Crunchyroll's Heart Unlocks for Shugo Chara!

In the wake of news that Shugo Chara! would be enjoying a third year of sparkles, light, and awesomeness, I sent off a few questions to US simulcaster Crunchyroll about my favorite magical girl show ever. (Okay, so I'm biased, but hey, at least I make it obvious!) Brand manager Keith Kawamura graciously answered my questions, though he wasn't able to officially state whether or not Crunchyroll will continue to simulcast the show (my money's on "yes"). Here are the rest of the questions and answers!

Anime Vice: Shugo Chara! has announced its third year, to be titled Shugo Chara Party!. Can Crunchyroll confirm at this time whether it will continue simulcasting the series online?

Crunchyroll: Crunchyroll, as you know is the #1 destination for online streaming anime, and we are planning to get a whole bunch of simulcasts for the fall season, so keep your eyes open for it.

AV: Shugo Chara! was one of Crunchyroll's earliest simulcasts, and certainly its longest-lasting. How well has the show done in comparison to other shoujo series like Skip Beat!, Corda d'Oro, or Hanasakeru Seishonen? How about in comparison to other simulcasts in general, like Gintama or Naruto?

CR: Skip Beat has been one of our top performing shows, becoming an instant fan favorite while it was a simulcast. Shugo Chara, too, has kept pace with Skip Beat as one of the top shojo shows on our site. As for titles like, La Corda and Hanasakeru, they are right there with SC in terms of success. As far as Gintama, Naruto and the other major shonen titles we have on site, let’s just say that the shojo's are making the shonen's sweat and work for that top spot.

AV: In Japan the target audience for Shugo Chara! is mostly younger (pre-teen) girls, but I would have guessed that Crunchyroll's average demographic was slightly older. Then again, I'm a huge Shugo Chara! fan and I'm 25! What kind of audience have you seen the show pick up? What do you think they get out of Shugo Chara! that makes it so different from American shows?

CR: Surprisingly the demographics are as diverse as they are wide.  They range from a wide age, gender and national spectrum. Obviously this goes to show that good animation, solid storylines and creative character developments are the foundations to a successful anime and can help transcend it past its niche and permeate throughout a wide range of people.  I think that what makes SC stand apart from its competitors is that it presents relatable issues that really resonate with viewers. Shows that can effectively do that don’t have to prove to be winners. They just are.

AV: This is more of a licensing-related question and maybe isn't info you have or can share, but I wonder: if a US licensor were to pick up Shugo Chara! for a DVD release in North America, would they have to do their own subtitling, or will they have access to Crunchyroll's translation?

CR: The subtitles eventually belong to the production company and/or rights holder(s) of that particular property, so it would be at their discretion whether or not to use it.

AV: Shugo Chara! is a pretty long-running show. What's the process for getting it online every week, especially so soon after Japan's airing?

CR: It’s a long process, filled with a lot of diligence and effort, not only on our end, but from the production company in Japan that provides it for us. I don’t think you would be able to consolidate it into an article.

AV: Do you watch Shugo Chara!? If so, I have to ask two quick personal questions...who is your favorite Guardian Character? And who do you think Amu would be better off dating, Ikuto, Tadase, or Kairi?

CR: I’m not a hardcore fan of the show, however I do try and watch it every week when time permits.  My favorite GC…hmm…probably Daichi because we’re just sporty kinda people.  And as for Amu, probably Ikuto.  Tadase seems a bit too soft for her, and there’s just something I don’t care for surronding Kairi.

Yes! Score another tally for Ikuto!