First Impressions: Smile Precure Ep 1-Birth! The Perfect Smile! Cure Happy!

Knowing that today is the first episode of Smile Precure, I watch it with less hype and I was immediately drawn to the show! Some might compare it with Yes! Precure Five Gogo with the similarities but if the opening kept me humming for like five minutes than you know you have a winner in it!

A must for Precure-The first encounter with a Mascot.

Our story begin with Hoshisora Miyuki who was late for her first day in school. She met a mascot spirit named Candy and a strange book it was carrying. Miyuki adore Candy but it quickly escaped and Miyuki brought the book along to school.

Hyuga Saki? Why are you here?

Yayoi is cute!

At class, she was nervous in introducing herself but the tension was relieved by Hino Akane and she introduced some of the classmates-Midorikawa Nao, Aoki Reika and Kise Yayoi (Why introduce these three classmates where there are more than two-third of  the class yet to introduce is anyone's guess?)

After school, Miyuki explored the school and found the library. Suddenly the books started to glow and she began to shift the books and it opened a portal to a forest full of books. Meanwhile Candy is trying to find the legendary warriors Precures when it encountered Wolfrun who belonged to the Bad End Kingdom.

Miyuki find another portal and rescue Candy. Wolfrun created a spell which cause people into despair and their "Bad End" energy are send to revive their lord-Pierrot. After some running and Miyuki giving that "never give up" speech, a ray of light surround her and she was given the Smile Precure Henshin Item-Smile Pact.

Kirakira Kagayaku Mirai no Hikari!

CURE HAPPY!!!

She transformed and become Cure Happy! Wolfrun created a monster make out of a house called Akanbe. At first, Cure Happy got afraid but after some trial and error, she got the hang of it but is unable to use her attack-Happy Shower.

You mean superheroes? I watch Gokaiger every Sunday!

Must increase my morale to 150!!! Guts +10, Guts +10!

Kamehameha?!

Domon Kasshu will be so proud of you!

She suddenly think of an idea to use it-By concentrating her guts to her Pact! Finally she is able to use Happy Shower and defeat Akanbe. Wolfrun escaped and everything went back to normal. Cure Happy found a strange tag which reassembled a strawberry and Candy told her to hold on to it...

First, let's talk about the five main characters. Miyuki is more fun than Nozomi who is more annoying. Her reaction to Candy in the opening scene was a norm for someone who spent her time reading fantasy stories. Her first battle is like the drawn back to the old Sailormoon series when Usagi ran for her life in battle. Miyuki was hilarious when she tried to use Happy Shower the first time. Usually, the Cures will somehow had reflexes or memories to activate their power but in Miyuki's case, she rely on the one thing-Guts which I can imagine if they do a la SRW game, her first spirit ability will be Guts.

Akane look like Rin/Cure Rouge but I think she has more appeal than Rin and beside she is good with Volleyball and Okonomayki as told by her. I keep thinking of Ika Musume every time I see Yayoi as her sudden outburst make me feel sorry for her. Being a mangaka is also different from Urala/Cure Lemonade who is an idol singer. I guess Yayoi can make friends with that Mangaka student from Heartcatch Precure (Cure Fire, I think?)

Unlike Komachi and Karen who are friends, Nao is the tomboy of the group and is a member of the Soccer team. But being the tomboy, I guess that there will be an episode where she dress up and she is probably on par with the more beautiful Precures like Aqua or Moonlight. Reika is the Gokaiger's Ahim as she is portrayed as a Yamato Nadeshiko with her elegant and kindness. Seeing that she used an ice sword in the opening is more bad ass as I believe she is the first Precure who used Ice as her element.

The villains as seen in the openings are like the characters from fairy tales-Wolfrun is the big bad wolf from the Three Little Pigs, the red Oni is from the Momotarou story, the witch is from Snow White and the Jester with the Joker mask which I yet to figure out is from which story but I suspect he will be the most dangerous among the four.

The battle was quite all right for a first episode unlike the last two series where they have a "turn your back from the enemy when it explode" finale, Happy Shower is like Yes Precure Series with just one hit attack and the enemy is defeated.

The theme in this series is fairy tales and most probably, the stories will focused on encounters with fairy tales characters but hopefully we get a back story on why Candy is searching for the Precures and the conflict with Bad End Kingdom.

BAKATSU!!! DYNA...OPPS! CURE SUNNY!

Next week, Akane will make her debut as Cure Sunny!

P.S. Most probably I will do the first five or six episodes for Smile Precure as a full arc of how the team is assembled. I won't be doing a regular review every week as I believe there are better reviewers who know their Precure history than me. But anyway, Hope you like it and see you next week!

Brave10 Ep 5-It take one Gender to know another Gender

Saizo has a dream of his best friend in his former ninja clan. His friend was killed and disposed off like trash which make him realise that ninjas are expandable and it make him cold hearted during his missions.

He woke up and realised Kakei has healed him and Yuri. Kakei has already send a message to Yukimura and Saizo refused to rescue Isanami as his job was to escort her and not save her.

Sasuke received the message from Kakei. Yukimura ordered Sasuke and Anna to rescue Isanami from Date Musamune. Meanwhile Date visited Isanami in her cell. She had doubts if Saizo should save her as everyone will get hurt because of her. She released some energy of the Fushi Tama which make Date more determined to have her power.

Date explained to his right hand man, Kojiro that the Fushi Tama is suppose to have the power to "calm the land" and he plan to use it to create the ideal world. Sasuke and Anna began to sneak the castle and they split up to save Isanami. Sasuke found her but she refused to leave. He could not argue with her but kept watch nearby.

Yogi Bear is Sasuke's friend!?

Meanwhile Anna deliberately got captured but overheard Isanami is still in her cell. She broke free and rushed to Isanami's cell. When she arrived, Isanami still refused to leave which Anna spoke some sense to her. Yukimura has acknowledge her as one of the ten warriors and despite being weak, she is regarded as one of them. Isanami opened her eyes and left with her and Sasuke.

They finally returned and later Saizo and company has also arrived. Saizo gave the cold shoulder to Isanami when they met which anger Sasuke. Yuri had a meeting with Yukimura and after some persuasion, Yuri accepted his offer to stay here.

Sasuke confronted Saizo and he argue that Saizo is running away as he is not strong enough. Sasuke told him to he must become stronger if he will to protect Isanami. She overheard it and they finally make up.

Time for a magic trick!

Date planned to snatch back Isanami while the Brave warriors had a meeting. They explained what has happened in Izumo temple and the strange writings in the cave. Rokuro used his special abilities to see what Yukimura saw in the cave and wrote the contents on a paper. Yukimura fooled everyone that the strange writing is a dud and told them to leave the room.

Yukimura and Rokuro were alone in the room and feared that the actual content could be bigger than anything they have imagined and Saizo is the deciding factor...

So it was a pretty simple breakout to save Isanami. Sasuke and Anna are also cool in battling Date's men and Sasuke is pretty another blockhead who don't know how to talk to women. He even grumbled about it when he was taking cover in a Bear's cave. Anna on the other hand was better as being a kunoichi and a woman, she know what Isanami is going through and persuade her to escape.

Saizo was as usual being sorry for himself and gave the cold shoulder to Isanami. Sasuke gave him a beating and finally convinced him to get stronger for Isanami which make him the perfect rival for Saizo.

Date Musamue was ambitious like his Sengoku Basara counterpart and even want to claim the Fushi Tama to control the world which make him no different with Yukimura and Tokugawa. So I guess as long as the Fushi Tama is around, everyone will fight for it and Isanami's life.

Anyway, the next episode introduce the next Brave-Miyoshi Sekai Nyudo the Warrior Monk as Saizo again clash with him.

Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai! Ep 4-My Loli Senses is Tingling!

Don't you wish it was Raika hugging you, Yuuta?

Yuuta and the girls were awakened by the alarm in the morning. Miu and Hina woke up first but Sora was still hugging Yuuta in her sleep. When she finally woke up, she let out a scream and left Yuuta with a bump.

Yuuta went to the convenience store and bought breakfast for the girls. The girls want to repay back but he declined. He reminded the girls not to open the door to strangers and after that, Miu and Hina say goodbye to him. Sora want to say it too but hesitated.

The girls found out their food cost about 8000 yen and decided to help around the house with the petty cash their parents gave before they left. Meanwhile, Yuuta was approached by Raika, Nimura and the head of their club, Sako. Raika asked why he did not come to the club recently but he could not replied.

My Loli Senses is tingling!

Here come the Raika Special!

Sako suddenly smell a sweet aroma on Yuuta's body. He suspected it could be the scent of a young girl. Raika beat him senseless as Yuuta escaped from them.

The girls make a mess in the house and saw the number of laundry in Yuuta's cupboard. They decided to bring it to the cleaners and along the way, met Yuuta's neighbour which Hina called her a stranger. The girls finally bring it to the cleaners (at the cost of paying extra for Yuuta's boxer shorts) Sora bought some cheap vegetables and planned to cook for him.

However it didn't go well as the girls make a mess in the kitchen and Yuuta called Sora to inform he is coming back late. When Yuuta came back, he saw the badly cooked meal but thank them. He even bought them strawberry cakes for the girls which make them happy.

After a bath, Yuuta saw Sora outside their apartement and she told him that she didn't wish him goodbye this morning. But he already knew she say it based on her body language. They went back home together and later Yuuta tucked her in bed that night...

So Day 2 ended with a more subtle tone as the girls experienced living together with Yuuta and all the inconvenience rises. I don't know if this is a norm but do male clothing usually don't mix with female clothing in the washing machine. Usually it doesn't make a difference as the washing power will wash everything so it doesn't really matter. The girls have to pay extra just to wash Yuuta's boxes shorts and they too realised it is going to cost more.

I find the girls are struggling to adjust their new life which it is all right with me but nothing special about it. Just the usual hiccups here and there in the room-like drawing on the wall, making a mess in the kitchen and so on.

Oddly enough, I find Raika and Sako more interesting to watch after three episodes absence. Raika is funny with her dead sense of humor while Sako is really confirmed a stereotype Lolicon. I do know later in the story that Miu really take advantage of Sako's perverted thoughts and trick him in various ways.

Anyway, I hope we get to see more of Raika and Sako as once they discovered the girls, the story really pick up.