Strawberry Eggs

An great anime

This was a great anime. When I bought it and watched it, I couldn't stop watching it.

It is about a man named Hibiki Amawa, who graduted from college and was ready to be a gym teacher. When he applyed for a teaching job at the high school near his appartment, the princpal told him that the school only hires female teachers and that men can't teach because they do not know anything about love. Irritated by that, Hibiki was determined to get that teaching job and prove the princpal wrong about men. With the help of his gun carrying landlord, Hibiki disguised himself as a woman and got the job. Now that Hibiki got the job, he has to keep his true identity a secret or he will lose his job.

If you want to know more about this show, buy your own copy and check it out for yourself. Like I said, It was a great anime. December 9, 2007

Strawberry Eggs (I My Me) - Make-up Exam (Vol. 1)

ME GUSTO BASTANTE, ES UNA MUY BUENA HISTORIA QUE YA HABIA BUSCADO EN OTRAS PARTES PERO NO HABIA PODIDO TENERLO ES MUY DIVERTIDA Y DIFERENTE A LO COMUN...EXCELENTE July 7, 2006

A wonderful and warm

I loved this series. If anything I'd have liked it to have been longer to allow more character development in the supporting cast and really hope they go back and do a second series for it. I want to know what happens to these characters. I was very sad it ended so soon.

I think it would be fine for the whole family really though there is a bit of fan-service, guns, gender questions, and the age difference may be disturbing for some. It's all very respectful though and sweet and melancholy.

Though for the life of me I've still not figured out the title "I My Me Strawberry Eggs"...

And as always... please what anime in Japanese with subtitles. Don't watch the dubbed version. June 8, 2006

worthwhile

Recently graduated from college, an enthusiastic and bright Amawa Hibiki aims to establish a teaching career. Unfortunately, the school he tries to apply for a job at only hires female teachers. The principal points that men can't teach here because they do not know anything about love. Daunted by the feministic principal's rejection, he swears to prove that men do know about love as women do. Listening to his story, the landlady offers him a proposal. She tells him to dress as a woman to get a teaching position. Then he reluctantly agrees. As Hibiki and the landlady perfect his womanly disguise, he returns to Seitow Sannomiya Academy academy to apply again but as a woman. The Principal gives the female Hibiki a challenge: to get a clumsy student named Kuzuha Fuuko to run 50 m dash without tripping. After several attempts and Hibiki's advice, Fuuko succeeds. That was her first 50 m dash without tripping. She was his first student ever. And Fuuko's classmates notice the female Hibiki with curiosity. Fuuko helped him get a job at Seitow Sannomiya school. Thus Hibiki's career at that school begins.

In the second episode, Fuuko starts to call the male Hibiki a "bra-man" because she saw him wearing a bra. Ironically, she was pretty scared of the male Hibiki but trusted the female Hibiki.

Hibiki has witnessed his students' self-doubts, problems and angst but counseled them to overcome their troubles and doubts. Examples:

1. Hibiki noticed that Fuuko is trying hard to finish her committee duites and no classmate could give a care about it and were too self-centered. So Hibiki decided to take action and inspired all of Fuuko's classmates to help her. Thus Fuuko was no longer the only one who wears bloomers (female gym shorts) because every girl wore bloomers.

2. Hibiki broadens the communication between the parents and students, bringing them as close-knit and loving families on "Family Day".

3. Hibiki helps the kids who were fighting with each other finally come to an understanding and encourages them to share their fears with each othe.

4. At the camp, while the vice-principal teaches the kids about the moral wrongs of male-female interaction, Hibiki butts in and opens the kids' minds and makes them realize that nothing is wrong with a male and a female together. He adds that they have nothing to be afraid when they'll be ready to reach adulthood and still interact with each other.

In the end, a 22 or 23-year old teacher Hibiki Amawa realizes he is in love with his own 14-year old student Fuuko Kuzuha who develops lesbian feeings for the female Hibiki but doesn't completely have any idea. Hibiki and Fuuko are 8 or 9 years apart. Not only they are teacher and student but also they're an adult man and an underage girl. Such a forbidden romance.

When the vice-principal doubted Hibiki's gender, she embarks on her intent to expose Hibiki. After several disastrous failures, she was able to succeed securing proof and reveal Hibiki's identity to the public. As Hibiki's gender was revealed to the public, at first Fuuko thought her feelings for Hibiki were fake. But she finally realizes she still loves Hibiki, whether it is male or female. Hibiki is the one she loves, regardless of the gender and it was no lie. Therefore, she staunchly defended Hibiki's actions by reminding everyone of Hibiki's good deeds while being a teacher and successfully rallied the students, faculty and parents to back Hibiki and oppose the school's plans of making it an all-girls school.

Fuuko runs for a desperate last time to reconcile with Hibiki but all she got was Hibiki's look at her running to reach a speeding train he is on. But Just a look at Hibiki's expression was enough to assure her that she'll meet him again someday.


My opinions:

Story: 9/10

The story focuses on not only teacher-student relationships but also the junior high school kids' immature attitudes towards the different roles of males and females in the society. Which was well executed with the kids' clear and broad understanding of the roles of the gender and age due to Hibiki's lectures in the end. That was a enjoyable storyline, though I didn't enjoy particular episodes. Many of the episodes, however are just decent, some are great and all of them are not terrible. Amusing actions of Mori and Toufu, the perverted residents at Hibiki-sensei's apartment as well as the landlady Ruru's actions inject a good dose of humor into storyline. Unfortunately, the guys' roles are rather cameo. However, the landlady has a major role in the story which I can appreciate.

Character development and interaction: 7/10

Mori and Toufu are hilarious and equally perverted. Ruru the Landlady is strict but spunky. Kuzuha Fuuko is clumsy and whiny but very cute. I don't really like Akira Fukae, anyway because he acts like a jerk. I felt that Fuuko's classmate, Himejima Fujio isn't to my liking. She is quite headstrong, tomboyish and kind of emotionally immature when it comes to Akira. On the other hand, her narrow-minded intolerance of men reminds me a bit of Naru. Seiko, another of Fuuko's classmates is even more wimpy than Fuuko and has a dislike of the men, But both the principal and vice-principal are even more narrow-minded and a hundred times more feministic than Fujio or Seiko. Umeda Miko, Fuuko's fourth classmate, is the most feminine of the four girls and is quite boy-crazy. Miko is my third favorite IMME character after Hibiki and Fuuko. All of the students in Hibiki's class are pretty angst-ridden and most of them have a terrible misunderstanding of the gender roles in the society. I find two horny classmates Aoki Kyosuke and Shyoichi Iwaya are not interesting enough personality-wise.

Animation: 8/10

Animation is top-notch. But male Hibiki could look a bit more chiseled instead of polished. However, the character designs were neat overall. Also, I like the cute schoolgirl uniforms. This anime has little fanservice. For example you get a nice view of Fuuko-chan's panties.

Romance: 8/10

Hibiki and Fuuko's relationship is the focus of the anime series. Of course, it's not only a teacher-student relationship but also one between an adult and a minor. Fuuko's very confused about her feelings. She has no idea why she likes the female Hibiki. I suspect that she sees Female Hibiki as a mother figure because "she" was very kind to her and reminds her of her late mother. Hibiki was attracted to Fuuko, but not as a woman as a man. He realized that it was the male Hibiki who fell in love with Fuuko. He felt that his hesitant attraction to his underage student was wrong but he wasn't sure it is. It was one of the most awkward romantic relationships I've seen but I can't think why it should not work at all. In fact they're a very interesting pair.
December 16, 2005

Excellent Anime

As a fan of strange anime, I loved this title. There are plenty of odd situations and bizarre happenings. I don't want to ruin the series by giving you a complete explanation of what happens. The animation was excellent (reminded me of the old computer game True Love.) The voice acting was pretty good. September 21, 2005

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