Man this finale was just as satisfying to watch as it was the first time. The fight, the music, the character development, the drama, oooohh so good. As soon as I finished each episode, I couldn’t bring myself to stop and write the entry about that specific one first. I just didn’t want to break the immersion or the flow, so that’s why we’re finishing this off with a triple entry!
It was finally revealed that Professor Sabaaku was Yuri’s long lost father, and boy was it a brutal but also a tragically short-lived reunion.
Sabaaku disappeared after he reached a dead end in his research of trying to uncover the secrets of the Heart Tree so that he could make everyone happy. But then one day Dune showed up, stole his heart and that’s how he ended up helping him plot destroying the world. Talk about selling your soul to the devil. It certainly came with a hefty price, one of having abandoned his family, fighting against his daughter (Yuri).
Side Note: It’s worth pointing out: that the scene where Sabaaku put on the mask, you probably spotted and the two characters from Heartcatch Precure! Movie: Hana no Miyako de Fashion Show… Desu ka!? If you haven’t seen the movie, you probably at least recalled seeing them in the Opening’s trailer of it. I must confess, even after all these years, I haven’t watched it yet. In fact, I think I’ve only watched maybe three precure movies at most, I couldn’t tell you what their titles were apart from maybe two of them were the all-stars because I do remember one was with all the heroines from various series.
It was pretty cool to see him actually fight against Dune, but unfortunately in the end, it cost him his life. It was quite a bittersweet way to see him go, especially since Yuri had just reunited with him. Though honestly I was a bit shocked that they actually killed him off, but I’m not mad about it. In a way, I thought it was a fitting end for him, still sucks for Yuri though.
But if you thought it was awkward for Yuri to learn her father has been seeking to destroy her (Cure Moonlight) all this time, wait till you hear the part he tells her that Dark Precure is her sister. Ooof. Talk about a double whammy.
We were finally given a bit of details (vaguely, if I say so myself) on the origins of The Dark Precure. They pretty much told us she was made by technology from the Heart Tree. He created her using a part of Yuri–, which I found a bit unclear about whether he was referring to her form as Cure Moonlight or Yuri as her Human self. Either way, he declared her to be her younger sister sooooooo….. Okay then, whatever you say. I did find it a bit weird that he told the Dark Precure that she’s his daughter after he said she was a puppet with no heart…. Don’t even get me started on how he never gave her a real name. That’s the only part that struck me odd, unless I somehow missed that. I didn’t get it then, and I still don’t get that part now. It was super weird…
As for Yuri, man, this girl just can’t catch a break! She has suffered from so many losses! First her companion Fairy Cologne, and then it was revealed she had been fighting against her father all this time, the dark precure is her sister her had made using a part of her, and if that wasn’t bad enough, her father was killed after he took on Dune’s bomb that would’ve taken out killed her and Tsubomi.
So it is an understatement why Yuri had been swallowed by grief and despair. Dune wanted this, he wanted her to fight him with hatred, but that’s what made the next moment even more powerful. Amidst the flurry of emotions, Tsubomi stopped her, imploring her not to fight with anger and hatred, and that she must overcome sadness and hatred to be able to stand up again. Tsubomi was her voice of reason, and it showed us at that moment, how important it was that Yuri did not have to face that alone.
And finally, we have the final boss fight, which was a pleasure to watch again. Man, this battle is so good, it aged like fine wine. It was really satisfying to watch because Dune was no pushover. Undoubtedly, one of the best parts about it is the fact it takes three rounds before they could really defeat him.What’s even better, was how in each round, we actually got to see him evolve and get stronger and stronger until he became a massive giant!
The first time Dune had the upper-hand so he got them good. The second time Tsubomi and Yuri fared a bit better, and then Itsuki and Erika swooped in to offer them support. That round the girls had a bit more of an upper-hand thanks to their renewed strengths and additional numbers. However they were unable to purify his heart with Heartcatch Orchestra. This brings us to the final round, where they finally combined their powers with Heartcatch Mirage and enabling Tsubomi to obtain the stunning form as Infinite Silhouette! Gosh, this is probably my all-time favourite ultimate Precure form. Absolutely breathtaking! And then the ‘soft’ punch to the heart, oh gosh, it was so sweet. I really liked the gentleness of it compared to what their previous attack of a giant fist with knuckle spikes smashing him and everyone else they’ve purified with it. (I will never get over that! It always cracks me up!) I even teared up a bit watching him smile as he faded away.
As for the epilogue, sometimes they can be a hit or miss for me, but I really liked the way Heartcatch did it. They kept it fairly simple, showing us enough time has passed to see Tsubomi’s little sister Futaba born. They also showed us another time skip with her looking at a picture of Tsubomi and the girls in their Precure forms while holding Tsubomi’s Precure perfume. But I thought it was such a beautiful touch given how their family has been tied to being Precures.
But perhaps the biggest surprise was Tsubomi revealing her new dream! She wishes to find a way make flowers bloom in space. In other words, she wants to become an astronaut! It was quite a surprise, but at the same time, that is very much in character given she has seen how empty the place is. Go for it Tsubomi! Shoot for the stars!
It was also nice to see Itsuki finally growing her hair out and seeing her brother is doing well enough that he isn’t ghostly pale anymore. I’m pretty sure they added bit a more color to him so he doesn’t look as sickly now that he has finally been treated.
The only two who didn’t really change were Erika didn’t change too much, nor did Yuri, but I was perfectly fine with that. The four of them are still taking in the fact they saved the world. And that is something to be proud of and understandably still feel like a dream.
And of course the Heart Tree. A new sprout is growing, offering a new generation. It will take a long time to grow, but alas it is alive and well.
Surprisingly, the only person we didn’t see in the epilogue was Kaoruko, only Coupe. I’m sure she is fine though.
~*~
Final Thoughts
There is a good reason why Heartcatch Precure is at top of my list for as long as it has been. While the story does drag at times (as per usual around ep 30 – 40), it’s not so bad to the point I was bored out of my mind. It was more of an issue of struggling to write about it when there’s really not much to talk about. That’s why you’ll be fine if you’re just watching it! And for most part, most people the girls rescue have nice stories, but there were certainly some I felt indifferent or had mixed feelings about the way it was resolved.
But a big part of why I rank Heartcatch so high is because of its fantastic set of characters. They really struck a nice balance between goofy and serious that made both the heroines and the antagonists quite likable.
The Heroines
Not often do I say I liked every single one of the heroines for Precure. Often times there are at least one or two characters that I dislike or just can’t seem to grow on me so I become indifferent about them.
Heartcatch’s heroines each have distinct personalities and the way the mesh together is what makes it so fun to see them interact with each other. But among them, my two favourites would probably be Tsubomi and Yuri.
Tsubomi is definitely among my top favourite Precure heroines, my precious cinnamon-roll! I found her to be such a relatable and charming character. It was amazing to watch her grow out of her shell and become more confident. She also started off as the weakest Precure in history, and yet by the end of it, she has the strength to ward off the Dark Precure’s attack, and helped Yuri stay grounded in a time when Dune was tempting her to fight him with hatred and anger.
Yuri on the other-hand was the opposite of her. She is a complicated character who took a while before she could open up, and justifiably so. Man, she just couldn’t catch a break. She has suffered from so many losses that it’s actually a tragedy!
What was probably one of the most rewarding things about Yuri’s character growth was becoming more dependent on those who reached out to help her. Before Tsubomi, Erika and Itsuki became Precures, following Cure Flower’s footsteps, Yuri was determined to find on her own. It was beautiful to watch her accept the support from the girls, and fight together with them. But I also really appreciated they still enabled her to fight certain battles on her own, such as the final match against the Dark Precure. That was something that she wanted to settle on her own in order to properly put the past behind her.
Then we have Erika, who is probably one the most controversial characters of the lot. You will either love her or hate her, or be indifferent about it. For me, I liked her quite a bit, flaws and all. Sure, Erika can be absolutely obnoxious (and deserves to be called out for it), but there are also times when she is super awesome. In fact of the four, I would say Erika is probably the one who I have always felt was fun to watch fight. She is quite a good and chaotic fighter, which is why it made a lot of sense for her to be paired up with Itsuki in the finale to deal with the goons. I especially enjoyed her fight against Kumojacky.
Itsuki is an absolute sweetheart and it was great to see her be able to freely explore her passions. Her weakness to cute things was fun to watch!
Granny Kaoruko, Cure Flower was such a wonderful touch to the story. I thought it was so special and beautiful to have a family lineage of Precures, and it looks like Tsubomi’s sister Futaba could very well be on track to following their footsteps next if it were to ever come to that. I also absolutely adored how they shared us her love story with Tsubomi’s grandfather. It was so wholesome, absolutely beautiful.
The Fairies, Chypre and Coffret and Potpourri were a riot, and a fantastic bunch. I loved how they were full of personalities, the hilarious shenanigans they would get into and how they were able to help the girls fight in their own way. We also have to appreciate Coppe, Kaoruko’s lifelong companion. It was absolutely hysterical when they revealed Coppe was the mystery man who had come to save them on a number of occasions, and the Human form he takes is none other than Tsubomi’s late grandfather.
The Antagonists
Truth to be told, some of the antagonists were a bit slow when it came to finally getting serious. Apart from Kumojacky and the Dark Precure, both Sasorina and Cobraja were relatively passive between the beginning and the middle of the series. They didn’t put too much effort into their tasks. It wasn’t until later on when Sabaaku told them to get their shit together, and the word that Dune was returning that that finally started to get serious. A part of that could also be attributed to the Dark Crystals that were entrusted to them so they could be stronger. That said, I would say Sasorina was probably the one that kind of got the short-end of the stick in that regard, mainly because she took too long to get her act together.
So the one who hard-carried the role as the antagonist was none other than the Dark Precure. She was a ferocious opponent. It took a long time before the girls could finally be strong enough to stand their ground against her. Time and time again, she would overwhelm them and they would be knocked out of their Precure forms. For that reason, she made an exceptional threat. There was really no telling whether that day they faced her would be the time they finally get the upper hand.
Besides how amazing the Dark Precure was, the three Generals are also characters worth to appreciate. While they were not necessarily the strongest (though they later showed they certainly can be, especially Cobraja when he finally decided to get serious), they all had great and humorous personalities. But the one thing loved the most about three of them was the bond they shared with one another. They were rivals, but they also deeply cared for each other. It was so touching to see how Kumojacky and Cobraja did what they could to help and protect Sasorina in their own way. And when she fell in battle, they didn’t abandon her. They went to her side and gave her words of comfort as she underwent the full purification. It goes to show, despite their goals, none of them could be considered ‘evil’. That’s why I am glad these three were not killed off. Instead, once their hearts were purified, they were sent back to their original bodies that had been in a coma since they’ve gone to Dune’s side. Though now that I think of it, that’s the only thing they really left out – the story of how the three of them got there in the first place.
While the trio were able to survive, not everyone were as lucky. After purification, Dark Precure ceased to exist, and Sabaaku was killed after he protected Yuri and Tsubomi from Dune’s bomb.
As for Dune, while he showed up late in the game, boy did he put up a fight. Considering how strong of a showing he had for the finale, I wasn’t particularly upset that we didn’t get to see him sooner. He is among some of the few final bosses I thought was handled well despite how late they debut. I really appreciate that he wasn’t a pushover, how it took several rounds before they could get to him. There was also something really bittersweet to see him smile as he fades away after finally obtain peace and be put to rest. I even got a bit teary over it.
The Family History as Precures
Another great appeal about this show is the unique family history as Precures. I absolutely adored the fact that Tsubomi’s grandmother was a former Precure that deserves a legendary status just based on how strong she was on her own. While she was unable to defeat Dune apart from forcing him to retreat and wait to fight another day, she did get the chance to get a glimpse of just how powerful she really was during her prime.
Animation & Character Designs
Of all the Precures, Heartcatch certainly had one of the most distinct character designs, I absolutely loved them! I also really appreciated watching them be more creative and have fun with their attacks, and in some ways I felt Heartcatch was a lot more flexible in doing so than we have seen in both the old and newer series. The fights have always been fun to watch, the finale was definitely by far the best we have seen from Heartcatch. SO GOOD!
Original Soundtrack
Holy smokes, the soundtrack is freaking phenomenal. Man it just blows everyone out of the water. Lately the more recent Precures have been stepping it up, but in particular, as far as I can remember, I don’t think any of the titles can top Heartcatch’s finale sound collection. There were so much variety to the tracks, that it made it even more exciting to watch. The insert songs were also especially beautiful, I loved the one that was playing during Cure Moonlight’s and Dark Precure’s battle. I kind of wished they could do that a bit more, it’s a nice bonus!
Final Verdict: 9/10
Highly Recommend to Watch!
After reaching the finale once more, I am proud to say even after ten years, Heartcatch Precure remains at the top of my list in second place! This is definitely a title I would recommend to anyone who is looking to try out Precure for the first time. It’s fun, charming, but also has some emotional moments that made me teary and sometimes even cry! So do give Heartcatch a shot, because it’s a lovely series.
And with that, we have finished Heartcatch Precure! I am very happy to have finally have the opportunity to do this. It’s something I had been wanting to do for a very long time. This pick-up was a combination of the blog’s 10th Anniversary and something to do while all my shows had been postponed due to the pandemic. It’s been an absolute blast and this is something I would like to do again! However given my schedule right now, even though I have decided not to cover Tropical Rouge Precure, although I have considered it, I decided I won’t be jumping into another older Precure title just yet. I’m going to give myself a bit of a Precure break, and focus on the other retro-coverage (YGO 5D’s) I had put on-hold to prioritize finishing this one first. Once I have more free time, and the energy to do so, I’ll let you know which one I’ll be tackling next. All of your suggestions have been taken into consideration, so thank you for joining me, and I’ll see you next time!
Glad to know you liked it! Yeah, when this show first came out, I never would have gone near it, had one of my favorite bloggers at the time not been praising it up the wazoo every week. I’m glad I gave it a chance though, because out of all the Precure shows I’ve seen so far, this one has everything I could ever want: Flawed yet relatable characters with compelling arcs, a strong theme and storyline, well written episodes (Most of the time), and that isn’t afraid to get dark and serious when needed, never dumbing itself down for its audience as well as taking them seriously. Healin Good came very close IMHO, but was bogged down by its production issues and lack of interest in developing its villains save for the obvious one (Though it’s my number two favorite, so it’s still high up there!). I really ought to rewatch Heartcatch one of these days so I myself can write a proper review of it. And yes, Tsubomi is a precious bean and she’s my favorite Cure ever, with Cure Peace coming a close second!
I gotta say after the dumpster-fire ending of Healin’ Good Precure, watching this finale again really soothed my heartache. It had a great balance of everything. But I would say one of my favourite parts I neglected to mention was how they integrated everyone’s families into this story.
I agree, Healin’ Good came very close, but whelp- unfortunately it just didn’t pan out as we had hoped. Tis’ a shame really.
There are a lot of Precure titles I want to rewatch and certainly titles worth revisiting to bring up to speed again. I’m very interested in seeing how the oldest ones have aged because it has been quite a long time!
Eh, I personally don’t think Healin Good’s ending is a dumpster fire myself. I’ve seen worse. I just finished Mahou Tsukai and MAN is that series frustrating as hell!
Oooof. I haven’t heard anything good about that series. I’m glad I dropped it when I did back then.
Thanks for your review on this! It really is my absolute favorite of the entire franchise. I wanted to say, though, that if you like Heartcatch as much as you clearly do, you really do owe it to yourself to watch the movie. The villain is one of my all-time favorites–one of my favorite things about Heartcatch is how much of a sense of real history it has pre-dating the current conflict, and the movie villain contributes mightily to that, definitely not always a given with Precure movie villains. It’s an unusually strong character piece, with good moments for all the Cures, a fantastic pair of new characters in the villain and the requisite kid who needs the Cures’ help, and an unbelievably badass Coupe moment as a bonus. It’s got a movie budget, so of course it looks great, but even aside from the animation itself, it was the directorial debut of Matsumoto Rie (she of Kyousougiga and Kekkai Sensen fame), so it also looks amazing from a storyboarding perspective.
I’ll stop blithering about the movie now, but anyway, thanks again for the time and effort spent on writing about this perfectly great show!
It was my pleasure! I am really happy I had the time and opportunity to finally do it! (Albeit my schedule got crazy during the second half, but life happens!)
I plan to watch the movie as soon as I can, perhaps in the coming weeks. When I was writing the review I was like, “Shoot! Do I need to watch this first?” But you definitely got me more excited for it, but I can’t make any promises about writing about it though!