Reviews

I was very surprised by this series--it looked like a bunch of candy fluff in the beginning and though I thought it was still cute at first I didn't expect this addicted feeling to it that I now have. Like an addiction to chocolate--just can't get enough, and beneath the candy sweet there's a lot more bitterness and plot to it than I ever would have guessed. There's a lot about growing up, the feelings of love and friendship expressed in this series and it still carries a very innocent feel to it. If you are fond of series like Ultramaniac, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Gakuen Alice you should really like this series. Though amazingly, I think Sugar Sugar Rune has more in romance and deeper plot though it doesn't really start surfacing until about midway through (you just get hints before).

I really like the characters Chocolat and Vanilla and how they manage to be such close friends while still being rivals for the throne. Vanilla is sweet and shy--always kind and gentle though a little bit of a crybaby. This cute nature as well as her clutzy moments tends to endear her to the boys of the human world and she's a natural at gathering hearts. Chocolat on the other hand is brass and strong-willed and her favorite phrase is "I'll whoop your butt" which gains her much less popularity in the human realm than she enjoyed in the magic realm. Even as you wince at some of her antics and her nature, it's easy to root for her, especially as you see her maturing.

Each heart has a different level of worth, the "pee" heart is usually just surprise, to orange, pink, and crimson (along with green for friendship, blue for respect, and the mysterious dark "Noir" heart for jealousy and greed). The system with the hearts is surprisingly detailed. A witch can't give her own heart to a human without being stuck forever in the human world, and if it is taken from a witch (more specifical an "ogre" or dark witch) than that witch's life is forfeit. Ups the stakes a little right? Especially when Chocolat starts falling for the mysterious upperclassman, Pierre who is much more than he seems and bears a startling resemblance to the Ice Prince from the magic realm's history.

Pierre really made this series a joy for me. Even when there was only hints or slight scenes, I loved his interaction with Chocolat and fascinated by his character. As he got more involved into the plot... well, I just happier and happier.

A good majority of the episodes are very episodic and cute, but you'll be pleasantly surprised when some deeper plot starts slipping in. If you can live through transformation scenes, and like a cute series with some fun characters, magic world, and some intrigue and romance on the side, give this series a try.