Questions About The Heart System In Sugar Sugar Rune Episode 2

In episode 2 of the Sugar Sugar Rune anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno, we get more information about the heart system. Here are some things to wonder about this:

Apparently, the hearts are worth something called ecure which appears to be like the currency in the magical world, kind of like the galleons and stuff in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

But, I still don’t get it though. I mean, apparently, they collect hearts and then they have the hearts exchanged for ecure.

The question is why? Why do they need to do that? Why not just get the ecure in the first place and forget about the hearts?

Why bother with such a convoluted process? I mean, first, you have to get a heart and that can’t be easy for everyone and it’s only after you get a heart that you can exchange it for ecure.

Also, I can understand why Blanca, the mouse familiar of Vanilla Mieux / Ice, has to tell us, the audience/viewers, about the heart system and ecure.

But what I find strange is why Vanilla and Chocolat Meilleure / Kato don’t know anything about this. I mean, seriously, how could they not know? Weren’t they briefed before being sent to the human world?

Also, since hearts appear to be really important in the magical world, well, shouldn’t that mean that they should already know about these hearts? What’s up with that? What do you think?

*Notes:
- Pics are from Amazon.com; links shown above

Sugar Sugar Rune Episode 2: Confusing Magic System

Just saw episode 2 of the Sugar Sugar Rune anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno and I think the magic system in this show is really very confusing so far.

Seriously. It’s like they’re making it up as they go along or something. Stuff isn’t making sense, but, hopefully, it will improve in the future episodes.

In episode 2, there’s this magic book and we see Vanilla Mieux / Ice and Chocolat Meilleure / Kato having to draw a pentagram to summon their familiars - Blanca, a mouse, and Duke, a frog.

Why do they need familiars anyway? How are these animals supposed to help?

And why were they only properly introduced now when we already saw them in the very first episode?

Plus, how come Vanilla and Chocolat are only summoning them now?

Why didn’t they have these animals before - back when they were in the magical world or even as soon as they got to the human world?

You know what these 2 familiars just reminded me of? The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. It's because the wizards and witches there have familiars too, like owls and frogs.

So, it’s kind of like Blanca is Peter Pettigrew since he’s a rat animagus and he used to be Ron Weasley’s pet before stuff happened (long story, very long story) and Duke is kind of like Trevor, Neville Longbottom’s frog. LOL.

Also, you know how Chocolat and Vanilla have to use a wand to cast spells? Well, Duke can cast spells too, but how come he doesn’t need to use a wand then?

He can just gesture with his hand and stuff happens. It’s like that with Rokcin' Robin too. So, like, what’s up with that? What do you think?

*Notes:
- Pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above

How Do The Magical Wands In Sugar Sugar Rune Work?

The magical world and the magic system in the Sugar Sugar Rune anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno is really quite interesting and fascinating. So it's really too bad that this part of the series wasn't fleshed out more. What's wrong, you ask?

For starters, let's focus on the magical wands that some of the characters of Sugar Sugar Rune have.

These items look flashy and cool, nothing at all like how the wands in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling looks like (not that there's anything wrong with the appearance of either of these wands).

The problem is with the inconsistencies regarding the Sugar Sugar Rune wands. For instance, how come not everyone uses them? So far, we've only seen Queen Candy, Chocolat Meilleure / Kato and Vanilla Mieux / Ice with wands.

What about all the other magical people like Rockin' Robin? How come they don't have wands? So, what, is everyone else an expert in wandless magic or something?

I mean, in the Harry Potter series, all the witches and wizards get a wand, but a few of them know how to cast silent spells and even spells without the use of wands. They still have wands though, so it's consistent. But what about in Sugar Sugar Rune? How does this magic stuff work in this series?

I talk more about this issue in this post here on Soyuz Mir. I'd have moved this one here on Anime Archives (Anime Meta) too, but it's already got some comments and notes on Tumblr, so I decided to keep it there indefinitely. I'm mentioning it here for reference as the rest of the anime posts on there will eventually be moved here.

*Notes:
- Pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above

Thoughts On The Hearts System In Sugar Sugar Rune

(*Warning for possible spoilers for episode 1 of Sugar Sugar Rune)

Episode 1 of the Sugar Sugar Rune anime series by Moyoco Anno introduces us to the concept of heart crystals. Those with magical abilities are able to turn the feelings of people, their hearts, into crystals. These crystal hearts are then collected. But why and what for?

What do they need these hearts for? If this was just for the queen selection contest between Chocolat Meilleure / Kato and Vanilla Mieux / Ice, then it can easily be seen as a way to determine the winner of said contest (whoever collects the most hearts will become queen of the Magical World).

But even Robin collects these hearts. Why is that?

Chocolat says that hearts are hard to come by in their world, but why is that?

Robin regularly collects lots of hearts (like from his concert), so what does he do with all those hearts then? Why does he need them? What will he use them for?

Then there’s also how Chocolat and the others take the hearts of people, but nothing bad happens to these people.

They don’t die or get sick or anything like that. And it seems to be implied that their hearts can be taken all over again, so what’s up with that?

And why was the explanation on the meanings of the heart colors incomplete? So far, we’ve only gotten the meanings for yellow, red and pink. What about purple and orange hearts?

*Notes:
- Sugar Sugar Rune pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above

Problems With The Use Of Spells In Sugar Sugar Rune

After seeing the first episode of the Sugar Sugar Rune anime series by Moyoco Anno, all I can say is that the magic system in said show is very confusing, to say the least. Seriously, what’s with the spells or the usage of spells?

(*Warning for possible spoilers for episode 1 of Sugar Sugar Rune)

Chocolat Meilleure / Kato used the spell or incantation “Sugar Sugar Rune Choco Rune” to transform into her magical witch outfit.

But we can’t actually say that the above spell is only for transformation purposes because of the following:

• Chocolat tries to summon the guard dog of hell
• She tries to stop herself and her best friend, Vanilla Mieux / Ice, from falling out of the sky when they first arrived in the Human World

Guess what spell she uses to do the above tasks? Yep, it’s still “Sugar Sugar Rune Choco Rune”. So, what’s with that spell then? What is it for? Some all-around spell or something?

That’s not the spell that Robin uses though (for instance, he says, “Fleur Tempete,” when he summons flowers to catch Chocolat and Vanilla and prevent them from falling to their deaths), which implies that “Sugar Sugar Rune Choco Rune” isn’t an all-around spell and that there are actually a lot of other spells.

But if that’s the case, then how come Chocolat only uses that spell? We can say that maybe that’s because that’s the only spell that she knows, but that doesn’t answer the question of exactly what that spell is for. Using that spell:

• She was able to transform into her magical outfit
• She was able to summon a dog
• She was able to summon some petals

So, what’s up with that? It’s so weird and confusing, isn’t it?

Let’s compare and contrast that with other series like, for instance, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The witches and wizards in said series use spells too.

But there are spells for everything and each of these spells have a purpose, so if, for example, you say, “Wingardium Leviosa,” you’ll be able to make objects fly or levitate.

But that’s all you’ll ever be able to do. You can’t use the same spell to do other things like, say, open and unlock doors (you’ll need to use the “Alohomora” spell for that).

So, as we can see, in the HP series, each spell has a purpose. But what about in Sugar Sugar Rune? How does it work in that anime? What do you think?

*Notes:
- Both Sugar Sugar Rune pics are from Amazon.com; links shown above

Problems With Chocolat And Vanilla’s Wands In Sugar Sugar Rune

In Sugar Sugar Rune, an anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno, the main characters Chocolat Meilleure / Kato and Vanilla Mieux / Ice are given wands before they're sent to the Human World.

What's wrong with those 2 being given wands? Actually, there's really nothing wrong with that. Clearly, the magic system in this show includes wands just like in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

The problem is when these girls are given wands. It's pretty much right before they were sent to the Human World for the Queen Contest.

Prior to that, they were living in the Magical World. The question now is how come they only get wands now? Why weren't they given wands before? What's wrong with getting a wand before the Queen Contest?

The issue here is the fact that Chocolat and Vanilla were living in the Magical World. So, technically, it shouldn't be a problem for them to be carrying wands or to be seen with wands because the people around them also have magic.

What's the reason why they couldn't get wands before then? It doesn't seem to make sense, right? I talk more about this problem with Kato and Ice's wands in this post here on Soyuz Mir.

I'd have moved this one here on Anime Archives (Anime Meta) too, but it's already got some comments and notes on Tumblr, so I decided to keep it there indefinitely. I'm mentioning it here for reference as the rest of the anime posts on there will eventually be moved here.

*Notes:
- Pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above

Initial Thoughts About The Sugar Sugar Rune Magic System

Sugar Sugar Rune is an anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno. It's got a pretty interesting magic system.

But, just like with the Ragnarok: Into The Abyss manhwa by Myung Jin-Lee, this show's magic system is confusing, to say the least.

It seems that there's no rhyme or reason with regards to how magic works in Sugar Sugar Rune.

I mean, we see some of the characters, like main character Chocolat Meilleure / Kato and her best friend, Vanilla Mieux / Ice, using wands, but then there are others, like Rockin' Robin, who don't use one. How come some people use wands and others don't? What's the criteria for this? Unfortunately, the anime has yet to answer these questions.

Then there's the use of magic spells. For example, Chocolat uses the words, "Sugar Sugar Rune Choco Rune." These words allow her to transform into her magical witch outfit. But it's not just that. These words also let her use other kinds of magic.

She says this phrase every time she uses magic. So, what's up with that? What kind of spell is that? Some all-around spell or something?

Even more confusing is the fact that other characters don't use that phrase at all. For example, Vanilla uses the words, "Sugar Sugar Rune Vani Rune," to transform into her magical witch outfit as well as to cast other kinds of spells.

Other characters don't even use words. So, what, can they do wandless and non-verbal kinds of magic now or what?

It's really confusing, isn't it? What do you think? I talk more about my initial thoughts about the Sugar Sugar Rune magic system in this post here on Soyuz Mir.

I'd have moved this one here on Anime Archives (Anime Meta) too, but it's already got some comments and notes on Tumblr, so I decided to keep it there indefinitely. I'm mentioning it here for reference as the rest of the anime posts on there will eventually be moved here.

*Notes:
- Both Sugar Sugar Rune pics are from Amazon.com; links shown here and here

Problems With The Magic System Of Ragnarok Manhwa?

What reasons would make you give up on the magic system of Ragnarok: Into The Abyss? Even though the manhwa has really cool magic spells, weapons and the like, just what can be so ridiculously wrong and crazy about all this?

In this post, I wrote about my initial thoughts on the magic system of this comic. I mentioned that I found the magics in the graphic novel to be really cool, but it would be even more interesting and fantastic if we could get a thorough and clear explanation as to how these things really worked as well as the constraints and limits to all these stuff.

I hadn't finished reading the manhwa then, so I hoped to get the answers to all my questions as I continued reading. Well, I've finished Ragnarok now and I'm sad to say that its magic system, though still cool and interesting, still remained unexplained, so much so that, as the graphic novel progressed, things just started getting crazy to the point of being ridiculous.

Seriously, it was like the characters can do anything and everything with no problem at all. And we keep getting introduced to new abilities and the like that it seemed as if these were pulled out of thin air whenever there was a need for new magical things.

We were neither told nor shown anything in the way of the constraints and limits of all of these magic stuff. The characters just go on doing the things that they do, seemingly without caring that these things already appear to be unbelievable. To better explain all this, let's take a look at some of the times when we see the magic system in the manhwa.

In Volume 4, Chapter 27, Loki is shown having a vision that the Assassins' Guild is being attacked and his comrades were all dying.

The question now is how does he have the power or the ability to be able to see these visions? Is he a seer now? How does this vision thing even work anyway? It seemed like he suddenly saw this vision, like it just came from out of nowhere.

You know what one of the more annoying things about that scene is? It's the fact that this is the only time we ever see the assassin having these visions.

Throughout the comic, we never see him have these visions ever again. It's like he only had the vision the one time because it was necessary.

In the same chapter and volume, we are also introduced to this magical item called the Crystal of Recall. Apparently, this thing can summon Loki from wherever he is. That's all well and good, but how does it work? How can that item just summon someone from so far away (since said assassin was obviously nowhere near his guild's headquarters)?

Of course, we don't get any explanations at all (unfortunately) as we move to Chapter 30 of Volume 4 wherein we see Taulin doing some sort of divination thing in order to find the place where Loki should go, so he can find the one responsible for the death of their comrades.

How does this divination thing work though? How did she suddenly know where her friend ought to go?

Again, our questions are left unanswered as this scene is quickly forgotten in favor of the 31st chapter of the same volume.

This is where we see Fenris Fenrir chanting some sort of spell (when she sensed that they were in danger), so that she can defend herself and her friends from Loki's attack.

Sigh. No, we don't get any explanations about this magic spell thing at all. Oh well. At least, Fenris is able to show how cool she is by doing this.

Chapter 32 reinforces the apparent fact that the magic system is and will always be crazy in this comic as we see Iris Irine and Fenrir chanting and casting some spell or other. Really, doesn't anyone wonder how those two know all of these magic things?

Did they make up the stuff that they're chanting or did they learn these from a book or is it something else entirely? It doesn't matter what the explanation is just as long as we actually get something believable instead of just having to accept all this as fact.

The manhwa doesn't seem to care what we think though as it continues to show us even more crazy and unbelievable things.

In Chapter 34 of Volume 4, we see that Loki can apparently heal his wounds. Seriously, how does he know how to do that? How can he just do that?

And what's the point of having him be able to do that? Is he immortal now or what? I also had to wonder if Chaos and the others can do the same or not.

Volume 5, Chapter 38 shows us that it's not just the assassin who can heal himself because Skurai can also apparently do the same thing. That's all we get though, so none of this seems believable in the least as we don't even know how and why they can easily heal themselves.

Let's just move on from this healing scene before it frustrates us further. Of course, the next incident in question doesn't really make things any better since the graphic novel brings us to Chapter 44. In this chapter, we see Sara Irine spying on the resident main characters of the comic by using some talisman thing. How this works, I suppose we'll never know. Sigh.

Speaking of Sara, since when can she hear other people's thoughts? In Volume 6, Chapter 57, she can apparently hear Bijou's thoughts. But why?

Why is this even necessary anyway? She was never shown to be able to do this before, so why start now?

After all, she fought with Fenris in the very first volume and we saw the latter thinking and yet the Valkyrie didn't show any indication that she can hear the other's thoughts. Sigh. How frustrating, wouldn't you say?

Honestly, some of the magic stuff is really cool though like in Chapter 58 of Volume 6 wherein we see Fenrir recreating Bijou's spell that was thrown at her. In this, we can really see how awesome the former is, but that's only if we ignore questions of how she can possibly do this and what all this entails. So, what do you think of the magic system of Ragnarok: Into The Abyss?

*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki based on the image by Rusembell (CC:BY) from deviantArt
- Said image is meant to represent the magic system of Ragnarok: Into The Abyss
- The rest of the pics are enlarged product images from Amazon.com; links shown above via Amazon's Native Shopping Ads widget

Initial Thoughts About The Magic System Of Ragnarok Manhwa

What can you say about the magic system of Ragnarok: Into The Abyss manhwa? One thing I can say is that it's pretty cool (Oops, that's actually 2 words, but, oh well). What else can be said about this topic? And what might be the problem with it?

Yes, I'll say it again: I think the magic system of Ragnarok: Into The Abyss is pretty cool and interesting from what I've seen so far (since I'm still not done reading this manhwa, hence the word "initial" as part of the title of this post). Really, how could it not be interesting or cool when we see such things as magical items and impressive abilities and powerful weapons and the like?

However, there were many other things regarding the magic system to take note of, foremost of which is how does all this work exactly? What does that mean, you ask? I'm talking about the limitations and constraints of the magic system in the world of this graphic novel.

When we read fiction, especially the kind that involves magic and fantasy, there is what is known as suspension of disbelief wherein we don't question why magic exists in the world of whatever we're reading. Instead, we accept that magic is real and that it exists in that world even if it isn't real in our own world.

The same can be said with this comic. So I'm not questioning why there is magic in this world or why they have magical items, cool powers, abilities and weapons. Really, that's all well and good, very much so, actually. So, what is the problem then? The problem is we are, so far, never told how things really work in this manhwa.

We don't know the constraints and limits of the magical abilities of the characters or how powerful their weapons and items really are.

It's not only that I am interested in knowing these things (because this stuff is really cool), it's also how, even if we accept that magic is real and that it exists in the world of whatever we're reading, there still needs to be a method as to how these things can work instead of just telling us that it works because it works.

In other words, even a world where magic exists should still have laws and rules as to how these things work. Besides, if everyone can do pretty much whatever they want, then the characters can appear super powered and as if they can do anything.

If that's the case, then what's the point of the story? Just have the good guys beat the bad guys with their magical super powers that can do anything and everything. With all that out of the way, let's take a look at some of the instances that magic, spells, weapons and the like were used in Ragnarok: Into The Abyss:

Weapons

Many of the characters in this comic have such interesting and powerful weapons, but, don't you wonder where these items came from? Who made these things? Also, some weapons, like Talatsu, appear to be able to speak, but how? And, speaking of Talatsu, is it that the spirit or soul of a person was locked or imprisoned inside the sword that Skurai carries?

Is that why it can speak? Or is it that the weapon can just talk, but it wasn't human before? Furthermore, how are cursed swords made? How did Skurai's weapon become one? Why does it want blood?

And why is the swordsman following his weapon around and listening to it? Is it because he has no choice in the matter or is it that he actually wants to kill all these people?

Even Chaos has a magic sword called Vision, but it doesn't appear to be able to talk. Fenris Fenrir has this staff too and this one appears to be able to talk.

So, what's the criteria in order for a weapon to be able to talk? Why is it that some of them can talk while others can't?

Spells / Rituals

This is one of the more confusing aspects of the magic system in Ragnarok. A lot of the characters seem to be able to effortlessly cast spells or do rituals, but we never really find out exactly how this is done as well as what the constraints and limitations are. To illustrate, let's talk about what some of the characters have done so far with regards to casting spells or rituals:

Fenris Fenrir

In Chapter 1 of Volume 1, she casts some sort of spell in order to get rid of the gargoyles attacking her. She does this by uttering some words. So, is it that spells can be cast simply by chanting some words? Did she make up the chant to the spell she's casting or is this known by other people? Is this the standard spell used to get rid of gargoyles?

Later on, we see Fenris Fenrir slashing at her hands with a dagger and she appears to be doing some sort of magic ritual or something.

So, it seems that not all spells require the mere chanting of words since the woman had to slash at herself and chant words before she could do this spell or ritual.

How does she know how to do this anyway? Exactly how much blood is needed for her to be able to cast this spell?

When we get to Chapter 5 of the same volume, we see her doing some sort of weird ritual or spell with Balder's sword (known as Guarding Wind). She sets up stuff for this, makes use of the sword and even starts chanting, but how does this work exactly?

Iris Irine

In Volume 1, Chapter 3, Iris Irine says that she will infuse Chaos' sword with the Aesir's powers, but how exactly can she do this? She chants something while moving around and then, seemingly all of the sudden, Vision transforms into a sword of magic. Where did she learn all the things that she knows?

Abilities

Many different abilities can be found in this manhwa, and, while they are certainly cool, they also bring a whole lot of unanswered questions. Let's take a look at some of these abilities:

Flying

Some Ragnarok characters can apparently fly like Lord Irine and even Sara Irine. The question is, can everyone else fly or is it only select characters? How did these characters learn how to fly? Can people fly for long periods of time or is there a limit to how long they can do this?

Teleportation

In Volume 1, Chapter 2, Fenris Fenrir was able to teleport (wind teleportation, she called it) away from the Valkyrie and the Frost Giants. Can everyone else teleport? Can't Sara teleport too? If she can, then why didn't she follow Fenris? What stopped her from following the woman if she can also teleport? If she can't teleport, then why not?

Magical Items

The magical items in this graphic novel are really cool, but they would have been much, much cooler if we knew exactly how these things worked. Let's take a look at some of these stuff:

In Volume 1, Chapter 2, Sara Irine uses what she calls a talisman, but how do these things work in the world of Ragnarok? Where did these items come from? Who made them?

In Chapter 4 of the same volume, Iris makes use of some sort of talisman too and she chants some things while using these items and the effect is different from what Sara did so what are these things then?

We also find out that Fenris Fenrir has what is called a Prophet Medallion, but what is this thing? What can it do? How did it help her find Balder? Later, we also find that there are these things called Rune Cards, which appear to be able to cause explosions or something. But what are Rune Cards?

Extras

It appears that there are portals in this manhwa too since the Valkyrie and her Frost Giants appeared to have arrived in Fayon by way of a portal. But how do portals work? Who can make them? How do you make one? So, can these be used to travel between worlds? Can you go anywhere by way of a portal, regardless of how far your destination is?

What kind of power or ability does Arkana have (other appropriate questions would be who is she and where did she come from)? She suddenly materialized a pitcher from out of nowhere and then proceeded to fill a glass with water just so she can drink. That's cool and all, but how was she able to do that?

So, what do you think about the magic system of Ragnarok: Into The Abyss so far? Do you pay attention to these things? Should people just accept whatever it is the characters can do even if it doesn't seem to make sense anymore?

*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki based on the image by Rusembell (CC:BY) from deviantArt
- Said image is meant to represent the magic system in the comic as the figure is doing some pretty cool magical stuff, which we know nothing about
- The rest of the pics are enlarged product images from Amazon.com; links shown above via Amazon's Native Shopping Ads widget