Shugo Chara!

Shugo Chara is a pretty simple story, with a not too complicated storyline. There are a few twists and turns in the story, but for the most part it's pretty straight forward. I have no idea why I got so addicted to this anime (maybe it's Ikuto's fault). It may look childish, but it introduced me to the world of anime, so i consider it one of my favorites!

It initially started off as a manga and later was adapted to an anime. It's in the magical girl genre (think Sailor Moon/transforming super girls), shoujo, and romance. The story is about a girl, Hinamori Amu, who is known for her "cool and spicy" manner. However, deep down inside, that isn't who she is. For fear of not being accepted as who she really is, she continues to play into that role. One day, she wishes to be brave and strong, and to be able to "be her would be self." The next day she wakes up to see that she had given birth to three heart eggs/Shugo Charas (guardian characters) named Ran: a sporty/outgoing girl, Miki: good at art, who's smart and shy, and Su: good at cooking, with a very warm personality (much like a mother). She then joins her school's "Gaurdians", a group with other Shugo Chara bearers, being admitted as the Joker. She and the club go on a mission to find the "embryo", facing X-eggs (which Amu can purify), and an evil group called Easter. With the help of the Dumpty Lock she can transform into Amulet Heart, Amulet Spade, and Amulet Clover.
This anime is very childish, very simple, yet very very cute. At times the filler episodes got annoying, but when there was finally plot development it'd get hooked all over again. The character development was done very well, and we saw how Amu and all the others matured through the story. Amu-chan is such a relatable character, and her journey to find her would be self sent me into flashbacks of my younger days. The message in the anime made me feel a better about my insecurities. It helped me realize that it's ok not knowing what I want to be. *begin sparkly* You are who you are, and everyday you grow as a person and get one step closer to finding out your true self *end sparkle*. Oh and there's tons of sparkly moments too ;) Plus, this anime may have one of the best love triangles ever.

Go to crunchyroll.com to watch the first episode. There are 3 seasons: "Shugo Chara!" "Shugo Chara! Doki Doki!" and "Shugo Chara! Party!" The two first seasons follow the manga. I don't reccomend watching the last season. It ruined the true ending. I watched the anime first, then started at chapter 42 of the manga. Then I read "Shugo Chara! Encore!" which was the end of the series.