And lastly, is Nobue. CHika's 20 year old sister, who's pretty cool and serves as somewhat of a leader. fun fact: in the manga, she is 16, but she constantly smokes and drinks, and since this is a show geared towards a younger audience, that never would've flown with the censors. (Note: In japan, the smoking and drinking age is 20). Also, another funny running gag that this adult has to constantly borrow money from her kid sister. Makes you wonder what she really does with all her money? (Clip chop dollar)

The cast is very likable, while they don't have the most deep or versatile personalities , they at least never come off as annoying. In fact all the personalities that have been given to each girl is pulled off sweet and charming. They really know how to interact with each other well!


Comedy: Ichigo Mashimaro’s Humor is dependent on timing and the subtlety of the humor. While there are instances of pure crazy slapstick, most of the comedy comes from the sarcastic remarks or the feeling of "yeah, that’s life"

But, there also is a heavy emphasis on perverted humor, which might be a turn off to some people, so watch at your own peril. And Keep in mind, these girls are 11 and 12, so the Fbi might show up at your door if you watch this. Miu is pretty common with these jokes, but there also is Nobue. Nobue is a lolicon (someone who likes loli's, aka cute girls). The way she reacts to how these girls behave is a bit concerning. Like how she reacts to Ana

It is quite unsettling, because she makes them dress in cute costumes and do other weird things. It is pretty creepy sometimes, so just a heads up. Oh, and also, be careful of the Loli police when watching this,

The strongest point of the show is its excellent timing of the jokes. From the delivery of one-liners to the repeated Miu on the ground gag, the timing is always near perfect, augmenting the humor all the more


Audio: THe opening theme is very joyous and upbeat, with clips of the girls just hanging out and trying on costumes, and certainly gets you in the mood for a lighthearted comedy and the adventures that await you

However, The ending theme is a complete contrast, it is slow and somewhat of a somber piece, with slow panning shots of Chika's room. It does help you wind down, though.

As for music in the show itself, it's largely mute. There very rarely is music, and the music itself primarily features piano. Music is used very sparingly and saved for only certain key scenes, like sappy heart to heart talks. Aside from that, it's mostly just sound effects, of nature.

Then there's the voice acting, which is pretty good. Each character sounds different, and their voices match their appearance and personality very well.


Animation: The animation flows very well, there is very little looping or repeating of scenes. Plus, all backgrounds are very detailed, as are the characters, which all have unique designs are definitely show off the Moe aestetic. (Moe = Cute)

The backgrounds are also very nice to look at as well.

the color scheme consists of only pastel spring colors. Even the dark colors like black and brown have that pastel touch to it. Theres so much color that some might even be drowned in the pastel.


Eyecatches: The eyecatches are fairly unique, they aren't just the typical ones with a character's face and the show's logo found in most
The music is a quick jingle, and The photoes are all closeups of Nobue trying on different outfits, like goggles, headphones, shoes. But, then you have the one for the first 5 episodes, it's just a closeup on Nobue's bottom in a skirt, and then her crotch in a pair of unbutton jeans

I got nothing, just that...Japan is weird.


Manga Vs. Anime: the manga ran for 7 volumes, and is a bit different then the actual show, that you need to be aware of. First of all,

Since the series is an episodic format, they can shuffle the stories around a bit and not ruin any sort of overarching plot, so the episode order is actually somewhat different from the manga ((For example, the chapter "Bath", in the manga it happens fairly early, but in the anime, it's one of the final episodes)). And some stories from the manga are omitted from the anime.

Plus, in the manga, Ana was not introduced until volume 2 of the manga. So, in the manga, she won't be featured in early stories. But, in the anime, Ana was introduced in the second episode, so in the anime, when adapting stories from volume 1, they add her to stories she wasn't present in. There's also some minor differences.

LIke certain lines of dialogue. There's one piece of dialogue changed that ruins a piece of continuity and a character.

Like the chapter "Job", where Nobue works as a waitress, long story short, Miu gets her fired. THen, the next chapter focuses on the girls going grocery shopping, and while shopping, Nobue decides to buy the girls snacks. However, When Miu picks hers, Nobue immediately puts it back on the shelf, but buys something for the rest of the girls.

Now, In the manga, Nobue flat out tells her she's being punished for getting her fired, however in the anime she does it, seeming out of pure malition. (Play clip) Yeah, that's really the only explanation she give. And then she just insults her for no reason. (Flat chest)

It just paints Nobue as mean spirited, which she's not, so they kind of made her out of character here. Which is very annoying to me, as Nobue is my favorite character.

All in all, If you enjoy the series, check out the manga, , since it features some extra stories that didn't make it into the anime


The Dub: Oh boy, the dub. Where do i begin?

Well, it's not the worst english dub i've heard, but it could certainly have been better.

Fun fact, the voice actresses for the dub were around the same age as the actual characters, which i found unique, since most anime feature adults doing the voices of children.

Although it may be unique, it doesn't make it good. The voices are for the little girls are very generic and don't fit the characters, especially Miu and Nobue (Play clips compare)

The delivery is extremely wooden, with no emotion at all. (Just about to eat and Hey that's me)

Also, the dub does handle certain things "interestingly"

For example, some scenes in the original have the characters speaking in english, in the dub they still speak english in these scenes, but they go from speaking like normal to talking in broken english, which can be kind of confusing if you watch the dub first and don't know when they are supposed to be speaking english or not. (very pretty from 3)
Also, Ana's dog is named Frusciante, named after John Frusciante of Red hot chili peppers. one scene features Nobue calling out to the dog, and butchering it's name, here it is in Japanese,

WHich is pretty close, since Frusciante might be tough for some people to pronounce, so it's understandable, however, in the dub, it doesn't even come close

I think this was just an excuse to say "Shite" on a kids show.


Final Thoughts: Do i recomend this series? It's cute, , it's funny, and is pretty unique in it's own right, it's a very upbeat, feel good style anime. Plus it's only got 17 episodes (counting the ova's), so you might be able to breeze through it in a week. You should enjoy it if you like really down to earth, simple, slice of life. Or, if you just need a break of action and drama heavy series. Even if your only exposure to anime is shonen and toonami, like i used to be, then try to step out of your comfort zone and give it a shot, you might actually enjoy it.

However, if you want something similar, but with more surrealist and outlandish humor, you may want to check out Nichijou or Azumanga Daioh (when mention azumanga, include swine flu photo, ) instead.

But, keep in mind everything i've said, when deciding to pick this show up. If Loli and pervy humor doesn't bother you, then it's worth a shot, i'd highly recommend it. , the power word for this show is CUTE. I cant emphasize this enough... CUTE is allover. Also, try to watch the original subbed first, rather then the dub.


if your like me and love slice of life anime with a nice realistic laid back sense of humor, then it doesn't get much better than this! As this title has some of the cutest and most lovable cast you'll see in one, and will give you a sense of joy and fondness after watching it!

Just finished it last night!

Yeah, the overarching theme I see in reviews in descriptions is "cute girls doing cute things in cute ways". PRETTY much sums up the entire show in that simple statement. It's hard to really comment on the story, because even shows like Lucky Star or Azumanga Daioh have them progressing through high school whereas Ichigo Mashimaro is pretty much just "4 Elementary School girls, older sister, annnnnnnnd go!". It's definitely lighthearted and very easygoing, you need to be patient and relaxed to really enjoy this anime. When you are in the mood for intense action, this is not your go-to. Given ... that, the stories are simple slice of life (this show epitomizes that statement, IMO) and stick to it. Nobue gets a job, the girls go to the beach, everyone goes to a bath house...don't expect FMA: Brotherhood or Kuragehime style storylines here at all. That having been said, it's sweet seeing all the stuff they do and want to do together. You have to look at kids and go "Aww, how cute" to really "get" this anime.

I'm no expert on art, but the show seemed well done. The girls were drawn well and looked very cute. Nobue kind of had a strange look to her, but not many other adults did, it could just be her expressions though. The environments looked good and everything was smooth, it was an easy anime to watch and looked realistic enough. Nothing mind blowing as there weren't many visuals to highlight, so this got a good but not perfect. It didn't take any risks, but at least it looked good doing it.

Now let me preface this by saying I typically judge an anime's "sound" rating off how good the dub is, if one exists. The theme song and the sub version is what saved this anime BIG TIME. I don't care how lazy you are, avoid the dub at ALL COSTS. It was terrible, ill-timed, and just downright annoying. I was 2 episodes in and switched to the sub, sooo glad I did. Even though I don't speak a lick of Japanese, I could tell the cadence of their voice acting in the Japanese version was way better. That part aside, the theme song was cute and really catchy. I have it stuck in my head soooo often. Ichigo Love!!! :-)

Usually it relies on the characters to make a slice of life enjoyable and fun to watch. Classic archetypes were present here, but I feel some of them just had the volume turned down on them. Miu was the loudest and most outgoing character by far. She is comical and a necessary part of the genre to give it movement, but sometimes you want her to shut up for just a minute or two. She has a purpose and definitely asserts her place in the series. Chika is the straight man, which is fine, but she just comes off as grumpy as opposed to just being the regular do-gooder. I kind of wish she had more character development outside of yelling at Miu and calling her sister a bum (even though she is). We had one episode that delved a bit into her psyche, but I feel she deserved more than one episode. Despite popular opinion, Matsuri was my favorite for a few reasons. She is the adorable, helpless one and her gentle spirit make her an ideal character for this genre and setting. Her shy nature was very cute and it was nice to see her go and do everyday stuff (especially with John!). Ana was another character that didn't get much screen time like Chika. She kinda came off as a crybaby and didn't get much development done for her. There was some OTHER "development" they mentioned, but I'll come back to that later. Nobue was well...kind of a drag. I get that her personality is blase and lazy, but sometimes she felt like a weak plot point that wasted time. The diner episode was a great setup though and couldn't be done without her. She is an ok character, but one I felt could have been better written or developed. She "got her kicks in" on the final episode, which was cool...plus the constantly knocking out Miu is pretty funny.

So enjoyment, yeesh where do I start? I did enjoy this anime a fair amount, but I felt there was some fan service and NOT in a good way. If I'm watching a show about little girls in elementary school, I get REALLY uncomfortable and upset when they try to do any sexualizing of them. Nobue is in college, I could understand some fan service concerning her (the beach episode prank with Miu), but the girls are too young and it's really messed up to do something like that in my opinion. Seeing them do cute everyday stuff and just enjoying life is a great thing to be a part of, if you have nieces or something of that nature, this could remind you of them. I had two girls that they reminded me of and it was kinda funny seeing all the activities and such play out. It's a lighthearted storyline so don't expect massive excitement in any way, you need to be in the right mood to watch this.

So overall, this got about the same rating I gave Tenchi Muyou. This had a lot of potential that seemed to be missed by lack of character development, SOME weak plot premises, and inappropriate fan service that just creeped me out. With these things fixed, this could have easily gotten a 9. I know some of the story tropes are staples for SoL (beach, bathhouse, etc.) but some of the content needed to be toned down on the sexual tangents. For Pete's sake, they are ELEMENTARY AGE GIRLS for crying out loud...can't we just let them be cute and innocent without trying to add perverted content in there? All in all, if SoL is your thing and you like genuinely cute little girls doing cute things, this seems like a great one to watch. Skip the dub, just trust me, and try to overlook the pervert stuff.

I may be biased, but I adore the cute childish slice of life genre so much!

It's sweet and funny, there's just something so comfy about these types of series that really causes me to rewatch them! It's definitely not a series for everyone, so don't watch this expecting to give it a 10 if you're not fond of the genre. The story isn't super strong (again, it's a slice of life!), the art is beautiful and is very true to the manga!

I would recommend this if you like sweet slice of life series such as yotsuba and nichijou ~ I would recommend reading the ... manga as well!

I'm going to make this review short and sweet.

This anime is very fun to watch, it's very similar to Nichijou by KyoAni in terms of animation, characters and plot.

In fact, it should be the other way around. Nichijou is very similar to this. Since Ichigo Mashimaro is a 2005 anime.

I'm very impressed at how this anime balances humor, cuteness and dense jokes together! If you've watched Nichijou, I'd say this is like Nichijou but without the added wierdness.

Mio from Nichijou is like Chika-chan
Yuuko is like Miu
... Matsuri is like.. well, nano the robot? or the teacher Izumi from Nichijou?

Sorry if I'm drawing alot of referencesto nichijou but it is how it is.

Overall, I just want to be blatantly honest and say that as a slice of life, this anime may not appeal to everyone, as most people like a story that is actually driven by the plot. But even if you aren't into slice of life anime, there is something in Nichijou for everyone to enjoy.

However, if you enjoy Slice of life like nichijou, lucky star etc or episodic mini stories with slapstick jokes, I highly recommend you watch it!



This review was written on 01-13-20 and may be outdated. I may have changed my rating due to various reasons.

entertaining. i ended up watching all of the episodes.

i thought it was very cute. my favorite character was miu by the way.

its actually also quite funny.

Ever since I've seen Azumanga, I've been on a quest to find some slice of life comedy with cute girls that I'll like as much as my favorite anime. After a few failed attempts, I have finally found something I got hooked on after the first episode. Ichigo Mashimaro!

I do like moe and cute-girls-doing-cute-things, but I don't like each and every anime that has those. It has to be done properly. And this is, at least in my opinion, done properly. Cute-girls-doing-cute-things at its best.

We have five protagonists: four 10 and 11 year old girls who go to school and face everyday situations typical for ... girls of their age, and one of them's older sister who often hangs out with them. They're all drawn very cute and likable, and they're all also likable as characters. All five of them. There wasn't a single protagonist that I've disliked. I especially liked Miu, who constantly pulls pranks on the other four, annoying them to no end. And there's another popular running gag (I won't reveal it here, however) that many fans were talking about, including a minor character named Sasazuka.

What I liked so much about this were the situations and the relations between characters. I was greatly amused every time Miu pulled a prank on someone. Nobue (the older sister) often has to discipline her in various ways, like having her laying face-down on the ground (one of my favorite running gags). But they still have a close bond, and that's what makes this so heartwarming while funny and entertaining at the same time.

Art in general is nice, pleasant and with vivid colors. Voice acting and music are also good. The story isn't very deep and characters don't develop that much, but that's not really something you expect from this kind of anime, so it didn't bother me.

Azumanga was the first anime I've added to my favorite, and "Strawberry Marshmallow" is the second. So, yes, I really, really liked this one. It's easy to follow, the characters are incredibly cute and likable, and the situations are funny and amusing. I highly recommend it if you like moe, slice of life, cute-girls-doing-cute-things anime.

Ichigo Mashimaro follows the daily lives of Itou sisters Nobue and Chika and their friends, Miu, Matsuri and Ana. It's SOL and CGDCT with a rather unique timing to it, but more of that later. Nobue is 20, Chika and Miu 12, Matsuri and Ana 11, making the show mostly about childhood and how those kids' personalities clash for humorous effect. As one might expect for a show of this genre, the atmosphere and mood are quite soothing and the plots are all trying to be lighthearted and endearing and it hits the mark most days.

The timing for this particular SOL is rather unique. ... The pacing is slower than most I think, not the plot itself but how the dialogue works and the way the comedy is delivered. This is not a bad thing and it works particularly well if you want something to shut your brain off for 20 minutes which is what I was looking for. This is also hinted at in the color palette for the show. A small range of mostly meek and calming colors. Right away you know what you're getting yourself to.

As far as the characters go, they're all quite nice and it's comforting to watch them playing around and being mostly silly. Miu is the chaotic element of this crew and as a result most of the comedy revolves around the rest of the girls having to deal with the crazy stuff she pulls off all the time. Ana is English but has lived in Japan for most of her life. She's very keen about Japanese culture and is very eager to make friends. Matsuri is a very shy, meek and introverted girl whose only weapon is her natural ability to inspire her friends to immediately stand up for her whenever needed. You'll understand why when you watch it. Chika is described by her older sister as "a girl whose main trait is not having any particular traits" but that's not true. She's the mature one of the group, many times acting more like an adult than Nobue herself.

Then you have Nobue. Being almost a decade older than the other characters and with no parents in sight, she ends up being a parental sort of figure, but without the pressure of being a real parent. All the other kids think she's super cool, except her sister who knows her a little better than that. She's a real mystery. Sometimes it felt like she had her own life going and having to take care of her sister and her friends is a nuisance to her. Other times it feels like all she has going on in her life is her sister and her friends and outside of that she's a recluse. It's obvious she dislikes school and doesn't care about it. Her room is pretty bare and the only passion she seems to have is smoking.

Sometimes she does a very excellent job at being an adult and treating those kids well and fairly, sometimes she fails miserably. Her relationship with Miu is particularly interesting because Miu obviously admires Nobue a lot and wants to be the girl Nobue likes the most. This is where Nobue is pretty hit-or-miss on her behavior. She seems to forget sometimes that she's dealing with kids, other times she goes out of her way for them. I suppose that makes her a rather realistic character in this. She was the most interesting character in the show for sure and watching her dealing with the children is very entertaining.

To finish this little rumbling here I would like to talk about the differences between the anime and the manga. It's been a while since I watched an adaptation so well put together. They read the original material and managed to change a thing here and there to great effect. First, changing Nobue's age from 16 to 20. Obviously this makes things easier with her smoking and drinking. Also, putting more age between her and the other girls reinforces her role as an adult watching children growing up, something she does a lot. A teenager would probably be too involved in their own crap to be around as much as she is in those kids' lives, so it makes her a little more grounded and interesting I think. Another change is having Ana there right from the start. In the manga she's only introduced on the second volume. Also making her enjoy Japanese things from the start instead of finding things weird really made her a lot more sweet. It also changed the way her elegance is presented, going for something less related to pride to something more agreeable. Lots of situations from the manga show up in the anime but the order, motivation and interaction between the characters are a little different. Ironically, I think the way the anime presented those characters actually revealed their personalities better than the first few volumes of the manga. Of course, they had the chance to read all the original material first and then decide how to proceed, while the manga was an original work in progress and that entails mistakes.

All in all, I really enjoyed this series. I wish the author would publish more volumes, as it stands, the story doesn't seem to be over yet, but it's on an indefinite hiatus for now. Let's hope we'll be seeing more of Ichigo Mashimaro soon.

Much like a strawberry marshmallow, this show is light, comforting and breezy. It has a simplicity that is very nostalgic to me despite having never watched the show until a couple years back and reminds me of being an eleven year old girl and the interactions and friendships I had with my friends and peers (sans a slightly creepy older sister *cough* Nobue *cough*).

Because of this I greatly enjoyed the show, despite it being slice of life, a sub-genre infamous for stories that go barely anywhere or no story at all (however this is the point of the genre) it was entertaining enough that ... I decided to keep watching, both because it was something lighthearted, funny and simple, and because of a certain character that I latched onto very quickly - Miu.

To some, Miu is annoying, loud and probably one of the most unbearable characters of the anime. However, at the same time she's considered to be a fan favorite. While Miu is bold and brash and tends to get herself into trouble and may not be the greatest friend, she is definitely one of the most entertaining characters of the anime. Her larger than life personality is what kept me coming back to this show and I doubt i would've finished past four episodes without her uniquely obnoxious charm.

This is one of the few problems I have with IM, the characters are there for cuteness and not to actually be characters. Yes, they do have their own personalities but most if not all are our cookie-cutter anime moe-blobs that I'm sure many of us have encountered in the past. Because of this, I don't have much to say about any other characters because they just seemed too simple, even for a show that is simplicity with a capital S.

Despite this, it seems that what the child characters do well at is being kids - they're both cute but little menaces at the same time which is why I feel like IM is one of few anime and manga that gets the whole "kids can be cute but evil" thing right. There's a good balance of cute and evil exhibited in each child character and the shenanigans that they get up to mostly play out in the way eleven year old kids would do it, and because of that they come off like actual kids instead of zero-substance annie-may gurls. The interactions between the girls are fun to watch with a dash of "D'awww" in the mix.

However, if there's one thing that irked me about this anime from the get-go is the older sister, Nobue. Nobue herself would be one of my favorites if it weren't for the more... suggestive scenes in this anime. IM is meant to be about cute girls doing cute things but this is sometimes taken overboard when it gets more "adult" in nature. Nobue will usually do something or say something that can come off weird when you realise she, a grown woman, is talking about the eleven year old girls that she has to look after. And, unfortunately, my favourite, Miu, is at fault of this as well which leads to some scenes being shoe-horned in as fanservice.

So, while it isn't delving straight-head-first into loli territory, there's enough suggestive material to turn off some viewers. And if you are one of these viewers, I would suggest to maybe not watch this anime or - if you must - skip the scenes which include it as it can be ignored and doesn't effect the story-line that much. In short: fanservice and kids don't mix, Japan. And they're kids for Christ's sake...

The bottom line is that Ichigo Marshimaro is a show that is perfect for those looking for something light and comforting to watch. The art is lovely and simple and works well with the shows cute gimmick, the episodes are entertaining enough that you will want to come back watching it, but that you can leave behind if you don't feel like watching more and you won't be missing anything important. It will put you in a good mood and will remind you of simpler times and all that mushy stuff, and has characters (although quite one-dimensional) that will remind you of how funny, evil and cute kids can be.

All in all, I would definitely recommend IM to any slice of life lover looking for something gushing unending cuteness.