"Marmalade Boy is a teen soap opera FULL of humor and drama. As of the end of 3/95, 53 episodes had aired. The show was renewed and is expected to run at least 75 episodes - unusual for a shoujo show. It has consistently been in the top 7 shows in the ratings, and has been as high as #4. This is rather amazing considering that it is a DAYTIME show and runs on Sunday mornings, the one day when everyone is trying to sleep in. In the beginning it was aimed at preteen girls, but over time it was gradually changed to accommodate a steadily enlarging adult market (much like Sailor Moon). As of episode 32 a new ending animation was begun. This was of OAV quality and, in our opinion, was another sign of the shift toward an older audience. Men who like this show frequently say that they feel like there must be something wrong with them because they are watching a "shoujo" series and enjoying it immensely. I suspect that there is a very valid reason why they enjoy it, and that is this: This is the ONLY TV show I have ever seen that ACCURATELY depicts the feelings that people have about their families, friends, and romantic interests. Questions are asked that everyone asks themselves now and then, and the possibilities are honestly explored. It is often done in a very humorous way, but no show that I have ever seen before has done this without distorting things with an overly male or female perspective. This show is unique in that it honestly depicts the feelings of both men and women. The families shown in this show are not typical of the Japanese. Unlike Maison Ikkoku which shows lower middle class characters, Marmalade Boy depicts the rich. There are two families (Miwa and Akizuki) which are ultra-rich. Over time, commercials shifted too. Those featuring Marmalade Boy merchandise at the beginning were mostly concerned with dolls and items aimed at middle-school age girls. Later on, commercials featuring high school age girls and cosmetics began to be run as well. As distributors for several fan studios, we have had feedback about many series, movies, and OAVs. The most enthusiastic responses, from all over the country, have been to Marmalade Boy."