Hirogaru Sky Precure First Trailer Impressions and my thoughts on Delicious Party Precure till now.

Hi, Everyone! I am back and no, I didn't disappear off the face of the Earth since last August. As I said before I will only do reviews for Delicious Party Precure if it interested me and from the way how the show is heading toward its finale, I just can't wait for it to end soon so that I have a clear slate for Hirogaru Sky Precure! 

So we have a Sky and probably Music Theme for this year's Precure which is also the 20th anniversary of Precure! I can't believe we made it! But it has been mostly downhill, especially in the last few seasons when many veteran fans including me felt disappointed in what Precure has become. 

For the first trailer of Hirogaru Sky Precure (if you don't know what Hirogaru means, it translates to Vast or Wide), we are introduced to our new Heroine, Sora Harewataru AKA Cure Sky and she is our first Blue Cure to be the leader of the team. Sora comes from the Kingdom of Sky Land which is a floating Kingdom above the clouds (Why no one noticed there is a floating continent in the sky is probably due to the lazy excuse-Magic)

Sora somehow rescue the young infant princess Eru from the villains of the season and crash lands on Sorashindo City on Earth. Of course, Sora will eventually become Cure Sky with her transformation items (Toys), the Cure Tone Jewel, and Cure Mirage Microphone. We are also introduced to our Second Lead, Nijigaoka Mashiro who will become Cure Prism and she looked like a White Cure based on the promotional materials.

Two more cures will also join the team, an Orange Precure-Cure Sky and a Pink Precure-Cure Butterfly. Sora is voiced by Sekine Akira who voiced Tokime in Fuuto PI and Mashiro is voiced by Kakuma Ai who previously voiced Rabirn in Healin' Good Precure. I called it in the Healin' Good Finale Review that Kakuma is too good to be voicing a mascot as she is very talented in doing cute and cool characters. Eru is voiced by Koga Aoi who voiced Kaguya in Kaguya Sama: Love and War and Komi Shouko in Komi can't communicate. 

Overall, not much to say until we see more trailers leading to the pilot episode. As for Delicious Party Precure, it has now become the bottom 3 series of least favorite Precure seasons. Two words that I describe Delicious Party is "No investment." This is bad storytelling compared to previous seasons. Yes, not every season is perfect even the ones that I like eg: Go Princess and Huggto have flaws but at least the characters I care about and it has what good writers called the beginning, the twist, and the resolution. Delicious Party has only the beginning and the resolution but there is nothing in the middle but aimless fillers that does not do much to develop the plot. 

When Amane becomes Cure Finale, there was no resolution of her character or why she became Gentle in the first place, she just blends into the team and that's it. No character development and she has the same personality as when she was first introduced. (Not even her voice actress Kayano Ai could do much given the lack of content, I mean I really want Kayano to ham up her character but this is a kids' show so no over-the-top moments like Darkness from Konosuba)

Yui who is supposed to be our Main Heroine is reduced to being an observer and keeps on quoting her grandma's words which does nothing but irritated everyone until her own grandma has to tell her to stop it. But before that, Yui did not do anything that cause her character to go through such a twist. I suspected that the writers completely forgot that Yui is the main heroine and left her undeveloped when her grandma gave her advice, I was scratching my head thinking, did we miss some episodes over Yui's slump?

Godatz who is now revealed to be Fennel is not a shocker since the signs are there in the previous episodes however it was too subtle and his motive is the same as Red and Queen Mirage from Happiness Charge who are jealous over one incident. But then the last few seasons' final bosses are not interesting at all so who gave cared about it anyway?

I will watch Delicious Party to the end to see how dumb can the writers go and hopefully Hirogaru Sky can do something to remove this terrible taste that is Delicious Party. For a show that has the word "Delicious" in the title, Tasteless is the word I will describe it. 

Delicious Party Precure Ep 22 Review: Black Pepper's Self Doubts

Hi, Everyone! This is my short review of Episode 22 of Delicious Party Precure and my thoughts on the episode. 

Basically, this episode focus on Takumi/Black Pepper and after a battle, Narcistoru taunt him that he has no stake in aiding the girls which questions if he is doing the Black Pepper getup as a way to secretly help Yui only. 

Takumi then learned of his friend Yosuke trying to create the "Legendary Crepe" for his girlfriend who is hospitalised. Takumi went to find Yui for help but got the rest of the girls and they all chip in to create the Crepe. It is also the first time Takumi and the girls got together and I hope there will be more chances in the future since they are unknowing "Comrades".

Of course, Narcistoru has to ruin the fun and capture the Crepe fairy which led everyone into battle. Even though Narcistoru tried again to taunt Black Pepper but he has already made up his mind that he will also protect peoples' memories from the Bundoru gang. Black Pepper even makes a quote that the same attack won't work on him twice which is a reference to Saint Seiya and how the same attack doesn't work twice on a Saint.

Black Pepper and Cure Precious even show they can work together with combination attacks which I enjoy in this episode. In the end, everyone wrote something on their thank you note (More Merchandising!) including Yui who wrote a thank you note to Black Pepper which she kept in her room. The final shot was Kokone writing to her parents on the same note...

Overall, a good distraction after two episodes of Kokone and Ran's interaction with Amane which we really need since the two previous episodes were kinda predictable. But I got a feeling that even after Takumi/Black Pepper joins Team Delicious Party, there isn't anything else to the hype other than more power-ups and the plot unfolds about Takumi's father and the Cookingdom. 

Kokone's mother is MILF material!

Oh yeah, and Kome Chan has grown into an adorable little girl and Rosemary gave an excuse that she is his cousin's daughter. In the next episode, Kokone's parents returned from overseas and apparently her mother has a "God's tongue" so is she like Erina from Shougeki no Soma whose taste buds can not be satisfied with ordinary food? Until then, stay safe and see you in the next post!

Delicious Party Precure Ep 19 Review: Team Delicious Party Assembled!

Hi, Everyone! This is my short review of Episode 19 of Delicious Party Precure and my thoughts on the episode. 

Amane is now part of the team and she was even given the special glass cup as a sign of friendship. After introducing herself to the King and Queen of Cookingdom, one of the questions that popped up was about the stolen Recipe-Bon which apparently was stolen before and then recovered before the Bundoru gang stole it again. 

Furthermore, the suspect happened to be Cinnamon aka Takumi's father which led to some doubts for Rosemary to pounder. I believe that there might be an insider in the Cookingdom that is also part of the Bundoru gang and Cinnamom might have his own reasons for what is really going on. 

The focus of this episode is Amane planning to bake two cakes for her elder brothers' birthday which the girls get with the preparation where we do learn that Amane has a kinder side and really loves her brothers. But when Narcistoru captured the cake fairies, the girls sprang into action and this time, we get our full team roll call which is still as lazy as ever with them standing with their hands on their hips. 

Lazy posing...

Black Pepper felt a rivalry with Cure Finale...

I do notice that Cure Precious always faces head-on the Ubauzo which resulted in her getting caught again for the umpteen times. Black Pepper (who appeared again) tried to save her and got a surprise with Cure Finale snatching his chance and even doing a Princess carry for Cure Precious. I could sense some rivalry between Black Pepper and this new Gold Precure. (Toei has confirmed that Cure Finale is a Gold Cure which I don't really see)

After the battle, Rosemary tried to probe Black Pepper about Cinnamon but he refused to say anything it and left...

The girls got their cakes and eat them!

Overall, it did leave some interesting questions on who is really responsible for the stolen Recipe-Bon and the connection with Cinnamon. Cure Precious really needs to learn how to fight properly since her reckless actions might cost the team if she keeps this up in future battles. 

In the next episode, the girls visit Amane's family's high-class restaurant and she insisted that the girls learn some proper table manners. Until then, not much to say. Stay safe and see you in the next post!

Delicious Party Precure Ep 18 Review: Amane's Choice Part 2

Hi, Everyone! This is my short review of Episode 18 of Delicious Party Precure for the conclusion of Amane's choice! Since most of you have already watched the episode, I will just give my thoughts about the episode.

Basically, I felt it was expected for Amane to decline to become a Precure in the beginning since she has guilt over everything she has committed as Gentle. Even though we still don't know what causes Amane to join the Budoru gang in the first place. 

I didn't know that the Ubauzo has a funny bone...

So when Narcistoru captured the Parfait Fairy and created an Ubauzo, it held Amane hostage leaving the girls in a tough situation to save her. But Cure Precious quote her grandmother's words of we can't change the past but we can create a future which finally woke Amane and resonate with the Heart Crystal that she is still carrying all this while.

I prefer this pose to her second pose.

Her attack is definitely nicer than the other three girls' basic finisher.

Amane finally became Cure Finale with her new transformation device-Heart Fruits Pendant and with her swift and powerful moves, she took down the Ubauzo with her finisher-Delicious Fruit Fanfare and saved the Parfait Fairy. Cure Finale herself is great in design but now we have two yellow cures in the team despite Cure Finale having shades of purple and white all over her costume. She definitely could stand on her own against the Ubauzo but then all new Cures tend to be overpowered in their debut episodes. 

Toei is being lazy by putting Cure Finale in the background. But we are getting another ending song soon.

Overall, I like this episode but we still don't know much about Amane and the circumstances of her past sins which hopefully it will be addressed in the future. Furthermore, the girls have been battling two Ubauzo for the duration of one full day for these two episodes which rarely happened in Precure. Poor Takumi missed all the action but he was engaged in an errand as seen in the previous episode. 

Amane has a cute Pout face.

With Amane joining the team, the girls hope to learn more about her but Amane wants to make a birthday cake for her older brothers and tried her best to keep it a surprise in the next episode. Until then, not much else to say. Stay safe and see you in the next post!

Delicious Party Precure Ep 17 Review: Amane's Choice Part 1

Hi, Everyone! This is my review of Episode 17 of Delicious Party Precure as Amane begins her road to redemption.

We see Amane training with her brother at the park before dawn as the next scene is at the Cookingdom, the King and Queen discovered the creation of a new Heart Crystal and informed Mari and the Energy Fairies about it.

The girls arrived at school and saw Amane has returned but before they could get more details from her, their peers surrounded Amane, they decided to meet her later after school. Mari informed the girls about the Heart Crystal that was delivered by the King and he explained the Crystal was created due to the number of positive energies the town people produced thanks to the girls' efforts. 

A Parfait Fairy also appeared and thanks to Pam's translation, it wanted to see Amane again. They went to Amane's family cafe and saw her talking to her vice president, Moe. Amane wanted to step down from chairman but Moe was against it. She even mentioned that Amane gave her encouragement by treating her to her family fruit punch dessert that gave her the chance to enjoy playing the piano. 

The Parfait Fairy also approached Amane and she is still able to see it. The Heart Crystal accidentally fell onto Amane and when she picked it up, it resonated with her. Mari realised that and wanted to ask Amane further but Narcistoru has captured a fairy nearly. 

The girls and Mari rushed to the scene when Narcistoru created an Ubauzo out of large scope and splatter. They then entered the Delicious Field to battle. The Ubauzo was surprisingly strong and nearly defeated the girls when Black Pepper appear to aid them.

Mari also noticed a knot on the Ubauzo and instructed the girls and Black Pepper to attack the knot. The plan worked and the girls finished off the Ubauzo. Black Pepper also fled the scene before the girls could ask him further.

The girls and Mari returned to Amane and he explained that she is worthy to become a Pretty Cure since the Heart Crystal resonated with her. But Amane declined the offer...

My thoughts on Episode 15 and 16 was okay but felt these two episodes should be in the earlier part of the series as they deal with Kokone's indecision to take a stand and getting pressured by her peers while Ran's quirk was made a joke at school by her classmate, Takagi until she finds out Takagi has issues with his brother. Furthermore, Black Pepper appeared as an observer and didn't even appear in Episode 16 at all.     

As expected, this episode focus on Amane's path to redemption. Seeing how she wants to step down as Chairman and reject to become a Pretty Cure might have something to with her being Gentle and the horrible things she has done before. We will probably know the reason in the next episode but I have a feeling that the Parfait Fairy is the key for Amane to regain her confidence to join the team next week since next week's preview already spoiled it. 

Narcistoru also step up his game as we now see him combining two items to become an Ubauzo and the girls barely survived thanks to Black Pepper and Mari's quick thinking. It is just a matter of time before Narcistoru might resort to something worse that the girls are going to need some serious help in the future. Black Pepper actually joined the fight and I love how he act cool in front of Cure Precious and they worked together pretty well. 

Well, this episode is a warm-up for next week's conclusion as we will see the debut of Cure Finale. Until then, stay safe and see you in the next post!