TL;DR:
+Features some of Precure’s most beautiful and expressive character designs and transformations.
+Outstanding soundtrack.
+Main character Madoka Kaguya has received strong characterization with strong emotional resonance to a real-world problem that many people struggle with.
-Mishandling of all other mains characters, especially Elena Amamiya, leads the show to be a weak choice for those who value anime with strong characterization.
-The show’s beautiful transformations fall apart when the characters transform as a group, where characters interrupting each other visually. This is highly uncharacteristic of the franchise’s group transformations.
-Stiff and incohesive action scenes may be a turnoff to those familiar with the franchise’s stronger entries.
The three main draws of Precure since its very first entry are: characters, character designs, and action scenes. By far the most important aspect of Precure has always been its endearing and lovable characters but so far Star Twinkle has presented lopsided characterization, with one character being almost outright ignored. Star Twinkle’s action scenes have also been particularly weak and uninteresting, and for that reason I would say that you should check out other entries if that fact bothers you. With Star Twinkle Precure stumbling with two of Precure’s major appeals, I find it difficult to recommend the show as an entry representative of Precure’s quality.
Star Twinkle ABSOLUTELY nails its character designs with the character art looking consistently adorable and the individual transformation sequences being wholly engaging. These transformations also include an incredible soundtrack by Yuki Hayashi (known for work in Haikyuu and My Hero Academia), with plenty of other outstanding soundtracks playing throughout the show.. Unfortunately Star Twinkle’s transformation sequences do begin to fall apart when they are combined into one sequence, with characters interrupting each other visually and seeming to fight over screentime. I’m hopeful that this problem will be fixed when the show introduces its fifth Precure. Outside of the show’s group transformations, there are mostly only positives to the show’s aesthetic and character designs.
If you’ve seen GIFs of combat from other Precure entries you’d probably be expecting fantastic animation during fight scenes, but you’d also be disappointed to find that Star Twinkle is far less action-oriented than many of Precure’s earlier seasons. Combat in Star Twinkle lacks the franchise’s usually elaborate martial arts combat, and action scenes generally amount to the characters getting swarmed by weaklings with minimal interaction between each other. For a show all about “IMAGINATION”, it also seems to be lacking in imaginative monster designs when compared to those of Heartcatch and Smile Precure. I’d return to this show at a later date if you value engaging action scenes.
In the character department, I’ll just let you know right away that you’ll be disappointed if you expect to see any development from Elena Amamiya in first 11+ episodes. Beyond her introduction she gets as much characterization as a brick. Past episode 3, Hoshina Hikaru and Lala Hagoromo are mostly played as comic relief characters rather than receiving much meaningful development, often seeming to set up great potential for character growth only to not deliver. To call Star Twinkle Precure watered-down isn’t entirely inaccurate, with older entries proving that Precure is capable of tackling problems with strong emotional resonance to the real world. Star Twinkle is uncharacteristically unambitious in this regard which leads me to recommend those interested in strong characterization to look at other seasons of Precure. There is one character who is an exception to this problem, however…
The only character to receive meaningful development, Madoka Kaguya, surprisingly salvages this shortcoming. Because of Madoka’s perfectionist complex, much of the show’s most interesting drama stems from her anxiety under the overwhelming pressure that her father places on her. She’s an endearing and vulnerable character who gives me hope that this show can handle more serious and personal problems, potentially offering an uplifting life message when her character conflict is resolved. If there’s any character to watch this show for it’s definitely Madoka.
Overall, Star Twinkle Precure is far from the most impressive entry that Precure has to offer. Unless the colorful characters and space theme already interest you, I would rather redirect you to some of the older seasons if you would like something more action-packed and character-driven.
