Ask John: How Long Will Shugo Chara Continue?

Question:
How many episodes are in Shugo Chara?

Answer:
Predicting the length of the Shugo Chara anime is particularly difficult for a number of reasons. Typically shonen anime and “otaku” anime are fairly easy to guess. Anime adaptations of best selling shonen anime are typically planned for at least 50 episodes, and sometimes last roughly 75 to 100 episodes or continue indefinitely. For example, shows including Soul Eater and Fullmetal Alchemist ranged around 50 episodes. The original Hajime no Ippo television series had 76 episodes. D.Gray-man had 103 episodes. And highly successful titles like Naruto, Gintama, Bleach, and One Piece will continue indefinitely. Anime series targeted at the niche otaku audience rarely last more than roughly 26 episodes. These guidelines, however, frequently don’t apply to shoujo magical girl anime. (I have to specify the seemingly redundant “shoujo magical girl anime” to distinguish a distinction from magical girl anime targeted at male otaku viewers like Lyrical Nanoha, Magical Canan, Getsumen Toheiki Mina, and Papillon Rose.) In addition to the fact that the lengths of mainstream magical girl anime are often difficult to predict, the particular circumstances surrounding the Shugo Chara anime make it especially difficult to anticipate.

The original Shugo Chara anime television series had 51 episodes. Due to its success, it was extended and given the new title “Shugo Chara Doki.” The show presently has 71 episodes, and there’s no way to accurately guess how many more it will get. Comparison of recent mainstream magical girl anime reveals an unpredictable variance. The Mamotte! Lollipop series premiered in July 2006 but lasted for only 13 episodes. 2007’s Kamichama Karin had only 26 episodes.
However, Kirarin Revolution premiered in April 2006 and is still ongoing with 148 episodes so far. And the Pretty Cure franchise that started in 2004 now has over 250 episodes and seems destined to reach at least 300, if not many more. So this seems to reveal that magical girl anime that don’t catch on end rather quickly while those that do secure a devoted audience continue indefinitely. There’s no predictable conventional length for mainstream magical girl anime.

All four of creative duo Peach-Pit’s manga stories have been adapted into anime, but despite Rozen Maiden having three anime series, Shugo Chara is Peach-Pit’s most successful anime adaptation by a wide margin. The fact that the manga is still ongoing and has even spun off the side-story manga series “Shugo Chara Chan” provides ample source material for continuing anime adaptation. Furthermore, the fact that the Shugo Chara Doki anime is now simulcast internationally certainly may provide animation studio Satelight and broadcaster TV Tokyo extra incentive to continue the anime indefinitely. There are no magical girl anime (yet) that have become established, perenial shows like Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, Sazae-san, Atashinchi, and Pokemon, and Shugo Chara, my instincts tell me, probably won’t become a multi-generational staple anime. The series may finish out its current season and end around 75 or 100 episodes, but given its popularity, I anticipate the show following in the footsteps of Kirarin Revolution and reaching 150, 200 or more episodes before concluding.