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All Miki Koishikawa wanted was an ordinary family and that's exactly what she had until her parents decided to move in with another couple (as in switching spouses!) and turned Miki's world upside down. Now she lives in a house with four parents and her totally cute stepbrother, Yuu. It's bad enough being brought into her parents' strange soap opera, but Miki will star in a soap of her own as she deals with friends having affairs, trying to survive in school and ending up torn between her long-time crush, Ginta, and her new stepbrother!

197 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 1992

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4544 people want to read

About the author

Wataru Yoshizumi

192 books312 followers
Wataru Yoshizumi (吉住渉) is a Japanese mangaka. She was born as Mari Nakai (中井 真里, Nakai Mari) on June 18, 1963 in Tokyo, Japan. She graduated with a degree in economics from Hitotsubashi University.

Yoshizumi started her career as a mangaka while working as an office lady. Her debut manga was a yomikiri (short story) called "Radical Romance" that was published in 1984, in the summer issue of Ribon Original. She is known as a social mangaka, and is a good friend of fellow mangakas Naoko Takeuchi, Ai Yazawa, Miho Obana, and Megumi Mizusawa.

Yoshizumi currently (as of 2007) has her works published in both Ribon and Chorus.

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5 stars
4,449 (41%)
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3 stars
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338 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
Profile Image for Yukino.
1,123 reviews
February 28, 2022
MARMALADE BOY vol. 1

Terza rilettura (credo forse di più XD)
Ed eccomi qui, a rileggermi ancora una volta la storia di Miki e Yu.
Ho comprato il seguito e visto che ho finito Tokyo Ghoul ho deciso di iniziarlo. Peccato che quando sono andata a recuperarlo in cantina, era vicino, ovviamente, a questo e così mi è venuta voglia di rileggerlo.
Appena tornata in casa l'ho letto. Non ho resistito. L'ho letto in un'ora neanche. E avrei continuato.
Si, si vede che lo stile è anni 90, si so già la trama e tutti i colpi di scena, ma a me piace sempre come fosse la prima volta, che ci posso fare? E poi Yu! Praticamente mi sono reinnamorata di lui alla prima pagina.
Il volume finisce in un momento abbastanza clou. Volevo leggerlo nel weekend prossimo, ma non so se ce la faccio ad aspettare.
Consigliato alle super romantiche. Assolutamente da leggere.
Questa edizione poi è proprio bella. A me piacciono quelle super grosse. Così vedo bene le vignette e soprattutto, visto che ormai verso la vecchiaia sto diventando cieca, le scritte di vedono e si leggono bene.



Seconda rilettura
E' TUTTO MIO!!!

Finalmente dopo anni riesco ad avere tra le mani questo meraviglioso manga.

Meraviglioso è dir poco.

é stato uno dei miei primi letti, però "scroccato" da un'amica, perchè avendo visto l'anime ero rimasta insoddisfatta fino a quando lei mi dice che il manga c'era!!! (chissa perchè avevo pensato non ci fosse..ah beata innocenza) e così l'ho letto d'un fiato.

Altro che il cartone in tv. Ora si che tutto ha senso.


Ora che l'ho riletto, avevo paura, paura che non mi piacesse più visto ormai che era passata un'eternità dalla prima lettura, ma non è stato così. sono pazza di questo fumetto e anche se so già la trama, non vedo l'ora che esca il secondo volume per gustarmi vignetta per vignetta e battuta per battuta tutta la storia.

Consigliatissimo.
Profile Image for Mir.
4,975 reviews5,331 followers
July 17, 2018
I liked Miki and her friend Meiko, but disliked Yuu and all the parents enough that I'm not sure I feel like continuing the series.
Profile Image for Giulia ✨.
415 reviews9 followers
April 3, 2016
Quanto mi è mancato questo cartone. E' bellissimo poter rivivere la storia e le sensazioni provate da piccina con il manga! *-*

Presto recensione sul blog! (:
Profile Image for ☠tsukino☠.
1,275 reviews159 followers
February 8, 2018
è molto anni '90, e si vede ^^

Comunque quando i 4 genitori, le hanno fatto sono stati proprio stronzi.
Profile Image for Bibliothecat.
1,748 reviews77 followers
September 8, 2017


Review for complete series



Not only do Miki's parents announce that they are getting a divorce, but also that they will remarry and both new couples are to share a house. Although Miki is dead set against it - her new stepbrother, Yuu, makes her think it might not be so bad after all.

Marmalade Boy is probably the most popular work of Wataru Yoshizumi - and rightly so! It stays true to many of her typical elements while leaving out a lot of things that are weaker in her other works.

The art is adorable - it is much more refined compared to older series. I never liked her style in terms of male characters particularly much, but her girls are all the cuter. I love how her style is so simple and yet charming - I feel as though I can appreciate this style more than I did when I was first introduced to this author.

I love the pacing. It is so rare that a romance manga is neither rushed nor dragged out. And that, in particular, is something I always find to be the case with Yoshizumi's works. There was not a single moment in the series where I felt there was a lack of or too much of anything. This, and the characters, gave the story a very natural flow.

Putting aside the strange starting point of the story where the parents have a partner switch, Marmalade Boy felt unusually realistic for a shoujo manga. The characters' interactions seemed very believable. There were, as typical for Yoshizumi, a lot of rivals for all the romance - but it was always dealt with quite nicely without adding too much drama and characters knowing when it was time to give up.

The romance between the main characters was adorable. The romance developed at a steady pace that kept it interesting enough for the reader and plausible enough for them to eventually get together. The romance between the supporting characters was no different - one could easily relate to why characters liked each other.

Quite untypical for Yoshizumi was the fact that not all characters ended up with partners. Usually, everyone ends up in a pair - but I think the story profits by not following that route. I think that is one of the things that always tend to drag out her stories.

Then, as is usual for Yoshizumi, Miki has a best friend, Meiko. And their friendship is wonderful. They are both very different kinds of characters but always watch out for one another in their own way. I think Miki and Meiko are true friends - Meiko is more than just a supporting character who Miki can confine to. And Meiko has her own life and issues which Miki actively supports her with.

Yuu and Miki are also nice lead characters. Yuu remains a bit of a mystery for about half of the series but he is never too closed up to be your typical untouchable shoujo male lead. Miki is a happy, feminine but strong girl. She speaks her mind, cares for her friends, cries when she is sad but gets up again when she knows she needs to be strong.

Miki and Yuu's story is definitely one of most fun 90's romance that I've read and it is one that is always fun to go through again. It would probably be my first recommendation in regards to Wataru Yoshizumi!
Profile Image for Audrey Dry.
Author 6 books350 followers
January 9, 2018
Puede que a muchos no les parezca justa mi calificación, pero qué le voy a hacer!!! Está hablando la añoranza y la nostalgia!! :D
Profile Image for Carol Rodríguez.
Author 4 books35 followers
October 1, 2018
Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía shojo y es un tipo de manga que nunca me ha terminado de calar. Y a estas alturas creo que ya no lo va a hacer... No sé, este primer tomo de "Marmalade Boy" me ha parecido algo absurdo y se me ha hecho un poco aburrido. Todo el mundo dice que luego mejora y ahora no sé si seguir. 2,5/5
Profile Image for Lexie.
2,066 reviews357 followers
March 24, 2016
Holy shit I forgot how annoying Ginta and Miki were originally...also bad haircut is a BAD HAIRCUT. Matching your crush isn't cool Miki. Ginta you overblown immature jackass your excuses and victim blaming was pitiful. "I didn't want to incur their anger wah wah wah" Did you think even if Miki HAD NOT been standing there she wouldn't have heard your callous words from someone?? Guys gossip too!! IDIOTS. Meanwhile Yuu keep on at it man, you remain a fav.

And no your parents are hella weird even by American standards today.
Profile Image for Jude: The Epic Reader.
794 reviews82 followers
April 8, 2022
This story was super weird...weirder than I thought. I was expecting the step relationship but the whole parent situations was strange and unexpected.
Profile Image for Alicia.
520 reviews163 followers
August 23, 2014
These aren't the worst parents in a manga series but there is so much wrong with their thought processes that it took a serious leap of faith to get past their shenanigans. Apart from that it is a fairly typical romance with the added awkwardness that the two main characters are newly minted step-siblings. I will probably keep reading it to find out what craziness the parents will pull next.
Profile Image for Jenna.
535 reviews
December 26, 2020
3.5 stars. Reading this for a class in my last semester of my Masters degree!! After being so utterly confused in the beginning, once I got used to the manga-ness of it all I actually kinda liked reading this. And the story...they aren't kidding when they call this a teen soap opera. Drama drama drama! But I'm not gonna lie, I kinda want to know what happens in volume 2...
Profile Image for Paulina 🥳.
42 reviews1 follower
Read
December 7, 2021
You ever read something when your like 11 then come across it again when your like 24 and realize you’ve been consuming actual problematic garbage since the dawn of time? And that it wasn’t just a off shoot symptom of quarantine? No? Just me? Cool cool cool.
Profile Image for naty.
279 reviews18 followers
April 29, 2020
Okay, it was all very awkward at the beginning but I will push through a bit more.
Profile Image for Jolie.
212 reviews30 followers
October 16, 2018
Este viene a ser la primera entrega de los ocho volúmenes de este manga y es un título que sorprendió en el momento en que fue publicado.

Marmalade Boy fue publicado por Grupo Editorial Vid en una época en que el manga apenas estaba haciéndose emergente y que sólo ciertas obras eran conocidas y coleccionadas. El hecho de que la editorial haya adquirido esta licencia, fue un gran riesgo y a muchos sorprendió.



En este primer tomo, vemos el inicio de la historia donde consiste en que los padres de Miki Koishikawa le anuncian que se van a divorciar para cambiar de pareja con otro matrimonio que conocieron en un viaje. Para colmo de todo, ellos deciden que todos deberían de vivir juntos en la misma casa.

Todo lo que vemos, sería el inicio del primer arco argumental donde se habla de la decisión de sus padres y las primeras impresiones de Miki respecto al hijo de esa otra pareja: Yuu.

El dibujo del manga es muy bonito (nada que ver con el diseño que se realizó para la serie animada) y siendo esta una de las tantas veces que lo he leído, puedo decir que este el arco argumental (de los tres que tiene) que más disfruto. Esto es porque me gusta como la autora plantea la línea argumental y conocemos a estos personajes.

Miki siempre me ha parecido una chica bastante alegre y su manera de pensar suele ser madura. A comparación de otras protagonistas del género, he encontrado que ella suele reflexionar las situaciones en las que se encuentra antes de actuar.

Yuu es bastante misterioso: es reservado y a duras penas se puede saber lo que él piensa. Eso es el encanto de él puesto que se desconocen sus sentimientos. También me gusta el detalle de que a pesar de ser reservado, suele hacer bromas a menudo.

Meiko y Ginta: Ambos son amigos de Miki y aunque sus historias no se desarrollan del todo en este primer número, si se empieza a formar una idea sobre lo que vermos en los siguientes números. Ambas me gustan mucho, pero la que dura menos es la de Ginta.

Los padres: ellos son muy liberales, alegres y fuera de lo común. Todo el tiempo se les ve muy libres en su forma de ser y encontrarlos en alguna situación seria, se puede llegar a sentir extraño.

A grandes rasgos, en estos primeros capítulos iniciales Wataru Yoshizumi nos hace ver que la historia cumplirá con las características clásicas de un shoujo: triángulos amorosos, comedia y mucho drama (aunque en este número no hay situaciones exageradas por cosas pequeñas, en los siguientes números sí que las encontraremos).



El primer volumen termina con un buen cliffhanger que nos hace preguntarnos cómo seguirá esta historia.
Profile Image for Roberta.
527 reviews41 followers
December 31, 2018
Le premesse della storia sono quanto mai assurde: i genitori di Miki decidono di separarsi (amichevolmente) perché si sono innamorati di una coppia conosciuta in vacanza. Decidono di quindi di scambiarsi i partner e di vivere tutti insieme in una grande casa.
Giustamente Miki non è molto contenta (l'unica sana in quella gabbia di matti), mentre Yu - il figlio dell'altra coppia - pare accettare il tutto.

Miki ovviamente si infatua del ragazzo e si troverà tra due fuochi: Yu e Ginta, il ragazzo al quale si era dichiarata due anni prima e che l'aveva malamente respinta (anche se ora pare essere innamorato di lei).
Profile Image for haven ⋄ f (hiatus).
803 reviews14 followers
June 7, 2020
Predictable, but entertaining.

I’m not a fan of the “MC falls for step-sibling” element but as their parents didn’t get married yet, it’s okay. I also don’t like the era’s art style. I do like Yuu’s hairstyle.

The ending was pretty sweet. Often the titles aren’t explained in mangas, unless the author talks about them in the extras. This one directly talked about it, which was super surprising.
Profile Image for ayaaa__.
135 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2021
¡¡¡Ayyyy mi Miki!!! Que no acepta sus sentimientos, y yo que creía que me duraría más, ni 2horas!! Meiko me cae mal, la pobre no me ha echo nada pero yo que se jaja. Es el primer manga que me leo (12-03-2021) que ganas de ver el live action. Y ese final 🔥🔥🔥 que ganas de leer el segundo!!
Profile Image for Esther Carretero.
Author 8 books48 followers
October 12, 2023
Creo que en la serie no está ese momento en el que se hace mención del nombre del manga ("Marmalade boy"). ¡Me ha sorprendido!

Por lo demás, la historia ya la conocía y en manga se lee rápido y es prácticamente idéntico a su versión en anime.
Profile Image for Joana Berger.
13 reviews
August 18, 2024
I love the older anime art style but the story is wishy washy. I like the main character and her childhood friend, Ginta, but Yuu seems to be self centered and only acts out of kindness if it pushes the plot along.
Profile Image for Jen.
3,469 reviews27 followers
May 30, 2022
Sooooo good! So glad I hunted these down to own physically! 4, my past self had good taste in manga, stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for K.
1,134 reviews4 followers
March 30, 2023
I have no opinion yet. This could go well, or horribly. Also, I hated page 84.
Profile Image for Sergio_Entre_Libros.
123 reviews2 followers
July 12, 2023
Me ha encantado, me acordaba de la base por que vi la serie de pequeño, pero no me acordaba de lo que pasaba más allá!!! Ay tengo tantas ganas de seguir con el resto de tomos ❤️
Profile Image for Sarzen.
59 reviews9 followers
July 7, 2022
Primer tomo de Wataru Yoshizumi publicado en Argentina. La serie se terminaría de publicar poco más de un año después con su tomo 8. Actualmente está descatalogada.
Profile Image for Sophie.
682 reviews13 followers
August 24, 2016
"You know, Yuu. You're a lot like marmalade. Even though you've got lots of bitter bits inside you, all people see is the the sweetness on the surface. Marmalade Boy!" - Miki

Yes, this manga is really that adorable. I'm currently re-reading this manga, and I confess that I am a little bias as it was one of the first mangas (and anime) that got me hooked, so it holds a special place in my heart.

I'm really enjoying reading it again. I love that the qualities that Miki admires in Ginta - hot-headed, sucker for flattery, easy to maniplulate - are all Miki's qualities! Yuu is so calm and serene, but holds a special and teasing relationship with Miki, and Meiko is quiet and mysterious. This manga, in many ways, has many shoji manga tropes, but they're done so well that you can't help loving it.
Profile Image for Selena Pigoni.
1,941 reviews263 followers
November 21, 2011
This was an experimental one for Tokyopop, I swear.

This was one of the first manga they left "flipped" Japanese style, if I remember correctly, and they also left Japanese words sprinkled throughout. Bad idea.

Story-wise, it's okay at best. It's a confusing story about two couples who literally play permanent wife-swap and then all move in together for their two children to still have both parents. Oh, and it seems there is a budding romance between our horrified heroine, Miki, and her new stepbrother, Yuu.

The art's not enough to carry this story. Sometimes you get okay stories and excellent art, but it's not the case with this one.

Hard to relate to anything in this crazy stuff.

Meh. Just... meh.
Profile Image for Starbubbles.
1,635 reviews128 followers
May 5, 2009
this was my first obsession series! i love it, almost every second of the series! two families decide to divorce and remarry each other, and just watch the mayhem unfold. ex-girlfriends, past loves, possible new loves, trying to rekindle old loves, in just the first book!
i think i need to pick it up again, it's just that great!
Profile Image for Rana.
216 reviews9 followers
July 15, 2021
Did not live up to the hype I expected it to 😬😬 yes the art is very nice. But the pretense is weird (and highkey problematic)... All the guy did was tease her one (1) time and she was like “You’re marmalade... 😔😔sweet on the outside.. 😔tough inside 😔😬” I will say the pacing was good but I just was not invested in any of it
Profile Image for ℂ ✧.
2,420 reviews
December 18, 2022
Clàssic del shojo i un culebrot, que tela marinera. Dos matrimonis que se separen i fan intercanvi de parelles, però tenen dos fills adolescents (noi i noia), que s'acaben enamorant. Apareixen pretendents de sota les pedres, que s'acaben ajuntant amb altres personatges secundaris. Molt de drama, molta intensitat. I stan ♥
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews

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