hontou ni
12Jan/0911

Matchmaking Hinamori Amu

There aren't too many reverse harems that I enjoy in anime. The last was Saiungoku Monogatari of which most of the charm needs to be attributed to the very fabulous female harem lead - Shuurei. My beef with reverse harems is that they often make the male suitors overly sensitive to cater to the shoujo audiences. Hey I've no problem with thoughtful guys but if every little thing is going to move him to tears, he should definitely check those malfunctioning ducts.

However, I'm pleased to announce today, a reverse harem of choice for a very worthy female lead - Hinamori Amu. Yes, instead of diving onto the Winter season, I've been marathoning Shugo Chara and here's a bold claim -

It's every bit as good as Cardcaptor Sakura.

The merits of Shugo Chara deserves another post but for now, allow me to put on my matchmaking mantle to advise lil Amu-chan on Mr Right (Miss in one of the cases). In ascending order of approval.

#5 : Sanjou Kairi - In Shugo Chara!, if you're bespectacled, you're either bad or annoying.

#4 : Tsukiyomi Ikuto - You already have your fantabulous sister! Be content!

#3 : Souma Kukai - Forthright, magnanimous and sincere. Marks of a true man.

#2 : Hotori Tadase - Thoughtful gentleness goes a long way in any relationship.

#1 : Fujisaki Nagihiko - The true soul-mate of Amu (Plus the pseudo-yuri potential is infinite.)

There you have it Amu chan. Golden words of advice. Listen to Stripey-nii and wait for Nagihiko-kun. He'll surely grant you happiness.

And onward to ep 34!

Related posts:

  1. Shugo Chara – Bishoujo rankings
  2. Dear Ami I would like to

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  1. Nosgoroth
    January 12th, 2009 - 11:59

    Ah, don’t rule out Kairi so soon. I’m glad to see Ikuto so far down, though. Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome annoys me to no end.

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  2. anonymous_object
    January 12th, 2009 - 12:51

    I have to agree. I normally wouldn’t be able to stand an anime with a reverse harem but it’s handled pretty well in Shugo Chara and not at all overbearing :)

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  3. CCY
    January 12th, 2009 - 18:23

    Episode 34? Glad to see I’m not the only one still mired in the depths of season one somewhere. XD

    You are behind the good Kairi episodes though (high-30s, early-40s, if I remember); personally I’m quite the large fanboy of his, probably due to his aloof, glasses-sporting nature. Hopefully you will warm up to him as well!

    However, we are agreed on the subject of Nagehiko being #1 at least, so I can let you go. He’s (?) probably got all the maturity of Kairi, but with more of a composed side instead of a cool-dere attitude; Kotori vs. Hisui-esque character, perhaps? It doesn’t surprise me you pick the former then. =)

    Those two are my personal favorites; Kukai is probably three for me as well, although I don’t see his free spirit as very shippable. Someone who doesn’t really need a woman, in a sense.

    Tadase and Ikuto don’t really stir me either way, although I prefer the latter, just because Tadase is really the Typical Sparkly Bishie Boy (and I don’t think his princely side is very compassionate, eh? XD).

    But in other, non-shipping news, hopefully you can slog through a great pile of filler to find the gold in the second half of Shugo Chara. ‘Tis a simple, enjoyable watch, even if (or because!) shipping is such a tough debate.

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  4. maglor
    January 12th, 2009 - 20:46

    Is Nagihiko the best guy for Amu? I say yes with some reservations.

    Will Nagihiko be the guy that gets paired with Amu? 99% likely NO! The Shoujo manga formula demands Amu be paired with Terrence-style male, a tsundere apparent bad boy who is actually good, thus Ikuto is the one most likely to end up being paired with Amu. Close second is Tadase, although he may have done something too early, which likely means he may lose out in the end.

    Who will Nagihiko end up being paired to? Surprisingly, I agree with another blogger who suggests Mashiro Rima as the most likely mate to Nagihiko. This pair makes sense in many way as well as having great potential for a drama. It even follows the pattern of being antagonistic at the beginning and getting gradually closer. Although Nagihiko cares most about Amu at the current moment, he is too much in control of himself to do anything rash needed to provoke emotional response from Amu. Rima may start to show more interest in Nagihiko, who might appreciate someone liking him for what he is.

    If you remove the siscon bias, Hoshino Utau would likely not be paired with anyone special, and Ikuto literally has the key to Amu’s “necklace”. ( Will not use the real term for it can lead to undesirable imagination ) Nagihiko happens to be my favorite character of the series, but this doesn’t mean that I would be hooting for him to get Amu. In fact, the girl that might be best for Nagihiko may not be a Guardian: Heck! Utau and Nagihiko might make a good match if it weren’t for the age difference.

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  5. Stripey
    January 13th, 2009 - 07:17

    Nosgoroth: Looking fwd to see how SC! will change my opinion of Kairi! :) Have never liked the brooding, bad-boy image types (Ikuto). They tend to have some form of identity crisis or ego problems. XD

    anonymous_object: Indeed, I know I’m definitely rooting for the 3 three on this list. :)

    CCY: I have to say that the 2nd half of season 1 hasn’t been as gripping as its first half. There’s still character growth and plenty of charm but the story’s lagging a little with a couple of plot excursions. Hoping they get back on track soon and focus on the character relationship which is the true gem of this series. :)

    maglor: From the way the series is structured, it does look like a Ikuto-Amu pairing since they are as good as the ‘promised couple’ in harems with this Humpty Dumpty Key-lock thingy. :) I don’t have illusions about Nagihiko snagging the girls (Sniff) but I can hope. Maybe Peach-Pit would go for the unconventional finish? *Imagines thousands of fangirls in Japan shredding SC! manga* XD

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  6. muhootsaver
    January 13th, 2009 - 10:51

    Hmm… your statement does get me interested. I remember watching the first few episodes LONG time ago. Maybe I should check out a few more. BTW, you might want to check out Rideback from the winter season.

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  7. Stripey
    January 13th, 2009 - 20:56

    Oh yes pls do. I personally think it’s out of the best of the classic mahou shoujo genre. :) You’ll love Amu.

    Thanks for the heads-up on Rideback. Madhouse + Nana Mizuki looks like a sure-win. Will surely check out ep 1!

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  8. Mentar
    January 14th, 2009 - 13:40

    I stayed with this show till around ep14, I think, and I wonder “who the hell is Nagihiko? Why does everyone seem to prefer him to the canonic match of the SC I remember, Ikuto?”

    Guess I’ll have to look things up…

    Since it’s time for recommendations, here’s a shameless, but serious Menty-plug: White Album is gonna be big, I’m sure about that. Think KimiNozo/True Tears/School Days. Somewhere in the middle. Nana Mizuki included!

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  9. Stripey
    January 15th, 2009 - 07:20

    Interesting that you stopped about the same episodes I did… the snowboarding girl ep rite? :) I marathoned 15-37 in the last week and I have to say the eps running up to 26 were most excellent. You’ll meet Nagihiko in one of those eps and that was one of the high points of SC for me.

    And thanks for the heads-up for White Album! This is one show the blogsphere seem to be severely divided on. But nothing beats checking it out myself! :)

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  10. Cherry Pie
    February 19th, 2009 - 12:18

    Hmm… I can’t say I agree with you at all.

    Kairi: Should be higher. The kid has potential, don’t underestimate bespectacled people. -pushes glasses further up nose-

    Kukai: The ‘best friend’ type, as is Nagihiko. Should be lower.

    Tadase: Bipolar guys bent on world domination don’t exactly do well in relationships. Should be lower.

    Ikuto: In real life, never bet on the bad boy. In manga/anime. Heck yeah. Should be higher.

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  11. Stripey
    February 21st, 2009 - 21:48

    Cherry Pie: heh Kairi has an onee-complex. I prefer those with imouto-complexes XD Kukai is more like a big-bro-friend relationship. I have to admit they don’t have much romantic-chemistry though. Tadase. As long as he doesn’t go wife beating in his ‘Ouji’ mode, he’d do fine :)

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