I My Me! Strawberry Eggs

I My Me! Strawberry Eggs (あぃまぃみぃ!ストロベリー・エッグ), occasionally shortened to Strawberry Eggs, is a 2001 Japanese anime series animated by TNK with co-production by Pioneer, LDC. The series aired from July 4 to September 26, 2001 by WOWOW and in August 2002 was licensed by Geneon Entertainment to Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. to publish a DVD release. American English dubbing was produced by New Generation Pictures at recording studio The Post Office, LLC.

Plot
Hibiki Amawa is an enthusiastic young man whose dream career is to be a professional teacher, having graduated from college with a certificate in athletics. When he is unable to pay his landlady, Lulu Sanjo, the monthly rent for his apartment, he rushes off to the nearby (fictional) Seito Sannomiya Private School to apply for a position that is open, but is summarily denied employment because of his gender. Offended, and more determined than ever to have his way, Hibiki vows to demonstrate the merits of his educational philosophy to his detractors, and with offered help from Lulu, agrees to disguise himself by cross-dressing in order to deceive the school's misandrist administration. With assistance from some gadgets Lulu engineered for this purpose, he disguises himself very convincingly. Following an initial demonstration of his merits as an educator, he is hired.

Unfortunately for Hibiki, however, life as a gym teacher at this school does not go completely smoothly. With interpersonal conflicts among students causing fights and occasional mild missteps endangering his disguise, Hibiki must not only mediate his class, but also keep up appearances and come to terms with what his disguise might imply about his sexuality.

Themes and Controversy
Cross-dressing and a taboo teacher-student romance are the main engines of conflict in this story, although the various characters' other concerns (such as the students' various romantic interests in each other) serve to complicate the story with many significant subplots. In spite of the many possible gender-bending implications of cross-dressing, there is no actual lesbianism or homosexuality in this story, other than a few characters mistakenly believing they have identified it in others and/or themselves. The teacher-student romance develops within this context, and is resolved along with it at the end.

Primary characters

 * Hibiki Amawa (天和 響)
 * (male-Japanese), Yuki Masuda (female-Japanese), Crispin Freeman (male-English), Sally Dana (female-English)
 * The central protagonist of the series, Hibiki Amawa is a fairly typical college graduate whose goal is to become a professional school teacher. His life takes an unexpected turn in the process when, in order to pay off his apartment rent, he is forced to cross-dress in order to gain employment at the misandrist Seito Sannomiya Private School. His situation only gets more complicated when the school board grows suspicious of him, students take to fighting with each other, and one of the girls of his class develops romantic feelings for him. In spite of all the difficulties he faces on the job, however, Hibiki proves to be a very competent and focused young man who proves that, as a man or a woman, he is quite proficient at teaching physical fitness and at social counseling.


 * Lulu Sanjo (三条 るる)
 * Lulu Sanjo, more often referred to as "Baa-chan" ("Granny") by her tenants, is the tough-as-nails, pistol-packing landlady of the Gochiso apartments, which double as a school supply store that she also owns. Impressed by Hibiki's strong determination, she offers to help him in his mission, helping him disguise himself as a woman and maintain the disguise throughout his time on campus. In the final episode, it is heavily implied that Lulu is a crossdresser as well.
 * Lulu Sanjo, more often referred to as "Baa-chan" ("Granny") by her tenants, is the tough-as-nails, pistol-packing landlady of the Gochiso apartments, which double as a school supply store that she also owns. Impressed by Hibiki's strong determination, she offers to help him in his mission, helping him disguise himself as a woman and maintain the disguise throughout his time on campus. In the final episode, it is heavily implied that Lulu is a crossdresser as well.


 * Fuko Kuzuha (樟葉 楓子)
 * Clumsy but selfless, Fuko Kuzuha is a student at the Seito Sannomiya Private School. Despite being accident prone, mild-mannered, and easily flustered, Fuko is a very strong-willed girl. Much to her personal anxiety, she starts admiring Hibiki's (still very masculine) personality in drag, and this admiration develops into a powerful romantic attraction, bringing her considerable gender confusion and shame. Her mother died when she was six years old and her widower father is a traveling businessman. Fuko resides at the school dormitories.
 * Clumsy but selfless, Fuko Kuzuha is a student at the Seito Sannomiya Private School. Despite being accident prone, mild-mannered, and easily flustered, Fuko is a very strong-willed girl. Much to her personal anxiety, she starts admiring Hibiki's (still very masculine) personality in drag, and this admiration develops into a powerful romantic attraction, bringing her considerable gender confusion and shame. Her mother died when she was six years old and her widower father is a traveling businessman. Fuko resides at the school dormitories.

Secondary characters

 * Mori Koji
 * Mori Koji is a salaryman who is a tenant at the Gochiso apartments; room 101. He has a peculiar fascination with photographing schoolgirls' uniforms with his camera and unusually large mirror; frequently strapped on his back. He is good friends with Tofu Tofukuji.
 * Mori Koji is a salaryman who is a tenant at the Gochiso apartments; room 101. He has a peculiar fascination with photographing schoolgirls' uniforms with his camera and unusually large mirror; frequently strapped on his back. He is good friends with Tofu Tofukuji.


 * Tofu "Kochi" Tofukuji
 * Tofu Tofukuji is a retired, elderly man lodging at the Gochiso apartments. He harbors a hebephilic interest in Fuko Kuzuha, shown by his photograph collection littered on his apartment walls. A (mostly) harmless, kind-hearted man, Tofukuji is often willing to sacrifice his own safety and freedom to help Hibiki; or otherwise satisfy his craving for upskirts. He is good friends with Mori Koji.
 * Tofu Tofukuji is a retired, elderly man lodging at the Gochiso apartments. He harbors a hebephilic interest in Fuko Kuzuha, shown by his photograph collection littered on his apartment walls. A (mostly) harmless, kind-hearted man, Tofukuji is often willing to sacrifice his own safety and freedom to help Hibiki; or otherwise satisfy his craving for upskirts. He is good friends with Mori Koji.


 * Kura Ge
 * Hibiki's pet dog. Lulu ends up using Kura Ge as motivational collateral for the unpaid rent. While the breed of Kura Ge is never mentioned, he seems to resemble a Bichon. Kura Ge can usually be seen with a wooden sign hung around his neck that read feeble pointers or, more often than not, comedic statements.
 * Hibiki's pet dog. Lulu ends up using Kura Ge as motivational collateral for the unpaid rent. While the breed of Kura Ge is never mentioned, he seems to resemble a Bichon. Kura Ge can usually be seen with a wooden sign hung around his neck that read feeble pointers or, more often than not, comedic statements.


 * Chieko Sannomiya
 * Chieko Sannomiya is the eponymous principal of the Seito Sannomiya Private School. She was appointed office a decade prior to the story and carries herself in a conceited, yet formal, aristocratic manner. As a radical misandric, Sannomiya heavily supports feminism and irrationally views males as barbaric. At the conclusion of the series it is revealed that an incident between a man (hinted by Lulu) and her lead to her sexist ideology.
 * Chieko Sannomiya is the eponymous principal of the Seito Sannomiya Private School. She was appointed office a decade prior to the story and carries herself in a conceited, yet formal, aristocratic manner. As a radical misandric, Sannomiya heavily supports feminism and irrationally views males as barbaric. At the conclusion of the series it is revealed that an incident between a man (hinted by Lulu) and her lead to her sexist ideology.


 * Reiko Mukogawa
 * Vice-principal of the Seito Sannomiya Private School. She works closely with Chieko Sannomiya, and like her, is a stern man-hater, resulting from a failed marriage. Mukogawa grows suspicious of Hibiki early into his career and tries debunking his identity several times. She has one child who is never mentioned to both the staff or students of the institution.
 * Vice-principal of the Seito Sannomiya Private School. She works closely with Chieko Sannomiya, and like her, is a stern man-hater, resulting from a failed marriage. Mukogawa grows suspicious of Hibiki early into his career and tries debunking his identity several times. She has one child who is never mentioned to both the staff or students of the institution.


 * Fujio Himejima (姫島 藤緒)
 * An aggressive tomboy, Fujio Himejima is a student at the school. She wears her hair in two loose pigtails, tied by her signature green bows. She has a black belt in Aikido and develops a crush on fellow student Akira Fukae, who unfortunately, does not reciprocate. Fujio resides in the dormitories.
 * An aggressive tomboy, Fujio Himejima is a student at the school. She wears her hair in two loose pigtails, tied by her signature green bows. She has a black belt in Aikido and develops a crush on fellow student Akira Fukae, who unfortunately, does not reciprocate. Fujio resides in the dormitories.


 * Miho Umeda (梅田 美保)
 * Miho Umeda is a student at the school and is Fujio's closest friend. Her maturity is considerably more developed than her friends and this at times makes her behave in an arrogant manner; especially when it comes to her past and current experiences with boys. As a result, the other girls tend to look up to her and this prompts her to act like a role model for them. Miho resides in the dormitories. She is a foil to Seiko Kasuganomichi.
 * Miho Umeda is a student at the school and is Fujio's closest friend. Her maturity is considerably more developed than her friends and this at times makes her behave in an arrogant manner; especially when it comes to her past and current experiences with boys. As a result, the other girls tend to look up to her and this prompts her to act like a role model for them. Miho resides in the dormitories. She is a foil to Seiko Kasuganomichi.


 * Seiko Kasuganomichi (春日野道 聖子)
 * Seiko Kasuganomichi is a fairly quiet student. Her family is wealthy and she is often seen as being sheltered. She is well known for getting uncomfortable, in some cases fainting, at the sight of naked men; photographic or physical. Fujio resides in the dormitories. She is a foil to Miho Umeda.
 * Seiko Kasuganomichi is a fairly quiet student. Her family is wealthy and she is often seen as being sheltered. She is well known for getting uncomfortable, in some cases fainting, at the sight of naked men; photographic or physical. Fujio resides in the dormitories. She is a foil to Miho Umeda.


 * Akira Fukae (深江 晃)
 * Quiet and composed, Akira Fukae is one of the primary male students on campus. Even though he usually tends to be level-headed, Akira is not afraid to speak his mind or take a stand for what he believes he is fair and just. His father is a private investigator. He occasionally teases Fuko Kuzuha in a rude and hostile way, but despite this, he harbors a strong crush on her.
 * Quiet and composed, Akira Fukae is one of the primary male students on campus. Even though he usually tends to be level-headed, Akira is not afraid to speak his mind or take a stand for what he believes he is fair and just. His father is a private investigator. He occasionally teases Fuko Kuzuha in a rude and hostile way, but despite this, he harbors a strong crush on her.


 * Kyosuke Aoki
 * Kyosuki Aoki is another one of the few male students at the school, arguably the most energetic and is also the tallest; comparable to Miho Umeda to the girls. He is takes the biggest interest in Hibiki's drag and frequently proclaims it to her and the others. Is good friends with Akira Fukae.
 * Kyosuki Aoki is another one of the few male students at the school, arguably the most energetic and is also the tallest; comparable to Miho Umeda to the girls. He is takes the biggest interest in Hibiki's drag and frequently proclaims it to her and the others. Is good friends with Akira Fukae.


 * Shoichi Iwaya
 * Another enrolled male student at the school and a close friend of Kyosuke Aoki. He is the most lecherous of the group.
 * Another enrolled male student at the school and a close friend of Kyosuke Aoki. He is the most lecherous of the group.


 * Shiro Naruo
 * Another of the few male students. He is a gentle and quiet boy, who in episode eight is unjustly accused of stealing Reiko Mukogawa's salary when he is asked by Hibiki to visit the teacher's lounge and retrieve his grade book.
 * Another of the few male students. He is a gentle and quiet boy, who in episode eight is unjustly accused of stealing Reiko Mukogawa's salary when he is asked by Hibiki to visit the teacher's lounge and retrieve his grade book.

Production
The anime series is produced by TNK, with co-production by Pioneer, LDC, and is directed by Yuji Yamaguchi. The series aired in Japan on WOWOW between July 4 and September 26, 2001 containing thirteen episodes. The anime's original concept was by Yom who was assisted by Kenichi Murakami. The series structure and screenplay was written by Yasuko Kobayashi. The series was licensed by Geneon Entertainment in August 2002 to Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. to publish a DVD release. American English dubbing was produced by New Generation Pictures at recording studio The Post Office, LLC. A DVD box release with French subtitles was published on May 15, 2008 by Anima.

Two pieces of theme music were used for the anime; one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme is "Dearest" sung by Hitomi Nozaki, with lyrics by Syoko Sawada, and arrangement by Masala Nishida. The ending theme is "White Station" by Acefile composed of Mae Yoshikawa, Marina Kushi, Asagi Kudo, Saori Nara, with lyrics by Rei Yoshii, and arrangement by Masala Nishida. Other music was provided by Masala Nishida.

Manga
A manga adaption was serialized in MediaWorks' Dengeki Daioh magazine between December 21, 2001 to February 25, 2002.