Hanasaki Tsubomi

Hanasaki Tsubomi is one of the Cures and the main character of Heartcatch Pretty Cure!. She lives in a flower shop called Hanasaki Flower Shop with her parents and grandmother. Her catchphrase is "I have reached my limit!" (私、堪忍袋の緒が切れました！). Tsubomi's Cure ego is Cure Blossom (キュアブロッサム). Her first friend in Kibougahana is Kurumi Erika and Myoudouin Itsuki, her Pretty Cure partners.

Tsubomi is a really shy and introverted girl and admits that she does not handle energetic people like Erika very well, but loves flowers very much, and dreams of being a botanist. Because of her relationship and frequent visits with her grandmother, she has picked up her old-fashioned speech pattern.

Tsubomi has stated that she plans to change her personality now that she has started in a new school. Although still insecure, she is starting to speak out her mind and preferences. Together with the courage of Erika, Tsubomi is slowly but steadily changing to a more confident person.

Lonely Life
Ever since she was small, Tsubomi has had to be taken care of by her grandmother Hanasaki Kaoruko while her parents, both with each of their important jobs, went on business trips and could be gone for weeks at a time. At first, Tsubomi did not mind, and had fun being with Kaoruko, even learning a lot of Japanese literature and old phrases. However, as time went by, Tsubomi became more and more lonely, though she did not tell her parents, as she knew how important their work was.

Presumed to have happened the same year the present storyline begins, she watched a bird give food to her children while they cried to make her come back. Seeing herself in the bird children that screamed for their mother, Tsubomi started to cry. Coincidentally, her mother forgot a notebook, and together with her husband and Tsubomi's grandmother, they find Tsubomi crying. She admitted her loneliness to them, and not wanting to split her family apart, her parents quit their respective jobs to open a flower shop together, moving to Kibougahana, the city where Kaoruko lives, to be closer to Kaoruko as well.

New Life
The story starts with Tsubomi waking up from a dream about Cure Moonlight as they arrive in their new town, where they are going to live with Tsubomi's grandmother. The next day, Tsubomi prepares herself for her first day at the new school, hoping to change her shy personality, but despite her prayer to a four-leaf clover, it starts embarrassingly partly because of Kurumi Erika, who kept on teasing her. After school, Erika forces her to change her hair-style and wear a diffirent sweater, though Tsubomi constantly tells her to let her be. When she is alone, she has a new dream about Cure Moonlight. After waking up, she takes a walk and encounters the fairies from the Great Tree of Hearts, who tell her to help them hide so that their enemy will not find them. After watching Sasorina take Erika's Heart Seed instead, and realizing the pain Erika is actually going through, Tsubomi summons the courage she needs and transforms into a Pretty Cure warrior, Cure Blossom.

However, as she is unable to control the power of Pretty Cure, Cure Blossom is easily defeated, though is saved by a mysterious man who transports her to her grandmother's botanical garden, where she reverts back to Tsubomi. It is revealed that Kaoruko used to be the famous Cure Flower when she was young, and that Erika's Heart Flower will soon be lost, Tsubomi decides to once again fight the Desertrian monster to save Erika. Though once again having problems when the powers of the Desertrian seems to increase, she gains almost complete control when witnessing wild flowers being destroyed by the Desertrian's giant hammer, and is in the end able to purify the monster and chase Sasorina away. When Erika later wakes up, Tsubomi makes a deal with her; if Erika can make the abandoned doll pretty, she will join the fashion club as well as the gardening club, which makes Erika extremely happy.

Fighting as Cure Blossom
Although accepting her powers and role as Pretty Cure, Tsubomi is still having some trouble using all of Cure Blossom's abilities, but quickly recovers when Erika successfully transforms into Cure Marine. However, watching how well Cure Marine is doing, Tsubomi loses confidence in her abilities as Cure Blossom, and begins thinking that she is being a burden for Erika. Because of this, she seeks comfort from Coupe and her grandmother, and eventually is able to cooperate with Cure Marine when they fight against Kumojaki.

Trial of the Super Silhouette
Cure Blossom, along with the others, goes to the Pretty Cure Palace to take the ultimate test: obtaining their final transformation known as Super Silhouette. Cure Blossom has to face her past self, who quickly gets the upper hand of Cure Blossom. Cure Blossom, taken off guard, is shaken and bewildered over what is happening. Her past self tells her she can never change, that she is incapable of change. This causes Cure Blossom to fill with fear. Frightful of what she is hearing, Cure Blossom runs only to realize she has changed and that she still needs a small part of her to be her shy inverted self because that is who she is. Cure Blossom passes the test and the Pretty Cure Palace creates a statue of Cure Blossom in recognition. She then joins her friends in battle against the Desert Devil and they access their new powers, the Super Silhouette.

Return of Dune
During Christmas, Dune returns to the earth and is after the power Cure Flower that was sealed after their battle. In a valiant effort to protect her grandmother, Tsubomi fought Dune and was the last of the four Cures to fall to his powers. Dune takes Kaoruko to the his fortress with Tsubomi blacking out just as he leaves. She awakens in the botanical garden which has been protected by Coupe, who was hiding the girls while they recover. When the girls go outside, they are met with the shock of seeing their world as a desert. Tsubomi runs home followed by Erika only to reach their homes to see that they have also fallen to the power of the Desert Devils. Losing all faith, she hugs Chypre asking what she can do now. The four girls reunite and all are feeling defeated, until Erika's sister Momoka rushes out of nowhere relieved to see her sister is alive. The girls then notice others arriving, all of who had been saved by the Pretty Cures which included Itsuki's brother, Satsuki. After being reminded of how much faith her friends have in Pretty Cure, Tsubomi declares Pretty Cure will not give up. A Desert Devil arrives and the girls tell everyone to get into the botanical gardens. They transform and defeat the Desert Devil using Heartcatch Orchestra. Coupe points to the sky, indicating to the girls he knows where Kaoruko is and puts Cure Marine on his back to let them know he is going with them. Just as the girls are about to leave to rescure Kaoruko, their friends come out of the botanical garden to wish them luck.

The Final Battle
The Cures and their mascots arrive at Dune's fortress and begin fighting the Snackeys. Cure Blossom manages to fight her way to her grandmother and with the help of Coupe, she releases her from Dune's shackles. Before she leaves to rejoin Moonlight, her grandmother begs her not to allow Sabaku and Moonlight to fight. She joins Moonlight ready to fight Dark Cure with her but is asked by Moonlight not to interfere as she has to be the one to beat Dark Cure. As the two fight Sabaku starts to shoot dark energy at Moonlight so Blossom flys towards him in an attempt to stop him, only to be shot down by him quickly. After the two exchange words she goes for the attack again. As she dives over him Cyphre detatches from Blossom and lands on his face, giving Blossom the chance to take a shot against him. When Sabaku sees Moonlight ready to make the final move against Dark Cure he lunges in the path of the attack taking the hit, which causes his mask to break. Blossom witnesses an extremely shocked Moonlight after Sabaku is revealed to be her father, and as Dark Cure is ready to make a finishing blow against her Blossom stands in the path of the attack and deflects it with her hands. Tired from protecting Moonlight she rests while Moonlight and Dark Cure have there final battle. She witnesses Dark Cure defeat and Moonlight run to her father wrapping her arms around him. She also hears how Sabaku pitted blood sisters againsts each other where he created Dark Cure out of a piece of Yuri, making Dark Cure Yuri's younger sister, and how Dark Cure fades in her father's arms.

Dune arrives and begins to battle Sabaku. Moonlight joins the fight protecting her father from a barrage of energy shots from Dune. Blossom joins the fight only for Dune to create a dark energy bomb which explodes breaking the Pretty Cure transformation and leaving all three on the ground. As Dune prepares to use the same move, Yuri's father runs to the dark energy and uses himself to shield his daughter and Tsubomi from the explosion. Yuri runs to her father as the energy explodes leaving only taters of her father clothes. Enraged by Dune's actions, Yuri prepares to engage him in battle but Tsubomi grabs her arm begging her not to fight with anger and hatred. Yuri tells Tsubomi she despises Dune for destroying Cologne and her father. Tsubomi reminds Yuri that the Yuri she looks up to would never fight out of anger and would not be willing to do what she is about to do and gives Yuri the remains of her Pretty Cure Seed that Dark Cure possessed, helping Yuri to remember that Pretty Cure fight with love. The two transform into Moonlight and Blossom and begin to battle Dune, just managing to keep the battle equal between them until Dune shoots dark energy at them which exploded on impact. As the dust settle, Marine and Sunshine are revealed to have saved them from the attack making Blossom glad to see them safe. They join Moonlight and Blossom in fighting Dune. All the Cures use their Forte Wave attacks against Dune, followed by Marine and Sunshine combining to use Floral Power Fortissimo and Moonlight and Blosssom to do the same. All four hit Dune at the same time and then call forth the Heartcatch Mirage and use Heartcatch Orchestra against Dune.

Cure Blossom
"The flower spreading throughout the land, Cure Blossom!" 大地に咲く一輪の花、キュアブロッサム！ "Daichi ni saku ichirin no hana, Kyuaburossamu!" Cure Blossom (キュアブロッサム) is the Cure Tsubomi transforms into. Her powers has not been fully revealed, but translations from comemrcials indicate that she controls flowers. Unlike the former Pretty Cure-duos in the franchise, Tsubomi does not need to be together with her partner, Erika, to transform.

Although she at first is unable to control the enormous strength and power Pretty Cure possesses, Tsubomi later declares that she will learn to control it to help Erika. After witnessing the Desertrian destroying some flowers, Cure Blossom's rage allows her to fully control the powers, and with the guidance of Chypre and Coffret, can use the attack Pink Forte Wave and, together with Cure Marine, Floral Power Fortissimo. During the final battle against Dune, Cure Blossom performs Floral Power Fortissimo with Cure Moonlight. When facing the new and stronger Desertrian, Cure Blossom, Cure Marine and Cure Sunshine can perform Shining Fortissimo.Later on in the series, she becomes Heartcatch Precure Super Silhouette along with Cure Marine, Cure Sunshine, and Cure Moonlight in episode 38.

Attacks
Except for purification attacks, Cure Blossom can use some individual sub attacks on her own for fighting use:

Blossom Oshiri Punch (ブロッサムおしりパンチ): Cure Blossom kicks herself into the air backwards to hit the enemy with her butt. She can only use this when influenced with the red Heart Seeds for speed-up. However, she seems to be capable of using it independent now, though without naming the attack.

Blossom Shower (ブロッサムシャワー): Cure Blossom draws a circle of pink flowers before her before shooting them at the enemy.

Blossom Flower Storm (ブロッサムフラワーストーム): Cure Blossom circles around herself, summoning numerous of pink flower petals around her to create a tornado of it.

Pretty Cure Double Shoot (プリキュアダブルシュート): Cure Blossom and Cure Marine's first non-purification duo attack. The girls create energy balls of their respective theme colors and shoot them at the enemy.

Pretty Cure Daibakuhatsu (プリキュア大爆発): Cure Blossom and Cure Marine hold hands tightly and, with comical faces, create a giant explosion.

Blossom Impact (ブロッサムインパクト): Cure Blossom consentrates all her powers into her palm and strikes at the enemy; pink light will then shine, and the enemy is knocket away.

Blossom Double Impact (ブロッサムダブルインパクト): Cure Blossom consentrates all her powers into her palms and strikes at the enemy; pink light will then shine from both hands, and the enemy is knocket away. It is considered a double-version of Blossom Impact.

Blossom Screw Punch (ブロッサムスクリューパンチ): Cure Blossom collects her power energy into her fist and shoots it out, the energy forming like a canon at the enemy.

Pretty Cure Impact (プリキュアインパクト): All the three Cures use their power to knock the enemy away.

Pretty Cure Christmas Impact (プリキュアクリスマスインパクト): Cure Blossom and Cure Marine form a heart shape with their arms and shoots out a laser.

Cure Rainbow Blossom
Cure Rainbow Blossom (キュアレインボー･ブロッサム) is an upgrade Cure Blossom gains along with everyone else's in Pretty Cure All Stars DX 2: Kibou no Hikari - Rainbow Jewel o Mamore!. Together, the group of seventeen girls form the group Cure Rainbow. This up-graded outfit has small wing-accessories some places on her clothes, and new fabric covering her shoulders. She also gets a pair of small, golden wings.

Super Cure Blossom


"The flowers shining around the world, HeartCatch Pretty Cure, Super Silhouette!!" 世界に輝く一面の花、ハートキャッチプリキュア・スーパーシルエット！ "Sekai ni kagayaku ichimen no hana, HātoKyachi PuriKyua Sūpā Shiruetto!!" Super Cure Blossom (スーパーキュアブロッサム) is the Super Silhouette upgrade Cure Blossom receives after passing the trial in the Pretty Cure Palace. This form is obtained when the items called Heartcatch Mirage and Super Pretty Cure Seed is used.

Super Cure Blossom has a slightly longer skirt with sharper edges, and the ribbons on her chest and hair are enlarged and slightly differed. Her pink color has also become shades lighter, and her gloves have now expanded to near her shoulders. In this form, she can use the group finisher, Heartcatch Orchestra.

Relationships
Kurumi Erika: At the beginning, Tsubomi cannot stand Erika's energic and forward personality, and often finds herself speechless before her. However, after she gets to know about Erika's problems while fighting her Desertrian, Tsubomi gives Erika another chance. While still feeling awkward, Tsubomi looks up to Erika's for her strong personality and great athlete abilities, to the point that she, as Cure Blossom, feels that she is holding Cure Marine back. As time goes, she and Erika have become best friends, and Erika is usualy the once Tsubomi confides to or invites to do activities.

Chypre: Tsubomi's mascot partner takes a big sister role to her. Chypre initially considered her weak, but after getting Erika's Heart Flower back, she put her full trust in her.

Hanasaki Kaoruko: Tsubomi loves her grandmother very much, and has adapted several of her traits. In the past, Tsubomi used to visit Kaoruko all the time. Kaoruko is also the first person Tsubomi goes to when she is feeling unsure, particularly when it is about Pretty Cure.

Etymology
Hanasaki (花咲):' Hana (花) translates to flower'', in reference to her love of flowers and her flower-based powers as Cure Blossom. Saki (咲) comes from the verb saku (咲く), meaning to bloom. Together, its meaning is roughly blooming flower.

Tsubomi (つぼみ): 'Translates to flower bud'', another reference to her love of flowers and flower-based powers, and also may refer to the fact that Tsubomi is still inexperienced as a Pretty Cure.

Cure Blossom: Tsubomi's Cure alias is a name she gave herself, after laying eyes upon a blossoming tree when asked to find a name for her transformation. some fans said her name can be inspired from a show named "Powerpuff Girls Z" (adapted from "Powerpuff Girls" ) who the leader is Hyper Blossom.

Songs
Tsubomi's voice actress, Mizuki Nana, has provided her voice in image songs about Tsubomi.
 * Tsu.Bo.Mi ~Future Flower~ (original version and Promenade remix)
 * OPEN THE WORLD
 * Kokoro no Hana (along with the voice acresses of Kurumi Erika and Myoudouin Itsuki)

Trivia

 * On Tsubomi's regular clothes, the number 7 is written on the back. This might be a reference to the fact that Heartcatch Pretty Cure! is the seventh Pretty Cure season, and it can also be a reference to Mizuki Nana, Tsubomi's voice actor, as "nana" can be translated to "seven" in Japanese.
 * Tsubomi is so far the only lead Cure to wear glasses; the other Cure that wears glasses is Tsukikage Yuri, but neither wear glasses when Pretty Cure.
 * Cure Blossom is the first Cure so far to be shown deciding her name by herself, instead of instinctly knowing it when transforming.
 * As Cure Marine's theme flower (the flower shown during her transformation as well as when Blue Forte Wave is used) is the cyclamen, Erika's Heart Flower, it is believed that Tsubomi's Heart Flower is the cherry blossom. This is supported by the fact that Kaoruko claims that she is kind-hearted; in the Japanese flower language, cherry blossoms symbolize kindness and gentleness. Although, with appearance of Cure Sunshine, this may no longer be the case, as Itsuki's Heart Flower is the peony while her theme flower is the sunflower.
 * The name Cure Blossom may represent the earth, while Cure Marine represents the ocean. If that is the case, then it would follow the tradition of the duo Pretty Cure being opposites.
 * Tsubomi is also the first Pretty Cure in the franchise to have a heritage to the Pretty Cure legacy. Her grandmother Kaoruko was Cure Flower 50 years ago.
 * Cure Blossom is the only lead Cure who isn't bouncy and eccentric like Nagisa, Saki, Nozomi, Love, or Hibiki.