Precure Rankings

And here we are. Now that I'm at the end of my Precure marathon, here's my final ranking of all the Precure seasons.

Do I regret going through every single Precure season? Eh, not really? I will say that I got pretty burnt out near the end, especially with how uneven the seasons got, but at its peak, Precure gave me some of my new favorite seasons of anime. This series is funny, endearing, action-packed, wholesome, and surprisingly emotional at a lot of points. It gave us so many wonderful characters in its eclectic lineup of Cures, and the sheer amount of quality seasons we got after 19 years will never not be impressive. So without further ado, let's get the big one out of the way first. Here's my ranking of all of the Precure seasons so far:

1. Fresh Precure
Fresh Precure is by no means a perfect series. Chiffon's infinity shtick can get annoying near the end, and the final arc is both overlong and a tad rushed, but that doesn't really matter to me. No other Precure show lives in my head rent-free like this, I'm not nearly as attached to any other cast like I am the Fresh cast. Their chemistry is simply unparalleled, they feel like a family more than they do friends. And it's not just the main Cures, the side characters are phenomenal too. Tarte is the best fairy in the series, Ayumi is the best mom, Westar and Soular are awesome antagonists, Kaoru-chan is peak comic relief, Miyuki is an amazing mentor, I love all of these dorks. The balance between plot and slice of life is also perfect, the standalone episodes are some of the most inventive and memorable in the franchise and the plot-driven ones are some of the most intense and emotional. The animation while simple is incredibly expressive and effective, and the soundtrack is Top 3 in the franchise for me. And of course, there's Cure Passion herself, my new favorite character of all time. Setsuna's arc is a high mark in the franchise, one of the best redemption arcs I've seen, and an affecting and beautiful story of found family. GoPri may be better written, but Fresh Precure flat-out made me tear up. That's how I know it's an all-timer.

2. Precure Splash Star
Once you get past that first episode, Splash Star quickly evolves into a wonderfully cozy and wholesome show that fixes pretty much all of Futari's issues, boasts a top-tier lineup of villains, introduces the first of many fantastic redemption arcs, has one of my favorite settings, and ends on hands down the best final arc in the entire franchise.

3. Go Princess Precure
Go Princess Precure just does everything right. The cast is fantastic across the board, with developed and likable Cures, fun side characters, intimidating villains, and even an enjoyable roster of fairies. The plot is engaging and tackles the princess theme in some really fascinating ways, the action and animation is on another level, and the final stretch is just plain masterful. Go Princess is the arguably best Precure season... but it's not my favorite.

 

4. Heartcatch Precure
Yeah, probably the biggest shift in my rankings. I need to apologize to Heartcatch Precure. I was riding off of the high of Fresh and its slow burn approach was not really what I wanted at the time, and it wasn't until that amazing final arc when I really got into Heartcatch's groove. So I felt it was only right that I gave it another chance and, man, I was way too harsh. It may be a bit of a slow burn, but the pay-offs truly make all of it worth it, even the victim of the week structure I used to keep trashing. Heartcatch has one of the best and carefully-crafted plots in the series, with a strong cast, interesting lore, an incredible final arc, and of course, the best artstyle in the series. It's very different from the other Precure shows, but in such a large franchise, that's by no means a bad thing.

5. Kira Kira Precure A La Mode
The importance fans give the fights means there are a lot of great seasons that just don't get the praise they deserve, but Kira Kira gets it the worst, which is a damn shame considering how much it nails. Kira Kira is one of the most successful slice of life Precure seasons, with a colorful and lovable cast of characters with strong chemistry and incredibly mature and compelling arcs. On top of that, the presentation is phenomenal, with a clean-looking artstyle, fun direction, and banger vocal tracks.

6. Tropical Rouge Precure
As far as the comedy-focused Precure seasons go, Tropical Rouge is hands down the best. The central premise of the Tropical Club going around and helping people is so solid and leads to a wide variety of hilarious episodes, only aided further by the strong cast, lively animation, and chaotic vibe.

7. Suite Precure

Suite isn't a super ambitious or memorable Precure series, but it's an incredibly consistent and solid one, with an intriguing plot, strong world-building, solid pacing, and a great sense of fun throughout. From Hibiki and Kanade's bickering, to Hummy and Siren's past, to the mystery of Cure Muse, Suite's ideas all worked for me, even if they may not have for everyone.

8. Doki Doki Precure
You might be surprised to see this one so high given all my criticism for the season in my review, but I don't know, I feel like I can't help but look back on this one super fondly. It's got a great plot, strong cast, some of the best comedic writing in the franchise, memorable standalones, stellar production values, underrated action, and a godly soundtrack. Cure Ace and Regina had pretty notoriously botched introductions for sure, but I did come around to both characters by the end, and it all feels purposeful in hindsight. As I said, this is the Sailor Moon R of Precure, a season that makes a rough first impression but I believe has aged gracefully the more I think about it.

9. Smile Precure
While Smile's plot isn't all that great, the strong characters and many iconic standalone episodes really shine through for me, and the arc resolutions near the end really bring it all home. When this season is at its peak, it goes ridiculously hard. There's just something so comfy and reliable about this one, it may stumble along the way but tune into any episode of Smile and you'll have a good time.

10. Happiness Charge Precure
While Happiness Charge bit off way more than it could chew and definitely could've executed its romance elements better, the strong ideas at its core shine through. And even still, HapCha is a damn solid Precure show with a fun plot, stellar cast, strong humor, and hands down one of the best characters and arcs in the entire franchise.

11. Futari Wa Precure
Futari is a classic through and through. Nagisa and Honoka are still an incredibly reliable pairing, the action is still some of the finest (and I forgot how shockingly violent it gets at points), and the urban setting is super memorable. However, the first half is way better than the second half due to its weaker villains, even if the final stretch does pack in some of the show's best episodes.

12. Healin Good Precure
Healin Good was the simple, back to basics show that I really needed after Hugtto and Star Twinkle. The grounded character writing is really thoughtful and well-executed, especially when it comes to Nodoka, and the villains while simple are very intimidating. If the pandemic hadn't cut it short and with a few more inventive one-offs, this definitely could've been a Top 10 contender.

13. Hugtto Precure
Hugtto is a very ambitious show that isn't quite able to pull off everything it's going for and drops the ball around the end, but much of its dramatic elements still work, and Emiru and Ruru's arc is still two of the best things this series has ever done, at least while it lasts.

14. Yes Precure 5

For the most part, Yes 5 is as middle-of-the-road of a Precure show as it gets. It's got alright character development and a solid cast that's fun to hang out with, but it never really blew me away. It's just consistently solid from start to finish.

15. Maho Girls Precure
With a weak and minimal plot, awful villains, and poor action, Maho Girls is definitely a bit of a disappointment and a waste of its unique magical setting. However, it does have a stellar cast, and once the season grew into itself as a magical family-centric slice of life, it managed to be equal parts wholesome, charming, and genuinely heart-wrenching.

16. Yes Precure 5 Gogo
Gogo is a very uneven show. It's highs are remarkably high, and it's lows are incredibly low. The villains are alright, but the plot as a whole is incoherent. The characters lack any sort of arcs or development, but they're still a ton of fun to hang out with. It feels just as unnecessary as Max Heart, but at least it still has a beating heart to it, and it's so off the wall at points that it never gets boring.

17. Star Twinkle Precure
The first of three Precure seasons I actively didn't like. Star Twinkle wasn't just boring, it straight-up angered me in ways no other Precure show did. Despite an awesome space aesthetic, some good characters, and a potentially strong core message, Star Twinkle wastes half its cast in exchange for the dull Hikaru, has some of the worst fight scenes in the franchise, morally simplifies all of its conflicts, and absolutely botches Yuni's arc in some truly regressive ways.

18. Futari Wa Precure Max Heart
Genuinely awful. So bad that I almost quit and didn't get to all the good shows that came after it. The new characters are boring, the pre-existing characters lacked any semblance of personality, the plot is aimless and a waste of potential, and episodes often lack any sort of conflict. The finale was good, but otherwise, this is a truly soulless piece of media.

19. Delicious Party Precure
And somehow, neither of those seasons can match the one Precure season I just straight-up couldn't finish. The plot was sluggish, the theme was poorly utilized, the characters were dull, the comedy barely landed, the fight scenes were repetitive, this is a tired season that I had no willingness to slog through after haven't watching 18 seasons of Precure by this point.

Now let's rank some of the other stuff. Here's my Top 10 Precure midseason and finale arcs:

1. The Man Behind Dark Fall (Splash Star Finale)
2. Cure Passion (Fresh Mid-Season)
3. Dune & Yuri's Family (Heartcatch Finale)
4. Noble Academy War (Go Princess Finale)
5. Emiru & Ruru (Hugtto Mid-Season)
6. Michiru & Kaoru (Splash Star Mid-Season)
7. Cure Beat (Suite Mid-Season)
8. Cure Scarlet (Go Princess Mid-Season)
9. Two Worlds (Maho Girls Finale)
10. Vs Noise (Suite Finale)

Here's my Top 10 favorite fight scenes:

1. Cures Vs Goyan (Splash Star 49/50)
2. The Entire Final Arc (Heartcatch)
3. Cure Beauty vs Joker (Smile 43)
4. Flora Vs Close (GoPri 50)
5. Cure Lovely Vs Mirage (HapCha 43)
6. Alice Vs Helicopter (DokiDoki 33)
7. Hana's run (Hugtto 4)
8. Nagisa & Honoka Vs Seeds Of Darkness (FwPC 42)
9. All of Episode 29 (Tropical Rouge)
10. Cure Peach Vs Eas (Fresh 23)

Here's my Top 10 Precure OPs:

1. Alright Heartcatch Pretty Cure (Heartcatch)
2. Shine! KiraKira Pretty Cure A La Mode (Kira Kira)
3. Leave It To Us Splash Star (Splash Star)
4. Miracle Go Princess Pretty Cure (Go Princess)
5. Let's Go Smile Pretty Cure (Smile Precure)
6. Danzen Futari Wa Precure (FwPC)
7. Sparkle Star Twinkle Pretty Cure (Star Twinkle Precure) 
8. Pretty Cure 5, Full Throttle Go Go (Gogo)
9. La La La Suite Pretty Cure (Suite)
10. Happiness Charge Pretty Cure Wow (HapCha)

Here's my Top 10 Precure EDs:

1. Shubidubi Sweets Time (Kira Kira)
2. Hope Rainbow (Suite)
3. You Make Me Happy (Fresh)
4. Love Link (Doki Doki)
5. Ganbalance De Dance (Splash Star)
6. Get You Love Love (FwPC)
7. Beyond The Sky (Doki Doki)
8. Dreaming Princess Pretty Cure (GoPri)
9. Ganbalance De Dance (Gogo)
10. Let's La Cookin Showtime (Kira Kira)
    

Here's my Top 10 Precure scores in general:

1. Doki Doki Precure
2. Splash Star Precure
3. Fresh Precure
4. Heartcatch Precure
5. Healin Good Precure
6. Go Princess Precure
7. Happiness Charge Precure
8. Futari Wa Precure
9. Suite Precure
10. Tropical Rouge Precure

And finally, here's my Top 10 Cures:

1. Cure Passion/Setsuna (Fresh) - Are you really surprised?
2. Cure Princess/Hime (Happiness Charge) - Hime carried this show hard. She's the first non-pink Cure to be the main focus for at least part of the show, her character arc is stellar, she's absolutely hysterical, and her social anxiety is incredibly relatable.
3. Cure Grace/Nodoka (Healin Good) - Already the best pink Cure for her kind and genuine personality and great character arc, but only solidified it when she killed Dariuzen. Also, she's Madoka. 
4. Cure La Mer/Laura (Tropical Rouge) - Consistently a joy to watch, great character arc and every single one of her expressions is utter gold.
5. Cure Macherie/Emiru & Cure Amour/Ruru (Hugtto) - So lovable and fun that they single-handedly carried Hugtto, great characters on their own and even better together.
6. Cure Marine/Erika (Heartcatch) - Such a fun and charismatic gremlin, and a very flashy fighter, she could carry a show all on her own.
7. Cure Flora/Haruka (Go Princess) - Easily the most developed and engaging pink Cure in the franchise, her sheer determination is incredibly admirable.
8. Cure Moonlight/Yuri (Heartcatch) - One of the best character designs in the series, and such a compellingly tragic Cure.
9. Cure Rosetta/Alice (Doki Doki) - Literally just Cure Batman. She's got a great fighting style, and her arc is really cool.
10. Cure Flamingo/Asuka (Tropical Rouge) - Badass design that rivals Yuri, great subplot, and an absolute MOOD. She also resembles one of my own characters to a tee, so I do also have that bias.

Episode Rankings: Precure

Precure is a long show that's technically divided into a bunch of smaller shows, so I totally could've done individual rankings for each, but I wanted to compare each episode with each other, so I compiled them into a single ranking of every Precure show I've seen (thus not including Delicious Party since I couldn't finish it).

Delicious Party Precure (Series 19)

Well, we actually made it. I've finished all 19 currently completed Precure series. I'll still be watching and reviewing Hirogaru Sky and whatever Precure show comes out afterwards, but as far as the marathon goes, this is it. Did Delicious Party end things on a high note? 

Nope, not in the slightest. As a matter of fact, this was the only season that I just couldn't bring myself to finish.

Delicious Party is the second food theme season of Precure, following Kira Kira, a high bar to top considering it's one of my all-time favorite seasons. Sadly, it doesn't live up to that season in the slightest. The main plot is that the evil Phantom Thieves have stolen the CooKingdom's (yes, that's really what it's called) recipe book, and now the Cures have to get it back. On a base level, this is fine. Kira Kira had thieves as villains, but going even farther by having the villains be campy phantom thieves is a great call. In a vacuum, DeliParty's plot is fine, but the pacing is agonizing at points even when being binged. It takes seven episodes for the Cure team to form (fine for a team of five or six, but way too long for a team of three), the villains rotate at an incredibly slow rate, and one very obvious reveal doesn't actually come out until Episode 40. DeliParty suffers from the same issue as something like Max Heart where its main plot feels like it can only support half the season's length, but instead of stuffing itself with fun and inventive standalones, it just drags out the plot. In addition, I don't quite think it handles its theme of food better than Kira Kira. That season's focus on desserts worked because the cast ran a patisserie. There was a justifiable reason for them to care so much about desserts, and it played into the plot of the show and each individual episode. DeliParty, on the other hand, just kinda takes place in some town where everyone just happens to really like food. And it doesn't go all the way like Suite did with its music-adorned town, it's just that everyone is really obsessed with food and that's it. It's so surface level.

As usual, it's all down to the characters to carry this show, and sadly, Delicious Party comes up severely lacking. I'm not gonna sugercoat it, the Cures are boring this time. Yui is one of the most boring pink Cures out there. Like she's pleasant enough to watch, perfectly harmless, but she has no character. She's strictly passive, down for anything but rarely making any decisions on her own. Kokone is easily the best Cure this season due to her struggles with social interaction, but even that has been done better elsewhere. Ran is my least favorite. She feels like a clone of Kirara and Hinata, the spunky energetic yellow Cure, but without any of their charm. It's neat that she's the first Chinese Cure, but man do they lay it on thick, she's a walking talking stereotype. And finally, Amane is the usual redemption Cure who lacks any of that juicy angst or post-redemption awkwardness that make characters like Setsuna, Ellen, Towa, and Ruru so enduring. Unusually enough for the series, the best characters in DeliParty are actually the male characters this time. Rosemary is a genuinely fun mentor, Takumi is the best love interest since Seiji, and Narcistoru is a hammy jerk in all the best way. Speaking of which, as I said, I also like the villains due to their Phantom Thief concept. I wouldn't call any of them my absolute favorites, but they're overall pretty fun.

It's hard to describe why Delicious Party didn't really work for me much but I think it's just a lot of small things adding up. The food theming being poorly utilized, the pacing being too slow, and the Cure team being dull doesn't help, but there's so much more. There's the unnecessary narration that doesn't add anything, there's the repetitive Delicious Fields that all the fights take place in making them feel samey, there's the return of time travel (oh god) that just comes out of nowhere one episode, the list goes on. Nothing in DeliParty actively makes me angry but so much of it is just dull and boring, it's such a sluggish lifeless show. Even the presentation feels less lively. The animation is still technically good, but it's so much less energetic than the best recent Precure seasons' animation like Kira Kira, Hugtto, and especially Tropical Rouge. Even the comedy lands less frequently, and even the soundtrack is far weaker than in the last two seasons. Everything just feels so tired, to the point where I was actively falling asleep while watching it. And I've pushed through bad seasons before, but Delicious Party is 45 episodes. I just don't have the tolerance to slog through all of that.

The worst thing a piece of media can be is boring. I can at least have fun taking the piss out of Star Twinkle's flaws, but Delicious Party is just soul-suckingly dull. The story is sluggishly paced, the characters are dull, the fight scenes are samey, there's just nothing keeping me engaged. The only things I really liked were Rosemary and the villains, but they can't carry a show, especially not a Precure show. But don't let this end my Precure marathon on a bad note, because it's technically not over. It'll take me a while to finish my Hirogaru Sky review for obvious reasons, but I saw the first few episodes, and it's definitely a lot more exciting, bold, and fun. Delicious Party wasn't at all some bad omen for the future of the series, just a misstep, and it hasn't made me regret watching through Precure in the slightest. However, this is still a DeliParty review, and for this season, I have no choice but to give it a...

1/5 Stars

Tropical Rouge Precure (Series 18)

Oh my god, it's here. Okay, so, if you remember at the start of my Futari review, I said that I was really excited to get to "the mermaid one". Well, this is it. Tropical Rouge was what got me interested in Precure to begin with, all thanks to a silly Youtube video called Mermaid Monopoly Monday. I was already considering diving into it as a magical girl fan but the sheer scale of the franchise felt intimidating. But this silly one-minute video showed off just how charming and expressive the character animation in Precure could get, and I was immediately hooked. So, did Tropical Rouge Precure live up to that first impression? Oh hell yeah.

Tropical Rouge Precure is about Manatsu Natsuumi traveling to a tropical city to the first time only to run into a mermaid named Laura, who chooses her and her new friends to become Precures and fight the evil Witch Of Procrastination. Like with Maho Girls and Star Twinkle, this is a more fantastical season of the series, but I think TroPre is far better executed. Instead of having a more slice of life second half, this season starts off pretty slow-paced, with the full scope of the villains' plan not becoming truly apparent until past the halfway point. I much prefer this kind of slow plot escalation, and it allows you to endear yourself to the cast before things start to get a bit more emotional once the memory machine comes in. Don't get me wrong, though, Tropical Rouge is above all a comedy, and probably the best in the franchise at that. This season is so energetic and fast-paced, the jokes don't stop coming and the combination of the exaggerated animation and outlandish situations the characters get into make for a truly fun ride. But the best thing is that Tropical Rouge has a great central premise in the Cures and Laura forming a club (called the Tropical Club) that helps other students of the school with odd tasks. Every good sitcom needs that solid core premise to sustain its length and serve as a jumping-off point for fun and memorable comedic one-offs, and the Tropical Club serves that purpose wonderfully. It also helps that unlike in Smile where the plot felt like an afterthought, Tropical Rouge's plot still isn't bad, just simpler and in the background to facilitate the comedy.

Like in Star Twinkle, Manatsu and Laura are very much the main protagonists to the point where the other Cures are basically side characters. Unlike that season, though, I don't mind because Manatsu and Laura are awesome. Manatsu is a bundle of energy even by lead standards, so energetic that it completely doubles back around to being hilarious, and Laura is a charismatic and lovably prideful character who easily ranks as one of the best Cures in the franchise. Manatsu and Laura's dynamic is an absolute joy to watch, and are truly the heart of the show. Laura in particular reminds me a lot of Nano from Nichijou in a way. She spends the first third of the series as solely a mermaid and her possible interactions with the cast are somewhat limited, so when she becomes a Cure and gains legs, allowing her to attend school and be a proper member of the Tropical Club, it feels really big. While the other three Cures get less focus, they're all great in their own right. Sango is a much-needed straight man of the cast almost as if Yui Nanase became a Cure, Minori's dorky stoicness is endearing and the way she slowly becomes livelier throughout the season is great, and Asuka... is kind just amazing all around. She's badass and prickly on the outside, but on the inside is actually really sweet and has a strong sense of justice, and her subplot is one of the best parts of the whole season. This isn't as character-driven a season as Yes 5 or Kira Kira, but each character has a central flaw that they overcome over the course of the season so there's still enough depth to them beyond their fun personalities. Laura is too arrogant, Sango is a massive doormat, Minori comes across as emotionless, Asuka has serious trust issues, etc. The side cast that populates Manatsu's new town is also pretty solid, with one of the best teacher characters in the franchise to boot. Oh, and the fairy Kururun is pretty great too, a real bundle of chaos.

In terms of its presentation, Tropical Rouge is pretty great. Befitting its tropical setting, this season is so bright and lively, with some of the most out-there character designs to date. Manatsu isn't even really a pink Cure, she's kinda pink-white-yellow-ish. The characters are so expressive which really heightens the comedy, and the action is the best it's been since Hugtto and can rival the finest the series has to offer at its absolute best. This is just a colorful, confidently directed season, which makes sense considering its director is the guy responsible for fisheye Miyuki. The music is also once again really good, Terada Shiho is really doing a fantastic job in her time as Precure composer.

Highlights:

A Slapstick School Broadcast! Echo, A Mermaid's Song (episode 13): If Frasier is any indication, radio broadcasts make for great episodes. This was the point where Tropical Rouge gets truly chaotic with its comedy, as the Tropical Club has to take over the school radio and it quickly devolves into madness, especially when Laura shows up. Speaking of her, the subplot about her singing is also pretty great, and it had a great payoff too. Also, the gag where Yukie becomes The Scream was brilliant.

Minori is Laura and Laura is Minori (episode 15): Fresh's body swap episode was one of my favorite one-offs in the series, so it made me so happy to see another one. While not quite as off the wall as that episode, this is still a really fun time that gives Minori and Laura an opportunity to bond, packs in loads of shenanigans, and kicks off Laura's desire to become a human setting up the mid-season arc.

A Mermaid's Miracle! Transform Into Cure La Mer (episode 17): Laura single-handedly escapes all on her own, admits that she likes staying with the humans, and finally becomes a Cure, solidifying her as best character. As far as mid-season arcs go, this is definitely one of the most satisfying.

Frightened Manatsu! The Seven Mysteries Of The School (episode 19): What initially started off as your standard "spooky" episode turned into one of the most surprisingly wholesome episodes in the entire franchise! Stranded in an abandoned mansion that the Cures just happen to be looking into, Elda pretends to be a haunted doll to scare Manatsu into giving her food while she waits to be rescued. However, what starts off one-sided ends up turning into the unlikely pair hitting it off and meeting every day just to chat. Manatsu just casually hanging out with one of the villains is both hilarious and surprisingly adorable, and did a good job at making me want at least Elda to get a redemption this time.

Detective Minorin! The Missing Melon Bread Case (episode 20): DETECTIVE EPISODE. Tropical Rouge really is the season that keeps on giving. While not quite as perfect as the iconic Gogo episode, Detective Minorin is still an absolute blast with all the chaos you'd expect from a Tropical Rouge episode. Minori was the obvious highlight with her personality completely changing the moment she dons those goofy detective star glasses, but I also really liked the sharp teeth gremlin drawings of all the Cures.

The Great Sakuragawa-sensei Power Up Strategy (episode 25): As I said, Saki is quite possibly the best teacher character in the series so of course her focus episode would be an absolute joy. Her klutziness leads to a lot of great physical comedy especially when she tries to act stern, and the plot of the students trying to help her make a good impression on her father is both wholesome and adorable.

Reviving A Legend! The Pretty Cure's Power-Up Makeover! (episode 29): Tanaka Yuta continues to be on another level. This episode is pretty much non-stop action as the Cures basically fight Chaos from Sonic Adventure, and it's all so fluid and dynamic, this is easily some of the smoothest animation the franchise has seen to date. Story-wise, it also introduces some extra lore like the legendary Precure, and throws in some very heartwarming Manatsu/Laura moments.

Trouble On The Train! Asuka's School Field Trip (episode 31): I loved Asuka from the start, but this episode only solidified her as one of the best characters in the show. Her whole backstory is just gut-wrenching, having her friends turn against her for trying to defend? Yeah, I'd lose trust in people too. Thankfully, Asuka and Yuriko do make some progress here, most notably when the latter realizes Asuka is a Cure. There's also a lot of fun Laura/Asuka banter here that adds some levity to an otherwise pretty serious episode.

Viva! Tropica-Shine In 10 Stories! (episode 33): Tropical Rouge at its most unhinged? No, Precure at its most unhinged. This episode is composed of a bunch of short skits and they're absolutely wild. You got Minori as narrator, Cure Kururin, Laura swapping bodies with a Yarane-da, a Jugemu Jugemu attack, a papercraft-themed animation style, Cure Limbo Dance, and of course, a crossover with the Heartcatch cast. This episode gave me everything I didn't know I wanted and then some.

A Mermaid's Memories! Reclaim The Ocean Ring (episode 37): This episode reveals the memory machine and that Laura and the Cures will forget about each other. It takes the threat of separation that was such a big part of Maho Girls and amped it up to eleven, and unlike Maho Girls' message that the worlds should and must stay separate, it's made pretty clear here that this memory machine is a bad idea. The twist that Laura and Manatsu had met but just don't remember really caught me off-guard, and adds an extra layer to their relationship.

Get The Win! Asuka's Friendship Smash (episode 38): Asuka's fantastic character arc ends on a fantastic note. The entire tennis match between Asuka and Yuriko is so good, especially as they bare their hearts out at each other more and more. Asuka admits the importance of her teammates, Yuriko admits she wants to play with Asuka again, they finally manage to talk out their incident, and of course, Yuriko tells Asuka she knows she's a Cure. Asuka and Yuriko hashing things out over a tennis game is by no means subtle, but it is the perfect way to resolve their storyline.

Invade! The Witch's Mansion In The Ocean! (episode 43): Tropical Rouge pulls a Splash Star by revealing the true villain was Butler all along. Not as shocking as the Goyan twist but still well-executed and a major turning point for the generals' redemption arcs. It was also just really fun to see the Cures running around the base like that.

Tropica-Shine! Our Now! (episode 46): The final battle wasn't anything too special this time but the actual final episode was one of the best we've had in a long time. Part of that is because the last few episodes were all building up towards this big school play that we finally get to see, and it gives this episode a strong feeling of finality. The play itself also ties into the actual storyline of Laura leaving really well, and Manatsu breaking character to beg Laura not to leave broke my heart.

But most of all, it gives the "Precure bittersweet endings" trope a big ol' fuck you by having Laura break the memory machine and properly reunite with the Cures, no time jumps needed. After so many failed attempts at making a finale that was both emotional and satisfying, it felt like Toei was able to finally have their cake and eat it too. They even saved the baton pass for the epilogue this time, so we were able to get an entire finale focused around saying goodbye to the characters. It has the vibes and cadence of a sitcom finale, and for what is essentially a magical girl sitcom, I can't imagine a more perfect ending.

Overall, Tropical Rouge may not be one of the more ambitious seasons but it knows what it wants to be and does so masterfully. Tropical Rouge is a colorful and consistently energetic comedic season with a lovable main duo and surrounding Cure team, a memorable side cast, simple but effective story, hysterical writing, and fun animation. It's not just the best season we've gotten in a long time, it's one of the best and most pure fun seasons in all of Precure.

5/5 Stars 

Healin Good Precure (Series 17)

Healin' Good suffered the awful fate of having come out in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. Precure is a yearly show with an episode releasing every week, so I'm sure you can imagine that this had to have been incredibly destructive at Toei, leaving Healin Good with a lower episode count than usual. But despite that development hell, Healin' Good somehow turned out pretty good. As a matter of fact, it's one of the better seasons in quite a while.

Healin Good Precure is about Nodoka Hanadera, a girl who spent the last few years sick and bed-ridden, recently moving to a beach town called Sukoyaka. When the evil virus Byo-gens start infecting the Healing Garden that's responsible for keeping the Earth healthy, four mascots are sent to Sukoyaka to find people to become Cures/doctors that can stop them. You know how this goes by now, Nodoka and her new friends become Cures and fight against the Byo-gens. This is just an amazing set-up for a Precure show, hitting all the right notes for me. The beach town setting feels like it harkens back to Splash Star and its themes of nature in all the best ways, though I don't think it's quite as memorable. Healin Good spent a bit more time telling us how tightly-knit its town is rather than actively showing us, though there's also a Masuko Mika clone so I can't complain about the side cast too much. Nodoka is hands down the best pink Cure to date, better than even Haruka. The fact that she's physically weak adds a new layer to her being a Cure, her selfless nature is explored far more than similar pinks like Mana, and  and her more calm and comforting personality is a breath of fresh air (also she's voiced by Madoka freaking Kaname). Pink Cures tend to get excited over everything but it just hits different with Nodoka because it's something she likely never got to experience as a kid, her excitement feels genuine and heartwarming. And the Byo-gens are fantastic villains, genuinely scary and intimidating from how visibly destructive they are. I wouldn't even call Healin Good one of the darker shows, but there's something far more visceral and real seeing victims get flat-out infected rather than possessed or locked up like usual. 

Okay, now that we got the basic plot out of the way, I need to talk about the elephant in the room: Nodoka and Daruizen. This is easily one of the most controversial storylines in any Precure show period, and it's probably also one of my favorites. So unlike the other antagonists, Daruizen has had a particular interest in Nodoka from the start. At first, it's a pretty standard rivalry, with some viewers even picking up on a bit of ship tease as well, but then we learn that Daruizen was the virus that crippled Nodoka as a child, which puts all of his prior actions into a haunting new context. From the very start, Daruizen had only ever used and taken advantage of Nodoka, so when circumstances change and the virus runs over to Nodoka for protection, she refuses to offer it and kills him. No forgiveness, no redemption. This is a great storyline. For starters, it's a response to the divisive redemption that capped off Star Twinkle, giving kids the very important message that some people are just lost causes. It also gives a great message about prioritizing keeping yourself safe, which was especially relevant when the season aired in 2020. 

But most impressive of all, this is one of the most surprisingly mature stories about abuse that I've seen in a TV show, let alone one for kids. Daruizen is an abuser, it's blatantly framed as such. He only ever wants to infect Nodoka, sometimes he forcedly does so, and calls her selfish when she refuses. That's abuse, no sugar-coating it. Nodoka's decision to stand up to Daruizen is given the gravity it deserves, and she's depicted as 100% in the right for defending herself. Some fans think Daruizen deserves redemption just because he's cute or because he's "an interesting character", but that just aids Healin Good's point. Attractive abusers get off easily, Daruizen being fun to watch doesn't mean he's not a total piece of shit. You can enjoy a character and acknowledge that they don't deserve a happy endng. Nodoka did nothing wrong by standing up for herself and Healin Good's unwillingness to give Daruizen any sort of slack is what makes this storyline work so well. As a matter of fact, the fact that some called Nodoka selfish for defending herself is why this storyline is so important to begin with. I feel like kids shows struggle with abuse-related plotlines, there's actually been a surprising amount of them lately but they can often feel watered down or muddled, even ones I've otherwise praised like Lapis Lazuli or Catra. Healin Good doesn't have to water anything down because kids can focus on the virus metaphor while adults can pick up on some of that more mature subtext, and yet it all leads to the same core takeaway: It's okay and important to prioritize your own health and well-being. It's a stroke of genius, and a true showcase of Precure's prowess at delivering important and mature messages when it tries. After all my gripes with how Star Twinkle tackled its own themes (and to a lesser extent Hugtto's commitment issues), this is one hell of a turnaround.

So yeah, I just ranted for two paragraphs about a single storyline because Nodoka's arc really is that amazing, but how's the rest of Healin Good? I mean, it's pretty alright. For starters, most of the rest of the cast is great. Chiyu is pretty unique for a blue Cure since she's both smart and athletic, and the show focuses a lot on her doubts and drive to surpass herself giving her a bit more depth than the usual athletes. I find it funny that the Precure show about doctors breaks the trend of the blue Cure wanting to be a doctor. Also, her love for puns is absolutely adorable. Hinata is such a treasure and is easily my second favorite behind Nodoka. She's so fun and energetic, and her struggles with her self-esteem and what can only be described as ADHD are super compelling. And oh my god, the fairies are remarkable this time around. I was never big on each Cure getting their own fairies, but Healin Good proved that it's all in the execution. Not only does each fairy have adorable animal-like designs, but they have their own unique personalities and arcs that parallel that of their assigned Cures perfectly. Unlike in something like Doki Doki, the fairies feel like their own characters with their own wants, desires, and relationships with their respective Cures. They don't just feel secondary to the Cures, they're as important as they are. That's one of the best things about Healin Good, really. It's simple from a plot standpoint but it's so character-driven. Not in a development standpoint like Yes 5 and Kira Kira, but how focused it is on developing the bonds between the cast as much as possible.

However, Healin Good isn't a perfect show, and I think a big part of that is sadly the pandemic. The first eleven episodes of Healin Good are pretty much perfect, but post-hiatus, it felt like the quality of the standalone episodes kinda dropped off. It's noticeable some stuff had to get cut, most notably when the ending arc kinda just... starts, and you can tell the crew weren't able to truly make this season as good as they wanted to. But the biggest issue with Healin Good hands down is the sixth ranger, Asumi aka Cure Earth. Asumi is basically just Shiny Luminous again, a character who was literally born yesterday and thus has zero defined personality (and it doesn't help that most of her development episodes were seemingly cut). Thankfully, she doesn't take over the show like Hikari did, but she's still a pretty big black mark on the season. But despite it all, the production as a whole is still pretty great, with beautiful art and lighting effects, decently entertaining fight scenes, and great comedic gags. The music is also a massive improvement over the last few seasons. Shiho Terada is the new composer this time and I much prefer her orchestral style to that of Hayashi, it just fits Precure more. And of course, the mark of any great Precure show: The ending themes are absolute bangers.

Highlights:

No Longer Partners!? I Guess I'm No Good? (episode 2): This episode kinda stunned me with how good it was so early on in the show. I love how since the first episode was so focused on setting the stage, we got one extra episode before the other two Cures showed up to really develop Nodoka and Rabirin as characters. There's a nice blend of comedy (Nodoka sucking at sports) and drama (Rabirin wanting a new partner) all culminating in a fantastic scene where Nodoka opens up to Rabirin about her past sickness and why she cares so much.

Awkward Day At The Aquarium! We're All So Different (episode 5): Funnily enough, Pegitan seems to get a lot of the best one-off episodes. Having him get chased around an aquarium is a stroke of genius, and having it happen while a Byogen is around turns the episode into a surprisingly tense madcap chase.

Emergency Treatment! There's Multiple Megabyogen!? (episode 10): What started as a cute homage to one of Futari's most iconic episodes ended up becoming one of the most stressful episodes in the franchise as the Byogens throw multiple Megabyogens and leave the Cures spread way too thin. The episode following this one was great too, but it couldn't match how anxiety-inducing this one was.

Protect Latte...! The Wind of Prayers and The Girl of Miracles (episode 19): Look, I love Doki Doki Precure, but this...this is how you introduce your mid-season Cure out of nowhere. This episode managed to give the initially mute Latte a genuinely fantastic character arc where she feels she hasn't been able to contribute anything, culminating in the incredibly tense scene where Latte tries to attack a Byogen herself. And through the combination of the lovely music and fluid animation, Cure Earth showing up felt like a comforting sigh of relief (compared to Cure Ace's debut which felt more like a wtf moment). Shame she turned out to be an absolute bore of a character.

In Pain Again!? Daruizen, Are You? (episode 28): The previous episode had what is one of the darkest endings I've ever seen in a Precure episode, right up there with Ruru shutting down. After an otherwise pretty standard Asumi episode, Nodoka runs into Daruizen in the park who proceeds to stab her with a Mega Part. This episode deals with the consequences and it's heartwrenching, as Nodoka gets sick again and realizes Daruizen is responsible for her sickness as a child (seriously, how could you defend him after that?), Nodoka's parents of course have to deal with a relapse scare, and Rabirin has an absolutely crushing breakdown. Fuck Daruizen.

A Reunion Full Of Memories! The Gift My Past Self Left Behind (episode 33): Once again, Nodoka gets the best episodes. Her doctor revealing he quit because he couldn't figure out her disease was a pretty big gut punch, and it led to Nodoka having to figure out how to tell him without saying anything about what really happened. That's kind of the hidden tragedy there, Nodoka now knows why she got sick but she can't tell anyone of the people who are worried sick about her.

The Birth of Hinata's Regrets! King Guaiwaru (episode 40): Healin Good may not all have been perfect but damn, did it stick the landing with a lengthy but very satisfying final arc that resolves most of the character arcs and villain storylines really well. This is Hinata's big episode, where she breaks down about her rashness only for all her friends to declare that it's what they love about her. Not to mention Guaiwaru taking over as king and storming the town, as the Cures head off to save it.

Nodoka's Choice! Something To Protect (episode 42): Nodoka did nothing wrong. Daruizen did not deserve her help. Nodoka is not selfish for prioritizing her own self-being. Her decision is perfectly valid. She is not acting out of character, it's her growing as a person. And Rabirin is based for encouraging Nodoka to stand up for her self. This is one of the best and most important episodes in all of Precure. All of Healin Good was worth it for this one episode.

Let's Heal It Together!! For A Healthy Future (Healin Good 44): As far as the token sad Precure goodbye goes, this was definitely one of the best. Part of it is that you really come to get to care for the fairies this season, but it also helped that the goodbye itself was so mature and subdued (looking at you, Smile) and the brief appearance of the first ending theme only helped things. On top of that, the citizens learning about the Cures' identities but keeping it a secret for them was a nice twist, and the final battle itself had some pretty sick sakuga to end the series on a nice note. The actual final episode didn't really contribute much though it was pretty cute and inoffensive, and Cure Summer may have beat out Ichika and Nodoka's baton passes in how silly it was. Can't wait for Tropical Rouge!

Healin Good Precure didn't escape from the pandemic unscathed, some elements definitely felt under-developed because of it, but it can be understated how impressive it is that it not only survived but was actually still pretty good. Its refreshingly back-to-basics approach lets it really focus on the characters, the villains are intimidating, and it manages to tackle some truly dark subject matter perfectly, making it both digestible for kids without watering anything down. While the cracks from the pandemic do show at times, it's just a damn solid Precure season through and through.

4/5 Stars