Ichigo Mashimaro

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!

Ichigo Mashimaro is the kind of anime relentlessly adherent to the tag of“slice of life”and telling a story set around four adorable Lolis and an old man soul within a big sister’s body. The four elementary school’s girls are all have an Kawayi personality，what I mean is，four differently typical kinds of cute personalities of which you will always bump into some kids,even teenagers and adults in our real life. In other words,the four lolis are the embodiment of four respective dispositions,which are face-saving,obedient,mischievous and mediocre (“Chika’s characteristic is having no characteristic”,opined Nobue). By the way, there are some scurrilous remarks/barrages over the naughty girl Miu Matsuoka,since some people are likely to regard the “wild kids” like Miu as unfairly privileged under the perception that they are condoned too much by the society,without gaining any punishment from their perturbing behaviour. Not to mention the irreplaceable function of Miu’s role in pushing forward the storyline,I must state that Miu is not the so-called “wild-chid” whose manners are brazen,unbridled and unscrupulous. Surely,Miu is a cute girl full of mischief and harboring no secret of her eagerness to be pampered by Nobue. But you will sooner identify Miu ,in fact,is so caring about Nobue,Chika,and Ana from many scenes and details.And that is why I love her so much, that is also why the rest of the main casts love her so much. You know,even if the fanservice anime,in which loli is not meant to always be obedient just like the girls at work in the Maid House. Just like the user @MrGaz said,this the series you shouldn’t miss.I do hope that more people would encounter and find pleasures from it. P.s: Does anyone like me think each time the Teacher asks the boy seating behind Ana to stand outside as a punishment without any reason is so funny. This is not mean I support the school bully ，I just think the nonsensical punishment is a joke of stream-of-consciousness’ style to some extent.

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.

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.

This anime is easily one of the best SoL ever made, seriously. This show focuses on showing the daily lives of the main characters - four kids playing all day and the older sister of one of the kids that's unemployed. The interactions between all girls are cute and funny, they sound really natural, just some kiddos playing with each other. Each character is unique: Miu is the devilish child, Matsuri is super innocent, Chika is the most reasonable, and Ana the foreign girl. The older sister Nobue is there to take care of these children, but she mostly ends up playing with them. This show is really funny, the playful children always pull some pranks and get into silly situations, so you can't help but laugh at the situations which they find themselves in. It also excellently depicts how playful children can cheer you up. The supporting characters also add a lot to the show, making for some hilarious scenes. The art is also adorable, it's really cute and colorful, fitting perfectly with all this wholesomeness and cuteness. The audio is also great - the VAs do a great job, and both EDs and OPs are really cute and well made. Overall, this anime is perfect for its purpose: a show about some cute and funny girls playing with each other.

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.

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.

Its simple slice of life, except its all about the daily lives of 4 grade school girls, and a university slacker, who is a sister to one of the grade schoolers. Its really well done, the art the characters are all unique, and its just enjoyable and soothing to watch, with hilarious moments in between. Its a shame its short, I would have enjoyed if it was longer.

Ichigo Mashimaro is a slice of life comedy, nothing more, noithing less. It is about four friends and and an older girl who is one of the fours sister, there isn't a set story apart from seeing a different activity each episode and most of the time that activity happens in Chika's bedroom. Art/Animation I would say the art of this show fit perfectly, it's a cute show thus everything looks cute, everything is simple but it isn't a show where you would want overly detailed hair styles, clothes etc, each character has their own cute facial expressions which are amplified by their tiny mouths, the backgrounds are very softly drawn. The animation is nothing amazing but it fits the show with is simplicity and smooth movements. Sound The opening theme song is a very catchy fun song in which is sung by the Japanese seiyuu and is likely to get stuck in anybodies head for a while, the end is the complete opposite and is a slow ballad but it is still a nice song to listen to. There isn't a lot of background music but there is a little and the sound effects of crickets and various other noises were ok. The English dub voice actors were all great and each one fitted their character, they even portrayed the lack of ability to speak English by one character. Characters Miu is a bit of a brat throughout and on occasion can get annoying but she certainly has her cute and funny sides, Chika is the straight man which even has a joke made about it, Ana is the English girl but knows a lot more about Japan than her own native country, Matsuri is the quite type and seems to act or behave younger than her actual age, then there is Nobue who is twenty years old but you wouldn't know it, though she does smoke she seems to spend more time with the 11/12 year old girls than anyone else. There isn't a great deal of other characters introduced apart from a teacher who has it in for one of the male students and a couple of animals; a ferret named John and a dog called Frusciante which i found to be an awesome shout out. Overall This show is simple, it's funny, it's cute and it is relaxing and is something that is really easy to watch, we are treated to a variety of activities which do include a standard beach and a festival episode.

Strawberry Marshmallow, as the name implies, is a very cutesy anime. Its about 3 cute girls, 1 brat, and a 20 year old who likes cute girls. The cute girls are: -Ana Coppola the new girl at school from England, she pretends to not speak Japanese and can only speak English, when in reality she has forgotten English and can only speak Japanese -Matsuri Sakugari the shy one -Chika Itou the sensible one The brat is Miu Matsuoka the troublemaker. And lastly the 20 yr old Noue Itou, Chika's older sister who is always looking after the girls. The show revolves around the daily lives of these girls. Its a show for moe lovers (and lolicons)

Tldr：If Miu wasn't in the show I'd give this a 10. Everyone besides Miu is genuinely so cute, despite not having any particularly unique personalities, Nobue,Chika,Ana and Matsuri are all wonderful characters and I really like them. The series is a typical SoL with cute girls doing everyday stuff, but with a sprinkle of humor in it. Personally most of the jokes didn't resonate with me, particularly the jokes in episode 4 when Ana first appeared. The way Miu constantly jokes about Ana's insecurities and constantly rubbing it in Ana's face despite Ana already crying in front of her really made me hate Miu. But wanting to see more of the remaining cast, I still sat through the entirety of the show. Overall I'd say it's good if you like the moe aspect of the show and can ignore how Miu acts like a bratty annoying 3 year old despite being 12 already, or you like Miu despite her flaws.

Not gonna lie, when first jumping into this series I thought it was gonna be another slice of life in the "cute girls doing cute things" genre, but as I watched more and more I came to realize that it had something that most shows lack, it had a "soul", it's something ineffable, it genuinely blow my expectations, almost as much as seeing kids in a year post 2020 playing outside. It's no masterpiece but it made me laugh out loud more than one time so it definitely did something right, my cold dead heart definitely appreciates this as a reminder that not everything in this world is that bad (sometimes(most of the time actually)).

Ichigo Marshmallow relies heavily on comedic elements to sustain viewer engagement; however, it falls markedly short when compared to other works within the CGDCT (Cute Girls Doing Cute Things) genre. Although ostensibly framed as a comedy, the series rarely succeeds in delivering effective humor: its timing is inconsistent, and many of its comedic beats feel disjointed or poorly executed. While elements of Iyashikei - a genre intended to evoke a soothing, contemplative atmosphere - might be expected to compensate for this deficiency, they are similarly undermined. The series suffers from a lack of distinct characterization, with its cast often blending together into an indistinguishable whole, thereby diminishing both emotional resonance and narrative engagement. “Pointless” is, perhaps, the most succinct characterization one might offer to a prospective viewer. In contrast to series such as Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star, which successfully prioritize and execute comedic elements, Ichigo Marshmallow neither delivers compelling humor nor fully realizes the calming intent of Iyashikei. Instead, it leans on a superficial sense of nostalgia that ultimately renders the viewing experience more melancholic than relaxing. Consequently, the series appears to cater primarily to viewers concerned with completionism rather than substantive enjoyment. Unless one is entirely devoid of alternative viewing options - which is rarely the case - it is difficult to recommend investing time in this work. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Cute girls doing cute things really sums it up, like that's it. Shares a lot of the moe, slice-of-life stuff that I loved in Lucky Star. An emphasis on daily life, casual back and forth conversations, and especially the focus on the seasons changing, that's all 10/10 for me. Sadly, while Lucky Star is brilliant and non-stop, I found myself getting pretty bored for long stretches of Ichigo Mashimaro. Maybe it's aiming for a younger audience but I felt it was a little too light on jokes most of the time. Still an essential 2000s moe show and I will miss it though! The contrast between the girls and Nobue is engaging and sweet, nothing groundbreaking but the commentary about growing up is interesting. I liked how she was a smoker, part-time alcoholic too, I felt seen. The dead-pan comedy is consistent and charming and it looked good throughout, I especially liked the attention to detail with clothing. The OP and ED are major highlights for me though, perfect, and it's weird but I loved the transition images too. Sweet and well-made if a little forgettable, but there are a couple laughs, genuine heart, and some great 2000s design there too. I also cried 3 times at the last episode. Cute is justice!

It’s like Azumanga but it makes you wish you could regain your innocence and be a kid again ;-; Accomplishes everything a good slice of life should be and more. Funny, relaxing, and cute. Not much else to say. It doesn’t try to have an overarching story so I don’t feel any need to take points off for that. The vibe is nostalgic and melancholy. Not that the anime is sad, but if you are anything like Nobue (the nicotine-addict, unemployed, self-insert MC), the show takes on a meaning beyond just cute slice of life moeblob. It’s an escape to those happier moments in your youth where you weren’t burdened by reality and all that shit. Without spoiling, the last episode really drove this home for me. Idk maybe I’m thinking about it too deep. It’s solid tho. 10/10