HeartCatch Precure! – Episode 3

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into an absurdly charming new adventure, as we return to the vividly illustrated HeartCatch Precure! Our first two episodes saw young heroine Tsubomi doing her best to integrate into life in Kibougahana, making some faltering efforts to abandon her introverted ways, and ultimately finding herself utterly overwhelmed by her new neighbor Erika. And if that wasn’t enough, she was subsequently conscripted into some sort of supernatural defense of Yggdrasil, with two ridiculous crystal-pooping fairies demanding she transform and face off against the nefarious Sasorina.

Thus Tsubomi evolved into the gallant Cure Blossom, and saved Erika in spite of maybe technically being the weakest Precure in history. We’ve got a hearty stew of narrative variables a’brewing here, from the unique mythology of this universe to the mysteries concerning Erika’s grandmother, the fate of Cure Flower, and the identity of that scarf-clad stranger. But on a more immediate level, HeartCatch has been an absolute embarrassment of visual riches, showing off the dynamic appeal of fully powered Umakoshi designs, and also letting director Nagamine flex his action boarding talents. All that plus the wondrous gremlin that is Erika have made for a superb start to our journey, and I’m eager to see how she torments Tsubomi next. Let’s get to it!

Continue reading →

HeartCatch Precure! – Episode 2

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am absolutely delighted to be returning to HeartCatch Precure!, as we storm through the fallout of Tsubomi’s transformation into Cure Blossom. Having more or less failed in her initial attempts to shrug off her shy, introverted personality, she nonetheless found herself forcibly befriended by the lamprey-like Erika, who clung to her all through her first day in Kibougahana. Yet in spite of her misgivings about this new relationship, she was swift to jump to Erika’s defense upon the appearance of the devious Sasorina, prompting her sudden debut as Cure Blossom.

All that description really can’t do much to convey the actual experience of watching this remarkable production. With direction by Toei’s reliable Tatsuya Nagamine and character designs by the legendary Yoshiko Umakoshi, HeartCatch’s debut was a visual feast, echoing both the cartoonish flexibility of Doremi and the operatic drama of Casshern Sins. Beyond Umakoshi’s character designs, the show’s overall visual philosophy embraces an evocative, angular looseness that makes sequences like its opening battle into dynamic visual theater, as beautiful as they are exciting. Combine that with the clear visual comedic and dramatic potential of our initial Precure pair, and you end up with a premiere that dazzles on every metric, offering much and promising even more. Let’s see how the battle unfolds as we return to HeartCatch Precure!

Continue reading →

HeartCatch Precure! – Episode 1

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to announce we’re starting off on a new journey, and watching the premiere of a production I’ve been curious about for years now: HeartCatch Precure! I had an absolutely phenomenal time watching through Hugtto with you all, and from what I hear, HeartCatch stands among the very best entries in the Precure catalog. It’s frankly been kinda depressing not having a Precure to be working through, and I’m eager to see what this storied entry in the franchise has up its sleeve.

Based on its main staff alone, it’s easy to see why this entry is so acclaimed. Director Tatsuya Nagamine is a Toei legend, who before his tragic passing handled both Dragon Ball Super and One Piece’s absurdly accomplished Wano arc. Meanwhile, our character designer is friggin’ Yoshihiko Umakoshi, the legend responsible for Ojamajo Doremi’s marvelous designs, alongside such other distinguished projects as Casshern Sins and Mushishi. Beyond that, we’ve got the tantalizing promise of Rie Matsumoto’s debut film awaiting down the line, the project that preceded her triumphant Kyousogiga. I’m eager to see what this dream team has cooking, so let’s not waste another moment, and get on with the Precure!

Continue reading →