Dokidoki! Precure Episode 2: Love, Love, Loooove!

What are they putting in that precure power?!

This week’s selfish came out of someone’s desire to cross the street without waiting! Ira, The white-haired boy who created the last selfish, returns, and changes some kid into a street-light with the ability to freeze people and cars in place. I guess I am having a hard time seeing such mundane and petty desires as truly evil, but I can be patient and wait for the villains to tempt people to do more Machiavellian things later.  The great part about this episode, is when Mana’s best friend Rikka sneaks up behind the street-light and pushes the button.

the one time pressing the button was a good idea.

I think I get the picture here, the formula doesn’t appear to be very complex: A selfish appears/messes with an innocent person/Mana defeats it, (excuse me) purifies the selfish so it can join the human race again. The days work is over and everyone is happy, until the next attack.. I am finding what is essentially my first experience with Pretty Cure to be a fun one, despite any instinctual sarcasm on my part. If I sound as though I am putting it down don’t worry that is just my nature to sound underwhelmed, I don’t hate it.

Ok, we’ll take it.

I couldn’t help but think the villains would be better served to try a different town where precure aren’t nearby and can’t come to rescue, if they really want to accomplish their goals. Like, why is the street so close to Mana’s school anyway, was it all part of the plan to let Mana beat them by causing chaos right next to where she studies? Than again, there would be no show if they were smart like that. Another thing I found difficult to believe was when the other students witnessed strange shit happen before their eyes, and waved it off like, “Well, as long as you are alright Mana we won’t ask any questions about giant crabs and the damage to the building.” Such blind acceptance is a little frightening.

I would have fallen in love with this show, if one of those guys had scowled, crossed his arms and said, “Excuse me, but I won’t let this rest until I know the truth!” Walked off and proceeded to spy on all of Mana’s activities from there on.

I am typically a fan of mahou shoujo, starting with Sailor Moon all the way to Madoka. Precure seems to fall somewhere to the left of Madoka, as it shares some visual affinities with it, but with more of an emphasis right now on exaggerated comedy and a big dose of corny sentimentality. When Cure Heart purifies the selfish it turns all pink with hearts and yells, “Love, love loooove!” At which point the Beatles “All You Need is Love,” starts playing in my head.

I knew those fairies were sinister.

For all I know it gets much darker later, Cure Swords scenes suggest it will, and I am hoping it does! For instance, Cure Sword asks Mana/Cure Heart if she will be able to protect her loved ones, and suggests that the role of a precure is full of peril. That could mean anything, though. In my first impression I didn’t mention that Mana has a best friend Rikka who seems like a nice person. I forgot Rikka last time because she didn’t really do much in the first episode, or at least my memory totally didn’t think she did. This time she appears long enough to worry about Mana, try to help her out, and to tell a story about a happy prince statue who reminds her of Mana. Both Mana and the prince in Rikka’s story, have  a habit of displaying excessive kindness even when it hurts them.

She kept it to herself for one episode? That is pretty good.

I found the fact that Mana’s urge to share about what happened last time won’t let her get away with not telling her best friend to be realistic. Most young girls are not exactly masters of secrecy and subterfuge, after-all. How is Mana going to not just blab her secret to everyone though, considering her transparent personality? It seems like she is one of those people who can’t keep a secret, for better or worse. Mana is fun to watch, which is all that really matters.

She asks excellent questions.

Perhaps she only has the compulsion to tell Rikka, either way it isn’t really a problem if Mana is too honest, I’m sure she can still carry out her work just fine, considering Rikka found out the truth and nothing happened to her yet. This gig doesn’t  require any great level of subtlety, therefore Mana can probably not expect much in the way of consequences. Except not being able to find her normal clothes, that is.

Characters seem cuter upside down, somehow.

Errant Princess Says,

 

This was good, I am enjoying it so far!