Ranked #184

Shugo Chara!! Doki

Sequels are curious things.

Sometimes they outshine the original and end up being simply better in every aspect. Other times, they are a horrible reminder that if something is good the first time, it does not mean it would be the second time around. Some sequels can effectively ruin whatever the original had created.

Shugo Chara!! Doki is a curious sequel to the original series. It manages to excel in ways that the original did not, yet simultaneously, it suffers from the "sequel syndrome", and essentially (in comparison) does not seem to be as good as the first series.

Doki's story can be broken in two: the main plot (which makes the series soar to heights you would never expect a children's mahou shoujo anime to reach) and the subplots (which are attached to the story like chunks of lead that are intent on dragging it down). But is it an ill-fated iceberg that will cause the series to sink? Not really. Filler can be bad, but it also can be good. Doki has some excellent, golden moments in it that will get your heart racing and that aid in making the story deeper and richer. It is just that some of the episodes you know are meant to pad the series ruins the overall build up of these crucial moments. Moments that are especially crucial to the plot such as the solving of the mystery and power behind the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key seem to go on the back burner as the filler almost starts to overwhelm the main storyline. But to reiterate, is it bad filler? Not at all.

The art has improved slightly from the first season. The character designs are a little tighter now. It remains very, very colourful and some of the scenes are downright beautiful. Amu still has amazing transformation sequences, and some of the new attacks in the series will just stun you.

Shugo Chara!! Doki has a myriad of theme songs for both the OP and ED. "Rottara Rottara" stands out as one of the better ED themes, but basically anything Buono! touches turns into instant pop gold. As always, the background music remains whimsical, and there are tracks which you will remember fondly that characterise this franchise. The seiyuu are all amazing as well, and you get Ito Kanae (Amu) and Nakamura Yuuichi (Ikuto) giving some of their best performances so far in the series.

Some of the most important elements of this series is the growth of Amu and figuring out the path to true self identity. The characters all pick up where they left off, growing in ways you would not expect and revealing aspects of their personalities that show what makes them strong kids. Amu continues being an absorbing, brilliant protagonist. We see her get closer to both Tadase and Ikuto, and start reaching to them as people. While she spends the most time with Tadase this season, it is Ikuto who she really, fully connects with and learns the most about. It is absolutely fascinating to watch the triangle unfold between the three characters. Ikuto returns as the teasing "bad boy" of the series, but we learn a lot more about him. He is not just the tall, dark and handsome archetype; there is more to Ikuto than just that. His feelings for Amu are an enigma, as we never really know what is going on inside his head. The rest of the cast remain largely supportive, and though they have their moments of focus, they are not as prominent as they were in the first season.

A lot of older viewers will almost certainly be annoyed with the filler content, however, we have to remember--this series is made for children. You remember being a kid. Filler and non-filler material made no difference; all you wanted was more of whatever it was you were watching. The good thing is that Doki does filler, and it does it well. Even when slipping into the repetitive "Okay, time to Open Heart this place up!", it manages to be very entertaining.

Is it as rich story-wise as the first season? Yes. But as viewers itching to learn the secrets and solve the mysteries and see relationships evolve, do we have patience to wait that out? Not really. While the exciting, thrilling, and marvellous moments are fewer and further between in this second season, they do surpass those of season one in terms of emotional and dramatic impact. In the end, you have something that just about weighs the same, but looks a bit different.

Shugo Chara!! Doki is a bit like having seconds of your favourite snack; for some reason, it does not taste as good as the first time. But it is not so much that the snack that changes taste--it is your taste that changes. read more

Spoiler warning if you are not caught up.

If this were the first season, you can believe I would've given this series a high rating. Unfortunately, it's not, so I didn't. Shugo Chara! Doki is basically the bullet in the gun that killed most, if not all of it's fans.

Story:
This sequel starts off by bombarding the viewer with filler after annoying, useless filler. And it continues for at least a full 15 episodes. It adds a stupid "plot twist" by introducing the idea that basically anyone who is momentarily depressed can Character transform. I hated this the most out of the whole story. I felt as though the whole premise in the first season (one can only transform with an actual chara and the ability to Chara Change)was completely ignored.

Art:
The art was probably the highest point in this series. Although it started out nice, it seemed that the more I watched it, the more deformed the art had become. Or perhaps I didn't notice it before...either way, I noticed that most of the deformities had been associated with the face. How the head and eyes had been enlarged and facial features began looking spaced too far apart. For the most part, I did enjoy the clothing, but that's mostly it.

Sound:
I liked the OPs and EDs for the first season. I found them to be quite catchy, "iPod" worthy I guess. But I didn't enjoy any of the OP's in Doki. They bored and annoyed me and I found them to be wayyyy to girly. x_X At points I thought the BGM was only there to sound cute, since it didn't seem to match the mood of the situation. The Seiyuus fit their roles nicely, though no one really stood out.

Character:
Basically Amu hasn't changed much except the whole "with Tadase" thing. Tadase, same except for the reason why he hates Ikuto is revealed. Yaya, annoying and same. Although when it comes to Ikuto, you basically learn about his story and how he actually doesn't want Amu to worry about him. Other characters are introduced, Lulu and her chara Nana. Lulu's basically a snob who wants to make her mother happy and her chara is probably THEE most annoying chara in the series. Then like 20 supporting characters introduced who do nothing except fill up the episode.

Enjoyment:
I greatly dislike this series. The humor that was once there is now gone, all that's left is crappy, awkward, forced comedy; the likes of which would put Rima to shame. It's filled with stupid fillers that make you want to tear your brain stem out. In my opinion, the only reason worth watching is to see what happens to Ikuto. I would have dropped this about 15 episodes back, except that I had hoped that it would get better. Now the only reason I'm sticking with it is because I would feel like all the time spent watching would be wasted if I didn't follow through. read more