Tokyo Marble Chocolate – Zenryoku Shounen & Mata Aimashou
I was Tokyo Marble Chocolate’s simpering bitch from the very first orchestral swell and aerial swoop of the gloriously sketchy scenery that opens the ‘Zenryoku Shounen’ instalment. The camera glides over suburban Tokyo, looking as though as it was drawn by a very talented, very cool twelve-year-old, and we zoom into Yuudai’s bedroom. Its owner anxiously dresses to meet his girlfriend for dinner, reminiscing of past failed relationships and deciding to break the cycle by telling his current girlfriend he loves her. The memories of Yuudai’s previous partners are mostly peppered with humour, but the final one, a pale, mysterious girl sitting worryingly apart from Yuudai on a park bench, is the most curious. She asks if they are in a relationship, to which Yuudai agrees, and she begins to ask, ‘Then why . . .’ only to break off, deciding to leave. While not as funny as the prior three this memory is perhaps the most crucial in understanding the current predicament Yuudai finds himself in with Chizuru. That being, as we find out, his inability to communicate his feelings.The gimmick of this OAV is that each episode (of which there are two) is one perspective of the same set of events: one from the point of view of Yuudai, the clueless dolt attempting to make a grand gesture to secure the relationship with his girlfriend, and another from Chizuru, the girlfriend tired of her unrequited love, her unreciprocated iloveyous, deciding to that this day will be their last together. Throw in a miniature donkey, lots of humourous, touching shenanigans and you have a demonstration in pitch-perfect pacing and involving, schmaltz-free romance. Not since Honey & Clover have I been this enamoured by an anime that didn’t want to rape my mind and hurt my feelings. How on earth is anyone going to maintain a cynical front with these incremental sucker-punches to the heartstrings? Quick, fetch me Ergo Proxy so I may scowl again.
Both visually and audibly Tokyo Marble Chocolate is stunning. The character design is reminiscent of Chika Umino, Honey & Clover’s mangaka, suiting the listless melancholy that permeates throughout the OAV with a wonderful grace and beauty. Everything is hued with sumptuous washed-out watercolours and warm pastels; the characters’ extremities are constantly raw from the cold; snow constantly falls evoking an aching, indiscernible sadness. Every detail is seeped in a nostalgic domesticity that makes the experience impossibly charming and something that only the Japanese seem capable of achieving. It’s starting to seem redundant to say this, but Production I.G. once again prove themselves to be the zenith of anime production with Tokyo Marble Chocolate. Another masterpiece to slip casually under their belts and another benchmark for everyone else to aspire to.
Tokyo Marble Chocolate is excellent. Short but sweet, it’s akin to eating a thin slice of gourmet cheesecake: you presume it won’t be enough to satisfy but by the end it feels like the best decision you made all day. ‘Mata Aimashou’ was probably my favourite of the two instalments, because Chizuru seemed to have a touch more substance than the dimwitted Yuudai and it elevated mini-donkey from annoying mascot to RAGEFUL GUARDIAN OF ROMANCE. But both, in combination, are peerless examples of elegance and beauty. Ignore and lose out dramatically.
January 20th, 20086:22 pm at
“Ignore and lose out dramatically”
I intend to do nothing of the sort…cheers for pointing this one out because I doubt I’d have paid any attention to it otherwise (if there’s any good reason for cultivating a ‘community’ in anime fandom, this sort of situation would be it).
There’s a lot to be said for the realistic fiction/slice of life-themed stuff. It’s easy to become tired of the fantastical and outlandish, which ironically makes the and everyday events of ordinary people so engaging and special.
We’re only three weeks in but 2008’s shaping up well already.
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January 21st, 20081:43 pm at
Martin:
I owe as much to saturnine/Owen for recommending this on IRC. I probably would’ve ignored it, too, had he not pointed it out and had I not noticed it was Production I.G. Very serendipitous.
And Tokyo Marble Chocolate certainly has its outlandish moments, but the emotion *grabs chest* is realistic and that’s all that matters. Definitely a very nice change from the usual mental Japanese fantasy.
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January 21st, 20085:48 pm at
I just watched this today, and I so need a mini-donkey ;p
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January 22nd, 20085:00 pm at
Karura:
Likewise, but one slightly less hideous :x
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January 26th, 20083:56 pm at
Watched it today because I read your post.
I can’t believe I almost missed out on this. I can’t thank you enough for letting me find out about this absolutely amazing OVA.
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January 28th, 20082:39 am at
As much as I enjoyed Tokyo Marble Chocolate… your post is simply an example of over-embellishment. It basically says nothing about the show itself beyond a few coherently chosen yet generic adjectives. There are a few statements of actual praise underneath the fluffy writing, but the overall review is nothing but a pompous opinion.
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January 31st, 20083:36 pm at
[...] the fanboys have spoken, now it’s time for a rabid fangirl to speak for this show [...]
July 4th, 20087:37 am at
[...] Chocolate 1-2: Many thanks to both Necromancer for recommending this and Hige for writing such a positive review about it, although to be honest this is the kind of thing I would have watched on the strength of [...]
January 2nd, 20109:48 pm at
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