Doki Doki! Precure

[Triple_R]

I've watched a few episodes of this here and there based on a friend's recommendation. It's pretty good!

However, this show simply screams for a particular AMV. This is based on one of the first things that really stood out to me, and left me chuckling heartily - Specifically, what Alice Yotsuba is constantly driving around in.

That alone begs for this anime to have an AMV done to Bruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac".

(The part dealing with temptations could easily be done to people getting turned into Selfish monsters of the week - It would fit nicely!)

If anybody could do this AMV, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'll probably do it myself at some point if nobody else wants to give it a try, but I'm sure some folks here could do a better job than me since the only video editing program I've managed to master is Windows Movie Maker.

[Guido]

TBH, I wasn't impressed with Cure Ace's debut, since TOEI doing all the advertising made her a commonality to be expected within the storyline.

No. What truly captivated me in this episode was Regina feeling some sort of heartbreak and little jealousy after getting to live one day and night with Mana and her family.

What sort of father King Jikochuu is for not spending time with its daughter? - Regina was aching from within, although she did her best to stay at ease.

Spoiler:

I suspect that maybe Regina isn't at all King Jikochuu's daughter.

Anyone who might have had the chance to watch Princess Tutu in the past, then knows for sure what was the twist secret revealed between the King of the Ravens and its daughter, Princess Krahe.

My hunch tells me the same twist could play between King Jikochuu and Regina not being family at all, but that she was kidnapped very young and raised by King Jikochuu for a purpose; perhaps granting her the Dark Energy is a step forward to that purpose.

I mean Regina told Mana she has no memories of being together with her "Father", and her memory is fuzzy itself when she tried to remember those days.

The best highlight of the episode came with Cure Heart falling into despair and feeling heartbreak, as she tried in vain to reach the now-evilized Regina back with her voice but was swatted away.
That level of drama on that scene alone became so memorable to me.

[Hiroshi Amearai]

I translated the next episodes summary here:

Spoiler:

Episode 24: Shocking! Makopi quit being an Idol!

While discussing about who the mysterious Cure Ace is, Makoto, now that she's found the princess thinks that her singing doesn't have any meaning left. At that moment, Cure Ace appears and said that she can't feel any love in Makoto's songs now. Makoto decides to retire as a singer.

Episode 25: Gorgeous Transformation! New Heroin appears!?

Want to be useful to Alice, Sebastian used the best of science to create the "Artificial Commune" which let him have the equal power of the Precure. However, the device, by coincidence is now in Mamo's hand. She now plays the role of the mysterious Cutie Madam.

Episode 26: What is her true feeling? Rikka worries again!

Rikka wants to become a doctor just like her monther, but that's just because it's for her mother. It's not really what she really want to do so she was troubled. Then she found the wounded unconsious Ira. She's protected him even while worrying about her action but...

Episode 27: It's been found! Cure Ace's weakness!

Mana and friends found out Cure Ace's unexpected identity. She then talks about her reason for fighting as a precure and the reason why she trained Mana and friends.

Here we go

Images

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[Guido]

Originally Posted by Hiroshi Amearai

I translated the next episodes summary here:

Spoiler:

Episode 24: Shocking! Makopi quit being an Idol!

While discussing about who the mysterious Cure Ace is, Makoto, now that she's found the princess thinks that her singing doesn't have any meaning left. At that moment, Cure Ace appears and said that she can't feel any love in Makoto's songs now. Makoto decides to retire as a singer.

Episode 25: Gorgeous Transformation! New Heroin appears!?

Want to be useful to Alice, Sebastian used the best of science to create the "Artificial Commune" which let him have the equal power of the Precure. However, the device, by coincidence is now in Mamo's hand. She now plays the role of the mysterious Cutie Madam.

Episode 26: What is her true feeling? Rikka worries again!

Rikka wants to become a doctor just like her monther, but that's just because it's for her mother. It's not really what she really want to do so she was troubled. Then she found the wounded unconsious Ira. She's protected him even while worrying about her action but...

Episode 27: It's been found! Cure Ace's weakness!

Mana and friends found out Cure Ace's unexpected identity. She then talks about her reason for fighting as a precure and the reason why she trained Mana and friends.

Here we go

Images

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

You know I feel that Doki Doki will be a little bit reminiscent about the first Pretty Cure series.

Spoiler:

Judging the preview to episode 23, King Jikochuu is going to hire new grunts and reading those synopses for the future episodes then things won't be boding so well for the current Jikochuu trio with a not so nice future and bleak horizon.

And, then there will be more brand-new characters debuting. Furthermore, at least Cure Heart is going to get a new transformation wardrobe, judging from the pictures.

[Hiroshi Amearai]

Originally Posted by Guido

You know I feel that Doki Doki will be a little bit reminiscent about the first Pretty Cure series.

Spoiler:

Judging the preview to episode 23, King Jikochuu is going to hire new grunts and reading those synopses for the future episodes then things won't be boding so well for the current Jikochuu trio with a not so nice future and bleak horizon.

And, then there will be more brand-new characters debuting. Furthermore, at least Cure Heart is going to get a new transformation wardrobe, judging from the pictures.

That dress isn't for the series. It's for the upcoming movie. That's her wedding dress.

[Tatiana Razajev]

Originally Posted by Hiroshi Amearai

I translated the next episodes summary here:

Spoiler:

Episode 24: Shocking! Makopi quit being an Idol!

While discussing about who the mysterious Cure Ace is, Makoto, now that she's found the princess thinks that her singing doesn't have any meaning left. At that moment, Cure Ace appears and said that she can't feel any love in Makoto's songs now. Makoto decides to retire as a singer.

Episode 25: Gorgeous Transformation! New Heroin appears!?

Want to be useful to Alice, Sebastian used the best of science to create the "Artificial Commune" which let him have the equal power of the Precure. However, the device, by coincidence is now in Mamo's hand. She now plays the role of the mysterious Cutie Madam.

Episode 26: What is her true feeling? Rikka worries again!

Rikka wants to become a doctor just like her monther, but that's just because it's for her mother. It's not really what she really want to do so she was troubled. Then she found the wounded unconsious Ira. She's protected him even while worrying about her action but...

Episode 27: It's been found! Cure Ace's weakness!

Mana and friends found out Cure Ace's unexpected identity. She then talks about her reason for fighting as a precure and the reason why she trained Mana and friends.

Here we go

Images

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Spoiler:

Well, the idea of Mamo being Cutie Madam could be amusing depending on what her idea of playing Heroine is. It's also potentially more interesting than the idea of it just being Alice with another identity I saw some mention. Yes, I lurk at places. As for the episode 27 summary, it begs a few questions for me.

The first would be this. Exactly who would Mana and the others be expecting anyway? I mean they pretty much made it impossible for either Regina or Ange to be Cure Ace unless they're doing some overly complex "Manifestation" plot thread.

Maybe by unexpected they actually mean they'll find Cure Ace's identity to be either much younger or older than they expected her to be. Or maybe it will be one of those cases of "We never expected that new girl that we just met after shortly being Ace to end up being Ace".

The second would be whether or not they want to keep the audience in the dark too until 27 or they'll be like "Ok, viewers we'll tell you who Ace is now, but don't let the girls know" or something like that.

[Hiroshi Amearai]

Not Doki related but here is a vid of Aya Ikeda sings the OP and ED of Smile at Anime Expo

[darkchibi07]

I have to say the whole figuring out "who Cure Ace really is" kind of reminds me of the old days of Power Rangers Zeo where they threw in a lot of red herrings just to get kids to figure out who the mysterious Gold Ranger is.

[Ichuki]

Originally Posted by Hiroshi Amearai

I translated the next episodes summary here:

Spoiler:

Episode 24: Shocking! Makopi quit being an Idol!

While discussing about who the mysterious Cure Ace is, Makoto, now that she's found the princess thinks that her singing doesn't have any meaning left. At that moment, Cure Ace appears and said that she can't feel any love in Makoto's songs now. Makoto decides to retire as a singer.

Episode 25: Gorgeous Transformation! New Heroin appears!?

Want to be useful to Alice, Sebastian used the best of science to create the "Artificial Commune" which let him have the equal power of the Precure. However, the device, by coincidence is now in Mamo's hand. She now plays the role of the mysterious Cutie Madam.

Episode 26: What is her true feeling? Rikka worries again!

Rikka wants to become a doctor just like her monther, but that's just because it's for her mother. It's not really what she really want to do so she was troubled. Then she found the wounded unconsious Ira. She's protected him even while worrying about her action but...

Episode 27: It's been found! Cure Ace's weakness!

Mana and friends found out Cure Ace's unexpected identity. She then talks about her reason for fighting as a precure and the reason why she trained Mana and friends.

Here we go

Images

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Spoiler:

I hope it is not pink only power up (I have a bad feeling it is) since it's been 3 years since a group power up happened in the movie.

[Hiroshi Amearai]

Oh budget. Cure Ace has the best transformation ever in any precure series. And look how goddamn strong she is.

[Midonin]

Well of course. She's Iori Minase, no wonder she's strong.

[Witched]

Cure Ace being badass (even her transformation makes me shiver...), though her voice as a Precure is better than her civilian form's...

Still sad by the fact that most of the issues get resolved pretty quickly..

Spoiler for o3o:

While Ai uses her mind controlling powers to make Mana's mom believe that she's Mana's imouto/younger sister. Cringe.

[Ichuki]

Originally Posted by Midonin

Well of course. She's Iori Minase, no wonder she's strong.

Spoiler:

Because of the flames in her transformation Iori turning into Shana maybe.

[serenade_beta]

Spoiler for ep23:

I hope there was a reason why they introduced the new bad guys. Because as of the first episode of their appearance, they aren't any different from the previous three.
And I guess Regina is out of the anime for a while? No-------!

[Hiroshi Amearai]

What's with the bouncing jelly? She's like a kid in her civilian form. It's like her entire character change after she transformed.
Also, Anyone else think that Ai is cute in this episode? I still remember the days when they said that the baby will ruin the show.

[xizro345]

I still think she serves no purpose. Also, the introduction of Ace like this will create a situation like Suite, in which a lot of episodes will be "wasted" to bring her up to par, character wise.

[YourIdeas]

Originally Posted by Hiroshi Amearai

[IMG]
Also, Anyone else think that Ai is cute in this episode? I still remember the days when they said that the baby will ruin the show.

I don't think anyone said that Ai would ruin the show - just that her design was weird and that she might if she was anything like Chiffon. Ai as a character really hasn't done much and has been nothing but a deus ex machina who had an episode or two centered around her. These episodes appeared much earlier in the series and were pretty much forgotten after Regina appeared.

Spoiler for Episode 23:

Seems like they'll just continue to play up Cure Ace/Aguri's identity for the next few episodes. Now hearing Kugimiya's two distinct voices for this character, Aguri just looks like a strange throwback to a lot of Kugimiya's characters. Iori's look, Shana's flames in her transformation, etc. The next episodes are looking to make her steal the show. Good for all the otaku, not so good for the fans who dislike filler.

Speaking of filler, I find it a bit depressing that the Cures just don't make interesting civilians. It's less a problem with Alice and though Mana's antics are meh, she's at least an entertaining character. Rikka and Makopi just seem to lack aspiration altogether. Rikka especially, as they're just beating her "to be or not to be a doctor" dilemma over and over.

[momobunny]

Well so far I don't really like Cure Ace.

Spoiler for episode 23:

She's so far above everybody else that it feels a little ridiculous to me. Not to mention how poorly this episode painted Cure Rosetta, Cure Diamond, and Cure Sword to the point of them being completely useless in Cure form while Mana managed to do more in human form... I know it was to show her change of heart and resolution but I found it incredibly ridiculous.

Also... Alice knows martial arts... why does this not influence her abilities as a Pretty Cure? Mana hasn't the same fighting prowess as Alice... and she completely outshined her in combat this episode... same goes for Cure Ace, for all we know she could be a martial arts master but at the same time I doubt that they're willing to go that route again. If they chose to then at least that would explain why Cure Ace is so powerful but it wouldn't explain why Cure Heart seems to outshine Cure Rosetta (who does about the same as Cure Sword and Diamond) in combat.

The episode is so Mana focused and once again her friends are put on the back burner (which I pretty much saw coming from the beginning for Cure Rosetta and Cure Diamond) to the point where they don't even bother showing their transformations while Cure Heart's is shown in its entirety (which they should've skipped as well in my opinion)... and somehow after Cure Rosetta and Cure Sword's attacks failed completely, her's manages to work...

This episode just seemed really sloppy to me, it probably would've been better if Cure Ace took all of their loveads in order to give an explanation as to why Alice, Rikka, and Makoto couldn't help the situation instead of putting them all in an extremely helpless situation like they did after transforming...

[Hiroshi Amearai]

^It's the same format for any Sentai show when 6th ranger show up. Also the same for Kamen Rider when 2nd rider show up. Their power will going down soon. And in the end they'll never be as strong as the red/mainchar. That's just the first time they do that in precure and all.

[momobunny]

Originally Posted by Hiroshi Amearai

^It's the same format for any Sentai show when 6th ranger show up. Also the same for Kamen Rider when 2nd rider show up. Their power will going down soon. And in the end they'll never be as strong as the red/mainchar. That's just the first time they do that in precure and all.

Yeah I see this a lot... and each time it becomes more and more tiresome for me. ^^;