Ichigo Mashimaro (R1 US) Volume 3 Released as Strawberry Marshmallow An adaptation of the serialized manga of the same name, Ichigo Mashimaro features the lives of 5 girls: Nobue, Chika, Miu, Matsuri and Ana. Whether at home, school or out and about, they can’t seem to avoid getting caught up in bizarre situations. The third and final volume of the series, this disc features episodes 9 through 12.

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Content

A very funny set of episodes indeed, we follow the girls through their various trials and tribulations (almost entirely caused by Miu.) Firstly, Miu gets under Chika’s skin by calling her chubby, which leads to Chika attempting a crash diet. She’s finally placated by Nobue, who then notices that she’s put on a few.

When their hot water system breaks down there’s nothing for it but to set off for the public baths. Miu treats it like a trip to the pool, complete with floaties.

A visit to the park - spontaneously suggested (rather, ordered) by Nobue leads to various hijinks and it’s all capped off with Nobue, Ana, Chika and Miu dressing up to keep the illusion of Santa Claus alive for Matsuri. Miu plays Santa (although she hasn’t quite got the role down) while the other three girls dress up as reindeer. It, of course, goes catastrophically wrong but it all works out well enough in the end.

Disc Details

• Video: Anamorphic 16:9
• Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Japanese and English)
• Subtitles: English (Dialogue and Signs Only)

Extras

• Series Artbox
• Limited Edition Pencil Board
• 2007 Calendar
• Music Videos
• Japanese TV Spots

Packaging

This volume comes with an Artbox to hold the entire series featuring Miu on both sides (in Summer and Winter modes) and looks quite spiffy. The Disc Cover shows Nobue and Chika playing Football.

Overall

I’m still not a fan of the art style used but the humor certainly more than makes up for that. I laughed all the way through these 4 episodes — it really is hard to keep a straight face. Miu is an absolute riot and combines with the straight-laced Chika to create a lovable comedy duo.

Review Equipment

• Display: AWA TFTD81G 81cm LCD
• Receiver: Kenwood SAT6110 6.1ch Surround Sound
• DVD Player: Samsung DVD-HD747 upscaling to 720P @ 60Hz
• Cabling: Video via DVI, Audio via Co-axial

This entry was posted on Friday, November 24th, 2006 at 00:38 and is filed under Anime, Anime Reviews.