START OF DARKNESS
DELIVERANCE
HEROIC SACRIFICE
We discover that Princess Towa had been missing for some time, and that without her the Hope Kingdom became unable to resist Dyspear. When Prince Kanata and the Princess Precures find her in episode 20, she does not recognize Prince Kanata and she believes herself to be the daughter of Dyspear.
As Princess Twilight, she sees herself as the 唯一無二 yuiitsumuni (“one and only”) Princess and she describes herself as 気高い, kedakai (“noble”), 尊い toutoi (“precious, valuable”), and 麗しい uruwashii (“beautiful”). It is interesting because these traits do not seem bad in and of themselves.
Being noble and precious can be forms of setting oneself apart from others. Another clue is that she refers to herself as the “one and only” Princess.
Setting oneself apart from others... being an outstanding individual...
When Prince Grand Kanata looked at the usurper's daughter, his own sister's face came to mind.
KANATA: Towa...
TWILIGHT: I am the Dark Princess, Twilight.
TWILIGHT (post-transformation): Sublime, regal, elegant.
I am truly the one and only princess.
Kanata was shocked by Twilight not remembering him at all.
THE EPIC BATTLE (BEST ONE SINCE THE START OF THIS MONTH) OF DARK TWILIGHT
TWILIGHT: I am the Princess in Black. I will make this world full of despair.
KANATA: Towa...!
DYSPEAR'S VOICE IN TWILIGHT'S MIND: Twilight... bury the Princess Precures
and Prince Kanata.
TWILIGHT: Yes, Lady Mother.
(She gathers a ball of magenta light in her right hand and flies off at full speed towards the Cures)
KANATA: Towa!
(Twilight fires a great quantity of magenta fire at the Cures, who deflect the flames)
CURE FLORA: You are Kanata's younger sister! What happened!?
(All three Cures attempt to attack Twilight, but she dodges their attacks)
CURE TWINKLE: Seems like our words aren't reaching her.
KANATA: I'm sorry, Cure Flora. It's all my fault.
CURE FLORA: I felt a power greater and more fearsome than any Black Key we have faced before.
It was a very dangerous feeling. As if she is trying to let herself burn up.
KANATA: The power of despair from the Perfume... is that going to swallow Towa, too?
AROMA: That means Princess Towa will...
CURE TWINKLE: Well, a reunion between siblings should be more touching, eh?
KANATA (overjoyed): Everyone!
(Determined) With the Dress-Up Keys and the dream power of the Princess Precures,
I'm sure we can defeat the power of despair and release Towa from the Black Key!
(Twilight flies at full speed towards the Cures once more. Cure Twinkle forces her to rush backwards with a rain of shooting stars. Cure Mermaid traps Twilight inside a bubble. Cure Flora fires a storm of white lily petals at Twilight, who appears to be unhurt and not the least fazed.)
AROMA: Use Mode Elegant while she's still down!
(But Twilight has already changed to her own Mode Elegant...)
Changing into Mode Elegant, as her skirt is enveloped in blue flames.
Then, Twilight fires from her left hand, as she plays air violin with the right one, a sphere of Prussian blue fire, that turns into a powerful ray, at the Precures.
Luckily, Kanata is quick to raise his scepter and make a rainbow-coloured hemispherical deflecting shield, similar to a force field, to protect the Cures.
KANATA: Stop this, Towa! If you keep this up, you'll... Towa!
DYSPEAR: It's useless. (Kanata is shocked once more.)
DYSPEAR: Twilight can't hear your voices anymore.
(Twilight keeps on firing her dark blue and purple ray of fire at full power, giving it all to breach the force field.)
DYSPEAR (ironic): What's the matter, Prince Kanata?
This is the power of despair.
KANATA (shocked, gasping): Dyspear!
DYSPEAR: Your sister had a dream...
Shut is still in love with Twilight, even after her transformation, and seeing her curb-stomp the Cures.
SHUT: Beau-... Beau-... Beautiful!!!
Princess Twilight! What a noble form!
LOCK (popping into the hall): Hmm, seems like things have gotten interesting.
SHUT (overexcited, doing a Large Ham as he breaks the fourth wall): Grrr! Princess Twilight! Meeting you is the most glorious moment of my life!
(Upon realizing that he is facing Dyspear): Uh-uh!
DYSPEAR: A despicable sight.
When Cure Flora fights one-to-one with Twilight, Shut is not amused:
SHUT (furious): Curse you! How dare you treat Princess Twilight that way!? (He rushes into the fight.)
LOCK (wistful): You're full of openings, Cure Flora! (He rushes into the fight as well.)
(Cure Mermaid and Cure Twinkle back Cure Flora in the Angels Pose. The former wards Lock off with a Full Moon Humming, the latter wards Shut off with a Frozen Ripple. Both generals, screaming, are sent away to crash on opposite walls.)
HOW TOWA WAS CORRUPTED
Little Towa was playing the violin on one of the green hills around the Royal Palace.
But she was not pleased with her performance at all...
TOWA (sighs): I failed again.
I need to get better so I can play well like my brother.
And become a wonderful lady. A Grand Princess. (sobs)
I want to become one so badly...
BLUE WILL-O'-THE WISP (with a voice like Dyspear's): You can.
(The air around Towa grows clouded by a grey mist)
TOWA: Eh?
(She looks around, surprised by the mist and the black thorns that have suddenly sprouted.)
TOWA: Who's there?
VOICE OF THE WILL-O'-THE-WISP: Let me make your big and strong dream come true.
TOWA (excited, gasps, turns around with a smile): Ah! Really?
A pair of glowing red eyes like Dyspear's appear through the grey mist.
VOICE OF THE WILL-O'-THE-WISP: Come to my side.
(Towa, afraid, takes a few steps backwards)
VOICE OF THE WILL-O'-THE-WISP: I see. Then it can't be helped.
(The grey mist thickens into fog)
VOICE OF THE WILL-O'-THE-WISP: But if you let go of this amazing chance,
then I'm sure your brother would be quite disappointed.
TOWA (surprised): Sigh! (Desperate) Wait!
TOWA (determined): I want to become a Grand Princess.
I want to make my dream come true!
(She walks confidently into the fog and the thorns, until she disappears.
Thorns entwine and close tighter and tighter behind her.)
DYSPEAR (coldly, to Kanata): Your sister had a dream.
As the Hope Kingdom's princess, she wanted to live up to her name.
She worked hard all by herself every day, cultivating that strong dream.
But the more she worked towards that dream, the further away it seemed.
She was worried about her own immaturities and awakened me.
And then...
TOWA: I want to make my dream come true!
DYSPEAR: The Princess dove deep into the forest of despair all by herself!
KANATA (shocked): Into the forest of... despair...? Towa went... all by herself?
Then, why!? Why did you take Towa away!?
DYSPEAR: I want to take away the very symbol of hope from you!
DYSPEAR (to Kanata): Do you know?
How important the princess is to the kingdom?
The Hope Kingdom fell into a deep sadness ever since they lost their princess.
Despair overcame them.
That despair fed me and became my power.
(We see the blue will-o'-the-wisp in the forest of despair. Thorns grow around the blue flame and
entwine to form the silhouette of a slender lady, as the blue flame glows brighter and purple.)
(Cut to an unconscious Towa, surrounded by thorns.)
DYSPEAR: I could just have left the princess alone, but I thought of something more interesting.
"I will erase the princess's memories, her heart, and her dreams.
And raise her as the Dysdarks' princess."
The Princess of Hope became the Princess of Despair.
And she will eliminate all hope with her own two hands.
There is no greater despair for you than that.
Towa's own perfectionism and insecurities awakened Dyspear, who had been somehow sealed away... Interesting. Is this another metaphor of our potential for doing evil?
DYSPEAR (ironic): But, in the end, she was a failure who couldn't get the Dress-Up Keys or defeat the Precures. Twilight, at least show me you can be useful until the end. Burn the Princess Precures, the last bit of hope.
With your life on the line!!!
(Twilight keeps on firing the dark blue ray from her left hand at the force field. Kanata shudders, doubting.)
KANATA (shocked): Towa...
TWILIGHT (coldly): Yes. As you wish, Lady Mother.
KANATA (desperate): Towa!
(Twilight increases the power of the dark blue ray, which overpowers the force field, shattering it.)
KANATA, PRECURES, PETS: (scream in agony)
(The magenta jewel hilt of Kanata's sceptre cracks and he reels backwards, closing his eyes.)
KANATA: Towa...
(Everyone on the good side is lying unconscious on the ground.)
HOW TOWA WAS REDEEMED, YET AT A HIGH PRICE
Kanata never gave up trying to reach Towa, seeing still his sister in his opponent.
Yet, after the revelation of how she had been corrupted...
KANATA (desperate): Towa!
(Twilight increases the power of the dark blue ray, which overpowers the force field, shattering it.)
KANATA, PRECURES, PETS: (scream in agony)
(The magenta jewel hilt of Kanata's sceptre cracks and he reels backwards, closing his eyes.)
KANATA: Towa...
(Everyone on the good side is lying unconscious on the ground. Twilight advances, through a room full of blue flames, towards Kanata.)
TWILIGHT: The light that illuminates the Hope Kingdom becomes smothered in darkness.
(Looking at unconscious Kanata) You have lost your dreams, and now, even your hope.
You have lost everything.
Kanata opens his eyes to behold Twilight face to face with him, with a defiant and cold look in her masked eyes.
TWILIGHT (ominous): Now only despair remains. (A sphere of magenta light forms and glows in the palm of her left hand. Kanata's dazzled eyes still look on. This may be his last stand.)
In response, she curb-stomped her brother and closed in to end his life...
CURE FLORA: Dreams still exist. Dreams and hope still remain!
KANATA (surprised, relieved): (Gasp!) Cure Flora!
DYSPEAR: Even after all this, why do you stand back up, Princess Precures?
CURE FLORA: Because hope still exists. (Remembering Twilight playing the violin) Right in front of my eyes (looking at Twilight).
(Kanata is surprised and encouraged as he tries to stand up, supporting himself on his sceptre.)
DYSPEAR: Then, you shall meet your end by your so-called "hope!"
(Twilight gathers a new ball of magenta power in her left hand and clashes with Cure Flora. They drive one another back)
CURE FLORA: You said that the violin is an instrument that locks away your heart.
But I was extremely moved by your performance. I wanted to play just like you!
(Twilight gathers more blue fire into a magenta sphere with both her hands.)
(Cure Flora and Twilight have a Priori Incantatem of pink petals and blue flame. Both waltz through the air, firing and dodging such attacks.)
CURE FLORA: I'm sure the melody that you play is a dream that cannot be locked away! And it's full of the feelings you wanted to express to Kanata, far away!
(Kanata, now on his knees, is astonished by Cure Flora's words.)
DYSPEAR: I told you. The Princess's heart has disappeared.
(Twilight flies towards Kanata, but Cure Flora quickly interposes herself)
CURE FLORA: Someone without a heart could not have put on such a beautiful performance!
(Cure Flora and Twilight have a Priori Incantatem of fists sent to punch one another.)
CURE FLORA: Your heart is just being locked against your will! Your dream and your feelings towards Kanata are still there!
(Using his sceptre, Kanata stands up, regaining hope.)
The Cures gave her a nice lecture and a Trinity Explosion, but
that didn't faze Dark Twilight the least. The Explosion and another great ray of dark blue flame from
Twilight's left hand collided in yet another Priori Incantatem, until, finally, the Cures' combined attacks reached Twilight, who shielded herself with the Black Keys.
DYSPEAR: It's useless. You cannot destroy the despair from the Black Keys I have created.
You don't even have the power of all twelve of the Dress-Up Keys.
CURE FLORA: It's not just us. The power of hope...
KANATA: ...and dreams...
KANATA: ...are within you, Towa.
(He begins to play a tranquil, soft melody on his violin.)
KANATA (warmly, smiling): Towa, do you remember this song?
(Flashback of both of them as children, on the green hills around the palace.)
I wanted to see your smile and played this song countless times.
KANATA: Seeing you practice it with all your might filled me with so much joy.
KANATA: I want to play the violin with you again.
That is my dream.
It's a dream that can't come true without you.
Towa, please remember.
(Flashback of child Towa telling child Kanata her dream)
KANATA: You told me your dream back then.
As long as you wish for it, I'm sure your dream will come true.
(A teardrop, after getting through her mask, trickles down Twilight's right cheek and falls to the ground. The teardrop glows and forms a bright, warm ray of rainbow light that shoots up towards Twilight, reaching her.)
KANATA: What?
PUFF: That's... the light of dreams?
(The light of dreams strikes Twilight in the middle of the chest.)
(The Dyspear in the hall is revealed to be an oversized hologram, that suffers from interferences)
HOLO-DYSPEAR (buzzing like a faulty audio): Impossible... The dreams I've erased are returning?
(She fades away.)
Twilight's mask shatters, and the shards rise upwards, revealing a languid face with scarlet tareme eyes (contrast with Twilight's tsurime eyes!) full of tears.
TOWA (shedding tears): Big brother... (She cries as she shuts her eyes and the warm, white light envelops her, purifying her.)
When the light fades away, Kanata is kneeling in the middle of the Great Hall, cradling an unconscious Towa, just like a Pietà. The pets and Precures advance towards them.
KANATA: Towa...
SHUT (gasping in horror): AAAAAH!!!! What is going on here!!?? Who is that girl over there!?
Hey, Lock! What ever happened to my Princess Twilight!!??
LOCK (aloof, shrugging): Princess Twilight disappeared and became a normal girl.
SHUT (sobbing, crying): No way! This cannot be!!!
LOCK (sighs): Things have gotten boring again.
(Shut keeps on sobbing. The whole palace quakes.)
LOCK: Look, let's get out of here before everything falls apart.
Seems like Dyspear is quite angry right now.
Shut's reaction to Twilight's heel-face-turn: priceless. (Lock won't care, obviously).
What does it mean for us Shutlight shippers?
However, it's back to serious business once more,
as Kanata is left in charge and Towa briefly awakens...
In her throne room, on her throne, Lady Dyspear is enveloped in black flames, that shoot towards the ceiling. The whole palace quakes. Black thorns spring from the ground all over the throne room.
Kanata, cradling Towa, leads the rest of the team outside, running for their lives.
KIRARA: I have a bad feeling about this.
MINAMI: I don't think they'll let us leave like this.
AROMA; There's a door up ahead!
PUFF: We went to your world through that door!
KANATA: We cannot go up against Dyspear's power right now. You don't have any energy left from that last fight. We have to get out of here first.
VOICE OF DYSPEAR: You aren't getting away.
(Kanata is frightened)
VOICE OF DYSPEAR (in the quickly slithering bundle of thorns): I will destroy your dreams and eliminate hope itself. The world will become covered in despair.
HARUKA: Whoa! What's that?
AROMA: Dyspear's magical powers!
(The Cures and their allies reach a circular hall with an open door into a dark blue void: the portal to Earth.)
PUFF: Over there! Hurry and jump in!
Now Minami and Kirara are the ones cradling Twilight, for Kanata needs to wield his sceptre.
The thorns lunge against the Cures, but Kanata is quick to raise his sceptre and ward them away with a force field of rainbow light.
AROMA: That was close.
(Towa comes to in Kirara's arms. The first thing she sees is Kanata, sceptre in hand, from his back.)
TOWA: Big... brother...
(Kanata, surprised, turns around. Then, he smiles to his sister.)
KANATA: Welcome back, Towa. There's nothing to worry about anymore. Towa, I will definitely protect you.
(Towa smiles.)
KANATA: Go! To the door!
PRECURES: Yes, sir! (Minami and Kanata rush towards the portal, with a once more unconscious Towa in their arms.)
HARUKA: Let's go, Kanata!
KANATA: Go on ahead.
I will destroy that door after you all leave.
Dyspear's powers will follow you into your world if I don't do that.
I must stop that from happening.
HARUKA: No! That's too dangerous! I will...
KANATA: Thanks to all of you, I was able to meet Towa again. I found the hope I had lost.
(The thorns breach the force field, making cracks appear in it.)
KANATA: I'll come right after you. You still have a dream you want to fulfill, right?
(As Haruka leaves, propelled backwards and into the portal by the light from Kanata's sceptre, the force field is more cracked by the thorns. The doors close.)
KANATA: Haruka, please take care of Towa.
(Both the ruby hilt of Kanata's sceptre and the force field shatter.)
Minami and Kirara bring Towa through the portal to Earth,
closely followed by Puff and Aroma...
...and she comes to once more in Kirara's arms, during the trip between dimensions...
(The thorns breach the force field, making cracks appear in it.)
KANATA: I'll come right after you. You still have a dream you want to fulfill, right?
(As Haruka leaves, propelled backwards and into the portal by the light from Kanata's sceptre, the force field is more cracked by the thorns. The doors close.)
KANATA: Haruka, please take care of Towa.
(The ruby hilt of Kanata's sceptre cracks, and the force field shatters. The thorns close in on the prince, and so does the dark figure among them.)
Kanata turns around, defiantly, to face Dyspear, whose ruby eyes glow like embers.
Now Kanata releases, from the even more cracking hilt of his sceptre, rays of bright pink light.
KANATA: As long as my heart yearns to meet them again, I'm sure...
Let us meet again!
(The ruby in the hilt of his sceptre shatters, as the pink light shines brighter and more powerful. This light pervades even the space between the Hope Kingdom and Earth.
HARUKA (desperate): Kanata!!
Now what will happen to Prince Grand Kanata? My guess is that Lady Dyspear
may gain a son as compensation for losing a daughter.
That's right, maybe Kanata will be mind-raped or something worse.
Meanwhile on Earth... The sun is setting over the coast near Noble Academy. Towa and the Princess Cures, and their pets, are lying unconscious on the sand.
Towa lets go of a faint sigh as she awakens.
TOWA: Big brother... (She closes her eyes once more.)
Though she's shorter than the other Cures, Towa is now officially in their ranks.
MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:
For those who loved Twilight as a villain, you could say it was a bittersweet day for us. Twilight is no more and Princess Towa is back with her memories and saved- at the cost of her brother Kanata sacrificing himself in order to prevent Dyspear from following them back into their the girls’ origin world.
Considering the circumstances and the stage we are at now, I would say what had happened during the battle and the outcome was fair enough. Dyspear’s buff up was powerful, at the cost of the power progressing to consume her. She outright said she was ready to cast Twilight/Towa aside because she failed her tasks and was no longer a useful tool. It took many special attacks and holding out on Trinity Explosion simply to buy enough time for Kanata to be able to play the violin (upon his own choosing) in hopes of unlocking Towa’s heart and memories.
Her sound was so beautiful, it convinced her that was one of her ways of subconsciously channeling out her true emotions. And when you think about it, it’s true. Dyspear wiped out every little bit of her identity, but her heart couldn’t be fully erased. Her love for the violin persisted even in her new form, and that itself was the key to freeing her dreams from Dyspear’s clutches.
So what happened to little Towa was Dyspear sensed her insecurity and exploited it. At first Towa didn’t trust Dyspear because she was scary, but Dyspear managed to persuade her by claiming she can help make her dream come true. Towa who was frustrated at her progress and was losing hope in herself to become the Grand Princess then decided she would take up the offer and went to Dyspear side. As result of being the people’s hope the kingdom fell into despair which provided Dyspear the fuel she needed to become stronger. That was supposed to be it, but then Dyspear thought it would be fun to make use of her in another way and that is how the Dark Princess Twilight was born.
With Kanata having sacrificed himself in order to protect his sister and the precure, I am hoping with all my might that they will make him into the next big bad. Actually when I think about it, I am surprised I hadn’t thought of the possibility sooner, and truthfully, I love the possibility and it would certainly fill in the opening that Twilight had left us with her awesomeness. Also, I have the mighty need for dark!Kanata. I am a total sucker to these things when a love counterpart or friend gets brainwashed/possessed into the dark side. Certainly it is not the most original idea, but I always consider it to be the most fun and angst.
Now if Dyspear chooses to use Kanata, I wonder what kind of touch ups she would do to make sure the same mistake does not happen again. Erasing the memories, heart and dreams weren’t enough, so what else could she do to make it more difficult for the Precures? Twilight already had a very strong personality, but as soon as the Precure started getting the better of her, she started losing confidence in herself as well as her emotions.
Next week! It looks like Towa will be experiencing post-trauma stress disorder. I love that they are doing this because gosh, it would be weird if she didn’t. In order to overcome her trauma and guilt from what she had done as Twilight, appears she will be debuting as Cure Scarlet next week. The only thing is… *cringe* the Cure Scarlet design… I will wait until I get a better picture of it next week, but I can’t say the preview it is leaving me with a good impression at all.
I also wondered if Shutlight shipping would pay off post-coat turn, if Shutowa could be a reality as well. That ship has definitely been sunk.
Sparing Shut and Lock kind of hooked me. When would these two ever be offed? I thought they would be killed by the Cures, but obviously there is more than meets the eye and these two will stay until the series finale in December, maybe they will survive, maybe share Close's fate (knowing that this is more or less the Westeros of the Precure-verse...) Only time will tell.
And Princess Towa's start of darkness? Pretty nice, Dyspear, luring a perfectionistic, innocent child into the Lost Woods with the pretext of granting her wishes. Towa, being a child in primary school age and a sheltered royal, knew as much of the world's malice as Sansa Stark or Rapunzel. So she was lured away from court, trapped and mind-raped. Uh-uh... One can understand the Hope Kingdom population's adult fear.
Plus, the fact that their parents are absent and Kanata is still crown prince (instead of king), being in his teens, gives me the vibes that a regency was ruling the lands until his coming of age... before the Dysdark invasion. Where would the siblings' parents ever be?
Besides, that will-o'-the-wisp and that mist reminded me of Brave, a great film about an unlikely princess led astray and reformed.
Anyway, Towa's innocence and naiveté are somehow to blame, Dyspear or the power behind her using these traits to waylay her and then, when she was all alone and lost, corrupt her. As easy as luring a child into a trap. And then taking advantage of all her loved ones' combined concern for her safety, and their losing hope, to claim that throne.
Anyway, why would Lady Dyspear mind-rape Towa for other purposes than weakening the Hope Kingdom? To replace a deceased or estranged child of hers? To get a more powerful warrior than Shut and Lock? To have a puppet ruler on the throne once Kanata was completely disposed of...? Surely, Her Ladyship's own start of darkness may clarify all of these doubts. And, in Pretty Cure series, the big bad's start of darkness flashback comes always in December, as the third or fourth episode from the end of the season. So we will have to wait another half year...
The deliverance through music reminded me of both Orpheus and Gerda in "The Snow Queen", two other cases in which the power of music to bring back memories and warm hearts has been proved. Especially in the latter case, in which a song in particular is used to bring back a possessed and estranged sibling figure, by moving that person to tears that somehow expel the darkness within:
Without waiting for an answer, he struck his lyre and sang to them the story of his life, and of how he had loved and lost Eurydice. The eyes of the pale queen brightened when she heard him, and the colour came back to her cheeks, as the song brought back to her mind the days of her girlhood and the sunlit meadows of Sicily. Then a great pity filled her heart for Eurydice, who had left the green earth for ever, and might not return, as she herself did, in the springtime, living only the dark winter months below. As Orpheus ceased his song she laid her hand upon her husband's.
"My lord," she said, "grant his boon, I pray thee. He is brave and true-hearted, and he sings as no man has ever sung before."
But the stern king sat with his head upon his hand and eyes cast down, deep in thought. At length he spoke, and his voice was soft and kind.
"Orpheus," he said, "thou hast touched my heart with thy singing."
...
But he sat quite still, stiff and cold.
Then little Gerda wept hot tears, which fell on his chest, and penetrated into his heart, and thawed the lump of ice, and washed away the little piece of glass which had stuck there. Then he looked at her, and she sang:
“Roses bloom and fade away,
but true love will always stay.”
Then Kay burst into tears, and he wept so that the splinter of glass swam out of his eye. Then he recognized Gerda, and said, joyfully: “Gerda, dear little Gerda, where have you been all this time, and where have I been?” And he looked all around him, and said:
“How cold it is, and how large and empty it all looks,” and he clung to Gerda, and she laughed and wept for joy.
There's a bit of a cliffhanger in that Kanata stayed behind to fight Dyspear... The Dysdarks' agenda for such a valuable person intrigues me. Maybe Shut and Lock will get a third comrade in the form of a white-haired and aloof Dark Prince (after all, last season also featured the "brainwashed love interest" factor of Sailor Moon and all its ripoffs) (evil Kanata means more shipping between generals?) (What will Kanata's name be changed to, should he experience a face-heel turn?)
Still, I just LOVE the dude-in-distress formula because it shows a passive, imprisoned or drugged male love interest freed by an aggressive and dynamic heroine. I had the great fortune to be a child in the late nineties, that decade of girl power, and grow up with countless subversive dude-in-distress stories, from the Duke of Norroway tales ("lost husband tales") and The Snow Queen all the way to Sailor Moon and Princess Sissi. Stories which I still adore, honestly. So I LOVE the idea of Grand Kanata becoming a dude in distress, with possible brainwashing and mind-rape. Making him now the Cain to Towa's Abel, reversing the original roles, gets me as hooked as waiting for next season of Game of Thrones.
Towa's own perfectionism and insecurities awakened Dyspear, who had been somehow sealed away... Interesting. Is this another metaphor of our potential for doing evil? And, if Dyspear is an ancient evil sealed in a can, have we got the old Pretty Cure message of "You can lock evil away, yet it will always escape and exist?" Is Dyspear's blue will-o'-the-wisp form possessing more than a bundle of thorns (like, a person)? And is there a more powerful dark force behind Dyspear?
In Feminist Frequency, Anita Sarkeesian gives a critique of the dude-in-distress subversion of damselling:
"So what is the difference between traditional narratives that place female characters in powerless positions and stories in which a male character requires rescuing by a woman?
On the surface the Dude in Distress and the Damsel in Distress may appear similar — however they’re not actually equivalent. To understand why they are different we need to examine the broader historical and cultural implications of the two plot devices.
First there’s been no shortage of men in leading or heroic roles in video games or in any other creative medium for that matter. In fact one recent study found that only about 4% of modern titles are exclusively designed around a woman in the leading role. Since men are still largely the default for protagonists, the rare dude in distress plotline does not add to any longstanding gendered tradition in storytelling.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, damsel’ed female characters tend to reinforce pre-existing regressive notions about women as a group being weak or in need of protection because of their gender, while stories with the occasional helpless male character do NOT perpetuate anything negative about men as a group since there is no long-standing stereotype of men being weak or incapable because of their gender.
The two may appear the same, but they don’t mean the same thing in our culture. This [damsel] is still a problem while this [dude] is not. Again because one reinforces pre-existing stereotypes about women, while the other does not re-enforce any pre-existing stereotypes about men.
That said I don’t necessarily think equal opportunity damseling is the answer. Simply reversing the gender roles of a problematic convention so that more men are damsel’ed in more games is not the best long-term solution, even if the practice might be subversive in the short term to help demonstrate a very real gender disparity in the medium. Ultimately we need to think beyond the cliché altogether.
As a quick side note, It’s important to point out that a kidnapped male character saved by a woman and a kidnapped female character saved by a man are not equivalent, because while a damsel in distress reinforces longstanding regressive myths about women as a group being weak or helpless specifically because of their gender, a dude in distress does not reinforce any such ideas about men."
I object to Anita Sarkeesian's view of the plot device. Though Sarkeesian is merely talking video and computer games, there is a dude-in-distress tradition in storytelling, dating back to the age of ancient empires: Osiris, Hermaphroditus, the Duke of Norroway, Pintosmalto, Charmant (both of them love interests in literary seventeenth-century lost husband tales), Kai in The Snow Queen, Perlino (Laboulaye's take on Pintosmalto), the Poodle Prince (also by Laboulaye), Gaston le Hussière (whose imprisonment of war gives Salgari's female Captain Tempest a reason to venture into enemy country), Shinobu Ijyuuin (whose disappearance gives Benio Hanamura a whale of a quest)... up to our own days' Jaime Lannister, redeemed by Brienne of Tarth.MÄRCHENATLAS:
Der Mann verschwindet daraufhin an einen weit entfernten, magischen Ort, wo er eine andere Frau (typischerweise die Tochter einer bösen Fee) heiraten soll. Die Schöne ist bereit, bis ans Ende der Welt zu gehen, um ihren Liebsten zu finden und zu erlösen, wobei ihr Zauberkräfte zuwachsen. Mit kostbaren Gegenständen erkauft sie sich drei Nächte bei ihrem Mann. Die neue Braut versucht, den Mann durch einen Schlaftrunk unempfindlich zu machen, doch in der letzten Nacht kann die rechtmäßige Frau ihn erreichen und erlösen.
There is a tradition of narratives about male love interests both overpowered by villainesses and redeemed by heroines. A tradition of male powerlessness, playing on the dominant gender's fear of weakness or castration (the use of drugs and/or injuries previously received on the typical dude in distress), and of reassuring that female support, with a great deal of pluck, can bring about the wounded male's redemption. Thus, I have written more than one such "three nights tales", and I ship Jaime and Brienne, and Benio and Shinobu, so hard. So I'm more than obviously overjoyed that Kanata has been left behind, most likely to be "duded" (if there's a spear counterpart for "damselled"), for Towa's character to develop and, together with her new teammates, to give everything to set him free.
In addition to all of this, that separation from Kanata has given his sister a quest, a purpose to fulfil during this series, to let her grow more of a backbone and stop being an innocent maiden, just like Sansa Stark.
"Will Shut and/or Lock forfeit their lives in battle? And will Towa be the one to free Kanata?
Only time will tell..."
NEXT EPISODE: 22 (THE LAST TEMPTATION / RISE OF CURE SCARLET)
There is an image of Towa with mind-control eyes, imprisoned in a bud-shaped cage of tendrils in a dark forest.
And also a flashback of Child!Kanata and Child!Towa in happier times, before present-day Towa awakens in a two-story bed in Noble Academy, surprised.
She appears to be haunted by Dyspear in her dreams, and is startled by a sudden feeling that frightens her and forces her to cover her ears in bed (Does she hear Dyspear's voice tempting her?) There is also an unquiet dream of Towa's, in which Lady Dyspear invades her personal space and tries to coax her... By the look of next episode, it seems that the others will go on a Journey to the Centre of Towa's Mind...
Welcome to Noble Academy, Your Highness.
Hope you make yourself at home on post-industrial Earth, with the culture shock and all that.
In next episode (22), Towa, born royalty as she is,
will try to adjust to a new life at Noble Academy
(her dream will be, surely, saving her brother).
Yet the Dysdarks have not forgotten her coat turn
and will try to tempt her (most likely with freeing Kanata).
However, Towa will find the strength to resist temptation
and become the fiery Cure Scarlet...
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