Share and Follow
Known internationally as Pretty Cure and domestically as Precure, this iconic magical girl anime series holds a special place in Japan’s cultural landscape. Although it hasn’t quite reached the global fame of Sailor Moon, it boasts a rich history with numerous installments captivating its loyal audience. The latest series to join this beloved franchise marks a notable shift from its predecessors.
Star Detective Precure!, the 23rd installment of the Precure saga, introduces a fresh twist straight from its title. This new series not only shakes up the usual dynamic with a revamped cast size but also sprinkles in a bit of nostalgia, aimed at captivating long-time fans. It promises to deliver a distinct and memorable chapter in this enduring series.
The storyline of Star Detective Precure! revolves around Anna Akechi, a spirited 14-year-old living in the futuristic year of 2027. Her adventure kicks off when she encounters a fairy named Pochitan, who whisks her back to 1999, a time when her hometown was a bustling city. In this past era, Anna meets Mikuru Kobayashi, another 14-year-old with aspirations of becoming a detective. Together, they stumble upon a mysterious case involving stolen valuables, leading them to establish their own detective agency, thus setting the stage for their thrilling escapades.
The Newest Precure Anime Goes Back in Time to Before the Brand Began
The protagonist of Star Detective Precure! is Anna Akechi, a 14-year-old girl who lives in the future year of 2027. After meeting a fairy named Pochitan, she’s transported back in time to the year 1999, back when her hometown was an outright city. Upon going back in time, she meets Mikuru Kobayashi, a girl who’s the same age as her and wishes to become a detective. This dream is furthered when they come upon a case where someone’s valuables have been stolen from them, forcing the two to form their own detective agency.
Along with trying to aid others who fall victims to theft and other crimes (especially at the hands of the Phantom Thieves Guild), the two also attempt to uncover why Anna was sent to the past and how to get her back to the “present” day. Star Detective Precure! being set back in the 1990s at first seems like a rather odd narrative choice, especially since it’s literally five years before the franchise as a whole even started. Originally, the idea was that the story would switch between the past and present, making constant time travel a major feature in the plot.
This was dropped, however, to avoid some of the more problematic aspects of time travel storytelling. The era itself was chosen for nostalgic purposes, as well as narrative ones. After all, the mysteries present in the storyline have to be solved without the addition of cellphones or other modern conveniences, adding an extra challenge for Anna Akechi. Thus, there’s an obvious contrast in how Anna and Mikuru operate, with this being just one of the new things for the Precure franchise this time around.
The Newest Precure Anime is a Breath of Fresh Air
Both the mystery focus and the presence of some level of time travel in the storyline help to separate Star Detective Precure! from previous entries in the magical girl franchise. On the whole, Precure is typically very similar to many magical girl anime brands, including the beloved Sailor Moon. At the same time, there has been an increasing distinction within the franchise, with different entries grouped together based on their era or themes.
Even among these disparate teams and the anime they star in, said groups almost always have around four or five members. This, along with the expected magical girl antics, have helped to create certain expectatioons. Now, many of these idea are set to be subverted in the latest entry.
Star Detective Precure! eschews the usual team dynamic and starts out with a duo of characters, which is quite rare (but not unseen) throughout the franchise. Once again, this ties into the characters’ roles as detectives and how they coalesce with each other, especially since Anna is from the future and trying to get back there. Even the costumes reflect their status as detectives, showcasing design elements such as neckties.
While the tone and overall scope remains that of a children’s anime meant for youngsters (as opposed to some of the Precure anime that were meant for older audiences), there will also be a slight sense of older-skewing storytelling due to more focus on mysteries, an objective search for sometimes muddy truth, and a slightly less episodic format. There’s even a villainous Cure who works with the Phantom Thieves Guild, with this concept still being rare in the franchise.
It could also be argued that the nostalgic setting is one way to appeal to older fans, as they might have memories of 1999 from years before Precure even began. While constant time travel was removed as a plot point, it’s worth noting that the villainous goal of the Phantom Thieves Guild is to use Makoto Jewels and rewrite history. Likewise, Pochitan’s time travel powers are maxed out at the beginning of the anime, forcing Anna to restore jewels in order to get back home.
This all makes the time travel aspect intrinsic, and there are already theories that Anna and Mikuru have an unknown familial connection that ties their histories together even more. So far, the series has only aired two episodes, but it already feels like something fresh and new for the brand. While other Precure have had various gimmicks of their own (to varying degrees of importance), Star Detective Precure! is making it clear that its central premise isn’t just window dressing.
Star Detective Precure! is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
- Release Date
-
2004 – 2005-00-00
- Network
-
tv asahi, ABC TV, Nagoya TV, HTB, Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting, NCC, Niigata Television Network 21, khb, KFB, HOME, KSB, Kagoshima Broadcasting, Oita Asahi Broadcasting, Asahi Broadcasting Aomori, Iwate Asahi TV, Akita Asahi Broadcasting, Yamagata Television System, Shizuoka Asahi TV, Asahi Broadcasting Nagano, Hokuriku Asahi Broadcasting, Ehime Asahi TV, Yamaguchi Asahi Broadcasting, Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting, Ryu-Q Asahi Broadcasting
- Directors
-
Daisuke Nishio, Takuya Igarashi, Naoyuki Ito, Takao Yoshizawa, Akinori Yabe
- Writers
-
Daisuke Habara
-
Yoko Honna
Nagisa Misumi / Cure Black (voice)
-
Yukana
Honoka Yukishiro / Cure White (voice)
-
Tomokazu Seki
Mepple (voice)
-
Akiko Yajima
Mipple (voice)