TOKYO MARBLE CHOCOLATE

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CAST

MANGA RomanceTokyo Marble Chocolate: Hello, Goodbye, Hello.

REVIEWS

• 

  megafat

  75/100
  An adorable Christmas themed romance OVA.

  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.

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• 

  Pockeyramune919

  73/100
  Tokyo Marble Chocolate does just enough to be a cute anime that will warm your heart this holiday season.

  'tis the season to be jolly, no matter how you go about capturing the spirit of Christmas. Perhaps it’s listening to Christmas music. Maybe it’s walking out in the winter wonderland. Or mayhaps it’s watching Christmas themed movies or shows. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found it harder and harder to get into the holiday spirit. Watching Toradora! injected me with jolliness and cheer, so I wanted to keep the train going.

  Even if Tokyo Marble Chocolate isn’t outstanding by any measure, it was a cute little anime, regardless.

  

  Tokyo Marble Chocolate tells the story of a young couple consisting of Yuudai and Chizuru. Both have been quite unlucky in the past when it comes to relationships. Yuudai’s negative trait is specifically being cowardly and mousy, while Chizuru is afflicted with rotten luck. Their date is suddenly halted when Yuudai gives Chizuru a present. To both of their shock, it’s a mischievous (and adorable) miniature donkey. The events surrounding this donkey brings the two lovers closer than before. Both episodes portray the same two days, just with differing perspectives. The first episode is Chizuru’s perspective and the second is from Yuudai’s. Watching one won’t spoil the other, so the order you watch them doesn’t matter. If you plan on rewatching the show, it might be fun to switch up the order.

  First thing to note is that the art is absolutely gorgeous. It’s so short that I have no problem telling you to watch it for the art alone. The backgrounds are simple, yet elegant. They remind me of a painting. The character designs are also quite striking. Again, they’re simple, but that’s what I find so charming about them. The “dot eyes” remind me of the characters from the Mother series. It’s a small detail, but I thought it was cool that the tips of characters’ fingers turned red in the cold.

  

  The music is fine. The tracks that will most likely grab your attention are the two insert songs. Chizuru’s insert song is great for being an anime hip hop track and describing her inner turmoil perfectly. Yuudai’s is...fine, I guess. The lyrics don’t fit that well, but at least it sounds nice.

  The story itself is good enough.A big part of a romance is development and with just short of an hour, the anime simply doesn’t have the time to pull that off. We don’t really see why the two characters love each other. We don’t really get much chemistry between the two.

  Still, I can’t fault the OVA too much. With only so much time to tell a story, something had to be cut, and the story’s cute, regardless. Part of this cuteness comes from the miniature donkey, whose refreshingly non-invasive. He could have been quite obnoxious, but he’s just a cute little animal that lightens the mood. The producers really knew when to make him scarce, and I appreciate it. The characters themselves are also adorable, and I was rooting for them every step of the way.

  

  Besides the art, part of what makes this OVA so unique is its split-perspective storytelling that allows us to see the full-picture of the couple. Its interesting to see the difference in their motivations at the beginning and then seeing them come together at the end. However, in terms of character arc, the OVA was a bit lopsided. We actually see Yuudai overcome his problem and that plays a part in the climax and resolution. Chizuru doesn’t really change and as such, the resolution can feel a bit unearned on her end. It’s probably because “has rotten luck” isn’t really a character flaw, or at the very least, not one someone can actively fix.

  Overall, the anime most likely won’t blow your socks off, but it’s heartwarming regardless. You can skip it, but I recommend it on the basis of it being adorable. It might not be the best anime you’ve ever seen, but I promise that it’ll make you smile.

  So, did Tokyo Marble Chocolate turn me into a Christmas fiend? Swinging around light poles as I sing carols?

  No, but it did make me happy, so it succeeds in my book.

  7.3/10

  C

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