HeartCatch PreCure!
HeartCatch PreCure!, or HeartCatch Pretty Cure!, is a Japanese anime television series and the seventh installment in the Pretty Cure metaseries by Izumi Todo, featuring the fifth generation of Cures. The series is produced by Toei Animation, directed by Tatsuya Nagamine, and written by Takashi Yamada. Character designs were done by Yoshihiko Umakoshi. The series premiered on February 7, 2010, on TV Asahi's ANN network, succeeding Fresh Pretty Cure!, and ended on January 30, 2011, where it was succeeded by Suite PreCure.
The series has three topics: the language of flowers, which is an important element in the plot; the second is fashion, as Tsubomi joins the fashion club; and the third is music, as some of the Cures' attacks are named after musical terms and the series has several music-themed episodes. Overall, the Cures' main motifs are related to flowers, nature, and music, which are prominent in the names of characters and items, as well as the main storyline.
Story
In each person resides a Heart Flower, which is connected to the great Heart Tree that watches over everyone. Protecting this tree are the HeartCatch Pretty Cures, who defend it against the Desert Apostles, who plan to wilt everything and turn the world into a desert. However, when the current Pretty Cure, Cure Moonlight, is defeated in battle and the Heart Tree loses its flowers, she sends two fairies, Chypre and Coffret, to the surface to seek out her replacement. They find Tsubomi Hanasaki, a shy flower-loving girl who recently moved to Kibougahana with her family who is given the power to become Cure Blossom. Alongside her new friend, Erika Kurumi, who becomes Cure Marine, they fight against the Desert Apostles, who transform the wilting Heart Flowers inside people into monsters known as Desertians. By defeating these monsters, they gain Heart Seeds, which allow the Heart Tree to become healthier again.Characters
HeartCatch Pretty Cures
;Tsubomi Hanasaki Cure Blossom;Erika Kurumi Cure Marine
;Itsuki Myoudouin Cure Sunshine
;Yuri Tsukikage Cure Moonlight
Fairies
Unlike other fairies in the franchise, the fairies in this series are born from the Heart Tree and can separately find their own partner to become a Pretty Cure. They are also different from previous mascots in that they all end their sentences with "desu".;Chypre
;Coffret
;Potpourri
;Cologne
;Coupé
Kibougahana residents
;Kaoruko Hanasaki Cure Flower;Mizuki Hanasaki
;Yoichi Hanasaki
;Sora Hanasaki
;Sakura Kurumi
;Ryūnosuke Kurumi
;Momoka Kurumi
;Tsubaki Myoudouin
;Satsuki Myoudouin
;Gentarou Myoudouin
;Haruna Tsukikage
;Ms. Tsurusaki
;Nanami Shiku
;Tatsuya Ozuka, Naomi Sawai, Rumiko Kuroda, Toshiko Sakuma
;Kanae Tada
;Ban Kenji
Desert Apostles
The Desert Apostles are the main antagonists of the series. They serve and take orders from Dune, and aim to take over the world and turn it into a giant desert, a process which they aim to speed up by taking peoples' wilted Heart Flowers. They are also responsible for the withering of the Great Tree of Hearts.;Dune
;Hideaki Tsukikage Professor Sabark
;Dark Precure
;Kumojacky
;Sasorina
;Cobraja
;Snackey
;Desertrian
Film-only characters
;Olivier Loup-Garou;Baron Salamander
;Cure Ange
Media
Anime
The anime, directed by Tatsuya Nagamine and produced by Toei Animation, aired in Japan on ABC and other ANN stations between February 7, 2010, and January 30, 2011. The series uses three pieces of theme music, one opening and two ending themes. The opening theme is "Alright! HeartCatch PreCure!" by Aya Ikeda. The ending theme for episodes 1–24 is "HeartCatch☆Paradise!" by Mayu Kudou, whilst the ending theme for episodes 25–49 is "Tomorrow Song ~Ashita no Uta~" by Kudou.Films
The heroines also appear in all Pretty Cure All Stars films, starting with Pretty Cure All Stars DX2: Light of Hope☆Protect the Rainbow Jewel! The DX2 film was released on March 20, 2010.A film based on the HeartCatch PreCure series titled HeartCatch PreCure The Movie: Fashion Show in the Flower Capital... Really?! was released in Japan on October 30, 2010. It follows the Pretty Cures as they go to France and encounter a mysterious boy named Olivier, who is being manipulated by the mysterious villain, Baron Salamander. The French-language version released by Imagine in France on January 26, 2011, under the title HeartCatch Pretty Cure! Le film: Mission défilé à Paris. The film has been nominated for a Kidscreen Award for Best One-off, Special or TV Movie for Kids.
Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure the Movie: The Snow Princess and the Miraculous Ring!, was released on October 23, 2021.
Video games
There are currently three video games based on the series produced by Bandai. An educational game, Fashionable Transformation★HeartCatch PreCure!, was released for the Sega Beena on July 22, 2010. HeartCatch PreCure! Fashion Collection is a minigame collection for the Nintendo DS and was released on August 5, 2010. Another DS title, Let's Play with Voices! HeartCatch PreCure!, released on November 11, 2010, allows players to record their own voices over scenes from the anime.Reception
The series' success received a cult following by fans and praises of the series' overall presentation and story. The series' character designer, Yoshihiko Umakoshi, was also awarded as best Character Designer in the 2010 Tokyo Anime Awards and the 2011 Tokyo International Anime Fair.It was also one of the selected anime series of the year in the December 2010 issue of British magazine Impact.