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Pretty Cure

The Pretty Cure Series (プリキュアシリーズ) is a Japanese tokusatsu heroine, magical girl anime franchise created by Izumi Todo and produced by Toei Animation.[1] Each series revolves around a group of magical girls known as Pretty Cures who battle against evil forces. Starting in February 2004 with Pretty Cure, the franchise has seen many anime series, spanning over 1000 episodes to date, as well as spawning movies, manga, toys, and video games. Its most recent iteration, Star Detective Precure!, began airing in February 2026 as part of TV Asahi's Sunday morning children's television block. As of December 2022, three series have received English adaptations, although many others have received English subtitle versions.

Overview

Each series focuses on a group of teenage girls who are granted special items that allow them to transform into legendary warriors known as the Pretty Cure. With the assistance of creatures known as fairies, the Pretty Cure use their magical powers and enhanced strength to fight against evil forces who create monsters to bring misery to the Earth. As the series progresses and stronger enemies appear, the Cures gain new magical items, new abilities, and sometimes new allies to help them in their fight against evil.

Main series

There are currently twenty-three anime television series in the franchise, two of which are direct sequels to their previous series. To date, three of the series have received English adaptations. Pretty Cure was dubbed into English by Ocean Productions and aired in Canada under the name Pretty Cure. Smile PreCure! and DokiDoki! PreCure were adapted by Saban Brands and released on Netflix under the names Glitter Force and Glitter Force Doki Doki, respectively. The series, Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode, Healin' Good Pretty Cure and ''Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure'', began streaming in Crunchyroll on their respective territories. Each series has received a manga adaptation illustrated by Futago Kamikita, which is published in Kodansha's Nakayoshi shoujo magazine alongside the anime. Starting with Fresh PreCure!, each ending movie featured a dance choreography by each series' Pretty Cure members.

As of 2020, Toei Animation Inc. owns the international rights to the franchise while both the dubs of Smile and DokiDoki alongside the Glitter Force brand is currently owned by Hasbro.[2][3][4][5]

Adaptations

Films

Starting in 2005, Beginning with Pretty Cure Max Heart, each television series has received a theatrical animated film based on the series, with Max Heart receiving two films.

Starting in 2009, crossover films featuring characters from multiple series have been released annually, with 14 crossover films released to date. The eleventh crossover film, Hug! Precure♡Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories, has been awarded the Guinness World Records title for "Most Magical Warriors in an Anime Film", with a total number of 55 Cures with speaking roles.[20]

Spin-offs

Video games

Several video games have been produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Bandai) for video game systems and educational consoles, as well as Data Carddass arcade machines.

  • Console Video games
  • Pretty Cure: Unbelievable! The Dream Park is a Labryinth (ふたりはプリキュア ありえな～い！夢の園は大迷宮) (2004, Game Boy Advance)
  • Pretty Cure Max Heart: Really? Really!? A Fight is Okay, Isn't It? (ふたりはプリキュアマックスハート マジ?マジ?!ファイト de INじゃない) (2005, Game Boy Advance)
  • Pretty Cure Max Heart: Absolutely! Pretty Cure on DS - The Great Battle Where Power Gathers (ふたりはプリキュアマックスハート　DANZEN!DSでプリキュア力をあわせて大バトル！!) (2005, Nintendo DS)
  • PreCure Splash Star: In Top Condition for the PanPaka Game! (ふたりはプリキュア Splash Star パンパカゲームでぜっこうちょう!) (2006, Nintendo DS)
  • Yes! PreCure 5 (Yes！プリキュア5) (2007, Nintendo DS)
  • Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: All Assembled! Dream Festival (Yes！プリキュア5GoGo！ 全員しゅーGo!ドリームフェスティバル) (2008, Nintendo DS)
  • Fresh PreCure! Play Collection (フレッシュプリキュア!あそびコレクション) (2009, Nintendo DS)
  • Heart Catch PreCure Fashion Collection (ハートキャッチプリキュア!おしゃれコレクション) (2010, Nintendo DS)
  • Let's Play With Voices! Heart Catch PreCure (こえであそぼう!ハートキャッチプリキュア!) (2010, Nintendo DS)
  • Suite PreCure: Melody Collection (スイートプリキュア♪ メロディコレクション) (2011, Nintendo DS)
  • Smile PreCure! Let's Go! Märchen World (スマイルプリキュア!　レッツゴー！メルヘンワールド) (2012, Nintendo 3DS)
  • PreCure All Stars: All Together☆Let's Dance! (プリキュアオールスターズ ぜんいんしゅうごう☆レッツダンス！) (2013, Wii)
  • DokiDoki! PreCure: Impersonator Life! (ドキドキ!プリキュア なりきりライフ!) (2013, Nintendo 3DS)
  • Happiness Charge PreCure! Sparking Collection (ハピネスチャージプリキュア! カワルン☆コレクション) (2014, Nintendo 3DS)
  • Go! Princess PreCure: The Sugar Kingdom and the 6 Princesses (Go!プリンセスプリキュア シュガー王国と6人のプリンセス) (2015, Nintendo 3DS)
  • PreCure Connecting Puzzlun (プリキュアつながるぱずるん) (2017-2020, iOS, Android)
  • Nari Kids Park: HUG! Pretty Cure (なりキッズパーク　HUGっと！プリキュア) (2018, Nintendo Switch)
  • Arcade game
  • PreCure All Stars Data Carddass series (プリキュアデータカードダスシリーズ) (2007–2017)
  • Educational titles
  • Pretty Cure (ふたりはプリキュア) (2004, Sega Pico)
  • Pretty Cure: Max Heart (ふたりはプリキュアMax Heart) (2005, Beena)
  • PreCure Splash Star (ふたりはプリキュアスプラッシュスター) (2006, Beena)
  • Yes! Precure 5 Go Go: Love Love Hiragana Lesson (Yes！プリキュア5GoGo！lovelove☆ひらがなレッスン) (2008, Beena)
  • Let's change: Fresh PreCure! (いっしょにへんしんフレッシュプリキュア！) (2009, Beena)
  • Let's do some stylish change: Heart Catch PreCure (おしゃれにへんしん ハートキャッチプリキュア！) (2010, Beena)
  • Suite PreCure: Happy Stylish Harmony (スイートプリキュア♪ハッピーおしゃれハーモニー☆) (2011, Beena)

Live-action Drama

A live-action series, Koe Girl! (声ガール！), aired in Japan between April and June 2018, celebrating the franchise's 15th anniversary. The series follows a group of aspiring voice actresses and stars Haruka Fukuhara, who voiced Himari Arisugawa/Cure Custard in KiraKira PreCure a la Mode.[21]

Reception

The combination of transmedia text products, including anime series, films, live performances, theme stores, and toys, has been analyzed as a "system of consumption, knowledge and action [that] creates a lifestyle-text, a set of fictional media works that are synonymous with the lifestyle practices they promote."[22]

The Pretty Cure films are the seventh highest-grossing anime film franchise.[23] Bandai Namco's net income from Pretty Cure video game sales was ¥billion (US$million) from April 2008 to March 2012, ¥billion (US$million) from April 2012 to March 2013, ¥million (US$million) from April 2013 to March 2014,[24] and ¥million (US$7.8 million) from April 2014 to December 2020,[24][25] adding up to ¥6.1 billion (US$73.1 million) net sales revenue for Bandai Namco.

Merchandise

Pretty Cure has had numerous licensed merchandise sold in Japan. By 2010, it became Japan's fifth highest-grossing franchise annually.[26]

Further reading

External links

References

  1. I understand that you are watching the series very carefully. First of all, as you may know, for series sponsored by toy makers like Precure, the rough storyline is fairly pre-determined. That is because the toy sales strategy is prioritized.^
  2. Saban Brands Gives Glitter Force Trademark to Toei Animation - The Tokusatsu Network The Tokusatsu Network, 2017-05-25, retrieved 2018-11-21^
  3. Glitter Force Brand's Rights Move to Hasbro Anime News Network, retrieved 2018-11-21^
  4. Glitter Force 2018-07-06, retrieved 2018-11-21^
  5. Hasbro. Glitter Force – a legendary superhero squad www.glitterforce.com, retrieved 2018-11-21^
  6. Dokidoki! Precure Trademark Filed in Japan Anime News Network, 2012-10-24, retrieved 2012-11-01^
  7. Dokidoki! Precure Revealed as New Precure With Logo - News Anime News Network, 2013-02-06, retrieved 2013-02-10^
  8. 'Go! Princess Precure' Trademark Filed 30 October 2014, retrieved 29 October 2014^
  9. Next PreCure Series will be "Go! Princess PreCure"? 30 October 2014, retrieved 30 October 2014^
  10. 'Mahō Tsukai Precure' Trademark Filed AnimeNewsNetwork.com, 19 October 2015^
  11. Toei Animation USA - Precure toei-animation-usa.com, retrieved 2019-03-05^
  12. 'Kirakira PreCure a la Mode' Trademark Filed - News Anime News Network, 2016-10-25^
  13. 'Hugtto! Precure' Trademark Filed Anime News Network, 2017-10-16^
  14. Toei Confirms Hugtto! Precure TV Anime for 2018 Anime News Network, retrieved 28 November 2017^
  15. 作品情報(さくひんじょうほう) www.toei-anim.co.jp, retrieved 2019-09-24^
  16. 東映アニメーション株式会社により「ヒーリングっど♡プリキュア」が商標登録出願されていることが、公開商標公報から明らかになりました. 出願番号は2019-130108です. 22 October 2019^
  17. Toei Animation Unveils Hirogaru Sky! Precure as Franchise's 20th Entry Anime News Network, 2022-11-30^
  18. Precure Franchise Announces Wonderful Precure! Anime Anime News Network, 2023-11-30^
  19. You and Idol Precure♪ Anime Reveals Story, Cast, Staff, February 2 Debut Anime News Network, 2025-01-04^
  20. 55 anime characters unite in anniversary film to achieve unique record Guinness World Records, 2018-11-22, retrieved 2019-03-31^
  21. Precure Anime Inspires Live-Action Show About Aspiring Voice Actresses Anime News Network, retrieved 2019-03-31^
  22. Anya C. Benson. Becoming Purikyua: Building the lifestyle-text in Japanese girls' franchises Contemporary Japan, 2019^
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  28. 日本のアニメ・マンガを取り巻く状況 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), 6 March 2007, retrieved 27 January 2021^
  29. キャラクターが日本を救う NTTCom Online Marketing Solutions, NTT Communications, 26 January 2009, retrieved 26 January 2021^
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