darkershining

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 5 of You and Idol Pretty Cure, in which the Cures get their own manager.

The episode begins with the mystery man who appeared at the end of the previous episode showing up as a customer at Café Glitter. Uta and Nana observe the man, wondering what to do since he likely knows their secret identities. The two look at the responses Cure Idol and Cure Wink's videos that Purirun uploaded have been getting, when Nana notices one of the videos has received a request for the idol Cures. Suddenly, the mystery man approaches them, properly introducing himself as Tanaka and explaining he wishes to be the Idol Cures' manager.

Unsure of what to do, Purirun suggests they consult with Queen Pikarine. Nana and Pikarine introduce themselves to each other, before the Cures explain the situation to her. Pikarine tells them there's no need to worry, as Tanaka is actually from Kirakiland and Pikarine asked him to aid the Cures. After being told Tanaka's real name is Tanakhan, someone Purirun knows, Purirun is initially not convinced since the Tanakhan they know is a fairy like them. Tanaka quickly proves their identity by rubbing Purirun under their chin like Tanakhan used to do.

While walking together, Tanaka explains that he takes on a human form to blend in while in Hanamichi Town, working as sort of an ambassador for Kirakiland. He brings them to the branch office, explaining he's been working there for a while now, mainly patrolling to make sure nothing out of the ordinary is happening. There had been no issues since things had been peaceful, until now.

Nana and Uta ask him about what he intends to do to aid them as their manager, asking if they'll be working as actual idols. Tanaka notes that's not exactly what he had in mind, explaining that he mainly intends to aid them on their mission to save Kirakiland and protecting Hanamichi Town from Makkuranda. However, Nana reveals that the Cures have actually gotten a job offer, showing him the comment she read earlier, revealing that Pretty Holic wants the Cures to take part in an advertisement for new products.

Uta wants to do it as well, with Purirun clinging to Tanaka's face until he agrees to give it a try. The Cures and Tanaka meet up with one of the employees at Pretty Holic, Koharu Mori, and Tanaka introduces Uta and Nana as managers in-training to avoid giving away that the two of them and the Cures are one and the same. Koharu lets Uta and Nana try a sample of Pretty Holic's new lipstick, while explaining it'll be filmed at the new store that's opening up in Hanamichi Town. Koharu explains how she's liked Pretty Holic's products since she was little, and now that she works with them herself, she wants to continue spreading joy to everyone with Pretty Holic's cosmetics. Koharu apologizes for getting side-tracked, and she and Tanaka work out the details of when the filming for the ad will take place.

Meanwhile, in the villain lair, Chokkirine tells one of the other two to go out and deal with the Cures. Cutty and Zakkuri decide to play rock-paper-scissors to decide, with Zakkuri ultimately having to head out.

While walking her dog, Uta comes across Kaito. The two stop to talk for a bit, with Purirun suggesting Uta ask him for idol advice. Uta asks him about his first job, finding out Kaito's first gig also had him advertising cosmetics. Kaito tells her there was one thing he tried to keep in mind during his first job, but before he can explain what that was, Kyutaro gets distracted by another dog and drags Uta away.

The next day, the Cures get ready for the gig. Koharu spots Purirun being carried by Cure Idol, noting Uta had them with her the previous day. Nana simply explains that Purirun is their mascot, and Koharu decides to find a spot in the ad for them. The Cures have some difficulty during the first two takes, getting nervous in front of the cameras. Koharu decides to help out, standing behind the camera and crew and telling the Cures to look at her instead of the cameras. This works, and the next few takes turn out better. However, during a break, as Koharu steps outside to answer a phone call, she ends up drawing Zakkuri's attention, and he proceeds to take her Kirakira and summon a Makkuranda.

The Cures head outside to see what's going on, and Purirun quickly notices that Koharu is trapped inside the Makkuranda. The Cures tell Tanaka to get to safety while they handle the situation, but Tanaka sticks around to watch the Cures in action. The Makkuranda almost manages to overpower them, but remembering Koharu's love for her job and wanting to make people happy, the Cures manage to turn things around, with Cure Wink purifying the Makkuranda as Tanaka watches in awe.

The Cures check up on Koharu, and after confirming she's okay, they head back to continue the shoot. Some time later, Uta and Nana check out the grand opening of Pretty Holic's new store in Hanamichi, where their ad is being played and there's already a huge line of customers. Kaito shows up to join them in observing, and Uta asks him about what that important thing he kept in mind during his first job was. Kaito explains he was simply doing what he could to make the people he worked with smile. Seeing Koharu, the Cures figure they did a good job.

Returning to Café Glitter, Uta and Nana discover that Tanaka has taken on a part-time job as a waiter there. He explains he took on the job as another way of staying close to the Cures so he can support them, now both in their mission to protect their world and with future idol gigs. The episode ends with the purple-haired girl we saw a few episodes ago watching the Cures' ad.

Another good episode! Just based on Tanaka's tie from the preview for this episode, I had a feeling he might have ties to Kirakiland. I like him already, with certain scenes giving him sort of a comically serious vibe. I look forward to seeing more of him. Also, I guess we'll finally be getting our proper introduction to the girl who'll become the third Cure in the next episode.

I'll be looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 4 of You and Idol Pretty Cure, in which Uta and Nana meet Kaito Hibiki, a famous idol.

The episode begins with Nana playing the piano at Café Glitter again, when she and Uta overhear some people discussing Cure Idol, as well as a new video of Cure Wink that was recently posted. The two wonder how a video of Cure Wink ended up online, with Uta noting last time it was Purirun's doing. Purirun confirms they're the one who posted it, only to immediately get hit with the "bad hair curse" for doing so without the Cures' permission again.

The two then begin talking about a different idol, Kaito Hibiki, with Nana noting an article about him states that there's something important that he always keeps in mind as an idol. Suddenly, Kaito himself shows up as a customer at the café, to the girls' surprise. Nana wonders what he's doing in Japan, since she had read that he was currently studying abroad. Uta wants to get a closer look at him, and offers to serve him.

When Uta's dad realizes they're missing some ingredients and rushes off to get some more, before his wife and Hamori follow because he forgot his wallet, Uta is left having to look after the café until they return. Uta initially thinks it won't be too difficult since there usually aren't that many customers this time of day, but she's proven wrong when there's a sudden rush of customers. Realizing it's a bit much for Uta to handle alone, Kaito volunteers to help her out, claiming to have some experience as a waiter himself.

Nana decides to pitch in too, and suggests to Uta that they should observe Kaito in order to maybe get some insight into what that something important mentioned in the article about him is, which could help them in future Pretty Cure battles. Kaito proves to have a natural talent as a waiter, despite his previous experience as one turning out to be when he played one in a TV show, which makes Uta feel a little jealous since she's been helping out at the café for years. The rest of the family eventually return, and they thank Kaito and Nana for helping Uta out.

When Kaito is about to leave, Nana decides to just straight up ask him about what it is he always tries to keep in mind as an idol. Kaito explains that he simply tries to be someone that people would want to meet again. As he walks away, Uta is still sulking a bit, but she's soon distracted when one of the customers' baby starts crying.

Kaito realizes he forgot his hat back at the café and turns to go back for it, returning in time to witness Uta cheering up the baby by singing a song.

In the villain's lair, Zakkuri defends his loss against the Pretty Cure to Lady Chokkirine by explaining he got caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of a second Cure. Cutty decides to head out, with Zakkuri teasing him and asking him if he just wants to get a closer look at Cure Wink, which Cutty denies.

Elsewhere, one of the female customers Kaito served earlier is thinking about how she had mostly had a bad week, but at least she enjoyed her time at Café Glitter and is happy she can at least end the week on a good note. Unfortunately, Cutty arrives and notes the week hasn't ended yet, as he takes the woman's Kirakira and creates a Makkuranda.

Purirun senses the Makkuranda and Uta and Nana run off to find it, not knowing Kaito is watching nearby. They locate the Makkuranda, and the two Cures transform. They fight off the Makkuranda, avoiding its attacks as it sprays acid-like soda, disolving items it came in contact with. During the battle, one of the regular customers from Café Glitter nearly gets crushed under rubble from the battle. Cure Idol rushes to save the old man, but Kaito beats her too it, saving him. Cure Wink uses her barrier to shield them from more attacks, while Cure Idol stuns the monster with her attack, telling Kaito to get the old man to safety.

Cure Wink manages to deflect the monster's strongest move, and stuns it to give Cure Idol the opening she needs to purify it. The woman is returned to normal, and she later regains consciousness to find Hamori checking up on her, having come across her while walking Kyutaro. She gives the woman a cookie from the café before leaving, with the woman cheerfully planning to visit the café again sometime soon.

Reflecting on the events of the day, Uta feels bad that she got so caught up feeling jealous about Kaito's skills that she didn't even properly thank him for all his help. She suddenly hears Kaito singing in the distance, and goes to check it out, finding him singing at the nearby beach. After watching for a few moments, Uta decides to sing along as well as she approaches him to talk.

Uta compliments Kaito's voice, noting she really likes his song, while Kaito reveals this spot has been sort of a secret place where he'd practice singing. They talk for a bit, with Uta properly thanking Kaito for helping her out earlier that day, while Kaito compliments Uta on her singing before leaving. As Nana catches up to Uta, she wonders why Uta is blushing so hard. However, the two are soon caught off-guard when a man in a suit approaches them, asking them if they're the Pretty Cures.

Another good episode! Since he's in the opening, Kaito is certainly going to be an important character. I'm also guessing his last name is a nod to the pink leader Cure of the previous music themed Pretty Cure series. One of the thoughts that went through my mind as I watched the episode was "Maybe he'd be the fourth Cure?", but I have a feeling it won't be him, assuming there even is one. I mean, we haven't even properly met the third Cure yet. Still, it's fun to be able to include male characters in such speculation.

This is also the first episode of this season to end on a little bit of a cliffhanger. I'm certainly curious to learn more about this mystery man.

I'll be looking forward to the next episode!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 3 of You and Idol Pretty Cure, in which Uta tries to cheer up her classmate Nana, who has been dealing with some performance anxiety after making a mistake during a piano competition.

The episode begins with Uta's class practicing their performance to welcome the first-class students. After it ends, Uta asks Nana if she'd like to walk home together, but Nana declines since she already has plans. Uta recalls that Nana has a piano competition coming up, and wishes her good luck. She and Purirun wish on a shooting star later that night that Nana does well during the concert.

At the competition, Nana receives a call from her mother, trying to give her some encouragement before her turn to play. Hearing others in the locale talking about her, Nana goes up to a mirror and tries to give herself a confidence boost by winking at her reflection. During her performance, things seem to be going well at first, until Nana suddenly freezes up.

The next day at school, Uta notices that Nana seems lost in thought. And while practicing their performance, she freezes up again. During lunch, Uta declines Mikoto's offer to eat lunch together, as she's concerned about Nana and wants to go check on her. As she looks at Nana having lunch by herself, and ponders whether or not to offer to join her, Purirun's antics leads to Uta accidentally getting Nana's attention, so she figures she might as well ask her.

Nana accepts, and Uta offers Nana some of her own lunch to cheer her up. Nana tells Uta about how she made a mistake during the competition, and now she just feels like running away from everything. During their conversation, Purirun accidentally gives away that they can talk, and while trying to figure out how to explain the situation, Uta ends up blurting out that she's Cure Idol.

Luckily, Nana agrees to keep their secret, and reveals how she saw Uta/Cure Idol fight during the previous episode. She admits she wishes she could be as strong as Cure Idol, which gives Uta an idea. She invites Nana over to her place, and offers her some of Café Glitter's signature cream soda. While there, Nana notices there's a piano in the café, with Uta's younger sister Hamori revealing she's been practicing the piano and playing a little bit of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to demonstrate.

Uta's parents reveal that Uta briefly practiced the piano as well, but she wasn't as good and soon lost interest in it in favor of singing. As they show Nana a picture of a concert Uta took part in, Nana realizes she's also in the picture and realizes she and Uta had briefly met long before they started attending school together. A younger Uta had helped Nana find her confidence before it was her turn to play during that concert, and taught her the "wink spell" for confidence. Wanting to hear Nana play, Hamori invites her to play the piano together, and they play a little bit together. Hamori then asks if she can come watch the ceremony tomorrow if Nana is going to be playing then.

Later that night, Nana reflects on how she used to just enjoy playing the piano, but as times went on, she found herself feeling more insecure as she wanted to meet the expectations of her peers, especially her parents. However, despite her anxiety, she wants to put on a good performance tomorrow to make Hamori happy.

At the villain lair, Zakkuri teases Cutty about watching Cure Idol's video again, with Cutty still insisting its for research. Chokkori asks who will be heading out next, adding that Lady Darkine has offered a bonus to however takes out Cure Idol. Zakkuri decides to make his move, this time managing to get out before Cutty can get ahead of him again.

The next day, Uta meets up with Nana on the way to school, and they decide to walk together. Hamori decides to head to the school for the ceremony ahead of her parents, but unfortunately, she catches the attention of Zakkuri, who promptly takes her Kirakira and traps her inside a Makkuranda. Purirun quickly realizes what has happened, and Uta transforms into Cure Idol in order to save her sister. She tells Nana to get to safety, but Nana instead decices to follow Cure Idol and see what happens.

Cure Idol puts up a good fight, even if the Makkuranda keeps trying to stun her with soundwave attacks. She dodges musical notes flying at her, and quickly pulls Nana out of the way when she gets a little too close to the fight. However, Cure Idol finds herself trapped when the Makkuranda manages to create a cage of musical notes around her. Nana decides to try to help Purirun and Cure Idol break through the cage, while Zakkuri considers using one of them to create a second Makkuranda.

Nana however won't have any of that, telling him she's made up her mind not to run anymore. As Nana finds her confidence, her body begins to shine and another Precure Ribbon forms, with Purirun's bag providing another Idol Heart Brooch for Nana. With Cure Idol encouraging her, Nana becomes a Pretty Cure herself, Cure Wink.

With her newfound power, Cure Wink manages to avoid falling into the same trap Cure Idol did, and manages to free Cure Idol from the cage. The two Cures work together, with Cure Wink creating a barrier to block the Makkuranda's attack, while Cure Idol stuns it, before giving Cure Wink the cue to purify it, returning Hamori to normal. Zakkuri retreats, and Cure Idol tells Cure Wink how she looks forward to working together with her from now on.

The episode begins as the performance at school is about to begin, with Uta and Nana heading in with newfound confidence.

Another good episode! We get to know a little more about Nana Aokaze, and we get our second Pretty Cure, Cure Wink. Really liked her song leading up to the purification of the Makkuranda as well. Glad the Cures get different songs suiting their different styles. I'm looking forward to getting to know the third Cure and seeing what she's all about, as well as still looking forward to when the Cures start doing group finishing moves.

I'll be looking forward to the next episode!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 2 of You and Idol Pretty Cure, in which Uta receives more information about her mission from the queen of Kirakiland, while also dealing with her newfound popularity as Cure Idol.

The episode begins with Purirun providing Uta with a bag to keep her transformation trinket in, when she discovers that Cure Idol is somehow on TV. Turns out Purirun recorded her performance while purifying her first Makkuranda, and uploaded a video of it online. Suddenly, they receive a call from the queen of Kirakiland on Uta's transformation trinket, with Purirun inserting the ribbon they were wearing into the trinket to answer the call.

The trinket, which the queen identifies as the Idol Heart Brooch, generates a hologram of the queen, Pikarine, and she introduces herself to Uta. Pikarine praises Purirun for finding the Idol Pretty Cure, and goes into more detail about what happened to Kirakiland, explaining how Darkine had cut the source of light for Kirakiland, the Big Kirakira Ribbon, splitting it into two, causing the land to fall into darkness and imprisoning most of its inhabitants into dark crystals. Uta wants to go save them right away, only to quickly realize she has no idea how to get to Kirakiland. Pikarine appreciates the thought, but advices Uta to focus on protecting her own world for now, since the Chokkori Gang is now targetting it.

Queen Pikarine also scolds Purirun for uploading the video of Cure Idol without her permission, stating that the legend says doing so is not allowed. As Uta points out that's an odd thing to include in the legend, Purirun attempts to delete the video, only for Queen Pikarine to tell them it's too late for that.

Later that night, Uta is getting ready for bed, telling Purirun that school is starting up tomorrow, and asking them to stay home to avoid getting either of them in any more trouble.

The next day at school, Uta meets up with her classmate Mikoto, happy that the two are in the same class again. The two spot a purple-haired girl putting up a poster, wanting to recruit people into a club researching Cure Idol. Later, while the homeroom teacher is introducing himself, Uta is distracted, and discovers that Purirun has secretly followed her to school after all. When the teacher asks what they should do to welcome the new first-year students, Uta suggests they put on a performance singing as a choir. Since no one else has any suggestions, the teacher decides to go with Uta's idea, noting they'll have to figure out who will sing and who should play the piano.

A blue-haired girl, Nana, volunteers to play the piano for the performance. During lunch, Uta gets to know a little more about Nana, since they were in different classes the previous year. She learns that Nana won a piano competition last year, and that her mother is also a pianist who is currently in France. As the discussion between the classmates shifts to Cure Idol, it's clear that her newfound popularity is going to Uta's head, with her struggling to contain her excitement and feeling flattered, to the others' confusion.

In the villain lair, Cutty has been watching the video of Cure Idol for research, with the other villains complaining how easy he was foiled by her. Zakkuri wants to head out, only for Cutty to beat him to it once again.

Back at school, Mikoto tells Uta that she's decided to join the club researching Cure Idol, and tells her how much she admires Cure Idol. However, as Mikoto is heading home, she gets targetted by Cutty, who traps her inside a Makkuranda. Purirun senses the summoned Makkuranda and informs Uta, who is excited at another chance to perform. Nana wonders where Uta is going, and decides to try and follow her.

Locating the Makkuranda, Uta quickly transforms and eagerly begins fighting it off. After momentarily stunning it, she stops to have Purirun take some pictures of her, but the Makkuranda gets up while she's distracted and Cure Idol ends up taking a beating as Nana arrives at the scene and watches from the sidelines. Cutty tells Purirun that maybe they chose the wrong girl after all, but Cure Idol assures Purirun that they haven't messed anything up, getting serious as she remembers the important part of her mission and gets back into the fight. With Purirun identifying the victim trapped in the Makkuranda as Mikoto, Cure Idol is extra motivated to save her friend, and she manages to successfully purify the Makkuranda and obtain another one of the ribbons they need to save Kirakiland. Cutty finds himself singing part of Cure Idol's song, before catching himself and making a quick retreat.

Mikoto regains consciousness, unsure of what just happened, and wondering if she dreamed of seeing Cure Idol perform. Cure Idol approaches her, telling her it was not a dream and taking a moment to thank Mikoto for supporting her before leaving. Looking out over town, Cure Idol tells Purirun that she's realized what's really important, and that Cure Idol is both an idol and a saviour.

Another really good episode! We got a few glimpses of the other two future Cures, as well as learning a little bit about one of them, Nana. We also saw Cure Idol's popularity going to her head, with Purirun wondering if they screwed up since they were the one to upload the video, only for Cure Idol to come her senses and basically tell them it wasn't their fault, and she understands they were just trying to show their support. Part of me is also wondering if there's some sort of connection between Queen Pikarine and the mysterious Darkine, if only because their names are sort of similar? Maybe that's reaching a bit, though, especially since we're only at the second episode.

I'll be looking forward to the next episode!

[darkershining]

Finally watched the first episode of You and Idol Pretty Cure, in which we meet Uta Sakura as she encounters a mysterious fairy named Purirun and decides to help them search for the idol Pretty Cure that can help them save their world.

The episode begins with a young girl, Uta Sakura, singing while out walking her dog, Kyu-chan, when she spots a strange peach floating down a nearby river. Deciding to go investigate, she pulls it out of the water. As something begins to emerge from it, she wonders if it is going to be a boy like in Momotaro, but instead a cute little fairy creature emerges from it. The fairy introduces itself as Purirun, with Uta confused as to what is going on.

Uta brings Purirun home and tries to show it to her family, but Purirun has fallen asleep and her family mistakes it for a plushie. Uta lets Purirun sit on a nearby counter while she helps out around her family's café. When she hears that one of the regular customers, Ema, has finally published her manga, Uta decides to congratulate her by singing, which catches Purirun's attention as they wake up. Uta's mother notes that Uta has always enjoyed singing to the customers, and that they find her songs quite uplifting.

Noticing that Purirun has vanished from where she left her, Uta wonders if her encounter with them were all a dream, until she finds Purirun in her room. The two properly introduce themselves to each other, and Purirun explains that they're looking for an idol Pretty Cure that can help save their world, Kirakiland, and they think Uta might have what it takes to do it. Uta doesn't think she has it in her, however, and instead offers to help Purirun with their search.

The two begin their search for an idol who might fit the description, but don't find anything, not helped by Purirun's antics causing Uta some trouble along the way. Uta asks Purirun if there's anything they can tell her that might give an idea of who they're looking for. They continue asking around, but still find nothing. As they stop for a snack break, they seemingly find who they've been looking for and have him accompany Purirun to help Kirakiland. The next day, however, Uta encounters Purirun the same way again, having realized the guy wasn't the person they were looking for, having misheard them when she asked if he was the Pretty Cure.

Meanwhile, we get a glimpse at our villains, the Chokkiri Gang. One of them, a female villain named Chokkirine, is playing a game of billiards while instructing the other two villains, Cutty and Zakkury, telling them to take the world's kirakira so they can engulf it in darkness on the behalf of their leader, Lady Darkine.

Purirun tells Uta about their world, and how it was once a bright, sparkly place until Lady Darkine's henchmen attacked it. Uta cheers up Purirun with another song, with Purirun recalling how Uta did the same for Ema earlier, and once again expressing their belief that Uta has it what it takes to be the idol Pretty Cure. While Uta is flattered to hear that her singing can make others smile, she still doesn't think she's the one Purirun is looking for.

While Ema is putting up posters advertising her manga, Cutty shows up and targets her for her kirakira, sealing her inside a crystal which he uses to summon a monster called a Makkuranda. Uta wonders what is going on as the skies darken, and Purirun spots the Makkuranda, realizing that Ema is trapped inside it. They also spot Cutty, recognizing him as one of Darkine's henchmen.

Uta attempts to reach Ema with her song once more, but the Makkuranda tries to attack her, knocking her aside. Uta's refusal to give up on Ema eventually causes a light to emerge from her that shields her from one of the Makkuranda's attacks, and an item shaped like a bow appears from that light. A device inside Purirun's bag flies out and Uta quickly inserts the bow into it, transforming her into Cure Idol. As the transformation completes, Uta is initially confused by what just happened, managing to avoid the Makkuranda's attack and get a few hits in by accident before she realizes the strength she now possess and begins fighting off the Makkuranda in order to save Ema.

As Purirun senses that Ema is starting to regain her sparkle, Cure Idol manages to stun the Makkuranda with a strong punch, before putting on an idol performance to properly perform her finishing move to purify it, returning Ema to normal, with another bow appearing from the purification. As Ema regains consciousness, she has no memory what just occured. Cure Idol is relieved to see that Ema is okay, but also still processing the events that just occured, as Purirun happily states how they knew Uta had it in her to be the idol Pretty Cure all along.

A really good start! I already like Uta and Purirun, and their interactions are pretty fun. Purirun is definitely going to have to learn to be more careful in the future to keep themselves and Uta out of trouble, though. I'm intrigued by the apparently scissor-themed villains as well, and it's always nice to have another female main villain. Seems we're going for the formula where the monsters of the week are created using an aspect of a human victim, with the way the Makkuranda was created really reminding me a lot about how HeartCatch Pretty Cure's monsters of the week in particular are created.

And since this season is idol-themed, I've been looking forward to seeing what music we'll be getting. Already getting some nice songs, with a catchy opening and ending theme, as well as Cure Idol's song while preparing her purification move. Was kind of hoping they'd sing during the transformation sequence was well like in Star Twinkle, but the transformation sequence is still pretty nice. Plus, now I'm looking forward to seeing the group finisher moves, seeing the Cures sing together and all that.

I've been trying to avoid spoilers as best as I can, and aside from Uta/Cure Idol's name, I haven't really spoiled myself on anything major (so far), so I don't really know anything about the other two Cures yet, so I'm looking forward to getting to know them once they make their debuts.

So, yeah. I'll be checking out the second episode soon. I'll be looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[darkershining]

DarkerShining's thoughts on Pretty Cure: Wonderful Pretty Cure

Well, it's that time of the year again! Time for me to share my thoughts on Wonderful Pretty Cure as a whole.

The story begins in Animal Town, where many animals and people live together in harmony. Iroha, a girl who loves animals, lives with her parents and her dog, Komugi. Komugi doesn't like being apart from Iroha, to the point where she wishes she could become human so she could spend even more time with her. One day, a strange, black ram appears in town and goes on a rampage. When Iroha ends up getting into danger while trying to help others, Komugi rushes in to save her, and the mysterious Mirror Stone, said to be able to grant wishes, allows Komugi to not only to transform into a human girl, but become a Pretty Cure as well. With her newfound power as Cure Wonderful, Komugi is able to pacify the mysterious beast, returning it to its true form, the sheep butler Mey Mey.

Mey Mey explains that he's a denizen of Niko Garden, home to many animals. However, several other animals have gone missing and been turned into beasts, dubbed Garugaru by Komugi, and Mey Mey requests Komugi's help to return them to normal, as well as help search for Niko Garden's missing creator, Niko. Komugi initially doesn't want to help unless Iroha is allowed to join in too, which Mey Mey has reservations about. Things work out, however, when Iroha becomes a Pretty Cure herself soon after, Cure Friendy. Iroha's friend Satoru soon gets involved as well, using his knowledge about animals to aid the two Cures in finding the best ways to pacify the Garugaru and return them to their original forms.

Eventually, they are joined by two other Cures, Cure Nyammy and Cure Lillian, and as they gradually learn to all work together, they get closer to finding Niko and discovering who was behind what happened to Niko Garden and why.

There, I think that works as a basic summary for the premise. I'll go more into detail under the "Read More" link, so expect spoilers for the full story.

(previous parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)

Komugi Inukai/Cure Wonderful

As usual, I'll start with the Cures, in order of appearance, so let's start with Cure Wonderful. After the previous series mixed things up a bit with a blue lead Cure, this series brings back the pink lead Cure, sort of. Also, first lead Pretty Cure to be a non-human, in this case a Papillon dog.

It takes a while to learn her full backstory, but basically, as a puppy, her previous owner entrusted her to an animal shelter as he was no longer able to care for her due to health complications related to his old age. Komugi, or Marron as her previous owner called her, presumably didn't understand what was going on and managed to escape the animal shelter one night. She ended up getting lost, wandering the streets alone for an undetermined amount of time until Iroha found her.

Due to her time alone, Komugi had grown distrustful of humans, but eventually she warmed up to Iroha. In the present day, Komugi is quite friendly and energetic, and wants to spend as much time with Iroha as possible, to the point of wishing to become human. When the Garugaru-fied Mey Mey puts Iroha in danger, Komugi's wish is granted by the Mirror Stone when she rushes in to defend her, also becoming Cure Wonderful. After returning Mey Mey to his normal self and proving her identity to Iroha by repeating a handshake they did earlier in the day, Mey Mey begins explaining the situation with Niko Garden to them.

Although she has gained the ability to shift into human form at will, Komugi's mindset is still mostly that of a dog, leading to Iroha and the others having to teach her how to behave as a human and teach her about certain concepts she doesn't fully understand. After obtaining the Friendly Wand, also initially struggles to access its powers after rescuing the first Kirarin Animal and unlocking their support skills. After some self-reflection, Komugi/Cure Wonderful realizes she was only focusing on spending time with Iroha/Cure Friendy, and is able to use the power of the Friendly Wand once she gains the same resolve to help others like Iroha and vows to understand her better.

Komugi is adorable. Her design is really cute, especially in dog form, but human!Komugi and Cure Wonderful are also pretty cute. Her innocence, energy and seeing the good in everyone she meets makes her a really endearing character.

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Iroha Inukai/Cure Friendy

Next up, is Iroha/Cure Friendy. Iroha is a friendly girl who loves animals, with her parents running an animal clinic and salon. After coming across the stray Komugi, the younger Iroha decided to help the dog out. The two eventually began to bond, with her parents reminding her that if her original owner comes to look for her, then she may have to return her to them. Even so, Iroha decides to continue bonding with Komugi, the two developing a close bond.

After Komugi gains the ability to transform into a human, as well as the ability to speak as a dog, Iroha finds herself having to frequently reminding Komugi to not do certain things that might give away the secret in her different forms, and explaining certain concepts to her dog-turned-sister. Iroha struggles with keeping the secret from those closest to her, however, leading to her friend Satoru, and eventually her parents finding out, albeit the latter not knowing about the Pretty Cure stuff.

Over the course of the series, Iroha aims to befriend as many animals as she can, which leads to some struggles on her part when her worldview is challenged by the revelation of what happened to Gaou and his pack, leading to their grudge against humanity. But with the help of her friends, Iroha is able to find the resolve to keep moving forward and hopefully reason with the wolves.

I really like Iroha. She has a cute design, and I think Cure Friendy's design is one of my favorite Pretty Cure designs for this particular season. In some ways, I feel like she and Komugi kind of share the lead Cure position of this season, since Iroha also has a lot of the traits you'd expect in a lead Cure, being a sweet girl in general and also having more points in her character arc where she has to deal with some complicated feelings, like figuring out what the difference between platonic and romantic love is, or learning how to handle grief.

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Yuki Nekoyashiki/Cure Nyammy

Next, lets' talk about Yuki/Cure Nyammy. Yuki is a white cat belonging to Mayu Nekoyashiki. Similarly to Komugi, Yuki was also a stray when she and Mayu first met. Mayu encountered her while staying in a town where her father had photography work during winter. Yuki was a stray cat covered in dirt who was distrustful of humans, and no one could seem to get close to her. However, Mayu started going out to see Yuki during her stay in the town, and later lent Yuki her knit hat to help her keep warm. When the weather turned bad later that night, Yuki did make use of the hat to stay warm.

When it was time to Mayu and her family to go home, Yuki approached Mayu of her own accord, to the surprise of a few of the people living in the town to witness this. Mayu and her family ended up bringing Yuki back home with them, and once they had cleaned her up, thus getting a good look at her white fur, Mayu decided to name her 'Yuki' both because of her fur and because it was snowy where they met.

Since then, Yuki has become quite loyal to Mayu, as well as frequently getting pulled in for cuddles when Mayu needs to ease her anxiety. After they move to Animal Town, Yuki initially tries to subtly encourage Mayu to go out there and make some new friends. After Mayu starts befriending Iroha and Komugi, Yuki is initially supportive, but she starts having mixed feelings when she discovers that the two of them are Pretty Cures, worried they might unintentionally put Mayu into danger while dealing with the Garugaru.

Yuki ends up making her own wish on the Mirror Stone, gaining a human form and becoming a Cure herself in hopes of keeping Mayu safe. Ironically, Yuki/Cure Nyammy herself ends up being a major factor in Mayu discovering what's been going on in town and getting involved in the Pretty Cure stuff. She approaches Mayu in human form to warn her against going into the mountains while a Garugaru is in that area, leading Mayu to becoming curious about who human!Yuki is. In addition, Mayu discovers that Iroha and Komugi are Pretty Cures after attending a sleepover at their place because Yuki had tired herself out from patrolling the town as a Pretty Cure and she brought her to the clinic to get her looked at, leading to Iroha inviting them to stay the night.

However, since Yuki/Cure Nyammy doesn't fully understand what the Garugaru actually are at first, she ends up using violence to deal with them. While her methods would not be out of place in most other Pretty Cure series, in this one, it's not the right way to handle the situation. Cure Wonderful and Cure Friendy are understandably horrified, and stop her from finishing off one during one of their first encounters with her. As they inform her what the Garugaru actually are, she decides to step back and let them handle it.

It doesn't fully sink in until later, but Cure Nyammy is willing to let the other two Cures handle the Garugaru, as long as Mayu isn't put into any danger. Yuki eventually has to reveal herself to Mayu, and worrying that the Cures are going to keep unintentionally dragging Mayu into danger, tries to convince Mayu to stop spending time with them, to which Mayu puts her foot down and tells Yuki to back off.

Cure Nyammy's violent style eventually backfires on her when the Garugaru-fied Kirarin Hamster comes back for revenge after she attacked it in a previous encounter, using its power to shrink her down alongside the other two Cures to render her unable to meaningfully fight back. This leads to Mayu becoming a Pretty Cure herself, managing to pacify the Kirarin Hamster and return everyone to normal.

When the four of them head to Niko Garden to explain the recent events to Mey Mey, Yuki notes that she still isn't too interested in co-operating with the other Cures besides Cure Lillian, only really coming along to support her, and she doesn't care too much about the animals from Niko Garden either. However, while wandering around away from the others, she comes across the Kirarin Fawn and the two strike up a brief conversation.

The Kirarin Fawn explains how frightening the experience of becoming a Garugaru was, and while later dealing with the Garugaru-fied Kirarin Kitsune later that day, Cure Nyammy is finally able to understand what the other Cures had been trying to tell her the whole time. This realization finally allows her to purify Garugaru alongside Cure Lillian.

From there, Cure Nyammy and Cure Lillian start out as a second Pretty Cure duo co-operating with the initial duo of Wonderful and Friendy, until Yuki starts to warm up to the other Cures more. Over time, she grows to genuinely consider them her friends, she learns to put a little more faith in Mayu as she matures as a person while still offering her support when needed, and begins to explore new things more on her own initiative.

I really like Yuki. Her cat form is cute, and her human form is really pretty. I love her character arc in which she gradually warms up the other Cures and becomes a bit more open-minded when it comes to both Mayu and exploring the world around her. I also like how her interactions with others as a human is different from Komugi, as Yuki is able to pick up on certain things faster than her, while still being a bit socially awkward in other aspects.

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Mayu Nekoyashiki/Cure Lillian

Next, let's talk about Mayu/Cure Lillian. Mayu has just moved to Animal Town, and is rather timid. She's also quite creative and talented at sewing, embroidery and other such skills. Whenever she gets really focused on a project, she can get so into it that nothing can get through to her. However, this tendency ended up resulting in a miscommunication with a friend at her old school, who thought Mayu was intentionally ignoring her, not knowing that Mayu was in fact working on a birthday present for her and didn't realize she was trying to talk to her.

Mayu eventually meets Iroha and Komugi, who become her first friends in Animal Town, with Iroha even gifting her a bag she can use to take Yuki on walks with. In return, Mayu makes a cute walking harness for Komugi to show her appreciation. She continues growing closer to Iroha and Komugi, eventually learning their secrets. This leads to some conflict between her and Yuki, once she learns of Yuki also having gained the ability to speak, turn into a human and becoming a Pretty Cure. When Yuki tries to get Mayu to cut ties with Iroha and Komugi, Mayu puts her foot down. Mayu later becomes a Cure herself in order to protect Yuki, and from there, the two become a second Pretty Cure duo co-operating with the other two.

Mayu continues to grow a little more confidant, eventually managing to mend the friendship between herself and Yuma, the girl from her old school. Mayu is also shown to be quite the romantic, when she learns of Satoru's crush on Iroha, and encourages him to confess his feelings to her.

I like Mayu. Her design is really cute, and I think she has a pretty solid character arc. It's also really sweet how Iroha and Komugi are able to understand how focused she gets on her projects and finding that to be an admirable quality, fully understanding she's not ignoring them on purpose when she gets into that state. I also like Mayu's creativity and skill when it comes to designing and making cute things for her friends, and even teaching others how to do it themselves on occasion.

Also, on a note about the designs that apply to all of the Cures, I like how both Cures in both duos wear a bow in their partner's color, with Cure Wonderful having a purple bow and Friendy a pink one, while Cure Nyammy wears a green bow and Cure Lillian a blue one.

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Satoru Toyama

Now that I've covered the four Cures, let's talk about Iroha's friend, Satoru, since he's basically also a part of the team. Satoru is very knowledgeable about animals, and likes to study everything he can about them. He also has a crush on Iroha, but is relucant to tell her because he doesn't want to potentially make things awkward between them.

He and Iroha first met three years prior to the series, when Satoru found a rabbit that had been injured by a snake and brought it to the clinic run by Iroha's parents. Iroha was the one who sparked Satoru's initial interest in learning more about animals, and he adopted the rabbit which he named Daifuku.

After she and Komugi becomes Pretty Cures, Iroha finds herself having difficulty keeping the secret from Satoru. Satoru meanwhile, discovers a Garugaru egg, and tries to get a closer look, only for Daifuku to pull him back. His research while trying to find out what kind of egg it was doesn't yield any results, so he goes to check it out again, only for the Garugaru to hatch, putting him in danger. This leads him to discover Iroha and Komugi's secret when they come to his rescue, and he becomes their ally from that point on, providing them with his knowledge on animals to help them figure out the best way to pacify the Garugaru they face. Satoru also becomes friends with Mey Mey, who was initially dismayed to discover that someone besides Komugi and Iroha had discovered their secret, but soon warms up to Satoru since he's more interested in hearing Mey Mey out than the two girls.

Later in the series, Mayu encourages him to confess his feelings to Iroha, and he almost does so, but changes his mind at the last minute. However, when Mey Mey moments later ends up accidentally blurting it out in front of Iroha, Satoru decides to finally admit that he does have feelings for her. Iroha has to take some time to think things over, but after Satoru tells her he's content to just stay friends if that's what she wants, and then having to deal with an attention-starved Zakuro trying to kidnap him, Iroha/Cure Friendy realizes she does reciprocate Satoru's feelings, and the two become a couple.

I really like Satoru. He's a great support character for the Cures, providing them information on animals and later making use of the translation skills he has aquired from reading animal books in other languages while studying up on them to be able to translate Subaru's diary. He's basically the strategist of the team, helping the Cures figure out the best ways to pacify the Garugaru/Gaogaon they face off against. His relationship with Iroha is also really sweet, and I think it's really cool how they actually do become a couple in the series itself, considering most other Pretty Cure series featuring a male character with a crush on the lead Cure usually doesn't have the Cure finding out until near the end, if she finds out at all, and in the cases where she does find out, it is usually left ambiguous whether they actually do get together or not.

It's also cool how he and Daifuku get to gain powers of their own during the last couple of episodes and in the movie (which as of typing this I have yet to see), although part of me does wish he could've gained such power sooner, since Cure Wing did properly open up the possibility of male Cures. Still, what we got is still pretty neat, and as I said, Satoru does play an important role within the team even without powers.

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Daifuku

Next up, I'll talk about Satoru's pet rabbit, Daifuku. Much like Komugi and Yuki, Daifuku is revealed to have been a stray in the past before being adopted. Satoru first came across Daifuku after the rabbit had been injured by a snake, and brought him to the clinic run by Iroha's parents to get him treated, and ended up adopting the rabbit. Daifuku comes across as somewhat stoic and is also quite intelligent. When Satoru comes across a Garugaru egg for the first time, Daifuku recognizes that something isn't right and pulls him away from the egg. Of course, that doesn't stop Satoru from approaching it again later when Daifuku isn't with him.

When Komugi translates for him, Daifuku's loyalty to Satoru is made quite clear. Daifuku will occasionally push Satoru to take action, whether it is continuing his research in order to support the Cures, or trying to encourage him to be honest about his feelings towards Iroha. When Mey Mey is put in charge of looking after Daifuku during Satoru and Iroha's first date, Daifuku has to spend quite a bit of time preventing Mey Mey from interfering with the date.

In the last couple of episodes, Daifuku finally gains a human form of his own by making a wish on a shard of the broken Mirror Stone, and encourages Satoru to join him as the two gain superpowered forms to help the Cures break through a barrier so they can reach Subaru.

Daifuku doesn't get as much screentime as Komugi and Yuki, so I don't think I have that much to say about him, but I do like what we do see of him. It's nice seeing him support Satoru in what ways he can, and like I said, him gaining a human form of his own near the end was pretty cool.

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Mey Mey

All right, now let's talk about the mascots. We'll start with Mey Mey, the sheep butler. He's the first animal-turned-Garugaru that Cure Wonderful rescued. After he is saved, he begins explaining things to Komugi and Iroha, hoping to recruit the former to help find the rest of the missing animals from Niko Garden, as well as Niko herself. Of course, dealing with a dog-turned-human whose attention span isn't always great, and her owner who is still adapting to Komugi's newfound ability to shift between dog and human form, he finds himself having trouble getting the two to pay attention.

Mey Mey insists that they must keep the Pretty Cures a secret, worrying that Niko will be mad if outsiders find out about Niko Garden. Naturally, Mey Mey gets concerned when others find out about Niko Garden anyways, with Iroha and Komugi mainly getting around it since they technically didn't break their promises not to tell since Satoru and Mayu both discovered the secret on their own. In the case of Satoru, Mey Mey quickly softens once he realizes that Satoru is actually willing to hear him out.

Despite Mey Mey's insistance of keeping things about Niko Garden a secret, he ironically ends up partially outing Iroha and Komugi's secret to her parents when they overhear him talking while explaining to Iroha why they shouldn't tell them. When he realizes they know the legend of the Mirror Stone, he's able to get away with giving them a partial explanation of how Iroha and Komugi have been helping him rescue the missing animals from Niko Garden, while leaving out the details regarding the Garugaru and the Pretty Cure.

When Niko finally makes her appearance proper, the Cures are able to prevent Mey Mey from getting in trouble for letting the secrets get out by explaining why it happened and how it wasn't really his fault. When Niko considers taking back the Cures' powers and deal with the situation herself, Mey Mey is initially reluctant to speak up against her. However, when she nearly goes through with it, Mey Mey ends up stopping her and speaking up in the Cures' defense, showing that he truly has faith in their abilities to handle the situation.

After the Cures prove themselves and Niko entrusts them with a new power, Mey Mey apologizes for going against Niko's wishes, only for her to admit that even she's not perfect and acknowledging that maybe they both still have things to learn.

When Mey Mey learns that Satoru intends to confess his feelings for Iroha, Mey Mey gets anxious about how this will affect his friendship with Satoru. When Satoru can't bring himself to actually say it, though, Mey Mey ends up asking him why he didn't do so... while Iroha is still right there in front of them. Realizing his mistake, Mey Mey tries to cover it up, but this gives Satoru the push to finally confess his feelings for Iroha.

Once Iroha realizes she reciprocates Satoru's feelings, and the two become a couple, Mey Mey spends the next episode secretly following them around during their date, still clearly concerned about how this will affect his friendship with Satoru, while Daifuku keeps Mey Mey from interfering with the date too much. After the others have a talk with Mey Mey, he realizes that he should be happy for Satoru and not concern himself too much with how this affects himself. As such, when a Gaogaon inevitibly shows up, Mey Mey tries to assist the other three Cures in trying to prevent the Gaogaon from disturbing Satoru and Iroha's date. Of course, the two show up to help out anyways, and Satoru manages to reassure Mey Mey that there's nothing to worry about in regards to their friendship status.

I do like Mey Mey. While he for the most part ends up as comic relief, either due to getting ignored by the Cures in early episodes, or ending up in odd situations, or being too clingy towards Satoru, he also does get some good moments, like how episode 15 shows his dedication and all the hard work he puts into maintaining Niko Garden, as well as helping out with rescuing the Kirarin Fawn in the same episode. Him standing up to Niko to defend the Cures and convince her to put her trust in them is another great moment for him.

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Niko

Next, let's talk about the creator of Niko Garden herself, Niko. Well, since her name is actually short for "Diamond Unicorn", I guess it should technically be spelled "Nico", but since the official subs went with Niko and that's the spelling I've gotten used to, that's the one I'm sticking to.

Anyways, Niko is a bit of a mystery for the first half of the series, due to her having gone missing shortly after the Niko Garden was attacked and several of the animals turned into Garugaru. As the Cures help rescue more of the missing animals, and particularly after rescuing all of the Kirarin Animals, Niko's location is finally revealed to our heroes. Sort of. Not having fully regained her power yet, Niko appears as an egg, which takes a liking to Iroha, teleporting to her side despite Mey Mey's attempts to keep an eye on her in Niko Garden.

Niko remains in this form for a few episodes, before the Cures figure out how to help the egg hatch, allowing them to finally meet Niko. While certainly a wise, benevolent entity, she also tends to act like an excitable teen idol. And while Mey Mey was right in assuming she might get angry about the secrets of Niko Garden getting out and handing the trunk allowing access to it to them, she quickly calms down once the Cures point out to her that most of them figured it out on their own and that the situation was an emergency that required Mey Mey to entrust the trunk to them, so she lets Mey Mey off the hook.

Niko is able to fill in some of the blanks on what happened during the attack on Niko Garden, explaining that she was the one who sealed the Garugaru into eggs after a failed attempt to return them to their normal selves, stopping their rampage temporarily. Shortly after learning the full story, the Cures have their first encounter with Torame and Zakuro, and learn how they are trying to avenge their pack.

After the Cures struggle to deal with their first Gaogaon, Niko considers taking the power they received from the Mirror Stone back, since the Mirror Stone was created by her power in the past, and deal with the wolves herself. She almost goes through with it too when the Cures struggle during their next battle, but Mey Mey intervenes, talking her out of it. Once the Cures manage to turn the situation around, truly fighting together as one team, Niko decides to trust them and entrusts them with the Diamond Ribbon Castle, allowing them to use the Eternal Bond Shower to purify Gaogaons.

Realizing she still has things to learn, Niko decides to stick with the Cures. She is also shown to gain power from the smiles of others, and eventually regains enough of her power to occasionally take on a human form, as well as possessing a few other abilities, such as healing tired animals, and in one episode, accidentally turning Iroha and Mayu into a dog and cat respectively.

A mid-season mascot rather than a mid-season Cure, brings to mind the first few Pretty Cure series. As for Niko, she's a fun character, with a nice little balance between her wisdom and energetic personality. When I first saw her unicorn form, I was reminded of the mascots from Kira Kira Pretty Cure A La Mode. I feel like her face in particular made her look a bit like a mix between Pekorin and Kirarin. Well, with all the mascots we've had over the years, I guess some are bound to look a little similar. She's certainly cute, though. And I really like her human form, I think she's really beautiful in that form.

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The Kirarin Animals

While Mey Mey and Niko are the main mascots, I guess these guys can also be considered mascots of sorts. The nine Kirarin Animals are among the missing animals from Niko Garden that the Cures must rescue. Each of them have a unique ability, and they are able to restore part of the broken diamond in Niko Garden as they are returned, gradually restoring Niko Garden to normal. They can be told apart from regular Garugaru by the fact that they retain the crystal they each have on their foreheads.

The first of the Kirarin Animals the Cures rescue is the Kirarin Rabbit, who grants the Cures super-hearing when her power is called upon with the Friendly Wand or Amity Tambourine. Satoru is the one who initially stumbles upon the Garugaru egg containing her, leading him to discover Iroha and Komugi's secret when they come to his rescue.

The second Kirarin Animal rescued is the Kirarin Penguin, who grants the Cures the ability to freeze the ground and glide on the ice, allowing them to move around faster. It is during the rescue of the Kirarin Penguin that Cure Wonderful and Friendy gain their Friendly Wands. This is also when the Cures realize the Kirarin Animals can lend their power to them, as the Kirarin Rabbit asks Cure Friendy to borrow her power to help save the Kirarin Penguin.

The third Kirarin Animal rescued is the Kirarin Lion, granting the Cures super speed. Admittedly this power makes the previous ability granted by the penguin a little bit redundant, but while the lion's ability ends up being used more often, there are still certain situations where they decide the penguin's ability fits better. Dealing with the Kirarin Lion proved to be a challenge due to Cure Wonderful's instincts causing her to freeze up, to which Cure Friendy wanted to try pacifying the lion on her own. When Cure Wonderful tried to help anyways, this led to conflict between the two Cures. Once Cure Wonderful had the chance to think things over and sort her feelings out, she was able to gain a better understanding of Iroha, unlocking the ability to use her Friendly Wand that previously didn't work, along with letting her and Cure Friendy perform the Friend Liberale finishing move for purifying Garugaru.

The fourth Kirarin Animal rescued is the Kirarin Bear, who grants the Cures the ability of super strength. The rescue of the Kirarin Bear is also what tips Cure Wonderful and Friendy off to the fact that there's another Pretty Cure out there besides them, as the bear vaguely recalls an encounter with Cure Nyammy while he was still a Garugaru.

The fifth Kirarin Animal rescued is the Kirarin Fawn, who grants the Cures the ability to jump higher. The Cures rescue him with the help of Mey Mey, who was feeling extra motivated to help out since he believed the other Kirarin Animals that had been rescued were planning a surprise party to show their appreciation for him. The party was actually for the Cures, but his actions do remind them of how hard he's been working for everybody, so they make sure to properly thank him for his hard work during the party as well. The Kirarin Fawn also plays a role in Yuki/Cure Nyammy's character arc, when a conversation between the two during her first visit to Niko Garden has him explaining how scary the experience of becoming a Garugaru was.

But before that, the sixth Kirarin Animal the Cures rescued is the Kirarin Hamster, which gives the Cures the ability to shrink down to get into places they couldn't fit into otherwise. During the Cures' first encounter with the Garugaru hamster, it got away due to arguments between Cure Nyammy and the other Cures. In addition to this, since Cure Nyammy had attacked it, the dark spirit who turned the Niko Garden animal into Garugaru was able to manipulate the hamster into using its ability against the three Cures, rendering them mostly helpless against it. It was only thanks to Mayu finding the resolve to protect Yuki/Cure Nyammy, and becoming a Cure herself, that they were able to save it, with Cure Lillian calming it down and returning it to normal.

The seventh Kirarin Animal rescued by the Cures is the Kirarin Kitsune, with the ability to let the Cures transform into different things, such as a giant tire or giant cat toy. Honestly this ability is one of my personal favorite abilities granted to them due to the comedic potential of it. During the confrontation with the Garugaru-fied Kirarin Kitsune, Cure Nyammy, following her conversation with the Kirarin Fawn earlier that day, is finally able to empathize with the Garugaru, realizing they're not that different from how she was back before she met Mayu. With this realization, she's finally able to purify Garugaru herself.

The eighth Kirarin Animal rescued by the Cures is the Kirarin Panda, who grants them the ability to lull their target to sleep, provided they can keep the target's attention long enough for it to take effect. The Panda showed up during Yuki's first day of attending school with Mayu and the others, putting others to sleep with its ability. After hearing Satoru mutter about pandas enjoying playing with tires in his sleep, Cure Nyammy gets the idea to turn Cure Wonderful, the only one unaffected by the panda's ability due to her energetic personality, into a giant tire using the Kirarin Kitsune's ability. The plan works, allowing them to pacify the Garugaru and return the Kirarin Panda to normal.

The last of the Kirarin Animals the Cures have to rescue is the Kirarin Swan, who grants them the ability to fly. The Cures rescue the Kirarin Swan during the Star Festival in Animal Town. During the festival, Komugi learns about Toboe Shrine and what happened to the wolves who used to live in the forests nearby. With this bit of backstory, and the returned Kirarin Animals restoring Niko Garden to normal and allowing Niko to return in egg form, the stage is set for the second half of the story and the introduction of the wolves.

I don't really have too much to say about the Kirarin Animals, as we don't really get to know them that well. I mean, we get a few glimpses at their personalities, like the bear being a bit of a tough guy and the swan doing everything she can gracefully, but the abilities they grant each of the Cures are certainly useful. As I mentioned above, I think the kitsune's power is one of my favorites, and I also like the swan granting them flight, as that was one ability I was specifically hoping they'd get at one point, figuring it'd be useful when dealing with Garugaru/Gaogaon that can fly. They all have cute designs too, basically what you'd expect of a typical Pretty Cure mascot.

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The Villains

All right, now that we've gone over the Cures and their main allies, let's talk about the villains of the season next!

It takes a while before we learn who was responsible for the attack on Niko Garden and some of its animals being turned into Garugaru. However, we do get a few glimpses of a wolf-shaped phantom occasionally appearing to certain Garugaru to urge them to go on a rampage.

Eventually, around the same time Niko makes her proper debut, we also get to meet ones behind everything. Two wolf spirits revived from two of the statues near Toboe Shrine, Torame and Zakuro, as well as what appears to be the leader of the wolf pack that went extinct all those years ago, Gaou.

Torame and Zakuro both have the ability to take on human form, and spend most of their screentime in these forms. Torame takes the form of a young boy, who sees his confrontations with the Cures as a game. Zakuro takes on the appearance of an older teenage girl, although her personality and appearance as a wolf suggests she's not that much older than Torame. Zakuro is quite smitten with Gaou, who barely pays attention to her or anything else.

Torame and Zakuro take different approaches to how they deal with the Cures. Torame specifically seeks out unhatched Garugaru eggs to power up into Gaogaon, while Zakuro will transform animals she encounters in Animal Town. While they initially refuse the Cures' offers of friendship due to going along with Gaou's desire for revenge against humanity, they gradually begin to doubt in this goal as time goes by. And as the Cures get to know them better, they gradually begin to figure out how to reach out to them.

During one of his last encounters with the Cures, Torame unleashes a Gaogaon-fied tyrannosaurus at them, which gives them their toughest challenge yet. However, when he spots Otsuru, who needs to get her elderly dog to the clinic as quickly as possible, but can't get there because damage from the Gaogaon has broken the road, Torame ends up calling off his Gaogaon's attack so the Cures can purify it. With the road fixed, Torame urges the woman to hurry over to the clinic, before deciding he's no longer in the mood to play and leaving.

After Torame runs out of Garugaru eggs to power up, the Cures get the idea to challenge him to an actual game. After a superpowered game of tag, Torame is able to let go of his hate towards humanity, causing him to begin fading away. At his request, the Cures use their Eternal Bond Shower move to send him off, allowing his spirit to pass on peacefully, leaving the statue he was revived from behind. Iroha later returns the statue to Toboe Shrine as a way of paying her respects.

I like Torame, and how he's sort of an evil counterpart to Komugi, since they're both kind of childish, energetic and like playing. He also comes across as less evil than the other two villains due to the fact that he only goes for the unhatched Garugaru eggs for making into Gaogaon, and for the most part acts like a graceful loser in his confronations with the Cures. It makes sense that he's the first of the villains to see reason and accept the Cures' friendship.

As for Zakuro, she spends a lot of the series hoping to get Gaou's attention, but barely gets any reaction from him. In one episode, she's attention-starved enough to try to kidnap Satoru so he can be her boyfriend instead, but she is foiled by Cure Friendy. Realizing Satoru and Iroha have feelings for each other, Zakuro gives up and decides to go back to Gaou.

In a later episode, Zakuro spots Mayu giving knitting classes to some of her classmates so they can knit presents for their friends and family. Getting the idea to make something for Gaou, but not wanting to ask a human for help teaching her how to knit, Zakuro attempts to figure out how to do so on her own. Mayu ends up spotting her after finishing teaching the others, and offers to help teach Zakuro, starting up a conversation with her about Gaou and what it is Zakuro likes about him.

For a moment, it seems Zakuro might be warming up a little, but unfortunately, Yuki's questioning of why Gaou would be doing what he's been doing all this time if he's as kind as Zakuro describes him leads Zakuro to break the knitting needles Mayu offered to lend her in a rage, and she summons a Gaogaon to deal with the Cures.

During the Christmas episode, Yuki and Komugi come across Zakuro admiring a Christmas tree, and Yuki decides to try a different approach by starting up some small talk about the tree and complimenting Zakuro on her sense of aesthetics. Zakuro still won't open up, though, and once the rest of the Cures show up, she turns the flying reindeer Santa had lent to Niko so she could assist with delivering presents into a Gaogaon. When the Christmas tree is nearly damaged by the Gaogaon, Zakuro freaks out and tries to intervene, but Cure Nyammy beats her to it, protecting the tree.

During the final confrontation, Zakuro finally realizes that the Cures are right, and that what they've been doing won't bring happiness to Gaou/Subaru, and she attempts to reason with him. However, he's still refusing to let go of his anger. Zakuro continues fighting at his side despite her own doubts, until the Cures finally convince her to join forces with them and help them reason with Subaru.

I like Zakuro as well. She has a cool design, and I feel like much like Torame is sort of a counterpart to Komugi, Zakuro is meant to be sort of a counterpart to Yuki, being totally devoted to one person, in this case Gaou/Subaru. It makes sense that her change of heart occurs once it dawns on her that what Gaou/Subaru is doing won't actually make him happy, leading to her siding with the Cures during the final confrontation.

So, as for our main villain, you may have noticed that I referred to him by two different names while going over Zakuro's notable scenes. Yeah, there's a bit a plot twist involving him.

When we are first introduced him, we are told that he is Gaou, the leader of a wolf pack that once lived near Animal Town, that went extinct. Gaou desires revenge against humanity, and sent the black beasts to help carry out his revenge. During the Halloween episode, the Cures meet him in person when he heads into town. He first encounters Komugi, taking an interest in her when he discovers she's a dog that can take on human form.

The two have a conversation where he asks her about how she gained her ability, while she sees him being gentle around other animals in the area. However, once the other Cures show up, his demenour changes and he attempts to turn Komugi into a Gaogaon. His attempts fails, thanks to a mysterious howl along with Iroha's voice bringing Komugi to her senses.

After one of their classmates finds an old journal written by someone named Subaru who befriended the wolf pack near Animal Town, Satoru takes it upon himself to translate more of it in hopes of finding a clue that can help the Cures, learning more about how Subaru grew close to the leader of the wolf pack in particular, and how he tried in vain to talk the other humans out of hunting the wolves down.

During the final confrontation, Gaou enters town with an army of dark wolf spirits. Niko confronts him, but he manages to steal more of her power. She manages to get a hit in that breaks his wolf mask, however, revealing that the 'Gaou' the Cures had been facing was actually Subaru all along, trying to avenge Gaou. Using Niko's power, he turns Animal Town into a forest, as well as putting the people and animals in it into a deep sleep. He attempts to use the Mirror Stone combined with the power of the Niko Diamond to bring Gaou back to life, but it doesn't work. Niko approaches him, noting that as she had tried to tell him many times, bringing back the dead is beyond her power.

Realizing she's telling the truth, Subaru breaks the Mirror Stone, absorbs the Niko Diamond and transforms into a giant beast, going on a rampage. When he ends up nearly fatally injuring Cure Wonderful during his rampage, the sight of a distressed Cure Friendy holding Komugi and pleading with her to wake up, Subaru is reminded of how Gaou died literally taking a bullet for him. As Subaru's true feelings finally come to the surface, he admits that it was himself he couldn't forgive all this time for failing to protect the wolves, and the dark spirits he'd been controlling begin to turn on him.

Before I continue Subaru's entry, I guess I'll go into another character who is tied to him, namely the real Gaou. Having a vision while unconscious, Komugi hears a howl, one she's been hearing in her dreams a lot. Realizing she was right about it sounding different from Subaru, she finally meets with the spirit of the real Gaou, realizing he's the one she's been hearing in her dreams, as well as the one who helped Iroha prevent her from turning into a Gaogaon that one time. Turns out Gaou had been trying to reach out to her in hopes of asking for her help in saving Subaru. Since that was what Komugi intended to do anyways, she happily agrees to pass on a message from Gaou to Subaru, before regaining consciousness, to Cure Friendy's relief.

Back to Subaru, with the help of a now empowered Satoru and Daifuku, the Cures break through a barrier that has formed around Subaru and attempt to reach him. With the other three Cures holding off the dark spirits trying to block their path, Cure Wonderful is eventually able to get to where Subaru is, and is able to get his attention by telling him of what Gaou really feels, telling him that Gaou never held a grudge against him for failing to protect him or the pack, and that seeing Subaru in this state makes him feel sad. As Subaru calms down, the Cures and Niko are able to purify him, returning him to his human form.

Subaru is reunited with Gaou's spirit, and the two talk things out. Subaru is finally able to let go of his anger, and he, Gaou and Zakuro rejoin the spirits of the wolf pack.

I like Subaru and Gaou, with their situation reminding me a bit of the situation between the Witch of Delays and Cure Oasis from Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure, with a human finding and saving a non-human, then years later the spirit of one of them reaching out to the Cures in order to ask for their help in saving the other, the two eventually reuniting with the Cures' help and then moving on together.

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Other Characters

Now that I've covered the heroes and villains, let's talk about some of the other characters. As usual, I'll start with the Cures' families.

First, let's talk about Iroha's parents, Youko and Tsuyoshi. They run the Friendly Animal Clinic and Salon in Animal Town, with Youko as the veterinarian and Tsuyoshi handling animal grooming.

When she and Tsuyoshi first met when they were younger, Youko gave Tsuyoshi some advice on how to approach animals with a gentle voice to help get them to warm up to him when she found out about his dream to be an animal trimmer. He took her advice to heart, and when Youko later started up the clinic, she recruited him to work there as a trimmer. Sometime later, Youko confessed her feelings to Tsuyoshi.

In the present, the two are shown to be good parents to Iroha. Since Iroha is so close to them, she finds it difficult to keep the Pretty Cure secret from them, and eventually asks Mey Mey if she can at least tell them about how Komugi gained the ability to speak and transform into a human. Mey Mey is against the idea, but when Iroha's parents overhear this conversation, he realizes that he has no choice but to fill them in on part of the secret.

Iroha's parents are surprised to discover Komugi's abilities granted by the Mirror Stone, but quickly accept her and let Iroha know they are proud of her for helping Mey Mey save the missing animals from Niko Garden after receiving a partial explanation from him that leaves out the stuff about the monsters they face and the Pretty Cure stuff, having already suspected she was up to something lately and figuring she was helping out a friend or something. They end up befriending Mey Mey, and later Niko as well.

When Satoru finally confesses his feelings to Iroha, Youko offers some advice that helps Iroha come to the conclusion that she does reciprocate Satoru's feelings. And when Iroha and Satoru begin dating, Youko and Tsuyoshi both support them, even if Tsuyoshi admits to needing some time to get used to the idea of Iroha having a boyfriend.

I really like these two. They're good parents, and I like how they do end up partially learning of what Iroha and Komugi are up to, and even befriending Mey Mey and Niko.

Next is Mayu's parents, Sumire and Takayuki. Sumire runs the Pretty Holic store in Animal Town, and is an outgoing and somewhat eccentric person. She's a supportive parent to Mayu, even trusting her with coming up with designs for new products at Pretty Holic. When she eventually learns that Yuki has gained the ability to turn into a human, she is quick to accept this as something that can just happen in Animal Town.

Takayuki works as an animal photographer, and is initially out travelling for work when Mayu and Sumire move in to Animal Town, staying in touch with the two via video chat. He eventually comes to Animal Town to host an exhibit of pictures he's taken during his travels, and is later recruited by the mayor of Animal Town to take the pictures for next year's edition of their animal-themed calender. He's quite passionate about his work, and will do what he can to capture the perfect moment, whether it requires acting quickly, or waiting in one place until the moment presents itself.

I like these two as well. Sumire's more laid-back attitude makes for an interesting contrast with Mayu, and her quirks make her a fun character. As for Takayuki, it's cool seeing his passion for animal photography and how he goes about capturing the perfect moment.

All right, I guess I'll talk about some of the recurring school characters next. Like most people in animal town, a lot of them have animal-themed surnames. I have more to say about some of them rather than other ones, so I guess I can cover the ones I where don't have that much to talk about first.

There's the Cures' homeroom teacher, Kiyoshi Babazono, who also runs the school's equestrian club. Seems like a nice guy, but that's about all we know about this guy.

Then there's Kanie, a girl who has a rivalry with another student, Saruwatari. She also has a few pet crabs that she looks after at school. Don't have that much to say about her, but she does have a cute design. I like her fluffy hair.

Moving on to some classmates who had at least one episode focusing partly on them, there's Sho Ikari, an athletic student who is a member of the school's soccer club. During Komugi's first day of school, her skills at fetch turn out to make her quite the amazing goalkeeper. This gets his attention, and he decides to try challenging her. He fails to get anything past her, however. While exercising later, he comes across a Garugaru egg and tries to incorporate it into his training routine, leading to the Cures having to get it away from him before it hatches.

I thought he was a fun one-shot character, and it might've been fun if they did a little more with him, with him seeing himself as Komugi's rival, while Komugi just sees him as just another friend to play with.

Next, I think I'll talk about Ookuma, another recurring classmate. She helps out at her parents farm, with episode 28 having the Cures' visiting said farm. She's quite energetic and dedicated to her work on the farm, doing it all simply because she loves the animals there. It was cool getting to know her a little better, and seeing the different types of work she does on the family farm.

Next up is Karasuma, a classmate who also works as a shrine maiden at Animal Town's shrine. Karasuma plays a small, but significant part in the main story, as she knows a lot about Animal Town's history, and provides the Cures with information, such as telling the story of Toboe Shrine in the mountains, where the spirits of the wolf pack rest. Karasuma is also the one who finds Subaru's journal for Satoru, which allows the Cures to learn of Subaru's existence and his friendship with Gaou and the other wolves. Wish we got to know her a little better, but I do like how she sort of had a small role in the main story.

Speaking of Subaru's journal, the last of the classmates I'd like to talk about briefly is Kitsunezaki and Tanukihara, two members of the school's drama club. In episode 41, they are planning to put on a play, and when they hear Subaru's story after Karasuma gives Satoru the journal, Kitsunezaki is inspired to write a play based on it. Despite Tanukihara's concern of whether they can get it done on such short notice, Kitsunezaki is able to put together a script and the Cures offer to help out, with Yuki reluctantly agreeing to play one of the important characters since Mayu is helping with the costumes.

With everyone's help, the play mostly goes off without a hitch, aside from the Cures having to briefly leave when a Gaogaon shows up. Luckily, Niko in her human form is able to fill in for Yuki during her next scene. The Cures make it back before the end of the play, when Komugi (playing a dog) gets caught up in the moment as the lead characters are about to go their separate ways as she is reminded of the Cures' situation with the wolves. Accidentally speaking up, Komugi has to go on stage, and with Tanukihara and Yuki's help justifying why her character can suddenly speak, Komugi manages to hastily improvise a new ending where she convinces the two leads that it's possible for them to remain friends.

After the play, Kitsunezaki and Tanukihara thank the Cures for their assistance with the play, as well as asking them who Niko is and whether she'd be interested in working with the drama club again in the future. They also still want to work with Yuki, who insists that this was just a one-time thing.

Kitsunezaki and Tanukihara were a fun pair of characters, and I enjoyed their interactions with the Cures. Not much else to say here, so let's move on.

I think I've covered all the school characters I wanted to talk about, so let's move on to Otsuru, Okame and Oshika, a recurring trio of middle-aged ladies. The three of them are regulars at Pretty Holic, and take part in activities such as gathering wild vegetables in the mountains or helping shelter animals find new owners. They've known each other at least since high school, and are very good friends.

Episode 44 focuses on Otsuru in particular, as we learn she owns a dog named Fuku. When Iroha learns that it has been almost eighteen years since Otsuru adopted Fuku, she decides she wants to throw a party to celebrate the anniversary. While making preparations for the party, Iroha learns that Fuku isn't the first dog Otsuru owned. When she was a child, she owned a dog named Suzu. However, after Suzu passed away during Otsuru's high school years, Otsuru vowed not to get another dog so she wouldn't have to go through that pain once again.

It wasn't until many years later that Otsuru would change her mind, when she, Okame and Oshika were helping the shelter dogs, and Fuku was the only one left that they hadn't been able to find an owner for. With Fuku taking a liking to Otsuru, she was reminded of her old dog and decided to adopt Fuku herself.

However, shortly before the party was supposed to take place, Fuku suddenly falls ill. Otsuru rushes to get her to the vet, but due to Torame having unleashed a T-Rex Gaogaon that has broken part of the road, Otsuru finds she can't get there. Once Torame realizes what is going on, he calls off the Gaogaon's attack so the Cures can purify it, repairing the road and allowing Otsuru to take Fuku to the clinic. Unfortunately, there's nothing Youko can do for them.

Bringing Fuku back to Otsuru's place, we learn that Niko offered to give Fuku a little more time. Fuku allows Niko to give them just enough time to say good-bye to Otsuru on their own terms, with Komugi translating for Fuku, who peacefully passes away while being held by Otsuru one last time. Otsuru thanks the others for at least making sure Fuku's final moments were happy, and she is later seen visiting the shrine along with Okame and Oshika to pay their respects to Fuku, her two friends helping her through the grief.

I like these three. It was nice getting some backstory on them in episode 44 as well, showing that they've known each other for years. Otsuru and Fuku's story is also a bittersweet one, handling the topic of a pet's lifespan and how their owners usually outlive them. I think they handled it pretty well.

All right, the next character I want to talk about is Yuma Chiran. She and Mayu went to the same school before Mayu moved to Animal Town. They ended up becoming friends, as they were both kind of socially awkward. However, a miscommunication between them ended up leading to a bit of a falling out between them.

Mayu was trying to make a birthday present for Yuma, an embroidered handkerchief with a motive based on Yuma's pet chinchilla, Kotetsu. When Mayu was working on it during breaks at school to get it done in time, Yuma was unable to get her attention because Mayu was fully focused on her work. After failing to get her attention multiple times, Yuma believed Mayu was ignoring her on purpose, and began distancing herself from Mayu. By the time Mayu realized what had happened, neither girl knew how to approach the other in order to clear things up.

It would not be until much later, when Mayu started up a blog posting pictures of Yuki, that Yuma considered trying to talk to her, having planned a visit to Animal Town anyways to get Kotetsu checked up at Iroha's family's clinic. However, when Yuma tried approaching Mayu, Mayu was busy trying to think of something she could do to break the ice with Yuma if she were to take note of her blog, nearly resulting in the same misunderstanding once again.

Luckily, Yuki realized what was going on, and convinced Mayu to catch up to Yuma and talk things out with her. As Yuma and her mother were about to head home, they were interrupted by Zakuro, who turned Kotetsu into a Gaogaon. The Cures arrived on the scene, realized what was happening and got Yuma and her mother to safety before calming down Kotetsu and returning them to normal.

Taking Kotetsu back to the clinic to make sure they were okay after their experience, Yuma and Mayu finally had the chance to talk things out, mending their friendship and Mayu finally being able to give Yuma her belated birthday present.

I'm really glad Mayu and Yuma were able to sort things out between them and become friends again. Yuma is really adorable too, with her cute design and shy personality.

All right, I think the last character I'd like to talk about is Kurihara. He was Komugi's owner back when she was a puppy, who he called Marron. However, due to health complications due to his old age, he was unable to look after Marron and had to put her in the care of an animal shelter after he moved to a healthcare facility. After Marron escaped from the animal shelter, he didn't know what had become of her until an employee from the animal shelter happened to come across Iroha and Komugi, recognizing the heart-shaped spot on the back of Komugi's head.

After learning of the whereabouts of Komugi's former owner, Iroha decided to take Komugi to pay him a visit. While initially nervous due to the possibility of having to return Komugi to her former owner, Iroha and Kurihara soon found themselves bonding over their experiences with Komugi, with Kurihara revealing that Marron was more shy and a bit of a picky eater compared to Komugi's current energetic self. Spending time with him also brought back some memories in Komugi, who hadn't remembered much of her life before meeting Iroha.

Iroha admits to Kurihara despite the promise she made to her parents, she can't bring herself to give up Komugi. The conversation is briefly interrupted by the appearance of a Gaogaon, with Satoru taking Kurihara to safety while the Cures go handle the situation. When going back to pick up where the previous conversation left off, Komugi greets Kurihara in her human form, happily expressing her feelings for both him and Iroha.

While Iroha pulls Komugi aside to remind her that Kurihara doesn't know about her ability to turn into a human and trying to figure out an explanation, Kurihara seems to figure out who human!Komugi is regardless and tells Iroha that since he can't really look after Komugi anymore, and seeing how well Iroha has taken care of Komugi, it is only right that Komugi stay with her.

I really liked Kurihara, and getting to know Komugi's full backstory. Of course, it was pretty obvious that the episode would end with him letting Iroha keep Komugi since he himself can't really look after her anymore. It was still a really good episode, though, and I enjoyed his interactions with both Iroha and Komugi.

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Overall Thoughts

All in all, I think this was a really nice series. I like the animation style, soundtrack is pretty good. The transformation sequences are well animated, especially the ones for Cure Nyammy and Cure Lillian. With the main theme of this series being communication, this series puts more emphasis on the relationships between the characters and their character development, and the usual combat against the monsters of the week is replaced with the Cures having to find non-violent ways to pacify them based on what they information they have available about the animal they're dealing with.

I personally don't mind the lack of hand-to-hand combat, it's interesting to see them doing something a little different. And if they can get a little creative with the alternative to fighting, then that's great. Admittedly some of the confrontations later in the series sort of end up boiling down to "Find way to keep Gaogaon busy until Cure Lillian can trap it in her net". At least we still get some decent character moments from the Cures during said confrontations, though.

Other ways the series plays with the usual formula is, obviously, having two regular animals become Cures, even if that still sort of resembles the "fairy resembling animal that can turn into human" variety of Cure that occasionally pops up, but their personalities still keeping the animal-like qualities makes them feel distinct from those Cures. This is also the first series since Smile Pretty Cure to not introduce a mid-season Cure, instead bringing in a mid-season mascot in Niko, bringing to mind characters like Pollun (Futari wa Pretty Cure), Lullun (Max Heart), Moop, Foop (Splash Star) and Milk (Yes!), who also joined their respective casts either at the halfway points or about two thirds into their series.

As mentioned before, I also really like how Satoru and Iroha actually did become a couple during the second half of the series. In most Pretty Cure series where a supporting male character has a crush on one of the female leads, they tend to leave it ambiguous whether those relationships go anywhere, with the heroine either never realizing, or only finding out near the end and then leaving it unclear if she reciprocates or not. I thought the way they handled Iroha and Satoru's relationship worked really well.

I kind of wish they had a few more episodes focusing on Komugi and Yuki at school, I would've particularly liked a few more episodes about either of them still getting used to things, or Komugi having to study for her first test, or something along those lines. I guess I sort of wanted to see more of them having to deal with the challenges that would come with attending school. At least they utilized the school setting more than Soaring Sky Pretty Cure did with Sorashido Academy, though.

Anyways, one of the major highlights of this series is the character arcs of each of the Cures, with Yuki's arc in particular being one of my favorites of this season. It's really satisfying watching her character development, with her gradually warming up to Iroha and Komugi more and more, learning to have more faith in Mayu and being more willing to explore new things on her own initiative. The character development for the other major characters, like Satoru, Mey Mey, Niko, Torame and Zakuro was also done well. Fitting well with the theme of communication, the characters help each other grow as people and work through their problems.

I feel the show does a decent job providing us a mystery at the beginning with who was behind the attack on Niko Garden, and then as we learn what happened later in the series, we eventually learn about Subaru's existence, giving another mystery about the full story of him and the wolf pack. There's also Komugi's recurring dreams of a wolf howling in the distance. It all comes together in the last few episodes, where we learn that the 'Gaou' the Cures have been facing up until now was actually Subaru trying to get revenge for the wolf pack on Gaou's behalf.

As for my feelings on the true identity of the main villain, I'm not sure if I really have any strong feelings on the matter. I mean, I didn't really see it coming at first, but I guess thinking back on it, the foreshadowing was there. I guess I'm sort of like "Oh, okay. So that's what was going on." Seeing his own powers turn on him once he admits to himself that it was himself that he couldn't forgive for failing to protect the wolf pack was pretty intense, considering this series had been mostly one of the more light-hearted entries in the franchise. As was the flashback to how Gaou died, with him literally taking a bullet for Subaru.

The payoff to Komugi's dreams was pretty cool, with the revelation that the real Gaou had been trying to reach her through her dreams so he could ask for her to help him save Subaru from himself, since he hadn't been able to get through to Subaru directly himself. Again, the situation brought the whole situation between Cure Oasis and the Witch of Delays to mind.

Satoru and Daifuku getting their own powers during the finale was cool as well, even if they didn't really get the chance to do that much. At least they helped the Cures break through the barrier keeping them from reaching Subaru. In the end, the Cures are able to help Subaru reunite with Gaou's spirit, allowing them to talk things out and rejoin the spirits of the rest of the pack. Considering a later scene has the Cures' classmates talking about a rumor of a wolf helping someone who was lost in the mountains, and the spirits of Subaru and the wolf pack being shown to seemingly still be around in one scene during the ending, I guess it possibly implies they have decided to become sort of guardian spirits for the mountains? I guess that's one way for Subaru to atone for his actions? If so, that's kind of neat.

Anyways, once the Cures' mission is finally complete, Niko decides to take her power back from them, revealing her true form as she takes Mey Mey back to Niko Garden. With this, Komugi, Yuki and Daifuku also revert to being a regular non-talking dog, cat and rabbit respectively, with their owners having to get used to things going back to the way they were before. What each of them learned during their time as humans stuck with them, though, with Iroha noting that Komugi no longer tries to follow her when she leaves for school, now having a better understanding of when to expect her to return.

However, the bonds between Iroha, Mayu, Satoru and their pets ultimately leads to the Mirror Stone granting their wish to be able to speak to each other once more, while Mey Mey shows up to reveal that he managed to convince Niko to give him permission to come visit his friends in Animal Town once in a while. Considering Niko is all about making others smile, I can totally see her bending her own rules like that. We don't see any of the pets taking on human form during the last few scenes, so whether the Mirror Stone also restored that ability is left ambiguous, and I kind of like that too. All in all, I thought the ending was well executed.

So, yeah. This was a delightful series, with some really wonderful characters. Not sure where I'd rank it if I were to try and rank all the Pretty Cure series so far, though, but then again, I wouldn't even know where to begin if I were to attempt to do that. But for now, I think I'm ready to wrap this up. I'm really excited to check out You and Idol Pretty Cure, so expect my thoughts on the first couple of episodes of that pretty soon!

[darkershining]

Just watched the final episode of Wonderful Pretty Cure.

Picking up where we left off last time, Subaru finds himself face-to-face with Gaou. Subaru tearfully apologizes to Gaou for failing to protect him and the pack all those years ago, only for Gaou to interrupt him. Gaou apologizes to Subaru for all the suffering he went through because of him, while Cure Wonderful reveals that in addition to Gaou being the source of the howls she kept hearing in her dreams, he had also been attempting to reach Subaru through the Garugaru and Gaogaon, but because Subaru was blinded by his hatred, he never noticed.

As Subaru and Gaou talk things out, Gaou admits that he does have regrets, but no anger or hate. As Subaru is finally able to start letting go of his own anger, he and Gaou begin to fade away. As the two try to reach each other, Cure Wonderful steps in to help the two out by pulling them in for a hug, with the other Cures, Satoru, Daifuku and Mey Mey soon joining in.

Gaou explains to Subaru that since he tried to help them, he realized that while there are certainly selfish humans out there, there are also many kind humans in the world, and for that reason, he didn't hold any grudges against humanity. They hear a howl, with Cure Wonderful realizing Torame is calling out to them, and pointing to where the spirits of Torame and the rest of the pack is waiting for Gaou, Subaru and Zakuro to join them.

Subaru thanks for the Cures for what they've done, before he, Gaou and Zakuro go to rejoin the pack. Zakuro also stops to thank Cure Nyammy and Cure Lillian for supporting her before joining the other wolves. With the pack finally able to move on, Animal Town is restored to normal and Niko can take back the power Subaru had taken from her.

With everything over, Niko thanks the Cures for all their hard work, with the Cures reflecting on how much they've each grown over their adventure. Mey Mey suggests they head over to Niko Garden and throw a party to celebrate, but Niko tells him they can't. Their two worlds were never meant to interact in the first place, so now that their mission is over, they have to go back. Niko takes back the Cures' transformation compacts, and transforms into her true form, a much bigger unicorn. She uses her power to fix the broken Mirror Stone, before taking Mey Mey and heading back to Niko Garden, with the Kirarin Animals and other animals the Cures had rescued thanking the Cures from the portal before it closes.

After saying their good byes, Iroha hears Komugi barking and looks down to see that the three pets have reverted to their original forms and lost the ability to speak. Some time later, Iroha is woken up by Komugi, still getting used to Komugi having gone back to being a regular dog as the two head out on their morning walk.

As she and Satoru walk to school together, Iroha notes that Komugi doesn't try to follow her when she leaves for school anymore, being content to wait for her to return. Satoru notes that since Komugi went to school with them, she better graps the idea that Iroha will come back when the school day is over. As they walk past the Mirror Stone, Iroha wonders if it could still grant wishes.

At school, they hear some of their classmates discussing a story they heard of someone who was lost in the woods and got rescued by a wolf. Some of their classmates ask about how Komugi and Yuki are doing, noting how suddenly they had to transfer schools. Satoru tells Iroha and Mayu that he's been thinking about why Subaru's journal was left inside the Animal Shrine, and proposes the theory that someone found and read it and was moved by Subaru's friendship with the wolves. Perhaps the people were inspired to create a place where humans and animals could live together in peace, meaning Subaru and Gaou's friendship may have indirectly led to the creation of the Animal Town they all know and love. While they don't have any solid proof that this is the case, Iroha seems to think it's quite plausible that that's what happened.

Returning from school, Mayu greets Yuki and heads inside, where her mother greets her while striking a pose. She explains she saw a new popular idol doing it in a video, and Mayu later looks up said idol herself while spending time with Iroha, Satoru and their pets at the dog run. After a brief glimpse at next season's pink Cure, Yuki walks up and pauses the video, with Iroha guessing she wants Mayu's attention.

As Mayu takes some pictures of Yuki, Iroha comments that she's reminded of how Mayu's father does his photography work. Mayu shows the others some pictures she's taken of the various places they've visited throughout the series and things they've done together. As they think about all the fun they had together, Iroha tells them how much she misses being able to have a conversation with Komugi.

The Mirror Stone suddenly lights up, restoring the three pets' ability to speak. Watching from Niko Garden, the Kirarin Rabbit asks if that was Niko's doing, but Niko claims it wasn't, stating this was purely thanks to the bonds between them. Mey Mey also suddenly shows up to greet Satoru and the others, revealing that he managed to convince Niko to let him come visit them every now and then. The Cures look forward to more wonderful times together.

After the end credits, featuring a montage of what everyone is up to shortly after all this, Cure Wonderful shows up to thank us for a wonderful year and properly introduces us to Cure Idol, wishing her luck on her upcoming adventures.

A really nice ending! I kind of figured the ending might have Niko having take her power back, returning the three pets to their natural forms in the process. However, the three later regaining their ability to talk and Mey Mey getting permission to come visit his friends in Animal Town doesn't surprise me either. After all, since Niko gets her energy from the smiles of others and just loves seeing people smile in general, it's not surprising she would bend her own rules to make sure her friends are happy.

Also, Niko's true form looked pretty cool. Guess now we know what the wolves meant about Niko looking smaller than they remembered when she was in her fairy form.

While I've certainly got more to talk about, I might stop here for now. I'm already working on a post with my thoughts on this series as a whole, so I'm looking forward to sharing that with you all!

And I'm also looking forward to seeing what You and Idol Pretty Cure (I really like that title, btw) has to offer!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 49 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which the Cures and their allies must work together to save the one behind everything from himself.

Picking up shortly after the last episode, Subaru approaches the Mirror Stone, intending to use its power combined with the fragment of Niko's diamond to resurrect Gaou, having rendered the Cures unconscious to prevent them from interfering with his plans further. However, his howls wake up Komugi, who then wakes up the other three. Zakuro locates the Cures, and tells them those howls are how he used to call to Gaou, but she can tell something is wrong. They hurry over to the source of the sound.

Subaru makes his wish, but nothing happens. Niko tells him it's not going to work, noting she had tried to explain that to him several times. Despite how powerful she may be, bringing back the dead is beyond her power. Upon realizing Niko is telling the truth, Subaru smashes the Mirror Stone in a fit of rage and absorbs the power of the diamond, turning into a large wolf monster and going on a rampage.

The Cures try to stop him, but Cure Wonderful is badly wounded while trying to protect Cure Friendy. Upon seeing Cure Friendy tearfully begging Komugi to wake up, it finally dawns on Subaru what he's been doing this entire time as he recalls how Gaou died trying to protect him. As it becomes clear that the one Gaou couldn't forgive this whole time was himself, the dark spirits around him begin turning on him, as the Cures and Zakuro look on in horror.

In her dreams, Komugi finds herself in front of the Mirror Stone, and hears a howl. Turning to find Gaou's spirit talking to her, she realizes he'd been the one trying to reach out to her all this time. The two talk for a bit, with Gaou asking Komugi to do something for him. Komugi agrees to do so, telling him she'd already been meaning to do so anyways. Komugi regains consciousness, to Cure Friendy's relief. Transforming back into Cure Wonderful, she and Friendy rejoin the other two as they try to calm Subaru down.

Watching from a distance, Satoru wishes he could do something more to help them. Next to him and Daifuku is a shard of the Mirror Stone. Daifuku transforms into a human, and he and Satoru take on superpowered forms themselves in order to help the Cures. The two make an opening in the egg-shaped shield that has formed around Subaru, they allow the Cures to get inside so they can reach him.

With the other three Cures keeping the dark spirits busy, Cure Wonderful is eventually able to reach Subaru. She manages to get his attention when she reveals that she's spoken to Gaou, and that he feels sad seeing Subaru in his current state. She assures him that Gaou still cares about him and doesn't hold any grudges against him. As Cure Wonderful starts getting through to him, the dark spirits dissipate, allowing the other three Cures to join her in talking him down. Sensing that the Cures have managed to reach him from outside, Niko initiates the Eternal Bond Shower, helping the Cures purify Subaru's spirit.

Back to his normal self, Subaru awakens near the broken Mirror Stone, where he is greeted by Gaou...

Another great episode! So, it's confirmed that the weird dreams Komugi was having at certain points in the series was the real Gaou trying to reach out to her, so she could pass on a message to Subaru for him and save him from himself. Pretty cool. And it was nice seeing Satoru and Daifuku gaining superpowered forms of their own. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I think those the are same forms they used in that.

Only one episode left, looking forward to seeing how this concludes!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 48 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which the Cures have to deal with Gaou and his wolf Gaogaons, but soon discover that not everything is what it seemed...

The Cures, Satoru and Niko watch as Gaou and the wolf Gaogaons enter town, getting ready to do what they can to protect the townspeople and animals while trying to reason with the wolves. Niko tells the Cures to focus on the Gaogaons, while she talks to Gaou.

The Cures struggle to deal with all the Gaogaons, due to their sheer numbers and the fact that they move as a pack. Satoru tries to get more people to safety, while Niko attempts to talk Gaou down. While Mey Mey tries to save a cat, only to end up needing to be saved by Niko himself, the brief distraction allows Gaou to overpower Niko and steal some of her power. However, Niko manages to damage Gaou's mask, causing it to break... revealing a human as the wolf facade shatters. Niko recognizes him as Subaru, the one who befriended Gaou and his pack all those years ago.

Subaru explains how he ended up deciding to take revenge on humanity on Gaou's behalf, and begins using the power he took from Niko to turn Animal Town into a forest to return it to how it once was. Niko manages to teleport the Cures, Satoru, Daifuku and Mey Mey to safety, but Zakuro follows them. Zakuro admits she knew Subaru was the one under the mask all along, and she still intends to follow his wishes. However, the Cures realize that this won't truly make either Subaru or Zakuro happy, so they resolve to save Subaru from himself, starting by purifying the Gaogaon pack.

Alternating between the different abilities of the Kirarin Animals, the Cures try to gather all of the Gaogaons in one place. They eventually gather most of them, but one that they missed ambushes Cure Friendy. Cure Friendy manages to calm it down, and Zakuro finally admits that she's impressed with how the Cures never give up and that she can't really bring herself to hate them. Cure Wonderful and Cure Friendy are overjoyed to have gotten through to her, their joy restoring some of Niko's power. She teleports herself, Satoru, Daifuku and Mey Mey over to see what's going on.

The Cures purify the Gaogaons, leaving only Zakuro. The Cures encourage her to join forces with them until they've figured out how to save Subaru from himself, and she agrees to go with them. However, they are distracted by a rumbling sound as more trees sprout up around them. The group ends up being separated, as Animal Town is turned into a forest...

Well, that was certainly quite the twist. So, the Cures have actually been "fighting" with Subaru all this time, or maybe Subaru fused with Gaou's spirit? Either way, their goal hasn't changed, so now they have to figure out how to help Subaru let go of his anger and return Animal Town to normal. At least now they've got Zakuro to help them out, so now they've just got to find each other in the forest and then go face Subaru.

I'll be looking forward to the next episode!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 47 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which it's the start of a new year in Animal Town.

The episode begins with the Cures, as well as Satoru and Daifuku gathered down at the shore to watch the first sunrise of the new year. As they wish each other a happy new year, the scene pans over to Zakuro watching from a distance, clearly having a lot on her mind.

The Cures walk around Animal Town on their way to the shrine, encountering people along the way, including some of their classmates. Niko is happy to see everyone in such high spirits.

However, elsewhere, Gaou suddenly wakes up and turns one of the stones near the Toboe Shrine into a wolf Gaogaon. Zakuro looks on in concern, and tries to reason with him, pointing out that what they're doing won't bring back the rest of the pack, nor will it truly bring them happiness. Her words won't get through to Gaou, though, so Zakuro reluctantly decides to follow the Gaogaon into town.

Seeing the sky darken, Mey Mey is reminded of how the attack in Niko Garden began. As the wolf Gaogaon begins rampaging, Satoru instructs bystanders to get to safety, while the Cures transform and try to deal with the situation. They initially wonder if the Gaogaon is a dog, but Zakuro corrects them, pointing out it's a wolf.

While Cure Wonderful and Friendy try to calm the Gaogaon's rampage, Cure Nyammy and Lillian decide to try to talk to Zakuro, as they can tell she's having doubts about all this. Zakuro initially denies it, but as they gently press her further, she admits that even if she knows they're right, she'll still try to destroy everything as long as that's what Gaou wants. Cure Wonderful tells her they're not that different, as they're all trying to do what they can for those they care about, while Cure Friendy expresses a wish to be friends with her.

As the Gaogaon wolf overpowers Cure Wonderful and Cure Friendy, the other two Cures quickly leap in to help them out. Cure Lillian uses her net against the Gaogaon, but it simply catches it in its mouth. She does manage to distract it long enough for Cure Friendy to tie it up with her ribbon attack, and the Cures purify it, turning it back into the stone from the Toboe Shrine. Niko realizes that it's not over yet, as the sky hasn't cleared up. Zakuro warns them that the flames of anger won't burn out so quickly, as they spot Gaou approaching town in the distance, accompanied by multiple wolf Gaogaons...

A nice set-up for the final confrontation. While it's not too difficult to predict that the Cures will manage to get through to Gaou and Zakuro in the end, I'm curious to see how they'll do it. All I know for certain is that Subaru's journal is likely going to play a big part in it, and going off the preview for the next episode, I'm guessing we might learn the rest of Subaru's story soon.

I'll be looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[darkershining]

Almost caught up on the last few episodes of Wonderful Pretty Cure, just watched episode 46, in which the Cures attend a Christmas party in Niko Garden.

The episode begins with Yuki having a dream about watching the snow fall back when she was a stray cat. As she wakes up, she notices the tree outside has been decorated for Christmas and takes a moment to admire it. Mayu enters the room, reminding her that they've been invited to a Christmas party in Niko Garden. Yuki tries to play cool, but Mayu sees right through her and can tell she's also looking forward to it. Mayu heads off to Niko Garden, with Yuki deciding to take a moment to admire the Christmas tree for a little longer before following.

At the party, the Cures are greeted by Mey Mey, Niko and the Kirarin Animals. Satoru has brought a present for Iroha, and tells Mayu he plans to give it to her later when the two are alone, with her agreeing that's a good plan. However, Iroha can't wait to give Satoru his present, so he quickly has to change his plan. After receiving Iroha's present, a scarf she knitted for him, he gives her the present he got for her, a necklace with a dog charm on it. He helps her put it on, and the two promise to each take good care of the present the other got for them.

The Kirarin Fawn shows up, accidentally tripping and dropping the cookies he made for the party. Three of the other Kirarin Animals manage to prevent them from hitting the ground, but the cookies still break from the impact. Luckily, Yuki is able to quickly think of a way to fix them. The Kirarin Animals thank her, but she tries to just play it off.

The Kirarin Animals and Niko then put on a show for the Cures, showing off their various talents. As Niko asks Yuki what she thought of her performance, Yuki compliments Niko on how much effort she puts into bringing smiles to others. Yuki doesn't know if she could do the same, but Niko insists Yuki already can pointing out how she helped out the Kirarin Fawn earlier.

Yuki tells the others she has to leave for a bit, as she has another party she's been invited to. Komugi asks if she can come too, with Yuki allowing her to tag along. Turns out Yuki's cat friends have invited her to spend time with them. Komugi changes into dog form to join in, causing the other cats to freak out until Yuki vouches for her and they allow her to join in.

Elsewhere, Zakuro has learned of Torame's spirit moving on, and declares she won't leave Gaou's side no matter what. She heads into town to search for a suitable animal to make into a Gaogaon, when she spots the Christmas tree outside the Pretty Holic and stops to admire it. Yuki and Komugi notice her while heading back from the cat meeting, with Yuki noticing that Zakuro finds the tree beautiful, and tries to take the chance to strike up a casual conversation about the tree.

Zakuro isn't really in the mood for Yuki and Komugi's attempts to reach out to her. The others show up in a sled along with a flying reindeer, telling Komugi and Yuki that they've been asked to help deliver presents for Santa. As they're landing, they notice Zakuro, who smirks as she realizes the flying reindeer is an excellent candidate for her next Gaogaon. Zakuro turns the reindeer into a Gaogaon, and the Cures quickly transform so they can try to pacify it as soon as possible.

During the confrontation, Zakuro is horrified when the Gaogaon nearly rams into the Christmas tree and tries to rush in to stop it, but Cure Nyammy gets there first, using her barrier to stop the attack. Cure Nyammy noticed what she was trying to do, and compliments her on her sense of aestethics. She tells Zakuro that the two are not that different, since Zakuro wants to protect Gaou, while Yuki/Cure Nyammy was once focused solely on protecting Mayu. However, since then, Yuki notes that her world has expanded as she met and got to know other people and animals.

The Cures work together to pacify the reindeer, returning it to normal. The Cures invite Zakuro to the Christmas party, with Zakuro having a vision of the Cures alongside some happy wolves as she briefly considers it, before turning down their invitation, saying she can't leave Gaou alone. Cure Nyammy accepts this, but notes she'll keep her attention on Zakuro.

Niko heals the reindeer, making sure he's ready to for delivering presents. Mey Mey explains to the others that Niko personally knows Santa, while Satoru notes on how they've witnessed yet another legend that originated from Niko Garden with the flying reindeer. The Cures head out delivering presents, with it beginning to snow as they're heading back after finishing the deliveries. Watching the snow fall, Cure Nyammy is reminded of her time as a stray cat once more, but she soon snaps out of it, remembering she's no longer alone and admiring the falling snow alongside her friends.

Another good episode! So, I guess with this, we've basically gotten a nice little conclusion of sorts to the character arcs of Mayu, Iroha and now Yuki. I guess that leaves Komugi, who I'm guessing will be getting her moment near the finale, probably while helping Gaou let go of his hate. Also nice seeing Yuki's cat friends again, as I was hoping we'd get to see them again, even if it was just for a little bit.

Will be looking forward to checking out the next episode!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 45 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which the other Cures try to figure out how to help Iroha properly sort out her feelings about recent events, with an encounter with Torame helping them find the answer.

The episode begins with Komugi playing with another dog, while Iroha sits on a bench lost in thought, still dealing with her feelings regarding Fuku's passing. Komugi notices and tries to comfort her, while Satoru looks on with concern.

Over in Niko Garden, Mey Mey looks over the animals the Cures have rescued, confirming that all the animals who had gone missing from the garden have been safely returned and thanking the Cures for all their hard work. Yuki reminds him their mission isn't over just yet, though, as they still have to find a way to pacify the wolves.

Satoru and Mayu can both tell Iroha is unhappy, but can't figure out how to get her to open up to them. Yuki suggests giving her some space, and when both state they can't just sit by and do nothing, asks them what helps them feel better when they feel down. Niko is certain Iroha will be fine, since she can tell how much her friends care about her.

While on a walk with Komugi, Iroha comes across Otsuru, Okame and Oshika, who stopped by the shrine to pay their respects to Fuku while on their walk. Otsuru admits she's still dealing with her own grief, but Okame and Oshika have been a great help in working through her feelings. She suggests Iroha also stop by the shrine to pay respects to Fuku if she wants.

Elsewhere, Torame is bored and decides to find another Garugaru egg so he can play with the Cures. He can't find any however, and the flame inside his hair decoration flares up as he cries out in frustration. The Cures hear his howl, and Iroha and Komugi find him first, noticing he seems to be in a bad mood and asking him what's wrong.

Torame complains he can't find any Garugaru eggs, and Iroha gently explains to him that there aren't any left as the animals from Niko Garden have all been returned. Torame is disappointed, but then figures maybe he can just play with the Cures without one. Komugi is all for the idea, suggesting games they can play, with Torame protesting that's not really what he had in mind. Remembering Torame previously expressing wanting to play, Iroha also offers to play a game with him. As Mayu, Yuki, Satoru and Niko catch up to them, they quickly catch on and Mayu and Yuki offer to join in as well.

The Cures transform and challenge Torame to a game of tag. He gives chase, and soon starts getting into it. He eventually manages to catch up to and tag Cure Friendy, but as he splits up from the group to avoid getting caught, he accidentally breaks apart the ground near a cliff and falls, Cure Friendy quickly leaping after him to save him. She manages to catch him and uses the Kirarin Swan's power to fly him out of there, the two briefly stopping to admire the view from the sky before landing and continuing the game, with Torame tagging Cure Lillian while they're making sure he's okay, announcing she's it now.

Satoru, Daifuku and Niko watch the game of tag from a distance, with Niko realizing Torame is genuinely happy. Satoru notes that even when feeling down, Iroha is always looking out for others.

The game continues until everyone is tired out, taking a moment to rest. Cure Friendy reflects on why she became a Pretty Cure, admitting it was both to save the missing animals from Niko Garden and to be able to keep up with Komugi. Torame notes he too enjoyed running with his friends back when the other wolves were still around, and he'd been wanting to do it again. He asks the Cures if they're still willing to become friends with him even though he rejected their offer before, to which Cure Friendy tells him they're already friends now as far as she's concerned. Finally content, the flame inside Torame's hair decoration goes out, revealing another fragment of the Niko Diamond.

As the flame goes out, Torame begins to fade away. Having finally let go of his hatred towards humanity, Torame's spirit asks the Cures to look after Gaou for him. He also comments he's feeling a bit cold, and requests that they use the Eternal Bond Shower move on him so he can move on. Cure Friendy is initially reluctant to say good-bye to him after they had finally become friends, but he gently encourages her to do so, and she agrees. The Cures send him off, with Gaou sensing that Torame's spirit has moved on. As Niko takes back the fragment of the diamond Torame had, one of the wolf statues from the shrine is left behind where Torame was.

Iroha assures her friends she'll be okay, having realized that there may be sometimes be difficult times one has to get through, the happiness one experiences alongside ones friends makes it all worth it, and so she will hold on to her dream of befriending all animals. They all have a group hug. Sometime later, Iroha stops by the Mirror Stone shrine to pay her respects to Fuku, and then the wolf's shrine to put Torame's statue back where it originally was to pay her respects to him as well.

Another good episode! With Torame's spirit having peacefully passed on, now the Cures have to figure out how they can help Zakuro and Gaou do the same. I guess there's also a bit of a mystery of how the wolves were revived in the first place, particularly with that flame bit? I guess we'll be getting answers soon enough, we're nearing the show's conclusion, after all.

Will be checking out the next episode soon!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 44 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, which tackles the topic of a pet's lifespan.

The episode begins with Iroha and Komugi out on a walk, when they come across Otsuru (one of the three middle-aged ladies shown to be regular customers at Pretty Holic), who is on a walk with her own dog, Fuku. They talk for a bit, with Otsuru remarking that Fuku is basically an old lady, it having been almost eighteen years since she took her in. Iroha suggests they throw a party for the anniversery, with Otsuru agreeing. Niko watches them from a distance, seeming to take an interest in Fuku.

At school, Iroha tells Mayu, Satoru and Yuki of her plans for the party. Satoru does some math in his head, figuring that Fuku is about 88 years old in dog years. They agree to help out with the party, and with Iroha wanting to get Fuku a present, Mayu suggests they make her an embroidered blanket.

While they make preparations for the party at Otsuru's house along with Okame and Oshika (the other two middle-aged ladies in the trio), Otsuru hears Fuku calling to her and goes to check up on her. While she does so, Iroha and Komugi spot a picture of a younger Otsuru and another dog, with Komugi asking about it. The other two ladies explain that the dog in the picture is Suzu, a dog Otsuru owned as a child. However, the dog passed away during Otsuru's high school years, after which Otsuru decided she wouldn't get another dog so she wouldn't have to go through dealing with that kind of grief again.

She only changed her mind about eighteen years ago, when the three of them were helping out at an event helping dogs find new owners, with one dog in particular being too nervous around people to approach anyone. When it did approach Otsuru however, it brought back her happy memories of Suzu, and taking a liking to the dog, decided to take her in herself. Okame and Oshika note they are grateful to Fuku for having made Otsuru happy for the last eighteen years.

Elsewhere, Torame is out exploring, when he manages to find a giant Garugaru egg hidden away. He figures this could be his chance to win against the Pretty Cure as he carries the egg away with him.

The next day, Iroha, Komugi and the others go to check in on Fuku before the party. Otsuru notes that Fuku hasn't been feeling well, and asks Komugi to try to talk to her. The meeting is interrupted when Torame summons the latest Gaogaon, and the Cures quickly leave, Iroha making an excuse about them having forgotten something. Otsuru checks on Fuku again, only to realize that Fuku's condition is getting worse.

The Cures head towards the mountains, where animals are fleeing from an animal they've never seen before. As the Cures wonder what it could be, a giant Gaogaon emerges from the trees, with Satoru realizing it's a tyrannosaurus. Mayu notes that while she knew extinct animals still existed in Niko Garden, she didn't expect dinosaurs to be among them! The Cures transform, but find themselves having trouble dealing with the Gaogaon as they try to prevent it from entering the town. They manage to lure it back towards the mountains, but not before it breaks part of the road, preventing Otsuru from getting to the animal clinic with Fuku.

The Cures continue to struggle against the Gaogaon, with even the Kirarin Bear's power not being much help. As Torame watches the Cures struggle to deal with the Gaogaon, he suddenly notices Otsuru and goes to take a closer look. Otsuru explains that she needs to take Fuku to the vet, but can't go any further while the road is broken. As he realizes the situation, Torame thinks it over for a moment before suddenly ordering the Gaogaon to stop.

The Cures aren't sure why the Gaogaon suddenly stopped, but realize they can purify it now without any difficulty. With the tyrannosaurus returned to normal, the damage to the road is fixed, and Torame urges Otsuru to hurry over to the clinic. Torame isn't in the mood to play anymore and he retreats. After sending the tyrannosaurus back to Niko Garden, the Cures are about to head back to Otsuru's place, when Cure Friendy spots Otsuru hurrying towards the clinic.

Youko examines Fuku, but soon realizes there isn't much she can do, telling Otsuru she should prepare to say good-bye to Fuku soon. Iroha pleads with her mother, asking her if there really isn't anything she can do for Fuku, but Youko tells her all they can really do now is to make sure Fuku is comfortable for what time she has left and suggests Otsuru take her back home.

The rest of the group follow Otsuru as she takes Fuku back to her house. On the way, Iroha wonders if Niko could perhaps help Fuku, but Niko As Mayu gives Fuku the blanket she made for her, Komugi states that Fuku is grateful for the present, and notes that the cushion she's been resting on was also a present that Otsuru got for her shortly after she took her in. Surprised that Komugi truly does understand what dogs say, Otsuru asks Komugi to continue translating for Fuku, as Fuku expresses how happy she was staying with Otsuru. Otsuru tearfully tells Fuku that she too was happy to have been with her all that time.

It's revealed that Niko already approached Fuku, asking if she wanted her to try extending her lifespan a little, but Fuku turned it down, only asking her to grant her enough energy to let her say good-bye on her own terms. Fuku gets up and walks up to Otsuru, laying down in her lap as she says her good-byes, asking Otsuru to hold her as she passes away. Otsuru promises to remember Fuku forever.

As the others are about to leave, Otsuru thanks Iroha for everything she did for Fuku and making it so Fuku's final moments were happy ones. Iroha is too shaken by everything that just happened to even respond to any of Otsuru's compliments, with the others concerned for Iroha.

Definitely one of the heavier episodes of this season, particularly in the second half towards the end. It makes sense that they'd eventually touch on this topic in a series focused on the relationships between humans and animals. Also makes you wonder if Komugi and Yuki's life spans have in any way been extended by the two of them gaining the ability to transform into human forms. Not sure if we'll get any answers to that one, though.

Will be checking out the next episode soon!

[darkershining]

Finally watched episode 43 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which Mayu offers to teach some of her classmates how to knit.

The episode begins with some of the Cures' classmates looking in awe at the scarves Yuki and Mayu are wearing, Mayu having knitted them herself. A few of the classmates express an interest in owning one of their own or giving one as a gift, but Yuki tells them that if they want one, they should make it themselves, not wanting to give Mayu too much work to do. The classmates are unsure if they can pull it off, so Mayu offers to teach them all.

While walking home later, Mayu wonders if she can really manage to be a teacher, with Yuki assuring her she can handle it. Komugi and Iroha also offer words of encouragement, reminding Mayu of things she'd made in the past that were well-received, so Mayu decides to give it a shot. Realizing she needs some yarn in order to hold the knitting class, Niko tells her she can find some in Niko Garden.

Meeting up with Mey Mey, he and Mayu briefly discuss their respective knitting projects, before Mayu remembers what she came for, and asks Mey Mey for some of the yarn for her knitting class, which Mey Mey gladly offers to let her take as much as she needs.

In the meantime, Satoru has been studying up on the different letters of the old writing style of Subaru's diary, so that he can decipher more of it, believing there's likely a clue in there that can help the Cures.

Mayu begins her knitting class, intructing each of her classmates on the proper technique. Outside, Zakuro is wondering how to get Gaou's attention, when she spots the knitting class from a window. Remembering seeing a couple wearing a scarf together earlier, Zakuro wonders if Gaou would appreciate such a gift, but she doesn't want to ask a human for help in teaching her how to knit.

After finishing her knitting class, Mayu and Yuki spot Zakuro walking away, and decide to follow her. They come across her, and realizing she's trying to knit, Mayu decides to muster up the courage to go talk to her, offering to teach her how to do it. Zakuro asks why Mayu would be offering to help her enemy, to which Mayu replies that enemies or not, she can tell that Zakuro thinks fondly of Gaou and wants to support her.

Mayu asks Zakuro what she likes about Gaou, with the two managing to have a somewhat pleasant conversation for a moment as Zakuro talks about the various things she likes about Gaou. However, Yuki eventually speaks up, pointing out what Gaou's been doing, and questioning why he would do such things if he's as kind as Zakuro says. Angered, Zakuro ends up breaking the knitting needles Mayu offered to lend her, before running off to find something to turn into a Gaogaon, managing to find one of the crabs that Kanie had been looking after.

Komugi, Iroha and Satoru arrive, and the Cures transform in order to deal with the crab Gaogaon. The crab jumps into the water, with the Cures wondering for a moment how they're going to get to it if it stays down there. This doesn't become an issue as the crab soon emerges from the water, but now the Cures have to deal with the Gaogaon spraying slippery bubbly foam everywhere, with Cure Wonderful, Friendy and Nyammy ending up caught up in the foam.

Cure Lillian tries to restrain the Gaogaon with her Lillian Net, but the crab just cuts through it. Cure Lillian takes a moment to reflect on how she's grown as a person since coming to Animal Town, and all the connections she has made. Finding new resolve, Cure Lillian continues mending and strengthening her Lillian Net until it becomes too strong for the Gaogaon to cut through. The Gaogaon attempts to flee, only for Cure Lillian to use the Kirarin Panda's assistance to put it to sleep, giving her a moment to free her teammates so they can purify the crab, returning it to normal.

Mayu approaches Zakuro, telling her she's still willing to teach her how to knit, but Zakuro isn't in the mood anymore. Cure Nyammy asks her if destroying the human world will truly bring Gaou happiness, before Zakuro leaves, not wanting to speak to them any longer. With Zakuro having left, Satoru, having managed to read through more of Subaru's diary, shares his recent discoveries with the Cures.

The wolf Subaru befriended was none other than Gaou (which Niko had suspected), but the other villagers refused to listen when Subaru tried to explain to them that not all of the wolves on the mountain were dangerous. The Cures wonder how Gaou ended up in his current state if he was once friends with a human, and a brief cut to Zakuro sitting alone with a thoughtful expression shows that she's starting to have doubts too after Cure Nyammy confronted her earlier.

Mayu decides she wants to get to know Zakuro and Gaou better, with Yuki offering to do what she can to help as well.

Another good episode! Some nice moments high-lighting Mayu's character development throughout the season, and seeing her start to make progress on getting through to Zakuro was pretty nice. And just like I thought, Gaou was the wolf that Subaru befriended. I have a feeling the remaining mysteries will be answered soon.

I've got some catching up to do, the usual website where I watch the episodes has been having some technical issues lately, but I think I've found another place to watch the new episodes in the meantime, so I'll be checking them out soon enough!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 42 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which Mayu's father takes on the task of taking pictures for Animal Town's animal themed calender.

The episode begins with the mayor of Animal Town requesting that Takayuki take the pictures for next year's calender, with Iroha explaining that Animal Town's animal themed calenders are quite popular. Takayuki agrees to take on the job, with Mayu and the others offering to show him around town so he can get some good pictures.

When it's time to start, the group greets him, with Takayuki complimenting Yuki on how pretty she looks as as a human, revealing that Sumire told him about that at some point. He asks if he can take her picture, but Yuki is reluctant. Komugi suggests they take a picture together, with Takayuki asking if Yuki would be more comfortable doing a group photo, which she decides to go along with.

As the group begin the tour around town, Satoru and Mayu ask Takayuki about how he does his animal photography work, with Takayuki explaning it takes a lot of patience, but that he thinks it's all worth it to capture the right moment. Their first stop is at the park, where Takayuki gets some pictures of an old lady and her dog, as well as Komugi and Iroha.

Heading to the dog run, Mayu, Yuki and Niko watch in awe as Takayuki takes photo after photo, capturing as many moments as he can of people and their animals having fun together. The group continue visiting several locations visited in previous episodes, with the other characters gladly allowing Takayuki to take pictures of their animals.

Once they've gotten plenty of pictures, the group take a break at a café, with Takayuki commenting he's glad he accepted the job and got to see all the wonderful people and animals around town. Remembering he promised to help Sumire out with some shopping once his work was done, he asks Mayu and the others if they can look over the pictures and decide on which ones to use for the calender. The group begin looking over the photos, with an annoyed Yuki trying to get the others to slow down so they can look over the pictures one at a time.

Torame shows up, wanting to play with the Cures, but they don't notice him because they're busy looking at the pictures. Torame moves closer to see just what they're looking at, but eventually loses his patience and decides to power up a Garugaru egg into a Gaogaon to finally get their attention. Satoru realizes the Gaogaon is a zebra, and the Cures quickly transform and chase after it as it begins going on a rampage, breaking stuff.

Realizing they'll need an extra boost to catch up to it, Cure Friendy calls on the Kirarin Lion for help. The Cures manage to get ahead of the Gaogaon, and use their barriers to slow it down, with Cure Lillian using her net to finally make it stop. The Cures purify the Gaogaon, returning the zebra to normal and sending it back to Niko Garden. Having been sufficiently entertained, Torame leaves.

Returning to what they were doing beforehand, the group is unsure how to decide which pictures to use, until Mayu comes up with an idea. They ultimately decide to go for a theme, picking out the pictures that have both humans and animals smiling together. The mayor is pleased with the result, and Takayuki notes that perhaps the best part of all this is getting to see Mayu and her friends smiling together. The episode ends with Niko looking over the finished calender, as well as the group photo Takayuki took of the others earlier in the episode.

Another cute episode! We get to know Takayuki a little better, and get some insight into how he works as a photographer. It's always nice to learn a bit more about the Cures' family members.

I'll be looking forward to the next episode!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 41, in which the Cures help the drama club put on a play at a festival.

The episode begins with two members of the school's drama club, Kitsunezaki and Tanukihara, trying to recruit Yuki to the drama club. Yuki is not interested, however, noting they've been trying to convince her to join for a while now. They explain that they've been asked to perform at an upcoming drama festival, planning to put on a performance of Romeo and Juliet since Kitsunezaki hasn't been able to come up with a original play to put on as she originally planned.

They've distracted when Karasuma enters the room looking for Satoru, having found an old diary that might interest him since he's been studying Animal Town's history. Curious, everyone present gathers around as Satoru begins looking through the diary. Reading through the parts he can make out, they discover it belonged to a man named Subaru, who helped an injured wolf. A few months later, that same wolf helped him find his way back when he got lost. The two eventually formed a friendship of sorts, and Satoru asks if he can keep the diary for a bit longer so he can try to make out more of what is written in there, with Karasuma agreeing to let him keep it for a while.

Kitsunezaki is inspired by the story in the diary, deciding to write a story partially based on it. The next day, she has a script ready, but Tanukihara reminds her that they're going to need new costumes and that they don't have enough actors that the script calls for. Iroha, Komugi and Satoru offer to help out, with Mayu admitting she's been wanting to try making stage costumes for a while and that she might as well take this oppurtunity to give it a try. Kitsunezaki then turns to Yuki, asking her if she's willing to help out too if Mayu makes her costume. With Mayu also getting into the idea of designing a costume for Yuki to wear, Yuki agrees to help out. Komugi asks if she can play a dog, although Kitsunezaki notes that there is no dog in the script. However, with Komugi getting Kitsunezaki to pet her just by being her usual self, Kitsunezaki decides to add a dog to the story, impressed with Komug's "acting skills".

The group spend the next few days preparing for the play. On the day of the festival, the play goes on as planned. Unbeknownst to the Cures, Zakuro is watching from a distance. She initially takes an interest in the wolf character, until she realizes it's just someone in a costume, and disappointed, goes to look for a suitable target to make a new Gaogaon, spotting someone's pet chameleon through a window.

Komugi and Yuki sense the Gaogaon, with Mey-Mey (who was watching the play in disguise) showing up along with Niko to alert the Cures about it. Wondering what to do since they're still in the middle of the play, Satoru notes that they still have one scene with Yuki's Goddess character in it. Niko offers to fill in for her while the Cures deal with the Gaogaon, so the Cures head out to stop the Gaogaon.

The Cures track down the Gaogaon and transform, only for the Gaogaon to disappear from their sights as soon as they finish transforming. Satoru realizes the Gaogaon is a chameleon and tells the Cures what they need to know, as they continue dodging the Gaogaon trying to hit them with its long tongue.

Meanwhile, Niko is easily able to play the part of the Goddess, considering she's basically lived through the story being told on stage. The other actors are impressed, while also wondering exactly who she is.

Cure Nyammy figures out how they can locate the Gaogaon, and calls on the Kirarin Fox's help, using his power to turn Cure Wonderful into a make-up brush. Following the Gaogaon's tongue while it's out, she manages to cover the Gaogaon in powder, allowing Cure Friendy and Cure Lillian to spot it and use their barriers to trap it. Niko has finished the scene and returns just in time to help the Cures purify the Gaogaon, returning the chameleon to normal. Zakuro apologizes to Gaou for getting distracted by another wolf as she retreats.

At the end of the play, the human and wolf characters are about to part way, when Komugi, remembering her experiences with Gaou, gets caught up in the moment and tells them they don't need to leave. Realizing her slip-up, Satoru tells Komugi to get onto the stage, with Tanukihara hastily improvising a line about the Goddess having granted the dog the ability to speak as well. Yuki also steps in to help Komugi out, and Komugi delivers a clumsy, but heartfelt speech about how it doesn't matter if they are different species, they can still be friends regardless.

After the play, the drama club compliment the group on a job well done, with Komugi admitting she caught up in the moment during the ending, leading to her ad-lib. Kitsunezaki takes it as a great compliment, before turning to Yuki, admitting she wrote the Goddesss character with her in mind and was impressed with her performance, which Yuki is pleased with. They then ask about who the other girl who briefly filled in for her was, asking if she'd be interested in acting alongside them again sometime. Yuki comments that if Niko is interested, then they won't need Yuki next time. The drama club members note they still want to work with Yuki again, but as far as Yuki is concerned, this was a one time thing.

Another fun episode! We get a bit more lore, and since we're in the final stretch of the story now, I'm guessing that uncovering the rest of the story between Subaru and the wolf I assume is Gaou went will play a role in figuring out how they can reach an understanding with the wolves.

I'll be looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 40 of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which an accidental burst of magic from Niko turns Iroha into a dog and Mayu into a cat.

The episode begins with Komugi and Iroha walking up the stairs to the Toboe shrine, except Iroha has been transformed into a dog. Yuki is holding Mayu, who has been turned into a cat. Satoru is confused as to what's going on, and the group try to remember how this happened in the first place.

They were headed for the shrine to look for Gaou in hopes of speaking with him, and Niko notes she can at the very least sense he was there recently. Yuki changes into cat form to check inside the shrine, but no one seems to be inside at the moment. Niko changes into her human form, attempting to use her powers to get a better idea of where Gaou might've gone. Niko suddenly pauses, and Iroha and Mayu walk closer to check if she's okay, only to get caught up in a sudden burst of magic that caused their transformation.

Niko sheepishly admits she did indeed cause their transformation, explaining her powers are still a bit unstable. However, she notes she should be able to change them back once she's regained some power. The group asks her how long she estimates that will take, with Niko noting she's not entirely sure, but gaining the power from everyone's smiles should speed up the process.

Meanwhile, Gaou is watching the view from a rock. Zakuro goes to join him, but he won't say anything. While Zakuro tries to get his attention, a bored Torame decides to go find something else to do.

The Cures wonder how they should pass the time while waiting for Niko's powers to recharge, since they can't exactly go home while Iroha and Mayu are in their current state. Komugi suggests they all go play, with Yuki and Satoru noting that with Niko gaining power form other's smiles, this might actually be a good idea. The group head to the park, with Iroha experiencing the fun of running around with Komugi, while Yuki takes the oppurtunity to cuddle and play with Mayu the same way Mayu usually does with her.

Mey Mey and Satoru observe the Cures, with Niko noticing that some of the other dogs in the park have taken an interest in dog!Iroha. When Iroha accidentally slips up and speaks within earshot of the other dogs' owners, Satoru quickly intervenes and pulls Iroha out of there.

Meanwhile, Torame has found a Garugaru egg in a nearby river, asking some frogs sitting nearby why they haven't gone into hibernation yet since the weather's been getting colder. Intrigued, he briefly attempts to have a conversation with the frogs before remembering what he was doing, and powering up the Garugaru egg, unleashing a frog Gaogaon.

The Cures sense the Gaogaon being summoned, with Iroha and Mayu also sensing it in their animal forms. The group quickly head over to deal with the situation, with Niko having regained enough power just in time to return Iroha and Mayu to normal so they can help deal with the Gaogaon. The Cures transform, and try to figure out how to deal with it, as its jumping capabilities and long tongue make it difficult to get closer. However, from observing its behaviour, Satoru realizes that the frog Gaogaon seems to have an easier time spotting things that are moving, giving the Cures an idea on how to use this to their advantage.

Getting on opposite sides of the Gaogaon, the Cures start a game of red-light-green-light with the frog, with the Cures on one side staying still while the two on the other side slowly move towards the frog until Torame draws the frog's attention to them, taking turns moving towards the frog. While Torame is distracted after stopping Cure Friendy and Wonderful in a pose that makes it difficult for them to hold still, Cure Lillian takes the oppurtunity to trap the frog in her Lillian Net, allowing the Cures to purify the Gaogaon returning it to normal and returning it to Niko Garden.

Torame comments that he had fun, and leaves. The Cures realize they've gotten to understand Torame a little better from their encounters with him, noting he mainly seems to want to play with them.

As they're heading back, Iroha and Mayu note they're glad to be back to normal, although they did have fun in their animal forms. Satoru wonders what being an animal would be like, and Niko offers to help him find out, turning him into a rabbit. Realizing Niko needs time to recharge once again, the group decide to head back to the park for a bit, with rabbit!Satoru being excited to find out just how fast his rabbit form is, calculating in his head how long it'll take him to reach the park at his current speed while the others try to catch up with him.

A fun episode! Iroha, Mayu and Satoru's animal forms are adorable. Fun seeing them basically get to experience what things are like from their pets' perspective, although I would've maybe liked it if they spent just a little more time exploring that aspect. Still a cute episode, though.

I'll be looking forward to the next episode!