Anime Name: あぃまぃみぃ!ストロベリー・エッグ || (Ai Mai Mi! Sutoroberī Eggu) || I My Me! Strawberry Eggs!
Rating: ★★★★☆
Dub or Sub: Either!
Does it have a Manga: (yes || no)
Aired: Summer 2001
Target Demographic: Shounen
My Recommendation Demographic: Everyone 13+
Genre: Romance || Comedy || Drama || Slice of Life || Genderbend
Synopsis: Hibiki Amawa, who’s dream is to be a professional teacher, needs to find a way to pay rent. And he’s desperate. But the only job that he can find that he’s qualified for is at a private school. However, despite how qualified he is, he is denied the job because he is a man (and he’s turned down rather rudely, might I add). How offensive, am I right? Talk about misandry. The sexism is real. He and his landlady concoct a plan for him to get the job anyway under the guise as a woman, and low and behold he gets the job. He just has to keep it secret from everyone.
On the flipside, Fuko Kuzaha is a young girl who attends Seito Sannomiya Private School. She’s awkward, clumsy, and she feels a little bit out of place. Once Ms. Amawa comes into the picture, everything changes. First it’s simple admiration. But then those feelings blossom into something more romantic. But it’s inappropriate to fall in love for your teacher. And a female one at that! Oh, whatever is a girl to do?
Details:
The anime focuses itself on our two protagonists: Fuko and Hibiki and their life struggles. Everyone else is basically just a side character. But don’t go thinking that they’re going to fall in love. Because they’re not. And aside from that it would be completely inappropriate for that to happen considering
a) Hibiki is more than likely twice Fuko’s age
b) He is her teacher
Though I can see the appeal. Because while they are love interests, this anime is more about discovering yourself, proving yourself, and knowing your potential.
You get to experience both Hibiki’s and Fuko’s lives in a parallel fashion. Which is really nice.
The Characters:
Hibiki Amawa: College graduated, looking to get hired as a teacher because it’s his dream job. After basically getting turned down and insulted because of the employers’ reasons, he makes it his mission to prove himself, even if he has to crossdress. It’s more a personal mission for himself.
Fuko Kazuha: Our young student who may swing a certain way towards their teacher Ms. Amawa. She’s clumsy as all hell. She’s shy and soft spoken. She’s bad at athletics. She’s basically me, if I was in an anime. Nonetheless, she’s loveable, and a good character that grows and develops as the anime progresses through its 13 episodes.
The Good:
What I liked about I My Me! Strawberry Eggs was that it was like a fresh of breath air. It was romantic. The art is beautiful, and it was a unique story.
Hibiki has to deal with a misandrist staff, and he shows them that men aren’t as bad as they believe. Of course, this totally sounds like a “not all men” situation, but it’s not the case, I promise you. You watch him prove himself to be competent as a teacher, despite the sexist principal saying that men are useless, don’t amount to anything even with education, and they don’t love nearly as much as women do. (Isn’t that sort of ironic? Or maybe Satirical, considering that the opposite is what’s really believed in our real lives.)
Basically, the idea here is that Hibiki is breaking the general conception of females being better at teaching and that men and women can be equal in a female dominated setting.
Fuko, on the other hand, is a relatable character. I watched this anime when I was probably around twelve years old or so, and I completely felt like, somehow, I was in her shoes. The struggles she went through--questioning her identity and being in some sort of love triangle--it was something nice and emotionally satisfying for some reason.
The Bad:
The lack of minor character development leaves something to be desired. Remember when I said that everyone else is basically just a side character? Well, while they do matter quite a bit as minor characters and contribute to the story, they aren’t the main focus at all. Which isn’t at all a bad thing, but you can see some slight insight into some characters and then theres nothing more. There’s nothing deeper than that. And granted that it’s a 13 episode anime, I don’t really care too much and can understand why it’s sort of skin deep.
Minor fanservice? Of course, this is debatable. As a 12 year old, I saw panty shots and I was completely unphased. But then again, I was innocent and stupid as hell. But, you know, given the fact that the wiki page says that the target demographic is “shounen” and that the number of panty shots is minimal at best, and nothing is too explicit, then I guess I can say that the anime can get away with it.
Conclusion:
While Strawberry Eggs may be a little old, or somewhat dated, I think it’s a classic in the sense that it’s a good anime for people who are either new to anime or veterans to anime. It’s a refreshing slice of life, which I think everyone can appreciate every now and again. It provides you with laughs, and you should totally give it a try.
Manga Name: (彼 First Love || Kare Fāsuto Rabu) || Kare First Love
Rating: ★★★★☆
Run: 2002-2004
Number of Volumes: 10 Vol.
Target Demographic: Shoujo
My Recommendation Demographic: E for everyone
Genre: Drama || Romance
Synopsis:
Karin Karino is what you may call a below average girl. She has glasses, dresses conservatively, and isn’t very outgoing to be honest. To put it plain and simple: she is shy and plain looking. Just, plain and with low self esteem. Aoi Kiriya, on the other hand, is an attractive boy that is Karin’s age, but goes to a different school. He may as well be the anti-Karin. And just like in good ol’ fashion boy meets girl, they fall for each other, despite first impressions, and have to go through the rough patches such as parental disapproval, peer pressure, bullying, and the like.
The Characters:
Karin Karino: The bespectacled female protagonist of our story. She’s shy and conservative, and hasn't been one to try new things until Aoi Kiriya comes along. Then, she changes her look, becomes somewhat outgoing, and even ditches the glasses.
Aoi Kiriya: The anti-Karin. He’s pretty, he’s hardworking, a bit perverted, but carries secrets and pain with him, which include some estranged family ties for reasons that you need to find out on your own. Sorry, no spoilers for you ♡!
Yuka Ishikawa: A “friend” of Karin’s who isn’t really her friend. She’s a bully and a manipulator who takes advantage of Karin. Though, their relationship does change eventually.
Nanri Ayase: Karin’s real best friend. She’s an independent girl who looks out for herself. At first she may seem to have a cold exterior, trying to be cool and unapproachable, she isn’t afraid to stand up to certain people like Yuka for the sake of people like Karin who can’t fight their own battles just yet. She’s a good friend who offers advice and helps out as best she can.
The Good:
Real World Themes: The manga deals with themes that are all too real, making it timeless. Kiriya has to deal with grief and loss and guilt. Karin has to deal with bullying, peer pressure, parental pressure, and the pressure of doing well in school. Everything is relatable to someone in some way, shape, or form. Nanri gets a pregnancy scare after having an affair with a married man, Yuka is overly jealous of Karin and Kiriya... etc. We’ve all been there, and we can see ourselves in at least one of the character’s shoes at any given moment.
Character Development: One of the things I absolutely love about this manga is the character development. You get to see them grow as they go through hardships and try to better themselves. Sometimes, the characters will just break your heart.
Art Style: The manga’s art style is different from most art styles that you see today. In its own way, you can see that it’s unique and beautiful.
The Bad:
I noticed that the manga really centralizes mainly on Kiriya and Karin’s relationship and nothing else. But before you say, “Hey Tosh they’re the main characters isn’t that kind of the point?” Let me tell you, that as supporting characters, Nanri and Yuka also deserve to have some more character development. It’s like they’re just put there and they don’t really change much. I mean, yeah they get their moments, but I feel like theyre treated as minor characters more than supporting characters sometimes. Maybe it’s just me, but what I’m trying to say is that I’d like to see some more focus outside of Kiriya and Karin’s love life.
Now, it’s been a while since I read it, so I’ll have to brush up and see what else in the manga isn’t up to par, but I’ll keep you updated!
Conclusion:
As one of my first mangas that I have ever read, it brings me a sense of nostalgia. I remember being a 6th grader, and at the time I was such an anime nerd, but I knew little to nothing about manga. I just wasn’t a big reader. But when a friend lent me the first few volumes, I was hooked.
Kare First Love is your typical romance. Straight up, and nothing else. Think of it as a legitimate romance novel, but with pictures instead of the proper--or rather--typical structure of a book. I like that about it. Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. It’s all about Kiriya and Karin’s relationship evolving and blossoming. They go through rough patches, but they overcome it against all odds and each time they managed to get back together.
I recently bought the first five volumes for myself around Christmas, after rediscovering it again and I’m still in love with it.
If you’re the type of person who just loves love and is a sucker for romance, I highly suggest you give Kare First Love a try. It may be old, but it’s still eternally relevant to any and every generation out there.
Rating: ★★★★☆ || would watch again || deserves a season 2
Dub or Sub: Subtitled
You do not want to watch the dub
Aired: Fall 2013
Episode Count: 12 Episodes
Target Demographic: Seinen
My Recommendation Demographic: Everyone 16+
Genre: Harem || Comedy || Fantasy
Synopsis:
Shin’ichi Kano is a proud otaku, who lives an isolated life as a hikikomori. I mean, when your father writes light novels and when your mother illustrates eroge, it’s no surprise that you’d inherit some sort of love for anime and manga. But he’s still a boy, and like all boys they fall in love.
After confessing to a childhood friend, getting rejected, and then teased for his hobbies, he starts his life of solitude and quits school. At first, this behavior is allowed but after his parents get fed up and insist that he get a job and go back to school.
Well, he got a job alright. Shin’ichi ends up as the ambassador brought to the Holy Eldant Empire to bring “otaku/moe” culture to them, so the japanese will be able to set up trade. But it’s a lot more work than expected.
Detailed Plot Summary:
So let’s get started shall we? From this point on I’ll try to avoid giving spoilers, but I’m going to go into some detail about the plot. If you would like to avoid spoilers, skip ahead passed the summary, and go ahead to what was good and what was bad.
Shinichi Kano is a hardcore otaku fully immersed in otaku culture. His mother is an eroge illustrator, and his father is a light novel author. But don’t be surprised when you hear little to no mention of them in the anime. They aren’t even seen. Nonetheless, Shinichi, after quitting school and becoming a shut-in because he got rejected by a childhood friend who he had fallen for (that is such a cliche), is asked to get a job by his parents. He also has to attend school, he can’t be a hikikomori forever, no matter how bad he wants to.
The series starts with Shinichi taking a quiz or questionnaire of some sort. As it turns out, he’s applying for a job, and it’s not surprising that he gets a perfect score when all the questions are anime and manga trivia. In the next scene, he is meeting with his new boss, and discussing what his position at this company is going to be exactly, when the next thing he knows he’s drugged and when he wakes up he’s in a completely different world.
Quickly, he becomes acquainted with an elvish (technically half elf) maid, Myucel Faoran, and fellow (well endowed) otaku and BL enthusiast, Minori Koganuma. He is shown around, and is absolutely blown away by everything. It is explained to him that he is now employed as the “moe” embassador to the Holy Eldant Empire, another realm that is kept secret by the japanese government until they can find ways to exist together.
At first, our protagonist wants to promptly leave and go back home, but he’s persuaded to stay.
Shortly afterwards, Shinichi is on his way to meet the Empress of the Eldant Empire, Petralka Anne Eldant III. The sixteen year old empress looks like a little girl, and Shinichi gets way too excited upon meeting her, and she hits him right in the kisser. Still, after the matter is settled, Shinichi is allowed to do his job and try to introduce otaku culture to the fantasy world that is the Eldant Empire.
This is when the real hijinks start.
The anime then goes on to its stereotypical, hilarious anime hijinks: Shinichi starts a school so people can learn japanese and learn about otaku culture, theres even your stereotypical beach episode. It’s a good time. The anime gets slightly serious at times, and especially near the end, which makes for a great story.
I’ve failed to mention some other character because for now they aren't exactly relevant to the plot summary persay, but they’re still important nonetheless. The only reason I’ve failed to mention them is because the first episode is really what sums up the plot and it gives you an idea as to how things are going to go, which is why I’ve summarized the first episode, and the characters that I haven’t mentioned don’t necessarily appear until later.
The Characters:
Garius, Petralka, Myucel, and Minori in order. Garius, is one character that isn’t mentioned up above, but does come up often, and is a love interest for Shinichi. He is Petralka’s cousin, and is also a knight who serves and protects her.
Elbia, A student, and Shinichi. Elbia is a werewolf who has a talent for drawing. She’s a bit strange, with weird mannerisms, but maybe that’s just the dog inside of her. She’s a sweet girl, and quick to become friends with the cast.
The Good:
Animation: The animation was beautiful and fluid. There is nothing to complain about, from me at least!
Character Designs: The characters were all very unique in their own ways and the designs were original very original, aside from your three japanese main characters.
Character Development was decent. We get to see people who previously butted heads change in different ways and see each other as equals and as friends.
Very comedic, but could get serious when it had to be, and it would still be pleasant to watch.
Very family friendly, for the most part. There are some inappropriate scenes, but if you’re mature enough the themes will just fly over your head. And if you have a child, you might want to wait until they’re a little bit older so that they don’t ask embarrassing questions.
Nicely implemented Plot
The Bad:
Fanservice: Okay, so maybe the fanservice is for the target demographic, but it seemed to be a little bit forced, at best? Not even that, it just seemed a little out of place, for some reason. But that is just my opinion.
Secondhand Embarrassment: Seeing Shinichi fanboy was sometimes just too hard to watch and maybe a little bit shameful. Maybe, because, it reflected how many of us fellow nerds look when we geek out. You don’t realize it, but this is probably what we look like to strangers.
Harem: Really? I don’t really think that this anime could be classified as a harem, since none of the female cast showed much interest in Shinichi besides Myucel and Petralka (which I don’t mind, I think either pair is cute). Hell, even Garius showed interest in him. There may have been a large portion of female cast members, but this classifies as your general love story with two females pining for the protagonists affection (even if they don’t really know it).
The Plot Could use maybe some more Elaboration
Conclusion:
Outbreak company is an interesting anime, with a good concept. It’s so meta. It’s an anime, where the main characters talk about anime most of the time. (Okay, some of the time).
While I’m probably not the target demographic, I thought the anime was hilarious, and it definitely needs some love. You should definitely give the anime a try. It is definitely the kind of anime where you sit back, relax, and have a good laugh or two.
