Anime: Tokyo Marble Chocolate

It’s hard to find a good Christmas themed anime, let alone Christmas anime all together. Often, if there is something set around Christmas time, it’s is a special episode or OVA of an already established series that takes place at or around Christmas, but rarely is there something original that is focused on Christmas from the get go. So it’s refreshing to get something like Tokyo Marble Chocolate that focuses on Christmas.

Based on a manga written and drawn by Fumiko Tanikawa, the anime follows two people who’ve had trouble dating in the past as their current relationship with each other strains as they try and figure out if the other one is their one true love. This OVA consists of 2 episodes, both involving the same events, but with each one told through the eyes of each our two main protagonists. The first episode is told from Chizuru’s perspective, someone who has been unlucky with finding a steady relationship, especially since she’s very clumsy, always tripping up no matter what. The second episode follows Yuudai, an incredibly shy guy whose shyness is always getting in the way of him actually talking to women.

After what initially seems yet another failed potential relationship, with Chizuru planning to end the relationship thinking that it’s yet another relationship, and Yuudai struggling to finally overcome his shyness and finally admit his feelings to someone, the OVA follows both of them through a series of both misunderstandings and happy coincidences, as they deal with what they think was just another unlucky date. And all of this stems from a donkey with a mohawk. Yep, a donkey with a mohawk.

Tokyo Marble Chocolate is adorable in a lot of ways. From it’s unique and beautiful artstyle, animation, and presentation to the characters quirky shyness and clumsiness, it’s a breath of fresh air getting something this short, simple, and sweet. And thankfully, the characters shyness or clumsiness get grating or annoying, something that could have easily ruined this OVA if it had been any longer or complicated than it was.

I don’t know how much i can discuss with Tokyo Marble Chocolate’s plot since not only is it so short, and the plot in both episodes are so intertwined with each other, so you can’t really spoil one without spoiling the other one.But I can say that it’s really easy to root for out main characters to overcome the obstacles in their paths and finally get together and find their true love once and for all.

Also, a neat fun fact. If anyone was confused at this OVA’s title, “Tokyo” refersto the setting and the Tokyo Tower, and “Marble Chocolate”is the name of the cafe Chizuru works on but it can also be a reference to a white chocolate, which is a traditional romantic gift from a girl to a guy in Japan.

"A pure love story, colorful and sweet, yet a bit bitter.
Just like a piece of chocolate."[/i]
That's how its authors describe this OVA, so i decided to write this review while eating some chocolate, just for inspiration ;)

This OVA was made as a collaboration between Production I.G and BMG Japan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the latter. Production I.G took two songs recorded by the music firm as the source of inspiration for Tokyo Marble Chocolate.

Animation

As expected from Production I.G., this OVA stands out for its animation and character design. If you're tired of the typical big-eyed anime characters with extravagant hair colours you will enjoy these character designs. Chizuru and Yudai, the main characters, are depicted in a realistic way, even with their own physical defects. You can tell they made Chizuru intentionally skinny and pale, and Yudai with those prominent ears.

Animation was directed by Kyoji Asano (Ghost in the Shell SAC, Blood+, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle The Movie), and shojo manga artist Fumiko Tanikawa was responsible of the character designs.

Also, this OVA counts with the collaboration of GONZO in photography (I suppose photography was used mainly as reference for the Tokyo settings) and CLAMP.

Sound

The OST plays an important role in this OVA, since the songs played at the end of each episode are precisely the source of inspiration for the story.
Mata Aimasyou by SEAMO (See You Again), inspires the first episode and the character of Chizuru, who plans to break up with her boyfriend, Yudai, since she suspects he doesn't love her.
Zenryoku Syounen by SUKIMASWITCH (Full Powered Boy) is linked with Yudai's feelings in the second episode, who's tired of his coward behaviour towards life and his relationships with girls in particular.
I found both songs quite nice. I won't say that they express perfectly the characters' feelings because, again, it's quite the opposite, the characters and the story are the ones that express perfectly what the songs try to evoke.

Story

It's the conventional love story, with its misunderstandings, the sweet moments, the bitter ones, some funny moments also... Except that in Tokyo Marble Chocolate, the love story is told from two different viewpoints, Chizuru's and Yudai's.

I can't say this way of telling a story from different perspectives is an original idea, because since it was used by Akira Kurosawa in Rashomon, it has been adapted in countless times. But at least it gives a refreshing look to the usual romance story. However, they could have exploited better this narrative device, for example, altering the actions of the characters and even the environment (a kind of expressionism) to reflect the different moods of the characters. But they don't go further than just letting viewer know the thoughts of one lover in each episode.

Character

The main characters are mostly archetypes. Chizuru is the typical clumsy girl and Yudai our usual indecisive and shy boy. However, they gain some depth as the story progresses, thanks to the frequent instrospection of the characters and the peculiar narrative structure, that concetrates in Chizuru's thoughts in the first episode and in Yudai thought's in the second.
Apart from the couple, a curious pet is added to the mixture for a comical counterpoint. I have to admit that I found it quite funny.

Value

I think this anime has some points that makes it a little bit special: the animation and character design, the idea of basing the story in two songs, the two viewpoints of the story etc...

Enjoyment

It's a quite enjoyable quick-watch that will please specially those ones that are fond of romance anime like me. And more importantly, you won't need to put up with any harem, exasperating love triangle, bishojo, bishonen, sudden-girlfriend-appearance, alien, god/goddess, esper, nosy residents, martial arts or sports to watch this anime.