This is a Joker episode. He gives Wolfrun the black Akanbe nose and Wolfrun uses it to run wild on the Precures. The highlights are that Candy finally proves herself to be useful for once, and that this marks the first occasion that the Precure Rainbow Burst failed. It also serves to show that the Precures' original attacks are overall more visceral (and exciting!) than their super group finisher.
Other notes: the Royal Queen shows up, Royal Clock something or other, but who cares about any of that? There's that cliffhanger of course. I'm amused by them starting
yet another Decor collection with nary a comment.
Overall, this was an okay episode that just isn't as fun as the last few have been. This is partly because Candy isn't a great character, so it's hard to feel all that much for her predicament, and may partly because dramatic moments don't come very naturally to Smile Precure. That cliffhanger at the end isn't all that effective, but that's mostly because we all know that nothing untoward will happen to the Precures. It'd be unusual for their predicament to remain unresolved beyond the next episode.
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Originally Posted by justsomeguy
Nobody criticizes this show for what it does. What it does not do, on the other hand, is combine plot, drama, and character development and comedy. When there are elements missing that all other Precure seasons have managed, you expect people not to point this out?
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I'm doubtful that the other Precure shows combine these elements as much as you claim, but why does Smile need to do so? Is there some sort of scorecard for Precure prerequisites? From what I can see, Smile fulfills its own niche very well, so where's the problem? I guess you can say that it's different from the other Precure shows, but so what?
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Originally Posted by justsomeguy
Quite frankly, if the writer didn't want to go for those then he should have gotten rid of epic-scale enemies like Joker and Pierrot because those do not fit in a show that reject those things.
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Why? Joker adds menace and some other neat dimensions that the other generals don't have. Isn't that enough reason to include him?
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Originally Posted by gsilver
So, how does it compare to other series in the franchise? The animation is newer and smoother than the series prior to Heartcatch, and in a lot of ways is a greatly refined take on Precure 5, and also has more flair than Suite and more refined than Heartcatch was, so at least on an animation level, it compares favorably. It's also quite hilarious at many places, moreso than the others. It's also lacking where it's truly important.
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I'm not really in a position to comment on your other points, but Smile falls short of the animation quality of Heartcatch. You can arguably claim that Smile has superior art design or character designs (although I wouldn't agree), but that's different from animation.