♣ Day 4 - Anime You're Ashamed That You Enjoyed ♣
Shugo Chara is probably the anime that I'm most ashamed of enjoying. It's aimed for little girls and yet I still really like it?!
Shugo Chara is full of sparkles, pretty magic transformations, and cheesy plot lines that just makes you want to cry. I was sort of sucked into it as I kept clicking "next" on Crunchyroll. I have no idea why.
It's about middle school Amu Hinamori. She's the most popular girl in her school and is idolized by all her classmates, because of her "cool" personality. But secretly, she's not actually like that - instead, she puts up a facade because she's awkward, nervous, cynical, and doesn't know how to make friends. She desperately wants to be herself again, and on the TV she sees a broadcast about "guardian angels" who protect you and help you show your true self.
She wishes for one of these guardian angels - and poof, next day, she gets three eggs in her bed and a chara pops out!
The series is so unbeliably cutesy and cheesy, with typical anime plotlines and pink, bright transformations but for some reason I really like it. The series, despite all this cutesy-ness, is actually really good. Well animated (honestly, the way Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara draw the eyes in the manga is amazing. They're so realistic and pretty!) and beautiful, the anime actually has a lot of relatable characters who develop over time. Although aimed for kids, a lot of adults and teens can relate to this: peer pressure, absent parents, hopelessness. Amu doesn't know what she wants to be, and her three charas reflect that - after all, many people with guardian characters only have one, while she has three and a mysterious amulet.
Though extensive, I somehow fell in love with it. It also has a recurring theme: be yourself. That's what Amu is struggling to do, and though a flawed heroine, she is a lovable one. She can panic at times, and struggles with decisions she sometimes can't make herself, not just choosing between Tadase or Ikuto. But when faced with emotional problems, she's empathetic and gives the best advice, turning villains into good heroes.
There's literally so much to go over . . . a lot of mysteries arise, like the X Eggs and the different arcs. All of them are simply amazing and let me stress again: cheesy as hell. It's embarassing to watch sometimes, lol, but I can't help but love it.
Shugo Chara is definitely underrated, and it's more than just an adorable anime for little girls to watch. It teaches morals like loyalty to the family, how to not lie to yourself, dealing with lost dreams. It can get dark at times, like with Nikaidou losing his egg and turning bad to crush kid's dreams.
Ahh, I'm blushing right now. Only a few of my fellow anime-loving friends know I enjoy this anime >//<
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✧ 30 Day Anime Challenge ✧
RandomNOTE: I wrote this when I was really young so prepare yourself for cringiness, cheesiness, unironic use of Japanese emojis, and god awful writing and preteen fangirling. Read at your own discretion. a little 30 day challenge for them animes.
