Pretty Cure, also known as the Pretty Cure Series (プリキュアシリーズ )? is the name of a magical girl anime and multimedia franchise, created by Tōdō Izumi[1] and produced by Toei Animation, the Asahi Broadcasting Corporation and Asatsu-DK.
History
The franchise started with Futari wa Pretty Cure, a magical girl anime series from 2004. It aired on Sunday mornings on the TV channel TV Asahi, alongside popular tokusatsu franchises Super Sentai and Kamen Rider.
Futari wa Pretty Cure featured many refreshing aspects to the magical girl genre, such as physical fights and hand-to-hand combat scenes, a magical girl duo and being sensible towards the young audience, with no overt violence or sexual themes. It was also merchandise driven, depicting toys on sale as transformation / power-up items and having the main characters search for collectables. This was because the director, Daisuke Nishio, was more used to working on shows like Dragon Ball, and the idea of the protagonists being a duo came partially from the Rush Hour movies.
The series was so successful that a sequel was produced a year after, called Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart. Since then, every year a new Pretty Cure season is aired on TV Asahi's Sunday morning blocks, though they do not follow the same continuity as Futari wa Pretty Cure and Max Heart.
A group of magical girls that are both warriors and protectors, the Pretty Cures, fight against evil forces and are accompanied by fairies, the magical mascot characters. The group usually starts with two to three Cures, with new Cures joining about half-way through the season which is a trend that began with Fresh Pretty Cure!. Sometimes, the Cures are supported by magical warriors that do not carry the "Cure" title. A series has about 45 to 50 episodes, and a movie with the respective season's characters that comes out in fall each year.
The franchise spawned movies, CD releases, books, comics, games, stage character shows, toys and a crossover franchise, Pretty Cure All Stars.
Pretty Cure TV Series
No. | Title | Broadcast | Image | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Futari wa Pretty Cure | February 1, 2004
- January 30, 2005 |
Two middle schoolers, Misumi Nagisa and Yukishiro Honoka, attain magic power after coming in contact with fairies Mepple and Mipple.
Despite their differences, they become close friends and inseparable partners; Together, they are Pretty Cure! | |
2 | Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart | February 6, 2005
- January 29, 2006 |
A sequel to the first series. Nagisa and Honoka transform again into Cure Black and Cure White when the world is threatened by evil.
They gain support and a friend in Kujou Hikari, a girl from another world who can transform into "Shiny Luminous" with fairy Pollun. | |
3 | Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star | February 5, 2006
- January 28, 2007 |
New continuity, similar design, with environmental themes.
Hyuuga Saki and Mishou Mai become Cure Bloom and Cure Egret to fight against the evil poisoning the Land of Fountains. Two enemies, Michiru and Kaoru, become friendly with the Cures over the course of the series. | |
4 | Yes! Pretty Cure 5 | February 4, 2007
- January 27, 2008 |
After Splash Star was unpopular, Yes! Pretty Cure 5 has a new concept, five girls, with different theme colors, similar to Super Sentai. Has a stronger romance focus.
Yumehara Nozomi and her friends are up against an evil company, Nightmare, and become Cures to save Palmier Kingdom. They receive help from Coco and Nuts, fairies who can transform into young men. | |
5 | Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo! | February 3, 2008
- January 25, 2009 |
A direct sequel to the previous work, and the 5thanniversary series. Nozomi and the others are granted more power to protect the Cure Rose Garden from shady art museum Eternal.
New characters are Syrup, a mailboy fairy with amnesia and Milky Rose, a mysterious magic warrior who draws her power from the blue rose. | |
6 | Fresh Pretty Cure! | February 1, 2009
- January 31, 2010 |
With a new producer, Fresh has a modern "pop" feel. The Cures have older looking designs, the outro uses CG dancing. It introduced the concept of mid-season Cures, a villain reforming and becoming a main character, the Cures taking care of a baby fairy and power-up form changes.
Love, Miki, and Inori form a dance group called "Clover" but they are also Pretty Cures, protecting the people from the evil machinations of Labyrinth. | |
7 | Heartcatch Pretty Cure! | February 7, 2010
- January 30, 2011 |
After legendary warrior Cure Moonlight's defeat, shy flower lover Tsubomi and her classmate Erika become Cure Blossom and Cure Marine to stop the Desert Apostles from taking people's heart flowers and turning the earth into a desert.
The popular series is notable for the radically different art style, developed by character designer Umakoshi Yoshihiko. | |
8 | Suite Pretty Cure♪ | February 6, 2011
- January 29, 2012 |
Sporty Hibiki and popular Kanade are childhood best friends who, despite their major differences, share a great love of music. After encountering the fairy Hummy, they soon turn into Cure Melody and Cure Rhythm to help recover the scattered musical notes and prevent Mephisto and his minions from completing the Melody of Sorrow.
The series has a music theme and at first brought back the original Pretty Cure concept of a duo that has to transform together, with more Cures joining later in the series. | |
9 | Smile Pretty Cure! | February 5, 2012
- January 27, 2013 |
The subordinates of the Bad End Kingdom have come to Earth to collect Bad Energy to revive their master, Pierrot, and bring the "Worst Ending" to the universe. Thanks to the fairy Candy, Miyuki, Akane, Yayoi, Nao, and Reika gain the power to become Pretty Cure to collect the Cure Decor and revive Märchenland's Royal Queen.
The series' motif is fairy tales and is one of the very few series in the franchise where there is no mid-season Cure joining the team. | |
10 | Doki Doki! Pretty Cure | February 3, 2013
- January 26, 2014 |
Mana, Rikka, and Alice are given the power to transform into Pretty Cure and, along with former Trump Kingdom inhabitant turned popular idol Makoto, must defend their town and the universe from the evil Jikochuu monsters who destroyed Makoto's old home.
The series had a card suit motif while it themes were emotions and selflessness. It also marked the landmark 10th season of the franchise. | |
11 | Happiness Charge Pretty Cure! | February 2, 2014
- January 25, 2015 |
After suffering another defeat, Hime, also known as Cure Princess, goes to find a partner, and finds one in the energetic Megumi, who soon becomes Cure Lovely. Together they fight against the forces of the Phantom Empire to protect the Earth and save Hime's kingdom.
The series' themes are romance, fashion, dancing, and mirrors, and also brought an interesting aspect where there are various other Pretty Cure teams all around the world and are known to the public. It also commemorated the franchise's 10th anniversary and introduced the "baton pass" at the end of the series. | |
12 | Go! Princess Pretty Cure | February 1, 2015
- January 31, 2016 |
Haruka has recently arrived at the prestigious Noble Academy and soon learns that she is one of the legendary Pretty Cure. Together with student council president Minami and popular model Kirara, they aim to protect everyone's dreams and hope from Dys Dark.
The series' themes are princesses, dreams, and personal goals. The series is unique as it takes place at a boarding school as opposed to a regular one. It has also started the tradition of showing the Cures in the future at the end of it. | |
13 | Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! | February 7, 2016
- January 29, 2017 |
One day at the park, curious Mirai encounters a young witch named Riko and the two soon become the legendary witches Pretty Cure to search for the powerful Linkle Stones and stop the Dark Magicians' assault, all the while attending the mysterious Magic School.
The series' themes include magic, witches, gemstones, and holding hands. It is notable for having the Cures gain multiple forms with different powers and the main mascot helping them transform as opposed to a device. | |
14 | KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode | February 5, 2017
- January 28, 2018 |
After encountering the fairy Pekorin, aspiring patissier Ichika gains the power the transform into Cure Whip, who is soon joined by four other Cures to help stop the servants of Noir from stealing the Kirakiraru, the energy source of all sweets.
The series' themes are sweets, animals, and creativity, and has the Cures managing a patisserie. The series is the first to break away from the usual "Monster of the Week" format. | |
15 | HUGtto! Pretty Cure | February 4, 2018
- January 27, 2019 |
Hana, Saaya, and Homare become Pretty Cure to protect the mysterious baby Hugtan and take on the fearsome Criasu Corporation, who plan on freezing time to prevent everyone's futures from happening.
The series' themes are destiny, futures, heroism, parenting, and jobs. It also commemorated the franchise's 15th anniversary, with all of the Cures up until that point appearing at some points of the series. | |
16 | Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure | February 3, 2019
- January 26, 2020 |
Imaginative Hikaru, alien Lala, bright Elena, and graceful Madoka all become Pretty Cure to help stop the invasion of the Notraiders and restore the Star Princesses and the balance of the universe. Together they travel through space along with young fairy Fuwa and another alien, Prunce.
The series' themes are space, astrology, and imagination. It is also the first franchise where the Cures sing and dance during the transformation sequence. The end of each episode featured three lucky horoscopes. | |
17 | Healin' Good♥Pretty Cure | February 2, 2020
- February 21, 2021 |
Using the power of the Healing Animals, Nodoka, Chiyu, and Hinata become Pretty Cure to protect the Earth from the infection-spreading Byogens and take care of the young puppy Latte.
The series' themes include health, nature, and animals. The series features the Cures' transformation devices doubling as their weapons. It also went on a hiatus starting on April 20th due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually returning on June 28th. | |
18 | Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure | February 28, 2021
- January 30, 2022 |
Manatsu, Sango, Minori, and Asuka are members of the Tropical Club, becoming Pretty Cure to protect everybody's motivation from being stolen by the Witch of Delays' generals and save mermaid Laura's home.
The series' themes are mermaids and club activities. It is the also the first season in a long time to feature a non-pink lead Cure, with Cure Summer having a more rainbow-themed color scheme. | |
19 | Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure | February 6, 2022
- January 29, 2023 |
Yui, Kokone and Ran transform into Cures with the help of energy fairies, to protect Recipepes and everyone's smiles. Forging a friendship with Rosemary from CooKingdom, they try to recover the Recipe-Bon from the phantom thief Bundoru Gang.
The series' main themes are food, gratitude, and sharing. It is also the first season to utilize a narrator. | |
20 | Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure | February 5, 2023
- January 28, 2024 |
Sora ends up on Earth with Ellee-chan, where she transforms into a Pretty Cure. Sora is joined by Mashiro, Tsubasa, and Ageha to fight the Undergu Empire.
The series main theme is heroes, while the motif is endless skies. It also commemorated the franchise's 20th anniversary. | |
21 | Wonderful Pretty Cure! | February 4, 2024
- |
The puppy Komugi and her owner Iroha, along with the cat Yuki and her owner Mayu, become Pretty Cure to rescue the rampaging Garugarus and restore Niko Garden.
The series' main motif is animals, while the main theme is "humans and animals can all become friends". It is also the first season where the lead Cure started out originally as an animal. |
Episode Lists
Main Series Staff
Other
Movies
Main Series Movies
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart: The Movie
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart 2: Yukizora no Tomodachi
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash☆Star Tick Tack Kiki Ippatsu!
- Yes! Pretty Cure 5: Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken!
- Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!: Okashi no Kuni no Happy Birthday!
- Fresh Pretty Cure!: Omocha no Kuni wa Himitsu ga Ippai!?
- Heartcatch Pretty Cure!: Hana no Miyako de Fashion Show... Desu ka!?
- Suite Pretty Cure♪ : Torimodose! Kokoro ga Tsunagu Kiseki no Melody!
- Smile Pretty Cure!: Ehon no Naka wa Minna Chiguhagu!
- Doki Doki! Pretty Cure: Mana Kekkon!!? Mirai ni Tsunagu Kibō no Dress
- Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!: Ningyou no Kuni no Ballerina
- Go! Princess Pretty Cure: Go! Go!! Gouka Sanbon Date!!!
- Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!: Kiseki no Henshin! Cure Mofurun!
- KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode: Paritto! Omoide no Mille-feuille!
- HUGtto! Pretty Cure♡Futari wa Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories
- Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure: Hoshi no Uta ni Omoi wo Komete
- Healin' Good♥Pretty Cure: Yume no Machi de Kyun! tto GoGo! Daihenshin!!
- Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure: Yuki no Princess to Kiseki no Yubiwa!
- Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure: Yumemiru♡Okosama Lunch!
- Wonderful Pretty Cure! The Movie! Dokidoki♡Game no Sekai de Daibouken!
All Stars Movies
- Main Article: Pretty Cure All Stars
Fiction
Transformation Sequences
- Dual Aurora Wave!
- Luminous! Shining Stream!
- Dual Spiritual Power!
- Pretty Cure Metamorphose!
- Skyrose Translate!
- Change, Pretty Cure! Beat up!
- Pretty Cure! Open My Heart!
- Let's Play! Pretty Cure Modulation!
- Pretty Cure! Smile Charge!
- Pretty Cure, Love Link!
- Pretty Cure, Dress Up!
- Pretty Cure Kururin Mirror Change!
- Pretty Cure! Kirarin Star Symphony
- Pretty Cure, Princess Engage!
- Miracle・Magical・Jewelryle!
- Felice・Fun Fun・Flowerle!
- Cure La Mode・Decoration!
- Heart Kiratto!
- Color Charge!
- Start! Pretty Cure Operation!
- Pretty Cure! Tropical Change!
- Pretty Cure, Delicious Standby! Party Go!
- Tone Connect! Hirogaru Change!
- Pretty Cure! My Evolution!
Music
- Main Article: Pretty Cure music releases
Merchandise
Cosplay Costumes for Kids
Cure Dolls
Fluffy Cure Friends
Items
LINE Stickers
Miracle Lights
Official Complete Books
S.H.Figuarts
Trading Cards
Series | Sales |
---|---|
Futari wa Pretty Cure [2] | 10,100,000,000
|
Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart[3] | 12,300,000,000
|
Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star[4] | 6,000,000,000
|
Yes! Pretty Cure 5[5] | 10,500,000,000
|
Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo![6] | 10,500,000,000
|
Fresh Pretty Cure! [7] | 11,900,000,000
|
Heartcatch Pretty Cure![8] | 12,500,000,000
|
Suite Pretty Cure♪[9] | 10,700,000,000
|
Smile Pretty Cure![10] | 10,600,000,000
|
Doki Doki! Pretty Cure[11] | 9,800,000,000
|
Happiness Charge Pretty Cure![12] | 6,500,000,000
|
Go! Princess Pretty Cure[13] | 6,600,000,000
|
Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure![14] | 7,500,000,000
|
KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode[15] | 8,100,000,000
|
HUGtto! Pretty Cure[16] | 10,100,000,000
|
Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure[17] | 8,300,000,000
|
Healin' Good♥Pretty Cure[18] | 6,600,000,000
|
Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure[19] | 5,700,000,000
|
Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure[20] | 5,300,000,000
|
Other
Comics
- Main Article: List of Pretty Cure Manga (Kamikita Futago)
The Pretty Cure manga by Kamikita Futago (上北ふたご )?/ the Kamikita Twins are manga adaptions of various Pretty Cure seasons.
The Kamikita Futago are twin sisters, manga creators and character designers that were first commissioned in 2004 to create two manga adaptions for Futari wa Pretty Cure. Since then, they've made manga for every single season and some of the movies.
Video Games
- Main Article: Video Games
Magazines
- Main Article: Magazines
Books
Gallery
Notes and References
- ↑ A collective pen name used by Toei Animation producers. The name comes from "Toei Doga Oizumi Studio"
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20140201184330/http://www.bandainamco.co.jp/ir/presentation/pdf_bandai/05_keisu.pdf
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110918011736/http://www.bandainamco.co.jp:80/ir/result/pdf/20060511_3.pdf
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8273?entry_id=5717
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8279?entry_id=5718
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8284?entry_id=5719
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8288?entry_id=5720
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8292?entry_id=5721
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8296?entry_id=5722
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8300?entry_id=5723
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8304?entry_id=5724
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8308?entry_id=5725
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8316?entry_id=5727
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8320?entry_id=5728
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/file/view/8781?entry_id=5729
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/press/9310?entry_id=6529
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/press/9310?entry_id=6529
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/press/9310?entry_id=6529
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/press/10649?entry_id=7430
- ↑ https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/files/ir/financialstatements/pdf/20230207_Result.pdf