PROGRESS UPDATES DURING
THE WORK ON THE SERIES
4-1-95
UPDATE - Karen:
Several occurrences regarding Marmalade Boy happened in the month
of March. At the beginning of the month, a MB movie was released.
All that I've been able to find out so far, is that there is
"something" in it about Yuu somehow "knowing"
Miki BEFORE he officially met her. I have suspected for some
weeks that the movie is entirely from Yuu's perspective...but
time will tell.
Introduced into the show, a new character named Michael Grant,
seems quite intriguing. He's an American with blond hair and
blue eyes and guess what?! He'll be living at Miki and Yuu's
house! Oh Boy!
I've
seen and watched Michael and thought the first two episodes with
the new character were quite amusing. Wait until you see Miki
try to communicate with Michael in English.
Vol.13
(MB#49-52) ran in March. Michael shows up in episode #50.
In
the first part of April, new opening credit's were added, as
well as new eye catchers for the commercial breaks. We will be
seeing these any day now.
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4/23/95
UPDATE - Karen:
The new season has Yuu in New York, while Miki
is still in Japan. But...
The
new season has put a new look on Marmalade Boy with new artwork
for the opening (same opening song). Just like the last time,
the opening artwork looks like it foreshadows some future occurrences.
Like...maybe Miki will also end up in New York. I saw at least
3 scenes where Miki seems to be in NY with Yuu.
Also
in the opening credit art, a triangle shows for Yuu with Anju
(yes, she's returned) and Jinny (a stacked blond). For Miki there's
the troubled Kei and the lively Michael. It's obvious, as before,
it shows that Miki and Yuu will remain devoted to each other.
The
eye-catchers framing the commercial breaks show this seasons
main characters. Yuu, Miki, Kei, Michael, Brian (Michael's brother),
Jinny, Anju, Yuu's American room-mate, Bill, and probably Doris.
The
NEW closing song, has a very different artwork style for Miki.
You can tell it's her...but definitely there are some changes
in her looks. It's good art but different. I'm sure they're be
those that love it and those that won't like it at all.
One
scene of the closing song artwork shows Yuu on the telephone
at an airport (with palm trees in the background). I wonder if
this could be an implication that Yuu and Miki may meet in Hawaii.
But then the closing songs IN THE PAST have not really foreshadowed
much at all. Is this an exception? Who knows.
The interior of the show: In New York, Yuu is studying the architecture
there while finishing up school. He actually living in a coed
dormitory with...Jinny, Brian, Doris, and a very gentle room-mate
named Bill.
The
series has taken a pattern of jumping back and forth between
stories in Japan and New York and interweaving them as only MB
writers can do!
As
of this date, vol. 15 (MB #57-60) is running in Japan.
____________________________________________________________________
5/27/95
UPDATE - Karen:
Two more new characters have been added to MB as of episode #57.
They are Kijima's wife, Rei, and her brother, Akira. The brother
appears to be a potential love interest for the long-suffering,
heart-broken Ryouko-sensei.
In
another episode, one I haven't seen yet, (the volume it's on,
hasn't finished yet in Japan) apparently Miki is in New York
now. She doesn't stay though.
___________________________________________________________________
6/23/95
UPDATE - Karen:
Yamazaki Masatomo and I just translated the captions from the
MARMALADE BOY STYLE book for the MARMALADE BOY movie yesterday.
A partial synopsis of that follows:
YUU:
" When I met you the first time, it was like magic.
I couldn't take my eyes off you.
Since that day, from the moment I noticed you, you've always
been in my eyes."
MIKI:
"If I hadn't met him, I couldn't guess what I'd be now.
It was like meeting an old friend from his smile.
It was curious thing."
Yuu is told by his parents that they are getting a divorce and
exchanging partners with another couple, the Koishikawas. They
tell him, in addition, that the other couple has a daughter the
same age named Miki.
Yuu
is shocked but he decides he doesn't care. He doesn't believe
in anyone anyway. But to help himself through the depression
caused by this shock, he leaves home and starts to roam around
the city. A broken hearted Yuu can't find a place to be. Where
ever he goes, his mind remains unsettled.
He
just comes to a park and hears tennis ball sounds. He follows
the sound and sees a girl hitting the ball against a wall. She
sparkles from the sweat and the sunshine. Yuu: "At first,
I just watched her playing tennis. As the time passed, I wondered
how she could be so serious. I was curious about her."
Yuu's
eyes followed Miki. Miki moved...to the right to the left with
quick footwork, never making a mistake.
Miki:
"No one was around so I played very well. I didn't know
I was being watched."
YUU:
"You were so bright."
Quote:
MIKI ISN'T AWARE OF WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS. LOVE IS COMING...
Suddenly,
children show up in costumes to where Miki is. They start calling
her a towel monster because she had put a towel over her head.
So she plays towel monster and tries to scare them.
Yuu
notices that the girl now looks different from the serious girl
who was playing tennis.. Her smile is SO cute. He watches and
finds he can't help laughing at her antics.
After
the girl and the kids leave, Yuu finds the wrist band she was
wearing while practicing tennis was accidentally left behind.
It has the initials M.K. on it.
Oh well, he didn't expect to see her again, but...
Sitting at a table at the Junk Jungle, Yuu is drinking coffee
when he sees the girl run past. Yuu decides to follow her. (I
presume to return the wrist band).
Miki's
late to meet Meiko. Yuu is following Miki at a safe distance
when he overhears Meiko say, "Miki, you're right, you ARE
a towel monster!" Yuu is startled... because he realizes
then that M.K. is Miki Koishikawa. the exchange parents' daughter.
He is riveted with curiosity.
The
children turn up again. Yuu watches her play with them. Her expression,
he notes, is always changing and innocent.
YUU:
"I just wanted to stare at you".
After
Miki gets away from the children, she and Meiko enjoy themselves
shopping and eating ice cream - Yuu eats the same thing (from
a distance of course where he can watch Miki). Miki plays with
a puppy - Yuu strokes a dog ornament. By copying Miki's movements,
Yuu find himself enjoying shopping with Miki.
Miki
tries to get a snack box down from a top shelf for Meiko. She
almost fouls everything up. Yuu watches and smiles.
At
a coffee shop, Miki talks to a foreign man who was sitting at
the next table. (Yuu watches her from across the street) The
foreigner asks her if that handsome boy is her friend. Miki turns
around but Yuu is gone. He couldn't give the wrist band back...but
he knew he was going to be seeing her again.
As
a new family, as brother and sister, the two of them are supposed
to meet for the first time at a dinner with their parents. Beforehand,
Yuu's nervous about meeting Miki. But when he does see her, it
makes him very happy. Miki has trouble taking her eyes off his
smiling face...even to stop the crazy partner switch.
Quote:
THEIR LOVE WAS BLOOMING SLOWLY.
(
And well, you know the rest.... I believe the movie ends with
the first kiss.)
YUU:
"My lips still remember the incident in the infirmary,
...when the cherry blossoms were falling."
"It was natural for me."
I
apologize for the simplicity of the wording for the movie. But
the sentences in the book we were simplistic for the sake of
captioning. In addition, the sentences were very out of context.
It was difficult to create any kind of order to the translation.
Regardless...we're delighted to have this preview for avid American
MB fans like ourselves.
______________________________________________________________________________
7/25/95
UPDATE: (KD)
It
appears as though in spite of good ratings and good toy sales
campaign, Marmalade Boy will conclude around episode #75. It
was suggested to me that after x amount of episodes that the
Japan companies figure the toy sells will be saturated for that
show and so move on to the next. Regardless, we WILL miss Marmalade
Boy. I personally doubt there will be another show close to it.
It will be a farewell to old friend.
A
new MB CD (#7) has just been released. See the Guide's new MB
store section for the order number.
Speaking
of the store section, this has just been opened and is still
in the process of being filled. As I have new information, it
will added.
The
first boxed set of LDs recently made it's way to the U.S. Expect
to see better copies as the previous work is reconfigured and
adapted to this format.
Another
new section has been added. It's the Fan Section. Some very thought-rendering
messages have been added from fans.
Translations,
as of this date, are up to episode #64.
If I'm not mistaken MB #71 will played on July 28, American time,
July 29 Japan time.
________________________________________________________________________________
8/26/95
UPDATE (KD)
We
have been delighted to hear that instead of 75 episodes there
will be one more, making 76 episodes total.
Translations
are completed to episode #72 and as of this date, we are simply
waiting for the last volume (MB #73-76) to finish in Japan and
be sent to us so we can complete the series.
About
the movie, we understand that often times Toei movies are shown
on New Years day in Japan. Whether the LDs will be sold before
or after that time, our sources can't say.
The latest issue of Ribon has an ad saying that the latest compiled
version of the manga has been released. That will be #7.
About
the MB Guide:
The August version of the MB guide was uploaded twice within
12 hours. Right after it was uploaded the first time, I changed
the date on it to read September and started the new upgrades.
However, I noticed while in the guide something that HAD TO BE
CHANGED right away. I asked Bruce to upload the corrections...but
it was still dated SEPTEMBER 1995. It was not the real September
version.
The July 1995 version ran 123 pages.
The August 1995 version ran about 167 pages.
The real September 1995 version ran 213 pages.
___________________________________________________________________________
9/28/95
UPDATE (KD)
Notice
of a new CD release scheduled for November 5 has been issued.
Information will be here and also in the Marmalade Boy Store
Section of the guide.
It is a 2 CD compiled final edition containing a karoke section,
background music that hasn't been on a CD before, and new versions
of many of the vocals.
The price is 4,000 yen.
______________________________________________________________________________
10/1/95
UPDATE: (KD)
October
version of the Guide runs 228 pages.
The
last three episodes came in the afternoon of the day previous
so there hasn't been enough time to do full translations on them,
but there are some fairly complete outlines on them in the synopsis
section. I plan on expanding these for next month's Guide.
_____________________________________________________________________________
10/18/95
UPDATE: (KD)
The
translations of the Marmalade Boy series have been completed
all the way to it's conclusion at episode #76.
Announcement
of a November release of the Marmalade Boy movie LD has been
made. Currently, I have plans to start work on it as soon as
it arrives.
---______________________________________________________________________________
11/29/95
UPDATE: (KD)
The
December version of the MB Guide runs 253 pages.
Because of the generosity of a "cute" anime friend,
who cheated by getting his anime out of Hong Kong, I'm going
to an early start on the Marmalade Boy Movie. By the usual route,
the MB movie LDs have not made it into the US yet. What this
means is that the translation of
the movie will be done but will await the LDs for timing.
As
I write the new MB - LD vol. 8 is playing. Vol. 8 is a two parter.
So far I've heard only background music that's been heard before.
In this case I believe they've redone all or some from scratch...to
give many of them a new feel. I think I've come across "some"
new selections as well.
As
the Guide gets closer and closer to a possible close, I want
to say that I've enjoyed putting this together as much for myself
as well as for anyone else who feels as strongly about the series
as I do.
I
want to thank all the talented people in Japan who were involved
in the creation of Marmalade Boy. I don't know if you know how
much closer we've grown to admire and understand you.
The
final time-line for the completion of MB has not yet been made...but
I feel it will "probably" be sometime after the movie
synopsis has been entered... This synopsis will be one done directly
from seeing and translating the movie not the one in the update
from some months back. However "I'm a woman, I reserve the
right to change my mind on a moments notice".
Love
to all,
Karen
Duffy
PS
You're out of your mind, James, if you think I'm going to do
a Fushigi Yuugi Guide! (^_^)
____________________________________________________________________________
1/23/96
UPDATE (KD)
Well,
it's was a very busy year in 1995 doing Marmalade Boy. It's no
less busy right now. Although the entire series has been translated
for some months the other portions of the work are not complete.
Oh,
yes...the MB movie. Now that the LD's are out, everyone, and
especially me, is enjoying it. I believe firmly that it has medicinal
properties for the down and out!
More
news! ANOTHER CD! One would usually think that something called
the FINAL EDITION would mean just that. But thankfully not so
in Marmalade Boy world. There's a new one past Final Edition.
More information on that if I can get it.
--------
4/09/96
UPDATE: (KD)
I
don't think that Bruce posted my last version of the Guide but
if not that's okay because there will be even more to see this
time around. There will be no more regular postings to the guide.
It might be quite big enough now...don't ya think? But then,
you never know...I could be tempted to add things now and then.
If so, I'll post an announcement about upgrading it on the Marmalade
Boy mailing list if and when new upgrades occur. For those interesting
in the ML (run by fans and enjoyed by fans) I have a note about
it in the trivia section.
In
the meantime, more translations have been added to the music
section. One of them is a cute dialog by Miki about being at
the beach with Yuu on a date.
The Marmalade Boy Fan Section has been increased and a new Marmalade
Boy spoof has been written behind those near the end of the Guide.
Romaji
versions of the Marmalade Boy episode titles have been added.
This version of the MB Guide should run somewhere around 287
pages.
Updates on the
Progress MB and the MB Guide
Next....Trivia
******************
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