The Mahou Shoujo genre is all too often populated with casts of sweet, brightly animated lolis who are surrounded by perverted adults and magical animals. Couple this together with overly long and usually indecent (given the ages of the characters) transformation scenes and stupid inane plots that make watching children's programming with your kids seem smart by comparison. Shugo Chara! takes those stereotypes and blows them up completely, and leaves us with one of the most wonderful and enjoyable anime experiences ever.
I found this series to be a breath of fresh air. While the premise of the story is nothing that we
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haven’t seen before, it just feels like an original idea. The plot is very much typical of a Mahou Shoujo series. If you’ve seen a series such as Sailor Moon, then you’re going to find a lot of similarities. Our heroine, Amu Hinamori, finds herself thrust into a magical world she never realized was around her until she wakes up one morning with three eggs in her bed. These eggs soon hatch revealing her Shugo Chara, or Guardian Characters. We soon find out that everyone has these eggs in their hearts as a representation of their hopes and dreams for the future. Amu becomes friends with others who have guardian characters and begins to battle against the evil organization called Easter, to protect everyone’s heart egg and find the mysterious one known as the embryo.
The story moves along nicely early on, introducing us to the world and the characters while explaining origins and back story. There is a lot of pretty good magical action and surprises along the way. What was maybe the most surprising to me was the depth of the romance and relationships part of the story. Considering the ages of the characters, I was not initially all that optimistic about a story that myself, a twenty-something adult could relate that much to. But I was surprised to find Amu to be a very complex character with a lot of emotional depth. She grows tremendously as a character from the beginning to the end of this season.
However, Shugo Chara! is not without its faults. One of the most glaring is the number of recap episodes throughout the series. I never have understood the necessity to devote an entire episode towards a recap in this day and age. In the age of DVRs, internet streaming, and downloading, the necessity to have recaps for new viewers seems like a waste of time to me. The other major issue was that there was a lot of what I would term "filler" episodes. Stories that did nothing to advance the overall plot in anyway. For filler they were not bad stories and a lot of them did serve to let us get to know the series huge cast. But really the most annoying was the amount of it after the main plotline from the second half was concluded. It felt a bit anti-climatic and was disappointing to have to sit through 7-8 episodes before the season finally concluded with something involving the main storyline.
The cast for Shugo Chara is enormous. Normally I would say this is a major drawback but in this case it really wasn’t. The key to the whole series is Amu and her guardians. For me, Amu has already moved into my favorite anime characters of all time. She is someone I think every girl (and boys too I think) will find something to relate to themselves. I think her internal insecurities and her outside persona and the struggle to be accepted by society yet still be true to yourself is something that will resonate with viewers. Her conflicted heart over her romantic feelings for various boys and her own lack of confidence over her own "true self" I believe will also strike a nerve. In a lot of ways I think she is the most "real" anime character I’ve ever seen.
There are simply too many other characters to cover in detail with the scope of this review. Amu's guardians Ran, Miki, and Su are adorable and lovable aspects of her personality. The same could be said for all of the other guardian characters and their relationships with their owners. The most important and interesting of the supporting cast is Ikuto. I see him as a Tuxedo Mask type character from Sailor Moon. He comes to Amu's rescue when she needs it but isn’t necessarily on her side. His intentions remain obscure for the entire season so we will have to wait to find the answers to that. The rest of the cast, while enjoyable, is far more stereotypical and shallow. You’re bound to have a few favorites from them and even the villains, but this is a story about Amu.
The artwork and animation is outstanding. I absolutely loved the character designs and styling. I felt it was a very fresh look. The backgrounds and settings are a bit over the top at times but beautifully drawn. The guardian characters are completely adorable and are a certainty to steal your heart away. The various magical transformations, even in their full form are reasonably short and devoid of pedo fan service. This was possibly the most refreshing aspect of the whole show. The music is equally brilliant. The various opening and ending themes were catchy tunes that captured the spirit and essence of the show.
My enjoyment of this series was really off the charts. I really wanted to give this show a perfect score but the way the story drags on with little happening towards the end hurts its overall score. If you’re even have a passing interest in Mahou Shoujo stories, then Shugo Chara! has to be at the top of your watch list. For everyone else, your mileage may vary but I think your seriously missing out if you don’t give this show a try.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Guardian Character!
Japanese: しゅごキャラ!
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
51
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 6, 2007 to Sep 27, 2008
Premiered:
Fall 2007
Broadcast:
Saturdays at 09:30 (JST)
Licensors:
None found, add some
Studios:
Satelight
Source:
Manga
Genre:
Comedy
Demographic:
Shoujo
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG - Children
Statistics
Ranked:
#23132
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1143
Members:
224,642
Favorites:
3,033
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 51 / 60
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Your Feelings Categories May 13, 2009
The Mahou Shoujo genre is all too often populated with casts of sweet, brightly animated lolis who are surrounded by perverted adults and magical animals. Couple this together with overly long and usually indecent (given the ages of the characters) transformation scenes and stupid inane plots that make watching children's programming with your kids seem smart by comparison. Shugo Chara! takes those stereotypes and blows them up completely, and leaves us with one of the most wonderful and enjoyable anime experiences ever.
I found this series to be a breath of fresh air. While the premise of the story is nothing that we ... Apr 25, 2008
Any fan of Mahou Shoujo anime should really enjoy Shugo Chara!, especially since it's been a while since we've seen a Mahou Shoujo anime which has more plot than using sparkle rays to blast some monsters.
Shugo Chara! has all the classic Mahou Shoujo elements; blasting away a similar enemy in fillers, overly long transformation sequences, a "chosen" and "special" heroine, and the classic idea of making enemies into friends. But Shugo Chara! has what a lot of Mahou Shoujo seem to be missing. A nice message and some good romance. It's not just about blasting away the enemy, it's about a young girls confusion over her ... Apr 5, 2008
This is my first review so please stay with me:
Shugo Chara, When I first saw the description I must admit I was skeptical. For one thing it revolves around an elementary student, and for another it was labled under romance. (I watch a ton of High School Drama's so I'm always on the lookout for a good romance anime) I clicked on episode one and figured "Eh, why not give it a try". Within the first two seconds I almost stopped it. "All kids have an egg in their soul"..... You can see where im coming from? But I didn't, I stuck to it. And I am so ... Nov 29, 2007
My first review ever, sorry if it's bad.
And the anime is still airing now I'm writing time. Story The story is about somebody know as a cool girl, Amu. But it is not her real being self. On a day she finds 3 eggs out them coming Ran, Miki and Suu her 3 charackters how she wanna be. When she joins te guardians she get the job as a joker and find the x eggs but of course there are allot of problems do deal with... About the story, you will like it if you like comedy and allot of fantasy together. So I give it a 9 ... Jul 12, 2020
I've re-watched this anime 3 times and I keep on coming back. Its my all-time favourite anime and I never get tired of it and have zero complaints. I've been re-watching animes lately and it's been 5 years since I first watched. I have changed my mind about a lot of animes, but this one still gets me giddy and excited.
The story is pretty typical, one main girl character, two guys and a guardian angel. But there's something so fundamentally true about this story. Everyone hides their true self more than most would like to admit, it's about being true to yourself. 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. ... Nov 28, 2008
Shugo Chara! Stands out amoungst mahou shojou (magical girl) anime. While it appeases all aspects of mahou shoujo, girl with powers, transformations, roamance, 'cute' themes and such it also includes just that little something that stands out so much.
Story: The basic theme of every episode is simple, beat the bad guys, cleanse some eggs, drabble in romance and the such. However, Shugo Chara! has an over all story which brings the main cahracter, Amu, to the brink of depression and the theme of becoming ones true self is interesting. Rather than the story being about the powers and the magic and some war that's been going ... Jun 3, 2013
Story: 10/10. Mostly because of the message behind the whole 51 episodes. At first glance, this anime might look like the usual school life, shoujo anime. If you think about it, there's actually a strong message behind the whole thing. It's just outstanding how such a simple message developing into a whole 51 episode anime... and a couple more seasons after that. (Still didn't get the message? HINT: think about how the eggs represents your dreams) I also really like the original storyline about guardian characters, x-eggs etc. Not to forget about the comedy. I also like how the anime doesn't just focus on one
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Nov 6, 2008
Shugo Chara! is about a teenage girl named Hinamori Amu, who acts cool on the outside but is actually very shy. She wishes to become her would-be self and gets three shugo chara which are like guardian angels that represent your would be self. The story revolves around the guardians a soceity of people with shugo charas includingAmu and their adventures to find themselves and the ledgerndary Embryo which grants any wish.
This anime has a unique storyline and is a pleasure to watch. Like any typical magical girl anime you have flashy transformation and destroying evil which takes the form of X eggs and characters ... Mar 28, 2008
This show is surprisingly long, I would not have imagined it was 51 episodes. It's also quite hard to say why I like it. It's a childish show, and the transformation of her character is overly dramatized. I also hate how each episode starts with a weird voice saying "All kids have an egg in their soul..." in English. The story is interesting, and has some plot twists, but not very many. If you like light, easy-going shows with not much complications, then you will like Shugo Chara! The art is also great. I love how much detail
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Jun 5, 2020
I know this is a somewhat old show (it's been, what, 13 years?), but still one of my favorites. I did watch this when I was younger, but not really understanding themes and concepts in the show (even though this is a show targeted towards kids). However, I recently went back to rewatch this show and I can't explain how much I missed it. It is truly the epitome of my childhood.
I love the plot- it's genius. I don't know what the producers were thinking when they made this show, but they definitely created a masterpiece. The characters... don't even get me started. The character ... Aug 9, 2008
Alright..
Since the first season of Shugo Chara is coming to a close.. I would like to grade it thus far. I might update this after the first season has finished airing Story : The story for Shugo Chara is your typical magical girl anime, and yet, it's not. You have the one girl who falls in love with a prince type character but cannot confess her love and nothing seems to go her way. But Amu is not the typical girl who nobody likes and doesn't fit in. No, she's the complete opposite. 'Cool and Spicy' schoolgirl, Hinamori Amu, who doesn't know exactally how to act. Born ... Jan 18, 2015
If you like the type of anime that involves heros/heroines, romance and comedy, I highly suggest you watch shugo chara.
When I first decided to watch it, I thought it'd be childish and dumb, but when the main character started talking about how she really felt, I could relate. She didn't really know anything about herself and she felt like she made the wrong impression. As I continued watching, I saw how everything just came together perfectly. There's reason's behind everyone's dream, they didn't just say "Ok! This character wants to be a ___ when they grow up," for no reason. You really got to ... May 13, 2015
First Review
At first, I wasn't sure if I should begin watching a maho shojo anime about elementary school characters. However, when I began watching it, I couldn't have been more wrong. The story, art, and sound were all above average, but what stuck out most was how well the characters were designed, and how much each character developed through the course of the story. However, the thing that held it down was just how much filler there was throughout the series. Shugo Chara tells the story of cool, and "spicy", elementary student Amu Hinamori, who actually turns out to be a shy girl who has difficulty ... Apr 18, 2009
Honestly, I had never heard of Shugo Chara! before I saw a fairly bad fan dub audition for it. At the time, I was low on good animes and was just searching for one to watch. I really didn't care if it was bad or amazing. I thought the animation looked cute so I promptly typed in "Shugo Chara! 1" into the search bar and started watching. In that one day, I watched 12 episodes in a row. Call me a hermit if you want, but it's just that addicting. As of now I have finished the first series (Seasons 1 & 2) and have
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Oct 3, 2008
Shugo chara didn't caught my eyes in the first place. when i was surfing on crunchyroll.com i saw this anime being featured and it is an all time favourite.
the first thing that came to my mind is " it look kinda childish, the pink hair girl is a kid so this should be a kiddy anime " . but later on my friend told me that shugo chara is nice and ask me to give it a try. i trusted her as she know more about anime stuffs than me, i was totally a noob. the plot found on internet is very simplified. so i ... Jul 31, 2021
If I could describe this anime in one word, it would be: amazing! I wish I could go back in time and watch it for the first time again.
I loved it, from story-telling, fights to characters. Characters were well done and everyone had something unique to them that no one else had, which made the anime more interesting to watch! Usually, I'm the Shoujo type of person and I like how this one was a healthy relationship growing if I can say so, compared to other anime were in like 3-4 episodes, they already like each other and start dating. I remember being annoyed with the ... Jul 22, 2011
Shugo Chara is one of my favorite animes, and that's because i think a lot of people can relate to this show. I mean i know their were times for me, were i wished i could come out of my shell and just be the real me around people, and that's one of the things this show is about.
I give the story a 10. In my opinion this wasn't your everyday shoujo manga. There is a lot to this show, that people of all ages can relate to in one way or another. As the story progressed you could clearly see all of the characters ... Jun 28, 2010
I can thank my loving and awesome boyfriend for getting me into this wonderful series.
Shugo Chara! is an absolutely charming series that breaks several molds of the Maho Shoujo genre and really stands out of the crowd. The story is adorable, charming, and honestly inspiring. It speaks to everyone who wishes they could change themselves or act as they want to, but fear the social consequences. Shugo Chara's premise and mechanics involving the eggs and shugo chara is very interesting and unique from other anime of the same genre. Each character has their own unique background and personality traits, having a cast that has someone ANYONE can ... Jul 15, 2008
Shugo Chara!!!! I'm just going to come right out and say it: It's AWESOME! Finally, a shoujo that isn't like all the others!
Shugo Chara is about Amu, a girl who is known as "Cool & spicy" [if that doesn't already make you laugh, I don't know what will] by her classmates. She doesn't have any friends because she gives off this cool, "do whatever you want" demeanor, but inside she is very lonely and doesn't like how people see her. Amu, convinced she is not her "would be self" prays to be remade, and the next morning wakes up to find three eggs in ... |