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.
