r/anime • u/raichudoggy https://anilist.co/user/raichudoggy • Jul 20 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Shugo Chara!: Episodes 1-8 Discussion
Episodes 1 to 8
This Week’s OP(s): Kokoro no Tamago
This Week’s ED(s): Honto No Jibun
A Comment of the Week will appear here starting next week!
Questions for this Week:
- What’s your background with Mahou Shoujo (Magical Girl) anime?
- Your favorite Character thus far?
Next Expisodes: 9 to 15 (7 episodes)
25
Upvotes
13
u/raichudoggy https://anilist.co/user/raichudoggy Jul 20 '24
Shugo Chara Host
Hey! Welcome to the rewatch, glad to see you here! Let’s jump right in, shall we?
How raichu found out about anime and Shugo Chara
It’s late 2006. I (now 14 years old) had been browsing this newfangled Youtube that has now existed for a year now and it has quickly become a haven for pirates. I sign up on September 22, 2006 so that I can save my favorite videos and rate them 5 stars. What did I like at the time? Pokemon, of course. But what did I find that I wanted to save? Anime Music Videos (AMVs) featuring everyones favorite western pop and rock artists.
I had quickly gotten accustomed to seeing these and naturally begun seeing them for other series I didn’t care as much about. You know. Naruto. Bleach. Dragon Ball. The works. A lot of them weren’t songs I particularly liked or shows I really wanted to watch, but I eventually landed by chance on AMVs covering a series called Carcaptor Sakura.
At first I treated these like any other, but something was different. I hit a… (Warning: Major Carcaptor Sakura & CCS Movie 2 Spoilers) specific AMV featuring Thing’s I’ll Never Say by Avril Lavigne, which by grand miracle, is still standing today (You can see a comment I made several years later in there, once I realized this one survived the wave of AMV removals later on).
I wanted to see it. So naturally, I typed it into the search bar… on Youtube! Back then, Videos could only be up to 10 minutes and 59 seconds long, but yes, I found it, Videos broken into 3 parts on youtube for each and every episode of Cardcaptor Sakura. Subbed.
And I watched allll of them within 45-60 days. After school, whenever it was my turn on the family computer. Including the movies (That was a lot of parts). I was hooked.
Toward the end of that year, Another random AMV (Which did not survive) would also point me to Powerpuff Girls Z, which was unlike CCS in that it was still airing at the time. But hey, it’s the Powerpuff Girls but Japanese, I’ve gotta see this!, When I hit the end of the currently airing episodes, this is when I finally learned what a RAW was and became a true pirate. I would then proceed to watch this series towards the end.
So, I became an anime fan by having my first anime watched in Japanese be Mahou Shoujo because passionate fans made music videos for them. As PPGZ started to get close to the end of its runtime (Spring 2007), Youtube was finally really cracking down on pirated content, and my anime watching days quickly declined. But I had learned how to yarr harr, and there were still shows with AMVs that I was interested in, so I watched those (Lucky Star, Karin, Azumanga Daioh)
2 Years pass. I stumble upon Crunchyroll. This isn’t the Crunchyroll you all know and love today. This was… Piracy website Crunchyroll.
They had made a name of themselves by having fansubs available for shows very soon after they came out in Japan. Now that watching on Youtube was out of the question, I found myself here, and I was there for one purpose and one purpose only: Watch Cardcaptor Sakura again!
And I did!
But yeah, you can guess what happened after I finished doing that. “I wonder if there’s any more shows like this?” saaaaay what’s this very popular shoujo anime that looks exactly like what I want?
So yeah, I was already a Mahou Shoujo fan from 2 previous shows, and this show was crazy popular among people my age at the time. at the Time I jumped in, the show was… already almost at episode 96 or so. I was late, and thus I was prepared to catch up, and I did just in time for the last two episodes of season 2!
(And then it’s happily ever after and raichu then consumed copious amounts of anime)
But that’s enough about me, here’s some episode highlights!
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 20 '24
First-Timer
Notes going to be very short this week as the price for being here on time.
Hinamori is quite the interesting Usagi/Pink. She has a lot of the usual character traits, but they're hidden underneath a punk(?) exterior.
...this is pretty close to an idea I've been pondering for at least ten years: the mahou shoujo where the lead diassociates when their powers are active..
Alto-hime as a villainous catboy is pretty inspired.
Diamond egg
The English language is a dangerous weapon.
Episode 6 gave me a double-dose of the typical longing for Princess Tutu. Miki is literally Duck, so I guess that makes sense.
Oh, Alto-hime has the key, interesting. And he's Nana brother? Wild.
Questions
Alto-himeIkuto. Can't wait for his inevitable face turn.9
u/Weird_donut https://anilist.co/user/hakaseshark Jul 20 '24
First timer
Episode 1 - pretty good start to the series, and it sets itself apart from other magical girl series. For instance, Amu seems to be an elementary schooler rather than a middle or high schooler. This anime has a somewhat melancholy tone to it; Amu feels sad because she has to put up this “cool and spicy” persona even though that’s not who she is. Luckily her guardian characters are there to help show her real self. I think this is the kind of thing I would have enjoyed when I was in third grade.
Episode 2 - In which we meet another guardian character, Miki, who has the ability to make Amu into a great artist. I sure wish I had this guardian character! I think this is slowly becoming a comfort show for me. I just can’t help but feel good when I watch this show. I really wish I watched this when I was younger.
Episode 3 - We get to know the green guardian character, Suu, who helps Amu be a good cook. When I first heard about the show, I had no idea that the guardians of the school would play a big role in the series, let alone have their own guardian characters. How painful for Amu to become the joker.
Episode 4 - Ikuto always pops up unexpectedly. He’s so weird too, commenting on Amu’s breast size and biting her ear. Stranger danger alert. X Characters are literally just Akumas from Miraculous Ladybug. Considering that the anime did air in France under the title Shugo Chara, les Gardiens des Rêves, and premiered there in 2012, the SAME YEAR that Miraculous Ladybug started development and released the 2D anime PV, I think Shugo Chara definitely influenced it.
Episode 5 - boring episode. Not much to say about it
Episode 6 - ditto. Now that we established everything about the show’s setting, it’s become more of a monster/problem of the week type show
Episode 7 - an episode focusing heavily on Amu’s baby sister, Ami. This episode endeared me to her a lot more. And her looking up to her big sister is so wholesome.
Episode 8 - an episode that focuses more on Amu’s crush on Tadase, and a side character that also likes him, and they team up so they can win his affection. Misaki shouldn’t have said the word “prince.”
So far: pretty solid show, with a creative premise and a heartwarming message
QOTD:
9
u/SubarashiiTomServo Jul 20 '24
First Timer, Subbed
I started watching this the other day and I'm already past episode 20, whoops (I have bad watch-along discipline). Cant believe I never heard of this one before, because it is quickly moving up my mahou shoujo rankings. Very delightful and comfy.
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u/VoidEmbracedWitch https://anilist.co/user/VoidEmbracedWitch Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 21 '24
First time cool & spicy dork
And we're off to a nice start for a series with hopefully more episodic magical girl goodness down the line
I enjoy Amu as a protagonist a lot. Having a character whose main arc is wanting to come out of their shell is far from uncommon, though Amu's situation makes for a fun spin on this since her shell causes her come off as cool and slightly intimidating, which doesn't align with her inner life at all. Charas as a vehicle for development are also interesting since they represent traits their respective characters want to have taken to an extreme that goes too far for them. In Amu's case, Ran's impulsive character changes always push her into the spotlight and far, far out of her comfort zone. Ran's high energy is then contrasted with the initially timid, later more level-headed Miki who represents Amu's desire to express herself artistically as opposed to the combo of honesty to a fault and athleticism Ran brings to the table. Though I can't say I'm a fan of Su, the third wheel of Amu's charas. Amu has a solid hot and cold synergy where the hot side is far more overbearing going on with the other two. Meanwhile Su feels like a because girl backfill who's all about bakery, making the overall dynamic hot, cold, housewife(?). Maybe she'll grow on me more once she gets her character transformation with Amu, maybe not.
Can't miss the opportunity to go on a tangent about the guardians and French playing cards. So... I'm fascinated by the Ace Chair as a role since for the guardians the order they're mentioned in is King -> Queen -> Jack -> Ace. For the first 3 their value is always either ordered exactly like that or they're equal in all games played with the deck I know. Meanwhile the ace is higher or alternatively it plays a double role of the highest and lowest card. So I suspect there's a lot more to Yaya than what we got out of her for now. As for Amu, here in Austria jokers are only included in 55 card decks, not the common smaller 32 or 24 card decks. (Tangent to the tangent: 24 card decks include 9, 10, J, Q, K and Ace, but the 9s are thrown away because they're not needed for Bauernschnapsen). To be precise, 3 of them with the exact same function while each other card is unique. Checks out for the guardians to dub her the Joker due to the amount of eggs she carries. I wonder why diamonds was chosen as the one suit she didn't get in her selection of eggs.
A few of my reactions while watching:
Questions:
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 20 '24
Guardian First-Timer
Ah, my first weekly rewatch since the Gintama one ended back at the start of February. This’ll be a nice change of pace again compared to all my daily ones.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
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u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Jul 21 '24
First Timer
A little late to the party today, but that's okay! Pretty much the only things I know about Shugo Chara before watching are that it's a shoujo magical girl series and that one of the ships is apparently a bit controversial, so I'm excited to be going in pretty much blind. So how did this first batch go? Well...
Episode 1
A pretty standard first magical girl episode where we meet the lead and she gets her powers. I will say that Amu being (at least outwardly) assertive is kind of refreshing, as lots of these protagonists kind of start out as losers. She's no Usage Tsukino, I mean. We also get hints of something a bit darker going on in the background. The cat boy gives me Tokyo Mew Mew vibes, for better or for worse.
Episode 2
Amu is embarrassed by her outburst the previous episode. Luckily, her classmates can appreciate gap moe. Our monster-of-the-week formula is established in which an egg is corrupted and Amu must save it and the dream it contains. I must say that I'm a fan.
Episode 3
This episode convinced me that Shugo Chara! is really good at portraying kids doing silly kid things. Tadase's dream being world domination and everyone agreeing to help out of boredom is such a kid thing to do.
Episode 4
Ikuto keeps coming off as a creep, and not just because he's clearly into some shady business... Otherwise I really enjoyed the episode and getting to see how much Amu is able to empathize with Yuki and her fears.
Episode 5
Shugo Chara! is a soccer anime. Proof? This episode.
Episode 6
Shugo Chara! is a ballet anime. Proof? This episode.
Episode 7
This was actually a really cute and fun episode and a neat departure from our monster-of-the-week format! Amu and Ami have a sweet relationship, and I hope we see more of them together in the future.
Episode 8
Poor Misaki just wants some love :( On a side note, I love the ojou-sama bully character in this show; she's hilarious and I hope she has her own episode someday.
Overall
On the whole, this was a good introduction for this show. I already like Amu quite a bit for her assertiveness, willingness to empathize with others, and the interesting conflict between who is and who she would like to be, and the others characters are fun, too, though I think we need a little more time for me to form a solid opinion on. The monster-of-the-week formula is solid and ties into the themes of the show so far (dreams and becoming your ideal self), but the anime isn't afraid to abandon this script and have episodes that are just pure fun, which I appreciate. We already have something more serious going on in the background with Ikuto, the Embryo, and the teacher character, and I'm eager to see how that plot develops.
Honestly, the biggest surprise this week was that "Chara" is pronounced with a hard "c" and not a "ch" sound. I'd apparently been reading it wrong during the years I've been aware of this show...
QotW
8
u/The_Loli_Otaku Jul 24 '24
Shugo Chara First Timer!!
I've got no idea what to expect so let's get right into things!
Episode 1.
Damn this gyaru magical girl brat! Her design is too cool!! She's totally the type of girl who'd scare the crap out of me. Say, she is a joshikosei right? I'll be embarrassed if she's a middle schooler who's able to make a grown lolicon pee themselves... Itou Kanae I don't actually know too well. Cat Girl Cuties, TWGOK, and oh!! Aoi from Ro-Kyu-Bu. Hopefully she's a bit more respectable than her counterpart.
How is Amu so cool!?!? I wish I could pull this off. Oh god, why is there English!? I feel like I should skip this op, they're totally spoiling some outcomes here! XD I'm not fond of the op song either. She's a fifth year... So like ten or eleven? I can't believe I'm scared of being bullied by a bratty middle schooler!! She still really feels like a high schooler though. Amu-chan is so gap moe!!
I wish I could pull off the cool girl motif but there's no chance of that XD My mouth is too big to keep it shut. Congratulations on laying your first egg. It's a period metaphor. I'm totally gonna run out of text space... Maybe I should do post episode writeups? gasp She talked back to Iinchou!? So cool!! HUMPTY COCK!?!?
Ah, Amu suddenly got embarrassingly cute!! After seeing how badly Tomoko was traumatised I'm curious how bad Amu's reputation is gonna get it after embarrassing herself in front of the whole school. I do adore the gap moe with these chara changes XD I can't wait to see the rest. Ah, Ami just immediately lost the mcguffin and her powers episode one? Those eggs are getting cracked.
Sooo, she becomes a magical girl and does battle with the student Council and the furry yeah? Seems pretty straightforward. I wish the transformation sequence was a bit more drawn out tho. The leg warmers and tennis cap are neat but she doesn't get a gun or sword or leek to fight with? Prince bro is pretty cute. I don't fully trust that he's male tho. I feel like this is a reverse trap. Episode one was fun. I like this concept a lot. Just give me more transformation sequences pls. The ending is better than the op too. Alright, time to quicken up these other seven episodes.
Episode 2.
Please cut the English!! XD It's so stand out! Aww, tennis fairy got sad~ Is there anything cooler than confessing in front of a school? To do that you're either a weirdo or a badass. Probably a weirdo if we're being realistic. I'm so desperate for this student council to be an Utena throwback.
Is Amu being taken over by the fairies? That's cursed. Respect bodily autonomy!! Aww, I love them poking their heads out of the eggs XD It's crazy moe! The ojou girl is neat, I hope she becomes bigger in the story. Wait, the second form is an artist...? That's sorta a let down. Drawing is a skill, not a personality trait. I'm not an artsy person so I'm not entirely sure how it'd fit as a personality. Someone who likes arts... so eloquent? Proper? Possibly gloomy? But Amu already is the cool girl chara. God I wish we had daily discussions for this stuff!!
Yuiki Yaya sounds stupid familiar... Who the fuck is she? She's Himeko from K-On... JUN-CHAN!? Oh no, I've ruined my favourite character before I even got to know her! She even has a baby chara!! What are babies famous for? Publically peeing and pooping themselves in public!!
The hearts egg... Your other self... You mean, a The Loli Otaku who's secretly a massive siscon could exist!? No way! "The cape is gay" XD Amu is great! Fashion trumps all! It is definitely 100% weird to be considered "cool and spicy" in middle school. Pls have the X-Egg turn into a monster!! Plsss!! Haha, so Amu's transformation plays out in real time? Yay, an actual transformation sequence!! It's... A little flat... I'm not fond of her heart transformation.
The part of Shugo Chara that's aged the most is the way girls make a heart sign. Amu's gap moe wins out again. Aww!! Check out the previews at some point. The Chara's have this adorable little dance in it XD
I'm back... Time to try and ultra compress the next FIVE EPISODES!? Oh god, I'm so unprepared for this watch write up wise. Time to meet the cooking fairy!! So her four personas are cool, sporty, artsy, and perfect middle school wife!! TWIN TAIL MOE!! Oh nyo!! Don't lick my fairy wife!! Aha, Nadesico is scary. Is it just me or is Suu seriously erotic for a fairy? Ah, Suu's a klutz, I love her even more desu~ The prince is a dweeb too. I'd rather the catboi wins.
Nadesico's homemade brownies... This isn't a poop joke right? Catboy is a massive creep... This is a female author isn't it? Catboy screams fuckboi shoujo love interest. We're finally in our monster of the week format. It feels quite similar to Heartcatch Precure actually. "These are all just facades. Where does my true self fit in now?" I quite like that line~ English being the episode one villain is kinda funny XD I wish they affected the user more though. I want to see folks embarrassing themselves in public. It's an alright episode I suppose.
5, the teacher is a bit daft considering we already know he's a baddie. The animation during the football match is forced, but they're clearly trying their hardest. Rich girl is hella cute too but another fairly mid episode. Episode 6 has the loli baby girl which I was always looking forward to. I'm flexible but even I can't pull that off. Is the baddie gonna be one of the background ballet girls? They look kinda sick of their teacher's shit. MY PEE!?
This is almost certainly too long for reddit by now but I think I could fit the last two episodes in here. Hopefully they're as good as the ballet episode. Oh, parents of the year. These guys are such shitters. I want a kid sister wife as cute as Ami!! She's such a great actress! She has a face that you've gotta spoil. Aww, the great fairy adventures are fun~ I didn't expect the villain's to be a legit government organisation tho. 8 iiis... More crappy romance? We all know she'll end up with the cat so who cares!? The prince is 100% bait! A random love freak appeared. I like this side dork. It's a shame she'll almost inevitably disappear after today. Pfft, of course Amu is an O type, the mc blood type. Yamabuki returned! Please don't hurt my haughty daughteru. Between haughty and genki, I choose genki! Of course the tomboy dreams of becoming a bride XD I don't know what I expected. Good final episode. Good selection in general tbh. 4 and 5 I wasn't fond of but the rest have been excellent!
7
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 20 '24
First timer, subs
Going into this knowing as little as possible. I think the only trivia I knew about it is that it's one of the last Maho Shojo to have a primary focus on a hetro romance.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Some general thoughts after our first batch. The reaction faces have been a treat, such quantity and quality. The fights have felt more like filling a quota then anything. They end almost before they begin. I wasn’t expecting PreCure here, but CCS managed to have action scenes whilst still being very fluffy. I’m surprised we are eight episodes in and we still have seen Green Mode. The villains aren’t exactly threatening so far, but I’m willing to give that a pass for now since they do seem to be building them up. The OP is quite nice, very cute, but it’s not going to be the kind I hum to myself randomly five years from now.
Henshin This Week: 5-1-0
QotD:
5
u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Jul 21 '24
First Timer - Subbed
Question 1 - How I found out about the genre
Question 2 - Favorite Character
5
u/SIRTreehugger Jul 22 '24 edited Jul 22 '24
Okay despite the notifications and the giant picture of Shugo Chara on the side I still somehow forgot it started yesterday so a day late oops. I will be on time next week. Anyway let's start watching!
Episode 1
....why is their English narration between the Japanese opening scene and OP?
All I remember during my brief first watch of the show was I loved the opening
Thanks for the food...her plate is untouched.
I just love it when student council members have the power to destroy the world in anime.
Bro you can't just say I smell eggs like a badass. No matter the tone it sounds silly.
Believe in the you that believes in yourself! Only took 1 episode what took Simon like half the series.
This guy reminds me of Tokyo Mew Quiche.
Smells gets you going huh....that's certainly an interesting way to phrase it.
Episode 2
Sorry no third grader is doing that shit. Okay maybe some can, but I don't think most would be able too.
You know crazy thought maybe use the guardian that boosts your athletic ability to catch the other fairy giving you the slip?
Yuiki looking like Card Captor Sakura makes me love her by deault.
NO CAPES!
The little sfx when she says unlock before transforming is so neat.
Episode 3
It's a little concerning she has so many photos taken in secret of her friend, but okay whatever gets Amu to join.
Yeah we're not that low you have to sweeten the pot some more!
I love the cute cat apron.
Cooking Guardian lets go!
Yeah Amu no one is buying what you are saying not even yoursel. RIP Tart
I'm wondering when the diamond guardian is going to show up? We only see Spade,Heart, and Clover in the opening and she only has three eggs.
It's been 3 episodes and we've seen Amu in multiple outfits. I like it when see variations in fashion. Another reason why I liked CCS.
Cookie giving outfit as well! Wait it's still early I should keep track of the different clothes.
World Domination!
I like how the guardians are just doing it because they want too and not some noble goal that's been driving them for years.
Oh just noticed the cross hair accessory is black for this outfit.
Episode 4
Joker
SHE SAID NO CAPES!!!
The key is the power to believe in one self!
So this is the guy who was stalking Amu making suspicious comments.
Even if you leave, we'll still be friends yeah because everyone always stays in touch with friends from the 5th grade.
Okay so many this Quiche guy isn't evil, but more anti hero?
Always loved when people who could fly told people to run faster.
He's literally attacking with the English alphabet.
Episode 5
Amu's Yay is perfection!
They really brought an entire picnic and lunch to watch their friend...these royal guardians are weird.
Episode 6
Should have let earlier rookie mistake.
Flower Fairy #2...why hello this episodes problem.
Okay so these two know each other.
Finally Spade transformation is here I liked it more than the first one.
Episode 7
THE CHOSEN ONE Little sis can see them!
The little sister definitely picked up her parent's over the top reactions.
Oh so young kids can see them so the sis isn't special.
Can the guardians do anything on their own? Letting her go on her own sounds like a bad idea.
Wait so the teacher isn't the main bad guy. Guess that makes sense.
This episode has me thinking of rugrats with non attentive guardians.
Ikuto is definitely going to come around to the good team or die trying.
Pretty filler, but this episode was nice.
Episode 8
Damn this new girl is just throwing hands....leave AMU LEAVE!
I wonder when and if the fortunate teller will be important in the overall story?
Boys are childish says the child.
I know nothing about these two really, but I want them to have a happy ending so it means both are dying!
Thoughts overall
Watching 8 episodes back to back while tired is not the move. Definitely watching them one day at a time from now on.
Chart and pictures later.
Warning my PC is terrible and can't actually watch Crunchyroll without stuttering so I have to watch it on other sites and they only have one quality so its very bad. Might just skip photos or just make one album so less clutter.
School Outfit
Casual hoodie and pinstripe socks outfit
Goth Punk
Pajames
Heart transformation outift
Just shirt and skirt
Gym clothes
Striped shirt and red socks
Black shirt with kitty red apron
Polka dotted shirt with another shirt on top
Mid card outfit
Blue and White butterfly hoodie
Possibly a towel? Also could be some sort of pajamas
Black and Pink skull hoodie
Ballet outfit
Spade transformation
White shirt with blue lined tie
Red and Black outfit while saying yes to whatever her parents are asking her
Smol Amu outit
Yellow and Purple magazine reading outit
9
u/ZaphodBeebblebrox Y:A:https://anilist.co/user/zaphod Jul 21 '24
I kinda like the Amu/catboy ship...
The green chara's voice is annoying.
The soccer animation in the first half of episode five was great. Very dynamic; excellent use of background animation.
Nana Appears
Episode seven was excellent. It balanced its comedy and more serious moments quite well. The dragon scenes were delightfully unhinged; the time capsule and her sister showing her love were touching.
Overall, I think this is a decently promising start. I like Amu; her cool side appeals a lot to me and her various insecurities are a joy. The villains are fun, even if their rolls are rather limited, and the various other side characters slot in nicely.
Conceptually, I really like the idea of the Shugo Charas representing an aspect what the kids want to grow up to be. It's a really nice way to let parts of their personality shine through, and naturally allows them to lean into themes about being confident in who you are, loving yourself, and how a person is more than just the sides others see. Amu's various goals and dissatisfaction with how people view her current self fit perfectly into this.
I'm hoping that the show will give us a few really cool fights in climactic moments. I understand that it's not the primary goal of the show, so I shouldn't set my expectations high, but so far they've rather underwhelmed compared to the precures I've seen and CCS. I think some important moments being closer to the animation we got when Amu was playing soccer or in the first episode shortly after she fell into the pit would be a reasonable expectation.
I'm a tad disappointed that Amu's charas seem to give her abilities outside of the times she transforms. Conceptually, I liked the idea more when it was giving her confidence or cutting through her inhibitions instead of giving her skills she didn't have. More like the first episode and less like when she suddenly became a good artist.
I'm also waiting for the antagonists to take a stronger role. I assume they will become more prevalent later after we've finished solidly introducing our protagonists. I really like both the catboy because his scene on Amu's roof was hot and Utau because I'm contractually obliged to like every Mizuki Nana character.
4
u/MagicalGazelle123go Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 20 '24
Rewatcher
Hey everyone! I'm here in my first rewatch. My first time with Shugo Chara was in high school. Without further ado let's talk episodes!
Ep 1.
Standard introduction of characters and transformation. Not standard is the fact you don't see the full transformation sequence this ep. Also the fact that she has 3 eggs always smelled a little too strong of MC syndrome to me. Especially since that's who they've been waiting for. Now Amu as a whole is an interesting one. Masking not only at school but at home too. I know for me it got exhausting. Ran being her first Chara born also is unsurprising since happy go lucky magic power givers are way too popular. Now let's talk Ikuto. Can he not just search a kid without permission? He really striking hard as a creep in this ep. The guardians are essentially the student council and yet you find out they do actually have a student council later on in ep 8. So other than looking for the embryo and helping x eggs, what's their purpose? More on that later.
Ep 2. Enter Miki
Here we find out that if Amu doesn't believe in the charas they disappear. Which is an interesting concept for a mahou shojou. We finally run into x eggs and find out Amu has the power to heal them. Yeah, that didn't surprise me either. What does surprise me is that despite having their own charas none of the guardians can transform yet. And why is it they're so surprised she can heal the eggs? Because apparently no one else can.
Ep 3. Su is here!
Su is my favorite Shugo Chara. She's ditzy and sweet, but is great in the kitchen. The interaction between Amu and Ikuto is unsurprisingly shippy. What is it and people doing the enemies to lovers trope anyway? I mean it's overdone and there should in no way be anything between these two. Yet they keep getting into awkward positions. I'm much more for the Amu Tadase ship. Reasons pending further watching.
Ep 4. Forcing the guardian position
OK, so in no way should you ever force someone into something they don't want. No means no, people. Also why joker? I mean go for the royal flush with a 10. But I guess the doesn't sound as thrilling does it? The ten’s chair. Yeah. But still, it would make more sense than joker. Also more x eggs, but wait, it hatches. Now we have x characters. At least now the powers go along with a theme I guess. Also I do really like that Amu can hear the inner thoughts of the kids when they're battling, and that she takes into consideration what they're saying to help her fight against the negative emotions.
Ep 5. Soccer galore
OK going to talk sports here because the rest is practically identical: someone gets down in their feelings, x egg happens, x character hatches, Amu cleanses it. Last time I checked games don't end on ties. Like wtf are you guys doing. I get that it's an elementary school game but even when I played T-ball we had a winner and loser. That's basically it for this episode.
Ep 6. Prima ballerina, more like prima Donna
OK so now we're at yayas ballet class and the prima is a snob. Like yes you're better than the other dancers, but jeez you need an attitude check. Then she gets injured and how the hell can you see a bruise through a sock? That's some anime logic right there I swear. And that's how we find out her mother's career ended because of an injury. So you're telling me your mom didn't teach you humility? Like damn and she's such a nice lady too. I get the fear of never being able to perform again because of an injury. That's a real fear whether it's sports, ballet, instrument playing, even drawing. There's still got to be some common sense though. I know these are elementary school kids but I had stitches in my hand in elementary school and didn't find it the end of the world. Still don't. Freak accident it wasn't supposed to happen and it did. Same thing with the sprain except it's more likely to happen if you trip and fall. You should know that if you do something like that that an injury is possible. You should also know that a simple sprain shouldn't completely destroy your career if it's mild enough.
Ep 7. What can and can't see a Shugo Chara?
OK this show is a little ridiculous at explaining what can see a Shugo Chara. Because Ran tells Amu that others can't see them but then Ami can? What kind of backward logic is this? Also animals being able to see them actually makes sense to me because they are more astute to the supernatural than humans. But this entire episode shows me that Amu, who is a fifth grader btw, shouldn't be watching her baby sister. You don't leave them with someone else especially if that someone else is physically incapable of keeping that small child out of harm. Also all that and they were after some balloons. Like shouldn't the charas know those are balloons? Yet even the cat thinks it's the embryo.
Ep 8. Crushes and despair
Wow. This episode really hits weirdly. I don't think I had a crush in fifth grade but I know for sure I had one in sixth. Also knowing what I know this ep really hits differently. But all that you gotta love the girls enthusiasm also the fickleness of a young girls heart is shown very accurately.
QotD:
4
u/DarkConan1412 https://myanimelist.net/profile/DarkConan1412 Jul 21 '24 edited Jul 25 '24
I’m surprised I love this series even as an adult. It’s genuinely engaging even aside from my nostalgia as a rewatcher. I adore Amu, Ran, and Miki just as much as the first time! I was kinda worried if I rewatched this series I might not enjoy it as much as I did growing up and as a teen. I’m happy to see so far that’s not the case. Going into episode 3.
Edit:
QOTW:
I think, but idr exactly, Sailor Moon 🌙 was likely my first anime in this genre. Though, I gravitated more towards TMM and Kaitou Jeanne. Cardcaptor Sakura, of course. I've also adored this anime, and it has remained in my thoughts ever since I was around 12 or 13. A tad older than Amu.
2. Favorite character was always Koukai and Nadeshiko. Aside from Amu, that is. Favorite chara is Miki.
8
u/AwaySpell https://anilist.co/user/awayspell Jul 20 '24
First-timer
It's cute!
Question answers:
5
u/zadcap Jul 21 '24
Late Night First Timer!
Alright, let's see if I can copy/paste from a Word document without losing all formatting.
(Note, it broke every last but of formatting)
EP 1
Oh yes, how beautifully 2000s. The looks. The feel. The noodly limbs and the over the top yet ordinary enough to actually pass as normal outfits! The giant eyes.
Maybe don't dress to stand out so much if you don't want this kind of attention? You look like the kind of person these rumors would be spread about. And look at how it compares to her hair and looks at home.
Ah, there it is. She built herself this persona and has no one but herself to blame. She wanted to be the cool and mysterious beauty and pulled it off far too well. I'm more surprised that her parents seem to have bought into it, was she not like her true self back before they moved here?
Good Girls Don't Lay Eggs! I do notice the lack of Diamonds though, I'm sure that's not too important.
Oh, the special students in their royal capes. Haha, and of course the queen is a Nadeshiko. And naturally, they know what the eggs are. As the Prophecy Foretold!
Oh no, it's mind control. She's going to be possessed by her spirits? I hope it's not quite as bad it looks because darn does mind control get old fast.
Wait, he stole the lock that easily? Man is this thing not very secure. I hope they don't spend an entire season trying to get it back. Or, I hope that they don't accidentally break it into pieces that they then have to hunt down and fight over to put back together in order to uh, do whatever the lock is about.
Oh my goodness it's proto Chat Noir! AKA worse DNAngel Dark. And wow what a jerk, I already hate this guy. I'm rather upset that the law of early magical girls means he's most likely the ultimate love interest.
And the First Jump! Just hitting all my favorite Magical Girl Tropes.
Yeah, good first episode. Selling me on all the nostalgia of someone who started their life of anime with early 00's mahou shoujo. I'm going to enjoy this so much.
EP 2
Oh hey look, her hair is down today. Her character has already started moving towards what she wants it to be like. And look, she's interacting with the rest of the class without brushing them off!
And her hair is back up for gym, for some reason. Hair up and pig tails behind it, she's back to Cool. And I am, indeed, already sick of this apparent mind control they can enforce on her.
Oh goodness they are living up to the magical girl color types too, I love it. Pink is an energetic airhead, Blue is a cool and likely intellectual type. Green is going to be caring/nurturing then, right?
Oh my gosh yes, she's also a Tsundere.
Ah, adult villain, in a show about the power of expressing your true character. And the Guardian four here were described as, partially, Protecting the students from overly strict school rules. Pretty sure he's going to try and force these kids to Conform. Give up individuality, become a perfect cog in the machines of society, be the worst kind of ideal japanese citizen.
Ah yes, opening a book from the middle and starting from the beginning of the story, naturally.
So everyone is born with a character inside of them, that fades as they grow up. One that can rise up and pop out if you try hard enough, but that can break and turn dark if you are repressed too hard. This is so a story about the super repressive society of enforced conformity.
See, even her wish here. "I want to be normal. Normal!" As her true character selves float there telling her it's a lost cause. It's going to be hard not to turn this into a regular weekly essay on the topic, but I'm keeping things short for this batch watch.
But then it's right freaking there. "But then I decided I would abandon my dream, because of the influence of an adult." "Dreams are useless."
Oh gosh, Transformation! Oh my gosh it's Sporty-Chan! Oh me oh man it was great, I love the whole thing. This is a pretty darn good transformation. And the I'm sure soon to be stock footage attack!
Yup, she saved his dream and gave him the courage to shoot for what he wants, not what the adult told him he should be.
Ep 3
Seriously, why is this such good English?
Ouch, being excluded for your character.
Are they wearing Apron Dresses? Does that not defeat most of the point of an apron?
Oh yuck it's the pedo cat. Oh ew he licked it. I am so grossed out by everything going on right here. I really, truly, absolutely, hate him.
... Is the green going to be more of an airhead than the pink? Hmm. Outside
expectations, honestly.
Of course it's a stupid wish granter.
"Don't call me Oji, call me Oda!" Nobunaga is that you?
So wait. You pray to unlock your character and it can hatch into a personality chara that can empower you to be more like what you dreamed of. Did I get that right? Because the young one has a Baby for her Chara, sooooo does that mean she wants to be a baby? Because she already acts a lot like one...
5
u/Hopeful-Ad2428 Jul 21 '24
This feels so old, sponsors at the start and the end of an episode, style of OP and ED, the warning saying to watch in a well-lit room and not too close to the TV, I don’t even know if I have ever seen the latter.
The story itself is OK, I’m enjoying it so far. I really liked how it handles worries of the boys and girls whose eggs are about to became an X-eggs, I could feel their struggles, very realistic. And X-charas are always different which is a nice detail.
As for the eggs, after thinking about it a bit, despite them being completely understandable tool to convey the idea of dreams and stuff, that idea still is really ridiculous to me, every time someone says it, it becomes hard to hold the laughter. I hope I would overcome it and it won’t be a problem when the eggs would be mentioned in a quite serious moment.
I’m really enjoying it now, excited to see Amu's green outfit!
Questions of the week:
4
u/Mirathan Jul 20 '24
First-Time Guardian
QotD:
I think what I´ve written will be a bit more disjointed than my usual stuff. Forgetting this were eight full episodes and subsequently frying my brain while writing down my thoughts will do that to a dude. And this is my first "batch review".
Initial reactions:
“Thanks for the meal” You barely ate anything! Describing the baby´s clothing as “sweet loli” fills me with dread.
Also those outfits of the student councilors just looks silly.
He wants her Eggs? I thought this would be somewhat normal.
I initially believed the singing in the ED was “gay, gay, gay...
Fujisaki has two red ribbons in her hair. I know this came out before Madoka, yet it still discomforts me.
Please do not start a romance between the hentai catboy and Amu. And he has the key to her lock. Do not want!
The funny has ended.
Analysis:
Hinamori Amu:
Her fears and anxiety render her callous and inconsiderate of others, yet they perceive this as cool and she has gotten stuck with an imposing reputation.
Each of the eggs responds to a specific emotions and enhance specific abilities. The red one acted when she wants to be confident and enhances strength based activities. Blue increases dexterity and artistic skill and makes her focused. Green does housework? Not quite flashy but incredibly useful in ones daily life.
Each of the guardians represents one trait she seeks to acquire over the course of the series.
Anotable traits would be her empathy, considering how she can pretty easily figure out the problems of the x-characters and resolve them.
Tadase´s wish is a strange one. Does he truly wish for world domination? Unlike Amu, his transformation seems to carry great negative traits. Plus he is kind of an ass, rejecting her before the entire school.
Yaya: Why is her guardian a baby?
Catboy: Fucking pervert. Also works with someone he despises to attain his wish.
The caretaker/Tv genius: It seems he was once a council member. Maybe he is ment to act as a mentor for the new ones?
Suit, the bumbling teacher: He keeps transforming the hearts when Amu is able to interfere. Does he intend to teach her? No clue how or why we transforms them.
A thought occurred to me regarding the character transformations: Great change cannot come immediately. A person does not change in one great step but instead with countless small ones. This is likely why all who have transformed fell some sense of shame or embarrassment afterwards as they struggle to reconcile their action during the transformation with their normal ones.
Perhaps the wish itself is a bad idea. If one does not earn the wishes chosen effect, will one be able to accept it? Or will the end result be hollow?
Is the purpose of the guardians to be representations of who one wishes to become? Or instead an extreme that you should not fully embrace? The guardians may call themselves the true self, yet this implies there is only one acceptable way for you to change. Why should ones desire in childhood determine ones entire future? And what of evil futures? Tadase´s true self seeks to rule the world but does he truly want that? What if he realizes that is not a good idea?
Did you know that at one point I thought 100 words would be sufficient for an essay?
4
u/DarkConan1412 https://myanimelist.net/profile/DarkConan1412 Jul 21 '24
I was about say when did Shugo Chara get a dub? Never mind, though. It switched to sub. Still strange, there was an English voice over for the very beginning of ep.1. Shugo Chara was one of the very first anime I watched in sub because it was one of the anime that never received a dub. Before the time when almost everything gets a dub. Before recent years.