Customer Reviews

Sugar Sugar Rune 1

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I personally love this manga, and I don't think that it tells girls to be quiet and demure to get boys. Yes, initially the shy and delicate girl gets all of the boys. But she's not the heroine of the story, and if you read more than a few chapters you see that she's much more likeable. Unlike her manipulative, paassive-agressive friend Vanilla, Chocolat is brave and loyal. Yes, she has trouble in Japan because that's not what they expect in girls, but over time she starts to become more popular. Since Moyoco Anno is known for her satire I wonder if perhaps making the outspoken girl the heroine is a way of criticizing society's ideals that say women should be meek and cute.

A lot of people seem to look at this and immediately write it off as a drippy romance with sparkles and flowers. It is about romance, but there's so much more. Yes they're having a competition to steal hearts, and maybe it does sound vaguely like a wierd cross between Pokemon and Sailor Moon, but at the heart of it all Sugar Sugar Rune is about love, friendship, loyalty, and discovering one's own place in the world. From Chocolat's quest to learn about her mother to Vanilla's self-identity crisis, each character has a problem they need to work past and Moyoco Anno handles their problems with humor and sympathy. Maybe I'm being too serious about this comic, but it just pains me to see people write off a great manga series just because they can't get past the surface.

At first sight, SUGAR SUGAR RUNE looks like nothing more than its title implies: a collection of the lightest, fluffiest, most nauseatingly saccharine clichés in the shoujo manga genre, prettily presented in artwork featuring the usual huge eyes and floating stars and sparkles. Two young "magical girls" (witches, in this case), one sweet and passive, the other tough and forthright? Check. Friends, but competing against each other to become queen of the magic world? Check. Oh, and the contest involves - literally - capturing the hearts of young human boys, so cue sentimental mushiness and romantic misunderstandings: what else did you expect? However, when the author/artist concerned is Moyoco Anno, who also created the satirical sex comedy HAPPY MANIA, it's worthwhile taking a closer look.

To begin with, it does seem as if Anno's simply reinforcing some of the most traditional Japanese stereotypes about the proper behaviour for young girls: quiet, shy Vanilla has no difficulty capturing hearts at their new human school, while Chocolat's aggressive bluntness scares both girls and boys. As the story unfolds, however (and with the help of some wise advice from Vanilla's mother, the reigning queen) they realise that they have to both stay true to themselves and to change: Chocolat needs to become more sensitive to others, Vanilla has to grow a spine. They begin to question the terms of the contest, too: what good is a boy's heart glowing with love if he loses all feeling for you the moment a spell has captured it? In any case, what kind of world demands that its inhabitants take others' hearts, but never surrender their own? Behind all the pink-sugar-candy flourishes and jokes about the Magical Artifacts Mail-Order Catalogue, Anno seems to be setting up something with rather more substance than usual for the pre- to early-teen crowd. Meantime, thanks to Del Rey's usual impeccable presentation and generally smooth translation, the rest of us can enjoy an agreeable diversion as well.

I love this manga so much. It gives girls the power they diserve. This time WE get to break mens' hearts.

I don't care what you others say, you are just being sexist.

The lovely artwork is well done, as most of you can see. And the main story is perfect; just enough details, just enough exitement.

This manga reminds me so much of Sailor Moon, so that's another reason why I like it.

I love the way she makes every-single character have a personality and side of the story. The book is almost flawless, so I don't know what you picky people were reading, but it was NOT Sugar Sugar Rune.

If you are against Witch Craft, Magic, or cuteness, then don't buy the book!

This story is a must-read!! Really fun fantasy, comedy, with light drama. Different from the anime series, too. Best friends and witches Vanilla and Chocolat from the magical world find out that they'll be competing against each other to become the next queen! It's exciting and scary at the same time! Chocolat thinks that this'll be a piece of cake, but she finds out things are not the same in the human world like they are back home. Culture shock! Vanilla catches a break because things turn out to be a bit less frightening, but she still finds herself relying on Chocolat like she has since they were kids. There are more details than the anime and different aspects of the story are told differently, but it's just as enjoyable. If you watched the anime, sure there are pink, orange, black, and "pissu" -colored hearts, but don't you want to know about purple and green hearts, too?? Don't you want to know more about Chocolat's mom's diary? About who Pierre really is? I thought so! Have fun reading. I sure am!

I think that most of the reviewers here were a bit too harsh when reviewing this manga. This is not a classic, ground breaking series, people! It's a series for little girls about little girls! Don't come to Sugar Sugar Rune expecting to see deep, profound messages on the meaning of life, death or love...come expecting a cute, sweet series about little girls. And another thing; Chocolat-chan is totally loud and obnoxious, yes. Thus, she does scare the other students a bit. I mean, how would you react if someone came up to you and said "if you're not nice to me, I'll whoop your butt?" Chocolat-chan doesn't change, even though she's unpopular. I think that's the message, not "loud girls aren't cute."

Reason enough to buy this series is Anno-sama's fashion concious, gorgeous, detailed art. But if you're expecting CLAMPish messages of the Chobits variety or Ghost in the Shell type seriousness, go elsewhere.

the whole concept is well written. the adventures they have in this book are breathetaking and very fun at times. they can make you laugh, and most of all make you want the next one. this book is good for any ages.

Keep in mind that this series is aimed at younger girls, this is a magical girl series and as a result everything is probably a bit more wholesome and straightforward than in shoujo. I LOVED Sailor Moon, and Cardcaptor Sakura when I was younger, those were my ultimate magical girl series. I tried a few others here and there (ex: Tokyo Mew Mew) but found them to be boring, overly cutsey, and the characters were two dimensional. I figured that I was simply too old to wholeheartedly enjoy a new magical girl series. BUT then on a whim I tried Sugar Sugar Rune because of a positive review. I'm 3-4 volumes in and I'm really enjoying this series. I admit everything about this series is girlie, but I don't really mind the cutseyness in this series for some reason. If you ask me what makes the cutseyness better in Sugar Sugar Rune then other series I've disliked, I think my love for the characters is what makes me accept (and even like) these immature aspects that I rejected before. I think the most important hurdle to leap over is accepting the concept of "capturing" the hearts/feelings of humans, if you can open mindedly consider this concept then this series may be for you. If you can't accept that, well than this series (like so many other manga/anime series) can easily be given bad reviews for the ridiculous scenarios it tries to make the reader accept.

If someone asked me for a magical girl series recommendation, then I would say Cardcaptor Sakura and Magical Girl Rune Rune at this point. We'll see if by the end of this series I still enjoy Sugar Sugar Rune.

This series is stupid. I really tried to like it. I tried so hard. But I just could'nt. Maybe I am truly getting old. But capturing boys emotions and turning them into jewels to save and buy magic items in a contest to become the queen of witch land. I can buy most of it except the emotion jewels that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life.

Having seen this series advertised in almosy every volume of the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles manga I decided to give it a go. The art looked good, and the manga witch idea always seems pretty interesting (I wish Naoko Takeuchi would finish Love Witch!) but man, the story and overall concept of the series is downright insulting on almost every level! I'd go so far as to say that it's Japanese cultural propoganda!

The basic concept of the series is that two young female witches are sent to our world in a kind of competetition to.... win boys' hearts. (how empowering!) Nevermind that the boys are around the age of eight and seem to be feeling "love" very easily for several people. It's just so unrealistic and fake. What's more the reader is constantly told that in this world only shy, quiet girls attract boys and noisy ones scare them away. This whole idea is just so extreme. It's one thing to teach manners in a series, but it's another thing entirely to blatantly say that "If you're not like this, noone will like you!".

I've never thrown away a manga before but just had to do it with this rubbish. What I mentioned is just the tip of the iceburg. Sugar Sugar Rune also endourses mas junk food eating, a Japanese stereotypical view of French culture (because it's so cool! *rolls eyes*).... arg!

I have to admit, I stopped short of the last chapter, so who knows. Maybe it redeemed itself.... but I seriously doubt it.