Star*Twinkle Pretty Cure - Episode 11
My Own Review
IN WHICH THE CAT IN THE SPATS WILL HAVE NONE OF THAT
This is my review of Star Twinkle Ep 11 and what happened after the girls' first major defeat?
Safe to say that things really did not go well for PreCures in the previous episode of Star ☆ Twinkle. Perhaps things will improve for them in the eleventh episode.
Everyone examines the damage that was done to Lala’s wreck
We start with PreCures crashing back to Earth on Lala’s burning starship. It ends up getting damaged, though it is still somewhat functional this time around. Enough for it to be stored in a pea-sized spherical capsule, like something straight out of Dragon Ball.
After their spaceship suffered damages from the crash land, Madoka's father Fuyuki Kaguya and his men were heading towards the landing site and Lala turned the spaceship into a mini portal ball and they began to run away from the scene. (Though why Lala never thought of making the spaceship portable in the first place is anyone question)
With Madoka’s dad nearby investigating reported UFO sightings, everyone makes a run for it before they can be spotted. They hide out at Ryotaro’s observatory.
Ryo is surprised to see Fuwa and Purunce when the girls come rushing in. However, he keeps quiet about them, even when Madoka’s father comes in.
The girls arrived at Ryotarou's observatory and he was shocked to see Fuwa and Purunce. However Mr. Kaguya has arrived and the girls hide in the next room. Ryoutarou played dumb and Mr. Kaguya was distracted by his men although he noticed the dirt on the floor. Ryoutarou learnt the true identities of Lala and agreed to keep it a secret.
Fortunately, something comes up that distracts him from actually discovering that Madoka and her friends are there.
Whenever Hikaru is feeling down, she visits the planetarium. Ryotaro finds her in there, and talks to her. Hikaru blames herself for what happened, but Ryo thinks otherwise. He also tells Hikaru that the Southern Cross constellation suits her clique.
Hikaru blames herself for what happened
This is where we see Hikaru all down inside the auditorium. Ryoutarou explained that the Southern Cross or Crux constellation (also known as the Emu or the Rhea) is not just a guide for travellers but it also holds the endless possibilities for those who seek the unknown.
Meanwhile, the KnotRaiders arrived on Earth and Ayewan suggested using the Taurus pen to make them become a KnotTrigger. Bakenyan actually declined the offer which suggested two things: -he is actually very strong and overwhelms the other three generals or he has a hidden secret that might be connected to the revival of the big bad-Darknest who is also to awaken in this episode.
A cycloppatengu knottrigger created by combining Kappard, Tenjou and Ayewan’s powers
The knotraiders arrive on Earth, and Ayewan has an experiment she wants to take care of. She turns the Taurus Princess Star Colour Pen into a Dark Pen, and uses that power to turn herself, Kappard and Tenjou into a knottrigger. Bakenyan, Ayewan’s butler, refuses to be a part of that.
The knottrigger attacks Madoka’s father, since he happens to be nearby. He ends up getting knocked unconscious, but Purunce is able to carry him to safety whilst PreCures transform and fight. (Since Fuyuki is unconscious, eyes shut, he doesn't know he's been saved by one of the aliens he's out to capture!)
The Three Generals become a KnotTrigger and Mr. Kaguya was knocked unconscious by it (fortunately, since a space cephalopod was the one who took him to a safe neck of the woods, far from the frontline).
The girls arrived to battle but were no match against the generals. They even taunted Cure Star for being naive about the galaxy...
However, the knottrigger overwhelms them.
Kappard, Tenjou, and Ayewan all start going on about how they lost their home planets and had to live on the edge of the universe, since the three generals have lost everything and have no choice but to serve Darknest.
They tell Cure Star that she has no imagination.
So, their combined form would be... a
cycloppatengu, right?
Soleil, Milkyway, and Selene offer Cure Star their support
It seems that Cure Star has nothing to say back to her enemy’s taunt, but the other three members or PreCures stand up and say how it is thanks to Hikaru’s imagination that they are all together now. Cure Star also realises just what Ryotaro was talking about when he said that the Southern Cross suited all of them perfectly.
However the other three Cures told Cure Star that it was her and her "Imagination" that brought them together and learn the value of friendship.
Cure Star is able to regain her resolves thanks to her friends, and this in turn awakens a new power. When said power is awoken, Darknest – presumably our main antagonist for this season – reacts to it.
Cure Star joined with the others and their combined powers awaken their new power-Twinkle Sticks and the Team Attack-Southern Cross Shot which defeated the three generals.
Southern Cross Shot
With new power comes a new attack: the Southern Cross Shot (AKA the de rigueur cour finale finishing move upgrade).
The Trigger has not even got enough time to brace for impact...
They defeat the knottrigger with the attack, and Cure Star is able to reclaim (and purified with just touching it) her Taurus Princess Star Colour Pen.
Bakenyan retreats with his defeated allies and the Dark Pen of Aries
Purunce tells Cure Star to grab the Aries Dark Pen that the enemy claimed before, but Bakenyan steps up and refuses to let them have it. He claims that whoever gathers all twelve Pens (btw, thirteenth, Ophiuchus, is there?) will gain the power to transcend anything before departing. Exit all four knotraider cadres, stage left.
Cure Star got back her Taurus pen but Bakenyan retrieved the other (Aries) pen, darkened in the previous episode, and the generals. Before he leaves, he told the girls that those who have all twelve pens will control the universe. (Sounds like the Infinity Gauntlet all over again)
Mr. Kaguya arrived to see Madoka and her friends and was about to probe them when an unknown person with a camera arrived...
Once Bakenyan is gone, Madoka’s father shows up (Fuyuki had come to in the meantime, after Purunce left for the frontline). Before he can get too suspicious about Madoka turning up in a place where a UFO was sighted, somebody who looks rather familiar to any film buffs out there approaches them. Got to wait until the next episode to find out just who, what, and why it is, though.
Episodes 10 and 11 of Star ☆ Twinkle were both excellent. They come as a pair, and we got some really neat moments from both. Episode 10 most notably gave us the enemies winning, and in this one PreCures gained a new team attack (as de rigueur when it comes to finishing moves in every cour finale). Milkyway, Soleil, and Selene all coming together and pulling Cure Star back from the brink of despair was also a particularly good moment.
We’ve also had some intrigue set up; the power that PreCures used for their Southern Cross Shot caused Darknest, the knotraiders' overlords to react to it.
There’s also the small matter of the owner of all twelve Princess Star Colour Pens being able to transcend anything, That’s some pretty major power there, no wonder the knotraiders are keen to get their hands on the Pens.
So yeah, I really enjoyed this episode of Star ☆ Twinkle (and the previous one). I’m also quite looking forward to the next episode, mostly to see an Elena focus episode and Elena as the next Captain Marvel...
This episode is very personal to Hikaru as she learns about her mistakes and she nearly loses her "Imagination" since the three generals overwhelm them. But thanks to her friends-nakama, (Which is a common trope in magical girl warrior series) she believed in herself again and their bond actually create their new power up-the Twinkle Sticks! Similar to last season, we had yet to see how individual stick will work with each Cure but the team attack was pretty nice although I felt there was no finishing pose from the girls after the cleansing but it is still early since we have not even reach the middle of the season.
Following up from last week’s epic episode, the girls continued to run into all sorts of problems! Their starship s damaged, but luckily it can still shrink into “carry-mode” (thank god for that be functioning!) so it wouldn’t be found, Madoka’s father is as intelligent as he depicted to be, and was hot on the girls heels. Poor Ryo had tried to cover for them, but their muddy tracks gave them away. Had it not been for Fuyuki Kaguya’s colleague to draw his attention elsewhere (most likely due to the arrival of the Knotraiders), they would have surely been caught!
Upon their return, Hikaru was understandably out of the sorts, consumed by her guilt of letting her friends down and causing problems because of her own selfish desires. So I liked that she sought alone time so she could reflect on her mistakes. I think it was more important for Hikaru’s character to come to understand her mistakes on her own. In fact, I enjoyed seeing this more grounded side of her character. It really helps bring some balance to her energetic character. I also liked her conversation with Ryo, it touched my heart!
The three generals also almost made Hikaru lose faith in herself when they tried to make her believe she didn’t have any imagination at all, (which as we all know, couldn’t be further from the truth). The other girls however gave her some words of encouragement, of how her overflowing creativity and ability to imagination all sorts of things has helped them. But what I loved the most about this scene was Hikaru’s tearful response. It showed how much their words meant to her.
Although the girls’ power-up wasn’t necessarily as “dramatic” or “flashy” as some have been the past, I liked the simplicity behind it. Their new power came out of the girls’ strengthening their individual resolves: For Hikaru it’s for Earth and the Stars, for Lala it’s being a Precure, Madoka’s was determination, and Elena’s was protecting smiles. And I don’t know about you though, but when they prepared to use the power of their new Finishing Move, I was half expecting them to break into a song! Thank god they didn’t! Southern Cross Shot is spectacular and gorgeous, and I love that it’s used for their power because of the sentimental meaning behind it.
But what I loved the most about this event was a reality-check for all the whole team. For the first time, they had got a taste of defeat, and just how powerful the knotraiders can be both individually and when they work together as a unit. They were also given a harrowing reminder of what the Knotraiders are known for:
Raiding planets. They're an empire of conquistadors! The girls were all horrified to learn the knotraiders have their eyes set on Earth potentially being their next target. Additionally, they have also learned through Butler Bakenyan, whoever holds the power of all twelve pens, will have the power to exceed all things, which makes it all the more important to keep it out of the enemy’s hands.
So it was no surprise to see even though the girls were able to defeat the three generals (thanks to their new power: Twinkle Sticks) and successfully retrieve the Taurus Pen, there was little reason to celebrate. In fact I would say this fight really ended more like a draw, since the girls were not able to retrieve the pen that the generals had claimed on the other planet. Unfortunately, the tension of Madoka’s father confronting the girls (having realized they have always been in the area they were told to investigate) was broken upon the arrival of some film director (who is apparently an alien).
As for the first cadre fight, this probably has to be my favourite battle in the recent years. Not only the fight was thrilling to watch (poor Fuyuki Kaguya though! He got hit quite bad!), but I also a huge fan with how they made the generals team up together to take the girls down. Although Kappard and Tenjou were initially against the idea, once they used the dark pen to combine their powers, they cooperated with each other without any fuss. It was great to see what they are capable of when they decide to work together, making it a fantastic way to follow up their first fight, especially since their “Master’s Blessing” had expired.
Another detail I enjoyed was what happened after the trio lost. Just as the girls were about to reclaim the pen that had been taken from the other planet, Bakenyan makes himself relevant and successfully retreats with the corrupted pen and the generals in tow. In fact, speaking of Bakenyan, I am quite curious about what he meant by “my power won’t be balanced” when combined with the generals’. I am going to assume this guy is actually incredibly strong, and might be the Master’s eyes and ears, the Overlord's Varys so to speak, since as he observed the Cures awaken the Star Cross power, the Master woke up. I am so intrigued by this development!
Lastly, let’s take a moment to talk about what we learned from the generals this week! They spoke about how others never thought about how they felt, being forced to lurk in the cold and darkest side of the universe, or how (at least) Kappard’s planet have been stolen from him, and so in turn he must steal from others. Now that we know this, it explains so much why Kappard describes Earth to be the ‘coziest’ one of them all, why others’ love for space sickens him.
Next week, it looks like the girls are going to be given a “breather” of a sorts, but it also looks like they may be facing the enemy while they are buffed up again. Given that they now received their first power up, it only makes sense for the knotraiders to continue adjusting their strategies in order to keep up with the girls, especially if they intend to face them on their own from time to time.
MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION...
FUYUKI!!! To be honest, this is the closest a magical girl warrior series has ever got to shooting Tywin on the loo. Although, of course, being a genre more idealistic than cynical, he gets better (Fuyuki Kaguya, of course, NOT Tywin Lannister!). Though he was only knocked out -- not becoming the victim of the week, since there are none in cour finale episodes like this! Though I can predict that he will become the victim of the week in some Madoka focus episode, right?
Ryoutaro sheltering the Cures: To be honest - this feels just like the scenario of hiding fugitives away (Jews or Gays from the Nazis, Valjean from Javert, Batman from the Gotham Mafia... not to mention the Baudelaires from both the law and the troupe after fleeing the Vile Village) that we've encountered in fiction before.
Ryou is not only Santa and Dumbledore - but also Monsignor Myriel!
The Cat in the Spats shows some genre-savviness: How does he know that so many cadres across continuities, when they become one-winged angels, are sitting ducks for purification and the ensuing heel-face turn? That was the reason why he declined the strategy du jour! Now he has gone from a satellite character with faaar less center-stage than Batman's Pennyworth to the savvy fricking third-in-command for the KnotRaiders...
Some knotraider backstory revealed! Building upon Kappard's You-Know-Nothing-of-Javert moment about hostile climates on other worlds, all three cadres now follow upon that rant with a similar one on how their respective homeworlds were conquered and they were forced to flee; in other words,
there is a planet of kappa, as well as a planet of tengu, a planet of cyclops, and a planet of catfolk... under knotraider occupation! Surely, if this theory is right, the cadres-generals had no choice but to join the ranks of their oppressors, even if it meant being proscribed and seen by their own kin as traitors... If our own Earth is a paradise compared to those space warzones (and, given my escapist and chipper Volunteers-Fighting-Disease mindset, I know this little blue dot is frigged up)...
On the Pen front: The wrested Taurus Pen has been reclaimed! It's so obvious that we still keep on thinking of that - but what about the Aries Pen teased in last zenpen episode? The knotraiders still have it poisoned and in their power; looks like a loaded Chekhov's gun to fire sooner or later, right?
What happens to a free Star Princess once her pen is darkened? - She does not disappear, but suffers a a seizure with intense stabbing chest pain and loss of consciousness, just like a heart condition. Just what the Taurus Princess goes through today.
As I said before, Bakenyan is now the most interesting character since he rarely take any action but he is the most calm and perhaps the most dangerous. (It is always the quiet ones you have to be careful) Furthermore, Darknest was awaken by Cures' new power and the idea of gathering the Princess Pens for the ultimate power is nothing special since it has been done to death by previous seasons.
The knotraiders' overlord awakens: thanks to the de rigueur Finishing Move Upgrade, no less!
Overall, a great follow up from last week's episode but now who is this fat man with the camera that approached the girls? However the preview for next week episode spoils it as it is a familiar-looking sci-fi Film Director/Filmmaker and he wants Lala to be the lead for his apsara-themed next film! Until then, see you in the next post!
IN NEXT EPISODE (12):
Steven himself comes to Mihoshi town to shoot some Spiel-film!
And he's got his sights set on Elena to become part of the decade's superhero film boom (the next Captain Marvel, anyone?) Plus - Lala gets to play an
apsara... does this sound enticing?
Hilariously, the agent finds himself forced to produce something after Hikaru takes the story a step further by insisting they were his actresses for his movie. And boy, did she underestimate how difficult it would be to act. Elena was the only one who could put on a decent performance, Madoka (adorably) read the script word-by-word and Lala and Hikaru were monotone actors, it was golden!
However during the scene which the Master provided the weapon upgrade, seeing Bakenyan’s uneasy expression gave me a sudden realization that he might actually be an undercover agent of the Galactic Starscape Alliance! And if it proves to be true, then it makes this episode all the more important, because this is the first time we are actually seeing the Galactic Starscape Alliance we have heard so much about from Lala, in action!
