User blog:GlitterInformer/Smile Pretty Cure!/Glitter Force SDC: Episode 2

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'Japanese Title: Burn! The Hot-Blooded Cure Sunny!'

English Title: Kelsey Gets a Makeover

The episode starts with Miyuki/Emily recapping the events of the first, from her introduction to her defeating the monster and getting the Cure Décor/Glitter Charm. In the dub, Emily refers to the Glitter Charm as her first, which is strange, because wasn’t the first one the one that mysteriously appeared so she could become Glitter Lucky?

Candy tells Miyuki/Emily that she needs to collect all of the Cure Décor/Glitter Charms to save her world. Even though Miyuki/Emily doesn’t get it, she thinks it’s exciting and agrees.

After the opening themes, it’s night at Miyuki/Emily’s house, where she and Candy introduce themselves properly. In Japan, it’s custom to bow to somebody when you introduce themselves for the first time. I was expecting Saban, the creators of the show, to cut out the part where Candy and Miyuki/Emily bow because Americans wouldn’t understand it without forcing in an “As You Know…” style explanation, but they kept it in! Candy says that that’s how people greet each other in Jubiland. There is a change, though: in the Japanese version, they say their names and say, “Pleased to meet you!” while in the dub, they say, “Welcome, my friend, I am happy to see you.”

While doing the introduction, Candy’s stomach growls. Candy tells her to put the Cure Décor/Glitter Charm from last episode inside the Smile/Glitter Pact. When she does so in the sub, the Smile Pact says, “Let’s go, strawberry!” and in the dub, the Glitter Pact says, “Activate Glitter Charm! Strawberry!” A giant strawberry comes out for Candy to eat.

Candy tells Miyuki/Emily that Cure Décor/Glitter Charms are really important, and that the five members of Pretty Cure/Glitter Force needs to collect them. In the Japanese version, Miyuki gets excited that there are other Pretty Cures. In the English version, Emily gets excited to talk to the girls from her dream. Miyuki/Emily gets so excited that she falls over and bangs her head on the floor.

Next (after the title card in the Japanese version), we cut to the Bad End Kingdom/Shadow Realm. The wolf guy punches a wall in anger, enraged about having been defeated by a schoolgirl. In the dub, two other villains make fun of him, but he doesn’t notice.

Then, we’re back at school, with our five protagonists playing volleyball. Akane/Kelsey is dominating the field. She’s scoring point after point, even though the other team has Nao/April. Even with Yayoi/Lily barely managing to pass the ball and Miyuki/Emily getting hit in the face (the poor girl’s gonna have brain damage by the end of the show!), nobody stands a chance against Akane/Kelsey’s special attack: “Hino-chan Special Attack” in the sub, the patented “Sledgehammer Slammer" in the dub.

Miyuki/Emily collapses, and a worried Yayoi/Lily comes to her aid. In the sub, Yayoi just whimpers, but in the dub, Lily worries they’ll need to call a school nurse. Candy, disguised as a bush, sneaks around to check on Miyuki/Emily. Again, in the sub, she just makes noises, but in the dub, she’s checking if Emily needs help, and she mutters that she does.

In the Japanese version, Akane asks Miyuki if she’s alive. When Miyuki says, “Somehow…” Akane teases Miyuki about her head strike and Yayoi about her whimpering pass. Yayoi protests that she wasn’t crying. In the English version, Kelsey says, “Earth to Emily, do you read me?” Kelsey says, “Way to keep your head in the game!” and says she didn’t know Emily was a brainiac. Lily says she doesn’t get it. Then, Miyuki/Emily decides it’s the perfect time to invite Akane/Kelsey and Yayoi/Lily to join the team.

When Miyuki/Emily tells the two about Pretty Cure/Glitter Force, she gets really excited, clings to Akane/Kelsey, and begs them to join. Candy, upset, tackles Miyuki/Emily, and the two roll away in a ball while Akane/Kelsey and Yayoi/Lily look at each other in confusion.

In the Japanese verison, Candy yells at Miyuki that Pretty Cure is supposed to be a secret. She says that not just anyone can be a Pretty Cure. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know who can. Miyuki says that apparently a klutz like her can be one. When Candy agrees, Miyuki gets mad at her and pulls at her face. In the dub, Candy tells Emily that Kelsey and Lily won’t believe her if she just blurts it out like that. Candy doesn’t have any better ideas. Emily says that they have to find the others quickly, because she won’t be very effective by herself. She gets mad when Candy agrees.

Suddenly, Akane/Kelsey tickles Miyuki/Emily from behind. She says she noticed that Miyuki/Emily had a sheep plushie with her. Candy blurts that she’s not a sheep and Miyuki/Emily clamps her hand over Candy’s mouth. Then, Akane/Kelsey chases Miyuki/Emily around because she wants to see the plushie. When Miyuki/Emily finally shakes her off her tail, Akane/Kelsey says she doesn’t want to join Pretty Cure/Glitter Force because she’s focused on volleyball. Miyuki/Emily says it’s okay, and that Akane/Kelsey’s volleyball skills are impressive. Akane/Kelsey invites her to a game, and she wholeheartedly accepts, to Candy’s chagrin.

Unfortunately, Akane/Kelsey doesn’t do too well at her match. She can’t seem to hit anything. Two people sitting next to Miyuki/Emily say they don’t think Akane/Kelsey’s going to be the MVP this year.

Name Change: In the original, the girls next to Miyuki think that another player named Yuka is going to do better than Akane. In the dub, this player is called Jasmine.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">After the match Miyuki/Emily feels bad for Akane/Kelsey. She finds her practicing volleyball under the bridge, still looking upset. Miyuki/Emily notices that she’s crying. When she tries to cheer her up, she trips and falls downhill, where Akane/Kelsey ends up checking on her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">When Miyuki/Emily tries to cheer Akane/Kelsey up, Akane/Kelsey says she’s fine, and that what Miyuki/Emily thought were tears was actually sweat. Akane/Kelsey says she’s perfectly fine and that she just needs some extra practice. Miyuki/Emily helps her practice, and Candy’s upset that Miyuki/Emily’s forgotten about her mission.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">We cut to the wolf standing on top of a skyscraper, menacingly announcing his plans as the sun sets. The first half of the episode ends there. In the Japanese eyecatches, the characters displayed are Cure Sunny and Candy. Will Candy always appear in the second eyecatch?

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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Post-transformation, Cure Sunny introduces herself by saying, “The dazzling sun! Hot-blooded power! Cure Sunny!” and Glitter Sunny introduces herself with, “When you mess with me, you’re playing with fire! I’m Glitter Sunny!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Being as boyish as she is, Sunny gets really embarrassed by her new form. In the sub, Happy cheers her up by saying that “The dazzling sun!” fits a cool girl like Sunny perfectly, while in the dub, Lucky says the outfit goes with her hair and her accessories and powers will be even cooler. Sunny agrees in both versions and tries out her “cool” persona, only for Wolfrun/Ulric to get annoyed and sic the Akanbe/Buffoon on both of them.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">The monster jumps on both superheroines and seems to crush them. Fortunately, Sunny’s super-strength allows her to keep them both from dying. In fact, she spins it around in circles and throws it into the bleachers. Candy tells Sunny to finish the battle with her attack.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Name Change: In the sub, Sunny’s finisher is Sunny Fire. In the dub, it’s Sparkle Fire.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Candy tells Sunny to channel her spirit into her Smile/Glitter Pact. When Sunny does so, she’s shocked when the pact starts glowing. In the sub, Happy tells Sunny to keep going. In the dub, Lucky tells her not to worry because it’s supposed to do that. When she channels more power, the pact summons a giant fireball. Happy/Lucky tells Sunny to remember their volleyball practice.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Sunny executes her attack, which involves spiking that fireball into the monster’s face. In the sub, she shouts, “Pretty Cure Sunny Fire!” and in the dub, she cries “Glitter Force Fire Spike!” Wasn’t the attack Sparkle Fire…? Oh well…

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">The attack is darkened, but like the transformation, it's less darkened than Lucky's.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Sunny collapses from exhaustion and Happy/Lucky hugs her. In the Japanese version, Happy says she’s so happy Sunny’s a Pretty Cure. In the English version, Lucky says Sunny’s an official member of the Glitter Force and Sunny asks if she has to pay dues. A Cure Décor/Glitter Charm shaped like a rose falls from the sky and Sunny catches it. Wolfrun/Ulric vows to defeat the team next time and teleports away.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">After de-transforming off screen, Akane/Kelsey and Miyuki/Emily watch everyone go back to normal. Akane/Kelsey continues to call Candy a sheep, to which Candy still objects. In the Japanese version, Akane starts calling Miyuki by her first name. In Japan, you only call friends by their first name, and everyone else by their last name. Akane and Miyuki being on first-name basis is a major stepping stone in their relationship. Since this custom doesn’t exist in America, the dub does it a bit differently. Emily calls Kelsey her teammate, and Kelsey says that they’re more than teammates; they’re friends.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">In the sub, Candy finishes it off by speculating that maybe to be a Pretty Cure, one must care about one’s friends. In the dub, Candy thinks it would be funny if, rather than magical powers and Glitter Force, friendship was the most powerful magic of all. Wow, dub Candy, lay off the sap.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Overall: And that’s it! I think that Akane/Kelsey is a fun character. Her happy-go-lucky demeanor and her super-cool fire theme make her a winner. I also believe that the voice acting in this episode of Glitter Force is a lot better than the first episode. Sure, Candy’s voice still isn’t convincing, but I already liked Kelsey’s voice (even if it was a bit too high-pitched) and overall, Emily’s voice actress did a much better job. Glitter Force is looking better and better!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Next time: Yayoi/Lily lights it up as Cure/Glitter Peace!