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Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure Spoiler-Filled Review

Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure is an original magical girl series directed by Koji Ogawa. It is produced by Toei Animation (which uses the "Izumi Todo" pen name for studio's producers as series creator), a studio founded in January 1948. It's known for over 240 anime, including Cutie Honey, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Smile PreCure!, and Sailor Moon Crystal. Ryunosuke Kingetsu is the show's head writer. As a warning, this review will discuss murder, death, trauma, attempted murder, psychological manipulation, and other mature themes.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the sixty-eighth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on March 3, 2024. On PCM it says this was posted on Mar. 4.

This series has an intriguing story. A girl named Sora Harewataru (voiced by Arkia Sekine) travels to Skyland's main city to watch the birthday of Ellee, the Kingdom's only princess. In an effort to escape her captors from the Underg Empire, she and Ellee (voiced by Aoi Koga) end up in Sorashido City, within Japan. While there, she comes across Mashiro Nijigaoka (voiced by Ai Kakuma). Later on, she meets Mashiro's grandmother, Yoyo (voiced by Tomoko Shiota), a non-human animal named Tsubasa Yuunagi (voiced by Ayumu Murase) which can transform into a Puni bird, and a young adult woman named Ageha Hijiri (voiced by Ayaka Nanase). All of them work together to stop the Underg Empire's evil deeds, and planned kidnapping of Ellee, even if it puts their lives into jeopardy.

Originally, I hadn't planned to review this series. The series isn't as environmentally focused as Tokyo Mew Mew New, nor a dark fantasy like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a comedy such as Tweeny Witches, or a magical fantasy like Little Witch Academia. I changed my mind after reading an Anime News Network chat-log stating that the series "breaks the mold" by introducing the first boy in the Pretty Cure franchise, and an Anime Feminist article by Cy Catwell, which described the series as enjoyable, upbeat, feminine-targeted, and "incredibly empowering."

Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure is more than a magical girl series where Sora transforms into Cure Sky, Mashiro into Cure Prism, and Tsubasa into Cure Wing. Sora has some of the strongest character development of any character in the entire series. She goes from someone who claims she is a hero to the reality, with many bumps around the way. She is only rivaled by what Tsubasa goes through, who is a species of bird, and can't fly, causing his fellow bird peers to make fun of him.

Like other magical girl series, there is yuri subtext, specifically between Sora and Mashiro. In fact, both of them have a combo attack against any Ranborgs summoned by Kabaton (voiced by Yasuhro Mamiya), a general of the Underg Empire. As the series goes forward, their connection with one another gets stronger. It interlinks with camaraderie between the PreCures. For instance, Sora and Mashiro reassure Tsubase, increasing his self-confidence, helping him face his fears and insecurities.

One of the more interesting twists is the reveal that the grandmother of Mashiro, Yoyo, is from Skyland. She helps out the protagonists by connecting a magic mirror back to Skyland, and later, an inter-dimensional tunnel, with the right materials. She is a wise, guiding force, for the characters, and is often aware of more than what she reveals.

While Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure has characteristics typical in the magical girl genre, including transformations, friendship, heroic elements, youth, and femininity, this series is more than that. There are no heterosexual relationships. Rather, there's the aforementioned yuri subtext and a focus on friendship, with the creation of a found/chosen family among the protagonists. Unlike Sailor Moon, two characters buck the idea of the PreCures as princesses: Sora and Tsubasa. Both appear to be more down-and-out fighters, not royalty. Mashiro is the closest to being a princess-like apart from Ellee (an actual Princess).

Uniquely, Sora sees one of the key generals in Skyland, Captain Shalala (voiced by Saiga Mitsuki), as her rolemodel-of-sorts, rather than a king or prince. Just as significant is the fact Tsubasa is a part of the team, showing that the magic-based and gentle power of magical girls isn't just for girls. Instead it makes clear that men can fight without punching or having lots of physical training. In fact, the latter is done by Sora but not anyone else.

There's some parallels between Tsubasa and Steven Universe, in that both do things seen as "girly" and "feminine." However, the latter develops it more than the former. Steven uses his mother's shield (with a rose in the center), his power for self-defense, rather than offense, and often cries, to name a few elements. Despite these differences, Tsubasa is a relatively well-developed character, as much as any other protagonist in this series.

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Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure is more than a series focused on heroism, which uses sky as a main motif and features characters with their own signature power moves. For one, it is novel that Sora spares Kabaton life after he fails his Earth mission for the Underg Empire. As a result, he lives a new non-evil life in Sorashido City.

Sora is just as compelling. She makes up with a fellow guard that she trains alongside in Skyland, showing she has become more of a hero. She wants to fight evil and cares about those around her. Of course, this is not unique to Sora. Other protagonists act similarly, including those in other magical girl series. For instance, the Sailor Scouts in Sailor Moon often go out of their way to protect others, especially if those people are near and dear to them.

Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure shares the message that any obstacle can be overcome, even if it seems insurmountable. Something similar is communicated in Ippon Again!, except the latter series primarily states that hard work can lead to good results. The former is different, as it is more about the value of teamwork and friendship. Of course, this is present in Ippon Again!, but fights are more one-on-one, while those in Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure often feature multiple heroes fighting at once.

The Skyland arc is one of the more gripping plotlines. Sora becomes a member of the Azure Guards and fights against the villainous Battamonda (voiced by KENN / Ken'ichirō Ōhashi), along with other defenders of the city. This arc indicates that near-impossible challenges can be met. Mashiro and Sora use all of their magical girl energy to stop a bomb from destroying the capital of Skyland. This two-episode arc is short-lived. It ends in the fifteenth episode, setting the stage for a return to Sorashido City. The King and Queen are incapacitated by a curse-of-sorts. Captain Shala presumably sacrifices herself to save the city.

In the next two episodes are some of the series' strongest. This arc features protagonists returning to Japan and the grandmother, Yoyo, finding a way to heal the King and Queen. They work together to cheer up Elle and Battamonda follows them, declaring he will stop them no matter what. As was the case in episodes before this, there are huge battles, but everything is always rebuilt afterward. There is also a nice bonding scene, in another episode, between Sora and Mashiro during a relay race, bringing them closer together.

There was some controversy about the sixteenth episode of Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure. Some claimed that one of the banners used had a Japanese imperialist origin. Whether that is the case or not, it pales in comparison to what happened with Oshi No Ko (which is returning with a second season this year). There were even complaints about a subset of that series fandom harassing the mother of professional wrestler Hana Kimura. She previously said that she doesn't want to blame anyone and praised the series for raising "important issues" but wondered if anyone gave it "the proper consideration before releasing it out into the world."

Apart from that, the camaraderie between the characters, the aforementioned yuri subtext between Sora and Mashiro, and the value of self-love are important series themes. When the heroes are pinned down, they use all the strength they can to beat the villains, even if they are facing stronger monsters. This is the case in the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes. In those episodes, Ageha Hijiri goes from being an 18-year-old woman who teaches at a nursery school to a magical girl named Cure Butterfly. She becomes an integral part of the PreCure team. The new opening in the nineteenth episode features her in a much more prominent place.

One of the best parts of the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes of Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure is the fact that Ageha is not some refugee from a magical land (as is the case for Sora and Tsubasa). She's an ordinary person in more ways than one. Having a character who is passionate about primary school education is great. Many magical girls are teenagers, so they aren't necessarily thinking of their future careers. That sets Ageha apart.

Surely, Mashiro is also an "ordinary person," but Ageha is different. She cares about the students of her nursery class. She defends them, and the school, after she transforms into Cure Butterfly. By the nineteenth episode, she has settled in with everyone. She even works with Tsubasa, who's worried about her, to develop a joint attack named "PreCure! Titanic Rainbow." This magic spell involves one person using a paintbrush, turning a being into rainbow, and then using it against an enemy, if I understand it correctly. Basically, it is "death by bird butt," to put it simply. It's even more powerful than Mashiro and Sora's joint spell, named "Updraft Shining."

Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure harps on a theme expressed in episodes of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Cleopatra in Space, and in I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level. Viewers are told that overwork is bad and that breaks are good. This series goes even further: it makes clear that no one should take on everything by themselves, but should share the burden with others. By the end of the nineteenth episode, Tsubasa, Mashiro, Sora, and Ageha all divide up the house duties, embodying elements of a cooperative housing situation.

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Ageha's overwork and over-dedication are the result of her determination to give back to everyone. The series depicts the former as something people shouldn't not strive for. Fitting with the anti-overwork message, collaboration is emphasized. This is not unique to this series. It is present in many magical girl and superhero series, especially when characters in those series are part of a team. Coming back to Ageha, I am reminded of the twenty-eighth episode. In that episode, it's revealed that Ageha knows a well-known model (Maria Saotome), and a well-known model and designer (Kaguya Saotome). Both are her sisters. A divorce separated them and they took different paths. The episode ends with each sister agreeing to do their best and bring a smile to faces of other people, whether in the fashion world or within the classroom.

Ageha isn't the only one who struggles in Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure. Throughout the series, Mashiro often works on picture book illustration and writing. In the twentieth episode, she has writer's bloc and is unable to come up with a "good" original story. She believes she is borrowing from too many other stories. A mother reading to their daughter inspires her. Although there is an obligatory fight scene in this episode, with a monster summoned by an annoyed Battamonda, she still submits her drawing in time for the town's picture book contest. Even though she doesn't win, she dedicates herself to drawing again, which comes up later in the series.

Otherwise, some characters use their knowledge to assist their fellow team members. In the twenty-first episode, Tsubasa defeats Battamonda's summoned monster because he knows that clouds are made of "tiny bits of water and ice." He is helped by the other PreCures, who use their magical attacks, including a joint attack with Ageha. At the episode's end, Yoyo gives him a book and Mirror Pad to help him learn more. In a later episode, Tsubasa connects with Shoko Amauno who knows about airplanes and flying. He uses it to help defeat the summoned monster. The former episode made me think back to a middle school science class I look which included a lesson about different cloud types. I probably still have the handouts from that class!

One of the most heartbreaking Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure episodes follows. Battamonda tricks Sora. He claims that she planted the dark hatred in his heart. Captain Shalala is inside the monster he summoned. He manipulates the monster to attack her. Other PreCures save her, but don't purify the monster after he claims that Undergu energy is keeping her alive. The monster-of-sorts, and Battamonda, disappear. He declares he will continue to play with them until their hearts are "in pieces." The latter happens with Sora. After she says she "doesn't want to fight anymore," her mirage pen disappears, so she can't transform! In this way, Battamonda is one of the worst villains in the entire series. He engaged in psychological warfare against Sora because he tried to make her feel afraid / hopeless / less confident without physically hurting her.

The twenty-third episode brings this full circle. Sora returns to Skyland, believing she has lost everything, since she can't access her powers. While her parents respect her decision, her brother does not. Her friends are worried about her. Yoyo says that she doesn't know how people move forward when their dreams are shattered. Her friends Ageha and Tsubasa are unable to get her out of her funk. Instead, she thinks about the good times she had with Mashiro and that running away isn't what a hero does. While reading Mashiro's letter, and blushing, a new mirage pen appears (a product of her feelings for Mashiro?). Her father tells her that a dream isn't a one-time thing, but can come back repeatedly. Almost like Superman descending from the sky, she comes back with force, and does an amazing Sky Punch.

Unsurprisingly, Battamonda is annoyed. The Mirror Pad collects the right amount of energy before their purification. After Sora does her combo attack with Mashiro, known as PreCure! Updraft Shining, the Captain is released from the monster-of-sorts. She is weak and recovers. The yuri subtext here is strong. Sora and Mashiro hug one another, with Mashiro calling Sora a "hero girl." Mashiro gives Sora back her hero journal. Sora says she will get stronger so that Battamonda, who's on the run, won't hurt her anymore. After this high-stakes action, it is no surprise that they somewhat relax in the next episode after healing the King and Queen with the potion they have collected, and become famous in Skyland.

Ellee is ominously described as a "child of destiny." She appeared out of nowhere, then the King and Queen adopted her. Ageha predicts, in the twenty-fifth episode of Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure, that Ellee will get her own magical powers. They first manifest themselves in her being able to talk to animals. These powers come in handy when fighting a monster summoned by Minoton, another villain of the week, as you could call them. This comes up again in the twenty-ninth episode. Ellee bonds with a stuffed animal, in contrast to Sora, who's terrified out of her mind (she dislikes the animal as it is kowai rather than kawaii), until she learns the animal can talk because it is magic.

This mixes with episodes which have comedic moments or lessons. At the end of the twenty-sixth episode, Mashiro's parents arrive and spend time at the cooperative house-of-sorts she is living in. They have "I Love Mashiro" shirts with them. This embarrasses her, but they only stay a short time before flying back overseas. In another episode, all the PreCures are pulled inside the mirror pad. After Ellee accidentally activates "hidden wild lessons" mode, they go through lessons of sorts. Somehow, they get back just in time for the fireworks. The "obligatory" beach episode, episode thirty, is a bit laid-back. Even so, it includes scary parts: Sora almost drowns while fighting Minoton's summoned monster. In the end, they all have fun time and eat a meal at a beach restaurant.

This series never criticizes the beauty myth or beauty industry. On the other hand, Ageha could have been a model like her sisters, but chooses to be a nursery school teacher. As such, this series bucks the usual storyline, where she would become a model. It echoes how Fuuka Miyazawa, protagonist of the The Aquatope on the White Sand, chooses to leave her idol life behind and work at an aquarium in Okinawa. At the same time, Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure is less girly than Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure, which is much more centered on makeup. The focus on makeup being part of magical transformation is not new, but its central to this franchise.

The thirty-ninth episode is a turning point. It marks the introduction of Skearhead (voiced by Mitsuru Miyamoto). He claims to be ruler of the Undergu Empire, working on behalf of Empress Underg (voiced by Takako Honda). He kidnaps Ellee, to the shock of her friends, but, somehow, she escapes and new PreCure emerges: Cure Majesty. She saves her friends. He withdraws, saying he will remember the name "Cure Majesty." They all are glad that Ellee is ok. In the end, Sora resolves they need to get stronger to defend Ellee from new enemies. This mixes with superb animation throughout, which is often rad and tip-top.

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In the next few Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure episodes, Ellee comes into her own. The fact she is Cure Majesty becomes apparent, even though she can't transform at will at first. Skearhead tries to eliminate her, with Minoton reborn with Undergu energy. He wants all the PreCures to disappear. Whether she gives off vibes from the beginning of Steven Universe or not, her friends are more than happy to help her, as the first toddler PreCure in the franchise. Aoi Koga does a great job voicing all her iterations! Coming back to the character, she leads the way to an ancient ruins where they come across the Majestic Chroniclon, giving them all a super saiyan power boost, and they beat back the dark energy.

Mashiro attempts again to become a picture book author in the thirty-fourth episode. Battamonda, living in the human world as "Monda," in a terrible apartment, next door to Kabaton, tries to "discourage" Mashiro. He claims he is an art student and tries to gain her confidence. However, this does the exact opposite. Mashiro felt down after reading her story at the local library and some kids called it "boring." Later, she thanks him for his words and which surprised him. This was the first time someone cheered him on. At the same time, Skearhead makes more appearances, even as the heroes beat him back with the Majestic Chroniclon's powers.

Episode thirty-five is one better Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure episodes. It centers around Tamaki Shinomiya, a student who also attends Sorashida Academy. She requests Sora be their special coach. Tamaki is injured and can't throw before the next tournament. This puts the team in jeopardy because she's their ace. This episode isn't notable because Skearhead appears, Tamaki learning that Sora is a PreCure, Sora carrying Tamaki in a bridal carry, nor a baseball pitch defeating a conjured monster. Rather, Sora finds a friend who connects with her, even though she isn't a hero with magical powers. Secondly, the episode realistically shows the time of Tamaki's recovery. As a side note, the baseball club loves Sora. The yuri subtext is as strong as when people cheered for Marika Kato when she entered the academy in an episode of Bodacious Space Pirates.

Skearhead gets more dangerous, threatening kids in a nursery school in the thirty-sixth episode. He arrogantly declares, in the episode afterward, that only he needs to know why he is targeting the PreCures. In the process, Tsubasa and Ageha fight alongside one another. Ageha cheers up a sad kid (Takeru) who wants to stay at nursery school. She meets the nursery school teacher who gave her confidence all those years ago. That teacher happens to be Takeru's mother! Ageha and Mashiro also reflect on when their friendship began. They learn that their favorite tree was chopped down and made into a swing that everyone can use. In the second of these two episodes, the monster fight seems unnecessary and obligatory. This is an issue with some, but not all, episodes in this series.

The PreCures continue to take risks. They meet a "flightless" dragon tribe with Tsubasa's help, while Skearhead harasses them, even turning a bell into a monster. In the latter case, Ellee watches a television special about weddings with Aegeha, Sora, and Mashiro. Afterward, she's determined to marry Tsubasa. While he agrees to "play wedding" with her, Ellee is serious about it, and Tsubasa has a nightmare about the marriage. She even holds his book hostage in response and declares she hates him. The episode ends positively. Tsubasa vows to be Ellee's knight and protect her forever. She sees the other PreCures as her friends forever. She doesn't think she is married to anyone. This makes clear that the "marriage" was only a method to ensure she would be friends with Tsubasa forever. On some level, this episode shows the problems with child marriages.

Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure's forty-first episode shakes everything apart. It begins with Mashiro struggling to come up with a theme for a writing contest. Monda acts nice, claiming that power is only for the ones who succeed. She tries to cheer him up and says she likes fallen leaves. Later, Skearhead calls Monda worthless, saying he doesn't deserve to exist, and she defends him. But she is not the one shaken: rather it is Sora. She confronts Skearhead who says the "one they love" wants them to attack the PreCures. She isn't sure what he means. While Monda's words about fallen leaves echo in his mind while the words of Skearhead echo in hers.

This leads to the next episode. Tsubasa researches how to generate a specific type of energy, specifically having in mind a protective shield around Skyland (this foreshadows what happens in a later episode). Sora begins to have feelings of self-doubt. She puts on a strong front to the Captain, but wants to figure out these feelings by herself. Her friends say they will be there for her, supporting her where necessary. It's revealed that Skearhead knows about Tsubasa's research, implying there is a mole providing information to him. Sora continues to hesitate to fight. This clears up when she talks to Skearhead, explaining why she stopped fighting, saying that PreCures are fighting on behalf of the "one they love."

Skearhead retreats but is unfazed. Typically, he declares that "thinking and worrying creates self-doubt in battle" and threatens to destroy the city. In response, she asks if he ever hesitates or worries when he is fighting for someone. She demands an answer from him as to why he is hurting others and making everyone suffer. He says she doesn't need to know why. Instead, in his mind, she needs to "disappear." He calls her naive, saying her beliefs will result in the city's destruction. Sora doesn't give up. She doesn't care if she is naive. She uses her Sky Punch to purify the energy he's gathered. Before he can talk, he's shaken by her power and cowardly flees. Sora later tells her friends what he told her. She remains committed to learning why he is hurting people.

These serious Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure episodes are mixed with fun ones, like the Halloween-themed thirty-ninth episode. Battamonda dresses up as "Cure Pumpkin" and claims he is a PreCure. He wants to make the PreCures look bad, but his plan is an utter failure. He runs away, ashamed and apologized, while all the PreCures get candy. In some ways, the episode sets the stage for the forty-third one. In that episode, Monda agrees with Mashiro, who tells him that she decides her own worth. He attacks Skearhead, who believes that those without power are "worthless."

In addition, he gives Mashiro back her transformer-pen. She is able to, with help of her fellow PreCures, fight back against Monda. He was turned into a monster-of-sorts by Skearhead. Although they almost lose, Mashiro uses one of her spells to make Monda's heart "shine." A combo attack by the PreCures allows them to purify him. He is forgiven by Sora. He apologizes to Mashiro for ripping her notebook. It almost seems he is on the road to becoming a better person/being.

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In the series final arc, more about the "far past" comes to the forefront. Empress Underg tells the PreCures, in the forty-fourth episode, that the Skyland castle was built on "tears of sadness." She wants revenge for what happened in the past. In an almost Steven Universe-esque manner, Sora proposes they talk with her, but she challenges them instead. Their massive attack fails. Their strength is no match for her, and they fall down, transforming back into their usual selves. The Empress blames everything on Ellee, who is shocked to hear this slander. In response, she freezes time thanks to the Majestic Chroniclon.

Ellee, Sora, and Mashiro travel back three hundred years into the past. They meet Princess Elleelain of Skyland. Sora and Mashiro are unable to transform. They do what they can to fight the Ramborgs. Sora remembers the classic stories. As the Empress declares, fighting only brings tears. This episode of Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure makes one thing clear: Ellee is the reincarnation of Cure Noble. This is continued in the forty-fifth episode. Cheer Noble is cheered on, condemning the Emperor of the Underg Empire for attacking against defenseless Puni birds. The Empress, a being born from the sea of Undergu energy, says that strength isn't "everything," standing against Skearhead's conceptions.

What I found fascinating is that the male characters are the ones who promote the idea that strength is "everything." This is one of the feminist messages of this series. Even the Empress tries to stop the fighting, but her father won't listen. Her effort is successful and supported by Cure Noble (who says that fighting brings only tears), and the present-day PreCures (Sora, Mashiro, and Ellee). This is scuttled by Skearhead. He uses the meeting between Cure Noble, the Empress, and Emperor of Underg Empire as a trap/distraction to attack the city. Rightly enraged, Cure Noble goes on the attack and accidentally hurts the Empress. Even so, they achieve peace, but Skearhead is unhappy.

These events have reverberations in the present: the Empress is hardened and refuses to consider peace. Instead, she plans to wipe them out. The PreCures beat her. Skearhead whisks her away before they have a chance to talk to her. This plotline is interrupted by the forty-sixthSoaring Sky! Pretty Cure episode. It centers around ways to cheer-up everyone in Skyland's main city. They have a celebration which resembles Christmas. That episode is one of the only ones without a villain battle. It includes nice Sora/Mashiro moments, with both pledging to protect the world together.

The audience learns about what really happened at the same time as the PreCures. This includes the revelation, in episode forty-seven, that Ellee is a manifestation of Morning Star, otherwise known as Princess Ellee-Lain. She tells them that she put her power in the Majestic Chroniclon. She informs them that good relations between Skyland and the Underg Empire suddenly ended, without warning. Fading away, she tells them that the world's fate is in their hands. Hilariously, while Ellee remains as a teenage girl most of the time, she goes back to becoming a little kid when she gets hungry.

Skearhead is crafty. He claims that he would lay down his life for the Empress. On the other hand, he traps two PreCures in a bubble. He intends on draining their power and attacking the city. Skearhead disappears into nothingness after Ellee (as Cure Majesty) attacks him. He claims this is his "last lesson" to the Empress. Understandably, she is horrified. Sora tells her the truth: if she had talked to them, it wouldn't have come to this. The Empress claims that Cure Noble attacked her father and ended the relations between her country in Skyland. Conveniently, Skearhead isn't there, so no one can get to the truth and question her story's validity.

The story that the Empress tells gives the audience a window into her perspective. She believes that Skearhead saved her and says she has lost everything. She claims she has nothing left due to the reported "death" of Skearhead at Ellee's hand. Echoing Cassandra's wildly-powerful moonstone powers in Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, she calls forth all the Undergu energy, and tries to destroy the entire city. The PreCures do what they can to stop her. Some citizens are evacuated. Even former villains, like Kabaton, Minoton, and Battamonda, reappear. They are now on the side of the PreCures.

At first, it seems like the PreCures have made a breakthrough. She goes back to her normal form after they tell her that strength isn't everything. Mashiro and Sora do their PreCure Updraft Shining combo attack to purify her. Before she can say anything, Skearhead, like a unhinged groundhog, pops out of nowhere. He stabs her through the body with a spear. This action is either attempted reginicide [killing of a queen] or, more specifically, attempted tyrannicide since the Empress is effectively a tyrant.

Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure's penultimate episode raises the stakes. Like a light bulb flickering on in a dark closet, the Empress remembers something she'd forgotten: Skearhead killed her father. He replaced her actual memory with a false one. To cover his tracks, he created the memory that Cure Noble betrayed her. This ensured that her body and mind would be tied to Undergu energy. He reveals his true form to the PreCures: an incarnation of Undergu energy named Darkhead. He psychologically damages the Empress even more, declaring that he doesn't love her at all. This causes her to realize that everything she believed has been a lie. This is all part of the series' feminist themes.

This all leads to one of the best series sequences. The PreCures travel to the Underg Empire to save the Empress. Along the way, PreCures continue peeling off to fight the Ramborgs. By the end, only Sora and Mashiro are left. They confront Darkhead who only saw the Empress as an effective "vessel" believing that a "hero's light" was inside her. He sees Sora as a better vessel. He uses the sea of Undergu energy to turn her into Dark Sky! While this energy flow is poisonous to PreCures, she fights him regardless. Through her determination, she beats him, with the help of Mashiro. She is able to purge him from her body permanently.

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Although Skearhead / Darkhead is gone (in a sense) and the Empress is healed, as a side effect, their battle is not over. Before they begin, they bond with the Empress. Sora defines a hero for her: a person fighting no matter what stands in their way and believing that your convictions are right. She admits that she isn't great or naive enough to call herself a hero. Her friends have always supported her. The PreCures prepare themselves to fight, and win against, an evil snake beast known as Daijurg (another form of Skearhead / Darkhead).

In the Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure series finale, the Empress rejects Daijurg/Darkhead/Skearhead. They all de-transform since they have been transformed too long. Sora raises their spirits, declaring that the ability to be a PreCure is infinite, and inside them. In effect, she says that everyone has infinite possibility. Somehow, they are able to defeat the snake monster on Earth and purify it. Everything ends happily. The Empress declares that they will have a lasting peace in Skyland. Kabaton, Minoton, and Battamonda join her.

A fissure appears: Ellee, Tsubasa and Sora prepare to go back to their world (Skyland). Mashiro stays behind on Earth. They say their goodbyes. The most emotional moment is between Mashiro and Sora. She even jokes about how many times they held hands and says she loves Mashiro's smile. In response, Mashiro calls her cool and strong. This break doesn't last long. The next morning, Ellee, Tsubasa, and Sora come back so they can eat breakfast together. The series ends with Mashiro making a picture book featuring all of them, and herself. It's akin to Rapunzel's journal in Tangled. In a post-credits scene, Cure Wonderful, from the currently airing Pretty Cure series, Wonderful PreCure!, makes her debut.

This series is better than the decent adult PreCure, entitled Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom, a clear nostalgia trip. Its longer than Delicious Party Pretty Cure, the previous series in the Pretty Cure / PreCure franchise. That series had forty-five episodes. After this series ended, Wonderful PreCure! replaced it in the same time slot on All-Nippon News Network. Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure could have been longer. In a weird and unfortunate coincidence, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure had more episodes, including the film as one episode. That is despite the fact that final season had its final series order cut from thirty-six episodes down to twenty-one, resulting in a total episode count of sixty.

If the series received another ten episodes, it could have involved a corrupted Cure Sky becoming Dark Sky as a cliffhanger, possibly turning against her fellow PreCures. She could become a fallen magical girl of sorts. The latter led to fanart of Dark Sky and Cure Prism together, sometimes in very compromising positions. In the series, as it stands presently, the day is saved, arguably, by lesbian love between Sora and Mashiro. Additional episodes could have canonized this yuri subtext. To my knowledge, there aren't any canon lesbian characters in the PreCure franchise. There's only subtext which fans recognize from time to time.

Whether there is wasted potential or not, the writers clearly wanted to quickly wrap up the series. This allowed the series to set the stage for Wonderful PreCure!, the next PreCure series.Although I enjoyed the series conclusion, since it tied up loose ends, I don't understand why all the PreCures couldn't have lived together in the human world. Perhaps some fanfiction writers will imagine these possibilities, and others, adding to the over 180 fics for the series on AO3.

The show's crew and cast are talented. Series director Koji Ogawa worked on other Pretty Cure and magical girl series, along with Chaos Dragon and Dragon Ball Super. Ryunosuke Kingetsu was head writer for Ninja Nonsense and Futakoi Alternative and a writer on Märchen Mädchen. Series character designer Atsushi Saitō, worked on Clannad, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Healer Girl, Is the Order a Rabbit?, K-On!, and Love Live! Superstar!!. The fact that I enjoyed watching most of these aforementioned series made me like this series more.

Voice actors for the show's four protagonists are just as experienced. Akira Sekine voiced Princess Charlotte, a protagonist of Princess Principal, along with characters in Asobi Asobase, Assault Lily Bouquet, Akebi's Sailor Uniform, and Birdie Wing. Ai Kakuma voiced Hazuki Kudo in Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible, Ilia Coral in The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, and Natsu Umehara in Ippon Again!. She will voice Kaori Tachibana in Whisper Me a Love Song in April and Yuri Shibasaki in The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today in July.

Ayumu Murase and Ayaka Nanase, who voice two other protagonists, are also seasoned voice actors. Murase voices Kento Yamada in Skip and Loafer and Hachi in My Roommate is a Cat. Nanase voices Mary Read in Fena: Pirate Princess and Noa Shiragiku in Tsurune. Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure voice actors Aoi Koga, Tomoko Shiota, Yasuhro Mamiya, and Saiga Mitsuki are known for their roles in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, The Demon Girl Next Door, Asteroid in Love, Princess Principal: Crown Handler, Yurikuma Arashi, Ouran High School Host Club, Maria Watches Over Us, Spy × Family, and Stars Align.

Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure can be streamed on Crunchyroll, and, hopefully has a DVD or Blu-ray physical release in the U.S.

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historyhermann · 2 months

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From "Oblivion" to "Zodiac": Collin Higgins and his pop culture library reviews

Jack fights for his life in the New York Public Library in a scene of Oblivion On February 7th, I wrote about Colin Higgins and fictional librarians in film, talking about reviews on his now-defunct blog, Librarians at the Movies. I’m continuing that in this post and going a different direction than my post last week about love in the fictional library. As a warning to all of those who are…

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historyhermann · 2 months

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The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess Spoiler-Filled Review

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess, also known as Hikikomari Kyūketsu Hime no Monmon, is an adventure fantasy anime. It’s based on a Japanese light novel series written by Kotei Kobayashi and illustrated by Riichu. Currently, ten volumes of the light novel have been published, along with two manga volumes. As a warning, there will be discussion of sexual assault, sexual harassment,…

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historyhermann · 3 months

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Spy x Family Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review

Spy x Family is an action spy comedy based on Tatsuya Endo’s manga. It is directed and written by Takahiro Harada. The first season aired in two cours / parts from April to December 2022. Kazuhiro Furuhashi directed and wrote that season. Wit Studio and CloverWorks produce this series. The latter studio is known for Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, My Dress-Up Darling, In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki,…

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historyhermann · 3 months

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Spy x Family Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review

Spy x Family is an action spy comedy based on Tatsuya Endo's manga. It is directed and written by Takahiro Harada. The first season aired in two cours / parts from April to December 2022. Kazuhiro Furuhashi directed and wrote that season. Wit Studio and CloverWorks produce this series. The latter studio is known for Akebi's Sailor Uniform, My Dress-Up Darling, In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki, and Bocchi the Rock!. The former studio produced Attack on Titan's first three seasons. As a warning, there will be discussion of blood, violence, death, murder, and other mature themes.

Spy x Family focuses on three people staying together as a family unit, each for their own reasons. Twilight (voiced by Takuya Eguchi) receives the top-secret mission, Operation Strix, from the Westphalia intelligence agency (otherwise known as WISE). They want to stop war from breaking out between the East and West by investigating reactionary political leader Donovan Desmond. Twilight lives in Berlint as a psychiatrist named Loid Forger. He's the patriarch of a mock family including himself, his wife, Yor Forger née Briar (voiced by Saori Hayami), and his adopted daughter, Anya (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki). He's unaware that Yor is secretly an assassin named Thorn Princess or that Anya is a telepath. They all live together, hiding their true identities from one another.

The first episode of this season, episode twenty-six, re-introduces viewers to the characters. This includes Bond (voiced by Kenichirō Matsuda), who can see the future, akin to Garnet's future-vision in Steven Universe. The opening is more aberrant and cartoony, differing from those for the two cours /parts of season one. I like the openings of those cours much better. This season opening gives the impression that this season will be wild and out of control. That somewhat pans out.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and my personal WordPress blog. This was the sixty-sixth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on February 7, 2024.

There's no doubt that this season is more centered on female characters, especially Yor, than previous episodes. Surely, Anya has received a huge spotlight, leading to the nomination of her character as a "must protect at all costs" character during the Crunchyroll's Anime Awards this year. Anya's voice actor was also nominated for another award. However, Yor hasn't received as much of a spotlight. This season changes that. The season's first episode involves Yor and Loid going on a date after he notices her foul mood. In reality, a "bad person" shot her in the butt, while she was working as an assassin, and it hurts badly. Adding to the comedy, Anya and "Scruffy Head" (also called Franky), follow them.

This episode shows Yor and Anya's inner strength. For instance, Anya uses her telepathic powers to stop someone who wants to kill Yor. She makes a bomb out of peanuts, telling the assassin to go back to his normal life. Yor eats a poisonous blowfish but survives because she has a built-up immunity to poisons. As a result, she enjoys her time with Loid and wants to go out on more dates with him. The next day, Loid has no idea what's wrong. In reality, the medicine/poison has worn off and she feels terrible again, making him lament that he doesn't understand women. From the get-go, it was clear that Yor would get "her due" this season.

Spy x Family episodes after this focus on male characters. Bond figures out a way to stay alive. Damian Desmond (voiced by Natsumi Fujiwara) goes on a field trip with his classmates, and an instructor named Mr. Green (voiced by Hiroshi Shirokuma), to the wilderness. The latter resembled a scene from Laid-Back Camp, and reminded me of my days in Boy Scouts, including a trip to the Adirondacks. The twenty-eighth episode focuses on an operation against Franklin, who distributed underground newspapers, and spotlighted secret police officer Yuri Briar (voiced by Kensho Ono). Although he has been shown as harsh, Yuri tried to be compassionate. He agreed to give Franklin's father financial aid.

This series doesn't attempt to portray Yuri's work comedically. Rather, its shown negatively. Historically, both sides in the Cold War developed secret police forces. They were tasked with preventing the other side from overthrowing their government. Austin Murphy wrote in The Triumph of Evil: The Reality of the USA's Cold War Victory that East German secret police were tasked with protecting "government leaders and buildings...uncovering plots to overthrow the government, collecting information...and spying in the West." He described how political repression and secret police actions in Eastern Europe were exaggerated by the U.S. government and mainstream press. In this series, it does not go against this perception. The idea the East is "bad" and the West is "good" is ingrained in the plot. In this series, the Eastern secret police are brutal agents of repression, engaging in surveillance and harsh interrogation.

Yuri is determined to track down Twilight. He is not aware that Twilight is married to his sister, Yor, as Loid. Even so, he is angry at Loid, due to his obsession with his sister. Anya dislikes him. Otherwise, there's a scenario from an episode of the in-series show, Bondman. Bondman creates a harem of eight women. He declares he'll make all these women like him. Fissures form. Some women are angry at not getting enough attention from him and the harem breaks apart. After Anya asks him about it, Loid rejects Bondman's actions, which echo polyamorous relationships. He say that Bondman was only being "gentlemanly" and hints that he doesn't like the idea of relationships with multiple people. I would say it is more about respecting other people rather than a statement against polyamory and favoring monogamous relationships.

I'd forgotten how many slice-of-life moments are in Spy x Family before an arc which compromises almost half the season. Anya rides on a silly polar bear machine. Loid realizes he doesn't understand the children's minds. Anya is determined to get legendary pastries from the Eden College pastry chef. Perhaps hinting at the future, Anya cries in front of Damian. He loses the game of Old Maid, as a result. She gets a macron, following her failed efforts to be a "cool liar" and almost being exposed for being a mind-reader.

One of my favorite slice-of-life moments is where Franky Franklin (voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino) and Yor work together to find a cat named Kopi. Kacey (voiced by Marie Ôi), a girl who works at a nearby cafe, owns the cat. This scene artfully combines combination of humor, technology, and action. Franky develops cat-shaped listening devices which cats destroy, and a device which shoots out catnip pheromones, which work too well. In the end, Franky is disappointed. Kacey has a partner named Mark. Yor is glad she helped Franky. This fades away when she's called into a room to answer a call from her boss-of-sorts. She learns about another assassin mission.

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Episodes 30-34, and part of 35, comprise the cruise liner arc. It is perhaps one of the best Spy x Family arcs due to the focus on Yor, something severely lacking in the series up to this point. Apart from episode 26, Yor had been treated as a secondary character among the protagonists. This echoed Oshi no Ko. That series centers around the perspective of Aquamarine "Aqua" Hoshino. Female perspectives are downplayed. Some critics raised the same issue about Helluva Boss.

The latter is curious. Hazbin Hotel, also created by Vivienne Medrano, centers on female characters. This raises the question as to why more wasn't done in Helluva Boss. Medrano defended this decision in a Twitter thread. She said "Hazbin has always had a heavier emphasis on women led stories, so Helluva has steered more towards male-led stories." She added even with such storytelling, she still loved female characters in the series.

Coming back to Spy x Family, the arc started off strong. Yor meets her aforementioned boss-of-sorts, known as the Shopkeeper (voiced by Junichi Suwabe). She receives her mission: protecting someone seeking asylum in the East. Her mission is complicated when she learns that Anya and Loid have tickets on the same luxury cruise ship, the Princess Lorelei. It is in-character for Anya to be excited for the cruise and then be disappointed once she entered the living quarters.

Yor protects Olka (voiced by Aya Endō), her son Gram (voiced by Marie Ôi), and Olka's husband, Zeb (voiced by Shinya Takahashi). Olka and Zeb have shared wartime experiences. Olka gave Zeb a piece of bread when he was starving which brought them closer together. Assassins threaten Yor and her clients. Some even bug the entire vessel.

The episode that follows involves Yor fighting off an assassin, masquerading as someone providing room service. She;s assisted by Matthew McMahon (voiced by Kenyū Horiuchi), the director. Loid notices wiretaps and tries to avoid suspicious characters. At the same time, there's a substory between Loid and Anya. She tries to ensure that assassins don't try to kill or attack Yor and attempts to distract Loid. In the process, Yor and the Director use brutal tactics to defend their clients (Olka, her husband, and son). This includes Yor killing someone with a button and another with her hand strength, while the Director throws an assassin into the water.

The thirty-second, thirty-third, and thirty-fourth episodes of Spy x Family give more depth to Yor. This mixes with Franky realizing that he can "pick up" women with Bond and Anya continuing to distract Loid in one way or another. In the process, she ends up enjoying mini-golf, going on roller-skates, attending a play, and so on, rather than thinking about helping Yor. She realizes that she is worrying Loid and notes that she misses Yor. In response, Loid says he will leave a message to let them know when Yor is free.

These episodes feature some of the most brutal fights for Yor, which she wins. Anya assists her. She convinces people that Yor is only a circus performer. As a result, assassin becomes distracted and Yor leaves victorious. She kills other assassins through various means. Blood, violence, murder, and death in this episode make clear that this series is for adults.

Yor's battles against assassins is some of the best action sequences in the entire series. The flowing animation fits well with the music and voice acting, all while she begins to question what she is fighting for. At one point, she gets cornered. She contemplates what would happen if she died. She remembers why she took on the job as assassin: to protect the simple life of her brother, Yuri. To fulfill that mission, she vows to "thoroughly clean" the world and ensure Loid acknowledges her.

She doesn't give up. Using her strong kick, she lurches the enemy assassin backward and kills him. This episode, the thirty-fourth in the series, is shorter than others. It provides appropriate context for Yuri becoming sick that his sister isn't around. As he drinks terrible herbal tea, he remembers when Yor went to extreme lengths so he would feel better. This led to determination to make the world gentler for her. This goal echoes what she is trying to accomplish as an assassin.

The thirty-fourth episode of Spy x Family is the final one entirely focused on this arc. The stakes are higher than before. Yor is determined to defend Olka and her family, who were formerly part of the Mafia, and attempting to defect. The fireworks distracts everyone from the bloody battle. Anya unknowingly saves all the passengers by giving hints to Loid and finding Yor's weapon. Loid disarms the bombs on board, one of which unintentionally kills two assassins.

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Yor is unsure how her weapon got there, not aware that Anya is her unstated accomplice. But, she's glad that her fight is over. Loid hints at possible tensions to come: a group of miscreants attempt to destroy the vessel using bombs resembling those from the West. They hope war will break out, again, causing weapons sales to skyrocket. Loid's quick thinking, and clues from Anya, ensure that all the bombs are found and disarmed. One bomb causes two extremists to be knocked into the water and be eaten by sharks.

Yor's victory not only benefits the Garden, the "extremist terrorist group" she is part of, but Olka. She thanks Yor and hopes that her family, some day, can have true peace. Yor gets permission to meet with Loid and Anya. Loid is tired and annoyed he put his family aside. Yor does medical care on herself. The arc doesn't end until the next episode, in which they them relax on Resort Island. Yor attempts to hide her injuries, even while they go snorkeling, go to a cafe, ride a tandem bike, ride a zip-line, ride hoses, build sand castles, or do spelunking. Through all of this, they enjoy themselves. After everything they have been through in Spy x Family up to this point, it is only right they get to relax.

After Yor and Anya conk out, Loid carries them both in a double princess carry. Following this, they return home, and Bond greets them. Loid tells his boss about what happened on the cruise ship, noting that some suspicious people were aboard. His boss reveals that the State Security Service is covering up what happened and says they will keep an eye on Ostanian "extremists." Funny enough, Loid says that after everything Anya put him through, he has had enough vacations. He describes it as more backbreaking than his usual missions, making clear the challenges of being a parent (albeit of an adopted child).

Although this arc is enjoyable, I'm doubtful there will be another Yor-centered arc in Spy x Family. In the second half of the episode, which ended the arc, Yor attempts to give her co-workers skeleton keychains, an idea they are lukewarm to. Loid prepares the apartment for Yuri's arrival. Anya attempts to brag about her cruise ship visit. However, this is a magnificent failure. This is a "normal thing" for students at this elite private school. Everyone makes fun of her. She attempts to lie about it but this does not work. They all commiserate, with Loid, Yuri, and Yor absurdly telling Anya that liars are terrible, even though they are all lying. Anya responds, saying that lying is too much work and that she isn't going to do it anymore.

Following the end of this arc, there are stories which focus on two female characters: Becky Blackbell (voiced by Emiri Katō) and Nightfall / Fiona Frost (voiced by Ayane Sakura). For the first of these characters, Becky attempts to use "lessons" she learned from Berlint in Love to express her "love" for Loid. It's an expression of her privileged mindset. Whether this obsession is a stand-in for fans who like Loid or male anime characters, I'm not sure.

A possible second cour / part of this season, could expand upon her assistant, who Loid remarked carries herself like a soldier. It is typical for Becky to think that Loid is acting sweet toward her, when he is being nice only because he sees her as a good source of information, knowing that the Blackbell family runs an arms manufacturing business. They are "masters of war" as Bob Dylan once described such people. Of all of them, Yor realizes that Becky is happy to meet Loid, who is wary of Becky.

The episode has some of the worst misunderstandings I've seen in a while. Yor jumps to the wild conclusion that she put alcohol in Becky's drink, not realizing that Becky is fawning over Loid, and rushes her to the hospital. Becky ends up clearing everything up. But, Yor isn't angry with her. She appreciates that Loid is loved. She tells Becky that Loid chose her because she is strong. This leads to another misunderstanding, on Becky's part: that Loid prefers strong women.

She tries to use a hammer to hit a pan, and ring a bell, a common game used to test someone's strength. This is another failure for Becky because the hammer is too heavy. Yor uses it, gets first place, and breaks the machine, because she can't control her strength. Becky realizes that she isn't a match for Yor and offers to become her apprentice. Yor happily agrees.

For the first time in the season, Nightfall appears. She's still deeply in love with Loid. The Handler / Sylvia Sherwood (voiced by Yūko Kaida) warns her to not push herself too hard. Her missions are aptly interspliced with Loid and his family on vacation. She perfectly executes all the missions that Loid would have been tasked with if he wasn't on the cruise ship.

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Once again, she plays the role of the romantic interloper. She's determined to take the role of Loid's wife, wanting to achieve "complete victory," even going through intense training. After Loid returns, she tries to ask if Operation Strix has changed and he tells her no. He does not tell her what happened on the cruise ship. She is overjoyed to receive a gift from Loid. He gave it to her in appreciation for all the hard work she did while he was gone. Although she doesn't know that, she skips happily.

In some ways, Nightfall shares a similar obsession to Yor's brother, Yuri. She isn't the most sympathetic, considering the fact she wants to split apart the burgeoning romance between Yor and Loid, by claiming Loid as her "prize." In reality, Loid has no feelings for her whatsoever. He only sees her as a diligent and skilled agent. Undoubtedly, she is dedicated. She works hard for the same goals as Loid. It remains to be seen if he will shatter her love for him.

The final episode of this Spy x Family cour centers on Bond. He tries to use his future-vision for good, causing problems at first, at least until he runs into a burning building and saves a pug dog named Daisy, with the help of Loid. Both escape and stop the man who set the fire. It is revealed that Bond is actually very skinny. His fur makes him look more puffy.

Loid is proud of Bond, although annoyed he bit the arsonist in the wrong place (the leg rather than the arm). He says the top priority is making Bond feel he is part of the Forgers, with his training taking a back seat. He promises to bring him to a dog park the next day. Later, Anya gives him and Bond fake Stella starts. Loid wants Anya to get real Stellas.

The episode ends with Damian studying and getting in a pillow fight with his dorm mates, Becky posing with her dog and trying on new clothes, Yuri eating his sister's terrible cooking in which he sprays blood, Nightfall practicing her shooting with Loid's photo in the middle, and the Forgers having a nice meal together. It says "see you next Mission" at the end. This episode is the last one for a while. The next cour is reportedly coming in October of this year. The movie, Spy x Family Code: White, released in Japanese theaters last year. It will release in theaters, and on streaming services (like Crunchyroll) sometime this year. A date has not been announced.

It is worth noting that manga artist Tatsuya Endo, who created the original Spy x Family series (for which this anime adaptation is based) has worked on manga series since 2000. While this has, primarily, included one-shots such as Blade of the Moon Princess and I Spy, there has also been serialized stories such as the action-thriller, Tista. He has been created as an illustrator for three books. Spy x Family is the first of his manga to receive an anime adaptation.

Endo is said to create well thought-out characters. Some say he writes stories which indicate negative or positive shifts in psychological states of characters. This translates into this anime. Anya, Loid, and Yor are more than they seem on the surface. Each one is trying to hide their true identities, either as a telepath, spy, or assassin. This is partially what drew them all together, and keeps them as a family, with each of them acting the part. As Jaques, an exiled noble, famously stated in William Shakespeare's 1516 pastoral comedy, As You Like It, "all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

(K)now_Name, a J-pop music group, composed the show's music. Comprised of three vocalists, seven composers, and one illustrator, (K)now_Name also produced opening and ending themes for Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, Sakura Quest, Fairy Gone, and Dorohedoro. The group did the theme song of Quiz RPG: The World of Mystic Wiz too. The music in this series earned the series some nominations, for various songs, in the recent anime awards hosted by Crunchyroll.

The English dub and Japanese voice actors enhance these aspects. Takuya Eguchi, Atsumi Tanezaki, Saori Hayami, and Kenichirō Matsuda, who voice the four protagonists, are emblematic of this. Eguhi voiced Kazuya Kujo in Gosick, Julius Euclius in Re:Zero, and Byakudanji Tsubaki in My Master Has No Tail. Tanezaki voiced Mizore Yoroizuka in Sound! Euphonium Season 2, Rio Futaba in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Sajuna Inui in My Dress-Up Darling, Eiko Kikuchi in Shine Post, Gyokuyō in The Apothecary Diaries, Serina Yoshida in The Dangers in My Heart, and Iroha Inukai / Cure Friendy in Wonderful PreCure! (currently airing).

In addition, Hayami voiced Chizuka Nishikigi in Whispered Words, Mylene Certon in Bodacious Space Pirates, Midori Aoyama in Is the Order a Rabbit?, Yuzuki Shiraishi in A Place Further than the Universe, and Viola Cadaverini in Ace Attorney. She also voiced Maria Campbell in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Ruby Rose in RWBY: Ice Queendom, Inori in Shy, and Charlotte Evans in I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness.

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Matsuda voiced characters in Pluto, Tearmoon Empire, and Chainsaw Man. Hiroyuki Yoshino, Yūko Kaida, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Natsumi Fujiwara, Emiri Katō, Kensho Ono, Ayane Sakura, Umeka Shōji, Manaka Iwami, and Junichi Suwabe are just as talented. Yoshino voiced Masaaki Ohyama in Azumanga Daioh, Shakti in Carole & Tuesday, and Jaron Fate in Metallic Rouge (currently airing). Kaida voiced Minako Tsukiyama in Maria Watches Over Us, Amane Ootori in Strawberry Panic!, Nanette in Emma: A Victorian Romance, Sakura Muroi in Stars Align, Seira Amawashi in Birdie Wing, and Flare in The Executioner and Her Way of Life. Adding to this, Yamaji, Shoji, and Iwami voice many characters across anime.

Ono voiced Mikazuki Subaru in My Roommate is a Cat and Fujiwara voiced Yozora in the absurdist Too Cute Crisis. Katō voiced Himari Uehara in BanG Dream! seasons two and three. At the same time, Sakura voiced Alisa Ayase in Love Live! School Idol Project, Natsumi Koshigaya in Non Non Biyori, Cocoa Hoto in Is the Order a Rabbit?, Ran Mitake in BanG Dream!, and Kurei in Do it Yourself!!. Iwami has many roles under her belt, as of late. This includes Akane Kurokawa in Oshi no Ko, Euphyllia Magenta in The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Kokona Ōtori in World Dai Star, and Sakuna Memoir in The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess.

Presently, English dubs for most second season episodes are on Crunchyroll, but not on Disney+ (with Hulu Bundle) or Hulu as of yet. I plan to watch the dubbed episodes like I did with season one. Although I enjoyed watching this series, I wish the cruise ship arc had been longer. More episodes focusing on female characters, particularly Yor, would be great.

For that reason, and the fact the story too easily falls into the East (bad) / West (good) dichotomy, I am rating the story section lower than in my first season review. In that review, I was far too charitable when it came to storytelling issues. While saying this, I look forward to what the second season and film has to bring. I hope for more stories centered on female characters, like Yor, Anya, Becky, and Nightfall, in the future.

Spy x Family is streaming on Hulu, Disney+ (with Hulu Bundle), and Crunchyroll. Misordered episodes can be purchased on Prime Video. Also, you can order the Blu-ray or DVD for the series from the Crunchyroll Store.

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historyhermann · 3 months

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Stardust Telepath Spoiler-Filled Review

Stardust Telepath, also known as Hoshikuzu Terepasu or Hoshikuzu Telepath, is a sci-fi yuri series. It’s based on a three-volume manga illustrated and written by Rasuko Ōkuma. Kaori directed the series. She supervised the show’s script with Natsuko Takahashi. Studio Gokumi produced the series. Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the sixty-fifth article I wrote for Pop…

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historyhermann · 3 months

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Yuri and Beyond: LGBTQ+ Representation in Animation in 2023

2023 began with a bang, with the premiere of the yuri anime The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady a.k.a. MagiRevo on January 5th, Velma on January 12th, The Legend of Vox Machina on January 20th, and Princess Power on January 30th. It went far beyond those which premiered last year, despite less yuri anime airing in 2023. [1] As a warning, there will…

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historyhermann · 3 months

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I’m not sure you’re aware but ,Moon girl season 2 airs February 2. Are you watching it when it airs on Disney channel if you have cable the ratings where low last season , cause Disney sucks at marketing their animated shows. But we also have to watch it on Disney + on February 3 the most, and when they air it on YouTube. I’m not just saying only cable I’m saying please support this show. They are airing 2 episodes a week just like last season. Please watch the episodes when they air too.

Unfortunately they might be dropping 14 episodes on Disney + so watch them all in one day ,then but also when they air the first time. I’ve been told it will help Season 2 is going to be more story driven ,it’s at risk of getting canceled after 2 seasons,If the ratings arnt better. Especially on Disney + Disney is judging the show views on how many binge the show on February 3. Please don’t Disney screw this show over like the others.we need all the views we can get so help spread awareness of the series and what’s at stake here.

Thanks for your message! Yes I definitely plan on watching it on Feb. 3 (I don't have the Disney Channel on my TV) on Disney+. Considering it is 14 episodes in one day, I'll undoubtedly watch them all, but since its a Saturday, I'll probably watch more than I would any other day of the week. I can't say whether I'd binge them all on one day, but I certainly would watch all of them legally. I'm excited to see what the second season of Moon Girl has to bring.

#moon girl and devil dinosaur #disney plus #binge watching

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historyhermann · 3 months

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Librarians of Color on “Pop Culture Library Review”: A 2023 Assessment

From left to right, top row: Motofumi Mashiko in Libra of Nil Admirari, Hazel in Somali and the Forest Spirit, Praline in Somali and the Forest Spirit, Ms. Green in Young Love, and Kana Kishimoto in Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. From left to right, bottom row: Seiya Tsukishima in Whisper of the Heart, Nel and Rhea in Saving You (ep 36 #3: “Sometimes I Don’t“), unnamed librarian in Gradually…

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historyhermann · 3 months

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Kizuna no Allele Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review

Kizuna no Allele is an idolish music series directed by Kenichiro Komaya. Wit Studio and Signal.MD produce the series. Deko Akao wrote the show’s scripts. The first season/cour aired from April to June 2023. Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the sixty-third article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on Jan. 20, 2024. The…

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#artifical intelligence #Black people #Carole & Tuesday #crunchyroll #fan fiction #idol anime #Kizuna no Allele #LGBTQ+#Love Live!#memory #music #My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 #Revolutionary Girl Utena #Selection Project #Trans people #tsundere #VTubers #Wit Studio #yuri subtext

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historyhermann · 3 months

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Kizuna no Allele Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review

Kizuna no Allele is an idolish music series directed by Kenichiro Komaya. Wit Studio and Signal.MD produce the series. Deko Akao wrote the show's scripts. The first season/cour aired from April to June 2023.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the sixty-third article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on Jan. 20, 2024.

The twelve-episode second season/cour begins with a lively opening. It continues to center around five individuals: Miracle (voiced by Ayumi Hinohara), Noelle (voiced by Yuka Nukui), Riz (voiced by Arisa Hanawa), Chris (voiced by Hikari Codama), and Quan (voiced by Rina Kawaguchi). All five go to Artist Garden (Aden) Academy. They team up as PathTLive, planning to beat their fellow students so they can enter the Virtual Grid Awards (VGA), representing the academy. However, they encounter bumps along the way.

This crops up in the first episode of this season. Miracle is impressed by another group, BRT5. At the same time, Quan's issues with self-confidence come to the surface. For one, she falsely believes that Miracle was only "being nice" to her and that she is weak, which is bringing down the group as a whole. To make matters worse, a dark-skinned character, Sofia (voiced by Yūna Kitahara), tries to recruit Chris, who growls with her, and believes Sofia is dangerous. More specifically, she sees Sofia as taking Miracle away from her, and is clearly jealous. Its one manifestation of the yuri subtext in this series. PathTLive's competitors include Zoe, Ximena, Halle, Jessie, Sarah, Ellie, and Niska, each in their own groups. This episode concludes, after Miracle's strategy is shot down and everyone wants to collaborate with artists other than Miracle, with Quan being recruited by BRT5.

Surely, there are VTuberesque post-credits scenes, intended on making the characters more personable, and a new ending sequence. Even so, Kizuna no Allele is still not my favorite, by a long shot. Despite that, it has some good parts. The series excelled in depicting Quan's struggles, insecurities, and self-doubt. She goes from not wanting to hold back the group to singing along with fellow BRT5 bandmates. She resolves to stay so she can surpass them.

At the same time, she remains friendly with Miracle in real-life. The reason for this is simple: she wants to walk by Miracle's side. She doesn't want others shining the light on her. She wants to shine the light on herself. Instead, she wants to be a "shine post" of sorts akin to characters in the Shine Post anime. Possibly, Quan is written as a positive portrayal of a trans or non binary person. This is clear, in some ways, to the viewer.

Miracle is deeply impacted by Quan's revelation of her real intentions and that the person in the atrium is herself in the real world. Miracle is upset, confused, and unsure what is going on. She meets Niska (voiced by Yūri Matsuoka), a woman who was part of BRT5, in a secluded cabin. Niska tells her that she should come back anytime she feels lost. Quan's suffering and struggling is somewhat equivalent to those having issues coming-out as queer. Quan grows a lot in the series. She goes from a shy and nervous person to a more self-confident woman fighting for a light that is hers alone. In a later episode, Halle reveals that she is pushing Quan to have more self-confidence, so she doesn't feel down about herself.

The romantic friendship between Chris and Miracle involves secret lessons and a visit to the aforementioned secret cabin. In the fifteenth episode of Kizuna no Allele, they talk with Niska about why she left BRT5. She recalls that her fellow comrades told her to focus on the group rather than being a designer. As a result, she quit the group. Her goal was to be a designer and virtual artist at the same time. In the same conversation, she argued that people don't understand each other or get along. In her view, this is because people look at how other people are different, rather than the same. Her words encourage Chris to ask Miracle to collaborate with her. However, this is a bit awkward. Noelle and Riz, good characters in their own right, are sidelined. In the end, Miracle and Chris do a music video collab.

Niska is an interesting character. She thanks Chris and Miracle after their collab, just like Jua (voiced by Nozomi Nagumo). Then she boldly declares she has "reserved" Miracle for herself, in the end of the fifteenth episode, before anyone else, including Jua, can collab with her. This confuses Miracle, who she describes as a person with potential and attractive qualities. Niska points out the latter in the sixteenth episode, saying Miracle needs someone to look out for her. Her sense of loneliness results in a scene, set on a boat in a lake (reminding me of the well-known scene in Tangled). It looks like a confession, with Miracle blushing after Niska holds her hand. Perhaps, a fan fic writer could pen a work about this.

The strong friendship between Riz and Noelle is key to the development of both characters in this season / cour. Both relax in a simulation resembling the Japanese-style inn run by her parents. It even comes with a virtual foot bath. This is perfect for Noelle, who is feeling down after seeing Quan playing with BRT5. One message from these interactions is that anxiety shouldn't be ignored. All the while, more about Noelle's backstory is explained. She believes her family see her as a "failure." She wants her family to see her true self so she can love herself. Themes such as self-empowerment are central in Kizuna no Allele.

Riz provides the right encouragement and confidence for Noelle. She pushes Noelle to make a song for her family. Noelle says that she shouldn't seek validation in numbers and argues that she cares about her family. Her mom, dad, and sister are glad. They praise her and say she is an amazing artist. This impresses Quan. She wants to practice more, until she watches the Niska-Miracle collab song, which blows her away. Later, Noelle and Riz do a collab video and train to improve their dancing. Their friendship is strong, despite some tensions.

While there might be romantic vibes between Riz and Noelle, they are more pronounced between Jua and Thea, two members of the virtual band VICONIC. In a post-credit video after the fifteenth episode, Jua says she knows Thea from the past and is friends with her in the real world. She even starts to talk about how Thea likes cute stuff. This is further emphasized in the twenty-first episode. Thea defends Jua to people who are trash talking her. She praises Jua for inspiring her dream to become a performer and calls Jua her light. Ultimately, Thea makes outfits for her and Jua. She says she wants to stand with Jua on stage as a partner rather than rival. Both say they like each other.

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Other Kizuna no Allele episodes show the BRT5 members being jerks during a strange game of banana tag. In the same episode, the seventeenth in the series, Sarah's tsundere feelings toward Zoe are apparent. Again, there are some romantic vibes between them. On the other hand, none of these characters are officially in relationships. So any romance manifests in subtext and romantic friendship instead. Overall, the crisper animation, especially in non-VR dance scenes (better than season one, but still wonky), lend to a "cute girl" vibe.

By the eighteenth episode, tempers are flying between some characters. Riz is annoyed with Sofia for being too pushy after winning, and possibly cheating, in a card game. Noelle shows that she cares about Riz is going through, after Riz says she was frustrated and felt pathetic. In a manner that hints at possible romantic feelings between them, she touches Riz's chest, saying there might be some hidden data she didn't know about. Noelle says it is terrible to be frustrated. She adds that frustration gives you a chance to think about yourself and improve your skills. They bond together even more. Later, Riz teases Noelle about being a "pro".

Kizuna no Allele goes further in the nineteenth episode. There's a unit battle, Ximena crushing on Jessie, and a mysterious person in the shadows. Loneliness, lack of self-confidence, and friendship are key themes. However, this series tends to raise the stakes, but not give viewers the pay off, making such story development weak. While saying this, some elements are executed well. I liked how wishes were represented as butterflies in the twentieth episode. The series connects this with the idea that people decide their own forms and break through their shells (of sorts). This is especially the case for Miracle. She can't choose one wish out of her many wishes. On the other hand, this idea is less effective than Nanami's statement in Revolutionary Girl Utena: "if we don't crack the world's shell, we will die without ever truly being born."

Undoubtedly there were some fun recommended videos. For instance, in one video, Jua is disappointed at lack of similarities with Quan, with both loving heavy metal, rad and smashing music videos, and drama. Even so, these elements are mostly subpar. This is coupled with episodes of inconsistent length and bizarre "hip" songs. I did like the camaraderie between Zoey, Ximena, and Sofia. The latter weirdly wants to put an A.I. in her head. She echoes Tao in Carole & Tuesday. He makes the "perfect" songs with A.I., hoping they will become chart-toppers. The curiosity of Ximena in Chris was strange (she even put a tracker on her!). This mixes with a mysterious school principal and Chris praising Miracle. She says Miracle helped her understand herself and her connections to others.

The last two episodes of Kizuna no Allele are some of the best. PathTLive gets trapped in a virtual world. They can't escape thanks to Ada's efforts. She is rewriting all the network systems and has unclear motivations. This poses a dilemma for Miracle. The code of their current linkverse needs to be deleted so they can escape. Miracle she doesn't want to do that because they have so many memories there. In presumed series finale, Miracle finally agrees, after Quan offers to delete marumaru (her other avatar). She says that you can't touch or see memories, but that they don't disappear or hold you back. Instead, these memories encourage you to go forward. This optimism, however, would be negated by repressed memories.

In a strange twist, they don't get to Sofia's linkverse. They find themselves in a nether space. All four band members are separated. Each of them feels some level of trauma. After hearing music from other performers, they escape and reach their destination. As Chris puts it, this new linkverse is where they can be or do anything. Magically, and absurdly, they all claim, in a hokey way, the music is "in their hearts." The band performs a song with Love Live! vibes. Even so, songs in that franchise are better.

The episode ends with Ada worrying about "danger" of their music. The Principal is overjoyed at the possibility. In some ways, the audience gets a payoff. The characters hang out and having fun. PathTLive wins the contest and goes on stage in new outfits for an awards show. Ai watches over them like a guardian angel. Overall, the visuals of this season / cour are better than the show, as is the music and animation. Even so, the show is still mediocre. More could have been done with these characters to make the show more effective.

Critics have panned the series. They've called it strange, slop, cynical, corporate-poisoned, a showcase for virtual idols, and better than Alice Gear Aegis Expansion. Others called it a cash-in which doesn't capture VTuber culture, tiresome, and incoherent. While these criticisms have merit, the second season, more accurately, had an engaging storyline filled with intrigue and depth. Surely it isn't as strong as My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 or as compelling as Selection Project. But it had some value, especially when it comes to interpersonal relations between characters and yuri subtext.

Kizuna no Allele is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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