Despite their animal appearance, this season’s theme is sweets. If you are unfamiliar with precure, the gist is that the first 10-15 episodes are typically character building and world building. The midway point is a turning point in the plot and the introduction of a new main character. The last 20-25 episodes advance the plot, round out the characters, redeem the villains, and solve the conflict. However this season falls short on many of these aspects.
Characters:
The good: The main 6 cures are the saving grace of this season. They each receive their own respective character episodes and go through challenges that lead to proper development. Previous seasons have shown favoritism however in Kira Kira they all have multiple chances to shine throughout the season. The character designs are also beautiful and very unique, especially for a precure season.
The bad: It is extremely common for villains in magical girl anime to be redeemed. However in Kira Kira, after the villains receive their well-deserved redemption, they are cast aside. Their character is barely explored any further and their goals and aspirations are never mentioned again (particularly in reference to Julio, the first villain). Kira Kira dedicates a lot of time getting you to love these characters but instead of being a moving experience, you’re left with a lot of questions, disappointment, and a longing for more.
The Plot:
Precure starts off slow however Kira Kira feels like a painful waiting game. Episode after episode went by without any clue as to who the main villain was and what his goal was. In fact, it isn’t revealed until episode 46ish that we find out anything about the villain’s past and his goals. The evil just feels like its for the fun of it and the ending battle feels like a breeze. In fact, its so over the top that you might even have a laugh or two. Sweets that someone spends time perfecting and creating for someone they love is full of powerful and wonderful feelings called Kira Kiraru but why are the villains trying to steal this power? What is the enemy’s ultimate goal? You will be asking this for 46 episodes and even then the answer is vague, confusing and lackluster. If you are here for story, you will end episode 48 with a giant question mark.
Combat:
I really wanted to talk about the combat in this season. Past Precure seasons have shown battles almost as intense as Dragon Ball Z. The girls typically beat the snot out of the enemy after getting thrown around like rag dolls themselves. Now I don’t think violence is necessarily essential but in Kira Kira, the girls simply wave their flashy wands and wrap their enemies up with cream and almost immediately the evil is defeated. There was no growth for their powers. They started off strong, they ended equally as strong. They were perfect super heroes from episode 1 until episode 49. The evil was never even as a real threat and it just felt mediocre. They didn’t experience despair for more than 5 minutes at a time, they never had consequences or loss due to their actions. They never have to do anything other than jump around and wiggle their arm back in forth in order to triumph over the evil. Not only was the entertainment aspect not there but who cares about a hero with plot armor so thick that the victory is basically wrapped up in a bow and hand delivered to them by their enemy?
Sound and Animation:
This season was aesthetically pleasing. As far as I can recall, there are about 4 off-model episodes out of 49 which is quite good for Toei. The animation is absolutely wonderful, the character’s movements are smooth and suit their personality. Their expressions are cute, comical and emotional when need be. The music in this season is absolutely stunning. The OST (including the vocal album) is enchanting, heart-warming and actually saves some of the more mediocre scenes. When something is supposed to be emotional in the plot but it falls short, the music desperately holds it together. The opening song is catchy, the first end song is meh and the second end song is very very enjoyable. The vocal album this season also felt like a lot more time had been dedicated to it.
Overall:
It wasn’t a terrible experience but it wasn’t the best one. I looked forward to watching the episodes but unfortunately the ending never came to fruition. I desperately try to give Precure the benefit of the doubt since it is a children’s show but that excuse can only go so far (especially since past precure seasons have pulled off amazing plot lines with amazing characters). If you are looking for a Precure season to watch I suggest Go! Princess Precure and Heartcatch to start off. If you are someone who follows Precure, we can only hope next season delivers.
