Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
katachikumo
I felt the urge to write a review after finishing the anime and being disappointed many times by the characters' actions.
But first I want to say some good things about the anime:
It starts off really well. As "well" as an anime can get back in those days. We get introduced to the characters, to the situation that they are involved in, their position/role in the anime and so on. It was all nice and good, understandable (in the anime world).
Character design is okay-ish. Yeah, the parents look younger than their children for the most part of them, the character design is "skeletal" (Ultra long and thin limbs, broad shoulders and looking like 27, not their actual age).
Some characters are just too annoying, which they excuse as "being protective and caring".
Other characters deserved more s…
Read at the sourceFurorenshia
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. Unbearable protagonist, too much melodrama. I don't think I've ever seen a worse anime. It starts off well but then it all becomes ridiculously soap-operatic; even a telenovela like "La rosa de Guadalupe" wouldn't dare go that far. I thought maybe it would turn around or have a genius twist, but nope. It was a letdown. The anime is flat; there's nothing interesting about the story or the relationships between the characters. The animation, although from the '90s, is dreadful, and even the music and clouse-ups contantly accompany the protagonist's "oh no"s. The protagonist is unbearable throughout the anime; it's infuriating how dim-witted she is, and many of the dramas that occur are due to her own lack of self-worth. If you're looking for a good shoujo, don't bother…
Read at the sourceSobaaat
Marmalade Boy: A Frustrating Mess with a Trash Protagonist
Marmalade Boy is the kind of show that makes you wonder: How did anyone think writing this garbage was a good idea? What starts as an interesting concept—a family where parents swap partners—quickly devolves into a never-ending cycle of forced drama, shallow love triangles, and one of the most unbearable protagonists in anime history.
Miki, the main character, is nothing short of a disaster. She’s selfish, whiny, and constantly plays the victim card, but let’s be real—she’s just a bitch. Her behavior is infuriating at every turn. She cries about how hard her life is, but most of the drama is her fault. She entertains attention from other guys, leads them on, and then acts like she’s innocent when everything blows up. Her hypocris…
Read at the sourcexShiningxMoonx
6.5/10 (This review is for the entire series: TV, Movie, OVA)
-Unlikeable protagonist that’s very hard to root for
-Complex character dynamics leave a bad taste
-Sub-par animation and inconsistent frame-rates
+Bubbly, eye-catching designs
+Pleasant, classical soundtrack adds to melodramatic tone
It’s stated the definition of Marmalade is a fruit spread made from boiling water, sugar, and citrus peel, resulting in a combination of sweet, tart, and bitter flavors. On the surface Marmalade Boy is just that—a sugary tale of growing pains and finding love between two members of the same family. Bright colors, a classical soundtrack, and characters with wide, emotive features draw the viewer in. However, the resulting melodrama may leave a sour taste for some.
Watching step siblings Miki an…
Read at the sourceThe_Namer
This show has been on my radar for decades as one I wanted to watch some day, but its length (76 episodes) made it a costly proposition for importing until recent years. I'm glad I finally bought it, since it's instantly become one of my favourite shows.
Miki finds herself living with a handsome but aggravating boy called Yuu when their parents swap partners and all start living together. After this quirky setup, Miki falls for Yuu, and the two become embroiled in the kind of love dodecahedron you would expect from a romance anime as various other suitors show up. What makes Marmalade Boy special is how sympathetic most of the characters become, and how every shift in the relationships between any of them tends to have a devastating knock-on effect on others. Though the mid-episode eyecat…
Read at the sourceSapphiRubyCrys
I'll say one thing for sure the manga is better than the anime. The anime felt dragged and unnecessarily long which you will agree with if you read the manga.
Otherwise this is a good anime there are filler moments but nothing was too boring. IT was a fun time but the animation may seem old now and less fluid like the ones we are getting now so keep that in mind.
All in all the parents and their antics are fun. Miki is actually one of the first FL's I got to experience so she will always have a special place in my heart. Yuu is also a good ML.
The story just felt too lengthy... that's the only problem I had, especially as the eps went by.
Read at the sourceHikari-Kuro
Granted it’s anime, but who came out with such a degenerate plot?
From swinging parents to teacher, student relationship to parents allowing teenage step siblings having relationship?
No joke, even the side characters are swapping love interest like it’s going out of style. Let me save you the trouble of having to go through 76 boring episodes by giving you the synopsis of every episode, the two mc will always have some sort of misunderstanding in every episode. I literally dosed off a couple of times for a couple of episodes because it’s so predictable.
This series is boring, mc is annoying and the plot is ridiculous at times, example is side characters always appearing wherever the mc are, even when the mc are another location in Japan or America, mind you, these are teenagers who can…
Read at the sourceTakaCode
What makes a romcom anime good? Is it the show's ability to present relatable characters, is it the strong character chemistry or maybe is the fantasising love journey that is filled with strong character development, emotion and thematic exploration?
1994’s Toei Animation Marmalade Boy fits the bill. Marmalade Boy is a special and rare breed. It takes all the elements that the genre has established in the past and manages to not only to enhance those elements. It also creates its own elements that would appear in later romcoms anime down the line. Add up this show’s fantastic balance of journey and destination elements of a story and you get yourself a beautifully crafted romcom on your hands.
The story follows a happy go, lucky schoolgirl, Miki Koishikawa who is living a perfect home li…
Read at the sourceAgent_Redacted
- Achievement Unlocked : Completing a Shoujo anime with 76 episodes! -
Marmalade Boy began off as a decent typical Shoujo, Drama and Romance anime. But as time passes, it just got more and more boring from the over usage of the same old cliche we see every time in Shoujo anime. The notable "Love Triangle" ( A romantic relationship involving three or more people ).
Honestly, if this show had lesser episode. It could've been better. Okay, okay, I like the idea of having many episode so watchers won't get bored. However. The con of having TOO many episode is if the production can't keep the watchers entertained. Their show is doomed.
..Well, I wouldn't say I totally hate the show. Despite the old ass animation, voice, music and art. Because I'm a Shoujo, Drama and Romance lover. I find th…
Read at the sourceInuyashafan100
so the truth this is my first review even though I have been watching anime pretty much since I was borne so tell if I need to change anything
Story 10/10
the truth is that when I saw the first episode of this anime I was completely shocked because of how unique the plot was, this story is basically about Miki koichikawa this girl suddenly gets her world turn around when her parents suddenly came home that day and happily said to her that they were going to basically switch partners with the matsuura family, and as if that was not bad enough the other family has a son of her same age, who enjoys teasing 24/7 but the truth that only she knows is that she is actually in love with the young boy, to tell you the truth at first I though that it was going to be the typical sibling forbidden l…
Read at the sourcebellenutt
Story: The main story of this anime was pretty original and different. Although sometimes the characters can make very sudden decisions which sometimes make me feel too unrealistic. For example, Miki and Yuu's parents moving into the same house. The love triangles throughout the story were pretty cliche and nothing extraordinary. Also, the plot twist towards the very end was pretty hard to watch because it was a very emotional part of this anime. However, it was all a misunderstanding in the end, which makes me feel like the story ends very abruptly even though the entire anime was 76 eps long.
Art: The quality was pretty good considering that this anime was released in the late 80s/early 90s. I personally love this style of anime the most.
Sound: I thought the music was cringe at first…
Read at the sourceHappy_Mask
I remember watching this series when I was in high school but due to school stuff I didn't get to finish the whole 76 episodes, only made it until episode 15 I think.So fast forward, 11 years later, I've finally decided to re watch this anime. I've also read the manga prior to watching and although I loved every bit of the manga - the anime series, imo was even betterl! This anime marked my really high standards when it comes to the romance type genre.
To start, the story is not your normal highschool romance type plot.The first few episodes started with a very cute light drama between the main protagonist Miki and her love interest, Yuu (main guy) but as the episodes progressed, it gets more complicated. Each episodes gets a hold of you like how soap opera's would where in you can't real…
Read at the sourceyato_kami0
'Can we open our hearts to others? Can we let others know about our anguish? Can we learn to love and share all our worries?' Marmalade Boy seeks the answer.
PLOT: 7/10
Marmalade Boy starts with Miki, a high school student, having her parents swap with Yuu's parents during their Hawaii trip. This unusual situation causes both families to stay together. This is where it begins, their romance. Yuu does not open his heart to anyone. With all the hurdles in their way, will they last?
The plot is unique and that needs to be appreciated. Since it's a long running series the plot does go astray sometimes and there are events which make you ponder, 'Why did this even happen?'. Some events are generic and there was a point of time when i got sick of love triangles. However, even after all this. t…
Read at the sourceMissOtaku1997
Being the first anime I have ever seen, I have a lot of attachment to it. I watched it at about 11 years old, and it's really a product of the times. But that's not always a bad thing. Growing up, however, I do realize there are a lot of flaws with the anime (all anime have flaws, don't get me wrong, but the flaws in this anime are...bad, in my eyes).
I understand this anime is planned out to be a school comedy, and kind of set the frame for anime like School Rumble or Toradora. But still, there are a lot of things that bother me in this show.
The story is basically about Miki KOshikawa. Her parents decide to divorce and remarry another couple they met on vacation. In order to avoid confusion, they all move in a big house together. Now it's Miki, her parents, their new lovers, and the o…
Read at the sourcelolypop303
I loved Marmalade boy. The story was just pure genius. There's drama, romance, a lot of comedy; Practically everything a hopeless romantic needs. In the pilot episode you see that Yuu is in love with Miki. We know the reason in the movie.
Although the show is long, it is worth it. It's a very light show, but then builds up more tension and drama as the show ends.
Overall I give this show a 10 because it was a just a whole package delivered; An interesting plot line and good characters, with a solid background. It just kept me hooked.
Read at the sourceggultra2764
Marmalade Boy is one of those mid-90s shoujo romantic melodramas that were popular with older fans and this one particularly stuck out due to the complicated romance angles it played with throughout much of its run. Through the bizarre marital mix-arounds that their parents make, Miki and Yuu find themselves living together under the same roof and try to adjust to their bizarre predicament while slowly finding themselves falling for one another. With their developing relationship, however, comes a number of characters who each take their own romantic interests in one of our two leads, often conspiring to break the two apart so they they can have the one that interests them to themselves. For the first 20+ episodes, this involved close friends of the two leads which did make this aspect of…
Read at the sourcekyoscaum
After watching (and loving) Touch and Maison Ikkoku, I decided to give Marmelade Boy a try since there were so many recomendations from people who liked those two animes.
The storyline began in a really good way after the first episodes, when some characters were introduced. I found myself smiling from the beggining to the end of some of the early episodes. It really caught me due to its inocent humor and cause it didn't cross the "forced drama" line, despite bordering it a lot.
But after the first set of stories, the anime became too predictable and repetitive. Boy, even the intermissions started to annoy me, cause they would spoil some of the few small surprises tou could have with some of the couples.
I don't recall when exactly the plot went downhill, but it was somewhere after epis…
Read at the sourcekatlee8225
story-8
i really liked it. at first i didnt know wheater i would like it because it is a bit older and its a bit different then the shows i was watching at the time. and to be honest, i almost didnt make it past the theam song but i sucked it up and listened to it and started watching it and just totally got hooked.
art-7
the art looks so old and really i dont like it. i know it looks old because its from 9 years ago but still... haha
sound-8
pretty good :)
character-7
i liked most of the characters but all of them had 1 thing i didnt really like.
enjoyment-8
really cute show and i have recomended it to my friends who watch anime. its a nice story that it a bit of a dramatic rolar coaster.
overall-8
really liked it!!
Read at the sourceAerithharumi
Drama.... from beginning to end. Marmalade Boy is mainly about the two love interests Miki and Yuu thinking that the other is cheating on them. Then you also have random and when i say random i mean completely random supporting cast that end up falling in love with them, only to cause more unneeded drama.
To me i found nothing romantic about this anime at all let begin, Miki"s parents went on vacation in Hawaii and meets Yuu's parents both parents decided to switch spouses with each other. Then instead of just splitting up, they then decide to move in all together with there two teenage kids into one big house. The story line then gets very repetitive and the main characters experience the EXACTED same problems over and over and over again....just with a different person. The whole story…
Read at the sourcehater23
Let me start by first saying that Marlade Boy is amazing. I loved it and it changed my life , and I reccomend to all looking for a very well done/ complete romance story, it is very heartwarming , with many plot twists you will never be bored YOU WILL LOVE THIS ANIME.
IF YOU DONT FEEL YOUR HEART WARMED AND DONT FEEL THE LOVE AND SADNESS YOU ARE NOT HUMAN
The story was very complex and you will fall in love with Miki and Yuu, you will feel sad when the characters are sad you will feel happy when the characters are happy. The show includes many love triangles and follows many other couples relationships as a secondary while Miki and Yuu's relationship is in the forefront.
I am a 22yr old male who saw this anime 3 yeras ago and i still love this anime it will forever be one of my favorites…
Read at the source
