Hugtto! Precure Episode 41

This week was a heartfelt episode where everyone’s feelings of being separated once they complete their objective really sinks in. It’s Emiru, the youngest one of the group who is quickly consumed by her despair of knowing she will be losing not just her best friend, but also her partner as well. Much of the episode was about Emiru being afraid to voice her true feelings because of her selfishness. As result, her Mirai Crystal disappeared and she suddenly lost her voice.

As you know I am not particularly invested in Emiru’s character, but I really liked the way they dealt with the issue, and ultimately who was the one to help her find the courage to say her true feelings. The one who helped her pull through it was actually her brother Masato, who has grown so much since we have first saw him. He is no longer the sexist brother who is breathing down his sister’s neck of saying what she can and can’t do. Masato is now the crucial member of her family who has her back and supports her dreams.

But what this episode also did was really shed more like on the type of household Emiru and Masato are a part of. Their grandfather is a control freak, and has some other problems he needs to deal with. (Frankly it was super creepy how he was telling Emiru she should just stay with the family, and the entire time I was shouting “WTF?!”) It goes to show why and how, at least Masato started off the way he did.

What I do find unfortunate is how their parents’ only purpose in this series is to serve as a stupid joke. I can’t recall one moment where they actually contributed to anything significant. In an event like this one, it really just makes the parents look really stupid. While they did speak up saying they were supportive of Emiru being an ‘idol’,  I just wished the writer had stopped them from singing so they could be taken seriously for once. In the end, the only person who really did stand up for Emiru was her brother.

Then there was Lulu, who for pretty much the entirety of the episode appeared quite composed and content with her decision to return to the future. We learned she isn’t doing it just for the sake of it, but because she has a dream, of sharing the world of love and music. It wasn’t until the very end when we finally saw her break down and reveal she’s sad about leaving too, which prompted everyone to have the much needed crying session, because who wouldn’t cry about being separated from precious friends. It’s not like they will be able to keep in touch, they come from an entirely different timeline.

Next week, I’m looking forward to seeing developments on Henry’s arc, but I have a feeling this might only be a one episode sort of thing, especially since it looks like the girls are getting yet another power-up. This would make their third “buff” in the recent weeks. It was good to see him and Masato partake in this episode. With Henry’s injury, I’m surprised he’s not resting and is instead pushing himself. As long as he neglects to care for his injury, well yeah, he’s messing with the odds of his recovery. Although I knew Henry still had the card, it still blows my mind how the decided to keep it, but I guess he just couldn’t bring himself to throw it away, not when he’s afraid of tomorrow.

It also looks like Risutol will be coming back, I’m surprised George has him in the tube of whatever, maybe he’s reconditioning him to serve for him properly, or else what we’re seeing is perhaps rewinding time? Either way, George has the book open and we can be certain nothing good is going to come out of this. I am curious to see what will become of Henry in this situation, and whether or not he will finally commit himself to Criasu’s team, and continue doing so for at least a few episodes.