Marmalade Boy is a Japanese anime series concerning the relationship among two high school students, Miki Koishikawa and Yuu Matsuura, and their circle of friends. What makes this relationship problematic is the conditions upon which they were introduced: all four of their parents, while on vacation in Hawaii, decided to "swap" partners. Each parental pair would legally get divorced, and remarry the other child's parent. This may sound confusing, but what's even more complex is their decision to all live together under the same roof! All four parents as well as both children!
This sets the stage for many romantic, and oftentimes uneasy, moments as Miki and Yuu find themselves developing feelings for another. And let's not forget the other cast of characters: Ginta Suou, Miki's once object of affection, whose affinity for Miki allows him to find a rival in Yuu; Meiko Akizuki, Miki's longtime friend, whose advice Miki oftentimes seeks belies a much more visceral despair.
But watch the series for yourself, lest I ruin the many surprises, concerning the relationships among all the characters.
Marmalade Boy can best be described as a romance-comedy. It is very light-hearted and witty at times; yet it has very poignant moments, almost enough to make you cry.
Miki Koishikawa is my favorite character. While she can be described as naive, it is her innocence and her deep trust in others that I admire most. There is not one ounce of ill-will in her character, making her susceptible to the connivances of others. Yet, she has the support of her best friend, Meiko Akizuki, who is also Miki's confidant.
Yuu Matsuura is a charming individual. He has a deep respect for Miki; because of his solid "pokerface," Miki is never sure of how he feels towards her. This leads to many awkward situations, in which Miki finds herself.
I was first introduced to Marmalade Boy at one of U.C. Berkeley's Cal Animage meetings. Unfortunately, one of the first episodes I watched numbered in the 10s or 20s. From that moment on, I was hooked. Marmalade Boy was chosen by Cal Animage members (at that time, I was not a member; but I have become one since) as Animage's Weekly Showing, meaning at every weekly showing, at least one, or as many as four, episodes would be shown.
By the end of the semester only episode #50 (of the 76 episode series) had been shown. I knew I had to obtain the early episodes I missed as well as the last couple of dozen episodes that I knew that I would otherwise never be able to watch. That's when my interest in fansubs took precedence over my financial concerns and it has since never looked back.
Marmalade Boy is my favorite anime series of all time and so I give you: