Dec 30, 2008
Giving Shugo Chara! a try is an absolute must for anyone who is a fan of shoujo or mahou shoujo: because basically, it has all the ingrediants for one. Costumes that cannot possibly be practical but are cute, enemies that are defeated by the power of good, bright colours, younger aged characters and so on. But it doesn't only have that. It has a lot more alongside it. Much more - stuff that other mahou shoujo doesn't tend to have.
It's geared for younger viewers esentially, but Shugo Chara! is one of those animes that has many levels. It''s underneath its typical deminour that it shines.
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It's in those many levels that it has the ability to span to so many different people in so many different ways.
STORY: As I've said before, it's typically beat the bad guys by cleansing the eggs, lots of sparkles and shiny moments and some romance here and there. There's also a lot of laughs and unsuspecting moments along the way, which makes watching SC! all the more worthwhile. But it has a very essential message behind it, a message that everyone can connect with. How many times have you pretended to be different to fit in? How many times have you wished you could be more like your true self in front of everyone? That's what Shugo Chara seems to ask and addresses. The focus is on the characters and the routes they take to become their true selves; it's not all about defeating good and evil.
ART: To be blunt, it's adorable. It's quite bright to appeal to younger viewers, but it isn't blinding. The colours all work together to create a believable world. It's very rare for any of it to be cheaply done - it's usually very good quality animation and artwork. Overall, it really adds to the atmosphere Shugo Chara brings - and even if the story and everything else is wonderful, if the art is bad, it isn't likely you're going to be able to watch it week in week out.
SOUND: Typically simple, nice sounds throughout the episodes with recurring ones for the themes of characters and the cleansing of X-Eggs, with slight changes for each transformation. But I like the sound - it adds to the atmosphere. The opening and endings also deserve a mention here - Buono! was a wonderful creation for SC!, and even if I don't have the time or should be doing something else, I always watch through the opening and endings because I like the music. It's very cutesy, which isn't typically what I'm into, but I like it. It's different.
Lastly for sound, the voices are all a wonderful pick. I'd say a shout out for Kanae Ito (Amu) is in order here - it's her first role, but she does it all perfectly. She isn't overbearing or annoying or frustrating - but she's believable.
CHARACTERS: This is another area where SC! shines. The characters are not so-mind-blowingly-over-powered that they're unbelievable. Each one has their own flaws, their own doubts and personal problems. Each character is loveable on varying degrees, and that's because they're so believable. For several characters, too, I didn't like them for the first few episodes they were in. But as I grew to understand them and learn why they act like they do, what they're hiding behind the mask they give to the outside world, you start to fall in love with them. Because you can relate.
Amu is also a refreshing heroine for shoujo. She completely contradicts the trend of cute characters that need protecting by everyone around her - she can be cute, but not overbearingly so. Her complete attitude is a draw in which is why peope like her, even though she fines it fake. Overall, the characters will grow on you in their own way over time.
ENJOYMENT: It's funny, it has romance, it's not too hard to understand and isn't at all confusing. It's simple in some respects but very effective. And it's easy to connect to, so very much easy to enjoy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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