History Manga / MarmaladeBoy

From 2013 to 2018, a SequelSeries titled ''Marmalade Boy Little'' was published in Josei mangazine ''Cocohana'', with the series following Miki's and Yuu's half sister and brother, Rikka Matsuura and Saku Koishikawa going through a love-triangle similar to their own. In 2018, the original series was even adapted into a live-action theatrical film produced by [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner Bros. Japan]]. Between 2023 to 2024, the manga was rereleased in the US as ''Marmalade Boy: Collector's Edition'' by Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment, while the anime is currently licensed by and was released on Blu-Ray by Creator/DiscotekMedia, with its subtitled release being available for streaming on Website/{{Crunchyroll}}.

* AdaptationExplanationExtrication: In the beginning of both the original manga and the live-action movie, Rumi specfically tells Miki not to fall in love with Yuu, knowing how awkward it would be for the whole family if something happened between them, especially if it ended on a sour note. Regardless, they both follow their hearts and start dating all while attempting to keep their parents from finding out. In In the anime, Miki nor Yuu are never told anything like this before dating, but still attempt to dodge their relationship from their parents

* ElaborateUniversityHigh: Toryo High School not only has a huge college-like campus, but it also has a system that apparently allows its students to easily get into its university.

* WackyParentSeriousChild: Miki and Yuu's parents are completely happy-go-lucky and usually act more like older siblings rather than actual parents. Not that Miki and Yuu aren't slightly immature themselves at times, but both sets of parents often tease or embarrass their kids, go out without letting the kids know ahead of time, and support some of the abnormalities that occur in the series without batting an eye (such as Meiko and Namura's relationship, [[spoiler: Suzu kissing Yuu, or even their own children's relationship]]). Of course, their decision to remarry and move into a large house together is the main reason, directly or otherwise, why a lot of the events in the series happened.

''Marmalade Boy'' (ママレード·ボーイ ''Mamarēdo Bōi'') is a unique shōjo manga by Wataru Yoshizumi that focuses on a ''very large'' LoveDodecahedron, with our two main characters in the center of both that and their parents' unusual antics. It was published by Shueisha in the magazine ''Magazine/{{Ribon}}'' from May 1992 to October 1995 and collected in eight tankōbon volumes. The series was adapted by Creator/ToeiAnimation as a 76-episode anime television series which aired on Creator/TVAsahi from 1994 to 1995, followed by a theatrical anime prequel movie in 1995, showcasing Yuu's reaction to the divorce and the first time he saw Miki. A UsefulNotes/GameBoy game and UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom game based on the anime were both released in 1995, with both being [[DatingSim Dating Sims]] focused around Miki ending up with Yuu, Ginta, or (in the Super Famicom game), Kei.

The US licensing rights to the manga, the anime, and the prequel film were bought by {{Creator/Tokyopop}}, with the company proceeding to release the series for an American audience. The English version of the manga was published from 2002 to 2003, and is known for being the first of Tokyopop's manga series to use the original Japanese orientation, going as far as to include the written "sound effects". The anime and the movie would later find their way to the US in 2004, dubbed in English under licensed DVD volumes of the entire series. Around the same time, the series was adapted as a 30-episode live-action television series that was broadcast in Taiwan in 2002. The series is licensed by and released on Blu-Ray by Creator/DiscotekMedia, and its subtitled release is available for streaming on Website/{{Crunchyroll}}.

From 2013 to 2018, a SequelSeries titled ''Marmalade Boy Little'' was published in Josei mangazine ''Cocohana'', with the series following Miki's and Yuu's half sister and brother, Rikka Matsuura and Saku Koishikawa going through a love-triangle similar to their own. In 2018, the original series was even adapted into a live-action theatrical film produced by [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner Bros. Japan]].

The US licensing rights to the manga, the anime, and the prequel film were bought by {{Creator/Tokyopop}}, with the company proceeding to release the series for an American audience. The English version of the manga was published from 2002 to 2003, and is known for being the first of Tokyopop's manga series to use the original Japanese orientation, going as far as to include the written "sound effects". The anime and the movie would later find their way to the US in 2004, dubbed in English under licensed DVD volumes of the entire series. Around the same time, the series was adapted as a 30-episode live-action television series that was broadcast in Taiwan in 2002. The series is licensed by and released on Blu-Ray by Creator/DiscotekMedia, and is available for streaming on Website/{{Crunchyroll}}.

** Ginta's forceful kiss on Miki is turned into an AlmostKiss moment for the pair, as Miki cautiously backs away once he realizes that he was serious.

* AdaptationExpansion: The anime adds additional characters, some of whom where created by Yoshizumi herself, and changes the order of many events to expand on them. One example is how Miki and Yuu spent their time home alone once their parents go on another vacation. In the manga, it takes place during the Christmas season, while in the anime, it takes place around Yuu's birthday while the Christmas season in that continuity focuses more and the tensions between Miki and Kei and [[CanonForeigner Anju's]] hospital crisis.
* AgainstTheSettingSun: The scene that gives us Miki and Yuu's first mutual kiss, though it cases them to both catch a cold in the next episode.

* ExoticExtendedMarriage: Yuu and Miki's parents. After they swap partners, everyone lives together as one happy, extended family. Essentially, both sets of parents are a "One True Foursome". It's not quite {{Polyamory}}, but probly as close to it as the author could get way with.

* FirstGirlWins: Subverted: Anju and Arimi were actually are first girls who knew Yuu from before he met Miki, yet Miki is presented first in the series and she ends up winning.

** As unconventional as the Koishikawa/Matsuura marriages are, they seem to be the only one shown in-series to be happy. [[spoiler: (The weddings of Namura and Meiko, and Yuu and Miki, in the series finale, notwithstanding.)]] Meiko's parents are shown to be unhappy and unfaithful (and for added drama, Mrs. Akizuki is a LadyDrunk), and Satoshi's father's chronic philandering seems to have put noticeable strain on his marriage (not to mention his relationship with his son).

The US licensing rights to the manga, the anime, and the prequel film were bought by {{Creator/Tokyopop}}, with the company proceeding to release the series for an American audience. The English version of the manga was published from 2002 to 2003, and is known for being the first of Tokyopop's manga series to use the original Japanese orientation, going as far as to include the written "sound effects". The anime and the movie would later find their way to the US in 2004, dubbed in English under licensed DVD volumes of the entire series. Around the same time, the series was adapted as a 30-episode live-action television series that was broadcast in Taiwan in 2002. The series is licensed by and released on Blu-Ray by ''Creator/{{Discotek}}'', and is available for streaming on Website/{{Crunchyroll}}.

The US licensing rights to the manga, the anime, and the prequel film were bought by {{Creator/Tokyopop}}, with the company proceeding to release the series for an American audience. The English version of the manga was published from 2002 to 2003, and is known for being the first of Tokyopop's manga series to use the original Japanese orientation, going as far as to include the written "sound effects". The anime and the movie would later find their way to the US in 2004, dubbed in English under licensed DVD volumes of the entire series. Around the same time, the series was adapted as a 30-episode live-action television series that was broadcast in Taiwan in 2002.

''Marmalade Boy'' (ママレード·ボーイ ''Mamarēdo Bōi'') is a unique shōjo manga by Wataru Yoshizumi that focuses on a ''very large'' LoveDodecahedron, with our two main characters in the center of both that and their parents' unusual antics. It was published by Shueisha in the magazine ''Magazine/{{Ribon}}'' from May 1992 to October 1995 and collected in eight tankōbon volumes. The series was adapted by Creator/ToeiAnimation as a 76-episode anime television series which aired on TV Asahi in 1994 to 1995, followed by a theatrical anime prequel movie in 1995, showcasing Yuu's reaction to the divorce and the first time he saw Miki. A UsefulNotes/GameBoy game and UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom game based on the anime were both released in 1995, with both being [[DatingSim Dating Sims]] focused around Miki ending up with Yuu, Ginta, or (in the Super Famicom game), Kei.

* DefeatMeansFriendship: As demonstrated by Yuu and Miki's huge circle of friends by series' end. It comes with the bonus that sooner or later [[CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds said defeated romantic rivals]] [[PairTheSpares end up meeting their perfect matches]].

** Yuu decideds to watch a scary movie with Miki in episode 10. The movie in question? "[[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Elm Street]] on [[FridayThe13th Friday]]."

* InnocentCohabitation: Justified in Miki and Yuu's case, being the result of the two being step-siblings living under the same roof with all of their divorced/re-married parents. Even when they eventually start dating each other, most of their interactions are still fairly innocent.

''Marmalade Boy'' (ママレード·ボーイ ''Mamarēdo Bōi'') is a unique shōjo manga by Wataru Yoshizumi that focuses on a ''very large'' LoveDodecahedron, with our two main characters in the center of both that and their parent's unusual antics. It was published by Shueisha in the magazine ''Magazine/{{Ribon}}'' from May 1992 to October 1995 and collected in eight tankōbon volumes. The series was adapted by Creator/ToeiAnimation as a 76-episode anime television series which aired on TV Asahi in 1994 to 1995, followed by a theatrical anime prequel movie in 1995, showcasing Yuu's reaction to the divorce and the first time he saw Miki. A UsefulNotes/GameBoy game and UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom game based on the anime were both released in 1995, with both being [[DatingSim Dating Sims]] focused around Miki ending up with Yuu, Ginta, or (in the Super Famicom game), Kei.

** Both Arimi and Satoshi are still prominently featured in the story, but are largely DemotedToExtra and disappear once their main purposes have been filled, meaning that Arimi and Ginta never meet each other, let alone start dating and the same applying for Satoshi and Meiko.

* JustAKid: Miki discards Michael because she sees him as a little brother at best. Michael does NOT approve. This is also how Kei feels Miki is starting to treat him, scolding him for being immature, nagging him to go back to school, and in the anime, ''slapping'' him when he goes too far.

* MistakenForGay: Hilariously done with Satoshi and Yuu. [[spoiler: Satoshi spends some episodes pretending to have the hots for Yuu, to cover up their investigations about their possible common past and Satoshi's own feelings for Meiko; it works so well that Miki sees Satoshi as another rival for Yuu's affection, and at the same time Meiko seems to ship them a bit]].

* HappilyMarried: {{Subverted}} in the 13-years-later sequel ''Marmalade Boy Little'' (2013), the legendary couple Yuu and Miki have been together for over a decade and a half but have been too preoccupied with their work and siblings to get married, although they might as well be. This changes when Satoshi points it out and gives a mild lecture to Yuu about responsibility. Yuu proceeds to think seriously about it immediately and ends up proposing to Miki, who cries.
** Jin and Chiyako, Youji and Rumi. Even before they swapped partners, the couples seemed to be fairly happy.
** More than that: they're quite happy to, all four plus the respective children, live together in the same house, and spend their free time together. And they even refer to themselves collectively as the parents of Miki and Yuu.
*** Miki may be just a touch more GenreSavvy than she lets on; after she warms to the spouse-swapping, she is heard calling her parents' new spouses "Chiyako-mama" and "Youji-papa" in the subtitled version.

** Arguably worse were the [[EyeCatch Spoiler Eyecatches.]] Every triangle on the show showed up in at least one, complete with the resolution, and they almost always showed up ''long'' before the actual resolution took place.

* TitleDrop: In the second episode of the anime, Miki makes a joke comparing Yuu to marmalade, and thus calls him "marmalade boy". This joke is repeated in UsefulNotes/GameBoy game.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Ginta is this to Miki, just as Anju, and to a lesser extent, Arimi are to Yuu. Tsutomu fills this role towards Arimi, though if they were really friends at the time is rather dubious.

* IllGirl: Anju, who has a weak heart [[spoiler: and almost dies at one point]].