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.

Shugo Chara Love: Amuto

Just by watching the first episode of Shugo Chara, I knew that this ship would eventually happen. I mean, the whole anime is pretty Sailor Moon-esque. Amu is Sailor Moon and Ikuto is Tuxedo Mask. It even has the phedophile thing goin on too. But, I sadly admit that I am a total fan of this relationship. I mean, Ikuto is a sexy beast! Compared Tadase (who could easily be mistaken for a girl), he just seems right for Amu. He's more real, he's more mature, and his story is so touching, that there's no way he couldn't be with her. Everyone roots for the underdog, right? Not only that, he's the "I don't want to hurt others so I isolate and emotionally harm myself for their benefit" type. My past anime experiences have told me that the guys like this always get the girl.

Think this is a perverted kiss on the lips? Nope! That was a kiss on the cheek!

However, aside from anime protocall, I just think he's right for her. Compared to Tadase, I believe that he truly loves her. From the beginning he saw past her outer characters to the true Amu, whereas Tadase was first in love with Amulet Heart. Ikuto's feelings were pure. He wasn't being superficial (Amu is 5 years younger than him), and always set his boundaries when it came to their love. In the manga, he says that he loves her, and that he would wait until she was older. The fact that a 17 year old, hormone-crazy kid would wait for a 12 year old to grow up speaks wonders to me. Though he did do some pretty sexual things to her, he never actually did anything overly perverted. Every kiss he gave her was in places other than the lips. I think he did this to preserve the innocence in her that he loves so much. He knows that she still needs to grow up and experience those things when she's ready, and he's willing to wait for that time to come. In the Shugo Chara! Encore! manga, Amu finally admits that she loved Tadase for his outer character, but loved Ikuto for who he really was.