I'm not that sentimental about things, but I bought the DVD (2 disk set) and watched all 13 episodes in one sitting. The teacher applies for a job at a school, but the principle and coordinator detest men. They basically throw him out and his landlord is hounding him for rent money. She suggests he dress like a woman and helps him make the changes he needs to get the job. He succeeds and makes a great impression on his students. One in particular takes a shine to him. There is a bit of a love triangle that develops towards the middle of the 2nd disk. At first I thought the story was just silly and entertaining, but towards the end it gets more serious and started to strike chords with me with the 'love triangle' and un-obtainable as I once went through it. I just wish the movie was in English and not subtitled. Other than that this series of episodes is exceptionally done. The artistry is incredible. Kudos to the artists!
9 Reviews
A young passionate teacher who uses teaching methods to combat sexism within a school.
harumei_ginta17 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The anime I My Me Strawberry Eggs! is the saddest yet hopeful anime I have ever seen. The main character Hibiki has such passion in his teaching and truly cares for his students. Many may miss the point of this anime getting caught up with the constant cross-dressing gym teacher but the views that it express are poignant and well done. "Ai is-hi" (love is all) is what the teachers of the school were taught. It is true that love is important and that Hibiki uses this love in his teaching. I think what is most important about this anime is what Hibiki teaches them. The fact that Hibiki ends up falling in love with one of his students may be seen as distasteful but the time that he spends with them was so important. I have seen all 13 episodes three times and each time the ending was quite sad but full of hope. Kuzuha the young girl Hibiki falls for says "one day sense will come back". Hibiki had promised his students he would come back once he earned the right to be called their teacher and I think this helped make the ending less tragic. No anime has every touched me or moved me like this one has. I doubt that anyone can call forget this anime and it has such a special place in my heart. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Funny,very funny
TimothyMcKann2 July 2008
When I watched the preview of this series on my Chobits DVD,I gotta say it reminds of that movie Mrs.Doubtfire,I had to see it for myself,and that is what I did. When I bought the complete collection,I was right about it. I gotta say that it was pretty funny that Hibiki dressed up as a woman in order to get a job as a gym teacher. But however,it was the best,and truly funny. But what this series kinda tells us is anybody can get a job,and it doesn't matter if they are male or female. But I do believe that Hibiki has learned a valuable lesson about being a gym teacher. But I really want to say about this show,it very funny. And I also want to say that the creator of Hand Maid May has done a good job making this show. So if you want to see something good and funny,then see this series. It truly is the best.
A "Tootsie"-like plot, both funny and moving.
jschim4015 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I purchased the currently available four discs with all 13 episodes and confess to having watched them at least a dozen times. Much of the humor lies in the "Tootsie"-like plot (Dustin Hoffman's 1982 film) when the lead character can't get the job he wants without disguising himself as a woman.
Surprisingly the story becomes relationship-serious in the first episodes. I found myself strongly moved by the character's interaction with his students with its consequent ups and downs as well as the kids' fumbling attempts at affection with one other. The seriousness is tempered a bit by the sometimes corny slapstick and impossible nearly sci-fi antics of the landlady. In spite of its minor shortcomings this is one series that actually brought me to tears.
Don't look for any spacecraft, superweapons or versions of Armageddon in this one, just a complex look at a male teacher in a highly unusual situation expressed in a way that evokes strong feelings. A must see in my book.
Surprisingly the story becomes relationship-serious in the first episodes. I found myself strongly moved by the character's interaction with his students with its consequent ups and downs as well as the kids' fumbling attempts at affection with one other. The seriousness is tempered a bit by the sometimes corny slapstick and impossible nearly sci-fi antics of the landlady. In spite of its minor shortcomings this is one series that actually brought me to tears.
Don't look for any spacecraft, superweapons or versions of Armageddon in this one, just a complex look at a male teacher in a highly unusual situation expressed in a way that evokes strong feelings. A must see in my book.
A strange mix of the hilariously good and hilariously bad.
blackriverfalls1 November 2003
Hibiki Amawa needs a job badly, so with the aid of his gun-toting grenade-throwing electrical-engineering paragliding midget biker landlady he disguises himself as a woman to gain employment at a nearby girls school staffed by rabid man haters, on pain of his beloved pet being turned into Inu-Nabe (Dog Stew).
The first four episodes of this OVA had us almost falling on the floor in hysterics, some parts because they are brilliantly funny, others because they are so truly abysmal to be painfully hilarious.
Some of the humour is a little suspect by Western standards, including a pair of comedy peeping toms who spy on the young girls while they are in their underwear and a rather ham fistedly executed crush that one of the girls has on Amawa. By far the most ridiculous though is episode 3 'Selfish Blush Magic', where most of the plot revolves around Amawa's attemps to get the girls to wear buruma (tight gym shorts). This is obviously some sort of cultural fetish and is played quite blatently, ad nausium to the point of sheer excruciation, with none of the characters seemingly able to speak one line without buruma being in it. Some may find this tedious, in our case we were utterly groaning with laughter at the sheer lack of subtlety and trembling with fearful anticipation of the B word, and as one character observes at the end of the episode "It's all thanks to the buruma!"
While I,My,Me Strawberry Eggs has it's faults, I must confess that I haven't laughed so much all year...
The first four episodes of this OVA had us almost falling on the floor in hysterics, some parts because they are brilliantly funny, others because they are so truly abysmal to be painfully hilarious.
Some of the humour is a little suspect by Western standards, including a pair of comedy peeping toms who spy on the young girls while they are in their underwear and a rather ham fistedly executed crush that one of the girls has on Amawa. By far the most ridiculous though is episode 3 'Selfish Blush Magic', where most of the plot revolves around Amawa's attemps to get the girls to wear buruma (tight gym shorts). This is obviously some sort of cultural fetish and is played quite blatently, ad nausium to the point of sheer excruciation, with none of the characters seemingly able to speak one line without buruma being in it. Some may find this tedious, in our case we were utterly groaning with laughter at the sheer lack of subtlety and trembling with fearful anticipation of the B word, and as one character observes at the end of the episode "It's all thanks to the buruma!"
While I,My,Me Strawberry Eggs has it's faults, I must confess that I haven't laughed so much all year...
A very funny good anime
Irishchatter17 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I have to say, Hibiki dressed as a woman and having a womans voice, was really spot on! I like the fact that we see a very well decicated laid back kind of teacher who would help his students in the best ways he can! I would love if there were teachers like him for real, it would make this world so much easier! Yknow after watching Hellsing and straight onto watching this, its such a massive difference to hear Crispin Freeman coming from a gory horror anime series to an upbeat comedy series. Seriously wouldn't notice it was him lol!
With this series though, there was a lot of references about Misandry and pedophilia. While i know the two men Hibiki were only fiction but unfortunately the actions they were doing, could happen to teenagers. In fact, when they were taking pictures and stalking the girls at night, it really really creeped me out. Its just so horrible. As well as that, I felt sorry for Hibiki that he was rejected for being a PE teacher just because hes a dude. I mean really, the sexism and the pedo stalking did make me feel irritated.
Being on the postive side here, I thought this series was well done, absouletely thought the story was brillant and the fact its giving a message to stand up for your human rights regardless of gender!
9/10
With this series though, there was a lot of references about Misandry and pedophilia. While i know the two men Hibiki were only fiction but unfortunately the actions they were doing, could happen to teenagers. In fact, when they were taking pictures and stalking the girls at night, it really really creeped me out. Its just so horrible. As well as that, I felt sorry for Hibiki that he was rejected for being a PE teacher just because hes a dude. I mean really, the sexism and the pedo stalking did make me feel irritated.
Being on the postive side here, I thought this series was well done, absouletely thought the story was brillant and the fact its giving a message to stand up for your human rights regardless of gender!
9/10
A different series
WeAreLive4 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Hibiki Amawa is a trained gym kyoshi who is looking for a job so he can pay off the rent. He comes across a school which has a policy that only female teachers are allowed to get hired. So he is forced to crossdress as a woman in order to get hired.
At first I found the shows premises very off putting and looking at poster I couldn't say I blamed myself but when I actually watched it, I had the wrong impression it was enjoyable even felt like an emotion coaster. With a lot of story arcs going on like him hiding his secret identity, getting the school to change and a love triangle between Fuko, Akira and Fujio.
Even the ending of it was beautiful it really showed how attached a student can get to teacher, heck it even opened more doors and questions which could be answered with another season, but I know it is too late for that.
Though it can talk down to it's audience slightly but it's actually not bad.
At first I found the shows premises very off putting and looking at poster I couldn't say I blamed myself but when I actually watched it, I had the wrong impression it was enjoyable even felt like an emotion coaster. With a lot of story arcs going on like him hiding his secret identity, getting the school to change and a love triangle between Fuko, Akira and Fujio.
Even the ending of it was beautiful it really showed how attached a student can get to teacher, heck it even opened more doors and questions which could be answered with another season, but I know it is too late for that.
Though it can talk down to it's audience slightly but it's actually not bad.
A good series in need of a follow-up series
au_law200116 April 2005
Yet another 13 episode anime from BS WOWOW which I saw way back in 2001, a nice story too. It's about some guy who needs a job. He applies at the Seitou Sannomiya school, he learns that the current principal will only hire female teachers and is turning the school into an all-girls academy. Enraged by the principal's attitude that males cannot be good teachers, Hibiki decides to cross dress in order to get a job at the school and prove her wrong. It soon becomes apparent that pretending to be a female teacher won't be as easy as Hibiki had initially thought. It had great moments, but for me they were short and predictable, but I believe the characters were interesting, I even found the land lady, the principal and vice principal interesting as well! But the problem with this, is that it was a bit predictable, and it ended too fast without character development, personally I wanted an episode that would give more of the history or reason why the principal and vice principal hated men, were they harassed? We may never know. The last episode did not give enough, it wasn't very satisfying, I wish they would make another, a continuation, one which would focus on the principal and vice principal, like, how they would change themselves and make reparations for what they did, because maybe, I say maybe, some of the male characters are sore at them, it should be more of a story of redemption, but that's only wishful thanking.
Awesome
Ichirou_Ohgami15 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Recently graduated from college, an enthusiastic and bright Amawa Hibiki aims to establish a teaching career. Unfortunately, the school he tries to apply for a job at only hires female teachers. The principal points that men can't teach here because they do not know anything about love. Daunted by the feministic principal's rejection, he swears to prove that men do know about love as women do. Listening to his story, the landlady offers him a proposal. She tells him to dress as a woman to get a teaching position. Then he reluctantly agrees. As Hibiki and the landlady perfect his womanly disguise, he returns to Seitow Sannomiya Academy academy to apply again but as a woman. The Principal gives the female Hibiki a challenge: to get a clumsy student named Kuzuha Fuuko to run 50 m dash without tripping. After several attempts and Hibiki's advice, Fuuko succeeds. That was her first 50 m dash without tripping. She was his first student ever. And Fuuko's classmates notice the female Hibiki with curiosity. Fuuko helped him get a job at Seitow Sannomiya school. Thus Hibiki's career at that school begins.
In the second episode, Fuuko starts to call the male Hibiki a "bra-man" because she saw him wearing a bra. Ironically, she was pretty scared of the male Hibiki but trusted the female Hibiki.
Hibiki has witnessed his students' self-doubts, problems and angst but counseled them to overcome their troubles and doubts. Examples: 1. Hibiki noticed that Fuuko is trying hard to finish her committee duties and no classmate could give a care about it and were too self-centered. So Hibiki decided to take action and inspired all of Fuuko's classmates to help her. Thus Fuuko was no longer the only one who wears bloomers (female gym shorts) because every girl wore bloomers.
2. Hibiki broadens the communication between the parents and students, bringing them as close-knit and loving families on "Family Day".
3. Hibiki helps the kids who were fighting with each other finally come to an understanding and encourages them to share their fears with each other.
4. At the camp, while the vice-principal teaches the kids about the moral wrongs of male-female interaction, Hibiki butts in and opens the kids' minds and makes them realize that nothing is wrong with a male and a female together. He adds that they have nothing to be afraid when they'll be ready to reach adulthood and still interact with each other.
In the end, a 22 or 23-year old teacher Hibiki Amawa realizes he is in love with his own 14-year old student Fuuko Kuzuha who develops lesbian feelings for the female Hibiki but doesn't completely have any idea. Hibiki and Fuuko are 8 or 9 years apart. Not only they are teacher and student but also they're an adult man and an underage girl. Such a forbidden romance.
When the vice-principal doubted Hibiki's gender, she embarks on her intent to expose Hibiki. After several disastrous failures, she was able to succeed securing proof and reveal Hibiki's identity to the public. As Hibiki's gender was revealed to the public, at first Fuuko thought her feelings for Hibiki were fake. But she finally realizes she still loves Hibiki, whether it is male or female. Hibiki is the one she loves, regardless of the gender and it was no lie. Therefore, she staunchly defended Hibiki's actions by reminding everyone of Hibiki's good deeds while being a teacher and successfully rallied the students, faculty and parents to back Hibiki and oppose the school's plans of making it an all-girls school.
Fuuko runs for a desperate last time to reconcile with Hibiki but all she got was Hibiki's look at her running to reach a speeding train he is on. But Just a look at Hibiki's expression was enough to assure her that she'll meet him again someday.
In the second episode, Fuuko starts to call the male Hibiki a "bra-man" because she saw him wearing a bra. Ironically, she was pretty scared of the male Hibiki but trusted the female Hibiki.
Hibiki has witnessed his students' self-doubts, problems and angst but counseled them to overcome their troubles and doubts. Examples: 1. Hibiki noticed that Fuuko is trying hard to finish her committee duties and no classmate could give a care about it and were too self-centered. So Hibiki decided to take action and inspired all of Fuuko's classmates to help her. Thus Fuuko was no longer the only one who wears bloomers (female gym shorts) because every girl wore bloomers.
2. Hibiki broadens the communication between the parents and students, bringing them as close-knit and loving families on "Family Day".
3. Hibiki helps the kids who were fighting with each other finally come to an understanding and encourages them to share their fears with each other.
4. At the camp, while the vice-principal teaches the kids about the moral wrongs of male-female interaction, Hibiki butts in and opens the kids' minds and makes them realize that nothing is wrong with a male and a female together. He adds that they have nothing to be afraid when they'll be ready to reach adulthood and still interact with each other.
In the end, a 22 or 23-year old teacher Hibiki Amawa realizes he is in love with his own 14-year old student Fuuko Kuzuha who develops lesbian feelings for the female Hibiki but doesn't completely have any idea. Hibiki and Fuuko are 8 or 9 years apart. Not only they are teacher and student but also they're an adult man and an underage girl. Such a forbidden romance.
When the vice-principal doubted Hibiki's gender, she embarks on her intent to expose Hibiki. After several disastrous failures, she was able to succeed securing proof and reveal Hibiki's identity to the public. As Hibiki's gender was revealed to the public, at first Fuuko thought her feelings for Hibiki were fake. But she finally realizes she still loves Hibiki, whether it is male or female. Hibiki is the one she loves, regardless of the gender and it was no lie. Therefore, she staunchly defended Hibiki's actions by reminding everyone of Hibiki's good deeds while being a teacher and successfully rallied the students, faculty and parents to back Hibiki and oppose the school's plans of making it an all-girls school.
Fuuko runs for a desperate last time to reconcile with Hibiki but all she got was Hibiki's look at her running to reach a speeding train he is on. But Just a look at Hibiki's expression was enough to assure her that she'll meet him again someday.
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