Jun 12, 2014
(please note that this review only covers the first season)
Shugo Chara is the first true magical girl series that I've watched and as such, I must say that it was a very good introduction to the genre for me. I feel no small amount of shame in saying this, but I really like Shugo Chara!
Story:
The story of Shugo Chara seems extremely simple at first. Essentially it boils down to main character Amu Hinamori saving the hopes and dreams of her classmates using the powers that her Shugo Caras grant her. The real story is a romance involving Amu a love triangle between Amu,
...
Tadase, and Ikuto. The romance is very good though it is worth noting that the rather large age gap between Ikuto and Amu can make for some rather uncomfortable scenes, I was personally able to overlook it but I feel that it's worth mentioning as it could be a deal breaker for some people. It is also worth noting that there are many episodes of filler and even some clip shows. The filler is actually pretty good in the beginning since it helps flesh out all of the characters but at certain points, espicially near the end it can get really frustrating. As for the clip shows... They're about as enjoyable as you'd expect (read not at all). The story is really secondary to Shugo Chara's amazing characters.
Art:
The art is Shugo Chara is very well done and never really disappoints. The screen is filled with all sorts of bright colors and shots such as the school at sunset or the city at night really look amazing. A lot of people will also be happy to know that the infamous magical girl transformation scenes, while still present here, are very quick and sometimes are removed entirely. All the human character designs look good both when normal and character transformed. As for the Shugo Chara's, they take cute Chibi art to a whole new level and looking at them for too long can give you diabetes. The diabetes is totally worth it.
Sound:
I've only seen the Japanese version subtitled so I can't really speak on the English dub, but all of the Japanese voices are well cast and talented. The background music is also well done and adds a lot to some of the scenes. The sound effects while not the best are still very good. All of the Openings and Endings are great as well with the first opening serving as a real standout. All and all Shugo Chara's sound is very well done.
Characters:
Shugo Chara may have a massive cast of characters but don't let this deter you, since all of the characters are very well done. Amu Hinamori is one of the most complicated and most realistic characters I've ever seen and I managed to relate to her almost instantly. The story effectively revolves around Amu's insecurity and her quest to find her true self and it's a story that we've all been through at least once. The other characters are all very well done also, such as Tadase and his desire to be a stronger person or the truth about Nadeshiko. The Shugo Charas, while not really deep due to their nature, are very likable and often times hilarious. The only character who doesn't quie match up is Ikuto Tsukiyomi. It's not that he's a bad character (like another black wearing multiple blade wearing Anime guy I could name) it's just that he is essentially introduced as the "Lord Byron" of the series and stays that way the entire 51 episodes. He does play his role as a dark and mysterious character very well but it would have been cool to see some character development or some more background surrounding him. All in all though the characters are amazing and a real selling point for the show.
Shugo Chara may, at first glance, look like a generic, childish block of filler designed to sell toys, but it's amazing characters, great art, and excellent sound definitely make it worth watching. Give it a try and you might fall for it like I have.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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