Precure has been the juggernaut of women’ anime for the previous 20+ years, and the commonest means for others to compete has been by making exhibits centered on music idols. So when You and Idol Precure was introduced as the primary entry to additionally incorporate this well-liked motif, I questioned the way it would possibly attempt to differentiate itself from the remainder of the pack.
You and Idol Precure is a return to the beams-and-brawls fashion that had lengthy outlined the franchise however was minimized in the latest predecessor, Great Precure! On this means, You and Idol Precure can be a sequence that speaks to the legacy of each “magical lady as idol” (Creamy Mami, Searching for the Full Moon) and “magical lady as fighter” (Cutie Honey, Sailor Moon). I had excessive hopes that this season might mix the 2 sides in an fascinating style, and whereas I believe it total turned out decently, I can’t assist however really feel that there was some wasted potential.
The constructing blocks are wonderful: The premise of bringing pleasure and defeating doubt as idol magical women is enjoyable. The heroines are vivid and memorable when it comes to persona and presentation. The animation, whereas at instances inconsistent, can actually shine, akin to throughout massive battles and transformation sequences. Aspect characters, be they allies or enemies, have a pleasant stability between seriousness and silliness. And the present tries to principally say that individuals have each mild and darkness in them, and celebrating the previous shouldn’t imply denying the presence of the latter.
However the sequence falters for me in two methods. The primary is that its method to the idol facet feels each a bit of too typical, and prefer it doesn’t lean into that facet sufficient. The second is that the present doesn’t give its extra fascinating tales and themes sufficient room to essentially breathe and develop.
In regard to level #1, a part of me hoped that the sequence can be them going round and having to dwell their careers as idols whereas taking down the dangerous guys. Whereas this isn’t far off from what truly occurs, I actually suppose it might be extra thrilling. Equally, each heroine within the sequence does a particular music and dance as their ending transfer highlighting their distinctive qualities: Treatment Idol likes to sing, Treatment Wink has a traditional western music background, and Treatment Kyunkyun is a dancer. Naturally, they finally get group performances as mixture assaults, but it surely finally ends up being the identical ones on repeat, and the emphasis on what makes every Precure particular falls to the wayside. If they’d modified up the middle primarily based on who’s the main focus in an episode, they may have maintained this side.
As for level #2, there are a variety of characters launched that assist give some depth and dimension to the world. There are narratives that contain coping with sacrificing your best wishes to assist save those you’re keen on, ones about getting consumed by damaging feelings, and even ones about guilt over succeeding the place your mates and friends have failed. All of those have the potential to information plotlines in ways in which reward viewers over an extended interval, however they’re nearly all resolved in a single or two episodes. One story—involving a well-known male idol who befriends the principle heroine Uta and his want to reconcile with an outdated good friend—might be the most effective executed of them, however I’d have appreciated to see much more in that vein.
I do know I’m not the audience in most methods. I’m not a bit of lady and even a lot of an idol fan (regardless of my ever-growing curiosity in VTubers). Actually, seeing as I’ve now been watching Precure for over 20 years, the gulf solely will get wider with time. I’m conscious of all this, and perceive that what I need out of an anime isn’t essentially what a 9-year-old needs.
However I’ve seen when Precure could make one thing for its core viewers and nonetheless current one thing with larger substance. I don’t suppose this can be a case of Precure failing to respect the intelligence of its younger viewers, as I actually consider it’s making an attempt to assist them perceive and course of advanced and conflicting feelings whereas offering nice position fashions to admire and emulate. Reasonably, I consider You and Idol Precure might have been a extra cohesive work that extra deftly sews collectively all its greatest qualities to create one thing really unbelievable.
