Review - Go! Princess Precure First Half (1-25)

It's only fitting that I make Precure my first review.  My friend and I are currently obsessed with everything about it.  In this post, I will refer to Go! Princess Precure as GoPri just to save the lifespan of my keys a little bit.  Additionally, I'd like to note that this review does contain spoilers!  You've been warned!

For those of you who are unaware of the basics of Precure, the plot outline usually goes like this:  Magic fairies are sent from a magical kingdom that has been overrun by a great evil to the real world where they are charged with finding new Precures to help fight against said evil.  This also usually involves having to save a prince or princess, having to collect several objects, acquiring several power upgrades, a mid-season climax (also known as THE HAPPENING) and the ending resolution, which is always a happy one.

Now, this is the 6th season of Precure I have watched, and somehow, the show felt like something completely new.  Usually, these anime made specifically for kids - little girls, in this case - are very formulaic, they do not stray too much from the bread-and-butter recipe for success.  A good example would be something like Pokemon (also targeted towards children), where the same villains show up every episode and get zapped into space.  GoPri, of course, still has the monster of the week foundation, however, the antics of the villains I feel are what helped this stay so fresh for it's first six months.  Not to say that the Precure themselves aren't great, of course.

Villains Shut (left) and Twilight (right)

Episodes one through ten go by like a blur as you are getting to know the new Precures, the fairies, the villains and the setting.  With fluid and frequent action scenes, decent-looking CGI, menacing monster designs and likable leads, GoPri delivered right from the get-go for me.  Haruka, Minami and Kirara, the three new Cures complement each other very well personality-wise.  Haruka (Cure Flora) is a silly, childish and dimwitted girl who dreams of becoming the "flower princess", a character from a picture book she first read as a child.  Minami (Cure Mermaid) is more of an older sister, very gentle and understanding, but stern and demanding when she needs to be.  Kirara (Cure Twinkle) is an adult-like go-getter following in the footsteps of her mother, a world-famous fashion model.

From right to left: Kirara, Haruka, and Minami.

From episodes eleven through nineteen, the action keeps coming, fluid as ever. Frequent fistfights between the Zetsuborgs and Cures still surprise with how well they are animated all-around.  We see the introduction of a new villain, Twilight, and get to learn more about the Hope Kingdom and the story behind it's downfall.  The Precure attain some new special moves as well due to the increasing strength of the Zetsubogs.  Twilight really was the curve ball in this chunk of episodes that made them excel from typical Precure fare.  Her interactions with the Cures and her villainous comrades entertain time and time again.  Episode eighteen was particularly noteworthy, in which Twilight has a very emotional encounter with Cure Flora, resulting in a verbal and physical battle.  We also get to see more antics from the fairies, Pafu and Aroma, aside from the standard sidekick roles they serve.

Hope Kingdom fairies Aroma (left) and Pafu (right)

Episodes twenty through twenty-two were THE HAPPENING!  A very exciting sequence of events takes place, resulting in the addition of a new Cure!  The atmosphere in these few episodes turns very dark, as it usually does during the mid-season climax.  We see more interaction with the arch evil, Dyspear, and her desperation to keep Twilight under her control.  The fights here, surprisingly, failed to impress me and don't hold a candle to some of the throw-downs earlier in the series.  This climax was more for major plot advancement and emotional turmoil from the entire cast rather than flashy fistfights.  Dyspear is truly a menacing presence on-screen and I can't quite remember any of the other Precure seasons I've watched having such a visually frightening villain.  I wonder if little girls in Japan are scared of her?

Dyspear is very scary-looking!

So the climax has come and gone, and starting from episode twenty-three we resume the usual agenda of gathering the remaining Dress-up Keys in order to break the dark spell that has been cast on the Hope Kingdom.  We now have an additional member on the good side, however, as Twilight has broken free from the mind control Dyspear had placed on her and is now known as Towa (Cure Scarlet).  Some hilarity ensues as Towa is not at all aware of how things work back in the real world, resulting in the heroine trio and the fairies having to show her the ropes of living amongst normal people.  Haruka, Mnami, and Kirara do a great job welcoming Towa to the squad, as they are often genuinely trying to cheer her up since she seems to have lost her sense of self.  Towa slowly warms up to them, though is still apprehensive and afraid that Dyspear will return for her.

Towa is such a rebel.

Well, that just about wraps up the first half of Go! Princess Precure.  I feel like this is going to be the best season yet, though some enthusiasts may disagree with me in favor of Heartcatch Precure.  The pacing is snappy, leaving only one or two episodes to drag through.  The Cures are great, the villains are quirky and fun to watch fail.  The action scenes are well done for the most part and there isn't too much special spam a la Doki Doki Precure.  The voice acting is top-notch with a cast that includes both new talents and seasoned veterans, with my particular praise going to Miyuki Sawashiro.  I absolutely love her!  The opening theme, is, in my opinion, pretty atrocious.  The ending theme, however, is pleasant and catchy.  It really gets you ready for the next episode.

Overall, I give the first half of GoPri an 8.5/10, or an 8 on MAL's rating scale.  It's pretty great!

Until next time!  Cheers!

Purple Crab