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After learning there was a lot more to the Precure franchise than the two series that got English dubs, I've been on a quest to find the ideal Precure for me. I read a few Reddit threads that felt a bit vague in their recommendations, then I watched a video where a woman was recommending Precures based on their tones and story elements.
The Gigantic franchise that's "Impossible" to Recommend by doreimani
I was midway through, but I got a little impatient, and decided to look at the Precure wiki to see a full list of Precure season summaries to see which ones jumped out at me. It was a well-made video though. I'll have to keep watching it later, and see what else I can find.
I saw Star Twinkle Precure a bit further down the wiki's list, and one thing that stuck out at me was its space motifs and 80s inspired bright aesthetics. I really loved the old mecha shows from the 80s and 90s, and that vibe in general, so I was immediately intrigued.
I watched the first episode of it the other day. I liked it so much, I figured I should write my thoughts on it now while my first impression is still fresh! (I had watched a bit of Princess Precure, I may have to give my thoughts on that one as well).
It focuses on Hikaru, a teenage girl who loves astronomy. She accidentally summons an alien when she draws a constellation in her magic notebook. which sets off a chain of events that leads her into outer space to protect the creature, and become a legendary Precure!
There was a fair bit of high-pitched screaming/squealing in the first few minutes of the first episode, when the cute magical sidekick, in typical anime fashion, slams into the protagonist's head. There's some more of that sprinkled throughout the episode, but it didn't feel too excessive. And if you can get past that, it looks like a very promising show! I love how it leans heavily into sci-fi elements while still having unapologetically girly, cute aesthetics. Both appeal to me, but it feels rare for shows to combine the two.
In addition to being bright and engagingly animated, the theme song is also an absolute banger! I've had it playing on loop, alternating between other Precure songs for the past few days!
If you find realistically written preteens annoying, this probably isn't the Precure for you. Though Hikaru (the main character) was a little annoying, for me it was in an endearing way. Her exuberant energy and nerdishness reminded me of myself when I was around her age.
Though it's clear the showrunners care more about her characterization than flattening her into a pure "genki girl". You see Hikaru stopping for about a minute to speak with her parents, even bowing when told to, so you can see that she does have a more respectful side to her.
I also loved the way she didn't freak out when meeting the aliens, but instead geeked out. Even at the villains! You could just tell she had been waiting for something like this to happen her entire life. The fact that this is exactly what I would have done at that age in that scenario!The more I watch the episode to grab screencaps for this review, the more I see that she's practically a self-insert of myself from my preteen years, help!
Though I like Hikaru, it's hard to say who my true favorite character is yet, as I usually only decide my favorite character after I've had time to see what each character contributes to the plot.
But I did like that poor jellyfish alien! When Lala (alien girl Hikaru meets) was too shy or surprised to say anything to counter Hikaru's recklessness, he had to step in. Or at least do his level best.
Fuwa is especially cute too. Perhaps my sense of humor is broken or irony poisoned or something, because during the flashback, when those older-looking Precures told the little puffball alien that she was "their last hope", and she was just like:
...
Fuwa? (A cute, blushy sheep face kaomoji)
I burst out laughing!
I dunno. Maybe "Fuwa" is my favorite. She is awfully cute. I was literally almost tearing up from how adorable she was when Hikaru was teasing her with the donut she was eating. Her increasingly delighted squeaks as Hikaru kept moving the donut closer to her face...they just have to be heard to be believed. Maybe she'll turn out to be the god of the home planet, or a secret monarch the whole time, or something funny like that.
The Gigantic franchise that's "Impossible" to Recommend by doreimani
I was midway through, but I got a little impatient, and decided to look at the Precure wiki to see a full list of Precure season summaries to see which ones jumped out at me. It was a well-made video though. I'll have to keep watching it later, and see what else I can find.
I saw Star Twinkle Precure a bit further down the wiki's list, and one thing that stuck out at me was its space motifs and 80s inspired bright aesthetics. I really loved the old mecha shows from the 80s and 90s, and that vibe in general, so I was immediately intrigued.
I watched the first episode of it the other day. I liked it so much, I figured I should write my thoughts on it now while my first impression is still fresh! (I had watched a bit of Princess Precure, I may have to give my thoughts on that one as well).
It focuses on Hikaru, a teenage girl who loves astronomy. She accidentally summons an alien when she draws a constellation in her magic notebook. which sets off a chain of events that leads her into outer space to protect the creature, and become a legendary Precure!
There was a fair bit of high-pitched screaming/squealing in the first few minutes of the first episode, when the cute magical sidekick, in typical anime fashion, slams into the protagonist's head. There's some more of that sprinkled throughout the episode, but it didn't feel too excessive. And if you can get past that, it looks like a very promising show! I love how it leans heavily into sci-fi elements while still having unapologetically girly, cute aesthetics. Both appeal to me, but it feels rare for shows to combine the two.
In addition to being bright and engagingly animated, the theme song is also an absolute banger! I've had it playing on loop, alternating between other Precure songs for the past few days!
If you find realistically written preteens annoying, this probably isn't the Precure for you. Though Hikaru (the main character) was a little annoying, for me it was in an endearing way. Her exuberant energy and nerdishness reminded me of myself when I was around her age.
Though it's clear the showrunners care more about her characterization than flattening her into a pure "genki girl". You see Hikaru stopping for about a minute to speak with her parents, even bowing when told to, so you can see that she does have a more respectful side to her.
I also loved the way she didn't freak out when meeting the aliens, but instead geeked out. Even at the villains! You could just tell she had been waiting for something like this to happen her entire life. The fact that this is exactly what I would have done at that age in that scenario!
Though I like Hikaru, it's hard to say who my true favorite character is yet, as I usually only decide my favorite character after I've had time to see what each character contributes to the plot.
But I did like that poor jellyfish alien! When Lala (alien girl Hikaru meets) was too shy or surprised to say anything to counter Hikaru's recklessness, he had to step in. Or at least do his level best.
Fuwa is especially cute too. Perhaps my sense of humor is broken or irony poisoned or something, because during the flashback, when those older-looking Precures told the little puffball alien that she was "their last hope", and she was just like:
...
Fuwa? (A cute, blushy sheep face kaomoji)
I burst out laughing!
I dunno. Maybe "Fuwa" is my favorite. She is awfully cute. I was literally almost tearing up from how adorable she was when Hikaru was teasing her with the donut she was eating. Her increasingly delighted squeaks as Hikaru kept moving the donut closer to her face...they just have to be heard to be believed. Maybe she'll turn out to be the god of the home planet, or a secret monarch the whole time, or something funny like that.
