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 "true self," something that a lot of people can probably identify with. Amu also finds herself confused very often over what she's feeling over certain guys in her life. After all, good shoujo needs a nice love triangle, doesn't it?
All of the characters in Shugo Chara! are also incredibly entertaining. The Guardians, Easter's two pawns Ikuto and Utau, and certainly Amu herself. Even the fillers are mildly fun to watch...if you're not looking for substance, but just fun.
Overall, Shugo Chara! is a good anime to watch. It's been compared to great anime like CardCaptor Sakura, and while I wouldn't go that far, it is definitely the best Mahou Shoujo anime in a while and it does have the appeal to span multiple ages (I've encountered fans from ages 10-30). So, if you're a fan of mahou shoujo, or just shoujo in general, you really can't miss Shugo Chara! (though, I will just leave off mentioning the fillers to warn any impatient viewers).
