Hug tto! Precure
Genre
Action, Comedy, Magic, Magical Girl
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Hana Nono is heading to school when she runs into a baby named Hug-tan and her hamster fairy Harryham Harry after they fall from the sky! Through this strange pair she learns about the dangerous Cryasse Corporation, a group seeking out Hug-tan’s Mirai Crystals. Desperate to help and protect Hug-tan, Hana decides to protect her as the Pretty Cure of High Spirits, Cure Yell in the 15th title of the Pretty Cure franchise!
Background
Initially created by Izumi Todo and Toei Animation, PreCure (or Pretty Cure) is a now iconic magical girl anime. It began with Futari wa Pretty Cure which started broadcasting on Feb. 1, 2004, and since then has grown to include 15 titles in the main anime series as of Hug tto! PreCure in addition to live-action and animated films, musicals, video games, and more.
Each title follows a group of girls who are granted special items which allow them to turn into warriors called Pretty Cure. They use their new special powers to fight evil alongside creatures known as fairies.
Anime Adaptation
Hug tto! PreCure was officially announced on Nov. 28, 2017, and it began airing on Feb. 4, 2018 on All-Nippon News Network stations including ABC and TV Asahi. The animation is produced by Toei Animation, and the series is directed by Junichi Sato (well-known for his work on Sailor Moon and Ojamajo Doremi) and Akifumi Zako who also worked on Fresh PreCure!.
Music composition for the series is being done by Yuki Hayashi who has also worked on My Hero Academia and two PreCure films. Character design and art design, meanwhile, are produced by Toshie Kawamura (a PreCure legend who has worked on Fresh Pretty Cure, Futari wa Pretty Cure, and more) and Nagisa Nishida (Glitter Force, Go! Princess PreCure) respectively. The series is also produced by Keisuke Naitou and Takashi Tanaka.
The opening theme is “We can!! Hugtto! PreCure” by Kanako Miyamoto, and the ending theme is “Hugtto! Mirai Dreamer” by Rie Hikisaka, Rina Honizumi, and Yui Ogura.
Characters
Hana Nono / Cure Yell (CV: Rie Hikisaka)
A sweet new transfer student with pink hair who’s in her 2nd year of junior high school. Despite being childish and a bit on the shorter side, she wants to grow up to be popular and mature. She’s also always willing to try new things although she often messes up. She desperately wants to protect Bakutan and does so by transforming into the magical girl Cure Yell.
Saaya Yakushiji / Cure Ange (CV: Rina Honizumi)
The class representative in the same class as Hana. She’s beautiful and angelic, kind to everyone she meets. Her mother is an actress, and Saaya herself also appeared in a popular role when she was younger. She’s not sure what she really wants to do with her life but decides to fight as PreCure Cure Ange to help Hana and grow stronger.
Homare Kagayaki / Cure Etoile (CV: Yui Ogura)
A popular and mature student in the same class as Hana. She’s always very cool, and she was even a star figure skater before. She stopped after failing a jump, but after meeting Hana she wants to grow braver. She transforms into Cure Etoile.
Hug-tan (CV: Konomi Tada)
A mysterious baby who falls from the sky before Hana. Hug-tan is trying to flee from Cry and is watched over by Harryham Harry. She needs the power of eight Mirai Crystals in order to recover her power.
Harryham Harry (CV: Junko Noda (Hamster Form), Jun Fukushima (Human Form))
A hamster who speaks with a Kansai dialect. He appeared before Hana alongside Hug-tan, and he teaches everyone who to use their PreCure powers. He’s also able to transform into a human form which he considers extremely handsome.
Cry
The president of the Cryasse Corporation and the main antagonist of Hug tto!. Cry wants to take the Mirai Crystals, and with them, the Earth’s future. Obtaining these crystals is thus the goal of Cryasse Corporation.
Ristle (CV: Shinichiro Miki)
Ristle is the secretary of Cryasse. He’s a strict man who assigns others to attack Earth in search of the crystals.
Daigan (CV: Masanori Machida)
The head of Cryasse Corporation’s Azababu branch. He wears glasses and has a calm demeanor.
Papple (CV: Sayaka Ohara)
A stunning woman who carries a fan with her. She’s the section chief of the Azababu branch office.
Charalit (CV: Fukushi Ochiai)
A young joker who works at the Azababu branch office as a chief clerk.
Lulu (CV: Yukari Tamura)
A shy android girl who cares a great deal about Daigan. She works as a chief clerk at Azababu.
Oshimaida (CV: Oolongta Yoshida)
Oshimaida (a name meaning “the end”) are monsters which are controlled by Cryasse Corporation employees using negative energy from the people around them.
Shintarou Nono (CV: Yasuhiro Mamiya)
The shop manager for Hugman Home Center and Hana’s father.
Sumire Nono (CV: Natsuko Kuwatani)
Hana’s mother. She’s a hardworking and level-headed woman who quickly wins over Hug-tan.
Kotori Nono (CV: Amina Sato)
Hana’s little sister. Kotori often teases Hana for acting childish.
Shuji Yakushiji (CV: Hiroki Tasaka)
Saaya’s father. He’s a kind man who worries about his wife working too hard.
Reira Yakushiji (CV: Maya Okamoto)
Saaya’s mother, and a very famous actress.
Junna Tokura (CV: Maria Naganawa)
A classmate of Hana and the others. She’s instantly recognizable with her glasses and green cardigan.
Aki Momoi (CV: Afumi Hashi)
A classmate of Hana and the others. She’s cheerful and energetic.
Hinase Amano (CV: Yoshitaka Yamaya)
A classmate of Hana and the others. He wears glasses and is a member of the wind instrument club.
Fumito Chise (CV: Katsumi Fukuhara)
A classmate of Hana and the others. She’s the first victim of the Oshimaida monsters after getting upset over being scolded by their homeroom teacher.
Uchifuji (CV: Daisuke Namikawa)
The homeroom teacher of Hana’s class and a calm young man.
Umehashi (CV: Masashi Tamaki)
Homare’s skating coach, and the P.E. teacher at Hana’s school.
Ranze Ichijou (CV: Aya Suzaki)
Ranze is an actress and a rival of Saaya’s.
Anri Wakamiya (CV: Toshiyuki Someya)
A young figure skater who appears before Homare and hugs her.
Cast
Rie Hikisaka: Hana Nono / Cure Yell
・Notable roles: Yapapa (Kirakira ☆ PreCure a la Mode), Lilian (Violet Evergarden)
Rina Honizumi: Saaya Yakushiji / Cure Ange
・Notable roles: Nana Saigawa (Omiai Aite wa Oshiego, Tsuyoki na, Mondaiji.), Viluy (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal)
Yui Ogura: Homare Kagayaki / Cure Etoile
・Notable roles: Niko (Hoozuki no Reitetsu), Tomarin (Teekyuu)
Konomi Tada: Hug-tan
・Notable roles: Naoko Asada (Genshiken: Second Generation), Karina Sakaguchi (Girls und Panzer)
Junko Noda: Harryham Harry (Hamster Form)
・Notable roles: Maho Izawa (His and Her Circumstances), Mitsune Konno (Love Hina)
Jun Fukushima: Harryham Harry (Human Form)
・Notable roles: Kazuma Satou (KonoSuba - God’s blessing on this wonderful world!), Naruko Shoukichi (Yowamushi Pedal)
Shinichiro Miki: Ristle
・Notable roles: Tatsuma Sakamoto (Gintama), Takumi Fujiwara (Initial D)
Daigan: Masanori Machida
・Notable roles: Master Shimo (Baku Tech! Bakugan), Dorgana (Majestic Prince)
Sayaka Ohara: Papple
・Notable roles: Milly Ashford (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)
Fukushi Ochiai: Charalit
・Notable roles: Takeo Atsuta (All Out!!), Kimura (Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san)
Yukari Tamura: Lulu
・Notable roles: Elizabeth Midford (Black Butler), Ranpha Franboise (Galaxy Angel)
Oolongta Yoshida: Oshimaida
・Notable roles: Scriptwriter (The World Yamizukan)
Yasuhiro Mamiya: Shintarou Nono
・Notable roles: Ibachi (Ghost in the Shell: Arise), Hiroshi Kurotsuki (Tsukiuta. The Animation)
Natsuko Kuwatani: Sumire Nono
・Notable roles: Alph (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha), Ryoko Asakura (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya),
Kotori Nono: Amina Sato
・Notable role: Nanami Sakuragaoka (Girlish Number)
Hiroki Tasaka: Shuji Yakushiji
・Notable roles: Robony (Ippatsu Hicchuu!! Devander), Basiv Vandevel (Star Blazers 2199)
Maya Okamoto: Reira Yakushiji
・Notable roles: Shizuka Ogata (Class Reunion), Emma Sheen (Mobile Suit SD Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam)
Maria Naganawa: Junna Tokura
・Notable roles: Shion Tachibana (Anime De Training! Ex), Kanna (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid)
Afumi Hashi: Aki Momoi
・Notable roles: DREAMS Captain (Cheer Boys!!), Ken Ameno (Rin-ne 3)
Yoshitaka Yamaya: Hinase Amano
・Notable roles: Tomohito Sugino (Assassination Classroom), Akita Toushirou (Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru)
Katsumi Fukuhara: Fumito Chise
・Notable roles: Toya Mochizuki (In Another World With My Smartphone), Yukiya (W’z)
Namikawa Daisuke: Uchifuji
・Notable roles: Momoshiki Otsutsuki (Boruto), Daigo Nishijima (Digimon Adventure tri.)
Masashi Tamaki: Umehashi
・Notable roles: Reiji Mitsurugi (Ace Attorney), Jaguar Bone (Maijin Bone)
Aya Suzaki: Ranze Ichijou
・Notable roles: Mikuru Natsuki (Aikatsu!), Minami Nitta (The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls)
Toshiyuki Someya: Anri Wakamiya
・Notable roles: Chipper Okamura (Ameiro Cocoa Series Ame-con!!), Tomoya Yagi (School Babysitters)
Staff
Original Work: Izumi Todo
Series Directors: Zako Akifumi, Junichi Sato
Series Composition: Fumi Tsubota
Music: Yuki Hayashi
Character Designer: Toshie Kawamura
Art Design: Nagisa Nishida
Producers: Keisuke Naitou, Takashi Tanaka
Animation: Toei Animation
Theme Songs
Opening Theme: “We can!! Hugtto! PreCure” by Kanako Miyamoto
Ending Theme: “Hugtto! Mirai Dreamer” by Rie Hikisaka, Rina Honizumi, and Yui Ogura
Broadcast Information
Airs Sunday mornings at 8:30 am on All-Nippon News Network stations in Japan including ABC and TV Asahi as of Feb. 4, 2018.