Tokyo Marble Chocolate Review | Road Rash Reviews

4 stars of lovely but surreal romance.

Tokyo Marble Chocolate is a Japanese anime OVA, based on the manga of the same name by Fumiko Tanikawa. It is directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and is a collaboration between Production I.G. (Guilty Crown, Psycho Pass) and BMG Japan, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of them both.

Tokyo Marble Chocolate consists of two episodes, Full Powered Boy and See You Again, with a combined length of just under an hour. It is presented here in Japanese, with English subtitles, in a Collector’s Edition Dual Format Blu-ray and DVD.

“A mini donkey climbed into the box instead? Do pets take such initiative?”

Yudai is a young man who has always been unlucky in love. He doesn’t really know how to talk to girls, he’s shy and clumsy and he never tells them he loves them. This time it’s going to be different, he vows. He will tell Chizuru how he feels, thus strengthening their relationship.

As expected, things don’t go quite to plan and the gift he has bought for her turns out not to be what he thought. Following a call from his pet shop, it is revealed that the box did not contain a rabbit, but instead a mini donkey (of course!).

Before he can warn her the donkey is out and running off with her bag and as her mobile phone is lost in the process, she is unable to contact Yudai. This only adds to his insecurity as he desperately wants to be with Chizuru.

For Chizuru’s part, she too is insecure and has a poor track record when it comes to relationships. She is meeting Yudai with thoughts of breaking it off as she has already given up.

Will the unexpected appearance of the mini donkey, with his matchmaking tendencies be enough to help them to find a compromise and save their relationship?

Tokyo Marble Chocolate is really well written and a great romantic tale. Set against the impressive backdrop of Tokyo Tower, this unassuming love story unfolds slowly and gently. Quite why there is a need for a mini donkey wearing y-fronts is anybody’s guess, but it somehow manages not to detract from the story at all. My only complaint would be the questionable morals surrounding the issue of giving the gift of an animal in a sealed up cardboard box, although I suspect these matters are viewed differently in Japan.

Featuring two musical pieces written to compliment the story, it enjoys a great soundtrack and as always from Production I.G. the animation is superb. A great watch and well worth adding to your collection.

“Mini donkey. Mischievous, whimsical and unpredictable. Care is required as they may become aggressive and bite people.”