Folks, it is well past time to explore another episode of Hugtto! Precure. I have been loving my first dive into the sprawling Precure universe, from its sensitive exploration of sympathetic characters like Hana and Homare, to its delightfully whimsical art design and often remarkably executed action sequences. Though not every fight is a highlight, the show’s storyboarders and animators seem to possess an understanding of weight and impact that make its marquee battles some of the more thrilling sequences in modern anime, where you can really feel the thundering consequences of each larger-than-life blow. And in between those aesthetic peaks, Hugtto offers a diverse array of charming episodic vignettes, all the while exploring the complexity of figuring out how your passions and personality will ultimately integrate into the adult world.

Huggto’s last episode introduced a girl who might already be my favorite character, the passionate and deeply insecure Emiru. Emiru is full of self-loathing and terrified of making mistakes, consistently and understandably wondering if her friends simply consider her a burden. Though she ended up being praised for her own talents at the end of that episode, her journey is far from over, and I’m very much hoping this episode continues our investigation of The Precure With Anxiety. Let’s see what awaits in the next episode of Huggto!

Episode 10

I love this show’s cheerful introductions straight to the camera. Hugtto is always happy to see you

“Today we’re taking on a new job!” And I’m also perpetually appreciative of its overarching theming, which helps channel some of magical girl anime’s consistent subtext (coming to understand and assert your own power, embracing self-expression, finding a community that accepts you, learning to handle responsibility, etc) into a relevant and universal real-world context

They arrive at the Hugkumi Food Festival, because this is Hug World

Adorable hungry Hana face

These Mirai Pads are a fiendishly clever tie-in toy. Young kids would already be playing dress-up anyway, so of course they designed a magical girl device that allegedly facilitates dressing in adult costumes

Kinda odd to be watching this show at the same time as Ojamajo Doremi Sharp, whose stars are also taking care of a magical baby that looks a whole lot like Hug-chan. Of course, taking care of a baby is a very common conceit in magical girl anime, and naturally plays into several of the themes I mentioned earlier. For a season explicitly about embracing the joy of responsibility and adulthood, a baby makes perfect sense

“Unbelievable! Waitressing is Such Hard Work!” Today our girls come to appreciate the soul-sucking void of the service industry!

Saya and Homare get to work in elegant maid-esque waitress outfits, while Hana’s stuck repping the takoyaki stand

It’s kind of novel to see anime maid outfits that aren’t insanely horny

I wonder what the story is behind this takoyaki stand outfit, with its headband, waistband, and loose-fitting outer coat. It shows up all the time, but I don’t know why it’s considered “traditional takoyaki-selling wear”

Hana wonders why she was given this outfit, and Harry idly says that “the Mirai Pad must have had something in mind.” So I guess the Mirai Pad is sentient now

“Maybe it thinks Hana is different from you two.” That actually seems right – Homare and Saya make for very professional and accommodating waitresses, but Hana’s power is her ability to cheer and inspire, so she’s better suited to shouting about takoyaki

Saya uses her analytical mind to remember cooking times, while Homare grabs a pair of roller blades and uses her skating talents to get food to customers quick. The lesson is clear – try seeing how you can apply your own unique passions and talents to your work, and you’ll both find greater satisfaction and greater success in your labor

We may live in an oppressive and rigidly hierarchical capitalist hellscape, but the cruelty of that system shouldn’t diminish the genuine value of productive labor. Work that takes advantage of your innate talents can be an incredibly rewarding experience

We’ve set up this takoyaki stand guy as a great cook who’s defeated by his own unfriendly nature, so clearly it’s time for Hana to liven up this place

Hana tries to do exactly that, but her boss says they don’t need a barker

Hana stumbles and sends a plate of flood flying, but Homare gracefully catches it while skating past. Homare is way too powerful

I feel like this show’s animators are really biased towards Homare. She’s getting a lot of beautifully animated incidental moments on these skates

Her friends’ success only feeds Hana’s insecurity, and she reminds herself that she’s the only one without a new mirai crystal

Nice to see Hana demonstrating that even the people who tend to inspire others can get depressed. And her source of unhappiness is a sympathetic and universal one – sure, it’s great to say “just be yourself!”, but what if that “yourself” doesn’t possess any qualities that people value?

We take a quick trip to Bad Guy Headquarters, where our current hostess-themed villain is being given her “you get one last chance” speech, as the show introduces the episodic villain who will soon be replacing her. Hana’s having trouble, but being an episodic villain in a magical girl show feels like an even rougher gig, with no job security whatsoever

Homare outright states how she’s learned about the importance of taking initiative at work. I suppose that’s a better lesson than Hana’s takeaway, “some people are just better than me at stuff”

This boy from the concert band offers another way to seek joy in work, explaining how each instrument offers a partial, unique sound that add up to a greater whole. But in the end, that’s still just another reframing of “be yourself,” and not really helpful for Hana

The stand owner finally has Hana just try one of his takoyaki, and her ecstatic reaction makes all the attendees laugh. It’s a positive laughter, and the stand owner is proud of how his food inspired such a reaction, but now that she’s in such a self-doubting mood, Hana perceives it as mockery of her uselessness. This is a pretty sharp episode!

“I… guess all I can do is make funny faces.” BUT YOUR FACES ARE SO GOOD HANA

I appreciate that Harry’s pep-up speech just doesn’t work at all. Hana’s insecurities are overblown, and she’s young enough that she shouldn’t really feel defeated by not having some special talent, but those facts aren’t going to make Hana feel any better in the moment

Welp, time for a takoyaki-based octopus monster

Oh wow, Hana just straight-up can’t become a Precure now. The power of Precure is aspirational, and right now she doesn’t believe she has a bright future awaiting her

What a terrifying feeling – that she’s not just stuck in a rut, but actually regressing, falling even further away from a happy adulthood. Growing up is tough

The theming of this monster’s attacks is pretty great – it attacks through a combination of takoyaki cannon balls and magma takoyaki filling

“Don’t say ‘I can’t do anything.’” “Instead say ‘what will I do?’” This episode has felt a little unfocused in terms of its theming – Hana’s power has always been her ability to inspire others, and though her facing doubts about that power is certainly true to life, the execution has felt somewhat abrupt. Realistic human insecurities don’t necessarily translate to punchy narrative drama; I can definitely believe that Hana’s boss telling her to stop shouting would send her into a fit of self-doubt, but I could have used more buildup to her current insecurity, and more questioning of the merit of her key talent. As-is, it’s sort of like we’re just waiting for her to remember she’s good at inspiring others

This resolution feels correct, though – instead of transforming, she reasserts her own human talent by cheering for her friends

Oh damn, the killing blow is provided by Hugtan herself. This is one intense baby

AND NOW HUGTAN WON’T WAKE UP

And Done

Dang, heck of a stinger for that episode. To be honest, this wasn’t really one of Hugtto!’s stronger episodes – while Hana’s insecurities were sympathetic, I felt the episode was somewhat abrupt and unfocused in its portrayal of her conflict, lacking the buildup necessary to really sell her self-doubt. That said, it seems like this episode was ultimately the first part of a longer act, so I’m guessing that Hana overcoming these doubts will at least be given the dramatic focus it deserves. And Hana’s feelings aside, there were plenty of nice backgrounds and great faces to enjoy, and I certainly appreciate the show exploring how the differences between our talents and passions can at times leave us feeling isolated, or left behind by our friends. Not a highlight, but still a reasonable installment in this always-charming show.

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