Shugo Chara!

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Shugo Chara! Encore!

Japanese: しゅごキャラ！

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 12

Chapters: 55

Status: Finished

Published: Dec 28, 2005 to Aug 3, 2010

Genres: Award Winning, Comedy, Romance, Supernatural

Themes: Mahou Shoujo, School

Demographic: Shoujo

Serialization: Nakayoshi

Authors: PEACH‐PIT (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.71¹ (scored by 19,767 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #1631²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #460

Members: 39,358

Favorites: 1,780

Resources

Wikipedia

7.71

Ranked #1631Popularity #460Members 39,358

MangaNakayoshiPEACH‐PIT (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /12

Chapters: /55

Available on Manga Store
Shugo Chara!
Volume 1
$10.99

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Synopsis

What kind of person will I become? What can I do for myself? Children ponder those very questions, and from those thoughts, the "Heart's Egg" is born. Unseen by most, the Heart's Egg remains hidden within every individual, and represents a person's own ideal character.

While adjusting to life at a new school, Amu Hinamori has unintentionally gained a reputation for being "cool and spicy." Unhappy with her outward persona, Amu often wonders how she can act more like her true self. Her desire for change is manifested when one morning, Amu awakens to find three eggs beneath her. They hatch to reveal Ran, Miki and Suu—three "Guardian Characters," each an embodiment of Amu's ideal self.

Shugo Chara! follows Amu's journey as the trio begin to show her just how much potential she has, encountering other Guardian Characters, and a few troublesome experiences along the way.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Shugo Chara! received the 32nd Kodansha Manga Award for best children's manga in 2008.

The series had nine volumes published in English by Del Rey from March 27, 2007 to July 27, 2010. Kodansha Comics USA picked up the license and published volumes 10-12 from May 10 to September 6, 2011, also republishing the previous volumes from August 21, 2012 to January 4, 2013.

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Characters

Tsukiyomi, Ikuto

Main

Hinamori, Amu

Main

Hoshina, Utau

Main

Fujisaki, Nagihiko

Main

Souma, Kuukai

Main

Miki

Main

Hotori, Tadase

Main

Mashiro, Rima

Main

Suu

Main

Ran

Main

Reviews

Oct 23, 2014

MOOMONSTER

Recommended

I started off reading this manga because I heard it was a fun, happy-go-lucky kind of story. It was! I laughed out loud a lot and the message was upbeat and positive. But it was more than just a good time. I finished the series feeling not just satisfied and cuddly, but inspired.

I'm a sucker for creators who take an everyday life concern and turn it into a compelling story. The concept which this manga is based on, that of having dreams or an ideal self, is something I think everyone can relate to. I know I struggled with identity when I was younger. Getting ... to see Amu initially discouraged by what she lacks and slowly begin to understand and believe in herself is a beautiful thing. Combined with her other trials of having friends move away, trying to find out what love really is, and being a responsible older sister/buddy, this really makes her a dynamic, relatable character. Throughout the story as she gains confidence she has an awesome power to change those around her for the better. This is one area I believe the story did well at.

Most of the villains in the story are fairly likable. None of them are evil "just because". They are smart in their methods as well. I was never groaning at how silly a bad guy was acting, because what they did made sense. Additionally, those who are redeemed retain their original personalities and turn to good because they remember what they have lost. I enjoyed that rather than just beating enemies down through sheer magical power, Amu also worked at their hearts.

Initially I was skeptical about the Guardian Characters. Normally when something small and cute shows up its bound to be annoying. But I ended up feeling the opposite towards them. They were all hilarious! I liked their distinct personalities and their interactions amongst themselves. As for their relation to the plot, I think they were a really good manifestation of ideals. Some of them took a distinguishable form of a future career, such as an air-hostess. Others embodied a state of being such as freedom. A few characters had more than one Guardian Character. Sometimes they would disappear or turn to darkness. They could guide and give power to those who believed in them. All of these aspects are things that can be true of dreams in real life.

I waver about whether relationships among characters were handled well. On one hand, the romance aspect of the manga is amazing. I normally shun romances, but this one made my heart skip a few beats. Amu's innocence and tendency to blush made her adorable! Her quest to understand love and her uncertain feelings towards various characters remind me of many young people and myself at times. Growth in her romantic relationships is clearly shown and really cute! You can tell what Amu is feeling in all of these interactions. I know some people don't think the romance went far enough or ended satisfactorily, but I feel the consideration Amu's love interests have for her (and the grace they have for each other) is what's really important. And that is there in spades.

On the other hand, I think friendships could have been fleshed out a bit more. Particularly between Amu and Nadeshiko, there wasn't a lot of development. The first season of the anime does a better job of this with episodes that show them hanging out together. As a group the Guardians are pretty cohesive. Individually, however, there wasn't a lot of time for clear, deep bonds to form. Towards the end of the manga was kind of weird. I felt that hints of romance forming between side characters were unnecessary and a bit at odds with individual personalities. It seemed like a rushed "as long as everyone has someone" kind of resolution.

Pacing of the story moved right along. There weren't a lot of uninteresting side stories or filler chapters. Powers and transformations stayed fairly tame and weren't blown out of proportion or continually upgraded in an attempt to keep things interesting. In a world where most series resort to such tactics, this was refreshing.

Overall, I found Shugo Chara! to be a feel-good series with a surprising amount of depth and relation to life. I'm not about to say it's world-class writing and that it opened my eyes or anything like that, but there are many insightful moments in this story. It's a wonderful series to pick up if you're ever feeling down about life.

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Feb 28, 2017

PopAnime123

Mixed Feelings

The idea for the story was good, and it had plenty of humor and kept me hooked... at first. But as I got more into the story, I noticed that it just didn't have the right... appeal, or feeling, so to speak. The concept was creative, but the story overall could be better. And the ending was confusing and a lot went unanswered. Overall, this manga was alright, but could have been better. I was hoping for a better story, and a better understanding. It is also considered a "children's manga", but I highly disagree. With a few strong curse words and a couple of ...

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Feb 5, 2016

Willowtry

Not Recommended

In one line : // If you're into fanservice before anything else, this manga is for you. //

I've never been into Shoujo. Works targeting females very often present the same overused tropes with little to no variation ; therefore, I've never been too fond of them. If I do feel like reading one from time to time, I easily enter the "overdose" zone when it comes to them. To some extent, it can be argued it just isn't my thing, that Shounen, Seinen, etc. also lack variations overall and yes, I couldn't deny it is partly true.

That settled, how come I started Shugo Chara so ...

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Recent News

'Shugo Chara!' Gets Sequel Manga in Summer 2024

The November issue of Nakayoshi magazine announced a sequel manga to PEACH-PIT's Shugo Chara! manga on Tuesday. The new manga is scheduled to launch in the mag...read more

Oct 3, 2023 4:51 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (24 comments)

Shugo Chara! Musical Stage Show Announced [Updated]

Nakayoshi magazine March issue announced a musical show of "Shugo Chara!". PEACH-PIT had been sick in the hospital and the publications of "Shugo Char...read more

Jan 24, 2009 10:21 PM by dtshyk | Discuss (24 comments)

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Shugo Chara Chapter 5 Discussion Animelover875 - Jul 7, 2022	1 replies	by Dumb »» Sep 9, 1:37 AM
Sequel Series coming Summer 2024 Gar_Logan - Oct 2, 2023	7 replies	by tsubasalover »» Jun 3, 2:20 AM
Why do I like this so much and why is this not talked about anymore? QueenNothing - Jan 13, 2018	8 replies	by Alex796 »» Aug 19, 2023 4:07 AM
Shugo Chara Chapter 5 Discussion Animelover875 - Jul 6, 2022	0 replies	by Animelover875 »» Jul 6, 2022 5:56 PM
Poll: Shugo Chara! Encore! Chapter 4 Discussion LittleStar - Jul 26, 2010	24 replies	by omiguy89 »» Feb 20, 2020 3:05 AM

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