It’s quite ironic that shortly after a lengthy meta-post on how side characters tend to have their characteristics amplified (since they only usually have a single one) to the point that their image eclipses their true merit, I find myself stumbling upon the a similar concept in characters, and that is ending the lifespan of a character early.

Thankfully for our sanity, I mean that only in the chronological sense in Shugo Chara, as a character is removed from the plotline not by force, but by circumstances, but still it circles around to the same point, as suddenly I find myself wishing for a lot more of said character.

It’s probably something about how we always desire more than we have, and since side characters and those who don’t stick around for the full series get less screentime, we wish they had more attention paid to them, and take to flying the banner for them as a way of pseudo-protest. But I’m no psychology major.

What I am is very glad that Shugo Chara is restoring (or keeping, at least) my faith in its cast and in the genre as a whole. I’ve found the magical girl genre to be bar none the best for establishing a mood of warm fuzziness, with a level of sweetness that can stir hearts without rotting teeth.

Shugo Chara has this done pretty well in having more than just a lot of pink and shiny transformations, adding in some great character dynamics and development that really show just why shows like Cardcaptor Sakura can hit it so big in being appealing to viewers both young and old.

To me, Shugo Chara really feels like the Cardcaptor Sakura, like the definitive magical girl show, of this decade, and the most recently released episode, the 25th, only reinforces this belief.

(Pretty major character spoilers, be forewarned.)

I went into this episode not expecting a whole lot. Having been spoiled on the fact that Nadeshiko is a guy from early on, I had been long dreading the big reveal as destroying the refined character that is Nadeshiko.

Traps don’t tend to make very appealing characters and are often played off for comedy - the infamous Mako-cakes from Minami-ke is one example. Having a character whose gender-swapping adds dynamics to the plot is quite rare, and as a result I was quite surprised at Nadeshiko’s excellent form in this episode.

Perhaps this is also due to the fact I was expecting a blunt reveal along the lines of Hamaji’s “Hey look what I have, Takuma!” - a bit of a stretch but essentially what the scene was conveying - but rather, Nadeshiko … or I suppose, I should begin to call her - him - Nagehiko … didn’t really ever come out and out and say it, instead opting for some subtle hints and passing himself off as “Nadeshiko’s twin brother”.

It’s just as smooth as we’ve come to expect from the guardian’s best mediator, who’s always mature and ready to offer a helping hand or some sound advice. (Hilarious yandere Character Change notwithstanding.)

The male side to Nagehiko is really just as classy and doubly entertaining, as shown in this episode, where he coyly flirts with Amu while guiding her confused mind along the right path. In a sense it’s dramatic irony done right, where the audience knows - or at least, should begin to figure out - that Amu’s the only one locked out of the loop here.

This allows for Nagehiko to play the role of the friendly outsider and start the relationship from ’scratch’, and the dynamics of how Amu interacts with Nagehiko in his male and female forms look to be quite interesting to watch.

Sensibly, when it’s Nadeshiko, things like holding hands and having heart-to-heart discussions are natural and a sign of friendship, and Amu is likely quite more receptive to feedback when it comes from a friend instead of a love rival. But Nagehiko gets to be more flirty as the same actions have a romantic overtone when it’s between a guy and a girl, which flusters Amu’s already conflicted heart.

It’s a great contrast to see just how the gender relations change things, even when one side of the equation - Nadeshiko and her mature demeanor - remains constant.

Doubly so when you try to consider how Nagehiko is approaching Amu as well; is she a friend either way? Has he, as a guy and a girl, always been approaching Amu as a love interest? Or does it depend on his persona? It’s just as much a mystery as to Amu’s feelings themself, and I only wish Nagehiko was around more so that we could find out.

The way I talk about Nagehiko the more and more he sounds like a Tomoyo parallel as well; the classy demeanor, the helping hand always available, the ability to know just a bit more than everyone else in the situation. It’s well known that Tomoyo subtly pined for Sakura in the romantic sense; could Nagehiko repeat the same story, except with a more legitimate shot at being truly considered? (Because, in the end, you tend to see more canon heterosexual pairings.)

No doubt it would probably end the same way, with Nagehiko backing off to clear the path for Tadase, Ikuto, or possibly both (Amu is just throwing Kukai in her daydreams for completion’s sake) to claim Amu’s heart.

All I can hope for is this scenario before the show ends; Nagehiko will hopefully be back with time to spare before the end of the series, and if she can keep up this character balancing act, she might be just as intricate, entertaining, and personal a character as Amu has proved to be over the course of Shugo Chara.

Although, if I were Amu and had the choice right now, even Ikuto pales to the appeals of Nagehiko.

I’ve always thought that traps could never be taken seriously, could never be as full and developed a character as those with less to hide (as the whole reasoning behind gender-swapping tends not to be horribly expounded on), but once again a bias has been smashed.

Nagehiko proves that traps can be done in a enjoyable yet touching manner, and Shugo Chara proves that a good shoujo show can make any character archetype (as diverse as shoujo shows tend to be) into a well-rounded, empathetic personality.

As Shugo Chara turns over into its second half, I look forward to seeing this trend of blending the blacks and whites of a personality, seen clearly in Nikaidou and hinted at for Ikuto, to continue with the many other characters of the show, as nothing is more entertaining and more real than a story with no true villains and no true heroes, just a bunch of people with real conflicts and real personalities.

-CCY

(I’ve got a MyAnimeList now to document my relatively pitiful amount of anime viewing. Oooh, ahhh. I’ve started a little mini-blog over there as well - Mini Megane Moe - for brief episode commentary, a la the dead Track Two feature. You can access it on the right-hand bar.)

If you liked this post, try...

• March 5, 2008 -- My Show Is Better Than Your Show, March Madness Edition
• January 19, 2008 -- Looking Both Ways: The Fall Season Carryovers
• January 16, 2008 -- Track Two: Shugo Chara!
• December 5, 2007 -- Of Men and Magical Girls
• November 25, 2007 -- Breaking a Few Eggs: Shugo Chara 1-3

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm and is filed under Shugo Chara. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.