Ranked #2122

Sugar Sugar Rune (Manga)

One of the rare mangas that actually hit the market in Croatia, Sugar Sugar Rune wasn't really my top choice for reading, although it was one of the few I could actually have in my hands while reading. But one day, by some circumstances, I actually got the first volume of it for free, and decided, 'Hell I could give it a try'. And it really isn't as bad as it may seem to be.

~Story~ (7)
It begins with two little witches, Chocolat and Vanilla, who are competing for the place of a Queen of Magic World, yet they share a beautiful, deep bond as friends. The story is not THAT original, it gets rather complicated as the progress is made, new friendships bloom, and old friendships are on verge of shattering. The relationships are sometimes a tad confusing, but all together, there aren't any plot holes making you say a big loud 'What the F---".
As you get close to the ending it get almost dramatic, even tragic, and the ending itself is so interesting, the manga is worth reading just because of it.
It shows rather well how two friends can change the way they act because of a greater force.

~Art~ (6)
It was the first thing that turned me down in first try. To be honest, I've never seen such a weird way of drawing shoujo. Yet with time, you'll either start liking the style, or you'll keep wondering what is wrong with their eyes, mouth, expressions, scenery, etc.
But the way the panels were scattered around was just painful. Sometimes, I was forced to read the same page twice because I actually didn't know which of 10 panels come first, since they were all across each other. Sometimes you may even miss parts of text, and notices it only when you read the next page, if it accidentally get in your sight.

~Character~ (7)
The development of character was one of the things I praise. Chocolat seem to become more mature as the story goes on, confronting others as well as herself about feeling and the way things are. Vanilla, as a fragile, shy girl, is filling out her role perfectly, easily succumbing to anyone who stands against her or confronts her.
There is also a somewhat comical character, Rockin Lovin' whose sole name is saying enough about how comical he can be. (whoever is called Rockin?)
The way they were designed was so every character could practically be read just by looking at him. You could already know if they were like this or like that. In short, not many secrets hide behind characters looks.

~Enjoyment~ (8)
When I started reading it, at first it wasn't very eye catching, or heart capturing, and it takes a while for a real story to start unfolding. It was a tad monotonic, to be honest. But it was worth it, as I said, the ending is really worth reaching. If only the way to reach it was of a bigger quality.

~Overall~ (7)
I was happy that I haven't wasted my time reading this manga. It's not much a of a read for many people, since it is a very obvious shoujo, filled with cuteness. The fans of stuff like Shugo Chara and Cardcaptor Sakura will most likely love it. read more