Pretty Cure or PreCure (ããªãã¥ã¢, Purikyua), also known as Glitter Force outside of Japan, is a Japanese magical girl anime metaseries created by Izumi Todo and produced by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, Asatsu-DK and Toei Animation. Each series revolves around a group of magical girls known as Pretty Cures who battle against evil forces. Starting in February 2004 with Futari wa Pretty Cure, the franchise has seen many anime series, spanning over 600 episodes to date, as well as spawning movies, manga, toys, and video games. Its most recent iteration, Kirakira PreCure a la Mode, began airing in February 2017 as part of TV Asahi's Sunday morning children's television block, following Super Hero Time. To date, three of the series have received English-language dubs.
Overview
Each of the series focuses on a group of girls, most commonly Japanese schoolgirls in their second year of middle school, who are granted special items that allow them to transform into legendary warriors known as the Pretty Cure (or Precure). With the assistance of creatures known as fairies, the Pretty Cure use their magical powers and enhanced strength to fight against evil forces and organizations who create monsters to bring misery to the Earth and further their plans. As these series progress and stronger enemies appear, the Cures gain new magical items, new abilities, and sometimes new allies to help them in their fight against evil.
Main series
There are currently fourteen anime television series in the franchise, two of which are direct sequels to their previous series. Each series has received a manga adaptation illustrated by Futago Kamikita, which is published in Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine alongside the anime. To date, three series: Futari wa Pretty Cure, Smile PreCure!, and DokiDoki! PreCure, have received adapted English-language dubbed releases under the names Pretty Cure, Glitter Force, and Glitter Force Doki Doki respectively.
- Futari wa Pretty Cure / Pretty Cure (2004â"2005)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart (2005â"2006)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star (2006â"2007)
- Yes! PreCure 5 (2007â"2008)
- Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo! (2008â"2009)
- Fresh Pretty Cure! (2009â"2010)
- HeartCatch PreCure! (2010â"2011)
- Suite PreCure (2011â"2012)
- Smile PreCure! / Glitter Force (2012â"2013)
- DokiDoki! PreCure / Glitter Force Doki Doki (2013â"2014)
- HappinessCharge PreCure! (2014â"2015)
- Go! Princess PreCure (2015â"2016)
- Maho Girls PreCure! (2016â"2017)
- Kirakira PreCure a la Mode (2017â"present)
Films
Beginning with Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart, each television series has received a theatrical animated film based on the series, with Max Heart receiving two films. Starting in March 2009, Pretty Cure All Stars films have been released each year, which crosses over characters from all the series to date. To date, there are currently thirteen TV-based films and eight All Stars films.
TV-to-movie
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart the Movie (æ ç"» ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ ããã¯ã¹ãã¼ã, Eiga Futari wa Purikyua Makkusu HÄto) (2005)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart the Movie 2: Friends of the Snow-Laden Sky (æ ç"» ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ Max Heart 2 éªç©ºã®ã¨ãã ã¡, Eiga Futari wa Purikyua Makkusu HÄto 2: Yukizora no Tomodachi) (2005)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star: Tick-Tock Crisis Hanging by a Thin Thread! (æ ç"» ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ ã¹ãã©ãã·ã¥âã¹ã¿ã¼ ãã¯ã¿ã¯å±æ©ä¸é«ª!, Eiga Futari wa Purikyua Supurashu SutÄ Tiku Taku Kiki Ippatsu!) (2006)
- Yes! Precure 5 the Movie: Great Miraculous Adventure in the Mirror Kingdom! (æ ç"» Yes!ããªãã¥ã¢5 é¡ã®å½ã®ãã©ã¯ã«å¤§å'éº!, Eiga Iesu! Purikyua Faibu: Kagami no Kuni no Mirakuru DaibÅken!) (2007)
- Yes! Precure 5 GoGo! the Movie: Happy Birthday in the Sweets Kingdom (æ ç"» Yes! ããªãã¥ã¢5 Go Go! ãè"åã®å½ã®ããã"ã¼ãã¼ã¹ãã£âª, Eiga Iesu! Purikyua Faibu GÅGÅ! Okashi no Kuni no HappÄ« BÄsudiâª) (2008)
- Fresh Pretty Cure! the Movie: The Kingdom of Toys has Lots of Secrets!? (æ ç"» ãã¬ãã·ã¥ããªãã¥ã¢!ãããã¡ãã®å½ã¯ç§å¯ããã£ã±ã!?, Eiga Furesshu Purikyua! Omocha no Kuni wa Himitsu ga Ippai!?) (2009)
- HeartCatch PreCure! the Movie: Fashion Show in the Flower Capital... Really?! (æ ç"» ãã¼ããã£ããããªãã¥ã¢ï¼è±ã®é½ã§ãã¡ãã·ã§ã³ã·ã§ã¼Â·Â·Â·ã§ããï¼ï¼, Eiga HÄtoKyatchi Purikyua! Hana no Miyako de Fasshon ShÅ...Desu ka!?) (2010)
- Suite PreCure the Movie: Take it back! The Miraculous Melody that Connects Hearts (æ ç"» ã¹ã¤ã¼ãããªãã¥ã¢âª ã¨ããã©ã! å¿ãã¤ãªãå¥è·¡ã®ã¡ããã£âª, Eiga SuÄ«to Purikyuaâª: Torimodose! Kokoro ga Tsunagu Kiseki no Merodi!) (2011)
- Smile Precure! the Movie: Big Mismatch in a Picture Book! (æ ç"» ã¹ãã¤ã«ããªãã¥ã¢ï¼ çµµæ¬ã®ä¸ã¯ã¿ã"ãªãã°ãã°ï¼, Eiga Sumairu Purikyua!: Ehon no Naka wa Minna Chiguhagu!) (2012)
- DokiDoki! Precure the Movie: Mana's Getting Married!!? The Dress of Hope that Connects to the Future (æ ç"» ããããï¼ããªãã¥ã¢ ããçµå©ï¼ï¼ï¼æªæ¥ã«ã¤ãªãå¸æã®ãã¬ã¹, Eiga Dokidoki! Purikyua: Mana Kekkon!!? Mirai ni Tsunagu KibÅ no Doresu) (2013)
- HappinessCharge PreCure! the Movie: The Ballerina of the Land of Dolls (æ ç"» ãã"ãã¹ãã£ã¼ã¸ããªãã¥ã¢ï¼äººå½¢ã®å½ã®ãã¬ãªã¼ã, Eiga HapinesuChÄji Purikyua! NingyÅ no Kuni no BarerÄ«na) (2014)
- Go! Princess Precure the Movie: Go! Go!! Splendid Triple Feature!!! (æ ç"» Goï¼ããªã³ã»ã¹ããªãã¥ã¢ Goï¼ Goï¼ï¼ 豪è¯3æ¬ç«ã¦ï¼ï¼ï¼, Eiga GÅ! Purinsesu Purikyua: GÅ! GÅ!! GÅka San-bon Date!!!) (2015)
- Maho Girls PreCure! the Movie: The Miraculous Transformation! Cure Mofurun! (æ ç"» é"æ³ã¤ããããªãã¥ã¢ï¼ å¥è·¡ã®å¤èº«ï¼ãã¥ã¢ã¢ãã«ã³ï¼, Eiga MahÅtsukai Purikyua!: Kiseki no Henshin! Kyua Mofurun!) (2016)
- Kirakira PreCure a la Mode the Movie: Crisply! The Memory of Mille-feuille! (æ ç"» ãã©ãã©âããªãã¥ã¢ã¢ã©ã¢ã¼ã ã'ãªãã¨ï¼æ³ãåºã®ãã«ãã£ã¼ã¦ï¼, Eiga Kirakira â Purikyua Ara MÅdo: Paritto! Omoide no MirufÄ«yu!) (2017)
Crossover films
- Pretty Cure All Stars DX: Everyone's Friends - the Collection of Miracles! (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãºDX ã¿ã"ãªã¨ãã ã¡ã£âå¥è·¡ã®å ¨å"¡å¤§éå!, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu Dirakkusu: Minna Tomodachiâ" Kiseki no Zenin DaishÅ«gÅ!) (2009)
- Pretty Cure All Stars DX2: Light of Hope - Protect the Rainbow Jewel! (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãºDX2 å¸æã®å âã¬ã¤ã³ãã¼ã¸ã¥ã¨ã«ã'å®ã!, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu Dirakkusu Tsu: Kibou no Hikari ReinbÅ Jueru wo Mamore!) (2010)
- Pretty Cure All Stars DX3: Deliver the Future! The Rainbow-Colored Flower That Connects the World! (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãºDX3 æªæ¥ã«å±ã'!ä¸çã'ã¤ãªãâè¹è²ã®è±, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu Dirakkusu SurÄ«: Mirai ni Todoke! Sekai wo Tsunagu Niji-Iro no Hana!) (2011)
- Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage: Friends of the Future (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãºNewStage ã¿ããã®ã¨ãã ã¡, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu NyÅ« SutÄ"ji: Mirai no Tomodachi) (2012)
- Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage 2: Friends of the Heart (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãº New Stage 2 ã"ã"ãã®ã¨ãã ã¡, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu NyÅ« SutÄ"ji TsÅ«: Kokoro no Tomodachi) (2013)
- Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage 3: Forever Friends (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãº New Stage 3 æ°¸é ã®ã¨ãã ã¡, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu NyÅ« SutÄ"ji SurÄ«: Eien no Tomodachi) (2014)
- Pretty Cure All Stars: Spring Carnival⪠(æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãº æ¥ã®ã«ã¼ããã«âª, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu: Haru no KÄnibaruâª) (2015)
- Pretty Cure All Stars: Singing with Everyone⪠Miraculous Magic! (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãº ã¿ã"ãªã§æãâªå¥è·¡ã®é"æ³!, Eiga Purikyua Åru SutÄzu: Minna de Utau⪠Kiseki no MahÅ!) (2016)
- Pretty Cure Dream Stars! (æ ç"» ããªãã¥ã¢ããªã¼ã ã¹ã¿ã¼ãº!, Eiga Purikyua DorÄ«mu SutÄzu!) (2017)
Musicals
Musicals are on stages since around the time Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart began airing on February 2005, and they are very popular. They don't usually have special names like the movies or games, and they are performed in theatres, or live stages. The main idea is that the singers (or sometimes just some random people) dress into Cures (they have their clothes on, while they have a large head on too, so no one can actually see their faces) and they perform their character songs or/and they perform short stories. These musicals are often made for children between the age of 5-9, and they sold merchandise on these musicals too. The musicals are often 2 or 3 hours long, depending the series and/or the songs'/stories' length.
Video games
Several video games have been produced by Bandai for video game systems and educational consoles, as well as ongoing Data Carddass arcade machines.
- Video games
- Futari wa Pretty Cure: Arienai! Yume no En wa Daimeikyu (ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ ããããªï½ãï¼å¤¢ã®å'ã¯å¤§è¿·å®®, Pretty Cure: Unbelievable! The Dream Park is a Labryinth) (2004, Game Boy Advance)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart: Maji? Maji!? Fight de IN Janai (ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ããã¯ã¹ãã¼ã ãã¸?ãã¸?!ãã¡ã¤ã de INãããªã, Pretty Cure Max Heart! : Really? Really!? A Fight is Okay, Isn't It?) (2005, Game Boy Advance)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart: Danzen! DS de Precure - Chikara wo Awasete Dai Battle (ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ããã¯ã¹ãã¼ããDANZEN!DSã§ããªãã¥ã¢åã'ãããã¦å¤§ããã«ï¼!, Pretty Cure Max Heart: - Absolutely! Pretty Cure on DS - The Great Battle Where Power Gathers) (2005, Nintendo DS)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star: Panpaka Game de ZekkÅchÅ! (ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ Splash Star ã'ã³ã'ã«ã²ã¼ã ã§ãã£ã"ãã¡ãã!, Pretty Cure Splash Star - In Top Condition for the PanPaka Game!) (2006, Nintendo DS)
- Yes! PreCure 5 (Yesï¼ããªãã¥ã¢5) (2007, Nintendo DS)
- Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: Zenin Shu Go! Dream Festival (Yesï¼ããªãã¥ã¢5GoGoï¼ å ¨å"¡ãã ã¼Go!ããªã¼ã ãã§ã¹ãã£ãã«, Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: All Assembled! Dream Festival) (2008, Nintendo DS)
- Fresh Pretty Cure: Asobi Collection (ãã¬ãã·ã¥ããªãã¥ã¢!ããã³ã³ã¬ã¯ã·ã§ã³, Fresh Pretty Cure: Play Collection) (2009, Nintendo DS)
- HeartCatch PreCure! Oshare Collection (ãã¼ããã£ããããªãã¥ã¢!ããããã³ã¬ã¯ã·ã§ã³, HeartCatch PreCure! Fashion Collection) (2010, Nintendo DS)
- Koe de AsobÅ! HeartCatch PreCure! (ã"ãã§ããã¼ã!ãã¼ããã£ããããªãã¥ã¢!, Let's Play With Voices! HeartCatch PreCure!) (2010, Nintendo DS)
- Suite PreCureâª: Melody Collection (ã¹ã¤ã¼ãããªãã¥ã¢âª ã¡ããã£ã³ã¬ã¯ã·ã§ã³) (2011, Nintendo DS)
- Smile PreCure! Let's Go! Märchen World (ã¹ãã¤ã«ããªãã¥ã¢!ãã¬ããã´ã¼ï¼ã¡ã«ãã³ã¯ã¼ã«ã) (2012, Nintendo 3DS)
- PreCure All Stars: Zenin ShÅ«gÅâLet's Dance! (ããªãã¥ã¢ãªã¼ã«ã¹ã¿ã¼ãº ãã"ãã"ãã ãã"ãâã¬ãããã³ã¹ï¼, PreCure All Stars: All TogetherâLet's Dance!) (2013, Wii)
- DokiDoki! PreCure: Narikiri Life! (ãããã!ããªãã¥ã¢ ãªãããã©ã¤ã!, DokiDoki! Precure: Impersonator Life!) (2013, Nintendo 3DS)
- HappinessCharge PreCure! Kawarun Collection (ãã"ãã¹ãã£ã¼ã¸ããªãã¥ã¢! ã«ã¯ã«ã³âã³ã¬ã¯ã·ã§ã³, HappinessCharge PreCure! Sparking Collection) (2014, Nintendo 3DS)
- Go! Princess PreCure: Sugar Åkoku to Rokunin no Princess (Go!ããªã³ã»ã¹ããªãã¥ã¢ ã·ã¥ã¬ã¼çå½ã¨6人ã®ããªã³ã»ã¹, Go! Princess PreCure: The Sugar Kingdom and the 6 Princesses) (2015, Nintendo 3DS)
- Arcade
- PreCure All Stars Data Carddass series (ããªãã¥ã¢ãã¼ã¿ã«ã¼ããã¹ã·ãªã¼ãº) (2007â"Ongoing)
- Educational titles
- Futari wa Pretty Cure (ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢) (2004, Sega Pico)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure: Max Heart (ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢Max Heart) (2005, Beena)
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star (ãµããã¯ããªãã¥ã¢ã¹ãã©ãã·ã¥ã¹ã¿ã¼) (2006, Beena)
- Yes! Pretty Cure 5 Go Go: Love Love Hiragana Lesson (Yesï¼ããªãã¥ã¢5GoGoï¼loveloveâã²ãããªã¬ãã¹ã³) (2008, Beena)
- Isshoni Henshin Fresh Pretty Cure (ãã£ããã«ã¸ã"ãã"â¥ãã¬ãã·ã¥ããªãã¥ã¢ï¼) (2009, Beena)
- Oshare ni Henshin HeartCatch PreCure! (ããããã«ã¸ã"ãã" ãã¼ããã£ããããªãã¥ã¢ï¼) (2010, Beena)
- Suite PreCureâª: Happy Oshare Harmonyâ (ã¹ã¤ã¼ãããªãã¥ã¢âªããã"ã¼ãããããã¼ã¢ãã¼â) (2011, Beena)
References
Further reading
- Berman, Jennifer (8 February 2005). "Pretty Cure". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews.Â
- Martin, Theron (24 June 2009). "Pretty Cure Episodes 1-14 Streaming". Anime News Network.Â
- Hartzheim, Bryan Hikari (October 2016). "Pretty Cure and the Magical Girl Media Mix". The Journal of Popular Culture. 49 (5): 1059â"1085. doi:10.1111/jpcu.12465.Â
External links
- Official website
- Toei Kyoto Studio Park - A theme park with official events, exhibitions and shops related to "Pretty Cure".