It's been a few years since I first started watching anime in 2020, and I feel like I've figured out which genres I tend to really vibe with, in particular, slice of life and magical girl shows. I've adored every magical girl anime I saw, from the dark Madoka Magica to the iconic Sailor Moon to the Shonen-esque Kill La Kill to whatever the hell Princess Tutu was, so I thought it's time I delve into one of the most iconic magical girl franchises to date: The Pretty Cure series... and all of its nineteen series.
Will I be able to make it through what is probably my longest marathon to date? I sure hope so because that mermaid one looks fun as hell. But let's start with the first one, Futari Wa Pretty Cure.
Futari wa Precure is about Nagisa and Honoka, two polar opposite high school students who are both chosen (and by chosen I mean hit in the face with the transformation object) to become magical girls and fight against the forces of the Dark Zone while searching for the Prism Stones. It's honestly not anything super crazy in terms of plot, if you've seen Sailor Moon you'll probably know what to expect, from the group of side villains each with their own arcs to the standalone episodes that conveniently knock side characters out just in time for Nagisa and Honoka to transform without getting found out. Not to say that Futari wa is derivative, though, it does a lot to stand out on its own as a great magical girl anime. For starters, Precure takes place in a city in the early 2000s, which gives it a unique urban flavor. This leads to some pretty creative episodes and settings, like episodes that take place in a museum or aquarium, fights that take place on a train or in a tunnel, or episodes where the Cures try to stop an elevator from falling or get wrapped up in a bank robbery. Futari is also a pretty self-aware anime, frequently making lighthearted jabs at the genre's clichès. It has that Bomberman Jetters vibe where the whole cast, heroes and villains included, makes some really stupid decisions that lead to a ton of hilarious farces and comedic setpieces. Of course, Precure also makes sure to treat itself seriously enough so that the self-awareness never undercuts the moments of genuine triumph and emotion.
The real highlight of Futari, however, is easily the core dynamic between its two leads, Nagisa and Honoka. It's your pretty standard polar opposites attract deal, with Nagisa being the brash masculine jock and Honoka being the quiet feminine nerd, but it's a trope I'll always be down for, especially when said polar opposites have chemistry this natural. Right from the start, Nagisa and Honoka bounce off each other so well, and watching them form an incredibly strong bond in spite of their differences is incredibly heart-warming to watch. And I'm not even going to try to hide it anymore, the ship potential is off the charts, and that just makes me like them more. It's also funny to think about how the series starts with Nagisa wishing for a boyfriend only to get Honoka. Aside from the main duo, though, the cast is pretty fun. The fairy characters Mipple and Mepple are a bit annoying at first, though the latter's snark fights with Nagisa and both characters' slow but satisfying character development left me liking them a lot in the end. The side villains are super varied and fun to watch, I love how most of Nagisa and Honoka's classmates get a lot of focus and screentime, and Honoka's grandma is like the coolest grandparent I've seen in any anime. The only two characters I really don't like are Pollun, the whiny baby fairy who lacks the development that Mepple had, and Fuji-P, Nagisa's crush, the definition of a forced love interest who only exists so that people think Nagisa is straight. He has no character or depth, his chemistry with Nagisa is nonexistant, and watching her fawn over him becomes a slog very quickly.
Halfway through the season, Nagisa and Honoka manage to flat-out defeat the Dark King, spawning three Dark Seeds that spend the second half trying to resurrect him, completely transforming the season's story. I'll be honest, I don't love this story arc, especially at the start. The villains are really samey and dull, and their unified quirk about being so clueless about humanity so they always come in during important events like a wedding or lacrosse game is more frustrating than interesting. To make things worse, this arc introduces the aforementioned Pollun, who bogged the early episodes of the arc down by repeatedly running away. However, there was still a lot to love from the second half of this season regardless. I liked the decision to have Wisdom get kidnapped as it gave one of my favorite side characters more screentime, the Butler Zakenna gave some much needed comic relief to the otherwise boringly serious villains, Nagisa and Honoka get some of the best bonding moments in the whole show, and the majority of the side characters are as lovable as always. Even when I was frustrated by the main plot, just watching Nagisa and Honoka's class interact was always a fun time. And from episode 37 onward, we got what is easily the best streak of episodes in the series, ranging from hysterical comedy-driven episodes to emotional climaxes to a very satisfying final arc. I felt genuinely sad to see Futari end by the last few episodes, even knowing I'd be getting 17 more seasons of Precure, there was a real sense of finality that rivals shows like Friends and K-On.
On a presentation level, this show is very early 2000s, for better or for worse. Futari has a strong focus on technology, from the urban setting to the fact that Nagisa and Honoka transform by swiping cards on their flip phones which means some of the technology in Futari can feel hilariously dated. Hell, even the flip phone feels like an attempt to cater to the tamagotchi trend of the time. Still, most of the time, as in whenever the show uses 2D animation, Futari looks absolutely beautiful. The linework is sharp, the characters are expressive, and the colors are bold. I especially love the Klonoa-esque Garden Of Light designs, which aside from the fairies themselves are all super creative and fun. However, since this is an early 2000s anime, Toei Animation decided to toss in some CGI every once in a while and it does not look very good (especially the queen, holy crap). Thankfully, this is like once an episode at most so it's never too distracting. What's unambiguously great are the fight scenes though. Unlike in something like Sailor Moon, Precure's fights are hand-to-hand, and they are easily some of the best in the genre. And I'm not even saying this from a "fistfights are cooler than random magic blasts" standpoint. I'm saying this from a "Precure has some of the best fight choreography I've seen in any TV anime to date" standpoint, especially during the big plot-focused episodes. It's also shockingly violent, like the Cures almost die from suffocation in the third episode. As for the music and voice acting, they're pretty good. Nagisa and Honoka's voice actresses sound distinct and, as mentioned above, their chemistry is spot-on. The music is mostly pretty standard peppy fare (though ironically enough I really like Pollun's goofy themes), but it works and the vocal themes are genuinely super catchy. Let's hope the series keeps that up.
Highlights:
Fake Or Real?! An Imposter Pretty Cure On The Loose (episode 14): This is easily one of the funniest episodes of the anime, at the very least of the first half. The concept of two random students announcing that they're Precure is super creative and silly, and I loved that opening where Nagisa and Honoka think someone outed them to the school. The final fight was also pretty great, with the addition of the aforementioned Precure fakers giving it some extra stakes.
A Shocking Date! Kiriya's True Identity (episode 21): Precure sure does know how to pull out all the stops for the really important episodes. Kiriya's True Identity is funny, heartwrenching, and packs some of the best action to date. Being the only antagonist in the first half to consider maybe not being a bad guy, Kiriya is easily the most interesting and sympathetic of the team, which only makes his decision to succumb to his destiny and sacrifice himself all the more gutting. Also Heart To Heart is a banger.
Farewell Mepple And Mipple?! I Don't Like This (episode 26): This is end of the season's first arc and, from what I heard, was originally intended to be the season finale. While I'm glad the season got extended since some of the best episodes are in the second half, this could've really worked as a great ending. Nagisa and Honoka's goodbye to Mepple and Mipple did really get to me even if I knew they were coming back, the final battle with the Evil King is suitably large in scale, and the ending is a nice hook for whatever adventures the duo would have in the future.
First Stage Performance! Don't Lose, Romeo And Juliet (episode 37): I really like episodes that involve Nagisa's classmates so seeing them work together to put on a Romeo And Juliet play made for a really entertaining episode that got to utilize the cast. The sudden genre shift to Romeo and Juliet action movie definitely wasn't expected, but it wasn't unwelcome either.
We Are One! Nagisa And Honoka's Powerful Bond (episode 42): This is apparently the most iconic Futari episode and, yeah, I can absolutely see it. Everything about Episode 42 goes so unnecessarily hard, from the visuals, to the action, to the voice acting. Even if the plot is really just Honoka getting kidnapped and Nagisa trying to save her, the presentation makes it feel like the emotional climax of the series. Because it kinda is, just as the title suggests, it's the ultimate statement of Nagisa and Honoka's bond.
Sing Cherry Blossom Class! The Choir Shows Courage (episode 45): This episode made me sad for some reason. The premise is hysterical, seeing the students try to perform the ED theme to win a chorus competition is super clever and fun to watch. But there's a bittersweet mood to the episode, from the pouring rain to the fact that the ending theme is even used to begin with. More than every before, it feels like the show is coming to an end...
This Is The Worst! Has The Power Of The Stones Been Stolen?! (episode 46): In the course of a single episode, the Seeds Of Darkness managed to completely demolish my expectations of how a magical girl show is supposed to work. Not only did they interrupt a transformation sequence to kidnap Pollun, but it turns out all the time they spent lolly-gagging was so Belzei could take Wisdom's ability. Episode 46 does a good job at setting the stage for the final battle, and seeing Nagisa and Honoka say goodbye to their friends really hits you over the head with the fact that this show is ending (in case the choir episode didn't make it clear enough). And to top it off, it ends with a transformation montage set to Episode 21's Heart To Heart, probably the anime's most hype moment.
Believe In The Future! Believe In Tomorrow! We Won't Let You Say Goodbye! (episode 49): This was a good finale. I liked the decision to set the final battle on Earth instead of in the Dotsuku Zone, the entire graduation sequence was super heartwarming, and Mipple and Mepple leaving once again was a bittersweet way to end off the series. However, it does feel a bit underwhelming compared to their first goodbye. That one had everyone crying and Mepple running after Nagisa calling her name, and this one just had Mepple and Mipple falling asleep. I feel like maybe they should've swapped?
Overall, I really enjoyed Futari Wa Precure. While it suffered from some weak villains, an annoying side character in Pollun, and rough romantic subplots, the strong core relationship between Nagisa and Honoka, lovable school cast, and top-notch action scenes still make this a standout in the magical girl genre. And the last twelve episodes brought it all home for a truly great final stretch.
4/5 Stars
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