IN WHICH, FOR ONCE, THERE IS NO WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW EPILOGUE

Star*Twinkle Pretty Cure - Episode 49
SERIES FINALE FINALE!!
My Own Review

IN WHICH, FOR ONCE, THERE IS NO WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW EPILOGUE... OR IS THERE?

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https://prettycure.fandom.com/wiki/STPC49/Image_Gallery

Our story starts, as usual, before the Star Palace.

Yanyan is a bit cranky: I WANNA EAT DONUTS WITH PURUNCE!!

But her future in-laws stop her in her tracks, as they're trying to catch Fuwa. (Glad to see Purunce's mum and dad are still alive!)

Uff, that was exhausting... I'm done with catching Fuwa... Right, Crabby, we can have some of those donuts.

 As the Taurus and Scorpio Princesses (opposite signs!) sip their tea, they wonder if Fuwa shall regain her powers someday...

MEANWHILE ON RAINBOW...

Olivia sees that she can move about - free from her petrification.

Yuni?

Indeed, and she is the happiest of all the Rainbowians to see Olivia free again!

Thank you for everything you have done for us...

You are always welcome...

Even tears flow!

Ayewan shyly shows herself to the Rainbowians...

 ...stands before their leader...

...and asks for her forgiveness.

Olivia and Yuni accept Ayewan's apology.


MEANWHILE ON SAMAAN...

https://prettycure.fandom.com/wiki/STPC49/Image_Gallery

MEANWHILE ON EARTH...

https://prettycure.fandom.com/wiki/STPC49/Image_Gallery


FIVE YEARS LATER...

Elena interpreta lo que dice la presidenta de EE.UU. al japonés.



MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:
RAINBOW IS FREE!! And clan leader old Deuterono... I mean, Olivia has forgiven both Yuni and Ayewan - in one last masterful Ayuni crowning moment, Yuni interceded for our cyclopette like Victoria for Grizabella! Or maybe the mewsical is still on my mind since a fortnight ago (Check out my Cats review on this blog!) The where-are-they-now epilogue confirmed how much I was waiting for my OTP of this season to tie up loose ends as adults... (So Soluna is not confirmed canon - while Ayuni is at least canonically te-e-e-eased!!)
FUYUKI KAGUYA AND THE MASK OF VAMPIRISM: Seriously, any Phantom Blood spectator has trembled for this statesman when he held the 'raider's mask in hand. --- But thankfully it was Mr. Hoshino who put it on and made for a less threatening epilogue villain! (Sighs in relief)
LALA REFORMING THE SYSTEM ON SAMAAN: This is what happens when people give power to AIs. The latter disregard the Three Laws of Robotics:

• A robot may not injure a human or, through inaction, allow a human to come to harm
• A robot must obey the orders given it by humans except where such orders would conflict with the First Law
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws

And thus, dystopia inevitably ensues.
The future needs, also in this flesh universe, to put the human in humane. And the master lesson is conveyed masterfully.

EN QUE TENJOU MENTORIZA A ELENA

Star*Twinkle Pretty Cure - Episode 3
My Own Review
EN QUE TENJOU MENTORIZA A ELENA

After taking a break last week, Star ☆ Twinkle returns with an Elena-centric episode. She has an English (ESL) speech contest coming up. Lucky for her, a new teacher shows up to prepare her for said event.

There’s some pretty great autumn outfits going on here

In this episode, Elena is nominated to participate in an inter-school public speech contest in ESL. Tenjou takes the opportunity to disguise herself as a teacher and get closer to Elena in an attempt to capture Fuwa.

Tenjou disguises herself as a teacher called Jo Tengu (first name a nod to Jo March; surname a tad too much on the nose ;) tengu nose pun, get it?)

Tenjou’s human disguise is good – by which I mean I like it, and I guess it does its job of fooling the students. Madoka seems a little suspicious about this woman who just shows up out of nowhere (and is surnamed Tengu, with pointy ears and a Cleopatra nose to reinforce that), but that ultimately doesn’t go anywhere.

Elena seems quite taken with the new teacher

This episode sure makes it feel like Elena has a thing for her new teacher. She eagerly introduces herself, and is very willing to show her around the school as well. Can’t help but wonder if this episode might result in some Elenjou fanart (and fics, and AMVs).

 

A glimpse of Tenjou’s past - this masked tengulescent with a crow-beak mask (recalling both masked actors playing tengu on the stage and corvid kurama tengu... maybe she had the Phantom-of-the-Opera kind of backstory of being shunned due to scars hidden beneath the mask, which correlates to her good counterpart/mentée as a victim of racist bullying?)

Much like Kappard and Ayewan recently, we gain some insight into Tenjou’s past with this episode. Not much is given away, though it is plainly obvious that Elena’s smile really brings up some unpleasant memories (hope this gets expanded upon quite soon!!).

Elena was keenly aware she was different from everybody else when she was young, already as a toddler

Tenjou’s plan results in us getting a flashback to a younger Elena, who felt left out as a toddler because she was the only one that was physically and culturally different from her peers. Fortunately, she came to realise she is different; just like everyone else is diverse.

Madoka is giving off a proud girlfriend vibe in this episode

Its kind of a shame that they didn’t have all of Elena’s speech in English as a Second Language; it transitioned to Japanese fairly near the start. Of course, that makes sense when you take consideration the target audience of PreCure franchise (middle-grade female). Regardless, it seems that Madoka was able to perfectly comprehend Elena’s speech, even if it was all in English. Of course a girl of her rank has to be multilingual... SOLUNA VS. ELENJOU WAR VIBES INTENSIFY... (maybe this will lead to a Tengu of the Opera AU with Madoka as Raoul, Sakurako as Carlotta...)

Headmaster changed into a Notray by Tenjou (also, he's grown a moustache - so Mihoshi Secondary Headmaster is a Mo Bro! #Movember)

Yeah, we’ve had some good stuff with both Elena and Jo AKA Tenjou in this episode, but I have to take a moment to mention Yuni casually jumping out of a nearby tree when the time for battle arrives.

Cure Soleil

You’d think that Elena would get to lead the transformation sequence for this particular episode, but that’s not the case. Instead, we get the normal sequence with all five Cure girls. Of course Tenjou has her own thoughts on smiles connecting people – this happens to tie in with her past. Again, we only get the bare minimum of information concerning that; I’m going to go ahead and assume more will be revealed later on.
The episode wraps up after the battle, which plays out in pretty typical fashion. Oh, there is one event that suggests things are going to get interesting for a certain alien. That possibly might start as soon as next week.
Its nice to have this series back after its break, and it returns with a very good episode. I’m happy with what we got here, and I suspect fans of Elena may feel the same way. There’s also a treat for Tenjou fans, so there’s plenty of good stuff here.





MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:
Our trilogy of focus episodes for our Terrible Trio of cadres has reached its closure with Elena and her evil counterpart that tengu baroness -now turned into her new teacher Jo (maybe a nod to Josephine March?)- identifying with one another.
Soluna vs. Elenjou: forget Jily vs. Snily... this may be the Jily/Snily shipping war of this decade! And knowing what we know about the backstory of all these characters, maybe this will lead to a Tengu of the Opera AU with Madoka as Raoul, Sakurako as Carlotta...

IN WHICH YUNI MEETS OLD ACQUAINTANCES

Star*Twinkle Pretty Cure
Episode 38 - My Own Review
IN WHICH YUNI MEETS OLD ACQUAINTANCES


Star ☆ Twinkle gets its plot back on course with episode thirty-eight, as Yuni has an idea about where they can go in the search for Twinkle Imagination.

Hikaru and company arrive on a fortune-telling planet

With zero leads in their search for Twinkle Imagination, Yuni suggests they pay a visit to a fortune teller on another planet in hopes of being sent down the right path. Yuni also crosses paths with Ayewan once more.

Hakenyan appears

One of the major characters in this episode is Hakenyan, a visually-impaired old Rainbowian fortune teller and the person that Yuni believes will lead PreCures towards some Twinkle Imagination. Hakenyan looks familiar, and this episode shows just why that is later on.

Excellent expressions here

Ayewan

Also playing an important role in this episode is Ayewan. We get a little of her past in this episode, and it shows she was homeless as a child – though we don’t get the specifics of how that came about. Either way, seeing Hakenyan does not make her happy.

Yuni sought out Hakenyan after losing her planet

This episode spends quite a fair chunk of time exploring the past, which is by no means a bad thing. It gives us some insight into both Yuni and Ayewan, and how they both feel that they lost everything at the hands of the other. It also shows that Yuni’s appearance as Bakenyan was based on the younger Hakenyan, and how she ended up working with Ayewan.

 

Eyewone Robot - model 23

Of course Ayewan is the villain of the week this time around, and Cure Cosmos has to take her on by herself to begin with. Whilst I would have liked to see a one-on-one fight, that wasn’t the case. Much easier to fill the runtime when you’re using quite a bit of stock footage, after all.

Cure Cosmos has an epiphany whilst fighting Ayewan

The fight in this episode brings along some rather important developments, particularly when it comes to Yuni and Ayewan’s relationship. It also happens to be a step forward for everyone else as well.
Overall, I’d call this an excellent episode of Star ☆ Twinkle. We delved a bit into the past of both Yuni and Ayewan, finally had them realise they aren’t so different and managed to take a step forward in the search for Twinkle Imagination.
I was always going to enjoy a Yuni-focused episode regardless, but I’m really happy with what we got out of this one.
Ideally the show can keep up this kind of strength as the other girls find their Twinkle Imagination – and it is entirely possible that Elena may be the next to do so.
Even if that’s not the case, the next episode is one that focuses on her, so it is one to look forward to.



MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:
Of course with last episode showcasing the Kappa Genocide, it appears that CADRES WILL GET FOCUS EPISODES!! (Raise a glass!) And now the turn comes to our favourite deranged cyclopette, whom we see as a child for the first time... also, was there some war between Rainbowians and cyclops that caused Ayewan to resent them for her precarious social standing? (This headcanon could lead to some pretty interesting theories that lead to something deeper than kismesissitude Valjean-Javert style...)
Ayewan the gamine: we know that Bilberry in KiraKira à la Mode was an orphan gamine too... and even wore a riding hood as well (maybe this garment is shorthand for "streetrat" in a contemporary setting anime?)
Hakenyan: So Yuni was NOT the sole survivor of the storming of Rainbow, right?
Mentors fated to... not to see their mentées' success: ***MENTOR OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD; Hakenyan theory...
Why are so many seers visually impaired? From Teiresias onwards... The Blind Seer is an old archetype. They are visually impaired, and yet they can see more than we can. This seems to be a recurring theme in mythology; Justice is blind, Odin plucked out an eye to gain knowledge, and the Graeae or Gray Sisters had only had one eyeball between three of them. Time and time again, the sacrifice of eyesight is shown to result in greater cosmic knowledge.

A special case of Disability Superpower, often demonstrated with Prophet Eyes. Blindfolds are another favorite.

PS. It seems that the next episode will come in mid-November, after one of those week-long hiatuses... Also, angryanimeb*tches has dropped Star*Twinkle for episode reviews.

THREE LI'L KITTIES AND A KAPPA GENOCIDE

Star*Twinkle Pretty Cure - Episode 37
My Own Review
THREE LI'L KITTIES AND A KAPPA GENOCIDE

We are now wrapping up the month of October, and that means it is almost time for Halloween – so of course, episode thirty-seven of Star ☆ Twinkle is the de rigueur Samhain (pronounced saawin) episode.

Lala looking forward to the dress up contest

In this episode, Lala gets hold of a leaflet from Mihoshi High Street with information about a dress up contest for Halloween. Her whole class decides to enter the competition. They aren’t the only ones, as some familiar faces join the fun, including Kappard. Not that Kappard intended to get involved…

Hikaru, Lala, Sakurako Himenojou and some other characters, dressed up for the contest

As you can imagine, there are plenty of costumes to be seen in this episode. Hikaru’s class goes for a cryptid theme. And Sakurako as Mothwoman (FRICKING MOTHWOMAN) completely steals the spotlight...

Una familia muy floral

Elena, Madoka, and Yuni are Las Tres Gatas

Apparently Elena gets to wear two different costumes, but I’m fine with that. Amusingly, Yuni simply opts to use her true form; going as herself literally. Kind of a shame when she is (almost) a master of disguise. I like the sun and moon pendants on Elena and Madoka’s respective kitty collars; it’s a neat little touch. Yuni has a galaxy pendant because she's Cosmos.

Kappard proves to be surprisingly popular

Kappard gets to do a bit more than the usual antagonist role in this episode, starting with taking selfie photos with all the people dressed up (like these two sexy pumpkinettes). Naturally, they think he is in a kappa costume as well, and we also get some glimpses into Kappard’s past.

Kappard attacks

Of course, Kappard is still a villain, so when the others come across them a fight ensues. Thing is, PreCures need to do something to prevent Earthlings learning about the aliens in their midst. Fortunately, Hikaru has an idea.

Mihoshi Stars

The encounter with Kappard turns into a hero show, at least until they can move the fight away from civilians. We get a full on sentai-esque sequence with the Mihoshi Stars’ introductions and everything. It is some pretty amusing stuff.

A flashback featuring a young Kappard

We get a Kappard-focused flashback, showing us how he lost his planet and all of his kin to an invasion from another world. The Kappa Planet was drained dry of freshwater by the enemy, and everyone was dying of thirst, until only one kappa boy remained alive to tell the tale (guess who?) It also gives the audience an idea of why he firmly believes people from different planets are unable to get along. Of course, Cure Milkyway doesn’t believe that; her bond with her friends (or rather companions, ie nakama), some Earthlings and a Rainbowian, totally contradicts Kappard’s views.

This is actually a group photograph, but we’re focusing on the important characters here

The episode wraps up in the usual manner. It was quite a good one, and I did like learning a little more about Kappard’s past. I do wonder who was in charge of the forces that drained Kappard’s home planet of water; was it Darknest, or some other evil force?
I could totally see Kappard turning on Darknest in the future, perhaps aiding the Cures when they inevitably come to fight him.
Lala got a fair bit of focus in this episode, but ultimately, I’d say that this was very much Kappard’s episode. It’s nice to get to know our villains a little more.

Next time, looks like the plot gets back on track with an episode that focuses on Yuni as the search for Twinkle Imagination resumes once more. Ayewan will be back, too.

MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:
(Cue The Final Solution by Sabaton)
Oui, the Great and Powerful Kappard is the sole survivor of a genocide. And he was underage when said catastrophe occurred. THE FEELS. Knowing the trauma that lies beneath.

IN WHICH YUNI GOES FULL-ON CARMEN SANDIEGO

Star*Twinkle Pretty Cure - Episode 36
My Own Review
IN WHICH YUNI GOES FULL-ON CARMEN SANDIEGO

The thirty-sixth episode of Star ☆ Twinkle is one that puts Yuni – or more specifically, her alter-ego the Blue Cat – into the spotlight. A character who appears in the Star ☆ Twinkle film also makes her debut her, too.

Just Yuni chowing down on a doughnut

In this episode, Lala’s AI informs everyone that an octopoid alien mafia boss by the name of Don Octo Polpone has obtained a ring from the planet Rainbow. Yuni is determined to take it back, so she and the others sneak into Don Octo’s base. Besides the alien mafia, the Blue Cat also has to contend with an inspector from the Starscape Alliance.

Mary Anne

Making her debut in this episode is spaniel furry Starscape Police inspector, Mary Anne. She also appears in the upcoming Star ☆ Twinkle film, even pulling out a Miracle Light at one point. She’s on board Don Octo’s ship as a spy, but she dreams of pursuing bigger cases; such as catching the Blue Cat. Looks like Ayewan is not the only wan with Javertian ambitions surrounding our catgirl (ps. wan is also the onomatopoeia woof or ruff in Japanese).

The Fuwa Mafia

A lesson that this particular episode is very keen to teach is that stealing is bad. Remember your Eighth Commandment? The thing is, Yuni’s motivations for stealing back the ring from Don Octo are totally sound, and I’m on her side. 

Yuni manages to obtain the ring from Don Octo

Fortunately, Yuni is not deterred by her crew’s objections. I’m glad to see Yuni stick to her convictions, and even more so because that means we are getting to see more Blue Cat.

Don Octo captures Blue Cat and Mary Anne

Of course our Blue Cat has to deal with the mafia after stealing the ring from Don Octo, and the situation is only further complicated when Mary Anne reveals she is with the police. The mafia aren’t too happy about that, but the Blue Cat decides to help her out when she gets into trouble – doesn’t really work out for either of them in the end, though.

Don Octo Polpone is transformed by Tenjou

Can’t have an episode without the KNotraiders getting involved, and it is Tenjou who does so this time around. Of course, Mary Anne quickly discovers that Blue Cat is actually a PreCure following that.

Cosmos blushes as her friends praise her

The fight in this episode has its fair share of great moments. Soleil protecting Selene is one, but everyone just complimenting Cosmos is definitely the highlight; they all just say she is pretty much tsundere.

Cosmos’s goofy face here is great

After the fight, everything resolves itself in pretty typical PreCure fashion – though Yuni does tell the others she will steal if necessary. She’ll just make sure to not endanger everyone else.

This was a great episode of Star ☆ Twinkle, and that all pretty much comes down to Yuni. The previous episodes did maybe have a decent moment here or there, but this one is definitely an improvement.
It helps that I like Yuni a lot, so of course an episode that focuses on her is going to be one that I enjoy. The whole concept of it was fun though, and it was a pretty good introduction to one of the characters who shall be appearing in the upcoming film. Hopefully we’ll get a little more of the rivalry between Blue Cat and Mary Anne outside of the film as well.

Next time the fun looks set to continue as everyone dresses up for Halloween.

MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:

Not long ago I had a common cold and was bedridden with a fever, a runny nose, and a laptop on which to stream the whole Netflix Carmen Sandiego. What can I say? (Especially about PaperStar and Gunnar Malström...) Intrigue, excitement, edutainment, and a righteous heroine who, just like Yuni, steals from the corrupt in the name of higher causes.