ONCE MORE, HER STAR RISES

Go!Princess Precure - Episode 43

My Own Review

ONCE MORE, HER STAR RISES



PREVIOUSLY ON GPPC:

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Kirara Amanogawa chose the lesser of two evils: losing her chance at a golden ticket into the US fashion business to save her disciple Karin, AKA Rinrin, whose dream had been Stopped and Frozen.
This decision made Kirara realize that her career could interfere with her duty, and therefore, another, more important decision took hold of her: to leave her modeling career altogether and consecrate herself solely to her duties as a student and as a Precure...


KIRARA'S NEW LIFESTYLE:
DEVOUR DOUGHNUTS, FIGHT DESPORGS, SHOOT HOOPS... (NO RUNWAYS!)

The episode begins with Kirara tucking into her favourite treat, then plunging into a sugar rush...

KIRARA (euphoric): Mmmm!!! Marble Doughnuts are the best!!

Seriously: is she drowning her sorrows in cholesterol? Has Kirara really fallen on such hard times?

Suddenly, a chef-themed desporg summoned by Stop and Freeze pops up on campus.

Kirara spots the enemy in the corner of her eye...

...and rushes headlong into the fray ahead of her friends, surprising them.

Ere her teammates are able to transform, Cure Twinkle has made short work of the desporg on her own.

The victim du jour is this Noble Academy student who dreams of becoming a Masterchef.

The Cures are astounded when they see Kirara taking him to safety...

TOWA (running towards Cure Twinkle): You defeated it already?

KIRARA (having de-transformed): Yup! (Smiles cheekily and does the V sign)

Suddenly, two older female NA students recognize Kirara from the media and this ensues...

PONYTAILED STUDENT: Isn't that Kirara?

STUDENT IN BOATER HAT: She is!

KIRARA (turning around for a second, then walking forwards with her back to them): C'mon, let's go! Let's go!

PONYTAILED STUDENT: She just left...

Meanwhile, a Kaiser lands in Yumegahama...

Noble Academy, some time later. Kirara is shooting hoops with her two muggle friends Hitomi "Hitomin" (pigtailed) and Yoko "Youtan" (bobbed-hair).

Having shot her best hoop, Kirara and Yoko do high-fives.

KIRARA (elated): Great shot!! High five!

HITOMI: But it's so rare to have fun with you like this, Kirara.

KIRARA (savvy): Well, it's a change of pace! Moving your body feels so nice!!

KIRARA (savvy): Let's try another game.

But, in her head, memories of her last battle, to purify her Girl Friday, are still vivid...

KIRARA (thinking): I wanted to protect Rinrin's dreams myself, come hell or highwater. I do not regret it at all.

Non... rien de rien...
Non... je ne regrette rien...
C'est payé, balayé, oublié...
Je me fous du passé...

Last time we saw Kirara shoot hoops was in the Sports Day episode, this springtime. At last we remember that she plays basketball!

When a concerned Haruka asks her about her job that evening, Kirara becomes particularly ironic.

KIRARA (pinching Haruharu's nose): Nema problema!

KIRARA (determined, for all the Cures to hear): I may have been too busy before...

RETURN OF THE KAISER

A WILD MRS. SHIROGANE APPEARS!

(As surreptitiously as usual.)

MRS. SHIROGANE: You have got guests tonight.

KIRARA (gasps): This late!?

MRS. SHIROGANE: She says it's an emergency.

DID YOU REALLY QUIT? 

DESPERATELY SEEKING KIRARA

MEANWHILE IN THE HOPE KINGDOM...

AND MEANWHILE, LADY DYSPEAR...

A MYSTERIOUS INVITATION

 

THE RUNWAY OF DREAMS

Yui wants to be a storybook author/illustrator? I mean, the Pope is Catholic.

Hitomi, a copper? She does look good in uniform...

Yoko, a physician? The lab coat suits her as well.

Yuki and the Chimbo Trio? These are easy pie. The next Roland Garros and his cheerleaders (is the Pope Catholic?).

Oh, where can I buy the Ranko Revolution single?

ON THE RETURN OF RANKO: Yes, she's back!! THE QUEEN IS BACK IN THE RING!! FANS GO INTO BRAWLS WHEN SHE'LL START TO SING! ON THE RUNWAY, SHE ACTED OUT HER SUPERSTAR DREAMS WITH AS MUCH PANACHE AND ÉLAN AS EVER...  AND SHE EVEN SANG A SONG WRITTEN BY HERSELF!!! LORD OF LIGHT... YOU HEARD MY PRAYER!

Reiko wants to be a judge (in black kimono toga and law book, but no wig): which suits her serious, no-nonsense, slightly killjoy nature.

On Seira Azuma's dream: AT LAST WE FOUND IT OUT, AND MAN! Does she want to be a baseball batter? Fitting dream for a tomboy/bifauxnen, isn't it?

And Ayaka Nishimine's dream: AWESOME AS WELL! Ayaka wants to be a Grand Master ("iemoto" in Japanese). A Grand Master, this girly girl/proper lady who so far has preferred to dress in Westernized attire? Well, the pink kimono and flower hair decs suit her as well...

On the dreams of their spear counterparts: Shun (the Finnick-like one) wants to be a master kendo swordsman (anyone else noticed that Shun is left-handed?), while Naoto (the James Potter-like one) wants to be a pharmacist (the lab coat fits him like a glove, with that tall and lean physique, those spectacles, that neatly-combed dark hair...).

Rinrin's dreams are to be the next Kirara - you have a worthy successor!

There again I've more to do

Than simply get the message through!
I haven't started!
Let's get this show on the road!
Let's make it obvious!

THE COMEBACK GAL

Eyes, hair, mouth, figure
Dress, voice, style, movement
Hands, magic, rings, glamour
Face, diamonds, excitement, image

I came from the people, they need to adore me
So Christian Dior me from my head to my toes
I need to be dazzling, I want to be Rainbow High!
They must have excitement, and so must I...

Eyes, hair, mouth, figure

Dress, voice, style, image

I'm their product, it's vital you sell me...
So Machiavell me, make me into a rose

I need to be dazzling, I want to be Rainbow High!
They must have excitement, and so must I...

Eyes, hair, mouth, figure

Dress, voice, style, image

Eyes, hair, mouth, figure

Dress, voice, style, movement
Hands, magic, rings, glamour
Face, diamonds, excitement, image

All my fans and supporters expect me to outshine the enemy!

Rinrin, no, everyone...
I won't disappoint them!!

I'm their savior, that's what they call me!
So Lauren Bacall me, anything goes
To make me fantastic, I have to be Rainbow High!
In magical colours...

THE MAKING OF THE SHOW

Towa sews some costumes as skilfully as she can, and thus, we get a reminder of her aptitude for needlework (one of her many similarities to Sansa Stark), in case we had forgotten.

Ranko must have some powerful lungs for being so hammy. 

No chance they chose her to be in charge of the balloons.

KIRARA VS. VISERION (OR STEVEN MAGNET?)

Right in the throat! Nice marksmanship, Kirara!

Now on to Galaxy Chorus! For apparently, to purify a devastorg one needs first to use the Shaved Ice Key and then Grand Printemps with the other Precures...

C'est encore l'heure du Grand Printemps!

CURE TWINKLE: (Gokigenyó.)

CURE TWINKLE (having an epiphany): Aha! Royal Majesty!

ALLONS EN FRANCE, ON VA À PARIS...
(LE JOUR DU ROYAUME DELIVRÉ!
CONTRE NOUS, MAINTENANT, DE DYSPEAR
L'ÉTENDARD SANGLANT EST LEVÉ...)

I see Kirara has regained her usual irony...

The show must go on!
The show must go on!

I'll face it with a grin!
I'm never giving in!
On - with the show -
I'll top the bill, 

I'll overkill,
I have to find the will to carry on...
On with the -
On with the show -
The show must go on...

The ending card shows the Royal Key with Kirara's own Keys.

MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:

On Kirara's star ascending again: The comeback kid, Achilles no longer sulking in that freaking tent, the resurrection of a pop icon. SHE IS RISEN. And Karin Akeboshi was the Patroclus who pulled her, no, made her snap out of her intrenchment, as I predicted. I thought Kirara would have to face Karin turned desporg once more... but Lady Dyspear took Viserion out of her sleeve... (I didn't expect that Spanish Inquisition, to be honest). What matters is that Kirara's freed her predecessor Sei's castle from Dysdark rule (now that persimmons are in season, I have made my special Sei Persimmon Punch to toast the event), and that she's once more her usual sexy, savvy self. As if nothing had ever happened.

On the return of the Kaiser: Herr Lagerfeld's convenient appearance saved Kirara Amanogawa from the complete wreck of her career. And he's brought Choupette along as usual! As for a pro future in Paris... that's an offer Kirara is not able to refuse!

ON THE RETURN OF RANKO: Yes, she's back!! THE QUEEN IS BACK IN THE RING!! FANS GO INTO BRAWLS WHEN SHE'LL START TO SING! ON THE RUNWAY, SHE ACTED OUT HER SUPERSTAR DREAMS WITH AS MUCH PANACHE AND ÉLAN AS EVER... AND SHE EVEN SANG A SONG WRITTEN BY HERSELF!!! LORD OF LIGHT... YOU HEARD MY PRAYER! Though she's still second, no, third to Kirara (after Rinrin stepped into the picture), and will have to do her best to outshine now not only one, but two prospective rivals!

On Seira Azuma's dream: AT LAST WE FOUND IT OUT, AND MAN! Does she want to be a baseball batter? Fitting dream for a tomboy/bifauxnen, isn't it? Well, I am making the Hogwarts AU of this series, and Seira there is both prefect for Gryffindor and right beater (being right-handed) for the quidditch team (aside from having a pretty large equal-opportunity fanclub). I wanted to make her a quidditch player, but was not sure of where in the line-up to place her until her dream came to light in this episode. Right off the bat, never better said.
And Ayaka Nishimine's dream: AWESOME AS WELL! Ayaka wants to be a Grand Master ("iemoto" in Japanese). A Grand Master, this girly girl/proper lady who so far has preferred to dress in Westernized attire? Well, the pink kimono and flower hair decs suit her as well...

On the dreams of their spear counterparts: Shun (the Finnick-like one) wants to be a master kendo swordsman (anyone else noticed that Shun is left-handed? In my AU, I have made him left beater for Gryffindor), while Naoto (the James Potter-like one) wants to be a pharmacist (the lab coat fits him like a glove, with that tall and lean physique, those spectacles, that neatly-combed dark hair...).

On the deliverance of the Star Castle: Another outpost of the Hope Kingdom is free! (Pops her Moët and lounges back, eagerly awaiting the deliverance of the whole Kingdom)...

On Kirara leaving for Paris after the last stand: The Kaiser has finally made our star shine again, and that by upping the ante by inviting her to la Ville Lumière. Lucky Kirara! Hope she falls prey to no terrorist attacks, since the wounds of the French capital are still open and bleeding. Will she keep her powers after the HK is delivered? After all, terrorists strike as suddenly and unexpectedly as Dysdarks...

TO WRAP IT ALL UP: Kirara regaining her dreams. The dreams of the student council revealed at last. Kirara fighting a dragon (for Kirara is badass and dragons are badass, so...). MORE RANKO!!! The return of the Kaiser. More of the Hope Kingdom freed from Dysdark rule. Everything in this episode excited me!!


IN NEXT EPISODE (44):
Minami finds herself conflicted between her old dream of entrepreneurship and her new one of researching the oceans and a way to preserve them.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY:
SHUT IS BACK!!!

And he hasn't changed an ounce of his usual panache.

EXTRA:

A beautiful Art Nouveau picture of Cure Twinkle to feast your eyes on, Kirarafans. 

Because she's worth it.