Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today’s one of those days where I’m feeling all the pressures of life bearing down on me, the kind of day where I could really use a break from the manifold anxieties of modern living. As such, I’m declaring this the ideal time to return to Hugtto! Precure, and find some peace in the charming adventures of Hana and her friends. Hugtto’s eminently likable characters, lush and warm art design, and consistent poignancy of perspective feel like a sanctuary for viewers of all ages, offering a clear expression of art’s ability to guide, comfort, and unite us.

When last we left off, the girls’ collaboration with friggin’ Santa Claus had culminated in a cozy Christmas party for all our companions, with Traum sharing a close moment with Lulu, and even Gelos escaping from the mercenary shadow of Criasu Corp. With Gelos now looking forward to a happier future, I imagine we’re diving straight into Hugtto’s endgame for these last four episodes. And though I’m quite sad to leave Hugtto behind, I’m also eager to see our heroes step towards their futures, guided by the confidence in tomorrow’s fortunes that this series has worked so hard to cultivate. Let’s return to Hugtto Precure!

Continue reading →

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d check back in with Hana and the gang, as our brave Precures charge towards the conclusion of their grand adventure. Over the past forty-some episodes, our heroes have made lifelong friends, discovered key facets of themselves, and even fallen in love (with a hamster). And through all these trials, Hugtto has continued to offer charming and poignant reflections on aging, teaching both its heroes and its viewers to look towards adulthood with ambition and hope.

Most recently, we’ve been tying up the loose ends of our heroes’ various personal journeys, starting with first Homare and then Saaya. If the pattern holds, I’m looking forward to some hard rocking Emiru adventures, as she continues to break free from the expectations of her grandfather and embrace her own guitar-shredding identity. Let’s see what awaits us in a fresh episode of Hugtto Precure!

Continue reading →

Hello folks, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to the drama of Hugtto! Precure, after an episode that was largely preoccupied with Homare resolving her crush on a shape-shifting, time-traveling hamster. That’s just sometimes how it’s gonna be in the land of Precure, and to be perfectly honest, it actually made for a surprisingly poignant adventure. Rodent-related specifics aside, Homare’s feelings offered an endearing portrayal of how even unrequited love can be emotionally enriching, and her journey towards that realization was adorned with all sorts of lovely visual compositions.

With Henri and Homare’s skating performances now behind us, the slate is once again clear as we march towards Hugtto’s endgame. Is it time for George’s plan to be unveiled, or can we still sneak in some seasonal shenanigans with Hana and the gang? I’m sure whatever we’ve got coming will be delightful in its own way, so let’s dispense with the preamble here, and dive into the continuing adventures of our hug-happy heroes!

Continue reading →

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Hugtto! Precure, as we charge ever closer to the season’s epic finale. Our last episode wrapped up the season’s primary remaining conflict not related to the Cure team directly – although it did not remain that way, as the resolution of Henri’s struggles saw him actually becoming a Pretty Cure as well, donning the title of “Cure Infini” and offering a gorgeous final performance to his adoring fans. It was the perfect conclusion to an arc that has frequently challenged the implacability of culture and identity, firmly attesting that anyone can be whoever they want to be, including a Pretty Cure. Just like our professional aspirations, our identities are our own – and in Hugtto, pursuing a happier selfhood is always something to be met with a heartfelt “hooray, hooray!”

With Henri having resolved his anxieties regarding moving beyond his skating career, the stage is now clear for a final confrontation with Criasu Corp. But frankly, considering neither Listol nor Traum are personally invested in George’s mission, I wouldn’t mind some more villain rehabilitation before that – or even a goofy one-off, if we’ve still got time for such things. Regardless, I’m sure we’ve got a charming adventure ahead as we dive back into Hugtto Precure!

Continue reading →

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Hugtto! Precure, where I’m frankly hoping for some kind of irreverent, nonsensical side adventure, perhaps one starring our former villains and the hamster villagers or something. After the one-two punch of Traum’s reunion with Lulu and Emiru’s grappling with this story’s conclusion, I’m just not sure my heart could take much more of the heavy stuff. Can’t we just hang out and maybe beat up an Oshimaeda or something?

Of course, given last episode’s allusions to Henri’s physical injuries, I imagine we’re actually on the verge of a heel turn by our young ice skater. And to be honest, I’m actually fine with that. I’ve long felt that Henri’s character and arc embodied Hugtto’s most thoughtful instincts, exploring not just the difficulty of defining yourself outside of society’s expectations, but also the challenges of aging out of your preferred self-image, and grappling with the frequently undesirable changes of puberty and adulthood. Henri carries Hugtto’s general focus on finding hope for the future into challenging, deeply personal territory, and him stumbling here would serve as a natural continuation of the world-weary ambiguity that has always attended his episodes. Let’s see what’s in store in a fresh episode of Hugtto!

Continue reading →

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Hugtto! Precure, as we race towards the conclusion of this heartwarming, far-reaching journey. After coming to know our heroes, their ambitions, and their whole larger community over the course of various adventures, our last few episodes have seen histories unveiled and secrets revealed, as we came to know the fate of Harihari Village, the true identity of Listol, and the nature of the bond uniting Lulu and Dr. Traum.

Beyond simply filling in our missing backstory, those episodes have also proven some of the most emotionally impactful of the show so far. Our last episode in particular was a major highlight, merging Lulu’s consistently poignant personal growth with Traum’s misguided yet deeply human desire to regain his lost daughter. The two of them struggling towards a shared idea of family was a painful, hesitant, and deeply sincere process – in other words, it was Hugtto at its best, hoping for a happier future while acknowledging the road forward is littered with hurdles and disappointments. Let’s see what awaits our crew next in a fresh episode of Hugtto!

Continue reading →

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Hugtto! Precure, as we continue to soar towards its approaching endgame. It’s clear enough that the time for fun episodic larks is largely behind us; in fact, last episode felt very much like we were already at the climax, with its thunderous reveals regarding Harry and Risutol’s shared history clarifying much about Criasu’s relationship with the hamsters. Characters like Risutol and Bishin didn’t simply embrace evil, they were recruited via Criasu’s promises to save their dying village – and having embraced complicity and lost their homes anyway, they now hope simply to maintain whatever community is left to them on the other side.

Having shed some light on the origins of George’s final accomplice, I’m excited to see what the episode to come reveals about dear old Dr. Traum, who’s always struck me as one of the most charming Criasu collaborators. His ambivalence towards the future seems to come from a place of painful personal experience, while his creation of Lulu points to a fundamental disagreement with the Criasu credo. To have a child is to express a gesture of faith in the future, that it will be a safer, kinder place for the ones who follow you. As we approach the end, it seems Traum may be regretting his prior actions, and hoping to at least spend a little more time with his beloved daughter. Let’s see how this odd family is faring!

Continue reading →

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today an overbearing cloud bank promises an altogether gloomy afternoon, so I’ve decided to rally against the weather with a sunny episode of Hugtto! Precure. Our last episode offered a generous buffet of Halloween-centric designs and festivities, while once again offering a humanizing splash of frustration and regret to the show’s former villains. While Hugtto’s young leads are largely preoccupied with the intimidating open canvas of their encroaching adult lives, its older villains serve as an encouraging reminder that even adulthood is a process rife with mistakes and reinvention, and that nothing about our future is ever truly set in stone.

Whether in context of the Precure’s villains or their parents and community guardians, I remain greatly appreciative of Hugtto’s acknowledgment of the conflicts and anxieties that carry on into our adult lives. The show celebrates finding a place you belong without framing dreams as destiny, a balancing act that encourages exploration and self-discovery rather than anxiety over your “one true path.” Let’s see where their passions take our heroes next as we return to Hugtto!

Continue reading →

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!

Continue reading →