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しゅごキャラ!
55
12
Finished
Dec 28, 2005 to Aug 3, 2010
6.8/10
Average Review Score
63%
Recommend It
8
Reviews Worldwide
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. Gettingto 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.
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]
First of all, I'd like to say that the score I gave is clearly biased, but this manga doesn't deserve anything less than 8. Shugo Chara! may look like a typical shoujo, but its peculiarities make it unique in my opinion; the main character, Amu, has doubts and insecurities normally present at her age, the classic love indecision seen in any lead in the genre, and a will for being the best she can be that seems innovative to me in this category. There is the everlasting love triangle, but it doesn't maintain itself as the primary aspect of her life. The little 10, 12 andeven 14 yo me could see themselves (myself (?)) in her and feel motivated for solving the questions that were brought up. Each time I re-read it, its flaws become more evident, and you must read it acknowledging them (most of them centering around romantic relationships); they could've easily been removed or changed into something more fitting to the story... but yeah, they're there and there's not much we can do about it. Despite them, in my opinion the good messages in the manga can bring much good to youths who grow confused and scared of never finding themselves - after all, that's the base of the story: Who I am and who I want to be? Shugo Chara is a kids' mahou shoujo manga, and follows the structure of the genre presented in most of its titles; but first of all it's a story that deconstructs and questions genre views, brings to children meaningful questionings in the process of growing up, and a good message about all the possibilities of who you could be, but most importantly, about the wonderfulness of being who you are.
I like the art - clean, straightforward, and very pleasing to the eyes. I thought the character's emotions were also clearly reflected in the art. The story was okay. It was fast-paced which is good. I love Ikuto's character very much. Hehe. There was too much idealism which isn't much too my taste. And at the end, there was a confusing all-fantasy arc that surpassed space and time which I didn't really like. But overall, I thought the manga was good and I definitely enjoyed it. I liked best the dokidoki moments of Ikuto and Amu. Hehe. I also liked how Ikuto was portrayed and thosetimes when he couldn't express himself very well. There were things that came out unexpectedly (I thought Tadase liked Nadeshiko :P), but they were still interesting. P.S. I watched the anime first but after episode 8, I gave up and read the manga instead. The anime was very slow-paced and has a lot of fillers. I'm not sure if I'm gonna continue/finish it, but if it's for the sake of Ikuto, maybe I would. Hehe
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 ofsexual references, it would be best if "children" did not read it until they are older.
I have got mixed feelings about this one. The start was way too boring. Nothing that was happening made sense to me. The characters felt boring and one-dimensional. I felt as if this would be a 6/10 manga. But something changed. Halfway through the series, the characters grew on me, the story started to make sense and everything that felt a little off started to click. This series is more focused on emotions and drama and the process of solving it rather than the technicalities. There are so many plot holes and plot points that don't make any sense. Even though it had so many problems, Ireally loved the way it handled all of them. A major focus was put on the characters and their connection than the overall world setting. It would have been an 8/10, if not for the ending. The ending was just straight-up bad. It made no sense whatsoever. Everything the ending volumes had built, all crumbled in the last few pages. It felt as if the author had run out of ideas on how to end so they chose the ending which was the happiest and sweetest disregarding the bittersweetness in the preceding chapters. It left a really bad impression on me. If the ending was just given a little thought, the result would have just been so much better. Conclusion: A very hard manga to recommend. Many messages such as - "How do others see me", "What is the better version of me", "Best version of me", "Fear of becoming an adult", "Fear of future", "Fear of jumping into the unknown" and "fear of choosing". I'd suggest reading the first 4 volumes. If you like the characters then continue or just drop it.
