Nobue arrives home, exhausted. She surmises from the three pairs of shoes at the door that all the main characters are there. She opens the door, announcing her presence. Matsuri greets her. Nobue sees the dollhouse out, and asks what they're doing. Matsuri says they're playing dolls. Nobue asks how old they are, again.
(The chapter image is a rear view of Miu looking over her shoulder, which bears a bag with a bunny head on it, underneath which, it says "12 Memories
". Hanging from one strap and the mobile phone pocket are dolls of Chika, Ana, Nobue, and Matsuri.)
Nobue asks Chika if she isn't going to join her friends, but Chika says she's too old for that. Nobue guesses it's because Chika's normal. Here we perhaps see an insight into the process, as we see Ana's name, followed by a colon, before her assertion that she's just playing for Matsuri's sake. Nobue wonders if that's so, as...
Matsuri dings and says dinner's ready. Ana says it looks delicious.
"Not like you're enjoying it or anything..."
Miu opens the window with a "Ciao" and is greeted by Nobue. She asks Ana and Matsuri what they're doing, and Ana tells her. She asks how old they are, and decides this means she can play. Chika finds that an interesting perspective. Miu assigns the role of "Daddy". Daddy comes home... wearing nothing but glasses. Ana and Matsuri stare at the doll in shock. The daddy says today was awful, as he got gang-mugged again. Ana and Matsuri just keep staring. The daddy announces that since he's already naked, he'll have a bath. He goes upstairs and goes head-first into the tub. He says that it's a good thing their house is wide open, so the neighbors can enjoy seeing him like that. We get a close-up, so... be glad it's a child's toy and not correct, right? Daddy takes a nap on the stairs. Miu asks if they're honestly enjoying this. Matsuri doesn't think she was playing right. Chika asks why she doesn't put some clothes on him.
Miu decides it's too childish, and wants to play with dolls in a more mature way. Chika asks what that means. Miu isn't sure how to explain it. She decides to go sketch something out, and will return in exactly one hour. She... shuts the window on her head, it looks like.
At her home, she writes something, and makes copies.
Back in Chika's room, everyone has their scripts of something called "Memories of Recollections". Screenplay by "me", all done by "me". Chika notes that memories and recollections are the same thing, and asks what it is. Miu says it's her script. Chika asks if she wrote all of that. (Chika, don't you recognize that as the work of the girl who wrote the shoujo manga in episode 32?) Miu says she did, and believes it to be appropriate for 5th and 6th graders. Nobue asks if they're going to read that, and isn't sure why she has to. Miu tells everyone to stop worrying, as it's very easy to follow. The cast list is on the first page.
- Husband: Nobue
- Child: Matsuri
- Husband's mother: Ana
- Wife: Chika
- Narrator: Miu
Miu wants to begin, and wants no monkey business. Chika asks if she's serious.
In a quiet residential area lives a newlywed couple. They love each other very much. The husband, Koji, works for a company.
Koji: Department manager, department manager!
Nobue asks "what the hell" this is. Miu doesn't recall putting that last bit into her script, and wants a little respect for it. Nobue apologizes, but doesn't think the line makes sense. Miu explains that we're seeing Koji at the company, talking to his boss. Nobue decides to drop it.
Kyoko, his wife, quit her job as a kindergarten teacher after she got married and is now a housewife.
Kyoko: Craptastic.
Chika shakes with suppressed laughter. Nobue wants to stop, thinking it nonsense and a waste of time. Miu admits not being sure about the beginning, but considers the rest pure art. Nobue claims to trust her. Miu backs up to "She got married and is now a housewife." Chika says her line, but does a better suppression job than last time.
Taeko, Koji's mother, lives with Koji and is very cruel to her daughter-in-law.
Ana glares at her script. It's having her say "Kyoko, can'y you even make miso soup right?" ...but in English. She hits Miu in the face with the script for trying to shame her. Miu says that's the part; Taeko's lines must be read in English. It's a shame if Ana doesn't want to do it. Chika asks why an old lady has to speak English. Miu makes a small change:
But one day, Taeko is killed in a traffic accident.
Taeko: Craptastic.
Chika "pfffft!"s at that. Miu informs Ana that she has no more lines as Taeko, who was always a minor role anyway. But there are other minor roles for her, so she should continue to pay attention. Ana agrees. Miu decides to pick it up from the top of page three.
One day, a precious baby boy is born to the couple. Matsuri makes baby noises.
Baby: I've just been born... goo gah.
They name the baby "Ichi Nostril."
Nobue asks why. I'm kinda left wondering, myself; does he only have one nostril?
Once Ichi Nostril reaches school age, he often gets picked on because of his name.
Suddenly, a refrigerator stars making a noise.
Ana supplies the sound effect.
In the meanwhile, Koji is having an affair with Mitsuko, his ex-girlfriend. On a huge farm in Hokkaido, a cow moos.
Ana supplies the sound effect. For the cow, I mean, not Mitsuko.
Koji gets caught having an affair and he now lives with Mitsuko. Beckham tries to kick the ball, but misses it.
Ana supplies the sound effect.
Ana hits Miu in the face with her script again, calling herself an actress, and asking why all her lines are sound effects. Miu explains that there are a lot of important roles, and Ana has gotten to play more than anyone. Nobue isn't quite following.
Koji leaves Mitsuko and gets back together with Kyoko but they have trouble with Ichi Nostril, who is now at a rebellious age. He's started to drink and smoke.
Kyoko: You're only in high school! You shouldn't be smoking!
I wonder who's supposed to be getting the message, here...
Kyoko scolds him severely. Ichi Nostril responds...
(singing) I'm sooo-
Nobue questions the fact that Ichi starts singing, and Matsuri wonders what it is. Miu thought she'd try her hand at a musical.
Ichi Nostril stops going to school and his punk attitude gets even worse. Ichi Nostril doesn't listen to Koji or Kyoko anymore. They're deeply troubled by their son's disgraceful behavior.
Ana: R-raccoon.
Nobue: Newt.
Chika: Tiger.
Matsuri: Raccoon. Buzzz!
Ichi Nostril lost the game due to lack of intelligence.
(What game? I just realized: it's shiritori, albeit anglicized. In the original, none of the words would have ended with "n". Ichi lost due to repeating a word. This makes the second series where I realized a group was playing shiritori without them saying.)
From then on, the family lives happily ever after. Beckham misses a goal kick even though it's a free shot.
Ana provides the sound effect,
The End.
Nobue doesn't quite get the ending. Neither does Miu. She does, however, say that Ichi Nostril finally learns to walk. Chika asks if he'd never learned, and points out that Miu already said "The End." She asks what part of the script she's reading. Miu says she just came up with the idea.
After a general Visible Silence, Miu asks if they want to do a live run-through now that the rehearsal is over. Nobue declines, and tells Miu to go home.
Strawberry-Sport
Miu is on one knee on a curling sheet, holding the handle of a rock in her right hand, and the handle of a curling broom in the other. The other side of the page is a rear view. There's an asterisk after "Curling" there, but I don't see a footnote.
The end-of-volume image uses the chapter image from next volume.
"The zaniness continues in the next volume of Strawberry Marshmallow, as Miu and the gang come up with any crazy plan to pass the time! Whether it's bullying innocent door-to-door salesmen, or helping Nobu with a (gasp!) love letter, these girls really know how to have fun!"
The back pages advertise:
- the Tokyopop.com website
- The Dark Goodbye
- King City
- Manga/Tactics
- Zapt!
- Priest
- Steady Beat, Fool's Gold, Fruits Basket, Ultra Cute, Little Queen, Someday's Dreamers, and Dramacon''
Links are to TV Tropes articles where it has them and The Other Wiki articles where TV Tropes does not, as of the date of this installment. All unlinked titles have neither, also as of the date of this installment.
Next time: Volume 4, episode 31!
