Pretty Cure Splash*Star

[Guido]

The second episode was more vexing that the first one.

Now Pretty Cure needs to hear teachings from those plushy creatures in order to focus their consciousness to power their fists and feets and doing some punching and flying.

Since when did Pretty Cure had to hold the hands from others to support themselves like little children do.

I know how the plot is going to unfold and not need to be a genius, if you happened to had watched the first Pretty Cure TV show.

Akudaikaan, the BIG BAD BOSS, hid the spirits of the six fountains within each of its underlings, and Karehaan would happen to be one of six underlings that work for Akudaikaan.

Karehaan will challenge Pretty Cure for a last deathmatch and lose to them, allowing the girls to reclaim the first fountain, then we'll go to the next underlings and so and so on, until Pretty Cure has all seven fountains on their possession.

Mai will introduce his elder brother and would be love at first sight for Saki.

On another note, Saki's classmate, Kenta, is voiced by Noda Junko who is the seiyuu for Naruto.

[hat_hair]

I felt a need to step in and respond to these points.

Originally Posted by Guido

Now Pretty Cure needs to hear teachings from those plushy creatures in order to focus their consciousness to power their fists and feets and doing some punching and flying.

They were being told how to use their powers, since their fighting is more of a magic/martial arts fusion now. It's a standard explanation moment, and it had to happen to explain what was going on.
On a side note here, I quite like the new fighting style. The use of magic to pull off even more ridiculous moves is quite welcome.

Originally Posted by Guido

Since when did Pretty Cure had to hold the hands from others to support themselves like little children do.

Seriously, did you watch the first show? This is what Pretty Cure is about, supporting each other.

Originally Posted by Guido

I know how the plot is going to unfold and not need to be a genius, if you happened to had watched the first Pretty Cure TV show.

Akudaikaan, the BIG BAD BOSS, hid the spirits of the six fountains within each of its underlings, and Karehaan would happen to be one of six underlings that work for Akudaikaan.

Karehaan will challenge Pretty Cure for a last deathmatch and lose to them, allowing the girls to reclaim the first fountain, then we'll go to the next underlings and so and so on, until Pretty Cure has all seven fountains on their possession.

You didn't exactly need to be a genius to work this basic magical girl show plot out for the original series, either.

Originally Posted by Guido

Mai will introduce his elder brother and would be love at first sight for Saki.

You mean Not!Fuji P? Yeah, I agree on this point being a little niggling due to the intense similarity. But even then, it's not really a massive problem, since it'll probably be such a minor plot point.

But overall, you seem to complain about how unoriginal Splash Star is. Don't forget that the original Pretty Sure was as cliched as hell. It's just a fun show. If you're dead set against it, why watch it?

[Guido]

I have learned some facts from episode three.

Yuunagi is the name of the junior high school that both Saki and Mai attend.
I do prefer Verone, Nagisa and Honoka's school, name, however.

Shiomigaoka is the name of the town where both girls live at.
Unfortunately, I do not recall the name of Nagisa and Honoka's town.

+
- Same soundtrack and musical scores, and they added new music tracks for the action and angst scenes.

- The miraculous power of yuri when mahou shoujo hold hands to escape from narrow predicaments such as being pastered onto the wall with a mud-like substance.

- The timing of both girls transforming into Pretty Cure has a credible foundation, because the Uzainaa became totally exhausted after a wild geese chasing.

-
- That Karehaan dude is nowhere as a good strategist as Pissard was. Just barges in and demands for the spirits to be given to him, like he's the owner of the stage. I don't much care about him, and hopes that Pretty Cure blast him off for good in the next episode.

- The plot about the match with the other team is predictable: Saki's going on a loser streak, Mai figures out their dilemma and points it to them, the team agrees to work out what's wrong with them, Saki executes a successful batting with the ball, Saki's team scores two time and wins.

The only reason why I'm putting up with this series is because Quarkboy is giving some useful translation help to the people who are subbing this.

http://mftgx.blogspot.com/

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by Guido

I have learned some facts from episode three.

Yuunagi is the name of the junior high school that both Saki and Mai attend.
I do prefer Verone, Nagisa and Honoka's school, name, however.

Shiomigaoka is the name of the town where both girls live at.
Unfortunately, I do not recall the name of Nagisa and Honoka's town.

The answer is "Wakabadai" It's a real place. In fact, Verone academy (or whatever it's real name is) is modeled after a real school there, as are all the parks and places which Pretty Cure normally fought.
http://www.takagawa.com/wakabadai/wa1.htm

Tell me that doesn't look exactly like Verone academy .

[Zappster]

Originally Posted by Guido

- That Karehaan dude is nowhere as a good strategist as Pissard was. Just barges in and demands for the spirits to be given to him, like he's the owner of the stage. I don't much care about him, and hopes that Pretty Cure blast him off for good in the next episode.

Isn't that exactly what Pissard did in Pretty Cure? Firstly he barged in and demanded the stones or whatever they were be given to him. Then he tried out different things when this didn't work. I'd expect the same from this Karehaan guy(not that I'm watching this show or anything).

It just seems really ridiculous of you to be criticising this show for things that were pretty much done in the original as well, yet somehow it's "allowed" in the original but not in this show.

[suguru]

Maybe it's because I went into this with low expectations, but just watched the first three episodes and I liked it so far. I wouldn't rate it as exceptional, since you have a generally incompetent bad guy, your obnoxious plush sidekicks, a battle every week that always follows the same pattern (heroes look like they're losing->then they're winning->then they finish off bad guys with their signature attack), and lots of merchandise tie-ins. But all of those things applied to the original Precure too. Splash Star may not break any new ground, but the formula it follows is popular for a reason, and it's entertaining enough. "I'm Karehaan, you can call me Kare-cchi" was enough to make me laugh, anyway.

I guess based on what I've seen so far I'd rate Splash Star about the same as the original Precure--it's not in my top 20 of all time, but it's fun enough to watch that I'm glad someone's subbing it. If you look at Splash Star on its own without comparing it to the original (which I'm sure for people who loved the original isn't easy to do) I really don't think it's that bad.

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by suguru

I guess based on what I've seen so far I'd rate Splash Star about the same as the original Precure--it's not in my top 20 of all time, but it's fun enough to watch that I'm glad someone's subbing it. If you look at Splash Star on its own without comparing it to the original (which I'm sure for people who loved the original isn't easy to do) I really don't think it's that bad.

Considering my original post's vitriol, my opinion has somewhat mellowed... In production values and, well, concept... the show is really about the same as the old pretty cure. I can't say I like the characters as much, but that might change eventually.

And just wait till the fansubs get to episode 8 and bad guy #2... If you thought karehaan was ridiculous... You haven't seen anything yet, Senoritas!!

[Guido]

This episode was satisfying, not average, to me. There are several positive details
featured that elevate the show's content in terms of characters and pacing. There was only
one negative aspect that I disliked, however, it is a technical detail that does not affects
the show's content in anyway.

+
1. Mai helping the countryside lady with the cart of cabbage packages by herself gives a particular approach to each of the Pretty Cure characters separately, at least that's my
personal catch.
I know that there will be few chances to witness Pretty Cure interact with other characters'
deals separately but was something fresh to me to watch very early in the storyline.

2. Mai did not win the painting contest. I'm neither complaining nor feel relieved whether she won or not. It simply cements Mai's path for she to mature into a master artist to work
and effort.
I think we need some balance to the girl's personal capabilities, for example, Saki already
is a talented baseball player. Mai's latent, in-training artistic skills are a counterpart
to Saki's experience on baseball.

3. Karehaan now knew how to pull out a strategy than just barge in and demand the spirits.
I thought that he was taking the girls by getting Saki and use her as bait to lure Mai into
the woods.
The case was that he kept the girls separated from each other: lured Saki into the woods and
instructed the possessed cicadas to attack Mai in the countryside.
It worked and caused some deal of angst that amazed me.

4. Pretty Cure physically incapacitating Uzainaa, so it won't be able to move. This alone speaks logic when is right timing for Pretty Cure to destroy it with their Twin Splash.

-
1. The next shot of Uzainaa has it already stood up the moment is receiving the Twin Splash
when previously was turned upside down and unable to move.
Having the critter already recovered at about the moment the Twin Stream hits in substracts
momentum to the scene.

[Guido]

Mystery Fansubs Translation Group X are letting us know, they aren't dead yet.

The Pretty Cure fansubs for Splash Star are drifting somewhere at midst the prolonged hiatus, but the group managed to release episode 5 fansub.

If we just take the Pretty Cure fights monster-of-the-day routine, this episode was excellent due to the story driven by Saki's relationship with Kenta.

As it was expected, Saki met with Mai's older brother, Kazuya, before being oficially introduced and gave him the blushed eyes.

The interesting twist was that the story shifted unexpectedly from Kazuya to Kenta-centric plot. I could sympathize with Kenta because him and me are similar; we tend to lose our attention span, cannot focus, and we do not realise what we're doing, ending messing up due to spacing out.

Kenta spilled tea into a book that Saki borrowed from Kazuya, and no matter how much Kenta apologized, she would not spoke a word to him.

Mai steps in to soothe Kenta about his problem, and I learned that he and Saki are childhood friends that have grown together or better known as osananajimi.
These plot element adds a new depth to the dimensions of relationships for Splash Star, because as the show progresses later into the 20's and 30's episodes Saki's mind will waver and her feelings will flutter in doubt deciding who she cares for most whether be Kazuya or Kenta.
Naturally, at the start she's going to approach Kazuya to gain affection, and Kenta won't stay behind understanding what's going on and will also approach Saki becoming through contact on being awared that he holds feelings towards her.

The few episodes I have seen show those two kids, Saki and Kenta, teasing at each other as classmates and nothing more than good friends, but those feelings will mature though Saki won't notice them until Kenta comforts her when she gets strucked by a terrible shock or depression.

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by Guido

[URL="http://mftgx.blogspot.com/"]
The few episodes I have seen show those two kids, Saki and Kenta, teasing at each other as classmates and nothing more than good friends, but those feelings will mature though Saki won't notice them until Kenta comforts her when she gets strucked by a terrible shock or depression.

Just as a teaser, the Kenta-Saki relationship might not be as simple as that... Can you say, love triangle ? This is all pure speculation, as almost nothing has happened even by episode 28...

In truth, this show is a less effective version of the original, and after nearly 30 episodes (raw), it's just keeps reminding you of that. The most recent episode was a reduex of the plot of Season 1 episode 42, and it was just painfully less emotional and sillier. Well, the show's enjoyable, but it's even more fluff than it was before.

[Guido]

Well, Mystery Fansubs Translation Group X is enduring the survival test, as of late two days ago released fansub for episode six.

There isn't a thing overly positive I have to say just that Karehaan did not die, as it was supposed that Akudaikaan warned with a last chance.

I would rather prefered the use of CGI to animate Akudaikaan the same manner the staff did for Dark King in Pretty Cure classic.
And that midget servant with the eggplant head is annoying; can't wait for the girls to shut its mouth.

Want interested me was Choppy and Flappy addressing to the keeper of the Sun Fountain, Princess Filia. More likely for those who are too ahead with the raws have already watched the episode where she debuts.

[chrno]

So far so good I've been following this series. Things seem to be picking up now.

At first I didn't really care for it because I felt they were sort of "clones" of the ever popular duo that started it all. But to compare the two shows is a little unfair. As I have seen and heard some comment on how much they like it. Go fig. But gawd I do so hate their names. 'Cure Bloom' and 'Cure Egret'. But hey what can you do? But 'Mai' is cute as button. When did kids start dressing like adults?

While I have enjoyed the first series immensely (and now working on the 2nd) I sort of developed a little spot for 'PC:SS'. As they have their moments. There have been times I've been bored with some eps and other times I was like, OK not bad. But watching "raws" does kind of make it a little hard to get into it. Especially, if it's a show on your back list of things to watch. But duo has now reached that stage where they got their new powers. Twice! And in a shorter period of time.

Spoiler:

They get the spiral bracelets that allow them to create the new move 'Spiral Heart Splash'. This was during ep. 24. And around episode 30 they get another new move called 'Star Heart Splash'. And they get a name change! 'Cure Bloom' is now 'Cure Bright' and 'Cure Egret' is now 'Cure Windy'.

How the hell did that happen? Well, it's almost close to 'Cure Fujin' and 'Cure Raijin'.

I do want to thank 'MFGX' for putting the time into releasing the rest. I was really worried that this series was going to get dropped because no one would care to give it a chance.

I also have to say that the "Ask John" column is on the "money" about the show. Now I have a better understanding as to why it is the way it is. Now the question is will 'Toei' try to create another one after this one? I'm still crossing my fingers for 'Cure Fujin' and 'Cure Raijin'. Hahahaha!!

Still doesn't have that umph that the first series had but hey it's a kid show what do you want? But it's slowly garnering it's fans and erm...fanart as well.

[Swann]

Not much to say really - I'm hooked.

I really like Saki's character. I'm rooting for her having a relationship with the older brother - revenge for Nagisa's suffering. Don't suppose that would happen. Only blushes unless it moves towards the obnoxious boy. Being 'pretty cure' that wouldn't go far either. Oh well. Thanks for keeping up the subbing Mystery, look forward to each release.

[Quarkboy]

You know, the more I watch the show, and especially the most recent episode (raw), I'm thinking that Saki may actually really have a relationship with Mai's big brother by the end of the show. Like, he wants to be an astronaught and all, but he really seems to look at Saki as a peer, and not just "his little sister's best(only) friend". He totally confided in her his problems, and that's the first step to "an actual relationship".

Not that Toei would ever go there. I think they have some sort of contractual obligation to make sure their main characters suffer in singles oblivion until the end of a show (or beyond).

[Swann]

Raw 34? Yeah, watched it. Didn't understand a word they said but I watched. Saki seems to have more love curage than Nagisa ever did.

I hope something happens somewhere, even if it is between the two female leads. It was too difficult watching Nagisa suffer so much and gain nothing. Those blushes were cute though. Saki, can't only think of herself, she has Nagisa to make up for, so she had better start getting busy.

[Guido]

I have already watched the end of the Karehaan Arc, and honestly I can say that episode seven revitalized by faith on Pretty Cure again.

It was mostly because the seventh episode introduced unexpected plot devices; some of this I thought I had predicted them basing from my experience with the other Pretty Cure series.

Well, I cannot say that Karehaan's last stand was that all exciting and topsy-turvy, but I liked how he gave it all to make Pretty Cure defenseless and tamed even if it was short-lived.

It also thrilled me that Karehaan out of the blue tries one last and desperate attempt on the girls' lives, once they have powered down to average human form thinking that they have destroyed him for good.
The law of slasher, horror films. Just when you thought that the female main lead has wasted the murderer, he somehow manages to resurrect unpredictably to attempt one more try on the lead's life.

He died not because the girls pawned with their Twin Stream, but because he used up all his power reserves and could no longer maintain his fake form.

Anyways, the episode did not end on the conventional note completely as displayed lots of revelations on what I assume they'll be restoring the fountains.

The miracle drops that the Uzainaa drop every time that are purified plus the magical item, Karafe, are the components to restore each of the springs.

But I think that the number of drops varies with each fountain, meaning that they required more or less numbers than the seven used to fix the fountain of trees.

Let's see how things keep on, and I'm thankful that MFTGX continues to sub Splash Star.

[Guido]

Episode 8 starts the second arc, which introduces the next kin of the Dark Fall, Moerumba. My impression is that he parodies Mirror B. the first boss of the Pokemon Colosseum game.

It is just a personal observation since both guys have an effeminate built, wear afros (Moerumba's a flaming one), and have this penchant for music that excites them to dance- Mirror B's disco while Moerumba's salsa and rumba.

The plot of the episode was that Saki got upset at her little sister because Minori spilled juice on Mai's sketch. Mai understood how Minori felt scolded, because she too was scolded by her brother for breaking a telescope during her early childhood.
Mai tried to speak sense on Saki, but the latter unintentionally bent her anger on Mai too.

Both were at loss of words and confused which lead to an interesting twist that while in Pretty Cure form they cannot power-up for the Twin Stream, as long as their feelings are in discord and wavering. Though they couldn't powerup, the energy loss does not affects their supernatural strength in anyway.

[Siegel Clyne]

Sailor Moon... err... Pretty Cure

Cure Dream
Cure Rouge
Cure Lemonade
Cure Aqua
Cure Mint

[JediNight]

Sorry to sound like a troll Quarkboy: But why were you expecting anything out of Pretty Cure? The show was created 100% marketroid if you know what I mean ^_^;; I'm amazed it's had as many seasons as it has, but I guess they did their market studies well bc the kiddies eat it up x_X

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by JediNight

Sorry to sound like a troll Quarkboy: But why were you expecting anything out of Pretty Cure? The show was created 100% marketroid if you know what I mean ^_^;; I'm amazed it's had as many seasons as it has, but I guess they did their market studies well bc the kiddies eat it up x_X

In truth, after watching the first 4 episodes I knew this show would be good.
Why? Because it was consistent, and set the stage for long, slow paced character developement. Compared to shows like pokemon or digimon, pretty cure is hardly market fodder at all .

Anime for girls has long had traditions of obvious product placement, back to the original candy candy. All the people who think Pretty Cure is simply a toy commercial haven't watched more than a couple episodes, I bet. It's not. What it is is a well-made, enjoyable, solid entry in the magical girl genre.