Folks, I am very excited to return to Hugtto! Precure! It’s been some time since our last episode, at least from my perspective, but I still remember it quite clearly. Hugtto’s eleventh episode was one of its strongest segments yet, elevating Hana’s relatable anxieties through isolating yet beautiful layouts, and culminating in a fight sequence that somehow embodied the terrifying, inhuman energy of an Evangelion battle. That climax ended on Hana resolving her doubts through a confident declaration of selfhood, as she refused to actually strike down her opponent, and instead chose to express herself through what she’s always done best: cheering people on, and inspiring them to reach their greatest selves.

That conclusion also served as a reiteration of Hugtto’s own themes, from its focus on finding a fulfilling path to careers and adulthood, to its insistence that we are stronger if we build each other up, rather than exploit each other for personal gain. And of course, by framing that contrast in terms of the distinction between the Precures and their corporate-themed antagonists, Hugtto also furthered its perhaps inadvertent message of “fuck capitalism.” I kinda doubt this entirely capitalism-grounded production, which is designed to sell children’s toys, is also promoting a deliberately anti-capitalist message, but hey, inadvertent subtext is also fine with me. Either way, I’m eager to see what Hana and her friends get up to in one more Precure!

Episode 12

More shows should open with a greeting by the main characters. It’s nice to see you folks too!

Right, her sword literally transformed into a conducting baton, an embodiment of her power to bring out the best in others

I see this is going to be one of Precure’s most dramatic episodes yet, as we explore the trials and tribulations of a goddamn pajama party

Here’s hoping Anxiety Precure shows up this time

I hadn’t really paid attention to it before, but this golden maiden summoned in the OP is an interesting motif. It outright hugging a version of the show’s usual monsters emphasizes how this season’s “hug” name is basically about solidarity – Hana’s whole power is basically the power of a hug, offering community and reassurance

Saya is apparently almost as invested in pajama fabrics as she is in power tools. “Passionate about utility-oriented consumer goods” is an incredibly strong character quirk

Oh my god, even Harry’s hamster form has a little pajama hat

Hana, of course, sees pajama parties as another necessary step on the route to becoming a cool, mature adult

Harry should really spend all his time in the hamster form. I love seeing this expressive production pull complex emotions out of the movements of his stubby little body

Hana is delighted to learn Hugtan calls her Mama, only to realize that Saya, Homare, and Takoyaki are also Mama

“Hugtan was so cute when she drank from her bottle, I guess she won’t do that forever.” The parallel development of Hugtan offers opportunities for the girls to reflect on how aging also means letting go of precious things, something you often don’t realize during the heady momentum of your own adolescence. It’s much harder to see the ephemeral nature of your own experience than to see a younger child is growing past things as well

“There are lots of things you can’t do anymore as you grow up. But there are even more things you can do.” This statement hits Homare particularly hard, since she’s the one who’s potentially compromising her future to enjoy her present

And now our second antagonist is being grilled by her superiors, and blamed for things beyond her control in terms that directly imply corporate servitude. “How are you going to take responsibility for this?” “I’ll work through my holidays!” It might just be antagonist-theming window dressing, but it still feels like pretty pointed stuff

Ooh, nice composition of the whole gang watching Hugtan sleep

This horror movie’s visual compositions seem to oddly echo that earlier Saya episode, when she regained her confidence in the river

While Hana screams, Saya praises the production’s use of practical wire effects for the flying ghost, rather than CG. Saya is very good

Oh god, the defeated Precure villain has become a youtuber. The worst possible outcome

I actually really feel for this season’s villain henchmen. They have no power within this system either – and to be honest, a great portion of the jobs within capitalism are designed to harvest public unhappiness. Advertising, for example, is often framed around telling us we’re unhappy because we haven’t bought enough things

Homare finally asks Harry a very important question: where the fuck are you from?

And the answer makes perfect sense for this story – the future, the place that’s under attack

Apparently capitalism has fully destroyed Harry’s future, which places his timeline maybe five or six years ahead of ours

Harry’s speech here raises some interesting questions regarding the nature of the Precure. As Hana has hinted previously, they seem to be a known, reliable presence within this world, to the extent where Harry traveled back in time with the specific intent of scouting a powerful Precure team. I doubt this production is going to lean that much further into the worldbuilding of this Precure universe, but it’s interesting to think about

I also like how Harry’s explanation of why he wanted four Precure really emphasizes his desperation, and the overall vulnerability of this operation. He didn’t want four Precure because that was the destined number or anything – he simply thought any fewer than that would fail in their task, and thus the more they could recruit, the better

Of course, any sort of “destiny”-centric framing would run directly contrary to this show’s most fundamental theme: that any of us can grow up to become whatever we want. Harry’s backstory also plays into that theme in a very strong way, as his quest is predicated on the belief that even the future itself can be changed through the choices we make

Harry’s out here acknowledging he underestimated the power of these girls, and that four Precure aren’t actually necessary, while meanwhile I’m just biting my tongue waiting for the debut of Cure Anxiety

And the girls ask a key question: “alright, you’re from the future, sure, but why are you a fucking hamster?”

No time for that answer, SUDDENLY EXPLOSIONS

This week’s monster is… an angry ATM monster? Really going hard this time, huh Hugtto

Looks like it’s actually some kind of vending machine or something. Cute to see Homare defend herself with a figure skating-inspired spin move

The way their different strengths compliment each other is represented through a pretty simple tactical shift – standing back to back, so they all defend each other

Oh nice, they all got cool new attacks to make use of their batons

Incredible gag here, as the monster realizes it’s actually run out of cans to shoot, and consults with its supervisor. Last episode aside, these villain monsters are all pretty adorable

Hana’s expression work during their combined musical attack is excellent. This is her truly embodying the adult self-confidence she’s always seeking

“Your bubble isn’t going to last forever!” I wonder if the first villain was also themed around some aspect of unsustainable capitalist decadence within modern Japanese history. Wait, nevermind, I forgot he’s already become a youtuber

Oh dang, looks like the robot lady herself is starting to take action

Beautiful layout of Harry’s shop through the trees. We normally get that frontal establishing shot, but this shot instead implies a sense of voyeurism through its foreground objects, while the lines of the trees draw the eye away from the shop with the girls, implying the start of some new journey

AW SHIT, THE ROBOT HAS INVADED HANA’S HOME

And Done

Well, that was an eventful pajama party. This was a lighter episode on the whole, but still very charming, and with a few particularly interesting key scenes. I especially enjoyed Harry’s explanation of his own history, which both made Harry himself feel more vulnerable and approachable than before, and also emphasized the fundamentally desperate nature of this conflict. Hugtto started off with some genuinely chilling moments of dark fantasy, and it’s nice to see the show embracing some of that again. I’m also enjoying the continued development of Hugtto’s villains, who all feel oddly sympathetic in their own ways, and can’t wait to see how Hana handles her new “cousin.” Precure continues on its eternally merry way!

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