Hello all, and a warm welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am thrilled to be returning to the world of Hugtto! Procure, after altogether far too long of a break. We’re even returning on a particularly exciting moment – having finally connected with Lulu emotionally during the climax of the previous episode, we might finally be due for charming odd-couple bonding between the ever-exuberant Hana and the literally robotic Lulu. Classic sitcom shenanigans, here we come!

Tonal expectations aside, Lulu’s arc has been foreshadowed through moments of hesitation and doubt since nearly her first appearance. Having been presumably built by Criasu Corp, and spent her whole life within their corporate, hierarchical structure, Lulu’s liberation feels like Hugtto’s most dramatic example so far of its principle theme: that our current circumstances are not our destiny, and that we can transform ourselves to become the adults we want to be. Simultaneously, rescuing Lulu will also stand as Hana’s most dramatic expression of her signature power: the ability to inspire others through her faith in them, and help them arrive at a happier self-image. Let’s enjoy more of these two’s adorably goofy relationship as we return to Precure!

Episode 14

Wonderful to see you again, Hana

I appreciate them recapping the Shocked Baby Face

Hana is remarkably cavalier about Lulu maybe-sorta having learned she’s a Precure, but that’s Hana for you

Apparently today Hana’s going to be a daycare worker. Gonna greatly enjoy watching Hana get owned by a bunch of babies – as Ojamajo Doremi has demonstrated, watching your heroine get bullied by even smaller children is a magical girl staple

Saaya’s bedroom echoes her personality perfectly. The color scheme by itself would probably give it away, but the choices of objects and designs all reflect her personality as well. A canopy bed and luxurious window curtains with ribbons on them, echoing her refined and ladylike nature, contrasted against a telescope, globe, and many well-stocked shelves, implying her studiousness, scientific curiosity, and fastidiousness

And of course, she’s studying a giant book on how to take care of babies

Hana’s sleeping face is adorable

“Hagyuu~! Full of Baby Smiles!” This is going to be a dangerous episode

Excellent gag here, as Hana’s mother tells Lulu to “drag Hana out of bed if you have to,” and we don’t even need to see the punchline – we just cut to the outside of the house and Hana making Inhuman Anime Girl Noises

“You should come too, Lulu! I’m sure you’d have fun!” Lulu’s robotic affect and Hana’s oblivious enthusiasm make for a classic “unstoppable force, immovable object” situation

Lovely, brightly lit interiors for this daycare. I’m very grateful that Hugtto! often uses painted backgrounds even for its interiors, coming off as a mix of pencil-sketched outlines and watercolor fills. Many productions simply resort to CG geometry for backgrounds like this, and those tend to look a bit lackluster, particularly in the context of a production with otherwise painted backgrounds

Lulu is great. We get what seems like a flash of genuine annoyance from her, as her scanning of the baby manual is interrupted by Hugtan “helping.” She’s thawing, little by little

Aw jeez, all these babies with their tiny chipmunk faces

To be honest, I kinda share Lulu’s opinions on the cuteness of actual babies. There are all sorts of animals that have cute babies, but human babies just kinda look like naked mole rats

Homare learns to change diapers, Saaya holds a milk bottle, and Hana is, of course, having her face stretched into oblivion by a bunch of babies

“Instead of trying to resist them directly, one can draw their attention elsewhere instead.” A tactic that works for both pets and babies – and frankly, a lot of people with little emotional self-control. You don’t want to draw immature or confrontational personalities towards something that seems like a fight, because they’ll instantly push back – instead, defuse their energy by giving it a different direction to apply itself

Oh my god, now Saaya’s nerding out with Lulu about the finer points of their shared child care textbook

Uh oh, now it’s a competition. An excellent point of conflict for these two characters, with Lulu’s blunt, matter-of-fact explanations of her deductions coming across to Saaya as an affront to her knowledge and diligence

“Could you please be quiet a moment?” Hyper-polite competitive Saaya is terrifying. Nice use of limited frames here, emphasizing her strained politeness through the stiffness of her head turn

“I wonder if Saaya really hates to lose.” I could see that – she fits the profile of highly competent people who are used to being the most knowledgeable, and thus gracious in victory, but unable to stand defeat

Oh my gosh, baby conga line

This really is turning out to be a great experience for Lulu – competing with Saaya is actually drawing out even more of her personality, as she gets genuinely invested in one-upping her rival

And together, their powers are even greater. Once you get past your personal pride, it’s generally those that challenge your expertise who will help you grow

Lulu chucks Harry into lower orbit, fulfilling his lifelong dream of being an astronaut. What a thoughtful robot

“I’m surprised, Saaya. I didn’t know you had a competitive side.” With Hana out of the room, it seems like Homare is able to talk more freely to Saaya. I like this shading of their dynamic – while Hana is obviously a loyal friend, her tendency to see her friends as naturally incredible means she at times is incapable of connecting with their insecurities. As two people who draw significant self-confidence from their mastery of their interests, Homare and Saaya can likely talk more freely about Saaya’s insecurity here

And Homare, as a professional figure skater, is in the perfect position to tell Saaya to embrace her competitive spirit

This episode is probably a particularly illustrative one for young audiences coming to terms with having baby siblings of their own. It’s naturally teaching not just strategies for defusing unhappy babies, but also the underlying fact that babies will often just start crying, and that you can’t blame them for their lack of emotional control. It encourages audiences to take pride in learning how to care for their younger siblings, by framing that process as a competition

Lulu looks both proud and fond of the sleeping babies, and Saaya can see it. Rivalry is not far from friendship, as both are based in mutual respect – after all, why would you pick someone whose skills you don’t respect as your one rival?

A woman outside is complaining that… the sound of babies crying through the walls makes her forget her great design ideas? So she wants to speak to… the manager of babies?

Hot damn. Lulu’s “Requisition: Oshimaeda” animation is gorgeous, and really takes advantage of her graceful form and long limbs. I think the animators like her

“Criasu Corp!” “During naptime, no less!” I love this show

Meanwhile, Lulu’s just kinda standing there in her villain suit

“Sorry, I need to change this diaper!” What an episode

Hugtan rallies the babies to their side! WHAT AN EPISODE

When it comes down to it, Lulu cares about these kids now, and she refuses to let the monster hurt them. WE’RE GETTING HER!

Unfortunately, the previous villain is also there to see her act of rebellion. Lulu’s days with Criasu Corp may be nearing their end

And we end on Lulu immediately applying her baby-care lessons to Hana. Perfect

And Done

What a great episode that was! While I was very much looking forward to watching Lulu integrate more fully into her current life, I figured that would come in the form of more back-and-forth between her and Hana. Instead, Hana mostly spent this episode being a hilariously inept babysitter, while Lulu actually developed a charming rivalry with Saaya. Lulu’s progression across this episode felt natural and rewarding; her sense of individuality was first propelled by pride in her conflicts with Saaya, then camaraderie, and ultimately genuinely concern and a sense of responsibility for the babies’ safety. She’s swiftly becoming one of Hugtto’s most endearing characters, and I’m eager to see her truly embrace her new bonds.

This article was made possible by reader support. Thank you all for all that you do.