Customer Reviews

Marmalade Boy Ultimate Scrapbook - Volume 1 (Episodes 1-19)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marmalade Boy is one of those animes that preserve the ideas of simplicity within human relationships without the need for fantasy and magical elements, something that seems almost long forgotten. While these elements are used to keep the enjoyment of the anime high, Marmalade Boy is one of those shows that does not need any of that to keep the audience glued to the TV.

A little bit about the story: Marmalade Boy spans 76 episodes and a short movie that acts as a prologue to the series. The protagonist of Marmalade Boy is Miki Koishikawa (making this a shoujo anime, an anime for girls - centered on relationships and emotions). Her thoughts that she had a normal life were now shattered as her parents return home from a vacation with plans to divorce and remarry with a couple, the Matsuuras, they had met. Miki makes it her goal to prevent this from happening, and all this happens while she has to deal with feelings for boys at school and for the Matsuura's son. Although Marmalade Boy centers around Miki, there are many other characters that have their own depth, personalities, and stories of love and the drama that comes with it.

Tokyo Pop puts out a good release with this. The video and audio quality is very nice for an older show. Putting out releases in smaller box sets of 19 episodes each was a good idea. With this being a much longer series than most, this makes it easier for people to get and enjoy the series without having to wait for individual volumes.

Final Note: I am extremely happy that Tokyo Pop has taken the effort to release a series that many feared would never be licensed. Along with this was Hana Yori Dango (Boys over Flowers) in terms of older, but amazing series with great stories. With the present anime and looking into the future, it seems we are forgetting the simplicity of stories and of human relationships that can be evocated easily and beautifully without the need to complicate it with other factors.

...That is, if I can. That is, if it's possible.

Plotting a diagram of the relationships that are traced and followed throughout this fantastic shoujo soap-style manga is quite a challenge. It's almost laughable, but this story is simply about young people and their daily lives and relationships. No giant mecha, no magical girls, no 'let's save the world before dinner time'. None of the usual anime fare, really. Yet the manga gets the last laugh, because you'll be hooked before you know it.

Miki wishes her life were more interesting, and her wish comes true when her parents suddenly announce that they are getting a divorce, and switching partners with another couple for a remarriage.

Miki is shocked and upset, but then she meets Yuu, the son of the other couple. Yuu is good looking, polite and fun, and Miki soon starts wondering what her feelings for her new 'brother' are... Meanwhile, Miki's best friend Ginta is trying to find a way to tell her he loves her, Yuu's ex-girlfriend returns with the intention of getting Yuu back, and Miki's friend Meiko has some heavy issues of her own.

It sounds like a soap opera, and in a lot of ways it is, but without being repetitive and throwaway viewing- it's far more addictive and well-plotted than that, with lots of twists and turns to the story to keep you interested and enthused.

I think a lot of my love for this series comes from its ultimate realism and undeniable cuteness. It's well-nigh impossible not to fall in love with these people- you soon forget that they're characters, and I was sure Wataru Yoshizumi, the creator of the manga of this series, had been to my high school and decided to put everyone I knew into this series. As you watch it, you just can't shake off the feeling that you've met all of these people before. I guess that's just because they're so realistic. The only thing about this series that isn't perfect is the animation, which isn't what you'll expect if you're used to anime like Inu-yasha or Full Metal Panic. However, I think it's still good and really cute.

As for the cuteness... *chibi grin* There's a unique delight to be had from watching the destined couples slowly but surely realise their feelings for each other, and finally get together. Don't underestimate this story's ability to have you alternately squealing with delight and clenching your fists with anticipation.

Fun, easy, involving, surprisingly touching: a darn good watch. You'll be crying 'kawaii' before you know it. ^_^

It's hard to describe M.B. without giving spoilers. It's basically a story of Miki and he romance with her live in (soon to be) "brother".

If you have any interest in Japanese culture this series is seeped in it. From what drastic haircuts mean... to social dynamics in the classroom and romance between teenagers.

It's funny that Amazon mentions that this came out the same year as Evangelion. In my opinion this series has held up better than Evangelion.

The characters are DEEP and amazing. There are no 2D ones in this series.. no filler characters to paint the background. It's funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking and joyous. A modern anime classic.

Marmalade Boy is a synonym for "crack" in shoujo anime. Tokyopop is releasing this astounding series in 4 sets of 19 episodes each - the only problem being that the other 3 sets aren't out yet!

Marmalade Boy, for a show with a silly title, deals with an insanely tangled web of characters and characterization, with an odd sort of love pentagon that forms. It follows Wataru Yoshizumi's excellent manga fairly well, taking rather obvious liberties as well as its sweet time (76 episodes from only 8 volumes!). As we follow convoluted affairs of the heart, centering around the unassuming but pretty Miki Koishikawa, whose parents swap with those of Yuu Matsuura. As something starts to develop between Miki and Yuu, her old crush Ginta Suou comes into the picture - as does Arimi Suzuki, Yuu's ex-girlfriend. Their rivalries are part of the addictive soap-opera antics, but it's Marmalade Boy's ability to do an early subplot involving Miki's best friend Meiko that really sets this first set above and beyond the average shoujo anime.

Marmalade Boy's animation is older and not up to par with many series from the TV boom that really got started in Japan in 1995 (MB started airing in 1994). However, it generally takes a more mature outlook even when it "goes shoujo" - aside from the occasional pastel recoloring or change from realistic to emotionalistic background, MB isn't so big on the major cliches of its genre. It's a fairly remarkable series for what it is, and if you're at all a fan of shoujo anime, this is essential at any cost.

Marmalade Boy is one of the best anime I have ever seen in a long time! If you are looking for a romantic comedy this is the one I recommend the most! One of the reasons why I love this anime so much is because of the lovable characters and the music! The music been carefully chosen and it's terrific!

One of the main characters is Miki Koishikawa. She is the average high school student with a normal life...well...until her ryoshin (parents) states out of the blue and says they're getting divorce. Her parents explained that they're going to switch partners with another married couple (the Matsuuras). How much stranger can it get?

One other major character is Yuu Matsuura. He has the looks, brains and for his personality....somewhat cold. His character is so mysterious and likeable! There were times when I just wanted to jump into the tv and just....scream at the guy!

The story is like a teenager's soap opera! It also focuses on Miki's friends. The obstacles that they all have to go through.
I have seen this series so many times and it made me laugh, angry and had me in tears (when I was still in my teens). Another reason I love this series is because I could relate to some of Miki's problems. It's tremedously a wonderful shoujo anime! Another recommendation is to the read the manga because it's more in depth! Wataru Yoshizumi-sensei has really done a wonderful job!

I am a huge fan of the Marmalade Boy manga, so I picked this DVD box set up as soon as I could! I had high expectations and belive me, this box set didn't let me down!

There are 19 eps on 3 DVD's. The box itself is sturdy and better than most box styles I've seen. There's an inside pocket that holds liner notes and *a special mini pencil board*!

The DVD menu's are easy to use. You have japanese and english dialogue with the options of subtitles.

The anime looks perfect, I couldn't have asked for better picture or sound!

The story is great and this DVD set is also great. If you are a MB fan, go ahead and buy this! It's totally worth it!

Now if only the 2nd volume was out...

I was 17 when I first saw a few episodes of Marmalade Boy. At the time, I was turned off by a couple of things, namely the seemingly exaggerated romance and character design (I, like some reviewers before me, thought the characters were elongated). Also, I found the protagonist Miki to be annoying back then... And Yuu? Well, I didn't exactly find him to be special. To be frank, I didn't like this show at all when I was 17. I saw some random episodes and refused to watch any more of it. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I pretty much detested the show back then. I didn't understand why anyone would waste his/her time watching Marmalade Boy.

BUT, perhaps, I didn't know better when I was 17. I essentially judged Marmalade Boy on superficial factors and failed to notice what makes it truly appealing. In fact, when I saw this show in its entirety at 22, I finally came to appreciate it.

Where did the difference lie? Well, for me, it was clearly personal experience that changed my feelings toward Marmalade Boy. When I was 17, I didn't know what love was. I didn't understand how anyone could get so emotional over someone they like and things of the sort. However, at 22, I had experienced all the ups and downs of loving someone, and on seeing the show, I realized that I could relate exactly to what most of the characters were going through. In fact, I think Marmalade Boy's strongest point is the well-designed (and easy-to-relate to) characters. I know that some people have labeled Yuu as a "pansy" and so on just because he prefers to keep things to himself. However, I know a lot of guys in real life who do the same thing, and watching this show actually helped me understand how they feel (generally speaking, most guys of this personality type are really sweet and sentimental). Actually, I'd say that Marmalade Boy's characters are fairly realistic in terms of personality and emotions. Yuu's and Miki's parents are probably the only characters that are somewhat out of sync with reality, but hey, they excel at providing comic relief. ^^

All in all, Marmalade Boy was an emotional ride for me, and I loved every minute of its simplicity and sweetness. And no, I'm not a little girl, and last time I checked, my brain was full of things other than cherry blossom petals (in fact, it's overloaded with marketing concepts as that's my field of study). Anyway, I highly recommend this series to shoujo fans. However, for those of you who place heavy weight on animation quality and character design as I did when I was 17 (or are looking for a series with an intricate storyline), then this show probably isn't for you.

Let's face something here, something that fans might not like to face: Marmalade Boy is not exactly a work of art. Okay, let's generalize less; it's a feel-good piece of fluff that has very little substance and whose only entertainment value is in seeing how far one can stretch relationship troubles. But, despite that, I love it anyway, and Volume 1 showcases why exactly that is.

Yes, the characters are cliche. Yes, the plotlines are often ridiculous. Yes, the animation isn't exactly the strongest example of this anime era. But you know what? The writing's tight (again, with it's moments), and you can't help but love the cliches anyway. As well as one of the best (and one of the only) positive and semi-realistic handlings of a student-teacher relationship (and if that needs spoilers, you have no idea what you're buying, do you?)

The extras for this version are pretty good; a few episodes worth of commentary (I would have liked every-episode commentary, but in a series this long, that's impractical enough to be forgive), an interview with the character designer, and a nice little picture card that presumably fits in with the ones in future boxes. And it all comes cased in a beautiful container that you will probably never show off for fear of screams of "What the frick is this?" from your family.

Overall, if you're a fan, I highly recommend this, you sad, sad person. ;)

Overall Score: 5/5

That's what the creative people dubbing Marmalade Boy at TokyoPop are calling it anyway. Check it out at their webpage. I have seen all the "underground" fan-subtitled episodes for this series so I can already say that this is a good anime (but I have to hold back one star because I haven't seen the dub yet). I've seen TokyoPop's sneak peak for this and I have to say I am pleased with what I've heard and seen so far. The voice actor for Yuu in the dub is more his age; in the manga, vol. 6's (pg. 47-check it out) Free Talk, Wataru Yoshizumi admits that she thought that Ryutaro Okiayu (Yuu's voice actor) had a deep, sexy voice and maybe it was too sexy and mature for his character (even her boss thought that). I have heard his voice in the fan-subs and in some "character songs", and they are right--it is deep and sexy. The voice actor's voice for Yuu, from what I've heard in the sneak peak, seems to embody the youth, vibrancy, mischievousness, kindness, and gentleness that are part of Yuu's personality. I think even Wataru would approve of his voice. I love the voice for Miki. Perfect! If you are a romantic, like shojo (manga that deals with relationships and the human heart), or like soap operas (as my brother called this series when my sister and I were watching it), then I have no doubt that you will enjoy this series! The manga is just as wonderful. The art in it is beautiful and clean. I highly recommend it!

i really wanted to buy this, scrabook 1 but i was to expensive and scrapbook 2 was only 9.00$ so
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