Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re celebrating a truly momentous occasion, as Emiru and Lulu have at last achieved their goal of becoming Precure. It certainly wasn’t an easy road – I mean, Lulu’s a goddamn renegade cyborg, and in the end, it took a literal deus ex machina to split the final device and accommodate them. Even the gods of this Precure universe agree that Emiru and Lulu must not be separated, and deserve their long-awaited Precure glory.
Given the pacing of this arc so far, I’m expecting we’re getting one more victory lap before we move on to other concerns, and I’m all for it. Emiru has been my favorite Hugtto character from her first appearance, and seeing both her and Lulu flourishing through their love is a balm for the soul. It can be a dark world out there, but Precure is a jubilant reminder of the good things, like when cyborgs and tiny musicians become best friends. Without further ado, let’s touch back down in the world of Huggto Precure!
Episode 21
And of course, the two of them get to proudly introduce the episode, and reflect on their journey so far. This is such a cheerful way to open an episode, whether it’s Precure, Pokemon, or any other property – the intent is to create a tone of sharing time with your friends, so why not open on those friends excitedly greeting you, and telling you about their day?
“A miracle happened because Lulu loves me so much.” “No, it happened because Emiru loves me so much.” Oh my god these two
“Running Amok? The Precure Emiru Wants to Be!” YES EMIRU, RUN WILD OVER THE COUNTRYSIDE, USE YOUR POWERS HOWEVER YOU WISH
Right, I forgot their names are Cure Amour and Cure Ma Cherie. The most married Precures
“O Elders! Share your wisdom: what is most important to Precure?” I’m not sure if the subtitlers are messing with me, or if Emiru truly does become a meme sometimes
Hana’s response is just a bunch of roaring noises, but I appreciate her enthusiasm
Homare and Saya strike a nice balance here of thanking Hana for supporting them by handling the monster herself, while also chastising her to make sure to call them if she needs help. For the audience, this line seems more reflective of their relationships with their guardians: embrace independence, but remember to ask for help if you need it
Lulu and Emiru will strive to become more d’aww, bwing, pwah!
Meanwhile, Criasu Corp unveils their newest management team member: Gelos, the one who got trashed by Henri. Not a great first performance, but hey, a lot of growth potential there
Her conversation with Papple hits a familiar tone: that grating, false obsequiousness of your replacement employee, sweeping you out the door in a rush of empty compliments
“The sheer audacity of still being here after so many failures!” Alright, we get it, Gelos
The guy who’s controlling their giant floating head frankly seems pretty bored with this whole situation
Emiru’s suspicious faces are so wonderful. The fact that she becomes an overbearing monster when given even one drop of authority is one of her most charming features
The encroaching closeups on Emiru’s face emphasize her preoccupation; by hyper-focusing on looking for problems, she’s letting the actual day pass her by
“Have at thee, suspicious bag!” Yeah, this whole episode is going to be “Emiru has gone drunk with power,” and I am absolutely here for it. You blow the shit out of that lady’s purse, Emiru
Oh no, Harry. He sends her off on some errands to attempt to cheer her up, by saying she’s “going on patrol,” but of course that just means she’s going to get even more maniacal about her Precure duties. You’ve unleashed a menace on society, Harry
And Lulu asks to go with her. She loves Emiru, but she also knows Emiru is a mess
Ooh, lovely establishing shot of the two of them resting at the park. After the loud commotion and close-up shots of the grocery store, this transition feels like a breath of fresh air, with its wide-open composition largely centered on the bright blue sky. With the characters framed as small figures in the background, and with their backs to us, we can immediately feel the same sense of peace and relief that they are; we are sharing this moment with them, and rather than focusing on their actions, we are enjoying the same quiet, wide-open view that they are
Emiru is certainly dealing with some heavy insecurities here. Her whole journey has been inspired by her unerring desire to become a Precure – but if you achieve your dream, and then realize you’re not actually good at that dream, what do you do then?
And now Lulu is actually grappling with a feeling of resentment towards Emiru, since Emiru is refusing to share her joy at becoming a Precure, even after all their collective struggles. A necessary lesson in this conflict; when you love someone, you end up placing expectations on them that can create dissonance, frustration, and even resentment. Dealing with those feelings, and understanding how to forgive a friend for their natural distance from your perspective, is a crucial part of developing rich, meaningful friendships
“We all know you love Emiru very much.” “That’s precisely why you’re frustrated!”
“That anger is just all those feelings for Emiru bubbling over in your heart.” What a charming way to frame it
“I am not fit to be a Precure.” Emiru is taking her long-awaited victory about as well as I expected. I relate too much to this extremely anxious hero
Harry’s actually got a pretty inspiring speech ready for Emiru. Nice to see him offer a meaningful contribution to the team once in a while
Hugtan’s attempt to pronounce “Cure Ma Cherie” is heroic and adorable
“But we have the eight Mirai Crystals we need… why isn’t she back to normal?” Looks like Harry is seeding our next conflict, which will presumably concern What Is Up With Hugtan
This episode clearly understands how good that park shot is. We return to it for their reconciliation, once again letting the open sky and Emiru’s guitar slow down the pace of drama, and creating a sense of narrative congruity between their separation and their reunion
Gosh, this show is so generous to these two, and so right to be. They reconnect with their shared song
Papple’s clearly getting desperate; her Oshimaeda target this time is just a guy who’s briefly disgruntled about picking up some trash. Hardly the bone-deep well of resentment you’d expect to inform a truly terrifying Oshimaeda
Once again, rather than individual transformation sequences, the two dance together as they become Precure. I’m glad their lovers’ quarrel resolved so successfully
On the line “embrace your shining future,” they actually embrace each other, smiling brightly all the while. THESE TWO
Lulu tries to protect Emiru’s guitar with her body, but then Emiru rushes to save her, letting the guitar be destroyed. THESE. TWO.
I’m a little disappointed that they’re still using the “original three Precures musical combo attack” bank footage, rather than genuinely integrating Lulu and Emiru into a five-person orchestral attack. I hope we’ll get there eventually!
Ah, right. Their combo attacks are a result of their “Melody Swords,” which Emiru and Lulu haven’t received yet. I forgot there were additional components to the Precure Kit!
And then… Hugtan summons the original Precure from the sky!? WHAT!?
And Done
WHAT. I guess we’re crossing over with the original Precures now? I haven’t actually watched that season, so apparently I’m in for a crash course in Pre-precureology. Anyway, episode stinger aside, this was the episode I was both expecting and hoping for: a more intimate followup to last episode’s theatrics, that gave us time to explore our new heroes’ complicated feelings about finally achieving their goal. As usual, Emiru and Lulu’s relationship gave this episode a poignant emotional core, and allowed us to explore some of the natural frictions of a loving relationship. The two have fully committed to the team at this point, leaving us all set for this unexpected crossover arc!
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