Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to be returning to Hugtto! Precure, which most recently offered one of its most powerful and painful episodes yet. Whereas most of Hugtto’s protagonists are grappling with standard adolescent anxieties regarding their futures, Henri’s struggles with identity and fame have always possessed that knife edge of specificity, as he struggles with prejudice simply for being himself. Even after overcoming gender essentialist scorn in his first appearances, he now has to contend with both paparazzi and fans who seek to claim ownership of him, and define him according to their own desires.
And now, having fought for so long to assert his legitimacy, Henri must deal with yet another unfortunate twist of fate. Henri’s public persona is an icon of androgynous youth, but his actual body is aging, accumulating injuries and shifting towards adulthood. Hugtto has always sought to frame the future as brimming with potential, but what if embracing the future means losing everything you already have? It’s no wonder then that Henri is genuinely tempted by Criasu’s offer to halt time here, in the final moments of his youthful glory. After all, what alternative can our heroes actually offer him?
That’s a question I’ve been asking myself ever since the last episode, and I’m eager to discover the answer. Let’s return to Hugtto Precure!