Headscratchers / Strawberry Marshmallow

aka: Ichigo Mashimaro

• Why does Ana speak English so badly? You'd expect her parents to talk English with her at home and young children are very capable of learning two or more languages at once. I did.
  • It's mentioned at some point in the manga that her parents don't speak English anymore, not even at home. This is probably not likely at all to happen in real life, but it is what it is. So Ana learned some English, but it is a running gag throughout the series that, even though she is not native, she knows more about Japanese customs and legends than do her native-born friends.
  • Also, think about it. She moved from the US when she was 5. It's been what, 6 years? No way you'd remember a language from that age if your family doesn't speak it at home. I know this from experience, having a first language of Spanish until 3rd grade, when my new family spoke English at home. I'm in college now and don't know a word of Spanish.
    • Moved from the UK - Ana is English, don't forget.
  • It's also possible for this to happen with your native tongue, no matter how unlikely it may seem, as what happened with me when I spoke mostly English since primary schooling and now in college, I can barely speak in even conversational Filipino.
    • Adding some more support to this, I, who am Taiwanese, can assure you that living in the US since kindergarten has made me basically illiterate in Chinese, with only a preschool level of conversational Mandarin and Hokkien/Minnan, despite the fact that his mother still uses both languages at home occasionally.
    • I, who am Polish, use English (and sometimes also Japanese) for most things (except for taking university notes), and even though I do live in Poland, after just a few years I have to translate what I want to say in Polish because it is natural for me to use English. Not quite the level of "forgetting one's language", but I'm pretty sure I would've forgotten it too if I didn't live in a country where it is used.
    • Speaking as a Brit who (like Ana) lived abroad as a child (in Norway, China and Japan - 3 years in each country) due to my father's work placements with BP, I can tell you that my parents NEVER stopped speaking our/their native English at home. In fact, English people are known for being bad at picking up other languages, because so many people speak English anyway. I'd suggest it's simply a highly unlikely Plot Device played for laughs.
• Why are the mangaka and Nobue considered paedophiles?
  • Nobue's behavior toward Matsuri, Ana and sometimes Miu has raised the eyebrows of some fans. As for Barasui, he said in an omake that he'll draw anything with children in it. As if to drive this point home, he also contributed to the loli series Weekly Dearest My Brother (his submissions were tame but other artists sent in ecchi stuff).
  • Nobue might not be a Lolicon in its primary meaning ("paedophile"), but Japanese use this word to depict people who like children for other reasons too, and since she finds spending time with them fun, yeah. Besides, trying "old man jokes" on fifth and sixth-graders isn't exactly normal.

• Where exactly are Nobue and Chika's parents? What is the living situation for Chika and Nobue?
  • Ok, so we never see any of the character's parents, but granted, we don't spend much time with any of the characters at their own houses. That's why with them, but with Chika and Nobue, every episode takes place in their home, yet we never see their parents.
  • Does Nobue take care of Chika? Hard to believe since she has to borrow money from her all the time?
  • To clear this up, both Itou sisters reference their mother and also grandfather (Nobue borrows his car) - we just never see them as they are not plot-relevant. Ana’s mother however does appear in the Part Time Jobs episode (as Ana has to visit the restaurant Nobue works at, and could hardly do so unaccompanied) and appears similar to Ana, though obviously older, darker-blonde and with glasses.

• Why is Miu so often compared to Cartman?

• Why is Nobue looking for a job in episode 4, if she already has a job?
  • In episode 1, it's established Nobue has a job and that she's gone at night, when the Girls make her present. But in episode 4, she's looking for a job. Why would she need to look for a job if she already has a job?

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