PreCure team-up movieHaruka FukuharaHugtto!Star Twinkle
PreCure Miracle Universe the Movie
Medium: film
Year: 2019
Director: Yukio Kaizawa
Writer: Isao Murayama
Actor: Eimi Naruse, Etsuko Kozakura, Haruka Fukuhara, Hina Kino, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Inori Minase, Jun Fukushima, Junko Noda, Karen Miyama, Kiyono Yasuno, Konomi Kohara, Konomi Tada, Mika Kanai, Mikako Komatsu, Nanako Mori, Nao Tamura, Rie Hikisaka, Rina Honnizumi, Saki Fujita, Tomo Muranaka, Yu Mizushima, Yui Ogura, Yukari Tamura, Yuuki Kaji
Keywords: KiraKira a la Mode, Hugtto!, Star Twinkle, PreCure, anime, magical girl
Series: << PreCure team-up movie >>
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Format: 71 minutes
Url: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=21747
Website category: Anime 2019
Review date: 2 May 2023
star twinkle
It's the team-up movie for Star Twinkle PreCure... and, unfortunately, it fits its parent series. They're both underwritten blobs of nothing, coasting on amiable PreCure-ness and insufficient content.
As usual these days, it's a team-up of the last three years. Here, that's Star Twinkle, Hugtto and KiraKira. You wouldn't think anything could make KiraKira look good... but put them next to the Star Twinkle girls and it's immediately obvious which cast has more oomph.
They're still KiraKira, though. At one point, yes, they cook some sodding bloody stop it stop it stop it sweets. I'll be so happy next year when they're past the three year cut-off rule. The supposedly French-speaking Cure Parfait again says "TORES BIEN". (Yes, with the "o".) These team-up films are intended as nostalgia-fests, but this film's cast is one-third cardboard (Star Twinkle), one-third cool characters I enjoy watching (Hugtto) and one-third pain (KiraKira). My watching experience was a loop of ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ cool OUCH ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ cool OUCH.
Theoretically, there are cameos from every past PreCure. Most of that, though, is literally standing and waving. Only Honoka and Nagisa (Futari wa), Haruka (Go Princess) and Mirai (Mahoutsukai) get any dialogue.
As for the plot... well, we're into the second half before the film thinks to introduce a villain. Space cops chase the PreCures because, um, we're not meant to think about that. No one even wonders why. The girls wave miracle lights to call the other PreCures, even though there's no danger and no reason to summon everyone. There's a non-character called Piton, which is a bigger deal than you'd think because PreCure movies normally at least manage to find an emotional core with their main supporting character. There's and a non-storyline with lots of noise, colour, transformation and friendly meetings, but nothing meaningful happening. Green-black waterfall gloop is pouring down somewhere. Uh-huh. We're supposed to care about this.
GOOD THINGS
1. Blue Cat isn't in this film. It was released in March, before the TV series had inflicted her on us.
2. There's a cool-ish bit of action around the 30 minute mark, fighting some tentacles.
3. The Hugtto girls get a few bits of entertaining dialogue.
BAD THINGS
Everything else... well, sort of. It's not "stab me to death" bad, despite having KiraKira in it. Instead, I'd liken it to a leaking balloon. It's there. It's colourful. It's semi-watchable. However, there's no pressure. There isn't even a proper final battle. There's a sort of apocalypse and everyone shows up excitingly... and then it's all over.
Avoid this film.