Sugar Sugar Rune 1 Paperback – September 27, 2005

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 is my all time favorite manga, it took a few days to arrive, but that is okay. It was in great condition and I could not be happier. (Can't wait to get the rest)

Was in great condition

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.

It's a Very Good product. I'm very lucky to have found it at such a low price :) Thank you.

Great Volume

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.