Hey there folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Hugtto! Precure, which most recently dazzled us with a two-part crossover event featuring dozens upon dozens of other Pretty Cures. There were witchy Precures and pâtissière Precures, Precures by the twos and threes and sevens. It was an undeniably bewildering but nonetheless engaging introduction to the wide, rambling history of this venerable franchise, capped off by some phenomenal cuts of animation as our collective heroes squared off against a monster the size of a planet.

It was a lot of fun seeing both the vast diversity and points of commonality across all these generations (it seems like pink cures are always a little stupid, huh?), and provided further incentive for me to check out the much-lauded Heartcatch after Hugtto is concluded. But for now, I’m quite happy to return to some smaller-stakes drama back with our own team, and perhaps dig further into the intriguingly melancholy circumstances of our dear Dr. Traum. Hugtto’s villains have been just as engaging as its heroes, driven by sympathetic regrets and fears of abandonment, and I suspect Lulu’s “father” will prove one of the best of them. Let’s find out in a fresh episode of Huggto!

Episode 38

Aw shit, it’s a jack-o’-lantern. Time for a Precure Halloween

In true Hugtto fashion, the advent of Halloween season is accompanied by the construction of a massive jack-o’-lantern-shaped pumpkin store. Man, this show really does make contributing to your local community in some professional capacity seem utterly enticing. I may not be in its theoretical intended audience, but I still can’t help but feel the pull to get a real job and start chipping in on community endeavors like this

Granted, I suppose a significant element of this show’s pitch is a fantasy that would likely appeal to any adult in our increasingly atomized society: the very idea of a local community, and common spaces where everyone you live near gathers to socialize and do business. Shows like Tamako Market possess a similar allure, and I can’t deny they often fill me with a desire to ensconce myself in some eminently neighborly village somewhere

Excellent Hana faces and preposterous noises as she enthusiastically scribbles on some poster design. It’s been too long, Hana

Hugtan’s vocabulary seems to be improving – she managed both “pumpkin” and “drawing,” I’m very proud of her

Unfortunately, Hugtan is then swiftly traumatized by Hana’s exuberant Halloween event poster

“Happiness Charge! Happy Halloween!”

“Hugman and mom’s magazine are both sponsoring it.” Sometimes I forget Hugman is actually the name of the store her dad works at, and that he doesn’t just wear a shirt announcing he is the Hugman at all times

“All the shops had stalls out there and everything!” I am curious how ubiquitous these town festivals are across Japan. If anime is anything to go by, summer festivals at the least are extremely common. It sounds nice compared to the States, where the default assumption has become you can’t even let kids walk around unchaperoned

“The main event is a costume dance party!” Of course

Saaya and Emiru immediately elect to dress up as a giant robot and giant monster. Fantastic

Harry and Lulu receive a crash course on Halloween from the gang. Saaya of course has the historical explanation covered

Lulu gets extremely competitive about sewing costumes with Saaya. Always nice to see that side of her come out

Our old antagonist Daigan is now fully enraptured in constructing his delicate Halloween treats, at which point Listol stops by and begins mocking him for his careful labor. Don’t let him get to you, Daigan!

“I am no underling! Just the right man for the job.” I appreciate how while the younger stars of Hugtto all have larger-than-life dreams, the former villains exemplify how finding purpose and satisfaction in adult labor need not require becoming a movie star or astronaut, but simply discovering a place where your skills are valued, whatever they may be. You don’t need to be a star to take pride in your work, and often all any of us need is a sense of purpose and belonging

Listol attempts to poach him back to Criasu Corp with an offer of being a special section chief. Whether he accepts or not, it seems Listol has successfully planted a seed of dissatisfaction

Popple seems to notice, though. Here’s hoping she takes this as a sign to emphasize how her coworkers are valued – after all, Popple knows well the pain of being unfairly used and discarded

Harry overhears festival attendees talking about folks they’re excited to meet again, and gets another wistful expression. Seems we’re building to another reunion with his former companions

Hana notices his solemn expression, but he rallies with an exaggerated expression of cheer

Aw what, Saaya’s just wearing some kind of bat-fairy costume! I figured she’d be in a preposterous cardboard giant robot suit

I appreciate that Emiru and Lulu have matching pirate costumes, at least

And of course, we receive the necessary montage of goofy Hugtan costumes. I’m particularly fond of the one that’s just a big chili pepper

“I didn’t even listen to what you wanted to be. I’m sorry, Hugtan.” As is frequently the case, Hugtto’s baby character gives its protagonists the chance to temporarily take on the role of a parent, and reflect on their current situation from a more mature perspective. It fits neatly into Hugtto’s particular focus on nurturing our passion for our future selves, and is also just a common device in magical girl shows, useful for pushing the protagonists into accepting greater responsibility and maturity. The necessity of accepting more responsibility in the context of a baby, and thereby coming to better understand the struggles and feelings of their own parents, also informs some of Ojamajo Doremi’s most touching episodes

And of course, Hugtan actually wants to be a Precure, just like her mentors

Back at Daigan’s booth, it really does seem like his coworkers are saddling him with all the tedious labor, while their duties let them wander around and enjoy the festival

“Criasu. At last you have come to see my worth.” All anyone really wants is to be valued for the work they put in. It’s not hard to manipulate someone who feels they’re already being exploited

As befitting our Halloween venue, this episode’s Wild Oshimaeda is a giant sheet ghost

Man, this town really can’t catch a break. Every public event just ends up getting trampled by some bizarrely themed kaiju

They’re rolling with the punches, though. Everyone seems pretty jazzed when the Precures announce this is their Special Halloween Precure Event

Some excellent smears and smoke animation as our team swiftly disposes of this Oshimaeda

Man, they really gotta rush through this bank animation at this point to fit both their original and Cheerful Style transformations into an episode

Popple gives Daigan a smack for his minor act of terrorism, but also lets him know that the kids absolutely loved his carefully designed snacks. You are valued, Daigan!

The night backgrounds for the festival are lovely. This show’s color design is so inviting – rich yet soft, the scenery blooming in various hues of yellow and blue

Hana at last confronts Harry about his feelings. He reflects that Criasu Corp aren’t just attempting to steal the future – because if there is no future, we also don’t get to move forward from the past, and thereby treasure it in memory

And at last, Hugtan’s Precure costume is complete!

In the end, Harry sees the specter of some older Precure in Hana’s smile. Is this a grown-up Hugtan, or someone else entirely?

And Done

Ah, it’s good to be back with the Precure gang. This episode’s Halloween event offered a natural opportunity for an absolute buffet of engaging visual designs, from the countless costumes of the festival to the inviting backgrounds bringing that festival to life. Of course, as I said, I’m always a sucker for this show’s villains, and thus greatly appreciated our check-in on the continuing struggles of Popple, Daigan, and Charalit. We all have days when we feel unappreciated and like we’re on the wrong path, and I was happy to see Daigan’s frustration treated as one more natural aspect of attempting to muddle through adulthood. We don’t necessarily need glory and applause, but all of us deserve some dignity and appreciation as we make our way through the world. If you’ve got a job that supports you and a community that values you, I’d say you’re doing pretty damn well.

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