[Spoilers] I My Me! Strawberry Eggs 25th Anniversary Rewatch -- Episode 8

It'll be a moment before I get to anyone, but I promise I eventually will.

Hey, guys. Holofan4life here.

Welcome to the I My Me! Strawberry Eggs 25th anniversary rewatch!

^Just ^ignore ^the ^25th ^anniversary ^is ^in ^July…

Crossdressing and comedy. It has a long, storied history.

Nowadays, crossdressing in comedy is considered insensitive with accusations of it being transphobic and borderline homophobic. And while there is probably some truth to that, the reality is a lot of times it’s played with sincerity.

Some Like It Hot and Tootsie are two of the greatest comedies of all time. Mrs. Doubtfire is considered iconic and a defining part of Robin Williams legacy. All three movies play the crossdressing up for laughs but there’s quite sincerity about it to where the joke isn’t just “Lol, it’s a guy dressed as a woman”. And I think that sincerity applies to I My Me! Strawberry Eggs.

Strawberry Eggs, which is how I’ll be referring to it going forward, is very much a product of its time. It has that wacky slapstick type of humor common in anime at the time, like with shows such as Ranma and Love Hina. It also has a lot of heart that I think makes it a show worth revisiting.

This is easily the most obscure show I’ve ever hosted. I hope with this rewatch I can introduce people to this series that have never seen it before so they can become fans of it just like me. It’s been over two years since I last saw the show, so will my memory hold up or will it prove to be an outdated relic best forgotten to time? Let’s find out!

With that out of the way, let’s begin.

I’m watching the dub, by the way.

Watching an episode while in my work uniform. That's totally normal.

School bell ringing

The guys goofing off

Something on top of the principal's statue.

They're really not doing their cleaning duties.

Principal and vice principal showing their displeasure.

Some guy named Shiro

Hibiki looking on as the two principals leave.

Fuko faxing something

Hibiki wants to know why only the male students should clean.

"It is necessary to help them develop what little potential they may have to reason and think logically."

What a backhanded compliment

Unfortunately, Hibiki can't think many respectable men around him.

I like the show is acknowledging the hypocrisy.

Akira cleaning

Hey, Fuko is helping

Akira doesn't want her help though.

Fuko wonders if he doesn't like her.

Quite the opposite, I imagine.

The guys gathered together

They're talking about a boycott

Akira is against it, saying he's bidding his time.

Hibiki talking about this to Lulu.

He is disgusted by the sexism.

Meanwhile, Lulu seems more concerned with the rent being paid on time.

Back at school

Apparently the principal hands the pay directly.

His pay is going to be docked, isn't it?

Hibiki is really coasting it today.

I'm the same when it comes to pay day, honestly.

Shiro in the computer lab. That, or the teacher's lounge.

Shiro looking for something

Oh boy. Hibiki's paycheck [](#forgotkeys)

As he leaves, vice principal looks from afar.

Fuko struggling with volleyball

Shiro being ordered to the guidance counselor's office.

A salary envelope is missing

"This is the worst scandal this school has ever faced!"

Really? This is? So, you mean you're just naturally sexist?

Anyway, they think Shiro is behind it because he went into the faculty room.

Hibiki says he told him to

All the boys seem angry by the school's treatment of Shiro.

Akira really taking the charge

They will not snitch on their friend.

And now the boys are staging a rebellion.

Never a dull moment at this school.

They took the principal's statue and put something on top of its head.

They have a list of demands, including men and women being treated fairly. Or else, the bust is a bust.

Hibiki lying down a fainted principal.

Vice principal thinks they should expell the male students.

Now she's blaming Hibiki, saying she spoiled them.

This is just more fuel for their unfair bias.

Fuko walking with Fujio, Miho, and Seiko.

The male students are sleeping at the school. And because of the rebellion, the female students get the day off from school.

Fujio it seems like has something on her mind.

Hey, there's the male students

I guess they can still walk to school and leave it?

Or I guess only some are staying at the school.

Akira with the others at the school saying there's no going back.

I like the little joke of the fat kid getting upset he might have to begin a diet.

Meanwhile, Hibiki is trying to figure out what he should do.

Hey, Fuko is making food for them. How nice.

Akira on the phone with Shiro

That is one giant pet fish

Akira says they're going to clear his name no matter what.

Shiro totally did it, didn't he?

Fuko arriving at the school at night.

Akira greets her, albeit creepily.

Rice balls, for the lot of them.

Akira blushing now, clearing the air saying he never disliked her.

It looks like they're going to say something to each other, but suddenly Shiro is here.

He goes to Hibiki and admits he hid the vice principal's salary.

He didn't steal it and was just trying to give her a hard time.

I mean, it's the vice principal's fault for leaving her money out in the open.

Oh, shit. Someone threw the paycheck away because Shiro accidentally left it in the discarded paper box.

Hibiki says they can't play into their hands because this would basically mean no male students at the school going forward.

Hibiki says she'll figure something out.

I guess when Hibiki refers to herself as a female, that's when I'll use female pronouns.

Fujio is here, but she secretly leaves.

Aww, she bought food for them as well. What a sweetheart.

Shiro with the guys. He tells them the truth.

Hibiki asking Lulu for help

Vice principal and the director in front of a bunch of policemen.

But suddenly, Super Sentai parody

It's Kōji and Tofu, because of course it is.

This is keeping everyone distracted

I like the vice principal calling for the police for the police.

All the female classmates are ready for school.

Hibiki says they found the money

Hibiki tells the principal that her and her stupid prejudice caused all this.

She will not back down to her

Vice principal and director and the policemen have recovered.

But the school is back to normal.

There is no protest in the school.

Hibiki replaced the lost money with her own salary.

Meanwhile, Kōji and Tofu are in jail.

Good

**Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.**

**First Timer**

I only just now noticed that the vice principal has black rose-shaped necklace on. Maybe this show really is taking some visual cues from Revolutionary Girl Utena.

The show finally does acknowledge that all the guys Hibiki personally knows are weird perverts. That’s kinda funny in a meta way.

Is students having to work as cleaning staff something that actually happens?

I think I definitely take this show too seriously. I dunno, I find it annoying how this show constructs a scenario where boys are the ones being unfairly targeted by sexism in schools when in real life it’s typically the reverse.

And it doesn’t feel like they’re doing an intentional role reversal either, it doesn’t feel like it really has that level of self awareness.

At least when Prison School did the same thing it was a complete farce.

On the bright side, Hibiki gets to pay the rent today!

I guess this episode a whodunnit about who stole the vice principal’s salary now.

So far the show definitely seems like it’s pointing towards Naruo’s stealing the money.

I think the dog barking the title during the eyecatch is pretty cute.

I only just now realized that this is a statue of the headmaster’s grandmother. I just thought she had a statue of herself.

Okay so it really was Naruo. I mean, I don’t really know who else it could have been.

Alright. I guess we’re doing a tokusatsu parody now. I was not expecting that to be the direction this episode took.

First timer!

>What are your thoughts on this episode really playing up the boys Vs sexist principal plot point?

Would've been better had one of them not actually stolen her salary!

>What are your thoughts on the boys staging a coup of the school?

Nonsense. Funny, but nonsense nonetheless.

>What are your thoughts on Fujio being one step behind everyone again?

Did I miss something? In what way was she a step behind others?

>What are your thoughts on Hibiki putting his faith in people and it paying off but when the male students put their faith in one of their own it is misguided?

>Do you think Hibiki is a bit of a pushover, or do you think it's admirable he sacrifices his own happiness to save others from trouble?

In no way did any of what he did make any sense. It was straight up idiotic. He's teaching the kids that it's okay to make a colossal fuckup because someone else will be cleaning up after them. They didn't solve anything, they just pretended nothing happened even though everyone knows something very bad happened. I know in the end Hibiki gave that speech to the principal, and it looked like she saw the light, but one of the kids stole her salary. No matter the reason, that's pretty serious and she should be very fucking pissed.

On to the episode!

Once again, only the boys are working, meanwhile Hibiki is standing up for them.

The director is right... Hibiki is surrounded by horrible, horrible men. But we already knew that.

Fuko thinks Akira dislikes her. Of course she does, that kid's always acting like an asshole.

Hibiki will finally have money. I wonder what he'll do with it, besides paying rent.

I knew money would go missing as soon as he asked him to go pick up the roll book. I have a feeling he didn't do it, though.

Oh fuck they kidnapped the teacher!

That was her grandmother!?

Okay, Shiro was looking pretty guilty over the phone.

I really hope Akira and Fuko don't become an item.

Well shit, he actually did it.

Hibiki, you better not try to pay out of your own pocket... There's no way your salary is anywhere close to being enough.

Ain't no way I'd be going to school on a day off.

Did Hibiki just open the principal's eyes a little?

Yup, he gave up his own salary and got into debt...

Overall the episode was alright. Not the worst, not the best. It was fun, but the moral was straight up terrible lol.

**First Timer Late to the Party, Dubbed**

**Episode 8**

Now I admit. When a friend and I had brooms, we’d pretend we’re air monks doing battle with staffs. So I feel the boys on this.

The principal did make a point, the dudes around Hibiki are uhhh 😬

“Biding my time” for what though, Akira?

Wow. This school really is old fashioned.

The dog doing the halfway title card 😭

Why did it take me this long to realize Akira likes Fuko? This is Toradora all over again. I can’t pick up signals for the life of me.

**W a t**

Wait they burn the paper? No recycling?

Oh noooo Hibiki your rent!

Is this 👉🏾🦋a super sentai reference?

>I’m just trying to guide students to the **right** direction

She said it, not me.

***

I’m a bit surprised that parents wouldn’t complain about the unfair treatment of their sons, but I’m imagining that the parents are oblivious to what’s happening *or* if their sons do complain, it’s more like a “This sounds like my kid is being dramatic”.

***

**QotD**

1. The anime itself is playing up a lot for the bit. They are committed to the bit. But wow.
2. I think they have a point. They aren’t ever given the benefit of the doubt and are made to be lesser-than. Even the Kens in Barbieland had better treatment.
3.
4. That it’s not as binary as we think. It’s not fair the boys were put on the immediate suspect list. Even though one of their own had hidden the salary envelope, that doesn’t excuse the procedures. The boys are reacting to an environment hostile to them, and that should be noted. But these are kids. They’ll be misguided. So they need good support to get them back on track.
5. Both. He had his boundaries, but he could stand to have some more. He doesn’t always need to sacrifice himself.