Kimi to Idol Precure Review
I return and I have to admit, this series just slowly drained all the enthusiasm I had for doing Precure reviews, it honestly started to feel like the end was never getting here. It was a bold challenge to tackle, one that was clearly too big for a Precure show, with everything else they needed to fit in. A decent concept, failed the landing.
These aren't pre-planned, just the first thoughts that come to mind and egads, after a fun start, this show was one big nothing burger (I believe that's what they call it?) All those teases and not once did you see them do an actual concert or any real idol activities in the second half?
So, let's start with the plus points, the cast were fine, our Cures, especially the original trio were great, the songs were catchy and creatively re-used, we had our first main/additional members as black and white cures, whom were clearly homages to the original Cure Black and Cure White and to wrap it up, the cast designs were great! I like all the idol looks, not too messy, not too simple, suit the role for both a performer and fighter (mostly).
At least we had fights again this time and they were decent, they've done better though.
On the other hand, yeah, nothing happened; I can't say all fourty nine eps because the first dozen or so were quirky and fun, a nice balance of Precure and Idol worlds and then about ep twenty one it started spiralling and I do pin this on the arrival of Kiss and Zukyooon. These two showed up at a point, where the original trio really needed the moment to shine, to progress and the show never regained its momentum after, it just proceeded to get more awkward.
The whole Kaito/Uta pair...it just feels wrong, it feels forced, it feels one sided and when he showed up being this super idol, everyone was simply expecting the Ichigo/Mizuki style relationship and Kaito would be the idol Uta was chasing on her way to the top, while getting advice from them along the way.
And let's not get started on the absolutely dull and boring piece of cardboard Kaito was.
That's not even getting started on the unearned items and attacks that come out of nowhere? The Baton? What is it, where'd it come from, how did they get their hands on it? The Kiss field? Where did that power emerge from, what changed? Why did it suddenly need a special field anyway, you just spent half the series fighting in public view?
Villains could have been handled better, yes we had the one group through out, we had an active EB at the start and she just flat out disappeared for half the show until the finale. Redemptions were rushed and questions simply weren't answered. Just a little more time and effort and this could have been a really good group.
Ignoring that, what the heck was that finale? A literal blink and its over, nothing actually got resolved, nothing really got tackled, Uta just started singing and poof, problem sorted. They had gave Darkine just an intimidating presence at the start and it's like they chickened out and toned her down at the last second? The big final conflict barely covered fifteen minutes of the final ep. Why did they wait so long to pull the trigger on it? (I don't think its the worst finale battle thus far but it was weak, 2/10)
Cure Answer's cameo didn't really tell you much but it a neat tie in with Hamori's detective show from before but you really didn't get much of an impression of her, not sure if that's good or bad?
(And as this is solo, I'd place this after Mahou and before Max Heart, so that would make it 10/14 - I wouldn't say no, it had its moments but they've done better, like Tropical, it very much became a, switch brain off and enjoy the music and bright colours)
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It's another for the A grade shield club, Wink was defence but she did it so well and she even had times where she could use it as offence! A nice balance on how to use a shield Cure well!
Development was limited across the board but she was a great support all round. Nana helped pick up Uta when it all became too much, helped Meroron feel part of the group, help Zakkuri change his ways and restart.
She had the whole thing with the piano and the risk of moving to be with her Mum and learning from her but the whole Piano thing played such a small part in this? You would have thought you would have seen her on it more? Yes she got an ep on her resolve but that was it, just crammed into one ep?
On the other hand, it was nice to see that she was still tutoring Hamori on the piano now and then.
(It is a weird one, there's no reason she should stick out to me but she is easily my fave of the group, perhaps it's her humble/kind personality that made her stand out and drew her to me???)
Shigure Kokoro/ Cure Kyun Kyun
With out a doubt, Kokoro was the best treated out the group character wise...kind of development wise. Which in any other situation would make her first place, just not this time.
By being the youngest, by being in charge of the idol research club, by having a side story with the dancing club, Kokoro got so much external development through all these other activities and side stories. As a central focus though? She's a fangirl who loves dancing...that's about all that can be said about her?
I do appreciate that she's a fan of Idol and Wink equally and the fact she failed to become a Cure at first because she was too afraid and it was nice to see, that reaction should be the more common response when thrown into the deep end like that, with an out of the blue request.
I liked Uta at the beginning but ooh it rapidly went downhill for her after the halfway mark; on the plus side, she's the first brunette to blonde, over blonde to blonde or pink for a pink Cure. (It does not help her though, that she looks and acts like Ichigo from Aikatsu >.<)
But let's be honest now, what more do we know about Uta that we didn't know in ep one? She likes to sing, she likes to make others happy/shine through singing... she developed an awkward rather one sided crush on Kaito? Uta ended this series at the exact same point the show started.
Yes, she's centre, yes she's main protagonist, however no, that doesn't mean she's the only one receive a power up, a power up that's scarcely seen at that, which makes you wonder what the point of it was to start with? That kind of bias focus just starts deducting points automatically.
I must say I am torn, Meron as a human did wonders for her character, it really helped her branch out more with the other girls.
Cure Kiss however...she's just pulling tricks out of thin air with no explanation, where on earth did that Kiss Field come from? Can't do it one week and just magically able to the next?
Being evidently so much older looking than the others was quite jarring, despite claiming them to be third years.
Tanaka Purin/ Cure Zukyoon
In an ironic twist, Purin becoming human was awful. Now I don't object to them becoming Cures or becoming a team of five but they pulled the trigger to soon and she just derailed everything. To top it all, once she became human, became a Cure, she didn't really get any storylines or any development and she was prime picking for it considering she had been around since the beginning.
(I was denied a parents evening ep, where they'd need to use Tanaka as a stand in, it would have been funny.)
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The MVP of the series, this guy was crazy good and he was doing so many jobs at once, it was actually just exhausting to watch, yet in a way, awe-inspiring at how he somehow managed it.
Tanaka was first class support for the Cures, doing what he could to make life easier for them from behind the scenes, while being someone they could rely on. It honestly felt at times that the team would fall apart with out him there to prop them up.
As a fairy mascot, Purirun was great! She was involved, she was supportive and encouraging, she was learning and developing as a character at the same time. Even when she felt low or scared or when things looked bad, she was there on the front line still cheering the Precure on.
A plot that never went anywhere, especially with Darkine getting a fairy form. What this whole born of darkness thing about but living in the land of light suppose to be about? It was mentioned once and never again.
In contrast, fairy Meroron was very one tracked minded and hard to stomach with her obsessive behaviour and constant need for attention off Purirun.
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I'm pleasantly surprised what they did with her, especially for some one who sat in the background and did so little for a good portion of the show. Talk about a tragic villain, she found a home with Cuttin and Zakkurin but kept them at arm's length, knowing she was never really one of them, the twist that she wasn't even real, despite that, she clearly cared for them.
My only gripe, is that she should have stayed gone at the end, that gave the show some weight, alas it wasn't to be, which begs the question; Darkine came back as a fairy, so why wasn't Chokkirine brought back as KurakuLand fairy? The first one technically and be the bridge between the two along with Cutti and Zakkuri?
(I was so close on giving this to Darkine but she was a relatively active presence, so she just scrapes a pass, even if her finale battle was rubbish.)
He arrived with a power up, all the mystery and allure but he ended up being such a disappointment who didn't really do much. His motivation and fall made sense but also where the problem lays; this guy had no beef with the Precure themselves or their mission, he just wanted Kaito to fall, a guy who has nothing to do with this. He appears, giving the impression he's about to bring so much to the table and nothing comes of it.
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Precure High Emotion
It's nothing to write home about, the attack is a very basic beam attack, however it just feels like it had more grit to it, (plus I just like them as a trio more) and its a good re-use of the outro.
All three are very much the same attack but in different colour but they also all have something going for them. Idol has the most unique looking attack animation (and I do like it), Kyun Kyun's song is sung so fast it's impressive her VA manages with a song that sounds like you don't get a chance to breathe.
But Wink is still my fave version...I think this really boils down to which song I liked most ^^"
