Tokyo Marble Chocolate is a, totaling to fifty minutes, OVA series that tells a simple, yet sweet, story of love. Usually when a series is limited on run-time it's common to see consistent issues in pacing and proper, satisfactory closure. First seeing that Tokyo Marble Chocolate only had two normal-length episodes to it, I assumed this would end up being the case, but Production I.G. has done a great job many times in the past. Luckily, that talent translates to this small work as well.
As the project was worked on by Production I.G., the studio behind Attack on Titan, it isn't a surprise to note that the budget for this OVA series gave it some great visuals. The animation is good and the art style is bright and pleasant. The music is also satisfying with a classy, violin-like sound throughout, topping itself with a couple, great, vocal songs. The sound work was well done, and there was never a moment where it felt as if the atmosphere could be better presented.
That leads into the direction of the series, which I found to be wonderful and the greatest source of intrigue for this series. Being the anime is limited to fifty minutes and the story of love it tells isn't too complex, the director did a fabulous job of keeping explanations to the character's pasts to a minimum by presenting who the characters are through their actions in their current, connecting situation. Each episode covers the same situation, however, each episode shifts that situation to a different perspective of the other character's mindset. The budget doesn't take advantage of that fact too much, and there never grew a feeling that the reused art was restricting the enjoyment, as there are inclusions of new angles and completely different shots of the different characters in seclusion. Towards the direction, the director did a great job on this series and made a short, two- episode OVA memorable and enjoyable.
The characters mainly involve the two lovers who are in a conflict of trying to understand and admit their feeling to one-another, even though they are already going out. This leads to brief conflicts and confusion that restrict them from easily clearing up one-another's thoughts. Each character has a past history of failing in relationships through fear and goofy mistakes. They treat the current romance between each-other as another likely relationship that is destined to break. The series is accompanied by a few other characters with a decent amount of screen-time, but they aren't delved into. However, they are still treated in a way that makes them memorable, at least in the time upon completing the viewing.
Another character this series includes is the trope of the merchandising creature, that tends to serve as comic relief. However, in this case, it was a pleasant surprise to slowly understand that this creature actually served a direct purpose in the plot and wasn't only there as decor. The creature made its place and even made some pushes at rallying the plot forward, which could be seen as contrivances, but remembering this story is nothing too unique may lead one to be forgiving to such a thought.
This short series, Tokyo Marble Chocolate, tells a simple story of love in an interesting way that is well-presented. While the plot elements are enjoyable to an extent, the bulk of interest comes from the directing and the precise amount of time placed into each scene. Even though each episode covers the same situation, the OVA is still able to make the viewer get to know each character to a satisfactory level and is able to keep the pacing, and turn of events, to a degree that will constantly keep interest. Tokyo Marble Chocolate is a nice, little series with some good staff behind it, but is still simplistic in its story and characters, which is understandable due to the time restraint it holds.
