Wonderful Pretty Cure!

is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. It is the twenty-first installment in the ''Pretty Cure'' franchise and its first entry with a title written in hiragana. It is directed by Masanori Sato and written by Yoshimi Narita, with character designs by Yoko Uchida and costume designs by NaSka. It began airing on all ANN stations in Japan from February 4, 2024 to January 26, 2025 succeeding ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure''s timeslot, and was succeeded by ''You and Idol Pretty Cure.'' The series' main theme is bonds and its main motifs are pets and animals in general.

Story

After the magical realm of Niko Garden is attacked, its animal inhabitants are corrupted and transformed into eggs. In Animal Town, where humans and animals live together, middle school student Iroha Inukai is walking her family's dog Komugi, who finds a stone-like object. When one of the eggs hatches into a monster called a Garugaru that begins rampaging, Komugi's desire to protect Iroha resonates with the Mirror Stone and causes the stone to transform into a Wonderful Pact, which grants her the power to become human and transform into a Pretty Cure. She purifies the Garugaru and returns it to its original form: a Niko Animal named Mey Mey. He tells her and Iroha what happened to Niko Garden and that they must purify the Garugaru and return them to Niko Garden. Together with Iroha, Yuki, and Mayu, Komugi works to save the Garugaru and Niko Garden.

Later in the story, the Gaou-tachi, a pack of vengeful Japanese wolf spirits, are revealed to be responsible for attacking Niko Garden and transforming its inhabitants into Garugaru, as they seek revenge against humanity for causing their extinction.

Characters

Pretty Cures

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:The Inukai family's pet Papillon dog, Papillon. Two years prior to the events of the series, she originally belonged to Kurihara and was named . After he was placed in a nursing home, she escaped from the animal shelter where she was being housed to search for him and met Iroha. She is curious, athletic, gluttonous, and loves to go for walks. When a Garugaru attacks her and Iroha, Komugi's desire to protect Iroha resonates with the Mirror Stone and transforms the stone she found into a Wonderful Pact, allowing her to transform into a human and into Cure Wonderful. After gaining the ability to transform into a human, she is able to talk to Iroha and loves to imitate her catchphrase, . Gaou later briefly transforms her into a Gaogaon, but she returns to normal through her bond with Iroha. During the final battle with Gaou, she sacrifices herself to protect Iroha, but is revived after meeting with Gaou's spirit. Following the final battle, she loses her ability to speak and transform into a human, but regains the ability to speak after the Mirror Stone reacts to the pets and owners' love for each other. She is the first mascot of the franchise to be a protagonist. Her theme color is pink.

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:A honest and athletic 14-year-old girl and a second-year middle school student who lives in Animal Town and is Komugi's owner, whose daily routine is taking her for morning walks. She has many friends whom she loves to help and is liked by a lot of animals. She is childhood friends with Satoru, having known him since they met when he took Daifuku to Friendly Animal Hospital & Salon, and later reciprocates his feelings after he confesses to her. Her catchphrase is . Iroha transforms into Cure Friendy using the Wonderful Pact. Her theme color is purple.

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:Mayu's pet cat, who has recently moved to Animal Town with her and supports her when she is shy. In the past, she was a stray cat who lived at an abandoned house in a village in the mountains. She and Mayu met when her family traveled to the village for her father's job, with Mayu deciding to adopt her after bonding with her during their stay. She later gains the ability to transform into a human and into Cure Nyammy, a mysterious Pretty Cure who appears to aid Wonderful and Friendy and to protect Mayu, as shown in the anime. She later reveals to Mayu that she gained this power when the bear Garugaru attacked her and the charm Mayu made for her transformed into the Shiny Cats Pact. Unlike them, who aim to rescue the Garugaru, she initially prefers to fight them until she comes to empathize with their pain and their similarity to her past of being alone. As well, unlike them, who use the Wonderful Pact to transform, she uses the Shiny Cats Pact. Following the final battle, she loses her ability to speak and transform into a human, but regains the ability to speak after the Mirror Stone reacts to the pets and owners' love for each other. Her theme color is blue.

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: A 14-year-old girl who has recently moved to Animal Town, where her parents own a branch of ''Pretty Holic''. Despite wanting to make friends, she is shy and often needs her pet cat, Yuki, to motivate her at first. However, after meeting Iroha and Komugi, she begins to befriend them. When she was younger, she met Yuki at an abandoned house when her family traveled to a village in the mountains for her father's job. Although the villagers told Mayu that Yuki did not trust humans, she bonded with her during their stay and decided to adopt her so that she would not be left behind. After Yuki reveals her true identity to her, she comes into conflict with her when Yuki tries to prevent her from being friends with Komugi and Iroha. This is resolved after she declares her desire to protect Yuki, which causes the Mirror Stone to resonate with her compact, transforming it into the Shiny Cats Pact. Mayu transforms into Cure Lillian using the Shiny Cats Pact. Her theme color is green.

Pretty Cure Allies

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:Satoru's pet Holland Lop rabbit, who usually plays with Komugi. Three years prior to the events of the series, he was found by Satoru after being attacked by a snake and was taken to Friendly Animal Hospital & Salon, where Satoru met Iroha. In ''Wonderful Pretty Cure the Movie: A Thrilling Adventure In The Game World!'' and during the final battle with Gaou, he gains a human form and the ability to speak, as well as a Cure-like form along with Satoru. Following the final battle, he loses his ability to speak and transform into a human, but regains the ability to speak after the Mirror Stone reacts to the pets and owners' love for each other. His theme color is yellow.

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:Iroha's classmate, who is kindhearted and good at studying; he has a crush on her, which she is unaware of until Mey Mey accidentally reveals it to her. However, he is hesitant to confess to her, as he worries about their friendship changing, but she reciprocates his feelings when he confesses. He is researching Animal Town's history in hopes of learning more about the Mirror Stone, and, after learning that Komugi and Iroha are Pretty Cure, uses his extensive knowledge of animals to support them, and later, Yuki and Mayu. In ''Wonderful Pretty Cure the Movie: A Thrilling Adventure In The Game World!'' and during the final battle with Gaou, he gains a Cure-like form along with Daifuku. His theme color is orange.

Niko Garden

The is a magical realm where Niko Animals and Kirarin Animals live in peace. Prior to the events of the series, its ruler, Niko, created the realm and brought animals from Earth to live there happily. After Gaou attacked and damaged the Niko Diamond, he used its power to transform its inhabitants into Garugaru, whom the Pretty Cure must save.

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:A unicorn who is the leader and creator of Niko Garden, who Mey Mey worked for as a butler until she went missing after Gaou's attack. After Niko Garden is restored, she is reborn as an egg that later hatches. Though she threatens to take away the Cures' powers to confront Gaou when Torame and Zakuro send the Gaogaons to attack Animal Town, she agrees to lend them her power after realizing that they share the same goal of saving the inhabitants of Niko Garden. After granting them the power of the Diamond Ribbon Castle and the Diamond Ribbon Styles, allowing them to purify Gaogaons with Eternal Bond Shower, she moves into Iroha's house. She later regains her original human-like form through the Nikoniko Power of the humans and animals in Animal Town. Following the final battle, she returns to Niko Garden with Mey Mey.

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:A sheep-like Niko Animal who once resided in Niko Garden and worked as a butler. He was transformed into a Garugaru after Gaou's attack, but after Cure Wonderful purifies and saves him, he decides to support the Cures in saving the Niko Animals and Kirarin Animals. Following the final battle, he returns to Niko Garden with Niko, who gives him permission to visit Earth.

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:Animals that live in Niko Garden and were corrupted and transformed into Garugaru after Gaou's attack. The Pretty Cure work to save them and bring them back to Niko Garden.

Kirarin Animals

The are a special type of Niko Animal, which each grant a special ability to the Cures.
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:The first Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to enhance hearing.

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:The second Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to generate ice and slide on it.

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:The third Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to enhance speed.

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:The fourth Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to enhance strength.

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:The fifth Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to enhance jumping.

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:The sixth Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to shrink.

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:The seventh Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to shapeshift.

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:The eighth Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to put others to sleep.

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:The ninth and final Kirarin Animal to appear. It has the ability to fly.

Gaou-tachi

: The are the main antagonists of the series, who are the vengeful spirits of Japanese wolves that went extinct a hundred years ago. Prior to the events of the series, they attacked Niko Garden, corrupting the Kirarin Animals and Niko Animals and transforming them into Garugaru using the damaged Niko Diamond's power. They aim to destroy humanity as revenge for them causing the extinction of their species.

Leader

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:The mysterious leader of the Gaou-tachi and the main antagonist of the series, who was responsible for attacking Niko Garden and transforming its inhabitants into Garugaru and harbors hatred towards humanity. He can empower the Garugaru, as seen when he empowers the hamster Garugaru, granting it the ability to shrink others in addition to itself. Midway through the series, he revives his companions, Torame and Zakuro, inside the two wolf statues at Toboe Shrine and sends them to awaken the Garugaru while he recovers from his attack on Niko Garden. After reawakening, he arrives in Animal Town and uses up his power attempting to transform Komugi into a Gaogaon, leading him to retreat after her bond with Iroha returns her to normal and the Cures purify a bat Gaogaon that Zakuro summoned. He is later revealed to be Subaru, a human teen who lived 150 years ago and befriended the original Gaou and his wolf pack after healing Gaou's injured leg, but was separated from Gaou after the villagers forbade him from going to Mt. Toboe. His diary, which Karasuma found in the Mirror Stone Shrine and gave to Satoru, revealed this part of his past. During the final battle, "Gaou" is revealed to be the spirit of Subaru; after Gaou died protecting him and he sacrificed himself to protect the remaining wolves, his soul laid dormant in Toboe Shrine until he resurrected himself with a wolf claw and his hatred fused with Gaou's claw, with him assuming his identity in the name of revenge. After he attempts to revive Gaou and his wolf companions by combining Niko's power with the Mirror Stone to make a wish, he shatters the Mirror Stone and fuses with the Niko Diamond, transforming into a monstrous wolf. However, the Cures purify him and return him to normal after Komugi tells him about the real Gaou's feelings. After being purified, he, along with Zakuro and Gaou, depart for the afterlife with Torame and the other wolves.

Generals

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:One of Gaou's generals, a Japanese wolf who can assume a human form resembling a young woman. She, along with Torame, are revived in the two wolf statues at Toboe Shrine. She has a crush on Gaou and often competes with Torame for his attention. Despite her hatred towards humanity, Zakuro cares for her wolf companions, especially Gaou. After he attacks Animal Town, she helps the Cures save Subaru after realizing that he has gone too far and that this is not what Gaou would have wanted. After he is purified, she returns to her original wolf form and, along with him and Gaou, depart for the afterlife with Torame and the other wolves.

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:One of Gaou's generals, a Japanese wolf who can assume a human form resembling a young boy. He, along with Zakuro, are revived in the two wolf statues at Toboe Shrine. He is energetic and fun-loving and admires Gaou, often competing with Zakuro for his attention. Despite his hatred towards humanity, he has a kind heart, as he realizes humans can care for animals when he orders the Tyrannosaurus Gaogaon to stop attacking so that Otsuru can get Fuku to Friendly Animal Hospital & Salon. After playing with the Cures, Torame, free of his anger and resentment, allowing the Cures to purify him and move on to the afterlife. This turns the statue Torame possessed into a version of his original pup form before dying, which Komugi and Iroha return to Toboe Shrine. His soul later returns in the finale (along side the wolf pack), for Subaru Gaou and Zakuro, going all together into the afterlife.

Monsters

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:The main monsters of the series. They are born from corrupted Niko Animals or Kirarin Animals that are trapped in eggs, which eventually hatch to wreak havoc under Gaou's orders.

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:A more powerful type of Garugaru that Zakuro and Torame summon. Torame empowers the Garugaru eggs, while Zakuro transforms normal animals of Animal Town into Gaogaon by corrupting their hearts. Gaou can also create Gaogaon by corrupting the hearts of animals with dark clouds he summons, as he intended to do with Komugi.

Cures' family members

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:Iroha's mother, who works as a veterinarian at Friendly Animal Hospital & Salon. Along with Tsuyoshi, she later learns that Komugi can talk and transform into a human, as well as of the Niko Garden from Mey Mey.

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:Iroha's father, who owns and runs the Friendly Animal Hospital & Salon. Along with Youko, he later learns that Komugi can talk and transform into a human, as well as of the Niko Garden from Mey Mey.

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:Mayu's mother, who runs ''Pretty Holic''. She later learns that Yuki can talk and transform into a human.

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:Mayu's father, who works overseas as a photographer. He later moves to Animal Town with Mayu and Sumire after he returns from his latest work in Africa.

Animal Town residents

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:A girl who owns a Pomeranian named Pon.

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:Ema's pet Pomeranian.

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:A girl who owns a Poodle named Choco.

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:Inui's pet Poodle.

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:Iroha, Mayu and Satoru's classmate, who, along with her parents, runs a farm in Animal Town called . She later participates in the Animal Calendar project, where Takayuki takes pictures of her and her cows.

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:Iroha, Mayu and Satoru's classmate. She owns two freshwater crabs named and , who Takayuki takes pictures of for the Animal Calendar project.

;, , , , &
: (Youda & Saruwatari), Misato Matsuoka (Torieda), Aika Wakuno (Ushigome), Yuki Kodaira (Kamogawa) & Masahiro Yamanaka (Takayama)
:Iroha, Mayu, and Satoru's classmates. Torieda owns a cockatiel named who Takayuki takes pictures of for the Animal Calendar project.

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:Iroha, Mayu, and Satoru's classmate, who plays soccer. After Komugi impresses him with her soccer skills on her first day of school, he begins to see her as his rival. He owns a mini pig who Takayuki takes pictures of for the Animal Calendar project.

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:Iroha, Mayu, and Satoru's homeroom teacher. He owns a horse named , who Takayuki takes pictures of for the Animal Calendar project.

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:Two classmates of Iroha, Mayu, and Satoru and members of the drama club, who admire Yuki and wish for her to join the club. They produce a play about the past of a wolf and his human friend, Subaru.

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:A classmate of Iroha, Mayu, and Satoru. Her parents run the Mirror Stone Sanctuary in Animal Town.

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:A trio of regular customers at ''Pretty Holic''. When Otsuru was in high school, her dog, Suzu, died, and she vowed to never adopt a dog again so that she would not be saddened when they died. However, she later adopted Fuku at an adoption event. Following Fuku's death, she enshrines her at the Mirror Stone Shrine.

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:Otsuru's pet dog, whom she adopted at an adoption event after Suzu's death and whom Iroha has known since childhood. As the Cures and Otsuru celebrate the anniversary of her adoption, her condition deteriorates and she dies, but she is able to say goodbye to Otsuru after Niko gives her the strength to.

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:A dog trainer and friend of Iroha, who is a frequenter of her parents' business. She owns a Border Collie named Witt.

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:Inuzuka's pet Border Collie, with which he participates in agility dog competitions.

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:The mayor of Animal Town.

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:A sheepdog of the Okuma Farm's sheepdog show.

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:A young man friend of Iroha, who is training his dog, Keiji, to become a police dog.

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:Keiichi's pet dog, who is training to become a police dog.

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:A volunteer at the animal shelter where Komugi was left after her owner, Kurihara, was placed in a nursing home two years ago. She reunites with Komugi when she visits Friendly Animal Hospital & Salon and tells the Inukai family about Kurihara.

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:A kindly elderly man and Komugi's original owner. Two years prior to the events of the series, he was placed in a nursing home due to his frail condition and age. While looking for him, Komugi ran away from the animal shelter where she was housed temporarily and met Iroha. He later learns that Komugi can transform into a human and asks her to stay with Iroha. After remembering Kurihara, Komugi begins to see him as her grandfather, as she calls him "grandpa".

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:The original Gaou and leader of the wolf pack, who was Subaru's friend and sacrificed himself to protect him. His soul started to communicate with Komugi in mid-season and in the finale both he and Subaru reunite at last. After Subaru is purified, he, along with him and Zakuro, depart for the afterlife with the other wolves.

Others

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:Mayu's friend from her old school who was close to her, but stopped being her friend after a misunderstanding, believing that she was ignoring her when she was actually concentrating on making her a birthday present. She and Mayu reconcile after she returns to Animal Town after seeing Mayu's posts on CureSta about Yuki. She lives in Mayu's hometown.

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:Yuma's pet chinchilla. While she and her mother are on their way home from taking him to the vet for a checkup, Zakuro transforms him into a Gaogaon. However, the Cures rescue him and reunite him with Yuma.

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:Yuma's mother, who accompanies her to Animal Town to take Kotetsu to a check-up at Friendly Animal Hospital & Salon.

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:The main protagonist of ''Crayon Shin-chan,'' who appears in episode 16 as a guest along with Shiro. In episode 1233 of ''Crayon'' ''Shin-chan'', he transforms into to fight against a Garugaru.

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:Shinnosuke's pet Maltese from ''Crayon Shin-chan'', who appears in episode 16 as a guest along with Shinnosuke. In episode 1233 of ''Crayon'' ''Shin-chan'', he transforms into to fight against a Garugaru.

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:A minor character from ''Crayon Shin-chan''. In episode 1233 of ''Crayon'' ''Shin-chan,'' he is transformed into a boar Garugaru, but is purified after Cure Oshiri accidentally kisses him.

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:The main protagonist from ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure''.

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:A Cure from ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure''.

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:A Cure from ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure.''

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:A Cure from ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure.''

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:A Cure from ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure.''

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:The protagonist of ''You and Idol Pretty Cure.''

Movie characters

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:The creator of the game ''Dokidoki♡TanuKingdom.''

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:The main antagonist of ''Wonderful Pretty Cure! The Movie! Doki Doki! An Epic Adventure In The Game World''. He is a tanuki in ''Dokidoki♡TanuKingdom'' and the boss of Ponta and Pokota.

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:Characters in ''Dokidoki♡TanuKingdom.'' They are tanuki brothers and Mujina's henchmen.

Development

The series' trademark was first confirmed by Toei in November 2023, and the official website launched on November 30, 2023. The series was fully revealed on January 7, 2024, along with Toei announcing merchandise related to the series.

The theme of animals was confirmed by ABC Animation producer Kanako Tada, who explained that "Nowadays, it has become common to bring various animals into our homes, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds. For me, dogs are important companions. Irreplaceable animals that shower us with great love... Although they may not speak the same language, there is probably an indescribable bond between animals and their owners." He said the theme is also connected to the bond between humans and its pets as an animal becoming a Pretty Cure for the first time, stating "In this Pretty Cure series, the main character, the dog Komugi, changes into a human form, She speaks with its owner Iroha in human language. We will then communicate our feelings to each other and deepen our bond. However, in the real world, animals and humans cannot communicate with each other. Komugi's lines spoken in this work are beyond the realm of imagination. "This is what the dog is probably thinking." You may worry that this is just the human ego. However, precisely because we cannot communicate with each other, we need to think deeply about the feelings of animals. The important thing is to make an effort to get to know the other person. I believe that after that, "compassion" is born, wishing for the other person's happiness. The most important thing is to understand each other without imposing your feelings on others."

Maki Takahashi of Toei Animation said that the theme of bonds is important, as is the relationships between the main characters: "The theme of this work is the bond with animals. Think about someone important to you and act accordingly. The relationship of "family" and "best friends" is the same for both humans and animals. This idea is reflected in our catchphrase: to dream, never giving up, standing up on your own feet, sharing with your friends, believe in your friends, act for someone and thinking about someone. The power of the feelings depicted and connected in the history of Pretty Cure. Even if we look different, even if we don't speak the same language, if we have a caring heart, it will definitely reach our hearts. We will carefully depict such a "Pretty Cure" appearance through the bond with animals."

The lead characters' voice actors released statements discussing their roles. Maria Naganawa stated that "I never thought that I would become a Pretty Cure, so I felt like I couldn't believe it. Immediately after that, I burst into tears with so many emotions: happiness, desire to do my best, and gratitude." Atsumi Tanezaki, who previously voiced Puca in ''Pretty Cure All Stars F'' stated that "When it was decided that I would be appearing in the movie ''Pretty Cure All Stars F'', I was very happy and honored to be able to work on Pretty Cure, but I never expected that I would be given this opportunity in the TV series as well. I watched many Pretty Cure characters in the movies, and felt the bond that everyone has created over the past year in each series, from the characters to the cast members. When I was recording for the movie, I couldn't see it with my eyes, but I could definitely feel it, and I was so jealous that I was so happy, and I thought, oh, I can do that too..."

Media

Anime

''Wonderful Pretty Cure!'' aired from February 4, 2024 to January 26, 2025 on Japan's ANN stations, replacing ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure'' in its timeslot. Chihaya Yoshitake performs the opening theme, . Moeha Nochimoto and Ami Ishii perform the first ending theme, and the second ending theme, . Erika Fukasawa composes the series's music.

Crunchyroll streamed the series with original Japanese audio and English subtitles.

Film

A movie based on the anime, , was released in Japanese movie theaters on September 13, 2024. It features the Cures from ''Witchy Pretty Cure!'' and ''Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure''.

Merchandise

Bandai Namco Holdings, under the Bandai branding, handles merchandising for the series, which includes toys and related goods. The fourth incarnation of the ''Pretty Holic'' cosmetic goods was released upon its debut.

See also

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

Notes

References

External links

Official website
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{{Toei Animation

2024 anime television series debuts
Asahi Broadcasting Corporation original programming
Crunchyroll anime
Magical girl anime and manga
Pretty Cure television series
Toei Animation television
TV Asahi original programming