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Jul 22, 2024
Sailor Moon is arguably one of the most significant magical girl series of all time, which is due to a combination of factors that contribute to the series' success beyond nostalgia. While nostalgia for the series may occasionally play a part in recognizing why the series is as loved today as ever, I believe there are several key elements in addition to this that help uphold everything the series stands for, and it excellently blends themes, plot, and tension in a way that is quite difficult to successfully replicate or create. Sailor Moon has more than strong elements; rather, Sailor Moon excels at blending all
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its elements cohesively in a very rewarding way, which makes characters very lifelike and memorable.
Sailor Moon's most significant element to its success would appear to be its characters. They are so vividly filled with dreams and realistic personality traits (notably, they have flaws they take time to get over or develop over the series) that they are immediately highly regarded as "relatable" among many who watch the series, which sometimes even extends to them having their own thought processes. I believe that Usagi is arguably the most well-developed character, as she undergoes a great deal of trauma mid-series which is played completely realistically and serves to help further nuance her character and type of person she is, which is a heavily rewarding character development. Additionally, the other characters also change over time as they bond and interact with each other, developing nuances in the way they do so, with Usagi and Rei becoming particularly close. Mamoru's story arc is particularly unique, as it focuses not on friendship, but instead on the themes of memory loss and trauma, which tells a very interesting story in regards to the series' inclusion of reincarnation, among other themes. Mamoru's story also includes other elements such as loneliness, which helps create a nice contrast against the Sailor Senshi's bonds of friendship.
However, the series Sailor Moon has an emotional core and is at heart a story-driven season, which should be talked about. Sailor Moon is excellent at taking typical tropes associated with the genre (such as the power of friendship being able to overcome all and finding true happiness) and subverting them with a great deal of precision, such as using teamwork-based monsters of the day which at some points, even mirror the Sailor Senshi's attacks themselves. Although I won't get into specific plot developments so as to avoid spoilers for those who haven't watched, I will say that despite some plot twists being more obvious than others, the series is always able to pull them off with not only class, but a sense of tension that doesn't dissipate if you have figured out the twist. I find this very admirable in among countless other series where a simple spoiler is able to ruin an entire plot point. Sailor Moon excels at pushing its boundaries of friendship and love, which extends to not only the Sailor Senshi, but to every individual person they help throughout the series, not simply because they were tied to a monster of the day but out of genuine desire.
There are also some very heavy themes of fate and destiny in the series and again, without spoiling much, it's difficult to say exactly why these work so well. However, I would like to state that the idea of fate and destiny goes hand in hand with the idea of a destined partner, and Sailor Moon certainly knows how to make these ideas work to the fullest extent possible, making even mundane scenes memorable. The teamwork in Sailor Moon is one of its strongest elements by far and despite stating earlier that it occasionally works even better when subverted, the Sailor Senshi's bonds of friendship are incredibly admirable and positive and that they (like people) can pull together when a crisis calls for it, despite their fights.
Overall, Sailor Moon is one of the most remarkably well-put-together series I've ever watched, and will likely always have a place in the hearts of its fans that extends beyond simple nostalgia; this is a series that I can honestly say I haven't regretted re-watching, even for a moment. 10/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 29, 2024
This review will encompass all of Tokyo Mew Mew New, both seasons. Please be aware that for this, they are treated as a singular season rather than two halves for the purposes of this analysis.
Tokyo Mew Mew New was a reboot of the original anime which I previously reviewed, which I thought, at best, had severely mixed flaws which were primarily due to the pacing and the characters being unable to break the mold of the archetypes they were cast in, among other issues. Tokyo Mew Mew New takes these flaws from the ground up and revitalizes the characters, providing them a desperately needed breath
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of dimension and life to their personalities, as well as enhancing and clarifying several elements of the plot that were obscure or bore no severe consequence in the original (speaking in particular, in reference to the Tokyo Gondwana Renaissance arc).
One of my primary flaws of the original Tokyo Mew Mew was that the characters felt bound to "shells" that they were never truly able to break, simply seeming to be more archetypes of a cast of magical girls rather than actual representations of ones who could represent a real person, which gave them a one-dimensional aura. Here, however, they feel much more defined and have individual goals and dreams that are continually pushed and explored, which expands them significantly. Among these, Zakuro's debut arc stands out as being one of the best, as it influences not only her character but also greatly affects Mint both directly and indirectly. Lettuce, Ichigo and Pudding also have excellent development, with the aliens being the arguably least developed trio of characters, although not by much, as they also receive much more attention. Also fortuitous is the shift away from focusing on Deep Blue and Mew Aqua early in the plot, which gives the story much more breathing room (to the contrary, Deep Blue isn't mentioned until around the second season). This gives the aliens more personality, which can best be seen in Kisshu, who stands out much more for better or worse.
Kisshu is more than a simple love interest in this version, and his character seems to almost intentionally border between being psychotic, creepy, and passionate with a sense of being a simple boy in love all at once. This all works perfectly with his character, as it helps to demonstrate the "imperfection" of his view of humans, Ichigo herself, and his view on love in an interesting warped perception of what he believes would make her happiest. While most of the Mew Mews and aliens got great development, Aoyama unfortunately doesn't have as much, at least in comparison to the others: his character is primarily tied to Deep Blue once he is introduced, and before that point arrives Aoyama failed to be a compelling love interest, as he simply doesn't have enough interesting merit to his personality aside from wanting to heal the Earth to make him an interesting enough character to grow an emotiona investment towards; as such, I unfortunately found myself unable to connect to his character, despite the presence of some great moments set up for him (such as being trapped in crystal with Ichigo and waiting in the rain, even despite the excellence of the latter scene). As mentioned prior, Zakuro's character development shapes Mint's values in a remarkable way as well.
While the Mew Mews are of course vastly improved, it was also excellent and highly appreciated to receive genuine lore for the aliens, who made two major appearances and several more. One of these turned out to be Lettuce's best episode by far and perhaps even the best episode of the entire series, while the other was present later on in the finale. One element that was a bit bothersome was the explanation or lack thereof of Mew Aqua being contained within Aoyama's body, which unfortunately made very little sense in my opinion; while it could have worked if foreshadowed, this was not present, and it came off as more of a spur of the moment creative decision than a planned out moment for a finale. This is unfortunate, because this could have had great levels of symbolism connected to it if built up properly. However, Tokyo Mew Mew New has proven itself to be a highly consistent, competent series with drastic improvements over the original, ranging from artistic and animation upgrades to an overhaul of the entire pacing and structure of the plot which worked wonders to revitalize what may otherwise have been a series on its last legs. This was an excellent anime and a worthwhile recommendation to anyone interested in the magical girl genre. 9/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 14, 2024
Tokyo Mew Mew New is a reboot of the original anime and has made numerous changes from the original, which are all welcome. In my opinion, the shorter season helps the new series reduce the need for filler and allows the plot to more narrowly focus on the elements of the story it is likely intending to develop. This directly benefits the anime, as the story becomes far more concise and easily self-contained in a narrative sense. As such, the series can afford more concise explanations of events and allows for better characterization. The Mew Mews' development has vastly improved since the original Tokyo Mew
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Mew, which can be seen best in their debut episodes; Lettuce and Mint have much better context regarding Lettuce's issues with bullying and Mint's relationship with her brother, while Zakuro benefitted most heavily, getting a fleshed out mini-arc which helped develop herself and Mint as characters. While Ichigo primarily has not changed in her initial role, she is more refined as a main character now and feels like a person rather than a character, as opposed to the past.
As mentioned, one of Tokyo Mew Mew New's main draws is its focus more on plot and important events, which notably gives Kisshu and Pie greater development as antagonists and makes them generally more threatening. One of the main benefits arising from this is that the series is less forced to rely on Mew Aqua and Deep Blue to advance the plot, which helps keep the aliens' schemes fresh, while simultaneously sympathetic enough that a viewer can at least understand their motives. Lettuce, Mint and Zakuro all have short story arcs that help them grow as characters, which adds to the theme of them all maturing and coming into their own roles to protect the Earth. This can also be seen (albeit indirectly) in their age up to high-school age (aside from Pudding), as they (as characters) are now able to comprehend the actual weight of their role to protect the Earth.
Zakuro's mini-arc was one I particularly enjoyed, as her origins as a character were not covered in as great detail as I had hoped in the initial anime. Here, however, Zakuro's song stands as an excellent representation of what she believes to be her "path," and we see her perspective versus being forced to fight and how she is perceived by the other Mew Mews. Her development also directly affects Mint, who also develops heavily as a character thanks to Zakuro, and becomes more than a simple obsessed fan of Zakuro; in fact, this element of her character is severely diminished after this, which helps flesh her out as more her own person than simply a rich fangirl.
One of the only aspects of Tokyo Mew Mew New that I would criticize would be the romance. Kisshu and Ichigo's romance (if it can be called that even) is far less nuanced in this version, and Kisshu is downright creepy to Ichigo more than a handful of times, which comes across as far more predatory and malicious than would seem to be appropriate for the anime. Aoyama seems to struggle as a character for different reasons; as it's shown that he and Ichigo meet each other after the season begins, their relationship seems far less natural than when it seemed Ichigo already semi knew him in the original. This gives the impression that they're growing attached to each other too quickly after only knowing each other for a very brief amount of time. Aside from this, Aoyama is an alright, if rather plain, love interest for Ichigo, although I will note that it is due to him that she is able to have enough morale to continue fighting in battle, and that this is not a knock towards his character or any potential role this may fill in the plot.
Overall, Tokyo Mew Mew New is a great reboot of the original which fixes many problems that were initially present and seems to not add in any new problems while simultaneously making notable quality of life changes, such as the aforementioned reduced quantity of filler (which helps the plot advance more quickly). This directly leads to the Mew Mews getting more immediate character development as well as the antagonists being more intimidating yet complex in their role in the series. Overall, 8/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 7, 2024
Tokyo Mew Mew is a series that I've wanted to watch for a long time, which is good, because it's always seemed to have a really cool premise, strong themes, good characters, and decent story. Unfortunately, the consistency with which these attributes are actually applied to the anime is subject to interpretation, because it unfortunately fails to leave a strong impact most of the time. Tokyo Mew Mew's characters are held back by a string of flaws both as a part of the story and standalone, and the plot and characters both suffer because of the somewhat ambiguous direction that was chosen to execute the
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story, leading to some questionable developments.
To start, the series, in my opinion, is at its strongest when it does take its plot seriously; the concept of the series is incredibly interesting, and there are obviously strong ties to the Earth's preservation. More than at least a great handful of series, there are concentrated episodes that focus on the Earth's habitat and the pollution and corruption humans have caused to the environment. This is a great message: it helps encourage people to be more aware of their ecosystem and organisms that are affected by humans as well as brings attention to endangered animals, to some degree. Tokyo Mew Mew is also skilled with deeply emotional moments; some of the saddest scenes of the series are their most powerful. The concept of Mew Aqua being an element intended to save the Earth seems very interesting, as do the girls' specific endangered animals they are connected with.
Unfortunately, the first major problem is with the Mew Mews themselves. While they do perfectly fine in their focus episodes, outside of these the girls struggle to have a defined role within the plot most of the time. This means that if an episode doesn't directly affect a Mew, they will likely not have a big role in it. Several episodes have progressed with the other four Mews only having a few minutes of screentime throughout, which is a detriment to the viewers. As an example, an attempt was made to help flesh out Lettuce (arguably the Mew Mew with the most development aside from Ichigo) and Pie by giving them a conflict; however, this was hardly explored outside of a brief scene and brought up later. The other Mew Mews do not fare much better, as in particular, Mint, Pudding, and Zakuro fail to serve a purpose within a standard episode at times. The Mew Mews are also somewhat stuck in the tropes they were cast in at the start of the show; Lettuce never leaves her shell of being kind (aside from leaving a group of girls picking on her), while Mint and Pudding change even less. The series also seems to have a problem with backstory; despite attempts to develop Zakuro and Lettuce's pasts in their debut episodes, this was quickly forgotten about and never addressed again during the series, which should be a crucial plot development considering the apparent gravity that appears to be implied about their previous lives. In short, the Mew Mews struggle to move forward as characters and truly develop, which makes them seem more static than they are. Surprisingly, the aliens do not have this problem: Pie and Kisshu develop heavily as characters and become better people by the end.
The series pacing and execution of the Mew Aqua plot can also be bothersome at times; the way the series is set up requires that the Mew Mews not find Mew Aqua immediately in order to maintain tension within the plot, which becomes a problem very quickly; countless episodes are dedicated to finding Mew Aqua, although more often than not they fail to find ANY, rendering the outing and the episode itself pointless, as this is ALL they do within the episode aside from the standard fight. Speaking of, the girls powers seem somewhat inconsistent, and the series itself also seems inconsistent on whether Mew Aqua's power is contained within Ichigo or not, as the girls occasionally glow blue with little to no explanation. Also somewhat puzzling was a romantic situation set up with Ichigo and Ryou, despite the fact that Ichigo already loved Aoyama. Oddly enough, this development simply ceases to exist after a while and instead the idea of someone having a crush on Ryou is redirected as being Lettuce, which seems oddly disjointed, particularly because it was never properly addressed.
Ichigo's crush on Aoyama seems to have some significance in his being Deep Blue or simply Aoyama/the Blue Knight. Particularly, it appears that Aoyama taking the form of whichever he appears may be relevant to the level of empathy he receives. While this is only a theory on my part, it appears that Ichigo's compassion towards him may have helped foster his care for the Earth, which reinforces his kind soul. Overall, Tokyo Mew Mew is a troubled series: despite having valuable advice on spreading awareness of the planet's dwindling condition (which I suspect has worsened still since this series aired), the series' pacing and characters are inconsistent and incompatible in upkeeping this message and spreading it, and instead it feels as though the Earth's preservation and endangered animals were put in as more of an afterthought. This is a shame, because when the series focuses on its messages, it is at its best. 6/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 27, 2024
A remake of the first song used in the Ojamajo Doremi anime where the main cast have aged as adults is extremely fitting to celebrate the series 25th anniversary, especially given that the series focus is maturity and childish innocence. Here, the cast is seen as adults (or at the least, teenagers), who are now shown still being friends with Hana, among other characters. I believe this was a great idea which could possibly allow for a sequel to take place showing their lives as adults, as this was particularly relevant to the themes of growing up and innocence and maturity in the series. Even
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though the series' concept may seem somewhat plain in comparison to today, I believe that a reboot or sequel could still be successful. The updated animation helped to recapture the show's energy and even if no plans are made to reboot it, I believe this was a great way to help fans remember a series that is beloved in the hearts of many. 8/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 24, 2024
Please note for this review that I began the series under the assumption that this was technically a magical girl series.
With the above information, I would like to point out that this will not factor into the show's review; I will be judging it primarily as a romance story. To start with, the premise is extremely interesting; inanimate objects, particularly consumable ones, coming to life is a novel concept, although in my opinion the series fails to utilize this properly, as either a comedy or a drama. It tends to cycle back and forth between taking its story seriously and playing it for laughs, which
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contrast heavily; the themes of martyrism play heavily into this, as do themes of capitalism ad ironically, recycling in an antagonistic light. This helps develop the primary Akikan, Melon, granting her some good character development, and Yell similarly gains some nice introspection into her own nature of existence.
Additionally, there is some room for some good comedy to occur here, which is unfortunately squandered on fanservice and failed romantic plots which never have any true payoff. The series additionally seems indecisive as to whether Kakeru will date Melon or Najimi, and every development towards one offsets the other by a wide margin. A similar situation occurs with Najimi and Yell, although it works out a bit better, as they're able to form a more cohesive couple (albeit, one we never see come to fruition in the series).
Unfortunately, these themes cannot co-exist: attempts at comedy downplay the more serious moments, while the series nature is too dark to make any of its comedy have any impact. The Akikan Elect was a seemingly major plot point that was forgotten, while Miku only had two episodes to make any impact. It does feel to a degree that Akikan was hoping the novelty of its concept could carry it to success (there was, after all, an episode dedicated to literally doing nothing), and many characters are very one-note. I believe this type of series could have worked well if there was a consistent theme chosen to stick with, although as it is, it currently is not as enjoyable or memorable as it would like to be. 5/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 14, 2024
This review with Shugo Chara! Party! will be divided into two segments. The first half will cover the season standalone, and the second will act as an overall review for the entire series. Please note that spoilers may be present. Additionally, the Party! review will treat Puchi Puchi, the anime segments and the live action as a single series.
Shugo Chara! Party was in a difficult position from the start; needing to follow the manga and its pacing was one of its first problems, but the second was the apparent lack of faith to the manga, instead taking the series in a wildly different direction, which
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was met with valid levels of skepticism from some viewers, myself included. The main reason for this is that while the series was never exactly the most mature in its original seasons, it felt like it at least had a handle on the message and themes it was trying to send. It's hard to convey how seriously Party! takes this, because it is such a drastic contrast from even the season prior (a mere 25 episodes prior), due not only to the live-action aspects of the series, but an apparent disinterest in continuing the manga; the last arc of the manga is unadapted and as far as I can tell, is left untouched as though it never existed. This is a true shame, because I found the last arc of the manga very decently written.
At times, it can be difficult to feel like Shugo Chara! Party! isn't openly mocking itself or its audience, or making a parody of what it itself created. While there are references and easter eggs to previous seasons (no pun intended), the structure of the series feels as though it is written as though Party! would be a viewer's series introduction. For instance, nearly every major character is re-introduced every single episodes, which comes across as (and is) excessively redundant at best, and pandering at worst. Segments on the show range from decent to poor, with the live-action segments being arguably some of the worst uses of the medium this show could muster. However, this isn't even what I feel digs the series grave, nor is it even the introduction of Rikka and her new development, which would be interesting enough as a standard 26 episode season in of itself at minimum. No, in my opinion, what really kills the season is the wasted potential; there were many ways this could have worked and been done properly and re-invigorated the franchise without resorting to pandering or re-inventing the wheel. After all, Sailor Moon's live-action series is one of its arguable best versions, as it went in an interesting direction and showcased possibilities using its more realistic setting. However, Party! does not go this route.
Instead, it feels as though Party! simply cashes in on the cheap allure of using live-action actresses (or, the "Eggs"), to the point that it feels they're only IN the series to sell merchandise and keep little girls engaged. Aspects of the live actresses such as copying the likes of repetitive and overtly simply dance instructions, figurines of Charas from the show, and interviews with the cast members for exclusive items do not help with the insinuation that the series feels like it was only continued to sell merchandise. In my opinion, this makes the series a sellout in and of itself, and the lack of used potential that could have been here makes this series one of the worst possible attempts. Even a decent "anime" plot with Rikka and Hikaru can only go so far, especially considering both STILL rely on the overt use of stock footage, not to mention cramming an episode's worth of content into 11 minutes. In short, Party! is the series' ultimate lowest point in my opinion, and an absolute "must avoid" unless there is a pressing need to see what amounts to a relatively minor plot development. As a season, Party! scores a 1/10.
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As for the series as a whole, in case it wasn't obvious, Shugo Chara is wholeheartedly a mixed bag. While I've discussed the specific problems with past seasons in their individual reviews, one of the main initial attractions to Shugo Chara in the first place was the concept of dealing with the lost emotions of children who have lost who they want to be, which can also be interpreted as simply their personal identity. Shugo Chara's concept is not at all the problem; the idea is great and has a lot of potential to be built off, especially with characters such as Utau creating strong character arcs. One of the issues with Shugo Chara is that practically every other element with how it was written and executed seems to actively work against its favor. Shugo Chara has mind-numbingly poor pacing, which is terrible in conjunction with forgotten or nearly abandoned plot points being put aside for large scores of episodes at a time.
In my opinion, Shugo Chara may have failed to fully explore the brand of potential that was made possible with Characters, Eggs and X Eggs/Characters. While I am not an expert on issues such as depression and mental health issues, I believe that there are multiple layers and nuances that can be explored in a cohesive manner which could have been able to tackle these issues appropriately and with sensitivity. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Shugo Chara fails to realize the depths to which they can explore, or simply that they wish to keep things light-hearted as it is a children's show. These, as well as a seemingly increasing amount of peculiar inconsistencies with the lore of X Eggs and Charas themselves, create an odd puzzle of the situation that causes it to feel incomplete, or that things are being half-assed as the writers go. A good example of this is in Party!, where a situation gave the initial implication that an X Egg "bursting" would imply the person would want to end their life, only for this assumption to be incorrect.
Despite my initial enjoyment with Shugo Chara, it ultimately comes across as underwhelming, which is extremely difficult to say, as I wanted this series to be a positive experience that I could recommend. Unfortunately, it turned out to be anything but; near the end, finishing the series felt like a chore rather than a fun task, and the light-hearted excitement of watching soon turned to boredom and frustration. This was particularly sad, as if executed better, this could have been a true masterpiece. The score for the entire series is a 1/10, unfortunately; it may be in one's best interest to skip the series altogether, as a half-hearted investment will leave heavy expectations to fill that may not be met.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Feb 8, 2024
Shugo Chara's manga fixes a lot of the problems that I found were present in the anime; mainly, that the manga is much more streamlined and cuts out a large presence of filler, though not to the point that it actively distracts from the plot. In my personal opinion, Shugo Chara, beyond its first season, suffered from its anime adaptation (which should be noted, is the version I watched first), and that a lot of elements that were heavily distracting, such as forgotten or abandoned plot points, were drastically toned down. This gives the manga the likely feel that the anime was going for as
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well: that of a cheerful, light-hearted magical girl series. The series is simple enough to become invested rather easily, although some of the plot points could have done with being somewhat more nuanced.
As always, the actual story and message Shugo Chara wishes to tell is one of growing up and acceptance of change and the concept of idealization of one's self. The series has an extremely interesting nuance in the concept of what it considers to be superficial versus an actual part of someone's core personality, and this is likely the main draw of the story. Shugo Chara has several main characters with different layers of nuance and backstory that are slowly explained and contribute to who they are, standing strong as characters that are given realistic motives for their behavior. While the motives behind the development of Easter and how things got to this point are left somewhat vague for the majority of the story, I believe it was explained well and gives a nice subversion of the standard archetype of a main villain. It also serves perfectly as an antithesis to the series' core message, with Ikuto standing initially very strongly as the personal antithesis to Amu, whose core message relies on being the apparent emblematic representation of misfortune within the series.
While there were a few characters who particularly shone once they received character development, I believe that Utau was the ideal character to show the full range of what this series was capable of; Utau arguably went through the widest range of development, constantly changing in realistic, believable ways that would be relatable to most readers. In my opinion, the execution of the "road of stars" arc was only alright; it left a great deal of confusion as I felt that it was poorly depicted, which made it difficult to follow along with the path that the story intended to take, unless this was intentional.
The ending of the manga states that a Chara will always be within their owner, never disappearing; this one sentiment is a great way to showcase exactly why Shugo Chara's manga is worth a read. This implies that a Shugo Chara is part of the person's core personality, and that while a person may change, they'll never permanently "lose" their true self, even if it's lost or no longer visible. The ending also treated all of the characters excellently, giving them all true happiness that they would deserve. While the manga isn't perfect, as it can veer into the childish aspect and not fully explore the above concepts all of the time, I believe that it was a very enlightening read and would recommend it for those looking for a light entry into the magical girl genre. 7/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 6, 2024
Shugo Chara! Doki!! is without a doubt, far and away, one of the worst useless sequel seasons to ever exist. Credit where it's due, the Embryo arc was put on hold as is standard by this point and did need a resolution; however, the use of 51 episodes to explain a plot that could have been completed in half that amount was inexcusable. Despite the first season's ability to thrive by building on the concept of the Heart Eggs, there's a reason it only worked once. At a certain point, it feels less like an enjoyable show and more like the writers wanted to cash
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in on Shugo Chara's popularity by keeping the series running as long as possible, at the expense of its quality. And Shugo Chara! Doki!! truly suffered for this.
A lot of character arcs that were expected to have a payoff are either completely abandoned, dragged out for nearly the entire season, or wind up extremely underwhelming. As an example, it was hoped by many that Nagihiko would reveal his true identity as "Nadeshiko" to Amu, a payoff which never arrived, even during the season finale. Other storylines were similarly abandoned, with even the anime-exclusive Lulu having her own redemption arc pushed off for a ludicrous amount of time, to the point she appeared several times remaining fully "evil" long after her redemption began. Despite what the season would incline us to believe, character interactions are, ironically, rather sparse; there are some great moments that have a wonderful setup here, yes. But these are overshadowed by a number of exceedingly blank storylines and episodes. Even Dia, who was promised to appear with a major role after the end of the first season, only had three canon appearances.
One of the biggest flaws is that the season itself feels unnecessary; a lot of the arcs that were covered in the first season could have ended perfectly fine there, and instead, it feels that the season has run out of steam. The finale is also particularly bland which is a true shame, especially given how well the first season did despite its low quality. I'm sorry to say this, but it's a case of a great magical girl series that's worn out its welcome. Not even cute characters and some truly amazing episodes could save this season. 2/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Nov 3, 2023
Shugo Chara! is quite a handful to talk about. So many elements of the season (nay, the series) can be seen from just these 51 episodes, and to truly break it down in a few sentences isn't really possible. Things are handled so drastically different that in my opinion, Shugo Chara's characters and plot pretty much stand on their own spectrums.
To start with, Shugo Chara's plot is arguably its weakest element. The plot is barely held together by a monster-of-the-week format. The execution and method chosen to do this, while weak, is incredibly effective in a symbolic way; using eggs as a metaphor for childhood
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innocence and character development gets points for originality if nothing else, and it's a good thing it holds up so well. However, it does have some incredibly unfortunate implications, such as the fact that it and the counter for its metaphor goes hand in hand with predatory behavior towards children. This is made worse by Nikaidou, who pretty much lays the entire metaphor on the table on.
One of the best parts of Shugo Chara, however, is its characters. Shugo Chara's actual characters are broken down into a series of onion-like layers that gives them lots of depth and allows for genuine exploration of characters, since they're based in logic and given real behaviors. This also helps create a nice contrast between someone's "outer character" and their "inner character" (or "true self"), and creates some great comedy, one of Shugo Chara's other elements it excels at. The comedy in Shugo Chara is pretty much the best you could want: lots of constantly changing and exaggerated faces, visual comedy, puns, subtle jokes, straight man schtick, it's pretty much all covered. They experiment with a TON of styles, which I respect their willingness to try at least. Thankfully, at least a few jokes are guaranteed to make you laugh. The Charas behaviors and episodes themselves based on premise alone also lend themselves heavily to comedy, and the writing delivers.
A character's "Guardian Character" (referred to as their "Chara" for ease of writing) adds another layer to the "inner and outer character" symbolism I mentioned before; here, it's not necessarily them, but even if it's not, a Chara is based on who they want to be. So we can argue that at least in a philosophical sense, they represent at least an ideology of the type of person that you could become. Shugo Chara's characters aren't relegated to just jokes; lots of side characters, main characters, and even the Charas themselves all get plenty of time to grow and develop, several reoccurring. One of the most interesting elements present is that while Charas are typically invisible, some characters have the ability to see Charas despite not being children: namely, Ikuto, Utau, Saeki Nobuko, and Nikaidou, oddly enough. I'm unsure if this is meant to be symbolic, but my best guess is that it could be interpreted as they haven't lost their childlike innocence, which would speak volumes to Utau's character arc.
Personally, I found Utau's arc to be done the best. Despite it putting the majority of Dia's character development on the backburner due to the amount of time it was extended away, it works harmoniously with the way she goes through a genuine moral struggle to find herself and ultimately, the courage to make important decisions that impact the rest of her life.
Overall, Shugo Chara may not be the best series ever; on the contrary, it seems pretty low quality, formulaic, repetitive, has a terrible plot, and other elements. However, these aren't its true strengths. Its true strength is engaging with its audience and putting them in the characters' perspectives firsthand, getting us to feel their struggles and joys and emotions with vigor, with plenty of laughs and empathetic moments along the way. Despite its low score, this is an absolutely positive recommendation.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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