Healin' Good Precure- The Eighth season I am watching in the Precure Franchise, also the first one where I followed the broadcast from start to end.
So, I heard a lot of people bash Healin' Good Precure (HealPre) for being the most boring, slow-paced, and the biggest letdown of a season yet? Well- Screw that! Because THIS! SEASON! IS! Not perfect, BUT JUST DOWNRIGHT AMAZING.
It's SO good, that I literally cannot say ALL I want to say in the following Review. HealPre, with it's excellent and in-depth characters, colourful and eye-catching animation, a story with some of the most psychological and greatest messages I've seen yet, and SO MANY other things- This rendition is sealing itself as, in my eyes, the best season in Precure History.
Story: 10/10
The idea of HealPre's general story is surprisingly simple. A nature haven named the Healing Garden is attacked by the Byogens, a force that resembles a magic disease that is trying to infect the whole world.
I say "Idea of general story", because this is just the tip of the iceberg. Although not much to build on, the crew working behind HealPre seemed to have this incredible magic to milk almost every possible ounce of potential out of this series. It is a powerful season with, as I said, some extremely psychological messages that everyone should lend an ear for listening.
There are A LOT of these messages in HealPre. But perhaps what make this season such a diamond for yours truly is, ironically, a certain disease that killed millions, not in their world, but ours.
Don't get me wrong- Covid-19 is no joke. However, with that, HealPre came out in the right time and place to make it so special. In MANY episodes of HealPre, we see countless reflections of our world under the pandemic. We see the spirit and values of the Healthcare Industry in the healing work of the Precure. We see the struggles of a patient with a disease that cripples them to no end in the story of Nodoka, our main Cure. We see the will of every living being on this planet- The will to live and to survive even when all hope seems lost, from the preseverance of the Cures, the fairies, and the many people we see in the series.
No confrontation has left me more mesmerized and thought-provoked than the final showdown and epilogue of HealPre. The concept that Byogens and humans are no different, to harm nature for the sake of survival and their own benefit- Their own lives. We are a selfish species. But it's not only our lives we fight for- We fight for the sake of others too. And that includes nature as well. It's a battle that, so long as we live, we are destined and reponsible to participate in. That brings hope to me more than ever during this daunting era we live in today.
HealPre is a subtlely progressing story on both sides of the conflict, and has a delicate balance between character development, team development, plot progression, and so on. All aspects shine in this lovely present- It's packaging quite dull on the outside, but on the inside, it's a gift to me, to all the fans, and to the entire world. A stunning work of art that's fun, uplifting, and just pleasant to watch the whole way through.
Art: 10/10
HealPre's animation gives off a relaxing vibe and matches with the pleasant and nicely paced story. A warm and colourful setting and environment helps people engage with the series whenever scenery is concerned.
It achieves a drastic but cool change when switching between the normal episodic story and the weekly fight, from peaceful to epic and bold. Attacks this season were beautiful and are exactly what they're intended to feel- They are powerful.
Designs for the Cures were perfect for the theme across different forms, and Villains were designed to give off a vicious and antagonizing touch, making their menace well-shown. The upgraded forms of each character are just icing on the cake.
Specific episodes, such as episode 16, 29, 41, and so on, are able to better bring out hidden meanings in the story, both in the episode itself or the overall season through attention to details.
Sound: 10/10
HealPre's background music matches with the mood, the setting, and the animation. It is with music I frequently immerse myself into this already eye-catching season. Continuing its trend of being peaceful while adding a splash of colour here and there, the series treats us to a spectrum of tunes. Enjoy the tranquil tunes in heart-to-hearts and breathtaking scenes. Cheer on the Cures as you jam to the battle themes. Picture yourself in the moment as a catchy country melody plays in the countrysides.
Cool sound effects here and there, like the Cure Touch, the Elements, and all those bling bling moments are just so great to hear.
This section won't be complete without me mentioning the superb voice acting. Pretty much every main character I can think of has amazing voice acting, most particularly, Nodoka and Rabirin. Rabirin has had her fantastic moments when it comes to her lines (Episode 28).
Character: 9.5/10
This is the part I wish I can detail on, but this review would be way too long if I did. So I will make it hopefully not as long.
I'll start with Chiyu. In the past, I tend to be less in favor of the Blue Cure, but I really like this one! Not as much as the others, but Chiyu has a great double character arc- Yes, a double arc! Her development was geared towards both as an Athlete and an Innkeeper, and I thought this approach would be messy, but by the end, it seemed as if the arcs joined together perfectly. She is a very independent girl with a strong heart, and she grew into a great person through the series. And while other Blue Cures would have their arc end with them choosing between two life paths, Chiyu actually chose both! That's new.
Next, Hinata. Hinata was an extremely fun character to watch, making her my fav. I love her enthusiasm and her clumsiness sometimes, but her insecurity regarding failure is very relatable, seeing her go through the struggles was awesome to watch. She's just a great girl and entertained me so much, but what's disappointing was that due to the Covid-19 pandemic causing the show to have a hiatus, it was rumoured that Hinata lost quite a few episodes to the restructuring of the series.
Then, there is Asumi. Now, I agree with the fandom that Asumi is HEAVILY underdeveloped, which is one of the few problems that I had with this season. But regardless, I actually enjoy watching her very much! Asumi was a character that was strong as a Cure, but not very bright when it came to daily life. I find her humanizing very intriguing.
And finally, and definitely not least (And I totally did not accidentally leave her out before posting this), Nodoka. I can talk about her for hours- Because she has become the greatest Precure to have ever existed. I shall spare you, dear reader, the pain of reading this long review become even longer. Simply put, Nodoka has the most unique, most powerful, and most emotional story of any Precure Lead to have ever appeared, let alone of any Precure in general. She is a girl filled with endless excitement for things around her, filled with kindness for those she loves. But, she is also fearless, valiant, persistent, and most importantly, a leader at heart. Even today, I still can't believe it- I failed to find a single crack in her story. Nodoka is my long-awaited peak of character development. And I forever love her for what she had done for this season.
Enjoyment: 10/10
HealPre is a fantastic show for people like me, who have been used to the pace of the franchise. It may be slow but it isn't slow without reason, because this season shows the value of character development to such a critical degree.
Besides that, the characters are just a treat to watch. It's a team I love watching very much, with all of their interactions from highs to lows. And as Toei continued to blow away my expectations again and again, I was astounded. And I applauded as the series closed with a brilliant and meaningful ending.
Overall: 9.9/10
This season was... Just unbelievable. It has it's own set of problems, but just about every season past Go Princess, the previous peak, has had huge problems. I would dare to say this time, every one of those huge problems have been fixed and done right.
No Precure season triumphs the real-world reflections that Healin' Good Precure has made. No season has given yours truly more crucial values to carry for the rest of my life. While this season isn't my favorite season, and it's not a season I recommend watching if you're not used to slow-paced anime, I will say:
Healin' Good Precure is a masterpiece through and through.
