Pretty Cure
The Pretty Cure series is a Japanese magical girl anime franchise created by Izumi Todo and produced by Toei Animation. Each series revolves around a group of magical girls known as Pretty Cures who battle against evil forces. Starting in February 2004 with Pretty Cure, the franchise has seen many anime series, spanning over 1000 episodes to date, as well as spawning movies, manga, toys, and video games. Its most recent iteration, You and Idol Precure, began airing in February 2025 as part of TV Asahi's Sunday morning children's television block. As of December 2022, three series have received English adaptations.
Overview
Each series focuses on a group of teenage girls who are granted special items that allow them to transform into legendary warriors known as the Pretty Cure. With the assistance of creatures known as fairies, the Pretty Cure use their magical powers and enhanced strength to fight against evil forces who create monsters to bring misery to the Earth. As the series progresses and stronger enemies appear, the Cures gain new magical items, new abilities, and sometimes new allies to help them in their fight against evil.Main series
There are currently twenty-two anime television series in the franchise, two of which are direct sequels to their previous series. To date, three of the series have received English adaptations. Pretty Cure was dubbed into English by Ocean Productions and aired in Canada under the name Pretty Cure. Smile PreCure! and DokiDoki! PreCure were adapted by Saban Brands and released on Netflix under the names Glitter Force and Glitter Force Doki Doki, respectively. The series, Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode, Healin' Good Pretty Cure and Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure, began streaming in Crunchyroll on their respective territories. Each series has received a manga adaptation illustrated by Futago Kamikita, which is published in Kodansha's Nakayoshi shoujo magazine alongside the anime. Starting with Fresh PreCure!, each ending movie featured a dance choreography by each series' Pretty Cure members.As of 2020, Toei Animation Inc. owns the international rights to the franchise while both the dubs of Smile and DokiDoki alongside the Glitter Force brand is currently owned by Hasbro.
Films
Beginning with Pretty Cure Max Heart, each television series has received a theatrical animated film based on the series, with Max Heart receiving two films. Starting in March 2009, crossover films featuring characters from multiple series have been released annually, with 12 crossover films released to date. The eleventh crossover film, Hug! Precure♡Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories, has been awarded the Guinness World Records title for "Most Magical Warriors in an Anime Film", with a total number of 55 Cures with speaking roles.Adaptations
Video games
Several video games have been produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment for video game systems and educational consoles, as well as Data Carddass arcade machines.;Console video games
- Pretty Cure: Unbelievable! The Dream Park is a Labryinth
- Pretty Cure Max Heart: Really? Really!? A Fight is Okay, Isn't It?
- Pretty Cure Max Heart: Absolutely! Pretty Cure on DS - The Great Battle Where Power Gathers
- PreCure Splash Star: In Top Condition for the PanPaka Game!
- Yes! PreCure 5
- Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: All Assembled! Dream Festival
- Fresh PreCure! Play Collection
- Heart Catch PreCure Fashion Collection
- Let's Play With Voices! Heart Catch PreCure
- Suite PreCure: Melody Collection
- Smile PreCure! Let's Go! Märchen World
- PreCure All Stars: All Together☆Let's Dance!
- DokiDoki! PreCure: Impersonator Life!
- Happiness Charge PreCure! Sparking Collection
- Go! Princess PreCure: The Sugar Kingdom and the 6 Princesses
- PreCure Connecting Puzzlun
- Nari Kids Park: HUG! Pretty Cure
- PreCure All Stars Data Carddass series
- Pretty Cure
- Pretty Cure: Max Heart
- PreCure Splash Star
- Yes! Precure 5 Go Go: Love Love Hiragana Lesson
- Let's change: Fresh PreCure!
- Let's do some stylish change: Heart Catch PreCure
- ''Suite PreCure: Happy Stylish Harmony''
Live-action drama
Reception
The combination of transmedia text products, including anime series, films, live performances, theme stores, and toys, has been analyzed as a "system of consumption, knowledge and action creates a lifestyle-text, a set of fictional media works that are synonymous with the lifestyle practices they promote."The Pretty Cure films are the seventh highest-grossing anime film franchise. Bandai Namco's net income from Pretty Cure video game sales was from April 2008 to March 2012, from April 2012 to March 2013, from April 2013 to March 2014, and from April 2014 to December 2020, adding up to net sales revenue for Bandai Namco.
Merchandise
Pretty Cure has had numerous licensed merchandise sold in Japan. By 2010, it became Japan's fifth highest-grossing franchise annually.| Year | Japan licensed merchandise sales | Note | |
| 2004 | |||
| 2005 | |||
| 2006 | Bandai toys only | ||
| 2007 | |||
| 2008 | |||
| 2009 | |||
| 2010 | |||
| 2011 | Bandai Namco toys only | ||
| 2012 | |||
| 2013 | |||
| 2005–2013 | + | ||
| 2014 | |||
| 2015 | |||
| 2016 | |||
| 2017 | |||
| 2018 | |||
| 2019 | |||
| 2020 | Bandai Namco toys only | ||
| 2014–2020 | + | ||
| 2005–2020 | + |