Summary of this post: ep 01 = new series, =/= Shugo Chara! continuity

Well it kinda (really) sucks. Though at least after watching it I understand why they made all the random add-ins and stuff. Even the regular part of the show (Dokki Doki) wasn’t exactly the Shugo Chara! we’re used to. As anyone will tell you, it only lasted about ten minutes. But I noticed right away that otherwise it wasn’t what I expected from Satelight.

There are weird spots of animation, but overall it’s a very well animated show. Especially for a shoujo anime. Especially for a shoujo anime aimed at younger girls. But that’s really no longer the case.

First is the boring reasonable part that fangirls may very well want to throw crap at me for. That’s the section that contains most of my, “Okay I get why it’s so crappy and even if it’s crappy I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world” stuff which is totally unnecessary to say, except in this fandom apparently where fangirls will think it’s the end of the world.

The second part would be my reasoning for why I don’t really care (the life has been sucked out of me by fangirls?). Or something. I don’t know. I’m bored with this fandom. Shugo Chara! fandom has tired me out so much that I’m excited to go skipping back to the InuYasha fandom with the new series (looked forward to that post so much more than this one). Do you realize how messed up that is? No, most of you are too young. You weren’t there for most of it. But it is messed up.

I could go on and point out all of the bad stuff in the show in some really sarcastic way, but…come on. Everyone knows what’s wrong. So that feels rather pointless. On the other hand, an almost majority acts like it’s the end of the world, so it’s better to address that (spoiler alert…the world is still kicking).

(Though speaking of things that haven’t been addressed…how come no one seems to mention that stuper cutely awesome Kanae Ito song I heard during chara introductions. Was that just a dream after all?)

Basically, this is the last time I’ll say how horrible the fandom is and just carry on like most of it doesn’t exist from this point on. This also marks the beginning of comment-locking and deleting all idiotic things. Yay~

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The Reasoning (not excuses)

As I was watching it, I kind of started to understand where things stood. I’d say there are two things that are causing the overall decline in addition to the “totally caught up to the manga” downside. Catching up to the manga should have just lead to fillers.

I believe Satelight reached a shortage of funds and time. Party! was announced with a lot less time left than Doki. Satelight also has a few other projects going on right now too, so they may even have a third add-in of a shortage in staff.

See, right away the new “opening” for party was just a music video (though a cute one since I have a certain fondness for Guardians 4). The ending was the same (except even better because Buono! <3). Then the opening for “Dokki Doki” was…well in the style of your classic MAD (meaning no new clips!). Except I’ve seen plenty MADs that were done way better. Then the actual episode started and things were kind of clunky. There was a scene where Amu’s body kind of slid instead of moving like it should. Even some awkward art was in there. As an upgrade transformation sequence (as is mandatory with a new season of mahou shoujo) all they did was add in some frame stuff…

Ooo. New graphics blocking the image makes it so special.

It got better as the episode went on (until action stuff like running popped up). But I distinctly remember seeing Tadase with a few stupid blank expressions. He was already susceptible to that stuff before due to the nature of his character (polite shouta) so it was even worse here. But obviously to get the animation anywhere we’re used to, right now they can only do so much of an episode and really have to use filler otherwise. In its truest sense because the other parts of the show aren’t even part of the show. It absolutely adds nothing to the plot. True filler.

Of course, then the episode also had that feeling of introductions. I’m not sure who is watching Party! without watching the other series, but they want to give new fans a chance…so whatever. But I do remember that Doki started off with two recap episodes. So perhaps the extra segments are just prolonged right now for the same reason? (I wouldn’t keep my hopes up for that though) People complain about the random character introductions, but it’s no different for when they did an actual recap (two of them) for Doki. Just…in a lamer way.

Another thing I’d like to point out to fans is that ten minutes per episode isn’t totally unheard of even if that’s what it stays at beyond this introduction episode. Princess Tutu’s second half aired with each episode cut in half. Not that I’d compare this to Princess Tutu (oh god no), but I’m just saying. They could still carry on plot points…though I doubt they’ll do much of that. Like I explain below, the plot of this season seems very clearly “light”.

My most optimistic guess is that they’ll carry on like this for 26 episodes and then go back to the way things were when they have sigh of the complete ending of the series. Slowly cutting down the live action and other portions of the show until it’s pretty much just Dokki Doki.

Basically, with absolutely no reference to the important events in the last episode it feels like this is just a sort of side story for Shugo Chara. A spin-off if you will. And if I consider it in that way it’s not that bad.

You really have to consider it that way because the plot for this “season” is pretty weak. After I saw the promo image…

And heard the summaries for upcoming episodes I’m basically thought, “wtf. Shugo Chara babysitter’s club.” Because everything seems to revolve around this new character Rikka and Hikaru. Who are both quite young.

All this in mind (weak plot, fillers) the ten minute run time is definitely the best thing to come out of Shugo Chara!, especially considering its past track record with fillers (oh god there actually might not even be time for different filler characters to pop up). And since those of us outside of Japan get our anime on the internet through video files or streams, we can skip through all of the stuff about Party! we don’t like. It’s awesome.

Really though it feels “young” because they’re not trying to reach the old audience right now. Even Pucchi Puchi (which I was looking forward to somewhat because I thought it would resemble the 4koma) goes as far as feeling like a show for preschoolers.

Which reminds me, Dokki Doki is the only traditionally animated segment of the show. Pucchi Puchi is 3D computer stuff going on. Though because of the style it still looks cute enough…I guess.

Anyway, I’m not particularly angry because I was figuring on it being something like this and there is the chance of it getting better. In any case, I’d prefer this random spin-off/side story to a whole lame filler arc that messes with the plot. Overall the idea isn’t that bad. Basically training two new Guardians since three of the gang will be graduating soon. There’s a basis for it unlike when they tossed in Lulu last season.

As far as side stories go (I’m seriously not calling this a filler arc because I don’t think it even qualifies for that), they could do worse. At the very least what I can take from this is that I kind of like Rikka (especially in comparison to Lulu). She’s…cute. Since she’s in a ten minute episode her obvious character faults are kind of easier to let go. And even if it’s just 10 minutes an episode (or perhaps because?), I’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of her (and Hikaru) than I ever did from Lulu. Plus her little storyline, getting along with X-eggs I think isn’t a horrible idea. Best of all, it’s x-eggs. Not something randomly new.

She does fit “Mary-Sue” quite nicely. Girl could be straight out of a younger fan’s fanfiction. But at least she’s cute.

But yeah, since she’s not even trying to be a bad guy, there really isn’t much to expect from plot from this season. Like I said, it’s just time-consuming filler wrapped around a side story to me.

Downgrade in animation means less wind then we’re used to.
…Which is good for Amu’s skirt.

Of course all of that just comes out to the same thing as last time this happened. Why aren’t they taking a break before airing new stuff? Because the series would die that way. If it’s not a real story-driven series (and Shugo Chara! is not) and especially if it’s aimed at a younger audience (no matter what some people think it still runs in Nakayoshi) then taking a break would allow people to forget about it and it wouldn’t make a comeback. That is why it’s so childish because the younger fans are the ones that will forget faster. They can just make it up to the rest of you later because you won’t forget.

Anyway, I’m still watching but my recommendation is not to watch.

Also, since I mentioned the manga, I fear someone else will mention it as well. Please don’t. I don’t think it deserves to be written off the way it has. Right now from what we know it feels like one of those arcs that sucks as it goes along because there aren’t big developments along the way. It also just feels worse since the “enemy” is now gone. But if you think about it, the first chapter of Shugo Chara! had nothing to do with Easter and in the manga Amu’s first transformation didn’t happen until the end of the first volume. It really was about her finding her true self in the beginning. So with that in mind I want to step back and at least give Shugo Chara! the chance to get back to its roots.

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Off-Topic Stuff (explanation of my views?)

This section features Rima-tan. Just because.

Ah…who would have thought that right after Simplicity reopens my first post would be one like this? Seeing the other side of things even if I also think that it’s pretty crappy. How dare I be so open-minded! I should have left it off, “Well, it sucked.” and moved on. But right away I knew what sort of comments that would prompt. Ones that just agree and then go on and rant for hours. (btw, after this those comments will be deleted)

Now I also admit to being conflicted. I do like Satelight as a company. I poke at them but of course I think people need to realize that when I say “Satelight” I usually don’t mean the company as a whole. It’s the specific people working on that episode. When I say Gonzo I mean the company as a whole. Same goes for KyoAni (btw, if Angel Beats! goes well I’m abandoning those guys for PA Works. Easily.)

My main motivation comes from my usual annoyance though. People getting up in arms over Shugo Chara! and then staying all angry. It makes me calm down a lot faster because I’m like, “Okay it’s bad, but it’s not worth getting my panties all in a bunch.” Especially at a time like this, with a new season starting up, it comes down to me wondering why people can’t just move onto some other differentseries? My secret motive in opening a blog and always trying so hard to blog series other than Shugo Chara! (anything else sometimes!) was to hope the fans would get interested in something else.

The point is, you don’t have to watch it. I know people hate hearing that, because they can watch whatever they want. But a lot of you are watching it because it’s Shugo Chara! and you like that series. But I’m telling you it’s Shugo Chara! in name only because the plot just isn’t there right now. They even presented it as something like a restart. It’s just not the same thing you’re used to. The whole feeling is different.

You can keep watching or you can just drop it, but either way I’m telling you guys that you’re just going to have to let the old Shugo Chara! go because even the manga isn’t continuing in the same way. So crank yourselves out to your heart’s content, but it’s not going to change anything.

“Loli better keep her hands off of my trap!”

As for me? I’m rather detached from the series right now and only briefly get back whenever I get some shipping going (teeny-tiny Rimahiko moment this episode, by Nagi telling Rima to calm down lol). So I’m not angry or too disappointed, but I’m not happy or enjoying it too much anyway. I’m just completely…flat. I base this on not liking Party, but not wanting Doki’s epilogue to be the last thing we see of the anime. -_- (epilogue really irked me for various reasons)

I’m also going to keep watching because it’s part of my routine.

Especially because I blogged it so long and made it part of my routine, I’d feel off without it (that’s why I blogged it for so long). So I want to let people know if (when?) something worth seeing happens. And secretly when it’s crappy and they make us really wait for it, the good moments are that much better and I love blogging then. Evil bastards. (like I said, the older fans won’t forget…)

In: Shugo Chara! | tags: as expected, DON'T do this, fanbrats, lolwut, meh, sentimental. | #