Set in a prestigious all-girl school, Strawberry Panic! is a rather predictable yuri anime. Following the steps of Maria-sama ga Miteru, the characters all fit into a familiar mold. Shizuma is the oujo-sama admired by the entire school while Nagisa is the clumsy commoner, who surprisingly catches Shizuma’s fancy. The use of lilies, Catholic churches, and overly polite honorifics are all reminiscent of Marimite, which is undoubtedly one of the most influential yuri ever. Still, despite having a generic setting and a foreseeable plot, Strawberry Panic! is still very enjoyable. In fact, it is one of those anime that leaves me with a feeling of emptiness after it ended because I just want to see more.
Though Strawberry Panic! may draw heavily upon a known frame, it goes beyond the mere subtext of Marimite to more pronounced lesbian relationships and sexual situations. It is essentially what we all fantasize about the characters of Marimite off scene. Strawberry Panic! gives us yuri fans exactly what we love. Ecchi and fluff.
It also helps that there are plenty of yuri raep scenes.
Strawberry Panic! is quite a lovely anime. I love the slender drawing styles of the characters. The anime differs a bit from the manga and the light novel, which I think is even prettier and cuter.
Ultimately, the characters and their relationships drive the whole series. However, I feel really bad for Yaya and Tomoe at the end though. I love both of those characters so it is kind of sad to see them end up alone. Still, I quite like the Shizuma and Nagisa pairing.
I especially like Yaya and thus I really hate the Amane x Hikari coupling. Yaya has so much more personality than Amane in every aspect. I despise Amane because she is such a pretentious and boring girl. That and she has the most farcical actions and illogical reactions, such as her ridiculous speech at the Etoille election. Also, I hate her character design. Anyways, that was just a bit of a rant and some spoilers on how the drama pans out, but it is not as if this ending were not expected. Although I would have really liked a Yaya x Hikari ending, it was never going to happen.
Oh well, drama is drama.
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Now I’m going to have to go watch Strawberry Panic. The girl models they used creeped me out… such ~thin~ legs!
Merry Christmas 🙂
Mmm… shoujo ai. Hea hea hea. Hope u did well on your finals. They are b*tch. Oh and mea-lee cu-lee-su-masu desu!
@shidare: I really like the thin legs though. Merry Christmas.
@AnimeMusicBoi: Thanks! Merry Christmas to you too.
Yaya got screwed, which is really a shame, because she’s the only character described in the light novel as a “true” lesbian. Real lesbians always get ripped off, unlike super lesbians.
Thanks for another Great post from U, Yi.
Well, I dislike Amane too. She shows her love to Hikari more like a man which makes me hate her too cold personality.
Agree with you guy, Yaya is better than Amane
Hope they will make Season 2
‘It is kind of incredible to see the immaturity of my older posts and to contrast that with my vastly different style today’
The exact same thing happens to me as well! I can hardly bear reading my older posts for their immaturity and the thought of re-editing them comes to mind so often.
I don’t watch this because I don’t watch yuri but someone oughta tell the Japanese, or at least the anime fandom that raep does not means love, however sexy and hot the scene is.
@Baka-Raptor: I didn’t know that Yaya was described in the light novel as a “true” lesbian. That she got screwed is even worse now…. 😦
I really liked her.
@GreenApp: Aww thanks. I kind of feel this post was a little scattered but yea…
Anyways, Amane is just so boring to look at.
I doubt there would be a second season. The anime tied up pretty nicely with all the canon pairings ending up together.
@Canne: Haha yea. I edited this entry quite a lot before posting it here. My “reviews” used to be so random and my prose awful.
@kluxorious: Yuri raep is not real raep, especially hot sexy yuri raep. Also, in this case, raep does mean love. (jkjk.)
Wow, 3 years ago? I’d no idea you’ve been blogging for that long.
Yuri always gives off this gentle vibe for me. Except when they’re raeping each other, I guess >.>
Aw, why not write an editorial? I think you’d be able to illustrate your points excellently if it’s about yuri, since you’re knowledgeable about enough series to back you up and you’ll be passionate about it; that really adds to the argument. I write buttloads at school and hate it, but when it comes to writing about something I like it’s a whole other activity, imho.
Strawberry Panic is really pretty mediocre. Th art is good, even if the characters are a bit too skinny (a I kinda like them, to be honest); the plots relatively boring though. I find the typical school-girl and nothing else plot uninteresting (notably, it’s still better than the bloody stupid mechs/gods/robots that simply debilitated my enjoyment of Kannazuki no Miko). I enjoy Panic more than Marimite (I stopped watching after suffering through the first season), though, as the plot actually advances in Panic, and you get to see some actual yuri.
I also never really liked Akane, and found Yaya a much more interesting and visually appealing character. At least Yaya probably gets that pink-haired loli, right? Somewhat interestingly, I also liked Tomoe more than Shizuma (Shizuma was better than Akane, but still sub-par).
Thankfully no actual raep (are we doing this to avoid some sort of filter?), because as soon as one character wants the… intercourse to end, it ends. Definite submissiveness though.
I’ve also decided that I’ve been abusing parenthesis. Help!
Oh my God! I love Nagisa and Shizuma. Great images you got here.. Yuri 4ever..
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@Ningyo: I wouldn’t call what I did 3 years ago blogging per se. It is more like a random page where I post random thoughts with no real goal, structure, or depth. (Although some entries did turn out quite well.)
Anyways, I tend not to write editorials because I’m too lazy and most of the times, I have nothing interesting to say. 😦
Thanks for the vote of confidence though. ^ ^
@Sellers: I agree that Strawberry Panic! is mediocre indeed, but entertaining. While it does have a predictable and boring plot, it also has shallow fluff, and sometimes that’s all I am looking for. I was not looking for a deep portrayal of LGBT relationships and a profound message, nor was I expecting the subtlety in Marimite and the blurring and questioning of the boundary between friendship and love. I guess it is just something to soothe for my thirst (lust?) for yuri.
Yaya was much more interesting indeed. Also, it was only upon second watch that I realized Yaya x Tsubomi may actually be a real pair. I do hope so.
I do the raep thing for google images. I want to stay on moderate filter so I tend to alter my spelling of raep, pron, and such. I also censor d*ck, f*ck, and other obscenities. Although to be honest, I doubt that makes much difference. No one really knows exactly how google works. I do it because I once read an article from a rather influential character about this.
@yurigirl29: Yuri4ever indeed.
I watched this, and it was sort of a bore. Lesbian scenes don’t do too much for me.
I love Yaya.. but… but T^T [I like Tamao too.. but but!!!]
Hikari&Nagisa you’re so cruel…
This’s one reason that I don’t quite like this series.
Yaya = Chikane
Hikari = Himeko [ Oh… pink shell]
Amane = Souma
In Strawberry panic’s version.. Souma win Himeko’s heart… It’s kinda hurt me.. So I prefer kannazuki no miko to this series.
Another reason that I prefer KNM is plot.. KNM has a good plot than Strawverry Panic[that I think made to sell yuri fan only].
PS. I’m sorry that my english is poor = =”..
my yuri in love strawberry panic best yuri anime perfect
helo in brasil
manga strawberry panic verygood art
For fans of Yaya X Hikari and Tamao X Nagisa , you just need to read the yuri Doujinshi of Strawberry Panic! … A Dream After Dreaming .It’s really really…(blushing)
Well, I liked it enough to watch the whole series, so I can’t think it’s bad; the whole thing was just a little plain. Very nice, and sort of uplifting, I suppose.
Again, I think we misunderstood each other a little bit. I was attempting to say that Panic is better than Marimite, because, well, stuff actually happens in Panic (I also think Panic looks better).
I’m relatively certain that Google doesn’t function like that, but I’ll partake in self-censorship so long as I’m on this site.
@Kakakung: Your comparison to Kannazuki is really relatively accurate. Hikari is adored by two stars (Yaya, however, is less of a star than Chikane was, while Akane enjoys Souma’s level of regard), isn’t very popular (until she becomes so abruptly at the end of the season because she’s with Akane) and is war-endingly kind. Also, Akane simply strikes me as a guy.
Kannazuki really reminds me of Gai Rei Zero’s slightly older, uglier, and less intelligent cousin. I only really saw Chikane’s struggle with her feelings of Himeko, when Chikane was acting depraved (I, surprisingly, really didn’t enjoy her descent into depravity, the scene with the mirrors and what-not wasn’t really that good) and the ending as noteworthy. The robot attacks were irritating, with all the factors of combat that I hate (why would you shout out your attack’s name, ever?), in fact, even Chikane seems tired of it, addressing, full of contempt, Souma’s weapon as his “robot” while she beats the living hell out of him. Speaking of them, the majority of the “necks” were too ridiculous to seriously consider. Especially the cat-nurse girl.
On the other hand, Chikane acting crazy was really, really good. Chikane’s guilt and sorrow in the end was good. Himeko’s reaction in the end was good. The ending was very hopeful.
Actually, I think Giant Robot is very annoying too – -..
[But it’s better than Amnesian [Kaishaku new series that has so much fan service that I don’t want to read it anymore. Where’s my elegant Chikane?]
I want to read Himegami[web novel that related to Kannazuki no miko much more than Amnesian and have very Chikane + very cool Himeko (not..um..annoying like she used to be)
but I can’t read Japanese, so I have to give up now.]
Love’s story between Chikane Himeko and Souma captured my heart.
This series made me cry whenever I watch Ep 12.
It’s also my first Yuri anime ( when I first saw trailer I don’t think there will be Yuri..) and I became Yuri Big Fan since then.
Oh.. I almost forgot
Miator remind me Maria-sama ga miteru.
Here’s a comparison.
http://gamboom.exteen.com/20060513/marimite-vs-strawberrypanic
And Spica like I told resemble Kannazuki no miko
Here’s another comparison.
http://gamboom.exteen.com/20060723/strawberry-panic-vs-kannaduki-no-miko/page/2
and @GreenApp
Yes, A Dream After Dreaming is good.
I blushed all the time when I read it.
Yaya and Tamao just so cute~
PS. I didn’t dislike Shizuma [I can accept Nagisa x Shizuma].
But I DO NOT like Amane. She is like a man.
When Hikari x Amane were together. I always think that I’m watching normal couple not yuri – -..
@Misu: I figured as much. The whole appeal of Strawberry Panic is the yuri, so yea.
@Kakakung: That’s actually quite a fitting analogy. I had not thought of that before but it does kind of remind of that. KnM was great and was sort of my intro to yuri as its own genre. I could’ve really one without the robots though.
About Amane, while I don’t mind princely character designs, I just think she’s really really boring. Also, I like Yaya much more because she is just cuter.
@sora: I wouldn’t call it the best yuri ever, but it is good.
@jonas: Yep yep.
@GreenApp: I remember reading that. “It’s really really…(blushing)”
@Sellers: I actually don’t think I misunderstood you. That’s the one reason I like Marimite more, simply because the yuri does not progress. I think that adds a level of subtlety. Also, the lightly hinted yuri is just so much more titillating and probes you to look hard into the series. But it’s simply a matter of mood. Sometimes I want vanilla; sometimes I want Strawberry.
Chikane and the ending are undoubtedly the saving grace of KnM. The giant robot thing really annoyed me to no end.
Nice post. I’m going to have to check this one out soon. I’ve been meaning to. Happy Holidays!
=]
Love how the girls blushes!
@shadowhimsa: Thanks. It’s a pretty nice watch if you’re into yuri. If not, then you might want to give it a pass (or not).
Happy holidays to you too!
@phossil: Me too. ^ ^
Holy crap, this is an anime? Hmmm, I guess I’ll have to check it out after I get done with the bucketfuls of anime/manga I already have to review lol.
@FaS: It’s pretty good, but probably not that interesting if you’re not very into yuri. I wouldn’t suggest it to be the top priority, but if you don’t have a huge backlog (very unlikely for any of us), Strawberry Panic! is a decent watch.
As per the multiple implied suggestions, I’ve read “A Dream After Dreaming”. I’m impressed. You people are, to say the least, bold. That being said, it’s probably noteworthy, isn’t it?
Does one have to be homosexual to enjoy yuri?
@Sellers: Haha. I suppose we are bold.
@Anonymass: No, I don’t think so.
This was the first yuri I watched and the most emotional of them all. It still ranks on top of my list. Never cried so much watching an anime since Saint Seiya!
And I find the soundtrack to be the best (with the exception of yuri with Yuki Kajiura performing the soundtrack because you just can’t match her), althought I don’t like the openings and endings.
Erm, wait. Did someone say Kannazuki No Miko has a good plot?!
Now I’m shocked O.O
I think the consensus is that Kannazuki no Miko has a horrific, blindingly terrible plot that rends the entertainment value the show could have, and that Chikane & Himeko (mostly Chikane) are the only worthwhile factors throughout the entire series.
On a barely related note, I prefer Higurashi’s soundtrack. The Main Theme derivations are just too good. Of course, Higurashi isn’t Yuri, if that’s what you were limiting the soundtracks to.
Shoot. I never got around to finishing this either. :p
Those are some very nice images. 😀
I will say the PS2 game wasn’t too exciting though.
@Ghost In The Shell: This is a pretty good yuri and I liked the OP. The ED sequence was really weird though…
Anyways, it definitely has its emotional and dramatic parts.
KnM does not have a good overarching plot, but I do think it has really good character development with Chikane. I also love how the drama and love pans out in KnM.
@Sellers: I agree. KnM’s main storyline with the Orochi or w/e the stupid robots thing was is simply bland, unoriginal, boring, and crappy. Chikane x Himeko’s development though was amazing and I loved that part.
Also, agreed about Higurashi. I liked Kai’s OP as well.
@shijima: Haven’t played the PS2 game. Is it similar to the anime?
I also like Higurashi’s OP. Funny thing about KnM is that people don’t even remember Himeko, it’s all about Chikane 😡 I think that’s why the anime is famous. I don’t think the fans actually like KNM as a anime when they say they do. I think most of them actually like Chikane and mistake this with liking the series haha
The creator of Kannazuki can’t write a story for shit, but he does know how to sell it.
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@GITS: Himeko was a pretty boring character. Agreed that everyone who likes KnM actually only likes Chikane. That’s certainly true for me.
Who is Himeko? XD
@soulstaker: Haha! I actually forgot her name a while back and had to look it up. Chikane’s though has always stuck with me.
I often mistake their names, call Chikane himeko and himeko Chikane, until I remember some scenes where “the rich girl calls the other girl with no background at all ‘Himeko’, so the rich girls gotta be Chikane”
@GITS: That happens to me a lot during the first few episodes of many series.
I keep mistaking them even after a year or so haha always have to double check, closing my eyes and imagining the rich girl saying “Himeko…” 😛
Now that I finally finished Strawberry Panic, I can comment here! Where’s my alternate story of S.P. that features Yaya finally winning Hikari’s heart?? *sigh*
Oh and Tamao worked SOOOO hard. I really feel sorry the most for her because she looked the loneliest because at least Yaya got Tsubomi with her in her final scene.
@GITS: Yep yep.
@lightningsabre: Yea. I felt really bad for Tamao too. I did get the feeling that Tsubomi actually likes Yaya. At least, that certainly seems to be the consensus among many doujins.
i really wished for a yaya x hikari ending as well but considering this is my favorite anime ever i wish they could somehow figure out how to make a season 2 PS: Does anyone else think that Shizuma is really cute in the manga and on the verge of Emo in the anime?
@sharpavery: I really like the manga drawing style. It’s so cute. Agreed about Shizuma.
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i reali love this anime i love it!
@kaori nagisa: Me too. I enjoyed it a lot as well.
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You’ve probably heard this sentence many times before, but “this is the 1st yuri anime that I’ve seen in my life and turned me into a fan of both yuri/shoujo-ai, mostly the latter. Anyway, I think Yaya and Tamao are supposed to be the characters we cheer for because…well they’re side characters. They’re for the most part more interesting than the ladies who actually do win, except Shizuma since I truly believe deep down that her character design was the inspiration for the creation of the ever so awesome Ellis from Sono Hanabira 8 (Seriously, they’ve identical superpowers and hairstyles). Although our destined couples didn’t come true, at least we got the greatness that is both, “Le Rim Academy’s president Chikaru and her harem” plus the pairing of Kaname X Momomi.
Haha yea, Chikaru and her harem is another highlight of this series. She was another one of my favorite characters perhaps in all of yuri.
It’s kind of interesting what you said about side character. I was replying to another comment just a few days ago, and I realized that I tend to root/ like the side characters more in most anime. It seems like this was another clear case of that.
Anyways, I think my first yuri anime is probably Mai Hime. That kind of counts right?
Glad to hear your support for the great and all powerful Chikaru.
That’s because 90% of the time, the side characters are usually more interesting than the main characters themselves….most of the time.
Good choice for a 1st yuri anime. ShizNat is also legendary in this aspect. I hope Tate’s stupidity didn’t torture you that much.
I actually didn’t really mind Tate and Mai. Almost everything about Mai Hime worked for me including the main romance and love triangle.
Fair enough, though that doesn’t excuse neither Tate’s or Sergey’s suckyness. They both end up being lame. Oh well, the important thing is that you acknowledge The Mai series’ awesomeness.
Otome is a far inferior series in my opinion largely because of Sergey. He was terrible.
Oh, almost forgot to ask 2 questions:
1: Is it wrong for me to consider my #1 favorite character in SP to be: Not any of the girls, no even Chikaru, but the most badass character in the entire show in my eyes is Oshibaru? Is that weird?
2: Is it me, or have the two of us reviewed many similar shows? I have a feeling that we have. Either that or we both have similar taste in anime? Or maybe it’s because we’re both proud members of the yuri nation?
1. Haha, I guess not. Although you might be the one of the very few. I actually had to google Oshibaru to remember who she is.
2. Probably because of yuri. There are only so many yuri anime out there; yuri fans are bound to have overlaps in our watch lists.
I always thought Oshibaru or Percival as it’s officially named was a male teddybear. Then again, it’s a teddybear plus the show is 100% all female, so for the sake of argument, Percival is a girl teddybear. Kagome is adorable as well and gets bonus points for being in Chikaru’s harem. Kagome and Percival rule!
I mean, I saw your reviews: Hyakko, Angel Beats, Doujin Work, Occult Academy, K-ON!, CANAAN, etc.
SP and KnM I haven’t reviewed because it’s mandatory for yuri fans to have seen and cherished both shows. Yes, I suppose it’s because we’re yuri fans that our list is similar.
I saw your list of review and the percentage of shows we have both seen are actually not that high. We just both watch quite a number of shows, and of those, the yuri ones overlap.
Ah, makes sense. Then again, the 66 that I posted are only 66/200 so yeah, I guess the similarity only lies within our yuri fandom and nothing more.
if you like strawberry panic you mite like shoujo sect
Spot on recommendation!
I loved Shoujo Sect. both the manga and the anime!
I also wrote several posts on it. If you’re interested, they’re in the review section.
do you know of any websites I can read strawberry panic. the website I was on closed down
I’m not positive on this, but I think you might be able to find some scanlations on Dynasty Scans. You’ll have to dig around a bit though.
http://dynasty-scans.com/
thank you yi
if you know of any more yori or yuri manga may you pleas tell me
Here are some yuri manga that I really enjoyed:
Gokujou Drops
Iono the Fanatcis
Shoujo Sect
Girl Friends
Octave
There are also a myriad of one-shots that are pretty enjoyable in different magazines, such as Yuri Hime.
I write about yuri quite often, so I hope you stick around and read some of my posts. ^ ^
you are very nice yi
i have looked at the site but i they only talk and thats it
Try this instead: http://dynasty-scans.com/reader/
if you don’t mind can you find other web site pleas and thakyou yi.
I can generally find all the English yuri manga scanlations on Dynasty Reader. They’re very good at indexing newly released series from different scanlation groups.
Other than that, Lililicious and Wings of Yuri are two other yuri sites I really like.
Oh, oh. Didn’t mean to intrude but there’s also Yurimanga.net. 😀
You’re definitely not intruding! Thanks for the link. ^ ^
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Even though I am not a big yuri fan, I couldn’t hold back my tears and started crying in the last scene. I totally recommend this anime to all my female friends ^_^
It got pretty poignant for me as well, especially since I had grown quite attached to the characters. I think you need to be a yuri fan to appreciate it. I loved it!
It’s nice to hear that people enjoyed this anime, as the reviews were pretty bad… T.T
To be fair, there are a lot of flaws with this anime. Still, I sort of just overlooked it because of the cute yuri.
Lol, apparently it “stole” themes from other anime… like the Piano one.
By the way, your review is fine! It’s not immature or anything 🙂
Actually, that’s kind of one problem I had with it. It felt a bit too cliche. Still, it was decently executed, and it has adorable yuri, so I’m fine with it.
p.s. Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the review, and I hope you check out some of my other, more recent posts. ^ ^
Cliche? Well since I saw it before reading manga I suppose I didn’t care about cliches at the time and to be honest, I still don’t. I want me some confessions and cheering for the underdog who has little to no chance of winning because she’s competing against a very powerful vampire. What I didn’t want was to see Amane win (boring). Now if you’ll all pardon me, I must go and reminisce about the goddess that is Chikaru.
Well, cliche gets a pretty bad rap, but it’s really not that bad to be cliche. Cliches are cliches for a reason. In either case, Strawberry Panic is a solid show that didn’t really offer anything Marimite and other yuri anime hasn’t before. Its execution is nice though, and the characters are lovable. Chikaru and Yaya ~♥
I have not seen this scene in the anime:
There’s only one version of SP right?! …
(Sorry for the bad english)
Yea, there is only one version of Strawberry Panic. The image is a fan art.
(p.s. Your English is great!)
I watched SP recently (a few months back), and after reading a few reviews, I’m starting to think that I must be the only person that absolutely HATED the ending.
The way I see it, Nagisa led Tamao in throughout the whole thing, and even if one thinks she was just being “friendly”, she never rejected her either (I refuse to think she was thicker than a block of concrete and didn’t realize Tamao liked her).
Then, in the election scene, Nagisa tells Shizuma she loves her and runs away with her in front of EVERYONE from all of the three schools. It’s one of the most awful things I’ve ever seen, she ruined her best friend’s high school life and any sense of self worth she had. Love is a selfish feeling, I’m aware, but not THAT selfish.
It’s a horrible ending without even considering the fact Miyumi has no escape from her forced marriage, had to bear with her unrequited love for however long she knew Shizuma and will now have to stand her being all lovey-dovey with Nagisa. It’d have been a so much happier and meaningful ending if they both decided to grow up and move on instead of being morons and hurting those who always stood by their sides (yet again). Oh well, you can’t always get what you want I guess.
You’re definitely not the only one that didn’t like the ending. In fact, in my review, I did mention that I didn’t like how it ended. I felt so much more sympathy for Tamao, Yaya, and Miyumi. It’s a sad tale of unrequited loves. Although feelings can’t be forced, and drama is drama, this series didn’t quite make me feel that great about love.
Yes, Nagisa’s actions at the ending is a jerk move. I can’t believe how inconsiderate she is. Even if she feels no romantic feelings for Tamao, she should at least give her the dignity and respect she deserves. Strawberry Panic wanted to have a parallel to a marriage ceremony, but the fact is, it’s not. It’s an important event in their school life more akin to prom. To strip Tamao of her deserved spotlight is just mean. (That Tamao supported Nagisa in that scene only shows what a huge heart she has.)
“It’d have been a so much happier and meaningful ending if they both decided to grow up and move on instead of being morons and hurting those who always stood by their sides (yet again).”
I’m disagree here though. It would have been a happier ending, but not necessarily a meaningful ending. Strawberry Panic, as a story about lesbian relationships, always felt more fantastical than real. Miyumi’s future helps to ground the yuri story and give it a little relevance than a mere fairytale about lesbian romances.
While I’m sad that there are several unrequited love, I think they are necessary for a drama like this. Yaya’s and Miyumi’s story fall into this. Love is brutal.
However, like you, I had a huge problem with that scene when Shizuma runs off with Nagisa. I think Shizuma is kind of a terrible person, and she doesn’t deserve that happy ending. It’d have been better if Tamao is given a proper rejection like what Miyumi and Yaya got–a sincere talk at an appropriate place and time that doesn’t humiliate her on stage. It totally ruins any sympathy for the protagonists, and makes the drama not as compelling.
Anyway, thank you for visiting and commenting!
Here’s my two cents on the ending. Now the reason I address Shizuma as a vampire isn’t just as a fun joke, but it’s because Shizuma is a sort of mean spirited person. I mean what kind of woman goes a “killing” spree after what had happened to her in the past. Throughout the entirety of the series Shizuma has been on the prowl and only near the 3rd quarter has a portion of her humanity been restored. The bottom line is that she’s still a vampire at heart.
Now on to Tamao. Sure she made mistakes but it was clear as day how she felt. ANY normal person could easily tell that Tamao’s feelings for Nagisa were more than just a girl who’s found a friend and fallen in love with said friend. Tamao is a true hero who deserved better than this. After reading what both of you had to say about the ending it only made me feel even sadder for Tamao. What had she done to deserve such disrespect from Nagisa. She’s an innocent flower who had experienced true love for the first time and what happens, she’s publicly humiliated and left an emotional mess. I’ve wanted to give that poor girl a hug for so long after that ending, even before I realized how grave the damage inflicted on her was.
Why didn’t she receive the closure that Miyuki and Yaya got? Two other victims of unfair circumstances.
Agreed. Shizuma is a huge jerk… And poor Tamao. 😦 She has that compassion and kindness that Shizuma will never have. Nagisa is a shallow girl for not being able to see that.
Still, I do like Shizuma x Nagisa for the mere fact that they do look good together… A lot of mixed feelings about the main pairing.
I don’t feel nearly as bad for Miyuki because love can’t be forced. That’s life. The same can be said for Yaya, except I really really like her. I wouldn’t say that it’s exactly unfair–what is fair in love?–but it is kind of a bitter end for those three poor girls.
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The story focus a lot on Miator and Spica’s students, but I wish it focus as much on Lulim as well. Most of the characters from Lulim are bright and cheerful, so it would’ve made the anime less emo if Lulim are on the spotlight more.
It’s kind of amusing to see how many people flames this anime’s ending in the same way (mostly). I think the story was suppose to end in a bittersweet way instead of a happy ending where everyone wins. The audience might feel less heated about the ending if Amane character is better developed and Nagisa-Tomoe ending is better resolved.
Or they should just make an alternate ending in an OVA or something like Clannad to answer the fan’s desire. I believe this is the best solution so far.
That’s a really good point. Strawberry Panic feels like it’s just a little too melodramatic, and I think more Lulim would’ve put in on the lighter side. I loved Chikaru. She is by far the most fun and charismatic character in the whole series. I kind of wished she had a more involved role in the romances as well, instead of just acting as an observer to the drama between Spica and Miator students. Plus, she brighten the scenes up every time she appears.
I didn’t find it that surprising that people didn’t really like the ending. What the characters did to Tomoe is not just a bittersweet rejection of love. It was actually super malicious… It certainly didn’t shine a good light on either Nagisa or Shizuma. It left a sour taste.
Anyway, I wouldn’t mind seeing more Strawberry Panic, but I’ve never really liked alternative endings for various reasons. The anime made a choice on an ending, and the audience and they should stick by it, even if it isn’t the best ending.
Wow, this brings back a lot of memories! Strawberry Panic! is actually my first ever Shoujo ai/Yuri anime and this was the show that brought me into the Yuri World. I can see many people did not particularly like the ending, but i did. I was a huge fan of Shizuma actually, she is elegant, beautiful, and has a tragic past. Although she might have been a jerk and all, i just can’t bring myself to detest her, i don’t know why XD. I do feel bad for Tomoe but it’s only brief as in i don’t sympathize much with her, as i wholeheartedly support NagiXShiz. That said, i never really cared about the other couples as i was too absorbed on Nagisa and Shizuma. Thus, after reading this, i told myself this.’It’s time to rewatch this show!’ lol. Nice review Sempai =).
P.S.:i actually scrolled up and saw one of the comments ‘You’ve probably heard this sentence many times before, but “this is the 1st yuri anime that I’ve seen in my life and turned me into a fan of both yuri/shoujo-ai, mostly the latter’
I loled when i saw this because it looked almost identical to what i wrote in my second sentence XD.
Shizuma does have a tragic past, but I still just find her so intolerable. She is not emotionally manipulative enough for me to fall in love with her, nor is she kind enough for me to like her. I just thought she is an insensitive jerk. And that Nagisa eventually brings herself down to Shizuma’s level is kind of annoying to watch too.
Yet, I still find all the romances engaging and lovely. Strawberry Panic is definitely not a bad show, although it’s unlikely I’ll rewatch it. It’s a bit heavy and draggy I guess, even though it is a marvelous yuri anime.
Anyway, so glad you enjoyed the anime and the review!!
p.s. Seems like Strawberry Panic is a first for many. ^ ^
My first yuri ever would be Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, the manga. Though I’ve watched the anime as well (I think that was my first yuri show) but liked the manga more. LOL. I watched Strawberry Panic! ’cause a lot of the yuri fans I know kept on recommending it. You can’t imagine how hard it was for me to watch that in my dorm room without my roommates ogling over me. Hahaha. 😀 But I loved it, nonetheless. I love how Shizuma’s drawn — she looks so regal and prim and proper. She just loves Nagisa so much. It’s sweet. 🙂
I have yet to watch Kashimashi, which is another one I’ve heard quite a bit about. I’ll have to check it out sometime then. ^ ^
“You can’t imagine how hard it was for me to watch that in my dorm room without my roommates ogling over me. Hahaha. “
Loll. Must have been quite an awkward situation trying to watch certain scenes especially! It kind of reminds me of the time I had to scanlate Gokujou Drops in the library. Haha.
Anyway, I love Shizuma’s looks too. She’s very pretty… And OMG, that large hair!!! ♥
Haha. Reading Gokujou Drops was a hard feat for me, too! I had to make sure Roommate’s gone or facing the opposite way before proceeding onto the next page ’cause you know how Gokujou Drops is, they just suddenly ‘assault’ the protagonist! XD But it was fun. I managed to finish it that way. Hahaha.
Loll yes, the sudden “assaults”. I love them, even if they do sometimes cause some awkward situations in public spaces. ^ ^
I actually have not watched Kashimashi yet, due to the fact that the girl was once a guy from reading the preview..I’m scared that might destroy the whole show for me so i’m not watching it yet until i get some assurance that it’s safe 🙂
That wasn’t much of a problem for me. I actually thought it gave the show a certain level of complexity quite different from regular yuri. ‘Cause here’s one girl who actually likes girls and another one who likes the guy who turned into a girl. I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me. Teehee~ Maybe read the manga, then? I liked it a lot. 🙂
I’m with fanaddict22, but I suppose we all have different takes on the sex-bent aspect of Kashimashi. I don’t mind it quite so much I suppose, and it does give the story a very different layer than most other yuri.
Thanks for your short review , fanaddict22-san 😉 i’m actually considering whether to watch it now or not.
Iie, iie. Glad to be of service to a fellow yuri lover. 😀
hey i am back
Hi, unfortunately, I have no idea who you are, since, well, you are anonymous. I’m not even sure if you are a real commenter…
dose any one know a realy good yuri my gf sugested one but it only had 12 pages and and only one cahpter
If you are new to yuri, I would suggest Girl Friends. I think it is one of the better yuri manga around and a fairly accessible read. It is also one of the more renowned titles.
Here’s something I wrote on it a while ago if you’re interested: https://listlessink.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/the-girl-friends-of-shoujo-anna-sui-and-cecil-mcbee/
Aoi Hana is another I’d look into as well. Both the anime and the manga are wonderful.
thank you