Smile Precure (Series 9)

After eight shows, I think I've pieced together what makes a Precure show work for me. It's not plot or action or comedy, it's all of it. My favorite Precure series have always been the ones that strike a good balance between everything, with a compelling story, strong character arcs and dynamics, fun comedy, heartwarming slice of life, and high-octane action. So when you have an entry like Smile Precure which goes all in on the comedy and pretty much nothing else, you get probably the most polarizing Precure I've seen so far. 

Plot-wise, Smile Precure doesn't really have much of any. The Cures have to stop a group of villains from resurrecting the evil Pierrot and giving the world a Bad End (as in the opposite of a happy ending in a fairy tale), all the while looking for Cure Decors. That's really it, though, there aren't any twists, story arcs, or additional developments (outside of a brief two-parter that just kinda rips off the Yes 5 midseason finale). It can feel pretty repetitive especially as the show nears its end, as Smile spends much of its length just buying time until the big mid-season and season finales, the former of which pretty much just resets the status quo entirely once it's over, and the latter of which rushes through everything. As a matter of fact, it feels like the show rushes through anything even the slightest bit plot-important, since the first few episodes also really rushed through introducing the cast. However, I will say that I quite like the villain lineup this time. They're all memorable and fun, managing to toe the line between goofy and menacing incredibly well.

So what fills in the space between the start, middle, and end of Smile? Comedy. Pure comedy. Remember how I praised those weird experimental episodes that Gogo had? Well, Smile is pretty much nothing but weird and experimental episodes. You got fairy tales, robots, shrinking, mermaids, body swapping, the Cures getting turned into fairies, age regression, ghosts, board games, turning invisible, movies, it's easily the most creative lineup of standalones to date. Once it gets going, Smile is definitely the funniest Precure show so far, consistently tossing out gag after gag at an impressive rate. Of course, since Smile relies so heavily on its standalones, that does mean there are some misses every once in a while. But when Smile hits, it hits. Unlike Gogo where there were really just two super noteworthy episodes, Smile has far more classic Precure episodes that stick out in my head.

Thankfully, Smile isn't solely comedic episodes. Taking cues from its spiritual predecessor Yes 5, Smile tries to have some character-driven elements, with several episodes focusing on peeling back the layers on its cast to reveal what makes them tick. And when they do that, it's usually fantastic. Between Yayoi dealing with her father's death, Reika struggling with her path in life, Nao's fierce protection for her siblings, and the reasoning behind Miyuki's love for fairy tales, Smile can be at its best when it's character-driven. The highlight of the entire season for me was that stretch of episodes near the end where each character gets an episode to cap off their arc, it truly makes the show for me and I don't think I'd like Smile as much if it didn't exist. I also quite like Smile's cast overall, they're all fun characters with strong chemistry, and Yayoi and Reika in particular are some of my new favorites. Just a shame I found the fairy Candy to be really annoying, her brother Pop was way more likable even if he didn't appear as often.

Smile is also absolutely fantastic on an animation level. While not nearly as exaggerated as Heartcatch, Smile's artstyle feels cut from a lot of the same cloth, with thick character outlines, bold colors, and dynamic posing. The animation can be incredibly fluid for the most unnecessary scenes, and the action is pretty consistently solid. Like in the last two shows, the transformation sequences and attacks are also really great. I love Cure Peace briefly shocking herself with her own attack, and that huge explosion at the end of Cure Sunny's transformation. There's so many little details that didn't need to be there, but it really heightens the show for me. I also have to shout out the new animation style for the CGI ending, which gives all the characters thick lines and more cartoonish expressions. It was a bit of a shock at first and I don't think the style has really been perfected yet, but there's a lot of room to grow.

Highlights:

Thank You Paper! Yayoi's Treasure (episode 19): What can I really say about this one that hasn't already been said. It's a surprising shift in tone for the series, as Yayoi spends the episode dealing with trying to remember her dad that passed away when she was very little. It's a solid candidate for most emotional episode in the series, though I wouldn't quite go that far...

What Is The Most Important Thing? (episode 22): While I've voiced my criticisms of Smile's plot, I will admit that the midseason arc is pretty alright. The fight between the Cures and Joker in this episode in particular might just be the best in the series, and the ending where Joker manages to get the last bits of dark energy out of the Cures themselves is genuinely chilling. I shouldn't have been surprised that this was yet another Tanaka Yuta episode.

Yayoi, Protect The Earth! A Pretty Cure Has Become A Robot?! (episode 35): I just... how do you even think of this? All-timer comedic Precure episode.

Hot-Blooded! Akane's First Love Life?! (episode 36): Tanaka Yuta never misses! This may very well be the first Precure romance I have zero issues with. Akane and Brian have really great chemistry, the latter being an absolutely adorable dork of a character elevated by some really great voice acting, and it tells a good story about grappling with one's romantic feelings. But most of all, the direction is on point. The action is stellar, the visuals are stunning, that final chase was great, and that long shot of Akane running might be one of my favorite shots in a Precure episode. Somehow, Smile managed to write a more compelling romance in a single episode than both Futari and Yes 5 could over the course of four seasons. Good job!

Hustling Nao! The Pretty Cure Becomes Kids (episode 38): One of my least favorite tropes is "the whole cast turns into kids", so I was kinda surprised with how fun I found this one. The chibi kid designs for all the Cures is genuinely adorable, the scenes where they hang out with Wolfurun and Akaoni were hilarious, the Cures's attacks failing was brilliant, and Paperockssors. Just paperockssors.

Protect It! Nao's Precious Bonds With Family (episode 42): Out of those final five character development episodes, Nao's episode had to have been my favorite. This has to be one of the most intense, stressful, and emotionally exhausting episodes I've ever seen in a Precure show. The moment two of Nao's siblings run off to look for apples, I immediately got on-edge, and yet things kept getting worse as Nao has to reveal her identity to her siblings, she has to fight Majorina with her kids in the arena, and most crushingly of all, Nao is left thinking all her siblings died. Marine Inoue freaking killed it with Nao's voice acting too, especially when she broke down in the end.

Reika's Path! I Will Go Abroad For Studies (episode 43): TANAKA. YUTA. NEVER. MISSES. This totally could've been a fairly grounded episode, but the trippy presentation, high emotions, and that show-stopping fight between Cure Beauty and Joker made for a truly standout episode. 

The Worst Ending?! Bad End Pretty Cure (episode 46): As rushed as it is, the final arc of Smile is kinda really fun. The last episode for the Generals was really sweet, and while the Bad End Precures were a really cool concept only used as a one-off villain, I can't deny that their fights with the Cures were insanely entertaining. I like that Smile differentiates itself from the Yes 5 movie by making the dark Cures these gloriously unsympathetic little gremlins. They pull so many cheap tricks and so visibly enjoy being awful villains that they're a joy to watch. Also, holy shit, Joker is one of the best and creepiest Precure villains ever.

To A Future Sparkling With Light! Deliver It! The Highest Smile (episode 48): This was so close to being one of the best, most emotional Precure finales to date! They finally made a Cure-fairy separation as heartbreaking as Futari's midseason finale, the entire episode was this super dramatic tearjerker of an ending... that all happens to be undercut by Candy suddenly returning in the stinger with no explanation as to how. Goddamn it...

Overall, it took me a while to really figure out what I thought of Smile Precure. But you know what? I liked it. I liked it a lot. While the plot is lacking and kinda repetitive at points, I really came around to loving the strong characters by the end of the series thanks to a selection of hilarious comedic episodes and compelling character-driven ones. It's not one of my favorite Precure shows, but it's one I'm sure I'll look back on pretty fondly.

4/5 Stars

Learning To Love: Kirby Planet Robobot

Look, I can explain!

If you've seen some of my other Kirby blogposts, you'll probably know by now that I was not the biggest fan of Planet Robobot. I always thought of it as a good game, but I had too many niggling gripes with it to call it one of my favorite Kirby games, and the sheer reverence people had for it left me feeling even more bitter towards it. But as I'm all too familiar with, sometimes it takes a bit of time for a game to fully click with you, and Robobot finally clicked.

So what made me decide to give Robobot another chance? Well, it was a discovery that I made about the game's combat. For whatever reason, perhaps due to an oversight, HAL completely removed i-frames from enemies and bosses. This meant a large percentage of Kirby's abilities in this game are broken in ways incomparable to any other entry in the series. Hammer, Cutter, ESP, Ice, Doctor, Whip, Leaf, Parasol and Ninja on the ground, Archer, they can tear through bosses like no one's business. I never knew this until very recently, but the moment I found out, I immediately rushed back to try the True Arena with this knowledge in mind, and I had so much fun that I just had to play through the game again. Just the right amount of brokenness can really made combat a lot more fun (it's part of why I like X6 so much), and realizing just how far I could take Robobot's combat made for a far more fun experience for me. 

And since I was trying to delve more into Robobot's combat, I also decided to try and get a bit more out of the Robobot suit this time around. My biggest criticism for Planet Robobot was always with the Robobot suit itself, that it felt like a slower downgrade from just playing as normal Kirby. It seemed like all its moves would stop Kirby's momentum and that the pace would slow to a crawl whenever I had to use it. But here's where I went wrong, I thought of the Robobot Suit as a separate mechanic rather than an extension of Kirby's own abilities. Whenever I play a new Kirby game, I make sure to test out every ability's full moveset to see which ones work best with my playstyle, so why didn't I give the Robobot suit the same courtesy? So I actually tried to look into each Robobot ability and discovered a bunch of moves I had no idea about, all of which made using it way more fun for me. Fire has a Down-B burst move that takes less longer to do, Cutter lets you hold out a sawblade and move around, using Beam in midair doesn't stop you, I found myself enjoying using the Robobot suit way more when I stopped treating it as a "scripted sequence". While there's still a fair share of puzzle rooms that need you to use certain abilities, there's just as many moments that leave you free to plow through enemies however you want.

And once I started to actually enjoy the core gameplay of Robobot, I was able to truly appreciate a lot of the stuff it did right, the level design in particular. Robobot has so many memorable and inventive levels and setpieces, like the cars in Revolution Road, the ice cream factory in Overload Ocean, the casino stages, the Jet Armor stages, the Wheel Armor stages, the laboratory levels, the creepy virtual world near the end of Access Ark, and literally all of Rhythm Route. I feel like I really took the sheer creativity on show in Robobot for granted, maybe because of how many of its stages have stuck in my mind after all these years. But the aspect of Robobot that I really grew to appreciate was just how puzzle-centric it is. There's stages where you have to hop in and out of the Robobot armor to get it through an armor, puzzles involving juggling batteries around, puzzles where you have to shove trucks around in the right order, and best of all, some really fun segments about using a remote control to pilot a doppleganger of yourself. Of course, this is a Kirby game so most of these puzzles won't leave you scratching your head or anything, but it's the variety and (once again) inventiveness of these puzzles that make them fun. 

I also gained a lot more respect for the soundtrack too. I used to find it underwhelming due to the sheer degree to which it utilized its main leitmotif, but compared to Forgotten Land's core leitmotif which is also used quite often, I will say I like the Haltmann theme much more. And while I still generally prefer Canvas Curse's glitchier EDM style, Planet Robobot's soundtrack goes for a style akin to Sonic Frontiers' Constructure which I also quite like. But ultimately, it's the remixes and final boss themes that really steal the show here. Every single laboratory theme is absolutely incredibly, from the haunting Sand Canyon 3 remix, to the melancholy Sky Tower remix, to the banging Dark Castle remix, to yet another amazing Float Islands remix (Float Islands gets the best remixes, I swear). And that's not to mention the excellent Dark Matter and Kabula remixes, and the sheer variety of songs used in the bonus levels. Hell, they even ported Canvas Curse music quite frequently, and it fits like a glove. As for the final boss themes, they're all phenomenal. From the frantic Vs Star Dream, to the beautiful Intermezzo, to the all-out glitchfest Soul OS System, it's yet another strong ending to a strong Kirby soundtrack.

Do I still have some issues with Robobot? Yeah. The Code Cubes are still pretty easy to find (though the Rare Stickers partially make up for that), the boss roster isn't quite my favorite out there, and there are still a few too many autoscrolling stages, but at this point, it's no more than the amount of gripes I have with virtually every other Modern Kirby game. Return To Dream Land has a slow start and an overlong Extra Mode, Triple Deluxe has its cutscene-heavy Hypernova segments and an uneven final world, and Star Allies has basic level design and obstructive Friend Abilities. Planet Robobot is at its best when you really engage with everything it has to offer, making the most out of both Kirby and the Robobot sides of the game, using the stickers, testing out all the abilities and breaking the combat as much as you can, combing the stages for the Rare Stickers and not just the Code Cubes, and of course, playing the hell out of that amazing post-game. It took a long time for Robobot to really land with me, but now I can definitively say that I like it quite a lot. I'd easily rank it right up there with all the other Modern Kirby games, even if I still wouldn't call it one of my favorites.

5/5 Stars

Game Remakes. Good Or Bad?

The video game industry has been pretty big on remakes lately, especially in regards to IPs that had previously been dormant. Developers can realize that they can drum up nostalgia and gain interest in a new game at the same time, thus we've gotten a lot of remakes of great games lately, often in varying levels of quality There's way too many for me to go over in a single blogpost, but I wanted to touch upon some remakes I've played over the last few years and see how often they truly surpass or even live up to the originals.

Note: There is a lot of discourse over what counts as a remake, what counts as a remaster, and what counts as a port. I don't really care about the semantics, I'm grouping all of these under the umbrella term of "remake" and don't intend on delving into this minefield any further. 

Crash Bandicoot: N Sane Trilogy:

Pros: The graphics are generally a lot prettier and more detailed, Stormy Ascent is playable, new genuinely tough Future Tense level, improved save system and gem requirements for Crash 1, you can play as Coco, relics in all three games, Dingodile has better AI so his already fantastic boss fight is even more fun

Cons: Standardized control scheme make Crash 1 and 2 incredibly awkward to play, wonky hitboxes make hitting enemies and jumping off tight platforms feel unreliable, Crash feels a lot more sluggish and stiff to control, character sprites feel bizarrely huge, motorcycle and jet ski in 3 feel way worse to use, realistic artstyle doesn't look as cartoonish as it should, less menacing atmosphere in 2's warp room

Verdict: Sorry, not a fan. The N Sane Trilogy was the first time I ever played a Crash game and it felt so bad to play that I spent at least a year thinking Crash Bandicoot was overrated and his games aged poorly, and I know I'm not the only one considering the game sparked a "Dark Souls" discourse when the original trilogy isn't even that hard. It wasn't until I played Crash 4 and tried the originals when I realized, no wait, it's just the remake. It does make some quality of life improvements and neat additions but none of that matters when I just don't feel as confident playing the game as I do with the original PS1 games.

Downgrade

Spyro Reignited Trilogy:

Pros: Prettier graphics, more varied Dragon designs, stunningly beautiful cutscenes, more fluid base Spyro gameplay, right-stick camera control, the Spyro 3 alternate characters almost all play way better, Skill Points added to Spyro 1

Cons: Weak remade music (though you can still use the originals), flying and swimming controls aren't as good, some minigames ruined by switching to a behind-the-back camera, Spyro 2's boss fights ruined by a finnicky camera, Year Of The Dragon is pretty buggy

Verdict: Mostly pretty good, but it detracts just as much as it adds. It's a great way to play the original trilogy for both fans and newcomers, and I'd argue that Spyro 1 and to a degree 3 are probably at their best here, bugs aside. However, Ripto's Rage got shafted hard. Where the original Spyro 2 rivals or maybe even surpasses the third game as my favorite in the trilogy, the downgrades made in the Reignited version render it as my least favorite.

Just as good

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition:

Pros: The visuals look way sharper, the battle UI is a lot cleaner, fantastic Future Connected campaign, lots of quality of life improvements, time attack mode, cosmetics, polished bugs

Cons: Some of the original songs sound better, I guess? That's really it, I have no complaints.

Verdict: Hands down the better version, fixing pretty much every single issue people had with the original Wii version, the UI change in particular being a game-changer. Base Xenoblade Chronicles is still a fantastic RPG, but there is zero reason to play it with the Definitive Edition out. This is a remake that flat-out renders its original irrelevant.

Replacement 

Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019):

Pros: Adorable and beautiful toy-like artstyle, item switching is streamling, no annoying pop-ups when touching pots, camera movement over one large map, more Secret Seashells, dungeon maker, better soundtrack

Cons: Some framerate drops when transitioning areas, getting 100% is a bit more of a slog, no photographs

Verdict: I already thought the original Link's Awakening DX was borderline perfect, but this is still an improvement. It makes all the right quality of life changes, and its unique artstyle helps it feel like a fresh experience. I don't think it outright replaces DX since that game's compact nature and 8-bit visuals can still be charming on their own, but the Switch remake is hands down the best way to place.

Improvement

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga/Bowser's Inside Story DX:

Pros: Streamlined switching between Bros in Superstar Saga, 3D visuals, Superstar Saga had a big soundtrack improvement, Bowser Jr has his own campaigns in both, 3DS microphone is better than the DS one, can skip annoying minigames, lots of quality of life improvements

Cons: Some of the visual charm removed a bit, the sprites have a charm to them too, Bowser's Inside Story's music is slightly weaker, Bowser's Inside Story's framerate is somehow worse, games were made easier maybe to a fault

Verdict: I remember how notoriously picky Mario & Luigi fans were when these remakes came out, but with the benefit of hindsight, I think they're vastly different. Superstar Saga DX was able to patch a lot of the limitations that came with being a GBA game, and with really pretty lighting and loads of quality of life improvements, you can tell it was a labor of love. Bowser's Inside Story DX is still a fine way to play the game, but you can tell it was done out of necessity, and outside of a few quality of life improvements, it doesn't do much the original didn't already do better. Oh, and neither of the Bowser Jr campaigns are anything to write home about.

Superstar DX: Improvement

Bowser's Inside Story DX: Downgrade

Sonic Colors Ultimate:

Pros: Added Rival Race, new wisp, cosmetics

Cons: Buggy as all get out, ugly bloom filter, Jade Wisp is kinda unnecessary, bad remastered music, sound issues, overlong credits, no Miis in the Switch version, how does the Switch version run this badly it's a Wii game?!

Verdict: I was so confident this was gonna be good, so when reviews and footage came out, I don't think I have ever been in this much of a panic trying to cancel my pre-order. The fact that I decided to get Xenoblade DE instead probably made things worse. This is a bad remake, not only are all of its additions are unnecessary but it doesn't even manage to match the original game in terms of polish. Colors is one of my favorite Sonic games and it's been hard seeing its reputation decline recently, but man did Ultimate not help matters.

Downgrade

Live A Live:

Pros: Stunning HD2D visuals, solid rearranged music tracks, balanced gameplay, more informative UI, cowboy chapter is made more manageable, voice acting

Cons: Still kinda prefer the original soundtrack, the script is a bit toned down from the original, the fan translation made the fonts different for each chapter but it's all uniform in the remake

Verdict: Live A Live's remake was so good that even for many who had played it for the first time, it still held up by modern standards. I'm a big fan of the HD2D style and it looks wonderful here, and Live A Live makes just enough solid quality of life stages to iron out some of the original's rougher edges. Which version you prefer really boils down to your loyalty to a classic SNES artstyle and whether or not you prefer the original version's slightly raunchier script, so I think they stand together pretty well.

Just as good

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series:

Pros: Takes the pretty landscapes of Klonoa Wii but fixes the character designs and removes the voice acting, improved visuals for Lunatea's Veil, bonus costumes, alternate difficulties

Cons: Weaker performance on Switch makes the Mirror Fairies unnecessarily hard, Wind Bullet is tied to difficulty, Klonoa 1's faster speed makes tight platforming harder, lighting is too bright

Verdict: I'm just gonna say it upfront, I think the original version of Door To Phantomile is still the best one. It plays better and it looks more distinct. Lunatea's Veil is pretty much just as good, but even then, I think I'd still rather play the original. But that's okay, because the Phantasy Reverie Series is still a fine way to bring these otherwise fairly inaccessible games to a new audience. They may not be ideal, but they did a pretty good job at getting more people into the series.

Slight downgrade

Kirby's Return To Dream Land Deluxe:

Pros: Smoother gameplay, dodge move added, great new abilities in Sand and Mecha, prettier backgrounds and improved lighting, motion controls are optional, Merry Magoland minigames, fantastic Magolor Epilogue, harder Extra Mode and True Arena, better King Dedede design (don't @ me).

Cons: The Stomper Boot lets you hold down the jump button to bounce high trivializing all of its segments, Copy Essences are placed to make getting certain Energy Spheres unnecessarily easier, several abilities got nerfed both in terms of moveset and damage values, Scope Shot was removed, black borders around characters, extra content makes game feel more bloated and disjointed

Verdict: As someone who holds a fiercely nostalgic loyalty to the original Return To Dream Land, I was always going to have quite a few nitpicks with this one. Ultimately, as far as the base game goes, Deluxe mucked up the difficulty and combat too much for me to really prefer it over the original. However, from a casual perspective, this is hands down the better version for the more polished gameplay and increased amount of content alone, and I do thoroughly adore Magolor Epilogue.

Just as good

Metroid Prime Remastered:

Pros: Easily the best-looking Switch game to date, stunning graphical overhaul, twin-stick plus gyro control option, lots of options, unlockable gallery art, barely any loading time

Cons: Umm...

Verdict: I always felt Metroid Prime's art direction held up but the work Retro Studios did on this remaster is so good that it makes the original look bad. This is one of the best remasters I've ever seen, between the massive glowup, the better controls, and the sheer love obviously put into it. Metroid Prime Remastered set a bar that all remakes should try to reach, and is hands down the definitive way to play this game. I can't believe I'm saying this about one of my favorite games of all time and a cornerstone of one of my favorite consoles of all time, but aside from a few speedrun-related changes, this basically replaces the original Metroid Prime for me.

Replacement

Well, that's a pretty even spread of remakes. From what I can tell, the best remakes seem to keep the core of the original game intact but just polish the visuals and add a bit of quality of life. Going further and tweaking the controls is where things get a bit dicey. Most games are built around their original controls, so making the wrong change can be nearly crippling. Ultimately, the best remakes tend to come from a place of love. When it's obvious that the developers want to genuinely add something to the original game and aren't just remaking it for the sake of it. Remakes need to be as much of a passion project on the part of the developer as any other original game would be too. So let's end this off with a few more remakes that I think genuinely blow the originals out of the water:

• Metroid Zero Mission: Adding a map alone made this better, but Zero Mission went the extra mile with more upgrades, additions carried over from Super, better boss fights, an entirely new postgame, and even the inclusion of the original game itself.
• Resident Evil (Gamecube): All of the quirks of the original game (tank controls, pre-rendered backgrounds) are still there, but they were all touched up enough to feel modern. Nothing was taken away, only added.
• Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Really just feels like a more polished version of the already great Gen 2 games, Johto is more fully realized, the Dex is bigger, the postgame is expanded upon more
• Kirby Super Star Ultra: Unlike RTDL DX, Super Star Ultra actually fixes issues that needed to be fixed, integrates its new conflict in a way that feels natural, and aside from maybe the music quality, is so good that it renders the original entirely null.
• Wind Waker & Twilight Princess HD: All they do is clean up the graphics and make the few quality of life changes that needed to be made. No compromises whatsoever.

Poker Face (Season 1)

It hasn't been a secret that I've been incredibly disillusioned with current TV. Overly serialized plots, seasons that are too short, rushed pacing, TV shows that feel embarrassed to be TV shows, underwhelming finales, it's been pretty bleak. But as it turns out, Rian Johnson seems to agree. I've always been an avid defender of the guy even when the TLJ backlash was at its worst, but learning that he made a TV show and specifically pitched it as "TV" gave me infinitely more respect for him. That show was Poker Face.

Poker Face is a Columbo-esque procedural mystery show about a drifter named Charlie Cale with the uncanny ability to tell if someone's lying. Like Columbo, it's more of a "howtocatchem" than a "whodunit", with most episodes showing us how the death happens before the detective even shows up. Part of this is so that you can get attached to the episode's cast before the victim bites the dust. But more importantly, Charle isn't a cop, so she can't just arrest the culprit. The real mystery is figuring out how she'll get justice on them. One of the best things about Knives Out and Glass Onion is that the culprits don't just get arrested, they face karma, and each episode of Poker Face has Johnson put that skill at showing villains the consequences of their actions to great use. While not every episode is equal in quality, they're all just fun, contained, and satisfying watches in their own right. It feels like I just watched 10 Rian Johnson movies in the span of a week, and how cool is that?! Natasha Lyonne also makes for such a charismatic detective, just grounded, affable, and snarky enough to be a great successor to Columbo. Sadly, it takes a while for the show to really start playing around with its premise and fully settle into its formula, a problem made worse by the fact that this is still only ten episodes. Even when Poker Face is dodging the pitfalls of serialized TV, it's still suffering from short seasons. Regardless, you really get the impression that Johnson feels this show could go on forever, and an even bolder Season 2 has the potential to be genuinely fantastic.

There is, however, still an overarching plot in Poker Face. In the first episode, Charlie angers a mob boss by solving a murder his son committed, so she spends the majority of the season being chased around by his henchman. This may seem like it goes against the attempt to capture the magic of a procedural, but I think it works pretty well. Most episodes really only use this storyline as an explanation for why Charlie is drifting around, and as a "cliffhanger" in the same vein as Sam Beckett jumping into a new body at the end of every episode. And yet, the overarching plot is able to tie the season together, and we get a pretty big and climactic season finale in the process. In an interview, Rian Johnson said that he just wanted to give the season a big "sweeps week"-esque finale mostly because he likes them and, man, I feel that so hard. If anything, Poker Face feels like a slightly darker version of USA's blue skies procedurals. Stuff like Monk, Burn Notice, and most of all, Psych. Episodic star vehicles with a simple but addicting formula and just enough of a plot to keep you coming back season after season. Hell, they even bring up Burn Notice pretty much every episode, this is absolutely intentional!

Highlights:

Escape From Shit Mountain: Pretty much unanimously agreed to be the high point of the season, despite being by far the bleakest episode. Joseph Gordon-Levitt surprised me with how well he could play an absolute piece of shit, Stephanie Hsu getting more roles beyond EEAAO is nice, Rian Johnson's stylish direction is fantastic, and it does a good job at setting up the finale while still standing on its own.

The Hook: This was a good finale, reminds me of some of the best Burn Notice season enders. There's a lot of great twists, not just in the story but in how the episode plays around with the formula. I like that Cliff knows about Charlie's gift because it makes him a suitably difficult bad guy to take down, and the cliffhanger maintains the status quo with just enough differences to differentiate next season from this one.

Overall, Poker Face is a very fun time. A charming episodic mystery series anchored by a great protagonist, even if I wish the season hadn't fully found its footing by the last few episodes.

4/5 Stars

Suite Precure (Series 8)

Suite Precure was fighting a losing battle right from the start. It came out directly after the uber popular success that was Heartcatch, as well as after an earthquake that caused Toei to rewrite parts of the show to be more light-hearted. But as someone who quite liked Heartcatch but didn't find it to be this perfect high point in the series, I feel like I'm the perfect position to judge Suite on its own merits.

Suite Precure is about Hibiki and Kanade, two classmates with a long history of fighting and not getting along, forced to become Cures together to stop an evil king named Mephisto from finding the Notes and singing the Melody of Sorrow. Let me get this out of the way first, yes, Hibiki and Kanade fight a lot throughout the first cour of this series. I know this is a point of contention but honestly, I really like this twist on the formula. I feel like this is the natural extension of Precure's "polar opposites forced to work together" premise, and it's the first time since Futari that the main cast don't immediately become the best of friends with zero conflict. The arguments the duo get into feel surprisingly organic too (compared to the Futari fights that are usually just spurred by Honoka's big mouth), like with that sibling episode where Hibiki and Kanade's different outlooks on the latter's brother spawn from their different upbringings. The arguments are also genuinely funny a lot of the time, like with the jerk villagers in the early Animal Crossing games, there's just a fun level of edge to seeing everyone not be super nice to each other all the time. It's because of their arguing that Hibiki and Kanade manage to gain such a close and intimate understanding of each other over time, and you can really see them grow closer as their arguments get more spaced out. It makes for an unusually strong early stretch for the series, even if it's admittedly pretty fleeting.

As far as the slice of life elements go, Suite goes back to the standard formula of basing most of its plotlines on struggles that the main cast is dealing with and yeah, I definitely prefer this to Heartcatch's approach. I don't deny the importance of a good side cast, hell I even criticized the Yes duology for lacking one, but I think there's a balance that shows like Splash Star and Fresh have struck pretty perfectly, and Suite at the very least fits near them. The majority of episodes do focus mostly on the main cast, and it allows you to spend a lot of time watching them interact, but there is also a solid side cast here. It's not the best side cast a Precure show has had, but they're likable enough. And I just have to say the chemistry between the characters is off the charts, and the dialogue can be surprisingly natural at points, especially with Hibiki and Kanade. The characters just bounce off each other really well, it's a joy simply to watch them chat. I also have to give credit to the adorable airheaded fairy Hummy, who was voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi aka Sailor freaking Moon. Hummy is an absolute treasure from start to finish, hands down my favorite fairy since Tarte, and the innocent ways in which she responds to an episode's conflict are always a treat (Hummy telling Hibiki she'd be her little sister was the most wholesome thing, I swear).

Then there's Siren/Ellen/Cure Beat, who is this season's token redeemed Cure. I'm going to be perfectly blunt here, it was hard to shake off Setsuna for much of this season. Like, look, Setsuna's has such a great redemption arc that ideally, other shows should take more cues from it. But also, Setsuna is probably my favorite character ever now so any other redemption arc would have to be in her shadow, which is doubly so in the context of Precure, and triply so in the context of Ellen being the first redeemed villain since Setsuna. Anyone who tries to follow after Setsuna is inevitably going to suffer from following up Setsuna. That being said, I did end up enjoying Ellen on her own merits. As a villain, she's very hammy and fun, and since she's actually the main villain in the first half, she gets more time with Hibiki and Kanade. But I think the really interesting element of Siren is the fact that she's technically a fairy. This means that she has a history with Hummy, making the conflict to get her to turn a lot more personal. In addition, since becoming a Cure means being permanently made human, Ellen's post-redemption arc is less about finding a family and more about learning what it means to be human, which isn't as emotional but it is incredibly fun on its own. Ellen becomes such a massive dork after her redemption, it's so good. I don't think anyone will be able to top Setsuna for me, but Ellen does bring some neat new ideas to the table regardless and is still a big highlight.

What really surprised me, though, is that my absolute favorite thing about Suite Precure ended up being all the world-building and lore. I did not expect the series to have such a compelling myth arc, but here we are. And it's established right from the get-go, with an extended prologue introducing Mephisto, his plan, the Music Trio, and Hummy and Siren's relationship. Hell, even Hibiki and Kanade have "lore", so to speak. They don't just meet and immediately start fighting, they have a history together that needs to be unpacked. And that's not even getting into Cure Muse, and that whole mystery about who she really is and the way she ties into Mephisto, it's all really engaging and well-done. I'll always wonder what the original darker version of Suite would be like, but even this more light-hearted version still has a super engaging plot regardless. It's also the little things that really make Suite's world-buillding stand out, like how musical motifs are literally built into the show's world. The Major Kingdom is a more fantastical and blunt with it, like having staircases made up of literal piano pieces, but even Kanon Town has more subtle music-themed decorations scattered around while still feeling like a believable place. Let's just say that if you're a fan of Music Park from Mario Kart, you'll love Suite's aesthetic.

Which leads to Suite Precure's presentation. As far as the animation and general artstyle goes, yeah, this is a pretty big step down from the more cartoony styles of Fresh and Heartcatch, especially the latter. The action isn't as good, the colors don't pop as much, Suite generally looks a lot more like Futari and Splash Star did. That's not a bad thing though, and the animation can still be pretty fantastic at points, especially during the transformation sequences and attacks. Actually, let me just say, Suite has the best attacks out of any Precure show to date, from Cure Rhythm walking away from an explosion to Cure Beat using her guitar as a gun, they both look cool and exude a lot of personality. But even more, the general art direction is fantastic. I already praised the design of the Major Kingdom and Kanon Town, but even the character and costume design is pretty stellar. Special props go to Hibiki's casual clothes, that pink and black rock look is great. And as you'd expect from a show about music, Suite's music is really great, especially when it needs to be. Both the Melody Of Happiness and the Melody Of Sorrow are both incredibly well-composed and well-delivered, they genuinely feel like these all-powerful melodies.

Highlights (no I'm not adding the Nyas at the end of the titles):

Hibiki Hates Music (episode 3): This was the episode that sold me on Suite, in particular, that door scene was fantastic. The editing, the voice acting, the awkward way Hibiki finally opens up to Kanade, it was incredibly well-done. Hibiki's struggle here was really engaging too, especially for such an early episode. I feel her. Even if everyone seems to like what you create, if your parents don't, it could feel incredibly demoralizing.

The TV Reporter Challenge (episode 5): I don't understand how you can't love the bickering, this episode was hysterical. Those scenes where the duo was trying to film a TV report, with Hibiki trying to hog the spotlight and Kanade delivering a rigid report, left me in absolute stitches Also, Siren's villainous entrance this episode was fabulous, I love how silly the villains are this season.

Siren And Hummy's Secret (episode 13): Siren and Hummy are the best thing about Suite. The way Hummy completely ignores that Siren is a villain now is the sweetest thing, and she came really close to getting her to turn before Mephisto showed up and brainwashed Siren again. I do kinda wish Siren was actually evil, but the fact that poor Hummy has no idea what's going on does add a nice tragic element to things.

Best Friends By Switching Places (episode 16): This is the last episode where Hibiki and Kanade fight, and I'd say it's a fitting conclusion to that part of the show. Most of Hibikana's arguments were over a lack of understanding of each other's differences, so what better way to close this chapter of the show by having them literally swap places. Aside from the novelty of seeing Hibiki experience having a brother and present mother for a bit and the comedy of Kanade dealing with Hibiki's dad, they really do gain a lot of respect for each other. And to really hammer it home, Hibiki finally notices Siren's necklace, so her disguises won't even be able to work on her anymore.

Birth Of A Miracle Pretty Cure (episode 21): The culmination of Hummy and Siren's relationship, and it was just as climactic and grandiose as I would've hoped. I love that the brainwashing didn't affect Hummy at all, her love for Siren was just that powerful. Cure Beat's first appearance was great, and the scope of the episode as a whole felt like it could've been a season finale. Also holy heck, Hummy's got pipes!

A Tear In The World's Smallest Ocean (episode 23): God, this show is so cool. Those shots of the Cures leaning against a wall talking it out with Mamoru feel like they could've been the front cover of a punk album. And Cure Beat's big fight this episode, where she shows up, strums her hair like a guitar, tosses a Negatone with her legs, and whips out a guitar-shaped rod only to use it as a gun all the while heavy rock music is playing in the background rivals the Heartcatch finale as one of the most metal things I've seen in a Precure show.

This was also just a great episode in general. Where Episode 22 felt more like Setsuna's Anguish 2.0, this episode took Ellen's redemption in a pretty unique direction as she bonds with a kid who's run away from home, only to be thrown for a loop when that kid realizes his parents do in fact care for him. It all culminates in this fantastic sunset-lit scene where Ellen screams out her apology to the world. It's brilliantly cathartic and emotional, and a moment that's entirely original to Suite, even if she adorably gets embarrassed by it next episode.

Save The World In 30 Minutes (episode 27): This episode wasn't even anything all that special, I just had to point out that THEY PARODIED 24.

Finally, Muse Takes Off Her Mask (episode 35): Oh, great, we can finally get to the Cure Muse stuff! I already liked Suite up to this point but Cure Muse is what really elevates it to being truly fantastic. Episode 35 was chock full of massive plot-bombs, in particular. Otokichi knows Aphrodite? Cure Muse is Ako? Mephisto is being brain-washed? There's another villain? Mephisto is Cure Muse's father?! So much happened!

Let Muse's Thoughts Reach His Heart (episode 36): Cure Muse, aka Ako, falls along the same archetype as Homura Akemi. She's a character who starts off super closed off and morally ambiguous, to the point where you never have any idea what she's thinking. But once you get her backstory, it all clicks perfectly into place and you realize just how much she's had to deal with. Ako has had to deal with a lot. Her father turned evil, she had to leave home, she became a Precure, and the only way she could deal with it is lock away her emotions... and keep in mind that she's like nine years old. How can you not admire that?

Anyway, as for the episode itself, it's great. I was surprised that Mephisto would be healed this far before the finale, but it paves the way for the true villain Noise to get the focus for much of the final act rather than just showing up at the last second as is the case for Precure. The first half was pretty heavy on the backstory and exposition, but Suite's lore is so intriguing and well-crafted that it was engaging regardless, and Ellen awkwardly apologizing to Ako was absolutely adorable. I'm glad that Ellen's past being brain-washed was brought up again for this and the episode before it.

We'll Never Hand Over The Last Note (episode 41): Precure's Home Alone, but instead of a home it's the town, instead of traps it's the side characters, and instead of a kid it's a fairy. The Cures' plan to protect Fari by faking the filming of a movie so that she'll be disguised among merch an protected by rabid fans is both brilliant and hysterical, and just a flat-out great usage of the side cast, all of whom gets their moments to shine as they bully the Minor Trio.

The Final Arc: Once again, Suite ends on a pretty strong note.

The Miracle Born In The Holy Night (episode 44): Noise getting revived (ending that incessant squawking) and petrifying the entire town. It's no desert, but still pretty devastating.

We Won't Let Noise Have His Way (episode 45): Noise kinda won in this one, huh? Sure, the Cures give him a seriously impressive beating but he also manages to seal away Otokichi and the Crescendo Tone, exacting his revenge.

The Pretty Cures' Last Battle (episode 46): Easily some of the best action in the series, and you start to get some hints towards Noise's motivations. Also, Aphrodite's rebellious concert was genuinely one of the coolest scenes in the series.

Everyone's Melody Of Hope (episode 47): This isn't the first time the Cures won by convincing the bad guy to change sides but I think it works a lot better here than in Yes 5. The reveal that Noise is an incarnation of sadness puts all of his actions and motivations into a new context. It also helps that the actual final battle is fantastic, and the episode as a whole is directed incredibly well. With Matsumoto Rie having stopped doing episodes, Suite has shown that Tanaka Yuta has become the new Precure director to watch, and apparently he even goes on to head Go Princess. I'm expecting great things.

Also given how this episode ends and how much effort they put into hiding Cure Muse, it would've been the funniest thing if they just cut Hummy from the ending sequence. Cowards.

Resound Throughout The World, Melody Of Happiness (episode 48): I'm really happy Suite decided to end things with an epilogue episode, and it's a pretty great one at that. The Cures trying to get Hummy to wake up makes for a very personal episode, but I'm glad that things end on an unambiguously happy note. No one is forced to leave, there's no bittersweet twists, it's just a happy ending. And I'm glad to see Ellen get so much focus too, it's a great end to her storyline.

Overall, Suite Precure was... really good actually? Like seriously, I don't have many complaints here. The characters are strong and have great chemistry, the plot is intruging and well-developed, the fairies are abnormally great, the pacing is on-point, the presentation is polished and thoughtful, I'm genuinely impressed! Suite stands up alongside Splash Star as a great season that was sandwiched between two vastly more popular ones, and it's a real shame that it got drowned out as a result.

5/5 Stars

Heartcatch Precure (Series 7)

Heartcatch Precure is probably the most beloved of the Precure shows, and it didn't take me long to figure out why. Where Fresh took the building blocks of before and mined them for all they're worth, Heartcatch took the Precure mythos and did something entirely new with it. And for the most part, that creativity did wonders for it.

Okay, you know the drill. Tsubomi, a shy introverted florist, and Erika, a brash extroverted fashionista, are both called to become Cures and fight the evil Desert Apostles, who want to turn the world into a desert by stealing the heart flowers of sad people. At face value, it's a pretty standard but solid Precure show plot, but there are quite a few wrinkles that make it interesting. For starters, Erika and especially Tsubomi start off the show not entirely prepared to be a Cure. Where other shows have the Cures immediately figure out how to fight upon their transformation, Tsubomi and Erika initially feel like underdogs compared to the villains, and there's a palpable sense of growth in their fighting skills as the series goes on. Another thing this show does different is that there are characters who are/were cures before Tsubomi and Erika took up the mantle. Tsubomi's grandma was a Cure, and the show starts with a Cure named Cure Moonlight getting defeated by one of the villains. Their backstories are a big part of Heartcatch's lore, and are all super intriguing. Speaking of the villains, while the Desert Apostles are mostly a solid lineup of baddies that toes the line between goofy and genuinely intimidating, there's also the Dark Precure who's hands down the scariest villain in the series to date. Any time she shows up, you know the characters aren't getting out unscathed, and it's fantastic. On a plot level, Heartcatch is great. It brings enough unique ideas to the table to feel fresh, and the final arc is one of the better ones in the series to date.

Like with Yes 5, Heartcatch is pretty much entirely character-driven, with every single Cure having a compelling and developed arc. Tsubomi and Erika have that classic introvert/extrovert dynamic that I love, and they bring out the best in each other in how the former learns to be more outgoing and the latter learns to be a bit more tactful. Eventually, we also meet Itsuki and Yuri (the aforementioned experienced Cure), who I'd argue are even better and two of the best Cures in the series to date. Itsuki's storyline about figuring out her gender expression is super heartwarming, while Yuri struggling with the trauma caused by her loss to the Dark Precure is an especially mature storyline for a Precure show to tackle. As a whole, this is probably my favorite roster of Cures so far, every single one of them is interesting. In addition, the Monsters Of The Week are taken from people's insecurities, so even the episodic fights are used to develop the side characters, tell compelling standalone stories, and even explore some more mature themes at points. This allows the show to really flesh out the town's citizens and the student body, the latter of which get way more focused compared to the schools of Yes 5/Gogo and Fresh. This all sounds fantastic, right? Well... this approach is also kind of a double-edged sword.

As paradoxical as it sounds, while Heartcatch does try to flesh out its main and side cast more than any Precure before it, I felt like I didn't get as attached to them as I did with some of the others either. I think this is because while the characters are developed and interesting on their own merits, their dynamics with each other feel under-explored because so much time is dedicated to those more personal arcs. Tsubomi, Erika, Itsuki, and Yuri are phenomenal characters on their own right, but together, they just don't feel as closely-knit of a friend group that the Yes 5 or Fresh groups did. The citizens in Heartcatch's town have the most compelling individual conflicts out of any Precure side characters, but I don't get that same sense of community that I got from Splash Star or Fresh. This is especially noticeable in a lot of the Monster Of The Week episodes, which dedicate so much time to those side characters that it feels like I rarely get to see much of Tsubomi and Erika outside of the fight scenes. And even when an MotW episode does focus on a major cast member, they shoe-horn in a subplot about some other side character just to give the Cures someone to fight, the worst offender being that episode about Tsubomi making her own dress where half of the screentime goes to some random biker kid. It also doesn't help that most of these side characters show up like once or twice in the entire show, so what's even the point? By the end of the series, I could barely remember any of the side characters, while I still look back on Tarte's bro Kaoru-Chan, Shiho Shiho Shiho, and Masuko Mika (I mean Masukomi-ka) with incredible fondness.

But back to the positives, one of the best things about Heartcatch is easily the animation. From start to finish, Heartcatch Precure is an absolute treat to the eyes, going for a clean, poppy, and incredibly cartoonish style. I praised Fresh for its cartoony visuals, but Heartcatch takes that artstyle and cranks it up to eleven. There is no such thing as "on-model" here, expressions are larger than life, kicks and punches stretch out to heighten the impact, and sometimes, the artstyle just entirely changes for comedic effect. It was kind of a shock to see this anime was made in 2010 because that clean, chibi artwork really feels like a product from the early 2000s (maybe because the character designer Umakoshi made Ojamajo Doremi, an actual early 2000s magical girl show). Either way, I'm a fan, and I love how the cheery visuals belie the anime's more mature themes. The action scenes are top-notch too, and even the transformation sequences are so fluid I can't help but not skip them. The soundtrack is very similar to that of Fresh, not quite as consistently great, but it has some fantastic songs and one of the best OPs in the series to date.

Highlights:

The Greatest Danger! Dark Cure Has Appeared (episode 10): Ever since seeing the Yes 5 movie, I wanted another Evil Cure, and this show's Dark Pretty Cure definitely lived up to my lofty expectations. Her one-winged design goes incredibly hard and she's utterly terrifying, as she basically defeats the rookie Cures just by looking at them. We also get to see the seeds of Cure Moonlight's arc get planted here, as well as one of my favorite fight scenes of the anime where Erika beats hordes of bad guys through the power of cartoonish running.

A Tearful Mother's Day! Protect The Family's Smile (episode 14): This show really has a thing with missing parents, huh? There's Yuri's dad, both of Tsubomi's parents for a bit, and now there's Nanami and Rumi. I don't think there's much I can say about this episode that hasn't already been said, it's one of the more iconic for a reason. It's a heartbreaking story about dealing with a parent's death told exceptionally well, and is easily one of the most emotionally intense episodes of Precure ever made. I don't think I've ever seen this many tears in any episode, to be perfectly honest.

Unbelievable! The Student Council President Is In Cute Clothes (episode 15): I was not expecting to love Itsuki as much as I did, but she turned out to be an absolute treasure, literally just gap moe incarnate. Even if she isn't technically trans, just seeing a character fully explore her gender identity is a joy to watch (complete with psuedo coming out scene). And this was a shockingly dense episode too, packing in Itsuki joining the fashion club and making her first dress, the entire backstory of her and her family, and a subplot about Itsuki worrying about losing the dojo if she drops her guard.

Fairy Adventure! The Pretty Cure Scouting Strategy (episode 21): I wasn't super big on the fairies so far (aside from Coupe, he's perfect), so color me surprised when I ended up really liking Potpourri. Despite being a baby fairy, the antics they get into are genuinely entertaining, they have actual agency, and they can even actually get involved in action scenes. Case in point, Fairy Adventure focuses on Potpourri running around the school trying to find the third Cure only to accidentally scare everyone. It brings back a large chunk of the side cast, and even its Monster Of The Week feels played more for laughs rather than being based on some super personal conflict. It's definitely one of the best comedic episodes in Heartcatch.

Cure Sunshine Is Born! (episode 23): All I wanted was to see was Itsuki gush over herself after becoming a Cure for the first time and I was not disappointed. Seriously, though, even if it lacked the emotional punch of Setsuna, this was a stellar mid-season Cure transformation. Great action, great build-up, and seeing Itsuki so happy to be a Cure just makes me happy.

Cure Moonlight Is Finally Reborn/Amazingly Powerful Cure Moonlight (episode 33/34): Cure Moonlight's long-awaited transformation definitely lived up to the hype. It did a great job at tackling Yuri's grief, the backstory of Cologne's death was surprisingly dark, and once she does transform, Episode 34 is basically just non-stop action. Quite possibly the rawest episode of Precure we've had since the Splash Star finale.

Everyone's The Main Character! This Is Our Stage (episode 36): The fashion show scene. That is all.

Erika's In A Pinch! The Marine Tact Is Stolen (episode 39): Look, I know this is basically just a silly comedic one-off, but man, this was a true testament to how little Heartcatch's structure works. There is no Desertrian in this episode, meaning it could actually be about the main cast for once. For the first time in almost 40 episodes, Coffret actually gets development, and it's great. This episode balanced goofy humor and a heartwarming main storyline so well and I really wish there was more like it earlier on in the season.

The Entire Final Arc (episodes 45-49): The moment Dune shows up, Heartcatch starts to fire on all cylinders and never lets up. For all my complaining, this show stuck the goddamn landing, making for the best final arc since Splash Star.

Episode 45: In the course of half an episode, Dune shows up, takes out all the Precures (including Coupe), destroys the Heart Tree, kidnaps Kaoruko, and turns the entire Earth into a goddamn desert, potentially killing everyone who's not connected to the Cures. That scene where the Cures thinks their friends and family are dead was jaw-dropping. Easy contender for bleakest and darkest Precure episode ever made, holy crap.

Episode 46: Itsuki and Erika get their time to shine in a great fight with Kumojacky and Cobraja. It doesn't really pull any surprises, but the action is absolutely stellar here. I spent the whole show going back and forth on my favorite character, but it was here that Cure Marine solidified herself as the best. She's earned that cocky attitude with flying colors.

Episode 47: So much happened here! Cure Moonlight has her final battle with Dark Cure, we learn Sabaku was Yuri's father, and most importantly, Erika and Itsuki call a timeout in the middle of a fight and disguise themselves as Snackies. Seriously though, the Moonlight Vs Dark Cure fight was great and probably would've been the best fight scene in any other season that didn't have Marine Vs Kumojacky or the Dune fight in it.

Episode 48: Oh god, poor Yuri. She really got put through the ringer, huh? First she has to kill her sister in cold blood, then her father is killed in front of her just as they reunite. And on top of that, we have a great fight with Dune and a stellar speech from Tsubomi making for a phenomenal climax to the series. The personal nature of it and how it mostly takes place in a single setting remind me a lot of Sailor Moon S's climax, which is absolutely a compliment.

I've seen complaints that Yuri's fate was needlessly cruel here, but I think it perfectly fits the message of her arc as well as the themes of Precure as a whole. Being a Precure is about protecting people, that's always been an element of this series and doubly so in Heartcatch. It's not about revenge or pacifism, it's about making as many people happy as possible. As for Yuri herself, she's basically been dealing with depression the entire season. And while many shows would have Yuri get better just as everything in her life gets magically resolved, that's not realistic. Sometimes, things still suck, but that's why it's all the more important to keep going and not give into despair. Tsubomi even apologizes in the next episode out of fear of having been too harsh, but it was exactly what Yuri needed to hear.

Episode 49: Once again, the final episode is a bit of a step down from the craziness in the penultimate one, there really wasn't any reason for Dune to drag out the fight. But still, you do get to see the Cures battle a giant human in the middle of space, TTGL style. And unlike in TTGL, the resolution is actually satisfying, especially that shot of Tsubomi's sister following in her family's footsteps. I think this is the longest we've had a final Precure episode devote to the resolution and all that extra time really helped compared to Fresh's more rushed conclusion.

Overall, Heartcatch Precure is a great entry in the series. It has a strong plot with some of the best characters in the franchise, a solid villain lineup, top-notch animation, and a truly outstanding conclusion. However, I think I still prefer Fresh and Splash Star overall. Those shows did a better job at getting me attached to their respective casts and towns, and while Heartcatch told a great story, it just didn't hit me like those did. Which is a shame because I can see a perfect Precure show buried within here, it just needed to straighten out its priorities a bit more.

4/5 Stars

Ranking Sonic Frontiers Cyberspace Themes

So, Sonic Frontiers. Definitely not a perfect game, but easily one of the most enjoyable 3D Sonics we've gotten in a while, and it's soundtrack is fantastic. There's a lot to love in Frontiers music-wise, like the metalcore boss themes or the intense overworld themes, but for me, I have been listening to the music for the Cyberspace stages non-stop since the game's came out. It's just a stellar EDM album on its own right, one that spans so many styles and even almost feels like a revival of that late-90s/early-2000s trend of jungle and trance video game soundtracks. It's great, and I hope the series continues with this direction, but for now, we got 30 fantastic songs, and I want to rank them:

30. Deja Vu (2-5)
Yeah, this one didn't really do it for me. After a pretty solid intro, the main melody can feel a bit hard to listen to between the heavily sampled vocals and the wubs interrupting the beat. Even worse is the fact that it's really repetitive, barely evolving or changing throughout the course of the song. Like, it's not awful or anything, but it's a song I tend to skip.

29. Rewind To Go Ahead (4-7)
This one's just kinda forgettable, honestly. It feels like the entire song is building up towards a chorus it never ends up hitting. Bonus points for using the Digital Cave choir though.

28. Escape The Loop (3-1)
This song is so frustrating! It has such a great first minute, with a strong driving piano melody that flows super well with the vocals, only for the song to basically feel like it comes to a screeching halt whenever the chorus shows up. The chorus isn't as bad as Deja Vu but it has similar issues of choppy-sounding vocals and feeling repetitive, but the strong first half keeps this one above it.

27. No Pain, No Gain (4-8)
This is just a plain fun song. The beat is catchy, the vocal sample is kinda dumb but endearingly so, and it's an easy song to bop your head to, even if it can feel a bit repetitive by its second half.

26. Time Flyer (1-7)
This song just feels very Sonic-y to me, it's determined and fast-paced. Otherwise, there really isn't too much I can about it outside of the fact that I really like those brief high-pitched parts. I don't know, I just think they're fun.

25. Memory Will Tell (3-3)
Now this feels like a Forces track, with the mix of a dark foreboding synth and piano almost reminds me of Mortar Canyon, at least in the verse. The chorus is the real highlight, though, a simple but very effective synth melody that kinda reminds me of Safe Haven from Va-11 Hall-A. Either way, it's a good mix of EDM styles.

24. Wishes In The Wind (4-4)
Wishes In The Wind is a solid DnB track carried by Rintaro Soma's distinct synths. They're just so sparkly and pleasing to listen to, and every once in a while, the song pulls out an entirely new sound I've never heard before. It also builds up to a pretty magical chorus, just a good song all around.

23. Arrow Of Time (4-5)
Similarly to Wishes In The Wind, the instrumentation makes this song. That screechy synth sound that forms the central beat is so distinct and haunting. And once again, the chorus is great, another real Forces-sounding bit.

22. BMB (3-5)
Okay, I know this is the fan least favorite of the bunch and I'll admit it's pretty repetitive, but I don't know, there's something about BMB that just sounds so satisfying. The vocals, the synths, the drop, it all makes for such an easy listen. It also fits with the one drift-centric stage pretty much perfectly, almost sounding like it could fit a racing game.

21. Genshi (1-4)
Probably the most pure DnB track of the bunch, amen breaks and all. That chorus even sounds straight out of Super Monkey Ball. Seriously, I hope Rintaro Soma sticks around with Sega because he nails that PS1 jungle vibe to a tee.

20. Floating In The Blue (2-7)
Floating In The Blue is a vibe, definitely one of the most feel-good Cyberspace tracks of the game. There's something so nostalgic about this song, it almost feels like Nintendo E-Shop music, which I mean in a good way. And the drop in the chorus is just fantastic. 

19. Hype Street (2-4)
Hype Street is just a fun track. That driving percussion really makes this one, almost reminding me of Savannah Citadel from Sonic Unleashed. It does mostly stick to the same beat, but the ways Ohtani occasionally interrupts it is always fun to listen to.

18. Constructure (3-4)
It's hard to really describe why I like Soma's instrumentation so much, it just sounds pleasing to the ears. Constructure feels like a blend of Planet Robobot and Mega Man Battle Network, with a great chorus that utilizes these vocal-sounding synths to great effect.

17. Database (1-1)
Given the reused locations, there's only so much the Cyberspace themes could do to really fit their respective levels, but this... this is a first level theme, almost perfectly fitting Sonic's state at the start of the game. It's dark and eerie, giving off an unfamiliar feeling, further aiding by the haunting yet surprisingly catchy robotic lyrics. And it's also a pretty massive bop in its own right.

16. Slice & Sway (2-1)
Slice & Sway feels like a mix of a variety of different EDM genres, with a very jungle backing track and a lo-fi sounding melody, and yet they both mesh super well together, culminating in a pretty seamless chorus.

15. Go Slap (3-2)
This is another one of the happier cyberspace themes, boasting a pretty groovy slap bass bit in the middle of the song. But despite that, my favorite part of Go Slap is actually that quiet part at the end where it's just you and the melody. Structure-wise, this song reminds me a lot of Imperial Tower with how it rises and falls.

14. Nostalgic Sweep (2-3)
Befitting the name, Nostalgic Sweep throws in a bit of chiptune into its backing track, but outside of that, it's far from a cherry retro throwback. Nostalgic Sweep is a pretty dark and intense theme with a foreboarding melody, and it makes for a fantastic listen.

13. Transparent Highway (2-6)
Another one of the more Sonic-y tracks, and a very good one at that. Super energetic and driven. It's really all about that drop at the 50-ish second mark, so much build-up all paid off pretty much perfectly. Kanon Oguni made this one and expect some more impeccable drops from the guy, he's really good at them

12. Exceed Mach (4-1)
I hated this song at first. As much as I've grown to like EDM, I was never big on dubstep, it was always too loud and grating. But damn it, this song is too good! The main melody is fantastic, the builds and drops are spot-on and always satisfying (goddamn it, Oguni!), I have no complaints. I've praised a lot of the Cyberspace themes for sounding like they're from the early 2000s, but this is very much a 2010s piece and I'm fine with that.

11. Heavenly Sky (2-2)
Also by Tomoya Ohtani, Heavenly Sky has a similar dark vibe to Nostalgic Sweep, but what pushes this one above it a bit is that serene part in the middle. The plucky synths sound straight out of Donkey Kong Country 2, perfectly complementing the serene Sky Sanctuary setting.

10. Enjoy This World (3-6)
This was hands down the biggest surprise on the soundtrack because if there's one genre I wasn't expecting, it's future bass. Seriously, this feels like a long lost Snail's House song, and I couldn't be happier. The vocals also really aid this one, especially when the track reaches its climax. It really does make me want to enjoy this world.

9. Signs (4-9)
This feels like Arsenal Pyramid: Act 2, like it has almost the exact same type of build-up and drop. While I do still prefer Arsenal Pyramid, this is still a massive banger, a fittingly climactic-sounding final Cyberspace theme that just keeps building and building. Also, shoutout to that burst of icy synths that occasionally come in, really gives me Mega Man 11 vibes.

8. Flowing (1-2)
Flowing is the fan favorite, and for good reason. It's catchy, fast-paced, and very Sonic. It's so addictive and fun that even after grinding for S-ranks, people still haven't seemed to have gotten tired of it.

7. Rumble Rave (4-3)
Absolutely phenomenal trance piece, very reminiscent of something you'd hear in the first Wipeout. Despite keeping the same driving backing melody, Rintaro Soma pulls all sorts of tricks to keep the song feeling fresh throughout, culminating in one of my favorite bits in any of the Cyberspace themes: That repeating part from 1:23-1:46.

6. Go Back 2 Your Roots (1-6)
Go Back 2 Your Roots is hands down the most fun song in the game. From the slap bass, to the cheery melody, to the ring sound effects being used, to that happy chorus, this song is just nonstop good vibes. The only thing is that I just wish I knew what genre it is. It reminds of One Step From Eden's The Forest or the phenomenal Touhou remix 514, but I just can't pin down the name.

5. All Reality (3-7)
I can never shake the feeling that maybe Rhea Island should've been the last part of the game and let's face it, All Reality doesn't help matters. This really feels like a final level theme. It's incredibly climactic, captures the themes of Cyberspace perfectly, and has hands down the best vocal implementation out of all the Cyberspace tracks. Simply chill-inducing.

4. Fog Funk (4-6)
I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say this is very Sonic Rush, and I mean that as the highest form of praise. Fog Funk is an absolute jam, impeccably funky and super dynamic. I love how the driving synth sounds like crushed DS samples, and how the chorus almost sounds like it's being

3. Ephemeral (4-2)
I remember hearing this track in that Cyberspace Mix and it instantly grabbed me. The Sonic 06 vibes were noticeable right from the very start, especially compared to something like End Of The World. The haunting synth, the driving drum-and-bass, the eerie vocals, it all shows Ohtani hasn't missed a single beat since the soundtrack that truly put him on the map.

2. Dropahloic (1-5)
Yeah, given what I've been saying about him, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Kanon Oguni's best song is literally called Dropaholic, show-off. This song is amazing, it's so high energy and relentless, and I just adore the "Go! Go! Go!" samples in the chorus. Even the parts before the beat-drop are fantastic.

1. Digital Cave (1-3)
Similarly to Ephemeral, Digital Cave sounds straight-out of Sonic 06, just as haunting and bleak-sounding as the rest of that godly soundtrack. However, what pushes this one into first place for me is easily that chorus, holy crap. From the twinkly synth to the backing DnB to the beautiful choir (hey, remember that from 4-7?), the climax of Digital Cave is one of the most stunning pieces of Sonic music period and perfectly encapsulates the lonely vibe Sonic Frontiers is going for.

Ranking Crash Bandicoot 1

Crash Bandicoot. Still a fun time! Even if it's one of the earliest pioneers of 3D platforming as we know it alongisde Jumping Flash and Super Mario 64, the mechanics and movement was on point right from the start. While the next two games would further refine the gameplay and increase the scope, there's something to be said for how the first game offers such a pure platforming experience, with strong visual storytelling in how the environments evolve over the course of the game. Let's rank the levels and bosses in first Crash Bandicoot game:

Just keep in mind that I will be ranking these levels based on how they play in the original PS1 release. I think it's a lot snappier and more consistent than the N-Sane Trilogy versions. 

1. Slippery Climb (Level 21)
Brutal in all the right ways and drenched in atmosphere, Slippery Climb is easily one of the defining levels in the series. Love the challenge or hate it, you can't deny it's a tough stage to forget.

2. Road To Nowhere (Level 12)
Okay, here me out here. I concede that the N-Sane Trilogy version is utterly awful, that games' borked-up controls and hitboxes at their worst. But the original version is not that bad at all, and actually really fun! I love to challenge myself to see if I can run through the whole stage without stopping (and also not using the bridge ropes).

3. N Sanity Island (Level 1)
Really a great first level, perfectly encapsulating the game without feeling like a boring tutorial. The dynamic environment helps a lot, as you start on the beach and slowly progress into the jungle.

4. Temple Ruins (Level 11)
The eerie atmosphere is top-notch, and the platforming is perfectly tight, especially with those revolving platforms.

5. Boulder Dash (Level 13)
Basically Boulders but way harder, and thus more engaging. Also, that gem cave path was so cool.

6. Castle Machinery (Level 25)
While mostly just yet another fun 2D factory level, it's that opening and Green Gem shortcut that really made this one for me.

7. Rolling Stones (Level 6)
Basically Jungle Rollers again but the more tricky platforming makes this one a lot more fun.

8. Upstream (Level 5)
The stream levels have always had a great sense of flow, platforming across fallen leaves and pieces of driftwood just feels satisfying in its simplicity.

9. Hog Wild (Level 7)
Nothing in this game gets me more hyped up than seeing Crash Bandicoot wink at the screen before riding a hog right through a village. Such a chaotic and fun level, even if it's just the first of its kind.

10. Heavy Machinery (Level 16)
A genuinely fun 2D platforming challenge slightly brought down by a serious case of the checkpoint starvations.

11. The Lost City (Level 10)
A pretty dynamic and creative level that also doubles as one hell of a difficulty spike. Native Fortress was tough, but The Lost City was a traumatizing point of no return when I first played it.

12. Sunset Vista (Level 15)
Very pretty, takes The Lost City's ideas and expands on them, but it's way too goddamn long and exhausting.

13. Native Fortress (Level 8)
I'm a bit split on this one. On one hand, it's the first truly hard level, a fitting finale to the first island, that takes The Great Gate's ideas and pushes them as far as they'll go. I especially love making it to the top of the gate and seeing that sunset. However, I despise those native enemies, and some of the platforming near the end is insanely tight for so early on in the game.

14. Jaws Of Darkness (Level 24)
Fairly overlong and not as fresh as Temple Ruins, but it has some of the coolest side paths in the game.

15 Jungle Rollers (Level 2)
A solid second level. I really like the main mechanic of those rolling wheels, but for the most part, this stage is really just a straight-shot to the end without much in the way of variety.

16. Boulders (Level 4)
I love the chase levels in this series, but Boulders feels quaint compared to pretty much all the others. The measly 16 boxes doesn't help matters.

17. Up The Creek (Level 9)
Doesn't really bring anything new to the table compared to Upstream, and that one metal box is annoying to deal with.

18. Cortex Power (Level 17)
The alternate routes are super cool when you're playing the level for the first time. Not so much when you're going back to get all the boxes.

19. The Great Gate (Level 3)
As standard of a 2D level as it gets. I like the visual of climbing up a huge gate and some of the obstacles are fun, but most of what this stage does is done better in Native Fortress.

20. Generator Room (Level 18)
Super dark and atmospheric, but in terms of the level design, it really doesn't bring much new to the table that we haven't already seen.

21. The Lab (Level 26)
A fittingly tough final level dragged down by those irritating electrified scientists. Seriously, what's their deal?

22. Whole Hog (Level 14)
Hog Wild was a fun distraction. Whole Hog went a bit too far with the obstacles and bordered onto frustrating.

23. The High Road (Level 20)
Too many turtles. Road To Nowhere wasn't just a great challenge, but it had fantastic pacing too. The High Road constantly stops you to jump on turtles before you can progress, and if you accidentally spin attack one? Well, screw you, I guess.

24. Lights Out (Level 22)
Love the set design here but who thought making your health indicator a source of light was a good idea? Or giving said source of light a time limit in a level depending on waiting for moving obstacles? Or making this level lock a colored gem behind another colored gem?

25. The Great Gate (Level 27)
Oh, right, this is a level. There really isn't much to it, but it's neat how it lets you just... skip the final boss entirely?

26. Toxic Waste (Level 19)
This one's Donkey Kong barrel schtick is cute at first, but then you realize it's all this level has. Otherwise, it's a straight-line even by Crash standards with nothing else to distract you.

27. Fumbling In The Dark (Level 23)
Hey, you liked Lights Out? You wanna play it again but it's harder, longer, more annoying, and even more dependent on waiting for cycles? No?

Bosses:

1. Pinstripe Potoroo
While technically just a waiting game, the concept and presentation is boss makes it one of my favorites in the series.

2. Nitrus Brio
Not really sure why destroying Brio's potions deals damage to him, but still a fun two-phase fight and the first boss to be genuinely difficult.

3. Neo Cortex
Solid final boss and definitely the hardest in the game, but something always felt strangely underwhelming about the final boss taking place in 2D.

4. Koala Kong
Parts of it can be cheesed by just standing in the corner and repeatedly spinning, but between the minecarts and TNTs, there's a bit more to keep your eye on compared to the previous fights.

5. Ripper Roo
Not a huge fan of the concept behind this fight, but it is satisfying to be able to stun-lock him with multiple TNT boxes.

6. Papu Papu
Easiest boss ever. Even some invincibility-frames could've helped.