Koge Donbo is a shoujo mangaka specialized in all the cute things. Her most known work is Di Gi Charat. However, Kamichama Karin was also successful, as it became an anime in 2007. So, what do you do when things are going wrong? And with wrong, we refer to really awful. In the case of Karin, she is neither brilliant nor athletic. When her cat dies, Karin realizes that her mother’s ring has the power to transform her into a heroine! Alongside a great guy called Kazune, she will try to save Kazune’s cousin and the entire world, if necessary!

So, we love magical girls, right? We have magical girls in both Shugo Chara and Kamichama Karin. There is cuteness overload in both stories and some interesting evil guys. The manga styles are similar too, with the typical shoujo big eyes, ribbons, flowers and over the top fashion. The difference is the lack of tiny magical creatures, the proportions (Kamichama Karin abuses the Superdeformed chibi), and the alternative look that Shugo Chara has adapted for its characters.

Nana Haruta has specialized in the classical shoujo manga department. You know, the typical shoujo story of school girl meets boy. Haruta’s most successful work so far has been Tsubasa to Hotaru, which became an anime in 2015. However, before that, Haruta created a story about the innocence of growing up. In Love-Berrish, we meet Yuya Fukushima, a girl who moves to a peculiar dorm. Our Yuya wants to be independent, but in her new place, she will discover it is not that easy!

Although we do not have magical tiny folk in Love-Berrish, some of the characters remind us of Shugo Chara. Yuuya and Amu share their coolness and “rudeness” with a warm heart, for example. And we also have Ame, who is like Nadeshiko. The illustration style is the typical shoujo in both mangas, with flowers, glitter and screentone abuse 😉 However, Love-Berrish is a relatively short manga, thus, if you find difficult to keep up with long manga, this might be the right option for you.

Ema Tooyama has a thing for shoujo manga with little girls and magic. Her most famous work so far is Gokkun! Pucho, which features a fairy and a lot of yummy beverages! Actually, Tooyama also created a spin off for Shugo Chara called Shugo Chara Chan, featuring our beloved Charas. Thus, it is not surprising that Tooyama ended up creating her own manga about tiny magical creatures, Mamacolle.

The story tells us the adventures of Asahina Tamae, who one day finds out everyone in her class has got a baby. A baby is a cute bun like creature (just try to find the manga and you will get all aaaaw!) Anyway, Asahina does not want to be behind the new fashion. Therefore, she ends up getting three babies, but she has to prove to be worthy of calling herself their Mama! If you like sweet shoujo manga about girls in love like CardCaptor Sakura but want a touch of Shugo Chara, this is the recommendation for you. Mamacolle has everything that makes Shugo Chara good: charismatic leading characters, cute magical creatures, adventures and a cozy atmosphere.

Natsumi Mukai is a mangaka who has specialized in shoujo manga that depicts adventures. Her longest running title (well, at least the one with more follow ups) has been Fortune Quest. Mukai deviates a bit from her usual self in Nui!, though. Nui can be used as a short form for the word Nuigurumi (plush toys in Japanese). So, everyone, meet Kaya Yamase. This is a girl who, despite her 16 years on the face of the Earth, still loves to use her imagination.

So, Kaya’s plush toys come to life usually in time to help her, and they are even able to become human! If you are all in it for the warm relationship between the Guardian Characters and their humans in Shugo Chara, you will love Kaya and her plushies. The way they team up to deal with daily life problems will also remind you of Shugo Chara. Kaya and Amu are not simply sweet girls, as their fashion sense is rather distinctive The main difference between both mangas is in the artwork, as Mukai has cleaner lines and a more original style. Let’s say she is the rude kawaii type 😉

Satoru Katamiya is a lady mangaka with a lot of experience in the shoujo manga realm, the yaoi and the adventure genre. However, her signature genre is supernatural. Vampires, in particular, are Katamiya’s favorites, and although she deviates from that in Full Moon Joker, her fascination for the creatures of the night is still present. In Full Moon Joker, we meet Mutsuki Yukihara, who is way too empathic for her own good. Or perhaps not?

Mutsuki’s ability might be handy when she meets a handsome guy (Sakae Mochizuki) in a train by chance. That is just the start of Full Moon Joker, because from that moment on, we get all the similarities with Shugo Chara: an enthusiastic girl who has to protect regular people, strange enemies with special powers and a touch of friendship. The main difference is that Full Moon Joker is more focused on love. Also, the illustration style is a little bit simpler (but you have to pay attention to catch that one).

Lily Hoshino is yet another veteran in our list, with all sorts of shoujo manga about school life, adventure, fantasy and the supernatural. She contributed illustrations to Arakawa under the Bridge, but her original manga Otome Youkai Zakuro has also been adapted to anime. In Kigurumi Boueitai, we find out that aliens are attacking Earth! However, there is hope in the shape of some cute, giant Kigurumis that have come to help us. Hakka Sasakura, a normal teenager, is recruited by the Kigurumis to become one of the planet’s saviors… Although that might mean to kiss a lot of Kigurumis who will transform in handsome guys!

If you ever wondered how Shugo Chara might be with a more grown up concept, look no further than to Kigurumi Boueitai! This series is also similar to Nui!, in terms of having plushies that come to life. We get a pumped up protagonist like Amu, as well! The main difference is the stylish figure of the characters, who are teenagers, so of course they have to look thinner! And well, all those handsome guys, I mean, Kigurumis... They are worth a look 😉