Strawberry Marshmallow

"Made smoking and drinking around 12 year olds look cool"

Strawberry Marshmallow is an anime that follows the everyday life of Nobue Itou, a 20 year college student whos hobbies include drinking, smoking, and watching the shenanigans of her little 12 year old sister Chika, and her friends Miu, Matsuri, and Ana. Opposed to Nobue, the childrens lives are alot more fun filled, and everyday is a new experience for them, whatever antics they may be doing.

This anime was fun, the first i've watched of a genre apparently called "Cute girls doing cute things (CGDCT)" and yeah I couldn't deny that that was what they did most of this show. Admittedly though I was a bit skeptical at first, yknow, given the designs of these children (these girls look 8 at most) and the incredibly cutesy and rosy opening, you may have thought this is the kind of media that gets you on a watchlist but nah, it's just a slice of life thankfully, and a good one at that.

Given the genre theres absolutely no plot to this series, just purely focuses on the lives of the main 4 girls, going to school, hanging out, playing around, while Nobue sort of watches over them when she can. It's refreshing just seeing how these children traverse their youth while Nobue ponders over her life, I'm sure that's not an uncommon feeling around her age group (me included.)

As weird at face value of a 20 year old college student hanging around her kid sister and her friends sounds, I think it did an oddly good job at letting these characters shine. The 4 kids have personalities ranging from Timid to "This girl needs to see a doctor" and Nobue being the adult of the group makes the show entertaining just having her deal with these kids. Despite being annoyed with them alot of the time she no doubt cares for them and being around them jogs her mind a bit about her own life.

I quite liked this cast of characters, the best thing I can say is that they definitely were children, which sounds strange, but I certainly knew kids growing up who were like this or had similiar traits, despite their goofy antics occassionally causing trouble, I'd hardly blame em cause yknow, their kids. Except for Miu, kinda.

Another good thing is that the series never got boring to me, theres always something going on with the kids that keeps you on your toes, despite how mundane their lives can kinda be.

To highlight, I quite liked the comedy of the show, alot of deadpan deliveries really did it for me, and whatever escapades happened in the show always atleast had a chuckle from me. This is one of the good thing about the main characters mostly being children; they do kid things, children are like, inherantly a little bit funny and them doing whatever their young and naive minds think is fun is cute. Nothing will make you laugh out loud or anything but I still thought it was pretty good.

The artstyle is as expected, cute and soft, saying this as a good thing, these characters express well and can have some funny faces which is always a plus for me, can occassionally be oddly fashionable aswell. The animation was also quite good for some reason, especially during the 2 OVAs.

Related, the english voice cast I have to commend, purely based on the fact that the children bar Ana really did just sound like children, I genuinely thought the Matsuri was voiced by a child. The other voices were good aswell.

Highlighting Nobue again, while this show would still be perfectly good if it was just the children, I think having Nobue be their role model-esque character adds a small but important amount of depth to this show. It's nothing too deep I don't think, but still, Nobue does her best for these children despite her irritability, and does make her feel happy. I don't think it's ever said explicitly but theres a tone of wishing she had the innocence of a child again.

I don't think theres anything particularly bad about the show, but occassionally Nobue will be a little bit weird with Ana and Matsuri, like getting close to them or making them weird costumes or whatever, I've read that she has an "Appreciation for moe", but it's still pretty strange, nothing that ruins the show, but still should mention.

I guess the last thing I wanna mention is that, this show made me weirdly nostalgic? Alot of the anime I watch tends to have the characters around high school/college age and while those made me sorta wish I had a better High School life, this more so makes me think about the kind of joy and naivety kids have. Nobody really wants to be a kid again but everyone likes the thought of being a kid again, yknow.

Ok actual last thing I absolutely have to mention is that the anime inexplicibly has references to artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Aphex twin for some fucking reason, you can see it alot more in the art in the original manga if you look it up and its so funny.

Anyways, you should watch this show if you wanna see children be stupid and have fun, and a 20 year old smoke around them and think about her life. I give it my 2 thumbs up.

The "adult" of the group, Nobue Itou is a 20 year old college student between jobs and mostly smokes, drinks, and does schoolwork when not with the children.

During the beginning of the series shes a little "out of it" but finds more euphoria in life as the series progresses.

Nobue's sister, Chika, is a cheerful, but pretty no nonsense girl, probably the smartest of the group, knows how to cook and is sick of her older sister siphoning her cash for her nicotine addiction.

Miu Matsuoka, neighbor of the Itou household and Chika's childhood friend.

She is a strange girl, she is the problem child/brat of the group but believe me, everything you see this girl you will question her.

She is weird, however shes also the funniest character in this show, you will love or hate her, ends up lying face down on the floor alot.

Matsuri Sakuragi is the timid and softspoken girl of the group, a year younger than Chika and Miu. Also has a Ferret named John.

Usually the subject of pranks and tricks by Miu, she cries and whimpers alot

Depicted as also being favored by Nobue

Ana Coppola is a girl who is originally from Cornwall, England. Sorta also timid like Matsuri.

Shes a little insecure about being a "foreigner" in the series, especially since she doesnt actually know much english.

Also like Matsuri, is favored by Nobue.

Strawberry Marshmallow at MyAnimeList

Strawberry Marshmallow at Wikipedia