Ojamajo Doremi Na-i-sho, Heartcatch Precure! Recommendations
For one point the character design is a obvious similiarity between both, but not quite the only one.
Heartcatch Pretty Cure usually has its quite episodic scheme of having a light focus on a character somewhat close to the main characters, or whom they meet. These characters have troubles, hence get there withering "Heart flowers" stolen and transform into monsters, whose probably one special aspect is that they are now able to freely outspeak their trouble. Doing so, having sometimes the source of their trouble hear that (and with a bit help of the Cures purifying magic of course) their trouble get in some way or
another solved (or ceases to be the big problem of before).
Ojamajo Doremi Naisho is a chain of loose short stories, set between the third and forth season of the parent story. (Knowledge of the parent story is not 100% nescessary. I only watched the first two seasons and about half a dozen of the other two and that was plenty enough.)
Ojamajo Doremi has 5 female "witch novice" protagonists. Quite as like in Heartcatch Pretty Cure, each episode has a focus on other characters in the vicinity of the protagonists or on one of whom they meet. These character have about quite similiar problems as in Heartcatch Pretty Cure and (sometimes with a little help of their magic) help these characters to solve their problems.
Ojamajo Doremi Naisho, however, deals with the problems in a more serious and realistic manner. Magic is an important part in its parent story, but plays a rather minor role in Naisho (and the movie). In Ojamajo Doremi Naisho people generally solve their problems by themselve or with help of an advice (sometimes given by one of the main characters who only used their magic to change their appearance to disguise themselves.)
This and the fact that some of the problems dealt with are quite more serious than in Heartcatch Pretty Cure, makes in my humble opinion, Ojamajo Doremi Naisho more mature and serious than Heartcatch Pretty Cure, and about most of the typical Magical Girl titles.
Technically looking both series have a strikingly similiar character design, which is not really surprising. The Ojamajo Doremi Franchise is pretty much the second big sister franchise of the Pretty Cure Franchise (as between the Ojamajo Doremi Series and the Pretty Cure Series was Ashita no Nadja). Hence technically Heartcatch Pretty Cure is superior, through Ojamajo Doremi Naisho is not this bad either.
Another point may be the voice cast. Ojamajo Doremi's protagonist have voices trimmed to be childisch (which gets on the nerves sometimes), while Heartcatch Pretty Cure has not. Through the side characters of Ojamajo Doremi Naisho, on whom the focus is actuall on, don't have this problem.
Conclusivesly, having watched Ojamajo Doremi Naisho first I was really hoping Heart Catch Pretty Cure to be its worthy successor. Successor it is, through perhaps not yet worthy. For all who like Heartcatch Pretty cure, I really recommend its "bigger sister".
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