Higashi Setsuna

Higashi Setsuna (東せつな)^? is one of the four main Cures from Fresh Pretty Cure!. She was originally from Labyrinth, and she served it as Eas (イース)^? until episode 23.

After having a change of heart and being reborn, she transforms into Cure Passion (キュアパッション, Cure Passion)^?. Her catchphrase is "I'll do my best!" (精一杯頑張るわ！, "I'll do my best!")^?.

Bio[]

Appearance[]

As Eas, she has red eyes that appear empty, shoulder-length silver hair worn around the shoulders with a black headband, and wears a black sleeveless top with pointed tails and a red collar. The top has two crimson gems on the front and she pairs it with short shorts, long black gloves with maroon bangles, matching colored bands on the upper arm, stockings decorated with red bows, and red heels.

As Setsuna, her hair turns dark purple but keeps the same style. Her eyes remain lifeless until episode 24. She originally wore a red long-sleeve top with a white tank top, khaki shorts, and black leather boots. During summer, she wore a light grey shirt with knee-length dark navy jeans and red heels. She wears the clover necklace Love gave to her until episode 22. After her resurrection, she keeps her top, but it is red and white. Her second summer outfit consists of a red dress beneath a white vest, and she still wears the same heels. In the winter, she switches to a red shirt with a denim navy jacket, layered blue skirt, black tights, and a pair of flats.

During the dance, she wears a dark red sweatsuit with a pink shirt, a mini-skirt for bottoms, black stockings, and a pair of dark red and white high-tops.

In the movie, she wears a crimson top with a cream belt beneath a dark purple jacket with white linings and a red feather design on the back. She also wears dark purple shorts, dark grey knee socks, and dark red shoes.

As Cure Passion, her eyes brighten, her hair turns light pink and reaches her waist, and she wears a white tiara adorned by a garnet gem to match the winged heart on each side of the head. She also gets a white choker and red heart earrings. She wears a red dress with black detail and stitching, a ribbon hanging from the left hip. Her Linkrun is worn on the right, and her sleeves have a white lining with a trim of ruffles on the chest. The second layered skirt is dark maroon, and her sleeves are trimmed with ruffled pastel red layers. She also gains sleeves to match her dress, black tights, and a pair of black and maroon boots with a red cuff.

As Cure Angel Passion, her hair grows out, along with her accessory wings, dress ruffles, sleeves, and ribbon. Her cape-like skirt flows behind her, and her thighs are partially exposed. She gains a white pair of angel wings.

As Rainbow Cure Passion, her outfit is the same as Cure Angel Passion with a small pair of golden wings.

Personality[]

As Eas, Setsuna initially had a cold and calculating personality. She was quick to anger and lacked any patience. She didn't care about others' feelings and was unwaveringly loyal to Moebius. However, after befriending Love, her personality began to change. The flaws in her character started to become apparent, and her stubbornness and pride made it difficult for her to admit when she was wrong.

Upon being reborn as Cure Passion, she gradually transformed. Initially shy, reserved, and anxious after joining Pretty Cure, she started to open up more thanks to her friends. Over time, she became more cheerful and energetic. Setsuna eventually evolved into a kind, patient, and intelligent person who deeply cared for those close to her. However, she found it challenging to understand social cues and Earth's customs, often approaching situations with innocent naivety.

She was burdened by guilt over her past actions while working for Labyrinth, and even though she came to terms with it over time, the feeling never completely went away. Despite her transformation since her time as Eas, her seriousness and determination remained intact, now channeled into her battles as Cure Passion.

Relationships[]

Momozono Love: Setsuna initially hated Love, and the two came into conflict often in their respective roles as Eas and Cure Peach. Eas attempted to befriend Love under the guise of Setsuna in order to undermine Pretty Cure, but the other girl's kind and cheery disposition slowly made her begin to doubt if her work for Labyrinth was right, causing her frequent frustration and anger. Eventually, Love's bullheaded refusal to give up on Setsuna managed to get through to her, and she was reborn as the fourth Pretty Cure, Cure Passion. Though initially hesitant to join the Cures, Love's insistence helps her come to terms with her past. After Setsuna moves into the Momozono household at Love's suggestion, the two become very close friends, and eventually develop a sisterly bond.
Aono Miki: Miki and Setsuna had a difficult time understanding one another at first, owing to the latter's relative lack of social skills. However, Setsuna is shown to care about Miki, being understanding and supportive when she has a difficult time confronting her fear of octopi. Following this experience, the two girls become closer with one another.^FPC33
Yamabuki Inori: When Setsuna was still doubting herself and lacking in confidence following her rebirth as a Pretty Cure, Inori helped encourage her to talk with the other girls, and gave her the confidence to join their dance group.^FPC26 Setsuna and Inori subsequently become good friends.
Tarte: Since both of them live in the Momozono household, he is seen as a family member by Setsuna. She's shown to care deeply about his well-being, worrying about him when he gets a stomach ache.
Moebius: At first, Eas was fiercely and obsessively loyal to Moebius, often to the point of her own self-detriment. This was most clearly shown when Moebius gave Eas a Nakisabeke card, which she gratefully used although it caused her extreme pain. Eas repeatedly told herself that she was willing to serve Moebius, even if it costs her own life. However, Eas eventually realized, partially due to Cure Peach's influence, that she didn't want to die for Moebius' sake. Following her rebirth as Cure Passion, she fought against Moebius with the rest of Pretty Cure. Despite this, Setsuna still cared about him to some extent, referring to him as "Moebius-sama," and trying to appeal to his humanity to convince him to change.^FPC49
Westar: The two were initially comrades, though Eas never thought particularly highly of Westar during her time with Labyrinth. Following her betrayal to join Pretty Cure, the two become enemies outright, though Westar repeatedly tries to convince her to rejoin their side. Later, when Westar realizes that Moebius doesn't care about him, the two become allies once more, and following Moebius's defeat, he and Setsuna return to Labyrinth along with Soular to change it for the better.

Etymology[]

Higashi (東, Higashi)^?: Translates to east, an obvious reference to her alter ego of Eas. Hayato, Shun, and Nayuta each also have surnames referring to the other three cardinal directions.

Setsuna (せつな, Setsuna)^?: A variety of different meanings can be given to this name, particularly since it is written in hiragana and not kanji, therefore making it difficult to find an exact meaning. One possibility is that it refers to the word setsuna (刹那 / せつな, setsuna)^?, meaning moment; instant; the other - word (切な), meaning sadness. Some fans believe this to be the case because, like Hayato and Shun's names, it refers to speed or something that occurs quickly.

Cure Passion: Refers to the passion fruit, the alternative name of the fruit passiflora edulis, following the pattern of naming Cures after fruits in Fresh Pretty Cure!.

Eas: Comes from the word "east". She, like Soular, Westar, and Northa, is named after one of the four cardinal directions of the compass. Currently, it is unknown if there is a specific reason that she was named after this particular direction.

History[]

As Eas[]

Eas first meets Momozono Love while working at the Labyrinth fortune-telling house. She, disguised as Setsuna at the time, tells Love that she will soon "encounter great happiness." Later on, Eas disrupts the Trinity concert where Love is by summoning a Nakewameke that attacks Chinen Miyuki, the leader of the dance trio. However, Eas then witnesses that Love gains the ability to transform into Cure Peach and defeat the monster. Eas retreats into the shadows, stating with a cold laugh that she was sure they would meet again.

Eas, now as Setsuna, finds Love playing Lucky Draw in town and asks her for a tour of the town. During and after the tour, she tries to steal Love's Linkrun. After the repeated failures, Setsuna receives a clover necklace from Love, which is just an item to show she is friendly at first. Setsuna and Love meet again later, this time with Miki and Inori with her. During a get-together, Setsuna tries once again to steal Love's Linkrun, but when it reacts, she puts it down.

Moebius begins to realize that something is hindering Setsuna, as Eas, from eliminating Pretty Cure, so he gives her the Nakisakebe cards. Upon using it, thorny, dark green vines dig into her skin. It is not until Pretty Cure defeat it after a hard battle that she is saved. The third time the card is used, Akarun is spotted in town but has a hard time choosing its master. The vines fully bind her, but the Nakisakebe is defeated, stopping any further damage on her.

Resurrection[]

Soular talks to Eas after the third defeat, because Moebius has given her one last chance to defeat Pretty Cure. During the fourth Nakisakebe attack, Cure Peach encounters Eas. Setsuna reveals her human identity and breaks the clover necklace.^FPC22 After a final battle between her and Cure Peach, Eas' body dies due to her life being expired. She, however, is saved by Akarun, giving her a new form: Cure Passion. Although Love accepts Setsuna immediately, she walks away, conflicted on what to do.

Setsuna has realized that now that Labyrinth has kicked her out, she has no place to go. While wandering the streets, she meets Love and her family, who are going to a restaurant to eat. Love convinces her to join, and Setsuna begins to enjoy herself more. Westar, wanting to confirm Eas has switched sides and possibly get her back, attacks the city with a tower turned Nakewameke. Cure Peach first confronts the menace on her own, but then Setsuna, realizing that she has felt more happy spending time with Love, becomes Cure Passion and uses Happiness Hurricane to purify the Nakewameke. Love's mother offers to let Setsuna stay in their house, to which she accepts.

Setsuna And Cure Passion[]

Although Setsuna is adapting to the society of a normal girl, she is still haunted by her past deeds as Eas everywhere she goes.^FPC25 However, she is backed up by the rest of Pretty Cure, and when a Nakewameke representing Eas, attacks the girls, she confronts the fake and defeats her with the girls, putting her past to rest. She, later on, feels that she should start dancing with the girls, becoming a part of their dancing group Clover, and although she hesitates, she gets help from Inori.^FPC26

Setsuna transfers to Love's school. She proves to be quite capable and hard-working, answering math problems correctly and playing sports well. This gathers the attention of a lot of fans, and she becomes popular, to Daisuke's dismay. After Westar turns a pitching machine into a Nakewameke, Cure Berry uses the Burun to change the group uniforms. Setsuna gets a home run, and all four finish off the Nakewameke.

By spending time with the other girls, Setsuna gradually opens herself up to them. She also bonds with Miki, after both she and Miki honestly reveal their respective fears to each other.^FPC33

Later, when Passion and her friends try destroying the Fuko Gauge, Northa separates her from her team, and uses Fuko Energy to create hallucinations for inducing fights between Passion and the other Cures, after failing to make Passion return to the dark side. However, Northa's plans fail as Passion and her team manage to destroy the Fuko Gauge.^FPC43

Going To Labyrinth[]

Due to Chiffon being captured by Northa and taken to Labyrinth, Setsuna and her friends have no choice but to reveal themselves as Pretty Cure in front of their families and friends. When Setsuna is about to use her Linkrun to teleport her and the others, their parents stop them in fear of them getting hurt. Setsuna and her friends, despite temporarily staying with their families, know they can't wait any longer, and she tries joining her friends on running away. Their parents know about this, but soon come to terms with Setsuna and the team's decision.^FPC45

After arriving at Labyrinth and luckily for the other Cures, Cure Passion is their guidebook for Labyrinth since she used to be a denizen, and was a high rank. Then they see a group of people heading to Moebius Tower, and Setsuna says that they must be in the line or they'll be spotted. Setsuna also has to stop Love from helping an old man, so the girls won't accidentally expose themselves. After the Cures destroy a Sorawatase, Cure Passion leads the way to Moebius, but to her surprise it is a maze with different halls, which Cure Passion cannot find a way of.

Suddenly, another Sorewatase arrives to get Passion and her team, causing two portals to come from the floor and separating Passion and Berry from Peach and Pine, who are teleported to the Waste Processing Plant. There, they are confronted Soular and Westar. While Passion has to fight against Westar, Westar tries to convince Passion to come back to Labyrinth, and keeps calling her Eas. Passion tries to convince him too, telling him that Moebius is using him as trash and telling him if the world is Labyrinth, he won't be able to eat donuts, which are soimething that brings him happiness. Just as Westar is about to finish Passion, the delete hole is summoned. Passion tries to run away, but her foot gets stuck by wires, and a broken machine was about to hit her, until Westar saves her by ripping the wires to get her foot out.

Westar then tells Passion that he was a fool, but Passion tells him that he was a kind friend that acted as a comrade even though she betrayed him. Unfortuantely, Westar and Soular are sucked into the delete hole, leaving Passion and Berry in grief of losing their friends.

Defeating Mobieus And Saving Labyrinth[]

Passion and Berry soon reunite with Peach and Pine, when Northa then appears and turns to her true monster form in front of them. Passion and her team try to fight against Northa, with Passion using Happiness Hurricane. Just as Northa is defeated, Klein appears, also showing them his horrid, true, monster form, and combining him with Northa, which is powerful enough to overwhelm Passion and her team by resisting the Lucky Clover Grand Finale.

Passion and her friends almost give up, until a girl from Labyrinth thanks them, along with the other Labyrinth citizens. To Passion and Berry's happiness, Westar and Soular have returned. With the Labyrinth citizens' cheers, Passion and her team eventually defeat the combined monster of Klein and Northa.

When the Cures finally find Moebius, Cure Passion uses her Passion Harp to use Happiness Hurricane, trying to convince Moebius into joining the good, but backfires because Moebius is actuallt a robot. Moebius almost defeats Passion and her friends, until they all use Loving True Heart Fresh! to save Chiffon and the parallel worlds, and she and her friends manage to escape when Moebius self-destructs. Setsuna then returns to Yotsuba with her friends after the fight.

At the end of their journey, after Moebius has been defeated, Setsuna decides to follow Soular and Westar back to Labyrinth in order to make it a happy place, just like how Love and Clover Town Street made her happy. Before she leaves, she attends and wins the dance competition with the rest of Clover.

However, Setsuna appears in the Pretty Cure All Stars series from DX2 and onward, as well as in Fresh! novel, hinting that she comes to visit Love, Miki, and Inori every once in a while.

Eas[]

"I am Eas, denizen of Labyrinth, and faithful servant of Lord Moebius!"
我が名はイース。ラビリンス総統、メビウス様がしもべ！
Wa ga na wa Īsu. Rabirinsu sōtō, Mebiusu-sama ga shimobe!

Eas (イース, Eas)^? is the original part of Setsuna and the one that represents her past as a Labyrinth member. Much like other generals of Labyrinth, Eas could change back and forth between her human and Labyrinth forms by saying the phrase "Switch Over". She was able to summon a Nakewameke by possessing an item or an animal. The diamonds she used to summon Nakewameke were dark red. During her last four battles, she was able to summon Nakisakebe, a stronger and faster type of monster than Nakewameke that only she could use.

Eas was known for her stubbornness and strong sense of pride, which led her to refuse help from her partners and never admit defeat. When she first met Cure Peach, she declared herself as her enemy and vowed to fight her again. From then on, Eas did everything she could to defeat Pretty Cure, but eventually asked Moebius for help. As Pretty Cure grew stronger, Eas was given the Nakisakebe cards but also began to have doubts about Labyrinth's goals.

When Eas' physical body died, her life energy was sacrificed for Labyrinth's goal. However, Akarun was summoned by Chiffon and entered Eas' body, reviving her as Cure Passion.^FPC23 It is unclear whether Setsuna loses the ability to assume this form following her rebirth, or if she simply doesn't want to do so.

Cure Passion[]

"The scarlet heart is the proof of happiness! Freshly-ripened, Cure Passion!"
真っ赤なハートは幸せの証！熟れたてフレッシュ、キュアパッション！
Makka na hāto wa shiawase no akashi! Uretate furesshu, Kyua Passhon!

Cure Passion (キュアパッション, Cure Passion)^? first appeared in episode 23. In order to find out who she was, the other girls had to find Akarun, a red Pickrun with a ribbon and wings. Cure Passion's theme color is red/crimson/scarlet, and she is arguably the strongest of the Fresh! Cures.

Cure Passion can use the attack Happiness Hurricane, and, unlike the other Cures, did not need to form a bond with Chiffon in order to summon Akarun and the Passion Harp. Later, about halfway through the season, Pretty Cure uses the power of the Clover Box to perform the group attack Lucky Clover Grand Finale, in which Cure Passion transfers her powers into the Happiness Leaf.

Cure Angel[]

Cure passion Angel Finishing Pose — Cure Angel Passion

"The white heart is the heart of everyone! Freshly flapping, Cure Angel!"
ホワイトハートはみんなの心！羽ばたけフレッシュ、キュアエンジェル！
Howaito hāto wa minna no kokoro! Habatake Furesshu, Kyua Enjeru!

Cure Angel (キュアエンジエル, Cure Angel)^? is a second Cure form Pretty Cure gains in the series thanks to the people of Labyrinth.

In this form, Cure Angel Passion is capable of flying at fast speed and has a powered up strength. Together with everyone else, she can use the attacks Loving True Heart and Loving True Heart Fresh.

Cure Rainbow Passion[]

Cure Rainbow Passion (キュアレインボーパッション, Cure Rainbow Passion)^? is an upgrade Cure Passion gains in Pretty Cure All Stars DX 2: Kibou no Hikari - Rainbow Jewel o Mamore!. Together with the others' upgrades, the group of the seventeen Cures form the group Cure Rainbow. This upgraded outfit resembles that of Cure Angel in the season's finale, except with a pair of small, golden wings instead of white ones.

Transformation[]

First, she opens her Linkrun, touches the button and the screen glows red. She shouts, "Change, Pretty Cure..." and her hair ornaments disappear. She puts her foot down and shouts, "...Beat up!" and sinks down into water. Her brooch appears, followed by her dress. Then her hair color changes from dark purple to pink. Her boots, wristbands, and earrings then appear. Then Cure Passion lands on the ground and recites her introductory speech.

To transform into Cure Angel, she shouts, "Change, Pretty Cure! Beat up!" and her normal Pretty Cure outfit disappears. She starts to spin around and white light creates her dress, shoes, wristbands and angel wings for her. Then, she recites her introductory speech with the rest of the Angel cures.

Attacks[]

Fresh Pretty Cure! - Passion Harp — Cure Passion uses Happiness Hurricane

Happiness Hurricane (ハピネスハリケーン, Happiness Hurricane)^? is her only solo attack, which she using the Passion Harp. She first performs it in episode 24.
Lucky Clover Grand Finale (ラッキークローバー・グランドフィナーレ, Lucky Clover Grand Finale)^? is a group attack she performs with Peach, Berry and Pine using the Clover Box. They first use it in episode 37.
Loving True Heart (ラビング・トゥルー・ハート, Loving True Heart)^? is a group attack she uses with Peach, Berry and Pine as Cure Angel in episode 49.
- Loving True Heart Fresh (ラビング・トゥルー・ハートフレッシュ, Loving True Heart Fresh)^? is the upgraded version of Loving True Heart. She uses it with Peach, Berry, Pine, Tarte, Azukina, Westar and Soular in the final episode.
Cure Passion can use a few very basic attacks together with her friends, such as the Pretty Cure Punch and Pretty Cure Kick.

Songs[]

Setsuna's voice actor, Komatsu Yuka, has participated in several image songs for the character she voices. Many of them include duets with Oki Kanae, who voices Momozono Love, Kitamura Eri, who voices Aono Miki, and Nakagawa Akiko, who voices Yamabuki Inori.

Group songs[]

Fresh Pretty Cure・Sun Child (Along with Oki Kanae, Kitamura Eri, and Nakagawa Akiko)
Dreaming Flowers (Along with Oki Kanae, Kitamura Eri, Nakagawa Akiko, and Iizuka Mayumi)
Happiness☆Wonderland ~The Gift Of Smiles~ (Along with Oki Kanae, Kitamura Eri, Nakagawa Akiko, and M*Cube)

Trivia[]

Eas is the first Cure to be:
- a female antagonist who later becomes a member of Pretty Cure.
- the first mid-season Cure in a standalone season and also the first otherworldly Cure to have the "Cure" title in her name.
Eas/Setsuna shares her same voice actor with Akarun from the same season.
Eas' citizen number in Labyrinth is #ES-4039781.
In the book "Drawing Fantastic Female Fighters", it’s revealed that she was originally going to have a similar look to Cure Peach, save for an increase in hair volume until her costume was changed to look like armor to help her stand out.
- Additionally, in early stages, animators played around with things like the position of the ribbon and different headband shapes.
  - The same book also revealed two things regarding Setsuna as Eas:
    - The diamond-like cross on the back of her outfit represented the burden she bore before her defection.
    - Her original hairstyle lacked a headband and looked a bit too much like bedhead. But a hairstyle borrowed from a newscaster didn't appeal to Toei's target demographic.
Setsuna dislikes green peppers. However, in the Fresh Pretty Cure! novel, she has since overcome her aversion to them.
For the Pretty Cure All Stars DX3 Movie Character Polls held by Toei Animation, Cure Passion appeared in the following rankings:
- 6th in "Favorite Pretty Cure"
- 7th in "The Pretty Cure you want to team up with most"
- 4th in "The Pretty Cure you want to be most"
Cure Passion is the only Pretty Cure in Fresh Pretty Cure! who does not introduce her heart's color in English; instead she says makka (真っ赤, makka)^?, which is translated to "scarlet" or "crimson".
- It should also be noted that she is the only one who does not say "the symbol of" (の印, "the symbol of")^?, but rather "the proof of" (の証, "no akashi")^?. It is a possibility that it is a pun toward her color theme, as the "aka" is pronounced, though not written, like the Japanese word "aka" (赤, "aka")^?, which means "red".
Setsuna appears as Cure Passion at the beginning of the third episode of Happiness Charge Pretty Cure! to do her 10th anniversary congratulatory message.
Cure Passion is the only Fresh! Cure who keeps her Linkrun on her right side, while the others have theirs on the left side.
A phrase she said less often as Eas was "More Screaming, More Crying" (もっとなけ、もっとわめけ, "More Screaming, More Crying")^?. However, it wasn't that common to become a catchphrase.