At last, our mysterious villain has shown his face. With the ultimately sympathetic Popple having been defeated and rehabilitated, Criasu Corp has extended its claws further than ever, introducing both Doctor Trauma and its actual president, George Criasu. As expected, the mystery man who’d always been accompanied by such evocative visual fanfare was George himself, a man determined to halt unhappiness and injustice by locking the world in a perpetual stasis. Fortunately, just as our nefarious foe unveiled his plan, Hana unlocked her own potential: the ability to end stasis, and drive the world into forward motion through the same cheerful, unerring support she’s always offered.
Hugtto as a whole is a story about the natural insecurities of growing older, deciding who you want to be as an adult, and taking steps to achieve that dream. This process is difficult and frightening, and there are times when all of us doubt our path or potential, falling into static cycles rather than progressing forward. In the face of this universal experience, Hana stands as the ultimate champion of forward progress, someone principally defined by her ability to encourage others and push them onward. With Hugtto’s narrative and thematic cores now fully aligned, I’m looking forward to seeing Hana embrace this power, while hopefully teaching her friends to offer the encouragement that she cannot offer herself. Can Hana truly accept that she is just as valuable and strong as all the friends she cheers for? Let’s find out!
Episode 24
Very charming hearing the whole cast comment on the events of last episode. It’s like they’re all in the cast lounge, cooling down and gossiping about the new twists
Starting right off with some great, fluid Hana expressions. I wonder if we’ve hit a good point in the staff rotation
It’s been interesting adjusting to the unique production rhythms of these long-running shows. Between Precure, Sun and Moon, and One Piece, I’ve gotten used to productions whose animation ebbs and flows with the various animation directors assigned to each episode. You develop a unique relationship with the animation teams of such productions, and I can now clearly understand the appeal of getting even deeper into these productions’ staff lists, so each rotation feels like a reunion with familiar faces
Oh Shit! Night Pool has arrived!
Apparently Night Pool is exactly what it says on the tin, though Hana frames it as an event of great maturity and elegance. Nice color effects for her fantasies here
Homare is suspicious, but Hana is too busy doing Travolta dance moves to notice. Saturday Night Fever seems a bit dark for a thirteen-year-old, but I guess her parents know best
Incidentally, if you haven’t seen Saturday Night Fever, it’s actually a devastating and beautifully executed character drama, regardless of what its current meme-ified status would indicate
Yeah, Hana’s getting a lot of great expressions today. We go full Looney Tunes with her next scene, as her jaw literally smashes through the floor
Between the exaggerated expressions and heavy use of full-black shading, they’re basically turning Hana into some kind of cryptid this episode
Also nice use of increased line weight to add impact to her gestures
The team all pitch in to help with the preparations. A key transition in its own way – from the context-free marveling at the world of childhood, to the satisfaction of actually helping to construct events like this, and reveling in the joy you bring to others
The team admire Hana’s ability to maintain her sunny disposition in spite of everything, and thus help everyone else keep smiling too
BUT MEANWHILE, over at Criasu Corp, a sinister team is being assembled
“Starting today, Criasu Corp will be run by our New System.” I love how all the traditional villain turns are here dressed up in the language of corporate bureaucracy. A mid-season change in command is framed as a transition to some arbitrary new work initiative with an overly pompous name, the kind of thing that every office worker understands will be a waste of their time. The way most office structures flagrantly squander their employees’ time is one of the many ways such work arrangements drain the soul out of life
Along with Gelos, we’re joined by Bishin, the Customer Specialist
George is really rocking that Aizen look
Oh nice, Aka and Junna show up at Night Pool
It seems like this episode is serving as a bit of a post-act cooldown, as the girls relax and reconnect with all the people they’ve helped over the season so far
Oh shit, even Charaleet, the first defeated villain, shows up!
Oh my god, he’s reinvented himself as a social media star. Aaand apparently he sucks at it
And Popple’s here too! She looks like she’s flourishing, I’m so happy for her
Villain-turned-ally is an old trick, but damnit, it works! In any sort of action-fantasy narrative, there are few characters the protagonists develop a more intimate relationship with than their recurring opponents. Seeing that bond turn from hatred to rivalry or even friendship is just a guaranteed dopamine hit, particularly if they were already likable as villains
Some really nice shots of Hana in the water, staring up at the vast world around her. The Night Pool decorations naturally amplify the sense that she’s staring out at the glowing society she hopes to join
Also terrific sound design through this sequence, as the light sounds of revelry fade away into this intimate moment, and then an ominous keyboard riff begins as Hana remembers George’s world
Direction also on point, trading between partial body shots to emphasize Hana’s traumatized reaction, to this low-angle shot that nearly fills the frame with the starry sky, emphasizing the scale of Hana’s responsibilities. I love when Precure gets this real in its character moments
She cheers to assure herself, and then washes away her tears in the pool. This cut of her sinking beneath and then quietly rising to the surface says it all
Ahaha, Gelos uses two dudes in suits as her personal throne, perched between their shoulders. Okay, I like Gelos now
They seem almost half-sentient, just yelling out businessy terms like “more reports! More overtime!”
Yesss, Lulu and Emiru are gonna play a concert. I’m so glad they’re continuing to run with how these two bonded over and express themselves through music
Gelos also brought her swimsuit, though I can’t imagine she’ll get a chance to use it
Oh damn! With Hana still shaken by their last battle, Emiru and Lulu dispel Gelos’ miasma through the pure force of their music, no punching required
I like the shading and linework for their performance stills. Some nicely detailed character art with a real sense of volume offered through the shading
Seeing the two of them play, Hana articulates the difference between herself and George: smiles don’t just need to be protected, they need to be fostered, too
Man, a pool party, a concert, and a boss battle? This town knows how to put on a show!
Emiru and Lulu debut some powerful new guitar solo projectiles, easily dismantling their opponent
Yesss, Popple is like Emiru and Lulu’s embarrassing big sister now. She’s now doing the opposite of what she used to: running a talent agency, and helping artists achieve their dreams
And Daigan has already joined the good guys after one goddamn episode. Love these useless villains
And Done
That was delightful! The Night Pool event served as a charming centerpiece for this episode, but this one was generous in all sorts of other ways. My favorite element was undoubtedly seeing Popple and the other former villains fully rehabilitated, and now positioned to be the charming side characters they were always meant to be. Popple was more tragic than villainous from the very start, so it was wonderful to at last see her genuinely happy, and enjoying time with the main crew. Additionally, this episode’s solo Hana material was executed beautifully, offering an intimate portrait of fear and self-doubt through its strong layouts and sound design. All that plus the general visual allure of this episode’s Night Pool conceit made for a high quality slice of Hugtto!
This article was made possible by reader support. Thank you all for all that you do.