Hug! Pretty Cure

Summary

13-year-old Hana Nono, a girl who aspires to be seen as a mature big sister figure, is beginning middle school in Hagukumi City when she encounters a strange baby named Hugtan and a hamster-like fairy named Harryham Harry, who appear from the sky. Amidst the encounter, Hana learns that they are being pursued by the Criasu Corporation, an evil conglomeration from the future who seeks the power of Hugtan's Mirai Crystal (ミライクリスタル, Mirai Kuristaru) to alter the present to suit their needs. Hana's desire to protect Hugtan causes her to gain her own Mirai Crystal and PreHeart, which transforms her into the Pretty Cure of High Spirits, Cure Yell. Together with Saaya Yakushiji and Homare Kagayaki, and later joined by Emiru Aisaki and Criasu android Ruru Amour, they form the Hug! Pretty Cure team to protect everyone's future.

Characters

Pretty Cures

Hana Nono (野乃 はな, Nono Hana) / Cure Yell (キュアエール, Kyua Ēru)

Voiced by: Rie Hikisaka

The main protagonist. A 13-year-old transfer student who is willing to give anything a try, but often makes mistakes. She hopes to be seen as mature, but her energetic nature usually makes her come off as childish. As Cure Yell, she has a cheerleader motif and is known as the Pretty Cure of High Spirits, whose theme color is pink. She introduces herself by saying "Cheering on everyone! The Pretty Cure of High Spirits! Cure Yell!" (みんなを応援！元気のプリキュア！キュアエール！, Min'na wo Ōen! Genki no Purikyua! Kyua Ēru!). In the year 2030, she becomes the boss of a boutique corporation and gives birth to a daughter named Hagumi Nono, who was Hugtan's original self.

Saaya Yakushiji (薬師寺 さあや, Yakushiji Saaya) / Cure Ange (キュアアンジュ, Kyua Anju)

Voiced by: Rina Honnizumi

A 14-year-old girl who is the class representative of Hana's class who is known by her classmates for being responsible and smart. Her mother is a famous actress, and Saaya is conflicted over whether to follow her mother's footsteps or not. As Cure Ange, she has an angel and nurse motif and is known as the Pretty Cure of Wisdom, whose theme color is blue. She introduces herself by saying "Healing everyone! The Pretty Cure of Wisdom! Cure Ange!" (みんなを癒す！知恵のプリキュア！キュアアンジュ！, Min'na wo Iyasu! Chie no Purikyua! Kyua Anju!). In the year 2030, she becomes a doctor.

Homare Kagayaki (輝木 ほまれ, Kagayaki Homare) / Cure Etoile (キュアエトワール, Kyua Etowāru)

Voiced by: Yui Ogura

A 14-year-old girl in Hana's class who was once a figure skater, but quit after failing to complete a jump and injuring herself. Her injury eventually healed, but she became too scared to attempt jumping again. She has a mature personality, but also enjoys cute things. As Cure Etoile, she has a flight attendant motif and is known as the Pretty Cure of Strength, whose theme color is yellow. She introduces herself by saying "Making everyone shine! The Pretty Cure of Strength! Cure Étoile!" (みんな輝！力のプリキュア！キュアエトワール！, Min'na Kagayake! Chikara no Purikyua! Kyua Etowāru!). In the year 2030, she wins a figure skating tournament.

Fairies

Hariham Harry (ハリハム・ハリー, Harihamu Harī)

Voiced by: Junko Noda (fairy form), Jun Fukushima (human form)

A hamster-like fairy who hails from the future, having been part of a clan of rodent-like fairies called the Harihari Clan from Harihari Township. After a pandemic struck the clan, he, Listol, and Bicine joined the Criasu Corporation after being told they would receive a cure, gaining human forms in the process. However, they were tricked and their village was burnt down. He later came to Cure Tomorrow's rescue, only to be turned into a monster; however, she saved him and he escaped with her to 2018, becoming her caretaker and mentor to the Pretty Cure. He speaks in Kansai dialect and can transform into a self-proclaimed "handsome" human form. He opens a salon known as "Beauty Harry" (ビューティーハリー, Byūtī Harī) that serves as the group's secret base. In episode 25, his past is revealed when Bicine confronts him and removes his necklace to force him into returning to the Criasu Corporation. However, Cure Etoile manages to save Harry and he remains adamant in fighting Criasu alongside the Cures. In the year 2030, he is seen alongside Listol, Bicine, Mogumogu, and Lily the cat.

Criasu Corporation

The Criasu Corporation (クライアス社, Kuraiasu Sha; Criasu Co., Ltd.)

are the main antagonists of the series who originate from the distant future and aim to obtain the Mirai Crystals as part of George's scheme to freeze time. It is unknown when the corporation was founded, but its Azababu branch was founded in 2018. "Criasu" (クライアス, Kuraiasu) is derived from Kurai Asu (暗い明日) which can be translated as "Dark Tomorrow". The employees of the Criasu Corporation's Azababu Branch Office (あざばぶ支社, Azababu Shisha) have the power to draw out energy from people by using the Negative Wave (ネガティブウェーブ, Negatibu Uēbu), allowing them to create monsters called Oshimaida.

George Kurai (ジョージ・クライ, Jōji Kurai)

Voiced by: Junpei Morita

The president of the Criasu Corporation and the series' main antagonist. While appearing to be kind-hearted and sophisticated, he is actually a delusional and manipulative figure willing to achieve his goals at any cost. He seeks the power of the Mirai Crystals to take Earth's future away by freezing time in a moment of eternal joy, claiming that the people of his time are being consumed by the darkness in their hearts. Kurai assumes a human form to investigate the Pretty Cures in the present before revealing himself. He eventually begins his endgame by freezing time and turning his own headquarters into a giant monster to capture Hugtan. When this fails, he assumes his true form to battle Cure Yell before the people of Hakugumi help her and the Cures purify Kurai. As the Criasu Corporation's building collapses, he has a final moment with Hana before departing for an unknown location. It is later revealed that he was Hana's husband in the original timeline, but an unknown tragedy struck Hana and acted as a catalyst for his actions, causing him to develop an obsession with her current self. In the year 2030, his present counterpart is shown running to bring flowers to Hana, who will be his future wife, at the hospital.

Listol (リストル, Risutoru)

Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki

The secretary of the Criasu Corporation, He is a squirrel-like fairy who takes the form of a man wearing blue clothes and a dark gray cape. He is a strict person who acts for the sake of the company's goals, yet cares for his loved ones, particularly Bicine. Along with Hariham Harry and Bicine, he was tricked into working for the Criasu Corporation after being falsely promised a cure for their friends. The Cures purify him in episode 39 and episode 41 shows that Kurai has altered his memories to have no recollection of Harry. In episode 47, Kurai sends him to fight the Cures for a final time, but he is purified again. In the year 2030, he is seen alongside Harry, Bicine, Mogumogu, and Lily the cat.

Cures' families

Shintarou Nono (野乃 森太郎, Nono Shintarō)

Voiced by: Yasuhiro Mamiya

Hana's father, who is the manager of a home center called Hugman.

Sumire Nono (野乃 すみれ, Nono Sumire)

Voiced by: Natsuko Kuwatani

Hana's mother, who was known as Sumire Anno (庵野すみれ, Anno Sumire) before marrying Shintarou. She is a writer for Town Magazine (タウン誌, Taun-shi)

Kotori Nono (野乃 ことり, Nono Kotori)

Voiced by: Amina Sato

Hana's younger sister, who has a habit of teasing her for her upbeat and childish attitude. She is a close friend of Emiru.

Tanpopo Anno (庵野たんぽぽ, Anno Tanpopo)

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue

Hana’s grandmother, who owns a wagashi shop called Dandelion Hall that is famous for its dorayaki.

Sousuke Anno (庵野草介, Anno Sousuke)

Voiced by: Eiji Takeuchi

Hana’s late grandfather, who was renowned for his "Manju of Hope" recipe.

Shuji Yakushiji (薬師寺 修司, Yakushiji Shūji)

Voiced by: Hiroki Tasaka

Saaya's father, who takes care of housework while his wife is busy.

L'Avenir Academy

Junna Tokura (十倉 じゅんな, Tokura Junna), Aki Momoi (百井 あき, Momoi Aki), Hinase Amano (阿万野 ひなせ, Amano Hinase), Fumito Chise (千瀬 ふみと, Chise Fumito)

Voiced by: Maria Naganawa (Junna), Afumi Hashi (Aki), Yoshitaka Yamaya (Hinase), Katsumi Fukuhara (Fumito)

Hana and Saaya's classmates. Hinase is the leader of the band club.

Uchifuji (内富士, Uchifuji)

Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa

Hana and Saaya's homeroom teacher.

Umehashi (梅橋, Umehashi)

Voiced by: Masashi Tamaki

The P.E teacher at L'Avenir Academy and Homare's skating coach.

Others

Ranze Ichijou (一条 蘭世, Ichijō Ranze)

Voiced by: Aya Suzaki

A girl who is an actress and rival to Saaya.

Henri Wakamiya (若宮 アンリ, Wakamiya Anri) / Cure Infini (キュアアンフィニ, Kyua Anfini)

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Someya, Natsu Yorita (child)

Homare's childhood friend and a skater from Russia, who is a hāfu of French descent. In episode 42, he is involved in a traffic accident and breaks his left leg, making him unable to compete in an upcoming competition. As a result, he doubts his future and briefly becomes a member of the Criasu Corporation. Through a miracle with the Mirai Brace, Henri becomes Cure Infini for the first time, later joining the Cures in the final battle against George and his theme color is green. He is the first male Pretty Cure in the franchise before Cure Wing.

Mogumogu (もぐもぐ)

Voiced by: Natsumi Kawaida

Homare's adoptive dog, whom she found after saving him from getting run over by a truck.

Rita Yoshimi (吉見 リタ, Yoshimi Rita)

Voiced by: Kintalo

A genius fashion designer.

Yuka Uchifuji (内富士 ゆか, Uchifuji Yuuka)

Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka

Uchifuji’s wife.

Mother Heart (マザー・ハート, Mazā Hāto)

A mysterious being who appears to come from the White Mirai Crystal. Her power allows both Ruru and Emiru to become Cures, and is also used in the group attack Tomorrow With Everyone. Hugtan is said to have possessed her power as Cure Tomorrow, which was partly why George was after her.

Movie characters

Clover (クローバー, Kurōbā)

Voiced by: Kenshō Ono

A mysterious boy who met Hana when she was young, and fell under Usobakka's influence to hate her after she failed to keep her promise to him. While Hana is able to persuade Clover to come back with her, he ultimately sacrifices himself to enable the other Cures to transform and defeat Usobakka, with his spirit making peace with the demon before fading away.

Usobakka (ウソバーッカ, Usobākka) / Dark Onibi (闇の鬼火, Yami no Onibi)

Voiced by: Kazuki Kitamura

The main antagonist in PreCure Super Stars!. A deceitful and manipulative demon who influenced Clover to hate Hana for not keeping her promise to the boy. He seals all the Cures except for Hana, Ichika and Mirai into his body to be petrified. While Hana persuades Clover to help them find a way to escape, Ichika and Mirai fend Usobakka off before they and the rest of their teams escape from his body. With the power from Clover and the Miracle Lights, they are able to defeat him, with Clover's ghost making peace with him before fading away.

Miden (ミデン)

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano

The main antagonist in Hug! Pretty Cure Futari wa Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories. A teru teru bozu who originates from a camera and steals the memories and powers of the Pretty Cure, turning them into infants. They can also make smaller versions of themselves that swarm like locusts. Despite their childish personality, they are actually lonely and depressed because they lack original memories. After Cure Yell comforts them, they are purified by the 55 Pretty Cures who transmit their feelings to it, finally freeing them from their grief. They are last seen as the same camera they originated from, which Hana uses to take photographs of the Cures.

Mizuki Yamamoto (山本 美月, Yamamoto Mizuki)

Voiced by: Herself

Media

Anime

The series was first revealed through a trademark posting filed in September 2017. The series was officially announced on November 28, 2017 and began airing on All-Nippon News Network stations in Japan including ABC and TV Asahi from February 4, 2018, replacing Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode in its timeslot. The opening theme is called "We can!! HUG! Pretty Cure" (We can!! HUGっと! プリキュア, We can!! HUGtto! Purikyua) by Kanako Miyamoto. The first ending theme is called "HUG! Future✩Dreamer" (HUGっと! 未来☆ドリーマー, HUGtto! Mirai✩Dorīma) performed by Rie Hikisaka, Rina Honnizumi, and Yui Ogura, while the second ending theme is called "HUG! Yell For You" (HUGっと! YELL FOR YOU, HUGtto! YELL FOR YOU) performed by the aforementioned three alongside Nao Tamura, and Yukari Tamura. The background music is composed by Yuki Hayashi, who previously composed the music for Kirakira PreCure a la Mode. The first official soundtrack for the series was released on April 25, 2018, with the title PreCure Sound For You!!, and the second was released on December 26, 2018, with the title PreCure Cheerful Sound!!.

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Futago Kamikita was serialized in Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine between February 2 and December 28, 2018.

Films

The characters of the series appeared alongside characters from Kirakira PreCure a la Mode and Witchy PreCure! in the crossover film, Pretty Cure Super Stars!, which was released in Japan on March 17, 2018. In addition, a film honoring the franchise's 15th anniversary, titled Hug! Pretty Cure Futari wa Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories, was released on October 27, 2018. The film featured characters from HUG! PreCure teaming up with the original Pretty Cures from Futari wa Pretty Cure, who also appear in episodes 21, 22, 36, and 37.

Pretty Cure Miracle Universe (映画 プリキュアミラクルユニバース, Eiga Purikyua Mirakuru Yunivāsu), was released on March 16, 2019.

Pretty Cure Miracle Leap: A Strange Day With Everyone! (映画 プリキュアミラクルリープ みんなとの不思議な1日, Eiga Purikyua Mirakuru Rīpu: Min'na to no Fushigi na Ichinichi), was released on October 31, 2020.

Video game

A video game titled Nari Kids Park: HUG! PreCure, was released by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the Nintendo Switch in Japan on November 21, 2018.

Reception

Fans critically praised episode 19 for its message regarding gender stereotypes, and that children can become who they want to be regardless of their gender.

The film All Stars Memories topped Japanese box office records in its first release in theaters. It earned more than US$9.18 million in total ticket sales, and currently owns the Guinness World Record for "Most Magical Warriors in an Anime Film", with a total of 55 Cures.

Rina Honnizumi won the Best New Actress Award for her portrayal of Cure Ange at the 13th Seiyu Awards.

Cosplay marathoner Mitsunobu Saita ran in the 2018 Kobe Marathon as Cure Yell.