Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure

is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. It is the twentieth installment in the ''Pretty Cure'' franchise and was released in commemoration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. Koji Ogawa serves as the series' chief director, with Ryunosuke Kingetsu as head writer, Atsushi Saitō as character designer, and Hajime Watanabe as sub-character designer. It began airing on all ANN stations in Japan on February 5, 2023, succeeding '' Delicious Party Pretty Cure'''s timeslot. The series theme is "heroism", and its motif is the sky.

Plot

Sora Harewataru is a resident of the otherworldly kingdom of . On the birthday of its princess, Ellee, she heads to the mainland for the celebration. Meanwhile, Empress Underg, the current leader of the Underg Empire, plots to sacrifice Ellee as revenge for her ancestor, Princess Elleelain, injuring her and killing her father, Emperor Underg, and out of fear she has the power to oppose the Empire as Elleelain did. When Kabaton, one of the Empire's agents, attempts to kidnap Ellee, Sora intervenes and pursues him, only for her and Ellee to warp to . There, they are rescued by middle school student Mashiro Nizigaoka and her grandmother, Yoyo. Sora must return Ellee home while fighting the Underg Empire alongside Mashiro, Tsubasa, Ageha, and Ellee, who also become Pretty Cure.

Characters

Pretty Cures

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:A hardworking 14-year-old girl from Skyland who wishes to become a hero like her role model Captain Shalala, who rescued her when she was young. While saving Ellee from the Underg Empire general Kabaton, Sora accidentally lands in Sorashido City and moves into Mashiro's house as a guest. She briefly loses her will to fight upon learning the Ranborg is Captain Shalala, which causes her to lose her powers. However, she regains her powers after receiving encouragement from her family and friends. With the Sky Tone's power, she can transform into Cure Sky, the Pretty Cure of the blue sky whose theme color is blue.

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:A 14-year-old girl from Sorashido City. She is partly Skylandian through her grandmother Yoyo, whom she lives with since her parents work overseas. Initially, she is unsure of what she wants to do in her future. She has some knowledge about cooking and nature. Her nickname is . With the Sky Tone's power, she can transform into Cure Prism, the Pretty Cure of light whose theme color is white.

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:A Puni Bird from Skyland who dreams of being able to fly despite his tribe's inability to fly, which many of his peers belittled him for. When a storm opened the dimensional borders between worlds, he fell into the human world and Yoyo took him in. He can take the form of a 12-year-old human boy. With the Sky Tone's power, he can transform into Cure Wing, the Pretty Cure of wings whose theme color is orange. He is the first male Pretty Cure in the franchise to be part of the main lineup.

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:A 18-year-old aspiring teacher and Mashiro's childhood friend, who is kindhearted, energetic, and sisterly and has a soft spot for younger children. She lives with her mother since her parents are divorced, with her sisters Maria and Kaguya living with their father. She is also one of the few people who knows of Sora and Mashiro's identities as Pretty Cures. With the Sky Tone's power, she can transform into Cure Butterfly, the Pretty Cure of butterflies whose theme color is pink. She is the first adult Pretty Cure in the franchise to be part of the main lineup.

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:The 1-year old adopted princess of Skyland. She is a mysterious girl known as the "Child of Destiny" who appeared from the Morning Star and was entrusted to the care of Skyland's King and Queen. Her catchphrase is . She came to Sorashido City with Sora after a kidnapping attempt by Kabaton, one of the Underg Empire's generals. She can create Sky Tones for the Pretty Cures through her power. After Skearhead captures her and a desperate fight ensues between the Cures and the Empire, she awakens her true powers and becomes a Pretty Cure, allowing her to escape and save the Cures from his attack. It is later revealed that she was born from Elleelain's power as a countermeasure against the Underg Empire's attack. After Elleelain gives her the last of her power, she permanently ages up into a teenager, but reverts into a baby when hungry. She also gains the ability to use Noble's attack as well as summon a barrier called . With the Sky Tone's power, she can transform into Cure Majesty, the mystical Pretty Cure, whose theme color is purple.

Skyland

is a land in the sky where Sora and Tsubasa come from, which is ruled by the King and Queen. According to Yoyo, several years ago they and the Underg Empire were at war, and they have not been in contact since then.

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:Ellee's adopted parents and the rulers of Skyland. During Battamonder's attack on Skyland, they were cursed and put in a comatose state, but are later cured through the potion the Cures made from the Kira Kira Energy of purified Ranborgs. It is also revealed they adopted Ellee after she appeared from the sky and Elleelain, as the Morning Star, told them to take care of her, as she is the "Child of Destiny" who will save Skyland. However, they entrust her to the Cures for her safety, as they are the only ones who can protect her from the Underg Empire's attacks.

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:The former ruler of Skyland, who ruled it long ago and resembles Ellee. 300 years prior to the events of the series, she fought against the Underg Empire as Cure Noble, which resulted in the defeat of Emperor Underg and Empress Underg being injured. She disappeared following the conflict and later used her power to create the Majestic Chroniclon before becoming the Morning Star and watching over Skyland. She later appeared before Skyland's King and Queen and entrusted Ellee to them as the "Child of Destiny" who will save Skyland. Before the final battle, she passes on the last of her power to Ellee and entrusts the future to the Cures before disappearing.

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:The captain of the and Sora's role model. She falls in battle while helping the Cures fight a giant Ranborg, but it is later revealed that Battamonder found her body and healed her with Underg Energy. This turned her into a Ranborg, and as she is kept alive by Underg Energy, purifying the Ranborg would likely kill her. However, the Cures are able to purify the Ranborg and save her as well.

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:The vice captain of the Azure Guard.

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:A member of the Azure Guard.

Underg Empire

The is the series' main antagonist, whose generals answer to Empress Underg. According to Yoyo, several years ago they and Skyland were at war, and they have not been in contact since. This is later revealed to be because Elleelain and Empress Underg helped to establish peace between the Empire and Skyland, which is broken after the Empire's attempt to kidnap Ellee. Their goal initially is to kidnap Ellee, as Empress Underg believes she is Elleelain from 300 years ago. However, after learning about Ellee's true power as Cure Majesty, their new goal is to destroy her at all costs.

Leader

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:The mysterious current leader of the Underg Empire and the main antagonist of the series. She rarely speaks to her subordinates, only choosing to do so if they have had multiple failures. It is later revealed that she is the daughter of the late Emperor Underg, who was killed by Cure Noble prior to the events of the series. To get revenge for the events of 300 years ago, she goes out to confront the Pretty Cures.

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:The former leader of the Underg Empire and Empress Underg's father. 300 years ago, prior to the events of the series, he attacked Skyland but was thwarted and seemingly killed by Cure Noble. In reality, Empress Underg was hurt after shielding him from Noble's attack. However, Empress Underg still believes and claims that he was killed.

Generals

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:The first Underg general to appear. He is a rowdy pig-like general who believes that strength is everything. His catchphrase is . After several failures, he turns himself into a Ranborg, but is ultimately defeated by the Cures. After Sora saves him from Empress Underg's wrath, he decides to leave the Underg Empire and begin a new life in Sorashido City.

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:The second Underg general to appear. He is a laid-back yet short-tempered egotist with locust-like antennae who prefers letting Ranborgs fight for him. After suffering defeat in Episode 23, he later starts a new life in Sorashido City working as a construction worker and calling himself . In episode 39, he disguises himself as to ruin the Cures' reputation, but is unsuccessful. He also formed a bond with Mashiro before Skearhead forces him to either consume Underg Energy to gain the power to defeat the Cures once and for all, losing his soul in the process, or die. However, the Cures are able to purify him.

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:The third Underg general to appear. He is a minotaur-like warrior who prefers to fight fairly. In episode 31, he is banished from the Underg Empire by Skearhead as punishment for his failures. In episode 32, Skearhead transforms him into a Ranborg, but is purified by the Cures. However, Skearhead takes him back to the Underg Empire since he believes he is still of use. In episode 33, he is changed back into a Ranborg, but is eventually defeated by the Cures, who obtain the power of the Majestic Chroniclon. Afterwards, he leaves after acknowledging the Cures as worthy opponents.

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:The right-hand man of Empress Underg and the secondary antagonist of the series. He is a cold and threatening man who is hard to read. He ultimately commits suicide in an attempt to kill Sky and Majesty, but fails and fades away into Underg Energy while lamenting he failed Empress Underg.

Monsters

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:The main monsters of the series, which the generals of the Underg Empire summon. It is later revealed that humans can also be turned into Ranborgs, but because Underg Energy is deadly to them, they are not usually used as hosts. In episode 34, a new type of Ranborg called is introduced.

Cures' family members

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:Sora's mother.

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:Sora's father.

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:Sora's younger brother.

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:Mashiro's grandmother. She is a Skylandian scholar who moved to Sorashido City as part of her research on the human world.

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:Mashiro's parents, who work overseas.

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:Tsubasa's father. Years earlier, he saved his son from a fall by miraculously gaining the ability to fly.

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:Tsubasa's mother.

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:Ageha's older sisters, who work as models.

Sorashido City residents

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:An elderly woman who the Cures meet in a shoe store. She is looking for a new pair of baby shoes as a gift for her granddaughter to celebrate her first steps and her family's move to England.

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:Midori's son.

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:A child who attends Sorashido Nursery, where Ageha teaches. He is a fan of Cure Wing and Cure Butterfly and knows the latter's identity as a Pretty Cure, but promises to keep it a secret from the other children.

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:An elderly lady and a former kindergarten teacher of Sorashido Nursey. She took care of Ageha during her parents' divorce period and inspired her to become a teacher like her.

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:An art student who works part-time with Ageha at the Pretty Holic shop.

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:Children who attend Sorashido Nursery, where Ageha teaches.

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:A girl who the Cures encounter at the airport and help reunite with her father, who she had become separated from. She bonds with Tsubasa over their shared interest in airplanes, as she dreams of being a pilot like her mother.

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:Shōko's parents. Her mother is a flight pilot for the Japanese airline Peach Aviation.

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:Maria and Kaguya's manager, who previously had recruited Ageha as a model for some time. He is a man who gets carried away easily, and prefers to be called the friendly

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:A little girl who is Marron's owner. Some time ago, she and her mother moved away and she forgot to bring Marron with her, resulting in it being left behind. She reunites with Marron upon returning to Sorashido City to pick it up and meeting Sora and the others, who had found Marron.

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:Yoyo's friend, who took care of Mashiro and Ageha when they were little. She owns some farmyard animals.

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:Satsuko's white, round-eyed goat. When they were little, Mashiro and Ageha used to take her for walks with them.

Sorashido Private Academy

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:The head teacher of .

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:Sora and Mashiro's classmates.

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:The ace of the academy's girls' baseball team, who asks Sora to coach her team after an elbow injury prevents her from pitching in a tournament. She is later diagnosed with needing elbow surgery, but sneaks out of the hospital on the day of the tournament. When a Kyoborg attacks, she witnesses Sora's battle against it, which gives her the courage to go through with the surgery.

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:The head of the academy's girls' baseball team.

Others

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:A pig-like creature who inhabits the realm within the Mirror Pad and helps the Cures train when they are sucked into it.

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:A cat-like stuffed animal who once belonged to a young girl named Riho, but was left behind when she and her family moved away some time ago. After Sora seeks shelter within the family's old house, she encounters Marron and decides to help it reunite with Riho, ultimately succeeding.

Movie-exclusive

Development

The series' trademark was first confirmed by Toei in November 2022, and the official website launched on the same date. On January 8, 2023, Toei revealed the main characters, three of the voice actors, and the series' setting and theme.

Takashi Tanaka of the Asahi Broadcasting Corporation said the theme of "heroism" was to honor the series' twentieth anniversary, adding that "in the history of Pretty Cure, which evolves and expands in various ways, one thing has remained unchanged: the heroines who have paved difficult paths with their own hands, leading the way and encouraging others. I chose this theme with that thought in mind." He also said the following:

The main character, Sora, is a girl who yearns to be a hero. With the desire to become a hero, she pushes forward beyond the boundless blue sky. She grows up while discovering her identity as a "hero" by leaving the world where she was born and raised and meeting Mashiro and her many friends. Through her, I would like to carefully draw a Pretty Cure-like hero image. To dream, to never give up, to forgive others, to believe in friends, to be positive. Working hard, and sharing that moment...

Series creator and producer Takashi Washio also stated in an interview the following regarding the series:

The Pretty Cure series, which started with Futari wa Pretty Cure in 2004, has reached its 20th work! I would like to thank all of you for your support that has made it possible for us to continue for such a long time. Thank you very much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Up until now, Pretty Cure has been based on many themes and motifs, but this time, the theme is "hero" and the motif is "sky". The endless "sky", a magnificent world that is clear, blue, and full of transparency. The main character of this work is a character that embodies the "sky" that you imagine."

The voice actors for the main characters commented on their roles in the series. Akira Sekine said "I will cherish this baton that I received from all the seniors who were involved in Pretty Cure, and I will do my best to spread courage and energy to everyone together with Sora! I will!". Ai Kakuma, who voiced Rabirin in ''Healin' Good Pretty Cure'', said "I was in charge of voicing Rabirin for ''Healin' Good Pretty Cure'' for a year, but all the time and experience I had with Pretty Cure became my treasure." Aoi Koga said on her role in the series: "Even before I became a voice actor, it was my dream and goal to appear in the Pretty Cure series, so I was incredibly happy. I couldn't calm down, thinking, 'Isn't this still a dream?' I was grateful to be able to be involved in a work I had dreamed of, and to be able to live in the world as Ellee-chan, and face each episode with care. I think so!" On February 2, the voice actors for both Cure Wing and Cure Butterfly were revealed in an official press release. Cure Butterfly was revealed as the first adult Pretty Cure, while Cure Wing was revealed as the first male Pretty Cure to be part of a main lineup. Washio stated in that press conference, when asked by a reporter, "I have said before that when the time comes, Pretty Cure does not have to be limited to women, and I think this may be the right time. This year is also our 20th anniversary year, and with everyone's cooperation, we decided to introduce a male Pretty Cure."

Media

Anime

''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure'' premiered on February 5, 2023 and airs on all ANN stations in Japan. Ami Ishii performs the series' opening theme and the ending theme along with Chihaya Yoshitake. Yoshitake performs the 2nd ending theme "Dear Shine Sky". Erika Fukasawa composes the music for the series.

Toei Animation Inc. licenses the series outside Japan. Crunchyroll simulcasts the series in North America, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Brazil, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Film

A theatrical film titled was released in Japanese theaters on September 15, 2023 as part of the '' Pretty Cure All Stars'' series of films to commemorate the franchise's 20th anniversary. The film is directed by Yuta Tanaka and written by Jin Tanaka. Machico and Ami Ishii perform the film's opening theme, For "F". Chisato Yoshitake, Karin Isobe, Rie Kitagawa, Yuri Komagata, Machico, and Kanako Miyamoto perform the film's insert theme, "All for one Forever". Ikimonogakari performs the film's ending theme, . It is currently the highest grossing Pretty Cure film to date, with its opening week earning ¥591 million and grossing a total of ¥1.19 billion at the Japanese box office with a total of 978,000 tickets sold.

Merchandise

Bandai Namco Holdings (under the Bandai branding) handles merchandising for the series, which includes toys and related goods. A spinoff of the ''Pretty Holic'' line, titled Pretty Holic Stationary, was also released upon the anime's debut.

Manga

A manga adaptation by the Futago Kamikita twins began serialization in the March 2023 issue of Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine.

Notes

See also

* ''Super Hero Time'' and ''Nichi Asa Kids Time'' - The timeslot blocks by ANN in Japan, which the series is part of.

References

External links

Official website


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{{Toei Animation films 2020s

Pretty Cure
2023 anime television series debuts
2023 anime films
2023 films
Angels in television
Asahi Broadcasting Corporation original programming
Crunchyroll anime
Magical girl anime and manga
Toei Animation television
TV Asahi original programming