Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star

Futari wa PreCure Splash Star (ふたりはプリキュア Splash Star, Futari wa Purikyua Supurasshu Sutā), often shortened simply to Pretty Cure Splash Star, is a magical girl anime series produced by Toei Animation and Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, which aired in Japan TV Asahi's ANN network between February 5, 2006 and January 28, 2007. It is the third series in Izumi Todo's Pretty Cure franchise, following a new story different from the previous two series. The series is directed by Toshiaki Komura, who previously directed Kinnikuman Nisei. The character designs were done by Akira Inagami, who previously worked on the character designs on both Futari wa Pretty Cure and Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart. The series's theme and concept is based on the Japanese idiom "flower, bird, wind, moon" (花鳥風月, kachōfūgetsu), which symbolizes the beauties of Nature, or the traditional themes of natural beauty in Japanese aesthetics.

Plot

Saki Hyuuga and Mai Misho met at age nine for the first time after they followed two glowing balls that flew towards the Sky Tree, a big tree situated on top of a mountain in their town. Five years later, they met again at the same place and became the new legendary warriors PreCure (Pretty Cure). Flappy and Choppy, spirits from the Land of Fountains, revealed that they were the glowing balls and the girls were chosen to protect the Fountain of Sun hidden in Saki and Mai's world, which they refer to as the Land of Fountains. Saki and Mai are transformed into Cure Bloom and Cure Egret using the spirits. Later they are gained new forms to Cure Bright and Cure Windy with help from two additional spirits Mupu and Fupu. The villains of this series are the Dark Fall, who are searching for the Fountain of Sun, the last of the seven fountains that feed the World Tree - the source of all life forms for all worlds. The Leader of the Dark Fall has set his aim on this tree, and it is Pretty Cure's job to protect it.

In the Splash Star movie, Sirlion, a warrior from Dark Fall, opens up a gateway to the Land of Clocks using directions from Mai. His plan to dominate the world is to halt the Eternal (Infinite) Clock and freeze time, cutting off everyone's future. Saki and Mai were already in disagreement after Saki overslept and Mai wandered off into a nearby clock store, causing them to miss the sign-up for the karaoke singing contest. After being thrown into an endless maze, Saki and Mai have to work in unison if they want to solve the puzzle.

Characters

Splash Star Pretty Cures

The Splash Star Pretty Cures were warriors chosen by the Land of Fountains to restore the Seven Holy Fountains and prevent Dark Fall from taking over the land of greenery. They both transform using the Mix Commune (ミックス・コミューン, Mikkusu komyūn) and shout "Dual Spiritual Power" (デュアル・スピリチュアル・パワー！, Duaru supirichuaru pawā!). In the later episodes, both Saki and Mai transform using the Splash Commune (スプラッシュ・コミューン, Supurasshu komyūn) harnessing the powers of Moop and Foop. After transforming, the duo introduces as "We are Pretty Cure!" (ふたりはプリキュア!, Futari wa Purikyua!) with Mai saying "Those who defiled the Holy Fountains!" (聖なる泉を汚す者よ!, Seinaru izumi o yogosu mono yo!) and ends with Saki saying "We're here to stop your cruel behavior!" (アコギな真似はお止めなさい!, Akogina mane wa oyamenasai!).

Saki Hyuuga (日向 咲, Hyūga Saki) / Cure Bloom (キュアブルーム, Kyua Burūmu) / Cure Bright (キュアブライト, Kyua Buraito)

Voiced by: Orie Kimoto (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English)

Saki is a cheerful athletic girl, a member of the girls' softball team of Yuunagi Middle School. Similar to Nagisa, Saki is excellent at sports and not being very good at school, loves sweets and has a large appetite. Unlike Nagisa, Saki has a mild personality and a habit of saying "I'm on top form!" (絶好調！, Zekkōchō!) whenever she gets excited. Saki is bright and adaptive, and she remains optimistic and sane when facing the unexpected. Although Saki appears childish at times, she is lenient and gregarious, and her cheerful and easygoing personality often brings people happiness and energy. Her family runs the Panpaka Pan bakery, and Saki is good at cooking and making delicious breads. She has a sister named Minori, who shares her room and annoys her once in a while. Saki also has a crush on Mai's older brother, Kazuya.

As Cure Bloom or Cure Bright, her short auburn hair becomes bright reddish blonde and is tied into a long ponytail. Depending on her form, Cure Bloom's theme color is Pink and Yellow and her element represents the earth, while Cure Bright's theme color is Lime and her element represents the moon.

She introduces herself as "The Shining Golden Flower, Cure Bloom!" (輝く金の花, キュアブルーム!, Kagayaku kin no hana, Kyua Burūmu!) while as Cure Bright, she introduces herself as "The Full Moon in the Sky, Cure Bright!" (天空に満ちる月, キュアブライト!, Tenkū ni michiru tsuki, Kyua Buraito!)

Mai Mishou (美翔 舞, Mishō Mai) / Cure Egret (キュアイーグレット, Kyua Īguretto) / Cure Windy (キュアウィンディ, Kyua Windi)

Voiced by: Atsuko Enomoto (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Mai is a reserved academic girl, who likes arts over science and has a more gentle and innocent nature. Her father is an astronomer, her mother is an archeologist and her brother, Kazuya, wishes to become an astronaut when he grows up. She and her family live in an observatory. Mai is very observant and aware, often noticing subtle details that could have been neglected by an average observer.

As Cure Egret or Cure Windy, her long dark blue hair becomes dark purple and is tied into a long ponytail. Depending on her form, Cure Egret's theme color is White and her element represents the sky, while Cure Windy's theme color is Celeste and her element represents the Wind.

She introduces herself as "The Sparkling Silver Wing, Cure Egret!" (煌めく銀の翼, キュアイーグレット!, Kirameku gin no tsubasa, Kyua Īguretto!) while as Cure Windy, she introduces herself as "The Scented Wind on the Earth, Cure Windy!" (大地に薫る風, キュアウィンディ!, Daichi ni kaoru kaze, Kyua Windi!)

Land of Fountains

Flappy (フラッピ, Furappi)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi

Spirit of the flower, he likes to eat rice and ends his sentences with the word "lapi". He seems to have a crush on Choppy, but she doesn't seem to notice or understand his feelings for her. He functions as the transformation device for Saki to transform into Cure Bloom and Cure Bright.

Choppy (チョッピ, Choppi)

Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki

Spirit of the bird, she ends her sentences with the word "chopi". She functions as the transformation device for Mai to transform into Cure Egret and Cure Windy.

Moop (ムープ, Mūpu)

Voiced by: Yuriko Fuchizaki

Mysterious spirit of the moon that appears in episode 24 and has some connection to Michiru. "Muu" comes from "Moon" (ムーン, Mūn). He ends his sentences with the word "mupu". The Kiryuu sisters once rescued Moop and Foop from a falling tree at the Fountain of Sky.

Fupu (フープ, Fūpu)

Voiced by: Akemi Okamura

Mysterious spirit of the wind that appears in episode 24 with Moop and has some connection to Kaoru. She ends her sentences with the word "pupu". Moop and Foop can use the powers of the moon and wind to power up Pretty Cure with the Spiral Ring Set, and they later serve as the power sources for Cure Bright and Cure Windy.

Queen Filia (フィーリア王女, Fīria Ōjo)

Voiced by: Taeko Kawata

Queen of the Land of Fountains. She appears each time the Pretty Cure duo restores a ruined fountain and leaves them a keyword about what will happen in the future before she vanishes. In the last episode, Flappy reveals that Filia's true identity is the spirit of the World Tree.

Dark Fall

Throughout the whole series, Pretty Cure's enemies are the Dark Fall Villains. In episode 41, Gooyan used the Fairy Carafe to bring the killed villains (except Michiru and Kaoru) back to life to defeat Pretty Cure.

Kaoru Kiryuu (霧生薫, Kiryū Kaoru)

Voiced by: Yuka Imai, Akemi Okamura

A mysterious girl who meets Saki and Mai at The Sky Tree in episode 14. She seems cold and rude. Kaoru is always with her younger sister, Michiru. They are later revealed to be part of the Dark Fall. Their duty is to guard the Fountain of Sky. They pretend to be transfer students of Yuunagi Junior High School in order to gather information about Pretty Cure. Kaoru has long blue hair and blue eyes. Kaoru and Michiru sacrifice their lives to protect Saki and Mai in episode 23. Later, in episode 42, they are revived by remnant powers from the Fairy Carafe and return to assist Pretty Cure in defeating the Dark Fall and Gooyan.

Michiru Kiryuu (霧生満, Kiryū Michiru)

Voiced by: Yuriko Fuchizaki

Kaoru's younger sister. She has short red-violet hair and red-violet eyes. They both seem confused and clueless about the Land of Greenery at first, but quickly learn that "霧" means "fog" and "生" means "life, birth". In episode 23, Michiru and Kaoru use their last powers to save their precious friends, Saki and Mai, from Akudaikaan and send them back to the Land of Greenery. Later, in episode 42, she and Kaoru return to assist Pretty Cure in defeating the Dark Fall and Gooyan.

Karehaan (カレハーン, Karehān)

Voiced by: Isshin Chiba

Karehaan is the first of the Dark Fall to attack Earth. He is sent to capture Flappy and Choppy in order to force them to tell where the Fountain of Sun is. When they refuse to reply, he begins to harm them until Saki and Mai step in and transform for the first time. His name is often mispronounced as "Curry-pan", much to his displeasure.

Moerumba (モエルンバ, Moerunba)

Voiced by: Keiichi Nanba

Moerumba is the second of the Dark Fall to attack Earth after Karehaan fails. He acts and appears like a Latin American with colorful clothing and having affection for dancing. He attacks Pretty Cure with stronger and more-powerful fire-related Uzainaa monsters. He calls Pretty Cure "Señorita" ("young lady").

DoroDoron (ドロドロン, Dorodoron)

Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata

DoroDoron is the third of the Dark Fall to attack Earth after Moerumba fails. He's an arachnid-like creature that travels underground instead of through the air. DoroDoron transforms earth-related objects such as rocks and cobblestones into Uzainaa monsters. He also occasionally takes commands from two suspicious girls (Kaoru Kiryuu and Michiru Kiryuu) that are in the same class as Mai and Saki.

Ms. Shitataare (ミズ·シタターレ, Mizu Shitatāre)

Voiced by: Naoko Matsui

Ms. Shitataare is the next Dark Fall villain after Michiru and Kaoru. She dresses in an ancient Chinese costume and manipulates water-related objects. She can turn anything related to water into an Uzainaa. According to Mupu and Fupu, she is the one who has destroyed both the Fountain of Water and the Fountain of Sky. The PreCure duo's both power-ups (first the Spiral Ring Set and then the Bright/Windy form) happen during the time when she's the main villain. Saki calls her "Hanamizu-taare" (note: hanamizu means nasal mucus) and she's the one who reveals that Michiru and Kaoru are still alive at the Dark Fall. Ms. Shitataare is seemingly ambitious and obsessed with her career as a Dark Fall minion. She uses all manners of tricks and disguises against Precure, and has once betrayed Goyan for personal credit. She has fallen in love with Kintoleski before their final defeat in episode 45, however, and her vicious behavior can generally be attributed to her relationship circumstances.

Kintoleski (キントレスキー, Kintoresukī)

Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi

The last Dark Fall villain after Ms. Shitataare. His skin is gold in color and he is the strongest of the Dark Fall. He likes to exercise and work out. Kintoleski respects strong opponents and appears noble, although he is oppressive and he forces the girls to follow his principles. He seems to prefer a rivalry with Precure over his mission to defeat them. He seems to have a moderate relationship with Saki and often buys bread from her family bakery. He occasionally provides guidance to the girls and their close ones at peace time. Some fans regard him as a lawful evil and worthy opponent.

Uzainaa (ウザイナー, Uzainā)

Voiced by: Hideo Watanabe

Much like the Zakenna before them, Uzainaa are monsters that can be fused with things (different members of the Dark Fall can fuse Uzainaa with things pertaining to different elements, for example, Karehaan used wood-related Uzainaa), when defeated, element spirits are released from them and thank Pretty Cure for freeing them.

Akudaikaan (アクダイカーン, Akudaikān)

Voiced by: Takayuki Godai

The evil ruler of Dark Fall, he wants to take over the World Tree, and has managed to capture six of the seven fountains that irrigate it. He has sent out minions to search for the location of the last of these fountains, the Fountain of Sun. He appears as a shadow-covered, towering-robed demon-like being with a pair of glowing red eyes that shine out of the cave in which he lives.

Gooyan (ゴーヤーン, Gōyān)

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Akudaikaan's aide. Ms. Shitataare calls him "Gōchan". Before his face-off against the girls, Gooyan appears polite, mean and vicious, and the Dark Fall minions often laugh at him. He is the man behind the man, however, and his intent is to destroy the universe and take all lives with it. In episode 47, it is revealed that he was the one who has created Akudaikaan. After killing Akudaikaan, he transforms into a gigantic monster and has a fierce battle against the girls. He is eventually defeated by the Precure Spiral Heart Splash Star in the final episode. Before his final defeat, he has turned the Land of Greenery (the Earth of Saki and Mai's world) into the ruined world and blown the Earth into pieces, and he almost takes Cure Bloom and Cure Egret with him before he disintegrates in the girls' finisher attack.

Media

Anime

The series is produced by Toei Animation and Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, having been broadcast across Japan by the anime television network, Animax and TV Asahi from February 5, 2006 to January 28, 2007. The opening theme for all of the episodes is "Makasete★Splash☆Star★" (まかせて★スプラッシュ☆スター★, Makasete Supurasshu Sutā, "Leave it to Us Splash Star") by Yuka Uchiyae with Splash Stars. The ending theme used in episodes 1-30 is "'Warau ga Kachi' de GO!" (「笑うが勝ち!」でGO!, "Warau ga Kachi de Gō!, "'Laugh and Win!' GO!") by Mayumi Gojo, and the ending theme for episode 31 and onwards is "Ganbalance de Dance" (ガンバランスdeダンス, Ganbaransu de Dansu) also by Mayumi Gojo with Flappy and Choppy.

Marvelous AQL also released several DVDs of the series before later being compiled into two DVD-Box sets by Pony Canyon. The first boxset is released on September 19, 2012 and the second in October 17, 2012.

Movie

A movie titled Futari wa Precure Splash☆Star Tick Tack Kiki Ippatsu! (ふたりはプリキュア スプラッシュ☆スター チクタク危機一髪!, Lit. Pretty Cure Splash☆Star Tic-Tac Crisis Hanging by a Thin Thread!) was released on December 9, 2006.^[1]

The heroines also appear in all Pretty Cure All Stars movies, starting with Pretty Cure All Stars DX: Everyone's Friends☆the Collection of Miracles! (プリキュアオールスターズDX みんなともだちっ☆奇跡の全員大集合!, PuriKyua Ōru Sutāzu Dirakkusu: Minna Tomodachi☆Kiseki no Zenin Daishūgō) (Released in March 14, 2009)

Video game

A side-scrolling beat-em-up video game, Futari wa Precure Splash☆Star: Panpaka Game Never Better! Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star: Panpaka game deji kojo! (ふたりはプリキュア Splash Star パンパカゲームでぜっこうちょう!) was released by Bandai for the Nintendo DS on November 30, 2006.

References

External links

Official

• Animation webpage (Japanese)
• Animation Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star The Movie: Chikutaku Kiki Ippattsu Homepage (Japanese)
• (English)
• Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia