#(which I think I mentioned on the happy flappy drawing a bit ago)

[kirby-the-gorb]

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 115

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 17 - “The Broken Haniwa! What will Mai and Her Mother Do?” Date watched: 29 April 2019 Original air date: 28 May 2006 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/9FC5Dnj Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

Shakkoumon? Is that you?

(Okay I don’t know if I have any historians or archaeologists reading this but I want to clarify that I do (as of about 30 seconds ago) know the difference between shakoki dogu and haniwa figures, but I was struggling to come up with a witty picture/caption combo until this came to mind. To the ~10 other people out there who are fans of both Digimon and Precure, you’re welcome.)

What a great episode this is. It deepens the bond between Mai and her mother, Kanako, also giving us some more insight into Kanako’s career and interests. Along the way we bolster Saki to a degree, and even the Kiryuus are inspired enough by their observations to begin questioning what it is they’re fighting for. I really love it when one character’s growth spurns another’s, because it really emphasizes what a positive impact they’re having on the world around them, which is the epitome of a superhero show.

I’ll describe the plot briefly, but the meat of this episode is in the relationships at play here. The girls are at Mai’s place where Mai explains how she often has to cook for the family due to her parents’ busy schedules, when her mother stumbles out of her office with a stack of documents and artifacts, which she dumps on the table. She talks to Saki about what she does as an archaeologist, and Saki is a bit overwhelmed. After she leaves, Choppi is entranced by a Haniwa statue on the pile of work, because it resembles her, but as she goes to take a closer look she accidentally topples the pile and the Haniwa shatters on the floor. Mai apologizes to her mother, covering for Choppi, but despite her mother insisting that it’s alright, both Mai and Choppi feel guilty. She sulks over it all day in school the next day, and even gets in a squabble with Michiru and Kaoru about the sentimental value of objects. That night, Saki decides to practice her cooking, inspired by Mai the previous day, and Mai sets about trying to make a drawing for her mother to express her sorrow and somewhat replace the broken artifact. Choppi takes the chance to sneak out with Flappi and go digging by the Sky Tree, where the doll was originally found. After digging all night, she uncovers something..... Dorodoron! He tries to chase the fairies but at this point, the girls have noticed that their partners are missing and they show up at the tree in the nick of time. The villain turns the fragment of the doll that Choppi was using as a reference into a giant haniwa Uzainaa, which can fire missiles from its hips. The girls transform into Precure but struggle to beat it, and Dorodoron even interferes by webbing them up, but their strong convictions to overcome their shortcomings and for Mai to make up with her mother give them the strength to break free, and then they do away with the monster. Back at Mai’s place, Kanako sees the completed drawing that Mai made and compliments her highly. She explains that although the haniwa meant a lot to her, she can see through Mai’s art that she understands the importance of it, and she loves putting things back together. They all yawn and realize they’ve not had enough sleep, so Kanako insists all three of them go to sleep right then and wake up for lunch. Lunch is served by Saki, making omelets and she has improved on her previous attempts, so everybody is happy!

Also there’s a running gag where Kanako keeps tripping and dropping the tea tray.

So, as I said, relationships are the big one here. Mai’s relationships with Saki, Choppi, and her mother all influence Mai and the other party, and have positive impacts on each other. Saki isn’t as good at cooking as Mai, because she has less practice (but she’s no Nagisa, thankfully), but Mai encourages her by appealing to her stomach:

hit ‘em where it hurts

Saki takes this to heart, and she goes home with renewed vigor to practice. The following night, she stays up late trying to make omelets, going through a lot of eggs in the process. She leaves the mistakes for her folks to eat in the morning, as they’re still edible, and the next day after Mai has made peace with her mother, she cooks for everyone and they confirm that her omelets are much better than they were before.

Mai and Choppi have a lot to work through. Obviously, the fairy was the one at fault for breaking the artifact, but Mai takes the blame because she can’t let her mom know she’s a Precure. Choppi feels a lot of guilt over this, and tries to do whatever she can to help the situation. Ultimately this puts her in danger, and while this plot thread is never resolved to my satisfaction, Mai does stress that she isn’t upset at Choppi, and she’s more concerned with her safety and well-being.

Mai and her mother, Kanako, make up the biggest relationship hurdle this episode of course. We learn towards the end that this particular Haniwa was one that Kanako found when she herself was a child, and it inspired her interest in archaeology.

Naturally, it carries a lot of sentimental value to her, which is why Mai is so concerned. Despite saying she’s fine, Mai sees her mother trying to piece it back together and assumes this means she isn’t letting go, which is why she tries so hard to make some piece of art that can make up for the broken feelings. In the end, Mai’s art proves to her mother that she understands how important that haniwa was to her, and knowing that her daughter was able to recognize the sentiment well enough to capture it in her artwork means more to her than simply having it, although she does reveal that she’s managed to glue all the pieces back together as well.

Interestingly, Mai’s emotional troubles have a heavy impact on Michiru and Kaoru as well. Kaoru simply doesn’t understand emotional attachments to objects. She volunteers to get it fixed, as she knows someone who can make perfect clay copies (wink wink), but Mai explains that it’s her mother’s emotions that are broken, more than just the physical object. Kaoru insists that it’s a waste of time to even think about it if there’s nothing they can do, which really gets Mai upset and she insists that it was a one-of-a-kind object that was precious to her mother, and then turns around and asks how Kaoru would feel if something precious to her were to break.

The sisters and the Precures have to part ways before they can get a straight answer, but later that night, we find the Kiryuus standing on a rock, bathing in the moonlight, and discussing the earlier conversation. Kaoru points out that their objective of defeating Precure and reclaiming the fountain of the Sun is not precious to them, but to Akudaikaan, and wonders if they have anything truly precious to them. They also noted, prior to the rooftop conversation, that Precure’s power goes stronger when they’re emotionally invested in something. The puzzle pieces are slowly starting to fall into place, and this is the first episode where the Kaoru and Michiru start to question what it is that they’re after, as well as who, what, and why they’re fighting for. It won’t be the last...

Usually Michiru is the more talkative of the two sisters but Kaoru has more to say this time, especially as she starts to reconsider ideas that they were taking for granted about their purpose.

Now, the fight! Akudaikaan took a pretty pointed jab at Dorodoron in Dark Fall earlier in the episode, questioning his competence after three consecutive defeats:

yes

Now his pride is on the line, so you would think he would try harder in the fight. To his credit, he has had some good ideas in the past, trying to sabotage Saki’s self-confidence or just attacking her when she’s physically exhausted, but this go-round he just creates an Uzainaa and lets it go to town on the girls. Being made of clay, it resists their attacks at first, and it seems he has the upper hand, to the point where he even has Bloom and Egret wrapped up in web.

They take this moment to confer with Flappi and Choppi about why they ran off overnight, and they explain they were looking all night for a haniwa for Mai. Dorodoron is like “I don’t really care, can I just have those spirits?” which of course, upsets Bloom and Egret. Remember how Kaoru observed that they get stronger when they care about something? Well, you can put two and two together and the result is that the girls are inspired by their fairies’ efforts to help and angry at Dorodoron’s derision, so they power up, break out of the web, and kick some clay monster ass, sending the general back to Dark Fall cowering. Interestingly, Michiru and Kaoru were nowhere to be seen during or after this fight.

One more point of note is that the haniwa that Choppi broke looked somewhat like her.

Kanako states much later in the episode that it looks different from normal haniwa, and that her research suggests that the Sky Tree was very important to the ancient villagers of their town. If you’ll recall, the Sky Tree is also where Saki and Mai first met each other, where they first reunited as teenagers, and where they met Choppi and Flappi for the first time, not to mention that it’s where they always come out whenever they return from restoring a fountain. The tree definitely has some connection to the Land of Fountains, and we’re slowly learning what it is.

One last thing: I want to appreciate that they draw Mishou Kanako looking frazzled, as one would be after three days of hard work and little to no sleep.

However, her dishevelment is not used to make fun of her (her constant tripping and falling does that), and while it’s commented on that she looks a mess, nobody pays any less regard to what she has to say. She’s still an authority in her field, even when she doesn’t look her best, and I just think that’s neat.

Next time, the Kiryuus come to PanPaka Pan and further their character growth! 

Also congratulations to Japan for the imperial succession. The former emperor, Akihito, formally stepped down on Tuesday, ending his 30 year reign and the Heisei Era. His son, Naruhito, ascended to the throne on Wednesday, ushering in the Reiwa Era. This is the first succession in over 200 years to occur by abdication rather than by the death of the reigning emperor, which can be attributed to improvements in medical science. The next broadcast episode of Precure (Star Twinkle 14, at time of writing) will be the first episode of this new era. Not that that really means anything for the show, but hey. Benchmarks are benchmarks. Star Twinkle has the honor of being the first Precure to straddle eras and the first show to air outside of the Heisei Period. (it’s a particular topic of interest, don’t judge me)

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 1 Zekkouchou Nari!

Miracle Drop Count: 4

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 118

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 20 - “Dorodoron is Singin’ in the Rain!” Date watched: 5 May 2019 Original air date: 25 June 2006 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/iruZezg Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

Oh man what an episode. It’s Dorodoron’s last stand, and he goes out in style. Michiru and Kaoru are at an ethical crossroads about their mission, Saki and Mai go on a day date to another beautiful scenic spot and Minori tags along to make a drawing for a school assignment. It’s a pretty bittersweet day for Dark Fall.

Surprisingly, the rain helps. Saki and Minori are hesitant to go out but decide to try anyway, and the rain does clear up for a bit. While they’re out, they run into Michiru and Kaoru, who were actually conversing with Dorodoron a moment before. Minori is extremely happy to see Kaoru, who was so nice to her at the bake sale a few episodes ago. Kaoru even reciprocates the kindness to a degree, surprising her sister. She honestly seems to be having fun, even when Minori is talking her ear off.

The quintet arrives at Mai’s secret spot and it is really beautiful. It’s a bamboo forest surrounded by wildflowers (hydrangeas specifically) and there’s lots of wildlife: birds, bugs, snails, everything. (Also, as a nice callback, the route involves passing through the farm from episode 4.) Mai, Minori, and even Kaoru are taken aback by the scenery. The light glistens on the raindrops on the flowers and some of the closeups are gorgeous. Minori finds a plant she wants to draw and gets busy. Unfortunately, the serenity is short-lived. Dorodoron makes his appearance, and Kaoru quickly escorts Minori away to safety. Dorodoron is strangely enthusiastic, and he reveals that when the weather is rainy and the ground is muddy, he can absorb more energy from the earth to power himself up, growing giant.

“We have a Hulk.”

Mai and Saki transform, but Dorodoron tosses them around like a salad. When they refuse to give up the fountains they’ve recovered so far, he decides to power up even more, absorbing so much energy that it saps all life from the surrounding area (a lot like Karehaan’s final attack). Choppi cries that this is how the Fountain of Earth was taken over, and Cure Bloom is sad that rain has this much destructive capacity. Flappi, however, rejects that idea, insisting that rain brings life and nourishment and Dorodoron is just abusing its power. The monster of earth doesn’t care, and he powers up even further by summoning an Uzainaa around himself, turning himself into a more monstrous form that resembles a shakoki-dogu doll.

This proves to be his undoing, as he’s very top-heavy and has a hard time balancing himself to counter the girls’ kicks and punches, so they knock him off balance and perform Twin Stream Splash on him before he can rebound. Dorodoron stealthily escapes from the Uzainaa before being destroyed, and then waits for Saki and Mai to detransform before divebombing them from the sky.

same energy

Unfortunately for him, he didn’t fully escape the purification and he’s used too much energy, and he crumbles into dust.

I regret nothing.

There’s no time for mourning though, the Legendary Warriors have collected seven Miracle Drops which means it’s time to restore a fountain! They set off for the Fountain of Earth, which appears to be a collection of hollowed out tree stumps filled with water, surrounded by loose foliage and some other trees. I don’t know exactly what kind of biome this would be, not compared to the previous fountains.

As usual, Princess Filia appears, but this time everybody can hear her! Unfortunately, she can’t hear herself yet, but she says that the fountains they have restored so far have started to heal the Great Life Tree and that may turn into a great source of power for them in the future, but a great hardship still lies ahead of them.

From their post on Gourd Rock, Michiru and Kaoru comment that it’s their turn next and they’ll recapture the fountains quickly enough.

Back at the Hyuuga residence, Minori shows off her completed drawing to Saki and Mai: a picture of all five of them surrounded by flowers!  She says she drew what brought her the most enjoyment.

If you find these last few statements to be in contrast..... well, wait and see.

Oh, there is so much to discuss here. First, let us give an ode to Dorodoron. He wasn’t as fun as Moerumba, but despite being constantly shat upon by the Kiryuus and Gohyaan, he was actually the most competent villain so far. (Admittedly he got some advice in the softball episode) He made plans to weaken the girls before he even fought them, tried to keep them apart from each other to prevent using their powers, and almost won. He had generally good plans, losing because he underestimated the power of their bond, because he played his hand too early, or because he was a tad overconfident in himself and the girls exploited an opening. I’m trying to remember how Ms. Shitataare plays out, I don’t think she is terribly crafty, and Kintolesky is all about being strong so strategy isn’t really his ballpark. The Kiryuus have good ideas.... but they mostly fed them to Dorodoron. I’ll weigh in on them after episode 22.

As for the Kiryuus, Kaoru in particular seems to be turning over a new leaf. She demonstrates sincere enjoyment at spending time with Minori, seems to appreciate the nature, and at once point she notices a snail on a leaf. It falls off, she bends over and places it back. None of this escapes Michiru’s notice, who asks her later if she was protecting Minori, and has some kind of sympathy for the humans.

Michiru is having a harder time accepting the good side of her and her sister, and she still seems to sincerely believe that Dark Fall is the side to play for. Kaoru clearly has more reservations, and she’s more open with her feelings. @sailor-rurouni made the following observation on my episode 18 review: “I feel like this... shows us the difference between how Kaoru and Michiru “pass” in society: Kaoru doesn’t even bother to try and so she is perceived as either brutally or refreshingly honest..., and Michiru does get why she should try to act normal and makes a pretty good attempt, but this results in her compartmentalizing her feelings and, arguably, being more ruthless.” That has never been clearer than in this episode, as Kaoru just does what she feels like while Michiru tries to play nice but doesn’t understand her sister’s actions. I mentioned this last episode as well, but due to real life circumstances, Kaoru has a new voice actress now, Okamura Akemi, who has a much sharper voice than her predecessor. The two sisters were almost indistinguishable in voice before, now Kaoru speaks more curtly, not mincing her words. This speaks to her personality better, and while it’s jarring to hear the change, it might work out better in the long run.

I like the small commentary by Flappi and Choppi about how the elements of nature can be used or abused. Rain is useful in sustaining life, but too much rain creates mud, which is a hard environment for terrestrial plants. Perhaps there’s a metaphor in this show about how the disparate forces of nature, when separated (Dark Fall), can wreak havoc, but when they all work together, life prospers. That might be a level deeper than intended, or it might be right on the money. I won’t say I’m the most astute at picking out subliminal messages.

Last thing I want to talk about: Saki totally dabs in this episode.

dab on ‘em

yes, I made this joke on PCD-Status as well, but it bore repeating.

Okay so obviously it’s not really a dab, Saki did that anime thing where someone falls over after having their expectations subverted, but the posture is about right. Just roll with it.

Next time, Michiru and Kaoru have to defeat the Precures and recover the fountains. What will this mean for their friendship? Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 1 Zekkouchou Nari!

Miracle Drop Count: 7, then 0