On August 4 of this year, one of the Precure events for children was held in Tokyo. They’re popular, featuring all sorts of activities, including a live-action stage battle and dress-up corner where girls can transform into their favorite current season Cures and have their photo taken. Something was missing this time. There are outfits for Cure Sky, Cure Prism, and Cure butterfly, but none for Cure Wing! Maybe the … Continue reading →
I’ve been impressed by the writing on the Pretty Cure series from the very first. It’s a great example of Hopepunk, positive and uplifting, with the characters making tough decisions and coming up with different solutions and unconventional tactics. They make things better, but not perfect.
Continue reading →In the last entry I introduced the project to compare episodes from the 2004 Futari Wa Precure with the new series, Hirogaru Sky! Precure. Here we look at the first episode from both:
Continue reading →In a discussion over on urusai.social (mastodon anime instance), I got the idea to watch Hirogaru Sky Precure (new 20th season) and Futari wa Precure (1st season) in synch, and compare them. I’d watched quite a few magical girl anime series, but I was reluctant to try Precure because there were over 600 episodes at the time, and I’d heard that it was aimed at 5-8 year old girls. My … Continue reading →
Back in 2020 I was thinking of starting watching Precure, but was reluctant because there were so many episodes. I asked my friend Margaret about it, and she had written this article a couple months before that. She was sure I would enjoy it, so I decided to start at the beginning. Here’s her article: May 29, 2020 Hello my friends and happy Friday, I wanted to put down a … Continue reading →
My last installment looking at the Heartcatch Precure transformations.
This time it’s Yuri/Cure Moonlight. She was defeated three years ago, her fairy died protecting her, and she’s been living with guilt and depression ever since. But there’s one final chance to redeem herself and help save the world.
See how her experiences are illustrated by the storyboarder and animator’s art:
Continue reading →My third installment looking at the Heartcatch Precure transformations.
Itsuke/Cure Sunshine is the 3rd Heartcatch Cure. She dresses and acts like a boy to help her family dojo, but she loves cute, girly things in secret. Gender conflicts highlight her anxiety. The storyboarder & animator bring this to the fore.
Continue reading →My second installment looking at the Heartcatch Precure transformations.
Now it’s Erika- the loud, enthusiastic blue Cure with no social skills and a passion for fashion. She can go from design to final outfit in nothing flat.
See how her personality and experiences are illustrated by the storyboarder and animator’s art:
Continue reading →The first installment in my series, looking at the Heartcatch Precure transformations.
Tsubomi is the first Cure in Heartcatch. As a 1st Cure, and a Pink one at that, you’d expect she’d be outgoing and enthusiastic- an ideal team leader. Instead she’s pathologically shy, somewhat clumsy, and fixated on flowers and the language of flowers (Hanakotoba).
See how her experiences are illustrated by the storyboarder and animator’s art:
Continue reading →The Japanese esthetic principle of Mono no Aware, the value and pathos of impermanent things viewed through the lens of a Delicious Party Precure episode.
Continue reading →
