Anime: Ichigo Marshmallow

Strawberry Marshmallow is, as per its opening line, fluffy and lighthearted. Those looking for deep emotional involvement or tricky moral questions will come away very disappointed. And yet, I rate it above many series I have made similar complaints about. Why? Because it doesn't try to be anything it's not. From the word go, the show makes it clear what's going on; we're introduced to four schoolgirls whose everyday lives we'll be following. That's pretty much it as far as plot goes, though there is enough character development to ensure the show does not entirely stagnate.

If anything stands out about Strawberry Marshmallow, it's the animation. Although this kind of quality is something we've come to expect from modern blockbuster shows, it's refreshing to see so much effort applied for something which will surely be at best a "cult" success. Good sound, a superb and fitting opening, and likeable characters make the complete show a pleasant, enjoyable and very fun experience.

Rewatching this show would probably be a waste of time; to a certain extent it feels like watching it the first time was a waste; there is no plot to care about, no original quirks; the characters, setting and progress of the show are all things which have been done many, many times before. But I've yet to see them brought together so prettily as in Strawberry Marshmallow, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the show to anyone with the time to spare.

overall: very relaxing and enjoyable to watch!

Animation
The animation was quite nicely done in a simple way. Though the animation in the manga varied quite a lot, I think the choice of the character design in the anime was suitable for the given characters. Simple backdrops don't detract to this anime due to the nature of the anime's inherent simplicity.

Sound
The OP and ED was great! Character voicing was suitable for all major characters. Extremely enjoyed the sound overall!

Story
ehhh... not much of a story. But each episode tells of an interesting story. That said, the content of each short story is quite well thought out!

Character
Absolutely liked all character designs. Voicing matched the character styles quite well, and characteristics of each were well expressed.

FIRST OF ALL let me just say I'm not fond of Azumanga Daioh, that anime just bored me to pieces.

Unlike Azumanga Daioh, Ichigo mashimaro does the every day ordinary things and presents it in an interesting way. azumanga daioh does every day ordinary things in the most boring way it is done.

Animation
I loved how they made the girls cheeks blush. The animation fits the anime very well and it didn't bother me at any times.

I couldn't give a 10 but I liked the animation

Sound
I like the opening and ending songs it fits the show well. The background music was nice also and of course the seiyuus did such a great job sounding like elementary school kids.

the jap version is just perfect (seiyuus) and the english v is pretty good but in comparison to the jap it's nowhere near its quality.

the seiyuus just did a wonderful job doing the voice-acting and the voice actors in the english v. did a nice job but it doesn't come off all that convincing (sounds like lines being read in a studio)

Story
There isn't much of a plot just doing everyday things presented in an interesting way.

I gave it a 8 because it did a great job as a comedy in its own right but there were a few dull/slow moments (like any slice of life pretty much) but of course it's nothing compared to the frequent, never-ending looooong dull moments in azumanga daioh.

Not the funniest anime i've seen but it does a good job in its own way. I got some good laughs from me.

Character
Great characters, they are all unique and interesting and most importantly, likeable. My favorite would be Miu since she brings the comedy/trouble and she's very interesting.

I also like Sarah a lot who's the only one with blue eyes, she's very interesting with her situation in the anime

their interactions are very interesting especially nobue, anna, and sarah. I guess girl with the ferret is the one who brings it down. I found her annoying sorta like fuu from MAgic knight rayerath.

Value
It's definitely worth re-watching.

Just like Azumanga Diaoh?
After I read the decriptions of Ichigo Marshmallow, first thing that popped into my mind was Azumanga Diaoh (one of my favorite shows). I was excited to be able to watch a show that resembles to Azumanga Diaoh. Now that I've finished the show I don't know how to decribe the show other than that its not like Azumanga Diaoh at all. There are few similarities (couple of character personality resemblance, no plot, emphasis on cuteness) however, Ichigo is a completely different breed it self.

Animation was well done. I loved the simple, neat but detailed character and background design. Its simple because the there were mostly one color between the sketch lines (not exactly sure how to decribe it?). The sketch lines were solid and neat. These neatness made the show look fresh and manga-like. The character's clothes and background were detailed.

Sound was good. I am not sure about OST because other than beginning theme song nothing caught my attention. However, I did noticed that they put tiny sound details through out the show (like in school and festival, you can hear the people talking along with other sounds). In my opinion, sound of a show is good if you don't notice anything odd or it doesn't bother you. If you didn't hear people talking and moving and shooting target practice guns during the festival, it would be weird. The seiyus were outstanding. I noticed the voice of Matsuri is done by Ayako Kawasumi who also did the voice of a similar character, Osaka, from Azumanga Daioh.

There was no plot to this show what so ever. Its more like a slice-of-life show. Unlike Azumanga, Ichigo focus more on 5th (can't remember their exact grade) grade girls lives and stupid stuff that they do. The comedy made this show completely different from Azumanga. The comedy of Ichigo more resembles real life irony that occurs around childish play of 5th graders. I believe 5th grade kids would actually feel bored of this show. I actually felt bored lot of times. It made me smile often but overall the show seemed... dry.

Mostly the characters were believable to a certain degree. I still can't believe Nobue's infinite patience. Miu annoyed me so much I wanted to tell her off (if I ever saw a kid like that arg....) There were almost no character development, and characters were one dimensional.

Overall, I liked the show, and it was very cute but it doesn't measure up to the entertainment value of Azumanga Diaoh.

Animation
I felt that the art, not so much in its style or detail, but in the comedic sense of perspective that was taken into account, was exceptional. Also, a few of the backgrounds were unusually nice in my opinion.

Sound:
I felt that the voice acting was generally really good, except for Chika's VA who sounded fake-er than the rest. Nobue and Miu's VAs in particular were great.

Story:
There wasn't any story in particular, which specifically adds to the charm of this anime. Like other "lazy" stories such as "Neia under 7" or "Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou," the characters just interact with each other in regular everyday situations.

Character:
Ichigo Mashimaro feels like it has more character than most anime. Maybe because the characters are just going about their everyday business. All the characters are very cute and funny, but in a very believable way (Especially Miu). I know some kids who act just like the kids in Ichigo Mashimaro. It's interesting to note that Nobue shows slightly more love/care for the girls in the anime than in the manga.

Value/Enjoyment:
Ichimashi should be a very cute, lazy and refreshing anime to watch. There's a little bit of idealism towards the end (tempered by mocking of course), though it's usually nothing really intense. There's enough fast jokes in some episodes to warrant a few watchings.

In short: "Cute"

Story
Ichigo Mashimaro is an anime that showcases the everyday life of 4 grade school girls - Chika, Miu, Matsuri, and Ana - who go about their everyday business doing cute and funny things with Chika's older sister, Nobue. There isn't much of a plot, and there isn't much advancement in the story. That being said, the anime brings out a lot of emotions despite the shallow nature. The humour is light and relaxing, and anyone who loves anything "kawaii" will probably fall in love with this anime as well. The AniDB synopsis puts it quite nicely: "Cute girls doing cute things in cute ways."

Character
There isn't a lot of character development in here, as expected from a short and light comedic series, but the characters themselves have no problem driving the story. All the girls have very distinct personalities, each lovable in its own way, and the interaction of these cute characters is what Ichigo Mashimaro is about. All the characters are fairly animated, and show a wide range of emotions that are sure to keep the viewer interested.

Animation/Sound
I grouped these categories together because there isn't much to say about it. The animation is very smooth but crisp, staying true to the style of the manga. The art is well drawn and keeps the focus on the cuteness of the characters. The soundtrack is good, but nothing flashy - though the opening song is pretty catchy and had me listening to it a few times over. Everything works together in the production to keep the viewer's attention on the characters and their actions.

Summary
Ichigo Mashimaro is a good fix for people looking for some light humour and good clean fun. It's nothing particularly memorable, but it was definitely enjoyable, and I recommend this to anyone who liked series such as Azumanga Daioh.