HEARTCATCH PRECURE!

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MOVIE ActionHeartcatch Precure! Hana no Miyako de Fashion Show... Desu ka!?
ANIME ActionFutari wa Precure
ANIME ActionFresh Precure!
ANIME ActionSuite Precure♪
ANIME ActionHUGtto! Precure
ANIME ActionYes! Precure 5
ANIME ActionFutari wa Precure: Splash☆Star
ANIME FantasySmile Precure!
ANIME ActionMahoutsukai Precure!
ANIME ActionGo! Princess Precure
ANIME FantasyDokidoki! Precure
ANIME FantasyHappinessCharge Precure!
ANIME ComedyKirakira☆Precure a la Mode
MOVIE ActionPrecure All Stars DX2: Kibou no Hikari☆Rainbow Jewel wo Mamore!
MOVIE ActionPrecure All Stars DX3: Mirai ni Todoke! Sekai wo Tsunagu☆Niji-iro no Hana
MOVIE Mahou ShoujoPrecure All Stars New Stage: Mirai no Tomodachi
MOVIE Mahou ShoujoPrecure All Stars New Stage 2: Kokoro no Tomodachi
MOVIE Mahou ShoujoPrecure All Stars New Stage 3: Eien no Tomodachi
MOVIE FantasyPrecure All Stars: Haru no Carnival♪
MOVIE ActionPrecure All Stars: Minna de Utau♪ Kiseki no Mahou!
MOVIE ActionHUGtto! Precure ♡ Futari wa Precure All Stars Memories
MANGA AdventureHeartcatch Precure!
NOVEL ActionShousetsu Heartcatch Precure!
ANIME AdventureStar☆Twinkle Precure
ANIME ActionHealin' Good♥Precure
ANIME ActionTropical-Rouge! Precure
MOVIE Mahou ShoujoPrecure All-Stars DX the DANCE LIVE❤: Miracle Dance Stage e Youkoso
MOVIE ActionTropical-Rouge! Precure: Yuki no Princess to Kiseki no Yubiwa!
ONA Mahou ShoujoPrecure kara Minna e no Ouen Movie
ANIME ActionDelicious Party♡Precure
ANIME ActionHirogaru Sky! Precure
MOVIE Mahou ShoujoPrecure All Stars F
ANIME FantasyWonderful Precure!

REVIEWS

• 

  MetaThPr4h

  90/100
  Fantastic starting point of a franchise that deserves more love in the west.

  After Hugtto Precure convinced me hard to give a chance to the rest of the franchise, I went for the entry that seems to be the most loved and popular (except maybe the original) of the franchise, did it live up to the hype? Well, it sure did in my opinion!

  Tsubomi, the protagonist of this story, is a shy girl who definitely didn't fit with what the image of what the standard Precure protagonist looked to me, I think that this is played very nicely through the story and seeing her open up more while keeping what makes her be her was so satisfying to see. Together with the cheerful and absurdly lovable Erika by her side, they form the main duo of the story for a good time before the other Precure join.

  Those episodes with them alone were "the weakest" part of the series to me (saying that in quotes because they were still enjoyable) and were focused on giving the spotlight to side characters (mostly classmates or the family of the MCs) and our girls helping them both via interactions, and by kicking ass defeating the "Desertrians", monsters created by the enemies of this story combining an object and the wiltered hearts of the characters. This anime uses the fact that Tsubomi loves flowers very strongly using that detail, with the flower each character has having a meaning that fits with their problem.

  Once the other and equally nice Precure join the group, the plot starts to really pick up and only gets better and better, with very emotional moments and solid development for the characters. I don't want to possibly overhype it, but honestly the final episodes were some of the most epic I have watched.

  With a nice main cast is also needed a nice villain side, and The Desert Apostles did a successful job on that. Precure does a very good job at being lighthearted while also not shying away when it has to be darker, and the villains were a good example of that in execution, I enjoyed the interactions and comedy moments between them and/or with the Precures a lot and they ended up being very memorable as well when it came to the more serious parts involving their characters.

  The art style of the series is so visually appealing and allows for a wide array of nice reactions and goofy movements from the characters while looking perfectly fitting with the show, and the great designs by Yoshihiko Umakoshi (Casshern Sins, Boku no Hero Academia, Mushishi...) definitely were a part of that, the action scenes are also solid, abundant and well animated, not to mention the nice transformation scenes of the characters. The soundtrack of the series is also nice and has some very memorable tracks.

  

  After only saying more and more positives I guess that it's time to say the problems I had with the series, which honestly didn't affect my opinion in the long run:

  • The first is the already mentioned slower start, while I always enjoyed watching the episodes, I didn't feel that it hooked me in nowhere as much as Hugtto or Princess Precure (which I watched right after) did, so I wasn't feeling as hyped and also a bit worried that maybe I wouldn't end up loving it as much as I wanted to, but yeah, that got fixed later on, boy it did.

  • The second is the mascot characters of the main duo, that honestly were pretty annoying at first and I was never a fan of the "a heart seed is coming out!" scene after they defeat the Desertrians they face (and thank god the animation of that part got more polished, they are clearly pooping it, c'mon!) But they grew on me as the episodes passed and even took the spotlight in a comedy focused episode that made me laugh really hard and I loved.

  • Lastly, this just seems to be a thing with the franchise as a whole. As a series that lives by selling the toys they make based on the anime they know that they have to advertise them, and how they do so? By making the objects the girls use look exactly like they would as a toy and even use CGI for some, this makes total sense but at times I couldn't help but feel like "man, they are really trying to sell the product here", which let's be honest, it's pretty stupid thinking about it: of course they are not making anime because why not, we wouldn't get more if it didn't sell! It's a matter of getting used to it, and why lie, I freaking want a Flower Tact! I'm not surprised at all that this is the best selling entry so far.

  If you haven't watched any Precure yet and you're reading my review you might feel put off by the last two negative points and think that this is in anime that only kids might find enjoyable, but I can promise you that this isn't the case and that anyone has a chance to really enjoy it, the characters are very compelling and likeable, the comedy is solid, the action is nice looking and the story is interesting and has some darker moments that definitely surprised me seeing. I can't recommend this anime enough.

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• 

  planetJane

  89/100
  Like flowers in the desert.

  All of my reviews contain __spoilers __for the reviewed material. This is your only warning. Some images in this review appear courtesy of **The Pretty Cure Wiki**

  ---

  The 2010s were a weird time to be a magical girl. The decade would be marked as one where the genre’s general fortunes took a sharp downturn. Replaced in their home demographic by idol shows aimed at kids and stylistically supplanted by a number of grim-n-gritty “dark” takes on the aesthetic that had little to do with the genre itself. Indeed, HeartCatch Precure was for a few short days a seasonal contemporary of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. It’s tempting to compare and contrast the two--the idealistic children’s show that rang a final bell for the great “straight” mahou shoujo shows versus its immediate successor, the tar-black world story drama helmed by genre outsiders.

  However, the truth of the matter is that the simultaneity is mostly a matter of circumstance, as nothing is ever that simple (and this oversimplified narrative would leave out the strong ‘classic’ magical girl shows that have come out since). In fact, very much unlike its era-defining chronological neighbor, HeartCatch, despite factually airing in 2010 and ‘11, often feels unstuck in time, completely agnostic to the decade it helped ring in.

  There’s a couple reasons for this. For one thing, there’s the look. Yoshihiko Umakoshi’s character designs have a singular sensibility whose main peers outside of his own other work (most famously on the Doremi franchise, Saint Seya Omega, and Casshern Sins) are older shoujo art, which contributes to this feeling of timelessness.

  

  It also gives us The Dark Precure, who is just, like, honestly. Look at her. This design is so cool it should be illegal.

  ---

  Beyond just the visuals though, HeartCatch Precure is a platonic ideal of a magical girl series. Everything generally associated with the “magical warrior” subgenre, it pulls off near-perfectly.

  But while HeartCatch is certainly classic in feel, it is by no means rote. While keeping the language of things firmly understandable to its young target audience, HeartCatch often wrestles with some pretty big ideas. It’s telling that even on a cursory surface read, two of the three members of this installment’s villainous trio can be easily taken as manifestations of two of society’s greatest ills from a young, female point of view. Kobraja as the embodiment the pursuit of a cold, heartless “beauty” with no warmth or passion. Kumojacky as the toxic, might-makes-right philosophy given flesh, chasing “strength” as an end unto itself, without greater purpose. That he’s something of a caricature of a shonen protagonist on top of that is a bit telling.

  

  HeartCatch also has a strong core theme of self-acceptance and pursuing forward emotional development, even when it’s hard or scary. Late in the series, when faced with the task of fighting embodiments of the darkness within their hearts, what our girls face is not explicit malice, but the embodiment of lingering doubts and personal flaws. The way they defeat these shades is not to conquer them in combat, but to embrace them.

  Moonlight’s sadness, Sunshine’s conflicted identity, Marine’s envy, Blossom’s weakness. Flaws that are accepted, reckoned with, and ultimately embraced as part of the whole self, not cast aside or disregarded as unimportant as they might be in a lesser series. Part of HeartCatch’s core thesis is that it is not merely our best traits or our present selves who make us who we are. It is all of them, and everyone we’ve ever been. Self-acceptance is not something that HeartCatch pays mere lip service to.

  The strong theming ties heavily into the character writing, which is uniformly fantastic. Almost every recurring character; from the Cures themselves, to the villains, even some minor backup characters, have strong personalities. Often surprisingly complex ones, too. Even just as far as the four Precures that make up this series’ core team. They’re layered in a way that makes them feel real.

  Tsubomi--Cure Blossom--is the simplest. Insecure and cripplingly shy at the start of the series, she blossoms (haha) into a more open person over its runtime as the root causes of her insecurity (a childhood spent with parents who were often away on business, chiefly) are uncovered and addressed. She also goes from being the titled "weakest Precure ever" to one of the strongest and most confident. It's the simplest character arc of the four, but no less a pleasure to watch.

  

  Her compatriot, Erika (Cure Marine), is arrogant and boisterous, but that belies both a genuine love for her friends and family and, on the other side of the coin, envy for people more accomplished than her, such as her older sister Momoka. She’s also surprisingly keen to the way the show works, being to date the only Precure to come up with her Cure name before she was actually chosen to be one.

  

  Itsuki, Cure Sunshine, lives a dual existence as the heir to a dojo in lieu of her sickly brother and with a repressed desire to simply be girly. What might come across as an overdone plot point in other shows is given life here by the serious conflict it causes in her specific situation. When Itsuki actually becomes Cure Sunshine halfway through the series, she doesn’t just add a third member to the team, she’s able to live out her desire to be “cute” and feminine while still defending those she cares for. We do not, HeartCatch again puts forward, have to pick between different parts of our personality.

  

  Lastly, the character of Yuri, the former Cure Moonlight, in particular, is written with such an elemental, bone-deep melancholy that the fact that it’s contained in what is indeed still a kids’ show just feels incredible. Over the series’ runtime, Yuri deals with the bitter sting of loss of her partner fairy and her father--even for this show, pretty heavy subject matter--and has to learn to open her heart again. When, late in the series, she finally returns to active duty as Cure Moonlight, it feels wonderfully well-earned. It helps that Moonlight, with her elegant appearance and edge in combat experience compared to the rest of the team, is one of the coolest Precure ever, no further qualifiers necessary.

  

  These are just the four main characters, but they demonstrate nicely how HeartCatch, in a genre often stereotyped as having simplistic or even nonsensical character writing, lightly plays with expectations and, more importantly, is able to weave characters that ring true to its audience. The strength of the writing inspires empathy, which makes the girls' struggles feel like they matter instead of simply being iterations of genre convention.

  In case this sounds dour, it must be noted that there's a fair bit of comedy too. Not all of it lands, but a lot of it does. It doesn't matter how old or young you are, some light slapstick with a heavy dose of funny facial expressions never gets old.

  

  On a more basic craft level, the show looks great too. The unique visual style has already been mentioned, but the animation in HeartCatch never dips below decent and often pulls out at least a few great-looking shots per episode, really ramping up in particular in the show’s final quarter. That, combined with the strong aesthetic, makes for a show that’s a visual treat.

  Now, this must be tempered with the obvious--Pretty Cure on the whole is one of the most nakedly merchandise-driven anime ever made, and as a consequence if you can’t put up with outrageously toyetic magic wands, jewelry boxes, and so on, you are going to be a touch frustrated. That, though, is less of a complaint about HeartCatch and more of a complaint about the capitalistic realities of for-profit children’s TV. Something well outside the scope of this review.

  

  Don't forget to bug your parents for your very own Flower Tact! So you can be just like Cure Blossom!

  ---

  There’s also quite a lot of stock footage as is standard for the franchise, but it’s woven well into the episodes and allows the non-stock sequences to stand out even more. A fair amount of filler is present too. However, only about 5 or 6 of the show’s 49 episodes feel genuinely inconsequential, a batting average that most single-cour anime would envy.

  There are, finally, a few places where its themes falter ever-so-slightly. HeartCatch is sadly a “straight” magical girl show in more ways than one, as Tsubomi has an early crush on Itsuki dashed by the knowledge that she’s a girl. It would’ve been a lot to ask at the turn of the last decade, but at least some token exploration of these feelings persisting would’ve been nice, as a further iteration of the self-acceptance theme. Ultimately though, these are all relatively minor qualms as opposed to major criticisms.

  The long and short of it is that if you want a magical girl series of this type, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one from the New ‘10s than HeartCatch. Ten years on, it remains one of the franchise's most popular seasons. It also hasn’t aged a day since it concluded, and if you’re the sort who finds value in classic Good Vs. Evil narratives, strong, resonant messaging that hits as hard at 33 and 23 as it does at 13, or even just pretty transformation sequences, there’s a lot to love in HeartCatch.

  

  ---

  And if you liked this review, why not check out some of my others here on Anilist?

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• 

  MC45436G

  98/100
  Precure's first masterpiece, and a kids show that can rival the best anime in the medium.

  I hate spoilers, so this review will be completely spoiler free.

  As time goes on and the more anime you watch, your taste naturally evolves. So does the number of shows that stick out decrease. Therefore, when you watch something that gives you the same level of enjoyment and leaves an impact as some of the firsts you watched, that is a sign of a truly special anime. Heartcatch Precure is one of those shows and it still holds up even one year after completing it.

  If there is any other show that I can credit for turning me into the magical girl guy, it would be Heartcatch Precure. Madoka was my first, Sailor Moon got me properly into the genre, Hugtto later solidified my love, but Heartcatch was the first one besides Madoka that I could say was a near masterpiece. With the previous Precure seasons and other traditional mahou shoujos I watched before them, they were good shows in their own right. I quite liked them a lot but I found that they all lacked a special sauce that would allow me to compare them to the best anime in the medium. Don’t get me wrong, classic monster of the week magical girls have their appeal but they can’t really stand against some of the best anime from other genres. That is, until I watched Heartcatch Precure. A show made for kids that I would call a “masterpiece level anime”.

  

  To put it simply, Heartcatch is what I would classify as THE best traditional monster of the week mahou shoujo when looking at it objectively. It learns from not only the previous Precure seasons, but takes all the tropes associated with the genre as a whole and refines them to perfection. If anything, the tropes such as the use of stock footage and the episodic nature are the only things holding Heartcatch back from being a true masterpiece anime.

  The big way Heartcatch refines the traditional magical girl formula lies within its name and the main theme of this season. Each monster of the week is a manifestation of a person’s heart and inner desires. It is then up to the cures to purify these monsters by understanding them. This gives a lot of depth to each encounter as getting to know the feelings of the characters, their emotions and their insecurities is what is needed to catch their hearts and cure them. Among the many stories told through the episodic structure, there are some that are quite hard hitting and even tackle mature subjects. They are very human and relatable.

  

  This aspect also ties to how Heartcatch is a kids show with universal appeal. Similar to something like Avatar the last Airbender, the contrast of more mature topics with the mostly lighthearted tone is what makes those darker moments hit harder. Heartcatch is still aimed towards kids at the end of the day but, like some of the best kids shows out there, it has elements that even adults can still appreciate. Its darker moments are more impactful when juxtaposed against the light, and vice-versa. Heartcatch is still Precure, so the light is prevalent throughout the whole show. It just gets to shine even brighter with the increase of darker elements. While still remaining a kids show, it conveys themes and messages that can resonate with anyone.

  Beyond the more mature touch, the show also is a lot easier to consume than other mahou shoujos and even other Precures. Each Precure season usually can be placed on a scale. On one end, the more goofy, lighthearted and more episodic; and the other end, the more serious side with greater overarching elements. Heartcatch falls into the latter. The main characters go through well crafted arcs that span throughout the whole run. As well as the second half having some of the most plot progression in all of Precure. This makes Heartcatch one of the best seasons to consume as there is always a feeling of progression, even when it’s small and subtle. Many seasons usually maintain a consistent quality throughout their run but Heartcatch is the one that starts really well, and only gets better as it goes on. Culminating in one of the best and exhilarating finales in the franchise.

  Another point that sets Heartcatch apart from most of Precure is the art style and animation. The character designs are the most unique in the franchise and the show greatly benefits from them.

  

  They are simple but very expressive. A lot of emotion and expressiveness is brought from these designs which also help enforce the themes of the season. Precure is also known for its amazing fight animation and this season is no exception. The simple and stylized designs result in Heartcatch being the most consistently well animated season in the franchise. The flights can get really intense and they shine even more in the plot heavier second half.

  Lastly, beyond the tone, themes, animation or plot there is one factor that will always make or break a Precure season in my eyes. The most important element of any season is the characters. Thankfully, Heartcatch has some of the best in the franchise. From the fun and quirky villains that receive quite some depth as the story progresses, to the loveable side characters who are well explored thanks to the monster of the week gimmick. The cast is very loveable and they make the show feel very alive. Heartcatch’s world is very much alive with a lot of personality. But of course, the main cures are what make Heartcatch as good as it is. I won’t talk about the later cures (for spoiler reasons), but their arcs and growth are among the most mature and hard hitting in Precure in general.

  Now onto the stars of the show, our main duo. Tsubomi/ cure Blossom and Erika/cure Marine are Heartcatch’s biggest strength.

  

  Individually they are both great. Tsubomi’s arc of a shy and insecure girl becoming stronger and more confident is a tale as old as time, but one that Heartcatch tells to great effect. She is one of the pink cures that receives the most development and her arc is a very easy one to relate to. Erika, on the other hand, is the exact opposite in a very effective way. She may be annoying at times but her enthusiasm and pure hearted nature is what makes her such a loveable character. She is also the Precure’s meme queen so that gives her extra points.

  

  However, it is their dynamic and the growth of their friendship that makes them the best part of the show. Their strengths and weaknesses complement each other and their interactions are always enjoyable to watch.

  

  When going through Precure chronologically, it is very easy to see why Heartcatch is good as it is. It takes all the strengths from previous seasons: the well developed duo and impactful action scenes from Futari wa and Splash Star, the ensemble cast of Yes 5 and the more connected plot from Fresh. Heartcatch takes them all, improves on some of them and goes further beyond. This jump in quality is significant but the show still carries on the spirit of previous and later Precure seasons.

  There is a reason why Heartcatch is always recommended first when getting into Precure. It is not only one the best seasons in the franchise, has some of its peaks and shows what makes it so great; Heartcatch Precure IS one the best Magical Girls in the genre as a whole. Once you get used to the mahou shoujo tropes, you will find the one kids show that can stand up to some of the best anime of all time. While it may not be as dark and complex as something like Madoka in the grand scheme, it is a masterpiece when it comes to the original magical girl formula that is associated with most of the genre.

  Heartcatch Precure, despite being a show aimed at little girls, can provide a similar experience to some of the best anime of all time.

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