Miden

Miden (ミデン^?) is a cloth-like entity and the main antagonist of HUGtto! Pretty Cure♡Futari wa Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories.

Bio

Appearance

Miden is a monstrous creature that looks like a teru teru bōzu. It has elongated arms and a body made of cloth. However, its actual form is that of a camera. When Miden uses a specific Cure's attack or recalls their memories, its color scheme changes to match the colors of the Cure it is copying.

Personality

Outside, Miden is childish and prone to violent tantrums, but they are actually lonely and depressed. They surround themselves with precious things in their huge lair, but as that doesn't fill their hollow inside, they yearn for memories. Miden keeps the younger Cures in a fancy playroom in their lair, and doesn't want to harm them per se.

Unlike most villains, Miden knows that stealing memories is selfish but loneliness has driven them to do such desperate actions. However, once Cure Yell reaches out to Miden, they finally understand the meaning of happiness and is freed from their emotional pain.

Etymology

Miden is taken from the brand of camera that they inhabited, the Miden F Mark II. "Miden" (μηδέν) is also Greek for "zero".

History

Before the movie, Miden was a single-lens reflex camera whose manufacturer went bankrupt and never had any photos taken. They gained sentience, became depressed after having their film removed, and wanted to have their own memories. They then began their quest of stealing memories from the Pretty Cure after turning themselves into a monster.

Their first target was the Futari wa Pretty Cure team, so they opened a portal that allowed them to enter the Garden of Rainbows. They then proceeded to steal the memories of Kujou Hikari which turned her into a baby.

One by one they converted almost every Pretty Cure team into toddlers, and then they reached Hagukumi City. They overpowered the Hugtto! team and turned the whole team, except for Yell, into toddlers. At the same time, Yukishiro Honoka suffered from the same fate. Back in their lair, Miden celebrated their success of getting new memories.

Miden then had a rematch with Cure Yell. During the rematch, they were astonished to discover that Honoka had recovered her memories and was able to become Cure White again. The other Hugtto Cures also recovered out of their expectation. Furious, Miden terrorized the entire city by regressing numerous people into toddlers and wielding shards and rocks, and trapped both the Hugtto and Futari wa Precure teams into their realm.

During their time inside the realm, the Cures struggle to dodge all of Miden's attacks, including a giant Mofurun. But after the Cures entered a dark room, they found out that Miden's true form was the Miden F MKII. Miden was enraged at how the girls had discovered their identity and therefore stole Black and White's memories.

After Miden trapped the Hugtto team inside their body, Yell realized that it had been hollow all along. As for Miden themself, they believed that they had collected enough memories to be happy at last. But they soon realized all the Cures were freed and regained memories after Hugtan encouraged the Cures. Meanwhile, Yell stayed with Miden because she didn't want them to feel lonely. One by one, Miden's clones were beaten and they were weakened, leaving a crack for Yell to leap into.

Upon entering the crack, Yell soon found the cloth-less Miden who was depressed and alone showering under the cold and sad rain. They felt unable to change anything to feel happy even when Yell initially encouraged them until Yell told them that stealing memories won't bring true happiness and only ones that accumulate in a person's lifetime will, and forgave them.

With their chamber shattered, all the Pretty Cure could finally transmit their feelings with Miracle Lights to Miden. Miden was ultimately freed from their prolonged pain and faded into the light. They were last seen as a camera used to take the first photo, which was the group photo of the Pretty Cure teams.

Powers and Abilities

Miden has the unique ability to steal the memories of Pretty Cures and replicate their catchphrases and attacks. These memories are then sealed in stained glass panels. The Cure whose memories were taken away loses her power and regresses into a toddler.

When Miden possesses most of the Cures' memories, they can use some of their attacks, including Shiny Luminous' Heartiel Action and Cure Whip's Whip Decoration, among others.

To absorb the memories of a Cure and transform them into babies, Miden's eyes turn orange, and they shoot a bright blue beam at the target. When they imitate a Cure's quirks, dialogue, or perform an attack, their body turns the same color as the Cure they are copying.

When fighting the Pretty Cures, they can summon an army of black mini-versions of themselves to hold off the Cures while they make their escape.

Trivia

Miden's concept resembles a tsukumogami, which are objects that in time end up possessing a spirit, according to Japanese folklore.
- Additionally, characters have noted that Miden's physical appearance resembles a teru teru bōzu, a Japanese talisman in the form of a doll made of white cloth. It is thought that hanging one up would bring good weather.
Miden is similar in concept to Clarinet, the main villain of Doki Doki! Pretty Cure: Mana Kekkon!!? Mirai ni Tsunagu Kibō no Dress who was actually a sentient clarinet.