Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today is a bittersweet moment indeed, as we at last reach the conclusion of the emphatically charming Hugtto! Pretty Cure. After having brought so much joy to both her familiar town and us in the audience, Hana and her friends will be charging towards the camera and greeting us for the very last time, before racing off towards their shining futures. Popple, Dr. Traum, Hugman, and all the rest – it feels like we’ve come to know this community intimately, which only makes it that much harder to say goodbye.

Of course, to lament the necessity of moving forward would be to disregard all the lessons Hugtto has worked to instill in both its characters and its viewers. The future need not be a source of fear or anxiety; it is forever an opportunity, an open canvas, a chance for transformation and renewal. Just as Saaya and Homare grappled with their shifting ambitions, just as Popple and Gelos picked themselves up and charted a new path forward, so must we bid farewell to this persistent source of comfort and cheer, this show that has been a companion to me for years now. Hugtto was wonderful, but its spirit assures me that there are still many wonders ahead. Now let’s finish strong!

Episode 49

And here Hana is, spinning her arms and greeting the screen like nothing’s changed. I suppose it hasn’t; time’s passage is inevitable, but we can still hold onto the people and the traditions that make us happy. In fact, it’s time’s passage that makes those traditions so important, as a reminder of what we still hold dear even as the years pass by

We then cut to a reprise of the show’s first scene, as Hana considers her hair before a mirror before heading off to school. The first time, this scene was subdued and desperate, a lonely bid to discard a personality that had left her isolated. Now she seems full of confidence, and Harry calls her to breakfast from downstairs, reminding her of all that’s changed since then. All things shall pass eventually, but that includes the bad times, too

“Embrace Your Shining Future!” A title that’s explicitly a call to the audience as well

Hana’s sister is now willing to admit Hana is cool, even if she still gorges on food like a baby

We check back in with their various episodic school friends, and I am reminded that they go to school in a friggin’ castle. Though I suppose that central, crenelation-topped tower building is actually a pretty common school structure in anime, if not in Japan itself – I believe Tokyo University centers around a similar building, and there are endless matching examples in anime, from Dear Brother to Star Driver to Utena

Henri admires Emiru’s brother Masato as he shakes off the cobwebs and tests out his piano abilities. Inspired by his sister, he is also returning to expressing himself through music

“Nice. Life’s all about new challenges anyway, isn’t it?” A line that carries particular significance for Henri, who is now beginning a wholly new post-skating chapter in his life

“I wonder… if I’ll always remember the way the sky looked today?” “No matter where you go, it’s all one sky.” Things will change, but we will always be ourselves, always looking up at the same sky

Dr. Traum’s “back-to-the-future” machine is a big green train with a smiling frog head. Bless this man

One last celebration of Saaya’s love of power tools, with the whole gang joining in this time. This show knows what’s important

Then Homare and Harry enjoy a movie date with the group. Glad to see they’re successfully keeping it casual

We even get a check-in on the terrier and his cat girlfriend. Life goes on for everyone

The girls stumble across a magic pen just as a man suffused with Toge-power stumbles into Traum’s train engine, accidentally commissioning it into a giant Oshimaeda. I was sorta wondering how we would possibly fit a battle sequence into this episode, considering the future has already been saved

Well, that’s nice of them. As much as I enjoy writing about Precure, I’m also embarrassed to admit I’ve grown accustomed to my episodic “Bank Footage Breaks” when everybody starts throwing out the transformations. It sorta feels like a weird kinship with the production team, that we both get to take a rest mid-episode and let the bank footage handle things for a while

And of course, with this being the last episode, we are immediately treated to some energetically animated signature attacks

Ah, I see. During the battle, the camera pans over a girl who I believe is the protagonist for the next Precure season. So that’s why they included that pen – to create a sense of continuity between the seasons, as Hugtto’s stars pass the torch to the next generation

She introduces herself as Cure Star, in keeping with the next season’s astrology theme. Interesting seeing her distinct design sensibilities contrasted against Hana and the gang – it seems like they’ve backed away from the “huge transformation hair” of Hugtto and the dessert-themed season

And thus our last oshimaeda retires from his last unfulfilling job

Cure Star swiftly retreats, having debuted her appropriate catchphrase of “oh my stars” and her apparent interest in kappa-hunting

We then swerve back to actual Hugtto conclusions, with a brief appearance by the ever-mysterious George leading into Harry packing his suitcase for the trip. George was an odd presence to the last, perpetually gesturing towards painful, “adult” relationships that we only briefly witnessed in the laments of Popple and Gelos. He was forever tonally out of step with the rest of Hugtto, and I actually quite appreciate that – it’s those strange, inexplicable details in the corners of children’s television that often most ignite the curiosity and imagination of their viewers

They bring out the luxury soft focus and shading for these goodbyes, as Criasu Corp’s employees make their final preparations to leave

Emiru’s manager Popple assures her she will be a big star

Oof, great concept here as Hana stares at the ground, unable to meet the eyes of her departing friends, and thus instead seeing them as shadows that slowly slip out of reach. Parting is sorrowful indeed, but saying goodbye with confidence is a crucial final comfort, an assurance that you left them with a last memory worth treasuring

A particularly tough moment of Hugtan not understanding why they’re not going together. This episode is ruthless!

By the time Hana has gained the strength to dry her eyes and smile towards her departing friends, the door has already closed. These moments pass so quickly

Fortunately, there’s still just enough time to say what needs to be said, as they run alongside the departing train. Lovely compositions here, leaning effectively into the magic hour lighting of the setting sun, which of course doubles as a visual reminder of things ending

Hana sprints to grasp Hugtan’s hand one last time, literally and metaphorically charging towards the future

Aw jeez, it’s so hard to say goodbye to this crew. This show has been there through all the chaos and sorrow of the last half-decade. I truly love this cast

The ad break carries us far forward, all the way to the year 2030

The two best friends from that absurd standout episode are now a comedy duo on television

Gelos and Charaleet are at this point young kids, each dreaming of their own futures

And Hana is now a CEO! Dang, her adult design is gorgeous, while still maintaining her kinda feral visual energy

She’s also extremely pregnant, which certainly fits with this show’s general focus on motherhood, as well as Hana’s particular talent for inspiring others to greatness

Dr. Saaya and Homare have both changed up their hair styles, while a glamorous-looking Emiru is now meeting a young but actually growing Lulu for the first time

Aw jeez, they’re playing their song together. Nope, here come the tears

As expected, Hana’s baby is basically Hugtan – though she wisely gives her the more socially approved name “Hagumi,” which still gets the hug theming in there

And Done

No, I don’t want to say goodbye! I want the continuing adventures of Hana and her poor employees, of Homare on the world stage, of Emiru and Lulu’s reunion tour! Still, I can never fault a show for leaving me wanting more, and Hugtto was certainly a generous production from its start all the way to its conclusion. I’m grateful to this production team for offering such a warm-hearted introduction to this venerable magical girl franchise, and even more grateful to all of you for steering me through it, and ensuring my work was generously furnished with visits from this delightful family. The world is brighter for every story that teaches us to look forward with hope and compassion; it is stories like these that serve as grand demonstrations of Hana’s own signature talent, her ability to cheer others towards their best possible selves. It’s been a wonderful journey, Hugtto. Let’s all seize that future together!

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