Doki Doki! Pretty Cure

Doki Doki! Pretty Cure (ドキドキ！ プリキュア), loosely translated as "Heartthrob Pretty Cure", is an upcoming 2013 Japanese Magical Girl Anime series and the tenth installment in Izumi Todo's Pretty Cure series. Produced by Toei Animation, the series commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Pretty Cure Series and premiered on February 3, 2013.

Confirmation and Development
Doki Doki! Pretty Cure was first revealed on October 25, 2012 after Toei filed the trademark at the Japan Patent Office for a variety of goods on October 2. and the official logo was revealed in the January issue of Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine. The series will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Pretty Cure Series in 2013, replacing Smile Pretty Cure! on its initial timeslot.

The key visual first revealing the Cure's look was a poster officially released by Asahi TV on 8 Dec 2012. The poster officially confirmed the presence of 5 mascots, one of them named Charles (4 companions that can become mobile phone transformation devices, plus a baby-mascot), the lead character's name as Aida Mana, the enemy's name Jikochuu, and a key location in the story Clover Tower.

Story
From the Asahi TV poster:

Aida Mana is a girl who is always eager to do things for the sake of others.

One day, when she was visiting the Clover Tower during her school's orientation program, an enemy named Jikochuu appeared suddenly, and tried to manipulate her inner heart! To fight this enemy, she borrowed power from fairy Charles and a magical device called the Cure Lavies to transform into Pretty Cure!

To protect the peace of the world, other legendary Pretty Cure soon joined her in battle! A mysterious baby also appears, making each day a "Heartthrob" experience! The 4 Cures, always holding "love" in their hearts, are battling for the world's fate!

From Toei Animation Webters:

Just when Mana Aida, second-year student at Ōkai 1st Middle School, was about to reach the observatory at the top of the Clover Tower in her town, a monster appears. Mana, who jumps into action without thinking, is met by Charles, a fairy from the Trump Kingdom. With her help, she transforms into Cure Heart! Together with her childhood friends Rikka and Arisu (along with the mysterious Cure Sword from the Trump Kingdom), Mana protects Earth from the invading Jikochū monsters.

Cures
Aida Mana (相田 マナ) / Cure Heart (キュアハート)-The bright and energetic student council president of Oogai First Public Middle School in her second year. She's a person who believes actions speak louder than words, and will often jump in to help others without even thinking about it. Both elders and youngsters around her believe in her leadership capabilities.

Hishikawa Rikka (菱川 六花) / Cure Diamond (キュアダイヤモンド)-The student council secretary in Oogai First Public Middle School. She's Mana's childhood friend. She was always protected by her back then, which makes Rikka always believe in Mana, but Rikka always protected Mana when she was a trouble maker. She is also one of the ten best students in national mock exams.

Yotsuba Alice (四葉 ありす) / Cure Rosetta (キュアロゼッタ)-A student in Nanatsu Hashi Academy for girls, which only rich people can afford because she's the heir to the Yotsuba Zaibatsu. She's childhood friends with Mana and Rikka. She's a kind person, sweet, talented and gentle, but often flaunts wealth involuntarily.

Kenzaki Makoto (剣崎 真琴) / Cure Sword (キュアソード)-The royal guard of Trump Kingdom in parallel worlds. She came to Japan to find the princess after her nation was invaded and became a super idol and extremely popular fashionista. Cool and always has a strong sense of responsibility, but harbored remorse for feeling that she didn't protect the princess, and doesn't get along well with her new allies.

Mascots
Sharuru (シャルル)-Heart's rabbit-like fairy partner. The most passionate of all the four mascots, she has a passionate heart and always works hard. She ends her sentences with "~sharu!".

Raquel (ラケル)-Diamond's dog-like fairy partner. She is very reliable to the other fairies, much like her partner. She ends her sentences with "~quel!".

Lance (ランス)-Rosetta's bear-like fairy partner. He is the youngest out of the four mascots, and a little spoiled. He ends his sentences with "~de lance!".

Dabyi (ダヴィ)-Sword's cat-like fairy partner. She is very independent, but she often worries about her partner. She ends her sentences with "~dabyi!".

Trump Kingdom
Marie Ange (マリー・アンジュ)-The princess of Trump Kingdom, who's being protected by Cure Sword before the beginning of the story. She is transported to the Human World and has gone missing, much to Cure Sword's dismay.

Villains
Selfish Trio (ジコチュートリオ)
 * Ira (イーラ)
 * Pell (ペール)
 * Marmo (マーモ)

Jikochuu (ジコチュー) are monsters summoned by the villains of the series to battle the Pretty Cure.

Selfish King

Items

 * Cure Lavies (キュアラビーズ) - the Cures' transformation device.
 * Lovely Commune (ラブリーコミ­ューン)

Locations

 * Trump Kingdom (トランプ王国) - An alternate world ruled by Queen Marie-Ange.
 * Oogai First Middle School (大貝第一中学) - Mana and Rikka's school.
 * Nanatsu Hashi Academy (七ツ橋学園) - Alice's school.
 * Clover Tower (クローバータワー) - Where Mana first met  Charles .

Trivia

 * Doki Doki! Pretty Cure is the second series with a card suits theme, following Fresh Pretty Cure!.
 * However, Fresh Pretty Cure! mainly stress on the motif of Four-leaf Clovers, while card suits is more like a subtheme to this series.
 * The Club is also missing in Fresh Pretty Cure!, instead, there are two Pretty Cures who represent the Heart, Cure Peach and Cure Passion. Cure Passion only once shows the Club pattern in the DS game opening.
 * Cure Rosetta and Cure Sword take their names from the old symbols used by playing cards, Rosetta being Italian for Rose, until they were replaced by the Club and Spade respectfully, that are still in use for tarot card readings.


 * Doki Doki! Pretty Cure is the third series that leads the fairy mascots to transform into Communes. The first was Futari wa Pretty Cure as the Card Communes, Pretty Commune, Touch Commune, and the Miracle Commune. The second was Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star as the Mix Communes and the Splash Commune, and one of the many to use device-like phones.
 * The Selfish Trio members' names are based on 3 of the 7 demons that represent the 7 Deadly Sins: Ira from Ira (Latin word for "anger", representing wrath), Pell from Belphegor (demon of sloth) and Marmo from Mammon (demon of avarice).
 * This is the first season since Futari Wa Pretty Cure Splash Star where the Cure's do not have outfits that resemble each other.
 * This is the fourth (fifth, if you count Yes! Pretty Cure 5: GoGo! with the word "go" - Japanese for "five") season to have a Japanese title after Futari wa Pretty Cure, Futari wa Pretty Cure: Max Heart and Futari wa Pretty Cure: Splash Star
 * And the second to have a purely Japanese title after Futari wa Pretty Cure.
 * The fairies' names of this series are similar to the those found in Kamen Rider Blade, particularly: Charles - Chalice, Lance's name is the same as Kamen Rider Lance and Raquel is similar to Leangle. The Kamen Rider series is also produced by Toei, with the Pretty Cure series showing after it and the Super Sentai series show of the year jointly known as Super Hero Time.
 * Cure Heart and Cure Sword's sleeves are similar to Smile Precure's sleeves.
 * Cure Rosetta's wristbands are almost similar to the Heartcatch Pretty Cure's.

Merchandise
Please refer to main page Doki Doki! Pretty Cure Merchandise.