Blessing Cure Arcana Holding Complicated Feelings

　We crooked former kids tend to feel a little sick to our stomachs when we see something educational. Someone who couldn't even go to school can't identify with a hero. So, basically, we identify with the villains instead. Someone like Beelzemon from Digimon Tamers, for example. The kind of villain who only joins forces with the heroes at the very end. Someone who had been shunned until then. I've found hope in characters like that.

　I want to live like that too.

　And so, while continuing to watch children's shows and cheer for those villains, we finally got a character from the Precure side who was already a being of darkness from the moment she appeared.

　Cure Arcana Shadow stood before the protagonists as a powerful rival. In terms of combat strength, Arcana Shadow was overwhelmingly stronger, though. Even before the broadcast began, she captured the hearts of countless kids, and Tanpuri became a huge hit that spread beyond the usual Nichiasa crowd for the first time in a while.

　For six months, we followed the fate of Arcana Shadow, getting swept up alongside the protagonists in Ruruka's past and emotions.

　By the way, my favorite early episode is the one where the protagonist, having come from the past and living in loneliness, becomes sad because, "My partner has friends, unlike me..." It's an episode that has absolutely nothing to do with Ruruka.

　My favorite Precure series is Witchy Pretty Cure!, which basically follows the two protagonists as a pair. Tanpuri also started with two girls, so now that the first half, which followed Cure Arcana and the others, has ended, I'm hoping we'll return to the story of those two. I'd be happy to see Akechi and Kobayashi with Arcana and Eclair supporting them. Given the writer, I'm sure they'll depict that.

　As we all knew would happen, Arcana Shadow became white and joined the side of the heroes. In Precure terminology, she experienced "lightfall." An enemy who was a Precure from the very beginning was a first for the series. Of course, she's Cure Arcana Shadow, so once the darkness is gone, she becomes Cure Arcana. This is her original form, after all. Like Kiva returning to his original form with Emperor Form.

　So white.

　Her evil form right before this was wonderful too. She was a girl whose design kept changing all the time.

　Once they become light, we people of the darkness can't look directly at them because they're too bright.

　Moonlight is just bright enough that we can keep our eyes open. Sunlight burns our vision away.

　I had never called her "Ruruka" before, but during the broadcast, my feelings just overflowed. Ah, she had carried so much on her own all this time. She was someone who deserved to be rewarded here, and now she had people around her who understood her. Of course Ruruka deserves to be happy.

　Finally, it was her turn to be happy.

　The "lightfall" that began with Eas had finally come here. An enemy who became a Precure from the very beginning was a first for the series. I had identified with her suffering, with the way she carried everything alone, layering it over the inferiority complex that had followed me since childhood. Because people like us will always be the ones standing in the shade. I can't cheer for Greymon. I cheer for Myotismon. Not Gallantmon, but Beelzemon. I liked Evil Tiga. Even Anno-san loves the Fake Ultraman, doesn't he? I wanted that to be true. With all those complicated feelings, the weight of thirty episodes was enough for me to sincerely rejoice in Ruruka's growth.

　The series continues with animation cuts that will undoubtedly go down in the long history of Precure as masterpieces. How pure and beautiful she is. And, as you'd expect from her debut episode, she's elegant and strong. By now, little girls all across the country must be running to the toy aisle to get their hands on the Shine Arcana Rod.

　I couldn't help staring at Cure Arcana in that brief moment of white, purity. The way she overwhelmed the enemy, like a white flower blooming delicately, completely captured me.

　A filthy little friend like me could only stand there dumbfounded, Tear Arcana Rod in hand, gazing upon Ruruka in her true form. You can't lie to your feelings. If you found yourself thinking, "She's beautiful," then you've already lost. We twisted people with evil hearts had our hearts cleansed by the purity of Cure Arcana.

　"Ruruka, I'm glad... ; ;" A lonely otaku sheds huge tears.

　From now on, you'll spend your days having fun with Anna and Mikuru as cool comic-relief characters, living a cheerful, happy "Precure" life.

　That said, as I mentioned earlier, I like Precure best when it's centered around a pair consisting of the protagonist and her partner. So I'm looking forward to seeing Anna and Mikuru's duo really shine from here on out. And when the time comes for the two of them to part ways, as I'm sure it will...

　Thank you, Tanpuri.