Manga Section
MARMALADE BOY
MANGA INFORMATION
by
KD
As
of 6/1/95, there are 6 COMPILED
manga volumes in Japanese. These episodes that are ones that
have already run in the anime. In other words, it's behind the
TV show.
Volume
#6, ends at the equivalent of TV. episode #45.
The
manga stories are similar to the TV version but there are differences.
Example: There is no Toryo medallion in the manga, no NY stories
or characters, no Anju.
As
of 4/96, there are 8 COMPILED manga volumes of the story, which
completes it.
For
a jump-start on the future, Ribon magazine is currently carrying
the MB stories approximately 1 year in advance of their airing
on TV. At least right now it is. In the same month that the Ribon
came showing Miki entering college, Miki and the gang are entering
their senior year in high school in the anime.
Ribon
is a magazine for young girls and is about the size of a telephone
book. It's full of comedy/romances and things to buy...especially
the things that girls would like.
Now it may sound great to find out what's coming up a year in
advance
but....
Seeing the manga without the voice tones and the humor can make
one wonder if one wants to see the episodes when they come out!
The voice actors, sounds, and music seem to make a world of difference
to this show. Otherwise, what's shown in the manga can be taken
out of context. We know this for a fact!
Our
first taste of Ribon MB manga showing a year in advance, almost
gave Bruce a heart attack, it put me into a depression (I had
to go to my room and write an ending for it), made number 2 daughter(22)
call home from the office, cause number 1 son's knees to buckle(20),
knocked Mika (our translator) off the couch, made number 1 daughter(24)
get upset, and we didn't tell number 2 son (he's a Sailor Moon
fanatic)(19).
At
any rate, without going into the story at all...I will say that
as of 6/1/95, Miki is going to Toryo college and looks very cute
in her suit. Mike’s entrance into to college should take
place about next April...if the show is renewed another season.
Meiko
is married but keeps in contact with Miki. I won't say who's
she married to...
8/26/95:
The
above hint about a serious MB story is being done for the anime.
The powers that be have moved the time frame up on the story
so that it occurs earlier. The story starts with episode #72
and will end with the end of the series at #76.
Having
read the manga version of this story first and having suffering
quite well for some months over it, I was afraid to see the story.
(Yeah, I know, a moment of truth). But, in actuality, the beginning
of #72 is very romantic. And since I'm far enough along in the
manga that I know that the whole situation ends up only causing
MORE passion between the characters, I can now stand to watch
them go through what looked a really horrible situation. It can
even be appreciated. It looks like the show might end on a very
romantic note.
8/30/95:
Never mind what I said above about it'll be easy to watch the
story knowing that'll all end up neat. Ha! What a fool I be!
Just saw episode #73! I'm dying'! Try watching something horrible
and sad in slo mo over and over like I do to sub it, and see
how "up" you can stay when you get through. Argh!
By the way, I should mention here that the Marmalade Boy story
in Ribon ends with the issue that arrives in the US in September.
No more MB manga stories, no more MB anime. OAVs? Who knows.
I'm betting that there will be. And there's still the movie to
see.
10/22/95
Well,
it's time to say a whole lot more here. Now that the whole series
is completed in translations, some comparisons between the anime
and manga conclusions can be made.
The
last crisis of the series in both was where Yuu finds pictures
of his mother with Jin and his father with Rumi in college. This
means that his mother's previous lover and the father of the
child in his grandmother's letter (see episode 25 about the letter)
was Jin, Miki’s father. That makes Miki and Yuu half brother
and sister. This does put a wedge in their
relationship as girlfriend and boyfriend.
DIFFERENCES
Time Frame:
In
the anime, the photo story starts during the summer vacation
of Miki
and his senior year.
In
the manga, this story begins at Christmas time of their Senior
year.
The
Ring:
Anime
Version: Shortly before Yuu finds the photos, Yuu asks Miki what
she'd like for her birthday that he missed being there for. He
decides he wants the give her a ring. She tells he that he doesn't
have to because he gave he one during Hatsumode (New Years).
He reminds her that that one was just a toy. She smiles and says
"You have a point."
Manga
Version: The present instead of being a birthday present is probably
for Christmas. And it was Miki who pesters him for a ring, if
I remember correctly.
The
Closet:
Anime:
Yuu wants to give Miki another present because he missed her
birthday the year before. She picks his favorite white shirt
from his closet and decides she'll wear it as pajamas. Yuu pushes
her into the closet and kisses her many times.
Manga:
Miki picks Yuu's shirt but it was plaid. Closet scene very similar
to the anime version.
The
photos scenes and breakup between the manga and anime are pretty
similar.
Yuu
Leaves:
Anime:
Yuu can't bear to be near Miki because of his feelings for her.
He tells the parents that he needs to go back to New York sooner
than expected because he's losing his English Language skills
which were his weak spot in the first place.
Manga:
Yuu tells the parents that because he has a architectural major
he needs to go to a college with a strong program in that area.
One that's in Kyoto.
Meiko's
Fury:
Anime:
Meiko is furious with Yuu about his one-sided break-up with Miki.
She meets him at the airport to give him a piece of her mind.
Miwa jumps between her and Yuu before she can get started and
prevents her from carrying out her plan.
Manga:
Meiko is hauled away from doing the same thing but in the manga
it occurs in the library (as Yuu is studying for his entrance
exams for Kyoto).
The
scenes from when Yuu leaves home are pretty much the same with
Miki giving Yuu the package that has the expensive watch she
intended to give him. She cries quietly in her room as the car
pulls away.
Later,
she puts all the things Yuu gave her into a box Yuu and puts
a lid on it, then goes out cuts her hair off in both the anime
and manga.
(This
was in the last scene of the first Ribon MB manga story we'd
ever gotten and this is why the family got SO depressed. It is
a VERY difficult story. I've seen some other MB fans call it
"An evil story". Once past it to the good old romantic
parts again, it doesn't feel so bad anymore. (^_^) But with manga
it takes another full month before any relief comes, but
it took several months of manga before things got better. Rough.)
In
Between Yuu Leaving and Finally Telling Miki About Being Siblings:
Anime:
It's been a full month since Yuu left. The new short haired Miki,
replaces Ryouko-sensei for training underclassmen in tennis during
the rest of Summer vacation. She invites Meiko over to spend
the night because her parents are lonely because Michael has
gone back to his own country. Miki and Meiko have a wonderful
time until they're getting
ready for bed. Miki opens her top drawer and comes across "the
box". She can't control the tears. Meiko tells Miki to go
see Yuu in New York. Miki goes to New York.
Manga:
Meiko tell Miki to see Yuu in Kyoto. Miki goes to Kyoto to talk
to Yuu. He's walking with another girl. Yuu wants her to give
up on him so he let's her think she's his girlfriend. Miki goes
back to the train station. Yuu secretly follows her. And watches
her departure sadly.
Yuu
Breaks Down And Tells Miki That They're Siblings:
Anime:
In New York, Miki tells him that she can't forget him. That she
tried to but wasn't able to. As she tells him what's in her heart,
Yuu is suffering terribly until he can't hold it back anymore
and tells her the truth.
Manga:
Yuu's been ordered to come home by the mothers who miss him.
Yuu doesn't want to come but knows he must. When he returns he
find that Miki seems back to normal. (I think this is what the
Japanese call "refreshed".) He and Miki later take
a walk together. (I'm doing this from long term memory so if
I make a mistake please forgive me) He asks
her if she has a new boyfriend. Miki tells him "no"
that she's still in love with him. This upsets Yuu who yells
"No!" She tells him that angrily tells him it's her
business who she loves and who she doesn't love. She then cheerfully
runs over to some sun flowers and with great interest in them.
She isn't really interested, she's trying to hide her feelings.
Yuu figures
it out and can't stand it and grabs her up in his arms and holds
her and apologizes repeatedly. He tells her the truth and then
let's her see the photos in his room.
The Portion
Of The Story Just Prior To Confronting The Parents:
Anime:
Miki hasn't had time to sort out her feelings about Yuu and herself.
She can't bear to go home and she can't bear to be near Yuu.
She takes off running, grabs a cab, and gets lost in Manhattan.
She nearly is injured or killed by street thugs, but some small
children save
her. She learns about affection between siblings from their behavior.
Yuu finds her just in time. The two of them decide to live together...
even though they can't marry and they can't have children.
Manga:
Miki comes to Yuu after the news had sunk in a bit and tells
him that she still wants to go on their trip alone as girlfriend
and boyfriend one last time before breaking up. Yuu agrees. As
Yuu and Miki fly to their destination, they're holding hands.
On
the trip, Miki wears the ring that had remained unopened for
so long and she has on the bracelet that he gave her as well.
They go many places; smiling, laughing, teasing, and having a
wonderful time. Miki and Yuu hold hand most everywhere they go.
As Miki eats an ice
cream cone Yuu laughs and holds his arm around Miki shoulder
possessively.
On
the evening of their last day, Yuu and Miki know that their time
together is almost over and that they must break-up and change
their relationship forever. Neither is anxious to go back to
the motel. They sit and watch an outdoor laser show. Miki leans
closely to Yuu and he
holds her as they both sadly watch the show. After it's over,
the crowds leave the stands, leaving Miki and Yuu sitting there
not wanting to move. They decided to go to a coffee shop.
Miki
and Yuu have to be asked to leave when the coffee shop needs
to close.
At
the hotel, Miki and Yuu stand in front of their various doors
(to their rooms). Yuu puts the key into his and unlocks it. Miki
stares at hers. Yuu wants to know if something's wrong. Miki
says nothings wrong. Both encourage the other to go into their
rooms. Miki and Yuu can only look at each other and feel their
pain. Miki finally break down and pushes her head against Yuu's
chest in tears. Yuu can't bear it, he grabs Miki by the arm and
pulls her into his room, dropping the keys and kisses her with
a lot of pent up passion.
Yuu
then asks Miki to marry him, not right away but when he can support
her. Miki is confused about how that would be possible. Yuu tells
her that since he's registered as Youji's son, it won't be illegal
for them to get married. The only thing is that under no circumstances
could they have children. Miki and Yuu decide to endure their
pain together.
The Confrontation
With The Parents
When
They First Encounter The Parents For THAT Talk:
Anime:
Yuu and Miki, in the rec. room of the dorm at St. Andrews. Miki
and Yuu sit side by side but not too close and opposite all four
parents. Miwa and Meiko are in chairs to the side.
Manga:
Yuu and Miki, in the breakfast table area of the rec. room. The
parents are sitting at the table. Miki and Yuu walk up nearby,
with serious expressions and are holding hands.
How the conversation
opens:
Anime:
The parents have already been told by Yuu that he and Miki want
to talk to them and they push Yuu to get on with it. Yuu starts
by telling him that they know about them dating in college.
Manga:
The parents are shocked to see the two holding hands and want
to know why. Yuu starts off by telling the parents that they
plan on getting married.
In
both anime and manga, the parents are shocked when Yuu brings
the subject up but in the anime the parents fall all over themselves
laughing that Yuu would think that he and Miki are siblings.
In the manga, the parents take the situation seriously and explain.
What
happened in the past:
Anime:
The story is never told of why the parents switched partners
way back when except that Chiyako did get pregnant by Jin but
lost the baby.
Manga:
The details come out in the manga story only. Jin and Youji were
going to a men's college. Chiyako and Rumi at a women's college.
But all joined a tennis circle. In no time, the paired up as
they are now, Jin and Chiyako, Rumi with Youji.
After
college, they all felt the relationships would be the same as
now. But it was more difficult to see each other. Chiyako, in
particular, was very much involved with her work. She found it
very interesting. Her boss, Miwa Yoshimitsu, had been refused
by her but she didn't want to harm her job so she did go out
to dinner with him after work. She allowed him to put his arm
around her shoulder (I gather mainly to prevent too much friction
with her boss).
Jin saw it. A big argument came up by phone later because to
top it off she'd broken a date with him in the process.
Chiyako,
wanted to resolve things with Jin, so she asked Youji to help
her. Rumi saw them together in the evening and blew a gasket.
She accused Chiyako of not only having an affair with her boss
but with Rumi's boyfriend. Youji told her that it wasn't like
that but Rumi sternly reminded him that he was spending more
time with Chiyako that with her. She ran off.
Chiyako
and Youji didn't heard from their lovers for some months. Chiyako
found out that she was going to have Jin's baby. She didn't want
to call him. Finally, she did. But he wasn't in the country any
more. He and Rumi had gone to England where Jin had work.
Youji
found out from Chiyako that she was pregnant by Jin and that
she intended to have the baby. He told her he wanted to take
care of her, but she refused him. He told her he really wanted
to and finally convinced her.
Before
getting married they wrote to all their relatives to get permission.
(KD: Thus the letter from the grandmother ...Can you be happy
with a woman who has a baby by another man? Can you continue
to love that woman and child.")
But
before the wedding, Chiyako lost the baby. Chiyako from her hospital
bed, told Youji that he didn't have to marry her now, they could
call off the wedding. He very sincerely took her hand and told
her that he didn't want to call off the wedding. They embraced
with a great deal of passion. Yuu was born about a year later.
With
time, the couples love returned to friendship...until they met
their original loves on the Hawaii trip.
The Parents
Reaction To Hearing That Yuu and Miki Are A Couple:
Anime:
The parents tell the kids that they knew about them all along,
that they left them to carry on in private. At first, they thought
it would be a problem if the two of them became a couple because
the family was already so unconventional. But they found that
it was a pleasure to see them fall in love day by day. Jin personally
tells Yuu that they have permission to date or whatever. When
Yuu and Miki later embrace the parents make silly sounds and
Youji blows on a party favor.
Manga:
The parents are taken totally by surprise and hadn't guessed.
The mothers and Youji take to it pretty well but Jin suddenly
become the average father of a daughter. Jin behavior is portrayed
cutely though. When Yuu and Miki embrace they talk about her
father "going normal on them".
Youji's
Reaction To Yuu Not Thinking He Wasn't His Father:
Anime:
Youji starts playfully punching him, telling him he got his brains
from his dad. That he should've come to him, etc.
Manga: Yuu takes a serious slap across the face from Youji, who
softens the blow with softer words afterwards.
Meiko's
Marriage:
Anime:
We get to observe her reception with all the Japanese teens there,
Miki and Yuu's parents, Kijima and Rei, and Akira and Ryouko,
and, of course, the wedding couple. Meiko's parents did not relent.
Manga:
Miki did not get to go to Meiko's wedding but got photos of the
small family affair.
The Mother's
Announcement:
Anime:
The mothers announce that they're both pregnant. Miki is very
excited that she and Yuu are going to have little brothers or
sisters.
Manga:
The mothers decide since they have never had white formal gown
weddings that they want to go to Hawaii and get married more
traditionally.
How
The Story Ends:
Anime:
Miki and Yuu are kissing at their formal wedding.
Manga:
Yuu hopefully wants to know if when the parents leave for Hawaii,
if they're going to leave them behind again. Jin grabs Yuu around
the neck and lets him know that THIS TIME they're coming with
them! (He doesn't want to leave his daughter with Yuu alone).
A Personal Overview
Of Comparing Endings
Please
keep in mind that this overview may reflect the personality of
the writer. It won't make it invalid just personal. What other
people gain from the show is just as valid in my opinion.
I'm sure that the author(s) wrote the anime to differ from the
manga for good reasons. Without standing in their shoes I can't
criticize in anyway. So the things I'm going to say are strictly
from the standpoint of how I was personally affected by the differences
in endings.
The
ring that Yuu bought Miki with so much love was never seen in
the anime version. I would very much still like to see it. Dumb
of me, I guess, but hey, I'm human. So manga gets a plus for
seeing the ring.
The
trip for just Miki and Yuu (without Michael)was only in the manga.
Manga gets a plus for a very romantic break in an otherwise tragic
story.
There was no explanation for WHY the parents switched partners
the 1st time in the anime. I'm sure that given as much information
as anime episode #76 had in it, there just wasn't time to do
tell that story. But still, the manga gets an A+ for explaining
the history of that situation. It made the situation much more
believable.
However, the anime over the manga gave more completion to the
story with the wedding kiss. The manga left me feeling that the
ending was merely the ending of another episode of MB. Anime
gets a plus here.
The anime, in addition to the wedding kiss, gave information
on all the main Japanese characters' futures; and Michael was
included in that information. Again the anime gets another big
A+!
The
New York story was very heavy portion of the anime story, right
after A LOT of other depressing portions of the same story but
it was extremely well written. I got a particularly goodly amount
of mirth out of the police hauling in a Chinese girl because
they couldn't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese.
In
the manga, the parents were sensitive to Miki and Yuu's feeling
and came across as compassion. For me, the parents falling all
over themselves laughing immediately (in the anime) came across
for me personally very badly. Miki came close to being badly
injured or killed, Yuu and Miki broke up and nearly lost each
other for life, and Yuu went into a shell for years over his
mistake about his birth and they laughed? Does one usually laugh
about being mistaken for a baby that was lost?
Again
understand, it's the situation that I didn't feel comfortable
with on an emotional level. However, from an intellectual point
of view, the story may have had to be written that way for the
anime to lighten the heavy mood and move the story along. Given
the short amount of time
that the writer(s) of the anime have to tell the story, in the
same situation I may have had to write it the same way. I recommend,
for those who first react the way I did that it just be chocked
up to the parents' zany personalities...you know "the odd
quad".
Both
endings were romantic. (^_^)
10/25/95:
Currently,
it is not my intention to translate the manga in full for the
Guide. There is already a group working hard to do that for themselves
and the hobby. To take part in that or to be an observer of the
work, interested parties can join the translations mailing list
at mboy-trans-request@soyokaze.biosci.ohio-state.edu.
In
spite of the fact that I won't personally be involved in the
manga translations, I will try to bring up more interesting comparisons
between the manga and the anime in this format.
_____________________________________________
The Manga
Next.....Inside
The Translations of the Marmalade Boy Series
________________________________________
|