With the first volume's April 27 street date in sight, TOKYOPOP recently sent out an English dub-only screener of the first two episodes. Are fans of the manga in for a sweet surprise?
High school student Miki Koishikawa is a bit of a hyperactive contradiction. She hopes for more excitement in her life but, at the same time, wishes her parents were more normal. You might be tempted to label this "typical teenage angst," but then you meet her parents…
Most of us who have lived through parents' divorces are familiar with "the talk."
For Miki, "the talk" takes an unusual turn when her parents excitedly announce their big news: Not only are they getting a divorce, they are swapping marital partners with a couple they met during a recent romantic getaway to Hawaii!
Needless to say, our girl reacts the way most red-blooded teenagers would. She freaks out. And then she resolves to persuade the foursome to change their minds.
Her spirits are momentarily lifted when she finds out "the Matsuuras" have a son her age. Surely, he'll prove to be an ally! Right?
RIGHT?!!
Yuu turn outs to be "gorgeous" — (awesome!) — but he doesn't see the problem with all of six of them living under the same roof. (He doesn't share Miki's opinion. What's wrong with him?)
These episodes do a solid job of laying the groundwork for the sometimes contentious, up-and-down relationship the two step-siblings share throughout the 76-episode series.
Demonstrative and earnest, Miki doesn't quite seem to be equipped to deal with Yuu, whose reserved exterior masks a young man with the capability to be as kind as he can be sarcastic and snarky.
The English script — by Tony Oliver, David Walsh, Scott Page-Pagter and Fred Kennamer — manages the trick of presenting the dialogue in an entertaining, fluid manner while still conveying the cultural references and details that make the story so unique. (Explanations of school "escalator" programs, junior high/senior high grade breakdowns and the Japanese laws regarding divorce and remarriage are deftly incorporated.) Savvy dub fans will recognize quite a few voices in the production's English-speaking cast, directed by Olivia Venegas and Jennifer Wagner, but special attention should be paid to Michelle Ruff as "Miki."
MARMALADE BOY,
Ultimate Scrapbook: Volume One
- Includes Episodes 1-19
- Street Date: April 27, 2004
- Collector's Box With Custom Digipak
- English and Japanese Audio
- English Subtitles
- Translator Notes
- Bonus Pencil Board With Exclusive Art
- Episode Commentary
- Outtakes
- Image Galleries
Recommended for "Teens," ages 13+
MARMALADE BOY
© 1994 Wataru Yoshizumi |
Toei Animation Co., Ltd.
© 2004 TOKYOPOP, INC.
All rights reserved. |
Marmalade Boy hinges on the audience feeling some degree of compassion for Miki when, under "normal" circumstances, she might otherwise be viewed as a brat.
Miki's sheer exasperation, frustration and confusion are depicted in an energetic way that is natural and fits well with the animation itself. While Ruff's portrayal allows viewers to sympathize with Miki, it also gives them the leeway to understand why the four parents (and Yuu) consider her reactions to be overly dramatic.
How will Miki deal with her new, combined family and her sardonic — yet obnoxiously cute — step-sibling? And how will Yuu's appearance affect Miki's friendship with former crush Ginta?
Marmalade Boy's first two episodes promise an anime adaptation that fully retains the charm of the manga and will bring grins to the faces of existing fans and new fans alike.
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