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magicplanetanime · 5 years

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Let’s Watch HeartCatch Pretty Cure, Episode 2

So before I begin the second post for this whole Let’s Watch thing, I must do two things. One is to make a major correction, as I was under the impression that *HeartCatch* came out before the Precure franchise’s partnership with McDonald’s happened, but clearly, that was wrong.

https://i.imgur.com/Io2CCsG.png

Truly, my bad.

The other is to acknowledge that the opening theme for this show kind of goes, in a twee pop kind of way. Feel free to listen to the OP while reading the rest of this if you’re so inclined.

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It fits nicely with the rest of the show’s retro stylings, as I’ll get into.

Episode II - “I’m the weakest Precure in history??”

But enough of that, on with the liveblog! So at the end of the first episode, Tsubomi, now transformed into Cure Blossom, stands ready to rescue Erika from her imprisonment inside a doll-monster by the Desert Apostles. So far, so anime.

The first little bit of the episode consists of Cure Blossom getting hype man’d by the twin fairies.

Which does not exactly last. Remember how in the last post I said that there’s no one cooler than a magical girl who’s just transformed for the first time? Well, this show does not appear to agree. The opening scene here is actually quite comedic. Cure Blossom’s first instinct is not to try to fight the Desertrian Doll, it’s this.

And she promptly tries to hightail it out of there. So in short order, this happens.

And then she tries to run away, only to run smack dab into a tree because she was running so quickly that she couldn’t stop herself. By the time the Desertrian Doll’s picked her up and started crushing her, things are looking rather dire. It’s clear that Blossom, for all the hyping up that was just done, is a far cry from the impeccably cool head of Cure Moonlight.

Thankfully, the day is saved! By um…

Lelouch Lamperouge?

Am I losing my mind here? It’s not just me right?

Well in any case, because this ultimately is a show for young girls, no time is wasted in establishing that he is, as folks used to say when I was young, Totally Hawt. Even the villain gets in on it.

Before Blossom can come to further harm, the mysterious glasses’d lad whisks her away with some kind of heart-shaped device that conjures up a tornado of pink petals. I have to admit, I’m a little sour on the deprivation of the protagonist’s agency so early on, but I’m hoping it’s used to build up some growth we’re about to see, as opposed to a sort of knight in shining armor situation being the norm. They’re called magical *girl* shows, after all.

That aside, a scene transition later and Tsubomi wakes up at her grandmother’s greenhouse, where we learn a couple of pretty interesting things in quick succession. We get a name for the Desert Apostle woman (Sasorina), but the main one is this.

Yeah that’s a fair reaction.

So this is interesting to me for a few reasons. For one, I was under the impression that *most* Precures had secret identities. Certainly, it’s true of the cast of the currently-airing *Star Twinkle Precure*. My understanding is that this “magical destiny” stuff is quite unusual for the franchise. Based on that, the art style, and a couple other things, the vibe I’m getting here is one of a conscious retro entry in the series. Certainly there’s a place for such things, but it’s admittedly not a direction I was quite expecting.

We also get introduced to….this

What role this misshapen Moomin will play in the story remains to be seen, I suppose.

We also get some exposition into this whole Tree of Hearts business. What Tsubomi’s grandmother explains is that every person has inside their soul a “flower of the heart”. Each is unique, and if they’re damaged, it weakens the Tree as well, which is presumably Not A Great Thing.

This kind of plot device is common to the genre, and I expect it’d be easy for the target audience to grasp. It also makes a great simple metaphor; stress is something all young people deal with, and it really can feel like the world is falling apart sometimes when you’re that young and faced with problems.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Tsubomi briefly panics about what’s happened to Erica. Tsubomi’s grandmother correctly guesses from looking at the fairies’ crystal ball (it’s not entirely clear to me if the ball actually contains the unharmed portion of Erika’s soul or is just a way of looking at her condition. I suspect it doesn’t much matter) that she’s had her heart flower pulled out. Before the characters have a chance to decide what to do on their own, Sasorina and the Desertrian Doll make a loud crash outside the greenhouse, making their presence known.

This cuts to a title card, where I want to point out a comment that I believe was made by one of the fansubbers (since no dialogue is spoken during this transition card, and it would be pretty out of character for the show).

I must disagree, I think Cure Grandma would be adorable.

We get an explanation as to what will happen if Erika remains enslaved inside the doll for much longer, and it’s not pretty.

And there you have it. Some pretty classic fairytale stuff, really. There’s some brief faffing about where Tsubomi thinks she’s lost her transformation trinket (the Heartcatch Perfume), but it dosn’t take much longer than that for the episode to properly kick into high gear. Filled with renewed determination, Tsubomi transforms to properly take on the Desertrian Doll as Cure Blossom!

Honestly, this stuff is just awesome. The fight scene that follows is short but intensely physical, featuring rather little of the canned-footage magical attacks that one would expect from this sort of thing (I suspect we’ll see more of that in later episodes). In fact, it reminded me a lot of what I’ve seen of the original Pretty Cure, a series that was, to be sure, well-known for an unusually high amount of bone-cracking physical action sequences in a genre not really known for them. It would fit with the retro stylings, if I’m correct about that whole bit.

Blossom even briefly fights Sasorina herself, who we learn can extend her apparently-prehensile ponytail, and even turn its tip into a scorpion stinger(?!).

The fight scene is briefly interrupted for a short spiel on how determination and love for one’s friends makes a Precure stronger. Hilariously, that gets cut off with this comment from one of the fairies.

Which then segues into a nicely toyetic sequence where Blossom uses a magical doodad to retrieve the heart flower from within the Desertrian Doll. Honestly, by just using the word “toyetic” I’m obviously being a bit snarky, but this thing is pretty neat. The way it’s used here seems to indicate that it the bit on the base could be spun to make it light up and sparkle. Something that parents absolutely loved, I’m sure.

Blossom defeats the baddie, and in doing so, briefly turns the series into End of Evangelion.

https://i.imgur.com/HSp0Qf1.png

Blossom saves Erika, and the two reconcile. The episode ending more or less on that note. There’s a bit more exposition too, namely Tsubomi’s good deed seems to have produced something called a heart seed (which one of the fairies essentially….passes, in what I think is some kind of attempt at toilet humor. I do hope that that isn’t a recurring thing) and a heart pot to put it in. Tsubomi is thus given a quest more or less, to get as many heart seeds as possible, and hopefully revive the Heart Tree in doing so.

She also joins Erika’s fashion club, though keeping the whole ‘Precure’ thing a secret for now. Somehow, the two have quite a lengthy conversation while not realizing that the deeply unsettling large fairy is right next to them.

This very subtle hint is also dropped not long after she leaves.

The final scene of the episode is Tsubomi and her grandmother having a heartfelt conversation as they walk back home at sunset. Most tellingly, Tsubomi says that she thinks she’s started to change. Something that I think we can safely call a running theme of this particular entry into the franchise.

That’s another one-episode post. The preview for the next makes me think we may well be in for another, but time will tell. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it!

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muthaz-rapapa · 7 years

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A few thoughts about KiraPuri Ep. 8...

Another long post. I’m sorry. -.-;

It was good episode. Very good episode.

But I hope I wasn’t the only one who was a little disappointed that last week’s preview tricked us into thinking this would be about Ichika bossing the others around and through that, mess up the camaraderie they’re supposed to be forming. Which would then be followed by everyone deliberating what to do to solve this problem and what Ichika has to do to correct her wrongs. Or something along those lines.

Again, how things played out was in fact, a lot better than putting Ichika in the main spotlight like how it was for the past seven weeks. Now everyone has a part in putting this team together, finding ways to work with each other and so on. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better end to the ‘introductory arc’, where we often see the lead Cure taking charge more than the others.

Because I’m aware that it’s kinda necessary to have the them establish themselves into their leader roles that way (by being energetic and encompassing) so I’m willing to let that slide as far as the first 10 episodes go.

However, I still think it would’ve been interesting to see a flaw (any flaw) of a Pink Cure be portrayed in a negative light.

Mostly because I feel that a lot of times any aspect of the protagonist, even the very less than ideal ones, would rarely be displayed so badly that it would alienate the other characters or viewers from her.

For example, even if she was incredibly selfish and jumped into something without consulting her team members first, the plot would conveniently bend over to accommodate what she wants and then find some cheesy way to justify how ‘right’ she is or beautify her to such an extent that it leaves no room for argument against her. Then nobody would have a chance to call her out on her faults so that she can learn to fix it herself. Whether by virtue of her ‘purity’ or whatever glorified trait she possesses, it’s almost always guaranteed to turn out her way.

That’s one of the major reasons why I had so much difficulty tolerating Cure Flora in Go!Pri. As well as many other hero/heroines in other series and genres but those in Precure, especially, because this franchise seldom operates outside its usual formulas.

Maybe I’m not talking much sense but… it’s just this bothersome feeling I can’t help having on how the writers do their characterizations. Like, don’t just gloss stuff over all the time. Give me their ugly sides, give me unsettling confrontations between friends, give me something that won’t allow me to let her live it down but can also allow me to totally accept it as part of the composition of her character. Because that’s what going to flesh her out. She’ll be more of a person and less of an stereotypical image on paper. Flaws make a person a person.

Yea, yea, I do realize I might be thinking too deep into a children’s show but hey, since I invested myself in watching it, then it’d be dumb not to wonder about these things.

*sigh* Well, anyways, it’s a good thought exercise to have, nonetheless. And it’s still very early in the game for Kira Puri so maybe we will see some clashing development like that later on. Only the next 40 something episodes will tell.

Moving along!

I’m glad Yukari brought up the question on whether it’s true that “everyone” wants to open up this patisserie shop.

It implies that the lot of them might just be pulled in by Ichika’s enthusiasm and the fact that they are all Precure rather than being genuinely interested in participating because they want to.

Akira, in particular, is indirectly called a bit of a pushover which isn’t hard to see why since she often pampers her sick sister so that habit might have extended to their group where the majority of them are still in middle school. In other words, Akira has no will or opinion of her own. She just goes along with the flow to appease everyone and she’s being called out for it.

Yukari isn’t trying to be mean but it’s a question that really needs to be asked because lemme tell ya, starting and managing a business is no fucking stroll in the park. It takes a lot of time and effort and in this case, manpower, to get it off the ground and running.

If nobody but Ichika is 100% sure of really devoting themselves and a good portion of their schedules to this project out of their own volition or desire, then the patisserie is not going to succeed.

Thankfully, they all realize they do in the end but again, I have to say this because Toei is giving too many unrealistic expectations on what it’s like to run a shop. As a working person, I can’t just sit by and not say anything about it.

Another thing that got me concerned was how time management or store hours never entered their conversation and likely never will after this point even though it’s a super important discussion that you must have with your employees.

Because Precure universes have a weird sense of time in general but Kira Puri takes the cake in that I see these girls lounging around town and baking at the patisserie more than doing anything else that they should be doing. Like going to school, doing extracurricular actives, etc. I get that this season doesn’t prioritize those things but then…HOW do they make it work? It’s not like they have a fully-fledged, nontransparent and non-creepy adult to oversee the place when they’re not there.

Also, considering that 3 out of the 5 of them already had other commitments to attend to before the patisserie idea came up, it’s a surprise that nobody mentioned them until the very end of the ep. And even more of surprise when Ichika seems so shocked by it so you kind of wonder how self-absorbed she really is to forget stuff like that about her friends so quickly.

I’m sorry for dragging out these gripes of mine but honestly, things can’t possibly go so smoothly like what I’m seeing here. Not to mention, I hate the fact that they brought this up for comic effect when in hindsight, it’s really not something you should be laughing about.

So I hope at some point later in the season, there will be scheduling and commitment conflicts. Everybody might be on board now since they just finished setting the place up and all but when business is booming (I’m guessing it will anyway) and Ichika needs all the help she can get, how will they deal with it when the others can’t spare the time for the shop?

Anyways, while I do make too much of a big deal out of kid’s show, I also know that that’s not the objective of this episode.

The point of this episode was to see if the girls could learn to cooperate with each other. Cuz that absolutely had to happen first otherwise KiraPati would never have been set up.

And since it was set up, obviously they did find ways to work together.

Which introduces new pair dynamics as well.

We already got a good feel of Ichika + Himari + Aoi and Yukari + Akira based on grouping them by age. Plus Ichika + each Cure in their respective scenarios.

But it’d be boring if it was always limited to those so it’s high time that interactions not involving Ichika was finally delved into.

For Himari + Akira, you can see the relationship as that of an older sibling and younger sibling (cuz duh, this is Akira we’re talking about).

Tol and smol. Cute. <3

But you can also see them as marketing partners, too.

Akira, who’s already been assigned as KiraPati’s main garçon, attracts customers and investors with that welcoming, charming demeanor of hers, making it easier to lower their guard so she can pitch their ideas to them.

Meanwhile the more knowledgeable Himari backs up their proposals with the extensive details, showing how serious they are about their business and assuring people that they will be putting the resources they receive to good use.

It’s very encouraging to watch as they naturally come to bounce off each other in that respect.

Then we have the creative pair. The cool feline pair.

Stylish Mama Cat and Rockstar Lion Cub pair.

Their job is interior design cuz you want your customers to enjoy themselves in a nice setting under a pleasant atmosphere after all, right?

Yukari certainly got the aesthetics for the store down and Aoi, being an artist in her own right, most likely agrees with the concept she came up with. So it’s just a matter of organizing everything up to scale.

And of course, they do.

Yukari makes efficient use of Aoi’s muscle to help her set up the decorations and furniture. Not a space wasted but not too cramped (yes, I wouldn’t put it pass Yukari to be an expert on feng shui, lol).

And Aoi, well, it’s just scary how she manages to throw everything into the right spots with such precision (moral of the story: don’t mess with Aoi cuz she will kick your ass).

To think they were in such a messy state the day before but they can all come together like this and make that much progress in such a short amount of time.

It’s great. Their strengths complement each other well and they’re being productive about it.

It’s just great. ^^

Last but not least, the moment of crowning.

While it’s still debatable if the current Ichika is qualified enough to be a steady manager who puts a 14-year old in charge of a store? AND the cook (oh boy…), there’s no doubt that she definitely did earn her title as the leader of the group.

Ichika was the one who brought them together. She was the one who made the decision to use this space provided to them for a cause. She was the one who wanted to bring something good to others and get them to smile from the sweets they’ll serve.

She may not have Himari’s brains or Aoi’s strong arm or Yukari’s calmness or Akira’s maturity. And it’s true that she’s reckless and clumsy all over the place.

But it’s indisputable that she’s got the heart needed to make all this possible.

And that, I think, is the most critical element in sustaining their patisserie. You gotta have the intention to make people happy. There’s no other way you can open a business without that.

So it’s only fitting that Yukari would be the one to christen Ichika with the important position of manager. Because throughout this whole fiasco of building a shop together, Yukari was the only one who didn’t lose herself to stress over the situation (duh, this is Yukari we’re talking about).

Why? Cuz she predicted this would happen.

She knew that with the variety of people here, it definitely is possible to open a magnificent patisserie. Them getting off to a rocky start is just a minor bump in the road because no one’s going to do everything perfectly on their first try like how she was with the macarons *gets shot*.

And she knew that Ichika had the potential to live up to the expectations of being manager because Ichika has the determination to see it through.

If she didn’t know those things, she wouldn’t have stuck around to help because then it would be a failure and Yukari doesn’t accept failure. She doesn’t function on something flimsy like a whimsical belief. She has to really know there is a winning result at the end to see this as worthwhile.

(True moral of the story: Kira Puri wouldn’t survive with Yukari. Yukari knows all. They’d be lost without her. This season would be nothing without her. Yep.)

So think about what it means for her to entrust this huge responsibility to Ichika.

“I trust that you won’t bore me so do your best, little manager.”

Yukari, who’s the most capable of them all. Yukari, so capable that she can probably/easily be a better manager than Ichika but chose not to because that would be no fun for her. Yukari wants Ichika to rise up the challenge in overseeing this patisserie.

It doesn’t just imply how much faith Yukari has in Ichika. It also suggests that being manager will mold Ichika into an even better character. All the stuff she’ll have to face as the leader of her team, that is what going to serve as her character development.

And I so hope that is the case here. I really, really do. You’ve got 40 more episodes ahead of you to take this season’s Cures as far as you can, Toei. Don’t disappoint me.

And that’s that, I suppose.

lol, what the hell is bunnycake looking so tired out for? She didn’t do anything while the rest of them were slaving away to construct her restaurant. :P

Now bring on the fillers~

I can’t do this kind of review every week, it’ll kill me. =A=;

#now off to do a post for LWA #I'm so busy ugh #kira kira precure a la mode #usami ichika #arisugawa himari #tategami aoi #kotozume yukari #kenjou akira #pekorin

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