Sugar Sugar Rune is a manga series written and illustrated by Moyoco Anno. The story follows the adventures of Chocolat Meilleure and Vanilla Mieux, two young witches from the magical world of the witches. Chocolat and Vanilla are chosen to compete in the Witch’s Examination, a competition that determines who will become a future queen of the magical world. Chocolat is a lively and energetic girl with a mischievous personality, while Vanilla is a quiet and timid girl with a gentle nature. Despite their differences, the two girls are best friends and support each other throughout their journey. The series explores various themes such as friendship, love, and the struggle between good and evil.
The series explores various themes such as friendship, love, and the struggle between good and evil. Chocolat and Vanilla not only have to prove their skills in magic but also learn valuable life lessons along the way. They encounter challenges and obstacles that test their resolve and determination.
Sugar Sugar Rune- by Moyoco Anno
Sorry these are coming late, but here’s the 25th magical girl anime, Sugar Sugar Rune. Off the bat I can say it is a cute show, and it is not entirely the typical magic girl. The plot seems basic at first, but becomes intricate with drama and good guys turning bad, and so are the characters. Ironically the witch type of magic they use is unique as most magic girls don’t use what westerners traditionally consider magic. All in all, I don’t like it, but I don’t hate it either.
What is the anime about?
The Magical World is having their crowning ceremony where the future queen is chosen between two young witch candidates. To determine who will be queen they send the witches to the Human World where they compete to collect the hearts of boys. The one who has the most by the end of the competition is the winner. This time the two candidates are not only best friends, but also complete and total opposites, Chocolat Meilleure (daughter of a former competitor from the last competition) and Vanilla Mieux (daughter of the current queen). Aided by a guardian/pop idol, Rockin Robin, and their furry companions, they first set out to collect hearts, but they soon realize that they have many other things to deal with. An evil king named Glace, mysterious boys, and a friendship strained by rivalry. Yup drama bombs.
Heart Rankings
So the girls collect these stones, which house the emotions someone feels towards another thing. Doing so tends to dull the intensity of that emotion in a person; however, if it is strong a second heart appears instantaneously. The Magical world uses these gems as an energy source. Each type of heart varies in emotion/strength/color.
❤ Yellow/jaune is surprise and the lowest heart.
❤ Orange is infatuation.
❤ Green/vert is friendship.
❤ Blue is respect.
❤ Rainbow is amusement
❤ Pink/Rose is limerence (romantic attraction with an obsessive need to have their feelings reciprocated).
❤ Purple/violet is forbidden love.
❤ Red/rouge is passionate love.
❤ Black/noir is hatred/jealousy/fear.
❤ White/blanc is a purified noir heart and is used to turn familiars into their former forms.
Who are the central characters?
Chocolat Meilleure [In French, meilleure is comparative form of the word ‘good’ so when translated it becomes ‘better’]
❤ Extroverted, aggressive, energetic, forceful, and tomboyish, Chocolat is the most popular witch in the Magical World. She expects to be just as loved in the Human World, but her intimidating nature causes all the boys to fear her (yet her personality lets her become close friends with boys rather then a love interest). She is never afraid of creepy crawlies or snakes, and she introduces herself by threatening to kick anyone’s ass if they cross her. She has a caring and loyal personality (like all magical girl protagonists) and always encourages Vanilla, but she acts as if she does not and is prideful. Her familiar is Duke, and her mom is Cinnamon (there is a huge wtf moment when you learn who is her father).
Her spell is Sugar Sugar Rune! Choco-Rune!
Vanilla Mieux [In French, mieux is comparative form of the word ‘well’ so when translated it becomes ‘better’]
❤ Vanilla is the opposite of Chocolat and the second candidate to be the next witch. She is extremely shy, gentle, sensitive, and kind, but because of how timid she is if she is nervous and scared she immediately starts crying and is a bit clumsy. She is organized, intelligent, compassionate, and cute so she is very popular among boys in the Human World (not so much in the Magical World, which is not good for her, since she is the current princess). Compared to Chocolat Vanilla is very dutiful, but at one point she does start to feel insecure and inferior to Chocolat, which leads to a lot of drama involving the Ogre Kingdom. Her familiar is Blanca, and her mom is Candy. Her love interest is Houx.
Her spell is Sugar Sugar Rune! Vani-Rune!
Pierre Tempete de Neige
❤ The most popular boy in school, handsome, and the president of the student council, we all know that this is Chocolat’s romantic interest. He’s captain of the fencing club and tennis club, and he as a fanclub of crazy, mean middle school girls. He, however, has a cold heart and is quite mysterious, nonchalant, and uptight. He also proves to be the basic tsundere, as he slowly reveals his feelings. He is involved in most of the drama, and his past is part of a huge plot twist, so I cannot say anything else without giving away something important.
Duke and Blanca
❤ Duke is Chocolat’s familiar and a frog. He is laid back with a “go with the flow” attitude. He isn’t very helpful, but he does have an extensive knowledge on hearts. He has an intense rivalry with Blanca, and he is also a giant flirt. There is a plot twist with him, revealing his past and some important familial ties. Blanca is Vanilla’s familiar and a sassy mouse. She can be snobbish and mean as she teases others, but she is really loyal to Vanilla. She really wants Vanilla to win and will do anything, even cheat. Her story is not as important to the story of the show, so I don’t mind revealing a little bit. She was once a witch, who lost her heart to a human (she fell in love), so as punishment she became a familiar.
Cinnamon Meilleure and Candy Mieux
❤ These are the mothers of Chocolat and Vanilla. I will say nothing here, except that they were previous Queen candidates. From the start we get that Candy is selfless, caring, and a great queen. Little is known of Cinnamon (without ruining the story). Just keep an eye out for them and their story.
Houx and Soul (their names are the french words for holy and willow)
❤ They are twin brothers who are also childhood friends with Chocolat and Vanilla. Both have a crush on Chocolat, even though Vanilla likes Houx. They both go to the Human World to protect the girls. They are brash, brave, and always getting into trouble.
❤ Chocolat and Vannila’s guardian in the Human World. He is a pop idol, and steals the hearts of his fans during his concerts. He seems rude and straight forward, but he does have a caring heart. He’s also over 6000 years old.
How is the artwork?
The art is definitely cute and a bit unique. The eyes are enormous, the chins are thin and pointy, the legs and arms are long, and the outfits are extravagant. Its obviously a shoujo with lots of pink.
What makes this awesome?
The manga is better then the show, with a lot more drama. The magic reminds me of the western version of witches you think of during Halloween. Another unique aspect of the show is that the girls’ hearts can become black, when they fall into “despair,” and their hearts can be saved. Its like a nicer version of Madoka.
One of the major elements of Sugar Sugar Rune is the presence of the Queen's Cocoa magic. By gathering the hearts of boys, witches are able to increase their magic power. Chocolat and Vanilla must collect as many hearts as possible to gain an advantage in the competition. However, they soon discover that true love and genuine feelings cannot be obtained through manipulation and deceit. As the story progresses, Chocolat finds herself torn between her desire to win the competition and her growing feelings for a human boy named Pierre. This conflict forces her to question her beliefs and the true meaning of love. The series further delves into the complexities of relationships and the importance of honesty and selflessness. Moyoco Anno's artwork brings the characters and the magical world to life. Her unique style captures the essence of each character, conveying their emotions and personalities effectively. The vibrant illustrations and intricate details immerse readers into the enchanting world of Sugar Sugar Rune. Overall, Sugar Sugar Rune is a heartwarming and magical series that appeals to both young and adult readers. Moyoco Anno’s storytelling and artwork make it an engaging and captivating read. The series teaches valuable lessons about friendship, love, and the power of forgiveness. Readers will find themselves immersed in the charming and whimsical world of Chocolat and Vanilla as they navigate through the challenges of being a young witch..
Reviews for "Moyoco Zono's Sugar Sugar Rune: A fairy tale for the modern age"
1. Jack - ★☆☆☆☆
I found "Sugar Sugar Rune" by Moyoco Zunno to be highly disappointing. The story was predictable and lacked depth. The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked any real development throughout the series. Additionally, the artwork was underwhelming and failed to capture the magical atmosphere that the story was trying to convey. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend this manga to others.
2. Emily - ★★☆☆☆
While "Sugar Sugar Rune" by Moyoco Zunno had an interesting premise, I felt that the execution fell flat. The protagonist, Chocolat, felt like a typical magical girl character with no distinctive traits. The romance subplot between Chocolat and the male lead felt forced and lacked chemistry. The art style, though cute, didn't stand out and felt generic compared to other manga in the same genre. Overall, I was expecting more from this series and was left feeling underwhelmed.
3. Max - ★★☆☆☆
"Sugar Sugar Rune" by Moyoco Zunno had potential, but it failed to deliver a captivating storyline. The plot felt repetitive and lacked originality. The magical world introduced in the manga wasn't fleshed out enough to truly engage the readers. The characters, while charming at first, became repetitive in their actions and lacked depth. The art style, although visually appealing, didn't compensate for the weak storytelling. Overall, I found this manga to be forgettable and wouldn't recommend it to any avid manga readers.