(L) Ichigo Mashimaro- or girls being mean?

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by Vexx

What I'd like to know is if anyone has found a pre-order source for IM or at least a specific release date. I had thought it was June but I'm not finding any vendors offering it for pre-order yet.

Animenation.com has it for pre-order, with a release date of june 20th listed, but they don't usually have the best prices... I like the cover, though not the choice of font for the title.

edit:

Originally Posted by Vexx

ah.... thanks very much (for some reason I didn't know about them).
Hmmm, price doesn't look too bad though I should check their shipping costs (more than a few vendors I know hide profits in "shipping").

That's because it's a preorder. Their regular price is about $26.

[Vexx]

ah.... thanks very much (for some reason I didn't know about them).
Hmmm, price doesn't look too bad though I should check their shipping costs (more than a few vendors I know hide profits in "shipping").
Hmm, shipping is reasonable. In this particular case, I'd call their pricing not too bad (compared similar to other products at competitor sites).
aye, the font is wierd but I've just given up on expecting a lot of jacket value in R1 releases due to the licensing costs.
I content myself with pouring hot coals on them if they screw around with the video/sound quality of the episodes themselves.

[xris]

Originally Posted by Vexx

What I'd like to know is if anyone has found a pre-order source for IM or at least a specific release date. I had thought it was June but I'm not finding any vendors offering it for pre-order yet.

I'm sure it's because you are searching for the wrong name

DVDPacific (and I'm sure other on-line store) have the first two DVDs available for pre-order.

Strawberry Marshmallow Vol 1 20th June
Strawberry Marshmallow Vol 2 1st August

I normally place an order 4 to 5 weeks before the release date (so I'm about to place the order today for Vol 1) since it seems that way the DVD is shipped early and I receive it before the release date

Darn, didn't notice the two posts above, just your last post on the previous page. As usual DVDPacific seems to offer a cheaper price ($16.03) along with cheap shipping.

[Vexx]

argh... oh well I'd already placed with animenation for volume 1 ...... <shrug> it wasn't that much more.

I've already "kamichu'd" with dvdpacific so I'll add IM#2 to that list.

Silly me for assuming they'd leave the title alone... now I'm starting to twitch at what Funimation might do with Tsukuyomi's title.... (still taking aspirin from Chibi Vampire... what are these people thinking).

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Silly me for assuming they'd leave the title alone... now I'm starting to twitch at what Funimation might do with Tsukuyomi's title.... (still taking aspirin from Chibi Vampire... what are these people thinking).

But the title means Strawberry Marshmellow. It's not like they changed it, they just translated it.

I thought they were going with the title Moon Phase for Tsukuyomi? I hope they are, that's the title I keep searching DVDpacific with.

[Vexx]

Since the entire title is Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, I was searching using both patterns. Tsukuyomi is a "proper name" of a sort so I wasn't really figuring they'd change it. The funigirls.com site uses Hazuki imagery but no explicit mention of the series yet. Looks like the web mistress (?) is having fun with the site, though.

yeah, I just had IM half translated in my head "ichigo marshmellow" because I see "ichigo" and just think of the fruit anymore, whereas marshmellow is an import word.

[xris]

Originally Posted by Vexx

"ichigo marshmellow"

Ahem, marshmallow, not marshmellow

I assume it was just a typo you picked up from rooboy666 in the previous post, but just in case that was the reason you couldn't find it when you previously searched the on-line stores.

I see no problem with Strawberry Marshmallow myself, it's a direct translation, as already commented, but it can be difficult to do the mental switch when you have already identified it as Ichigo Mashimaro (or marshmellow ).

And sorry to continue off-topic to the thread but usually AoD give it the "correct" U.S. name and they are listing it just as Moon Phase.

Originally Posted by rooboy666

I hope they are, that's the title I keep searching DVDpacific with.

Snap, so far nothing appropriate has turned up for "moon", "phase" or "moonphase". But then, they (DVDPacific) haven't listed Kodocha Vol 7 yet.

[rooboy]

Well, more importantly, TMP hasn't shown up in my monthly Previews yet either (usually stuff shows up in Previews a few weeks before it shows up on DVDpacific).

Originally Posted by xris

(or marshmellow ).

Heh, can't believe I misspelled Marshmallow, it seems to be contagious. At least (in my defense) I shouldn't be expected to, since I can't stand the things anyway.
I've already preordered volumes 1+2, I'm really excited as we head into a great winter anime season!

[Vexx]

Perhaps its because we're both from Texas ... its a dialect thing ((though I moved from there in '92 so I've lost a lot of the accent))
Glad I never got asked that at a spelling bee because I've always spelled it "mellow"

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by xris

I see no problem with Strawberry Marshmallow myself, it's a direct translation, as already commented, but it can be difficult to do the mental switch when you have already identified it as Ichigo Mashimaro (or marshmellow ).

The change in name shall take some getting used to - but still i know i'll be calling the show by the name i love, Ichigo Mashimaro.

Just seen the covers for the first DVD's - if anyone wants to see i'll post them up. ^^

[Vexx]

I just got the first DVD of I.M. from DVD Pacific (I canceled my order to animenation .... they were sending daily "backorder" emails for an item that was still in pre-order stage). Strangely (not), DVD Pacific already has their pre-orders in stock.

Anyway, I'll admit this up front -- I'd never seen Ichigo Mashimaro. I ordered it sight unseen out of the extremely high recommendations it got. Also based on the compare'n'contrasts of Azumanga and the entertainingly drawn stills I'd seen.

So now I've seen the first four episodes...
1) this show is *very* funny.
2) this show is pretty much totally unlike Azumanga unless "girls in school" was the defining characteristic.
3) the show itself is pretty much "unloli" and treats its characters respectfully ... but the non-show parts are a little wierd (for comparison, my wife loves Kamichu but thinks the postcards and mat that came with the LE edition was "dirty old man" strange). In I.M. , interstitials of "girl hips" is a little odd but could be just a fashion statement.
4) The older sister is a riot - dry wit, though I'm a bit surprised she still speaks to "miss attention deficit overactive" (bear with me, still learning the names) after what happened.

Looking forward to the rest of this series.

[Shiroth]

I thought it wasen't released untill the 20th?

[Vexx]

DVD Pacific sent me Kamichu a few weeks early as well.... I wrote and asked about it and they said their policy was to ship it as soon as it got in. They often get product ahead of schedule and they just figure it is wasting space at their warehouse if it sits there. They got their I.M. stock in early as well.

So I got Kamichu and I.M. a few weeks sooner than expected for which I'm quite happy. Pre-orders with DVD Pacific are Good Things, it seems.
The jacket cover features two of the girls surrounded by a pile of clothing.... also came with a $3 rebate on my next I.M. purchase good til the end of the year (which I'll use on #3 since I already pre-ordered #2). I kind of wish there was an LE box (if there was I missed it ... just got the DVD).

[Shiroth]

Ahh, thanks for clearing it up - and not bad on early orders. ^^

I'll just wait 'till the 20th, still i need my daily Nobue. <3

[Shiroth]

DVD arrived this morning, and i must say its amazing to watch Ichigo Mashimaro once again - gotta love the Pencil Board that came with it too. <3

[G. Zeus]

Even the main theme (exploration of innocence, and that, innocence is fleeting) for IM doesn't get obvious until much much later for a show that is only 12 episodes long.

I think that's one of the main reasons why some people couldn't fully appreciate the series. It seems that most people watch IM and only expect moe/loli/cuteness and comedy and don't look for anything else. To make matters worse, the main theme is mostly implied and this pretty much goes against the standard practice in anime wherein the audience is usually spoonfed.

While the series apparently focuses on the 4 younger girls, most fans seem to be ignorant of Nobue's role as the adult in the series. Of course, she also contributes a fair amount of comedy and cuteness to the series but more than that, it is through her that IM shows the role that adults play in preserving childhood and protecting innocence. Her interaction with the girls also shows the inner child within adults.



My favorite episodes would probably be:

episode 10 (Flower)

Spoiler:

Matsuri, the most childish of the girls, is the first to see the flower. The the girls crowd around the flower and Miu wonders how it grows despite being surrounded by weeds. Watching from a distance, Nobue says to herself, "Good for you to be so simple-minded." As Nobue leaves, Chi laughs and says, "You don't understand this kind of thing, Onee-chan." and Nobue only pauses and smiles with her eyes closed. The irony is that Nobue herself had been there earlier and she even took a picture of the same flower.

It's interesting that Chi's words are echoed in the anime's intro song (adults won't understand the greatness, the wonderfulness, and perfection).

episode 12 (Present)
Oh man. This one's so touching, it brings tears to my eyes.

Spoiler:

Whether Santa exists or not, as long as on believes in his existence, he will come to that person. Though she's wearing a reindeer costume, it's the second time that Nobue played the role of Santa.

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by Vexx

2) this show is pretty much totally unlike Azumanga unless "girls in school" was the defining characteristic.

How so? They're both slice of life comedies about friends in school. They're not identical by any means (Azumanga is funnier, Ichigo is more touching), but I would always recommend Ichigo to someone who liked Azumanga because they are as similar as two slice-of-life shows are going to be.

Originally Posted by Vexx

4) The older sister is a riot - dry wit, though I'm a bit surprised she still speaks to "miss attention deficit overactive" (bear with me, still learning the names) after what happened.

Nobue-oneechan is my favorite part of the whole series.
******************
DVDPacific always sends me my stuff early, yet another great reason to shop with them.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by rooboy666

Nobue-oneechan is my favorite part of the whole series.

For me, Nobue is the best part about anime.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by rooboy666

How so? They're both slice of life comedies about friends in school. They're not identical by any means (Azumanga is funnier, Ichigo is more touching), but I would always recommend Ichigo to someone who liked Azumanga because they are as similar as two slice-of-life shows are going to be.
Nobue-oneechan is my favorite part of the whole series.
******************
DVDPacific always sends me my stuff early, yet another great reason to shop with them.

Aye... but I must have gotten several dozen "Azumanga==I.M." posts and comments and when I actually watched it.... got very different feels between the shows. I guess its like saying Babylon Five and Star Trek are "the same"... when they're very much not.

I like both Azu and IM but I laugh in very different ways...

[Forbin]

Too bad Geneon really messed up on Ana. Her English VA is such a bad fit for a kawaii loli.