※This article is a translation of an article originally published on August 12, 2024.
The Nitiasa Villainess are an incredibly important existence for goth-minded people.
They are unmistakably “evil” at a glance precisely because they are villainesses, and in order to fully embody the aesthetics of evil, they dress accordingly. In other words, they naturally drift toward gothic and gothic lolita fashion, using that uncanny charm to awaken something dangerous within the children watching. I, too, have certain villainesses burned permanently into my mind ever since colliding with them like a traffic accident as a child.
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Like Nai and Mea from Mahou Sentai Magiranger. Come on, that’s just unfair. Little devil vertical curls? Seriously? Pretty Cure has had so many characters in this lineage ever since Eas-sama, and that makes me very happy.
Of course I enjoy the action and the fiery storytelling of the show itself, but at the same time I can’t help going, “No, but Nai and Mea are just… come on, seriously.” They completely overwhelm me.
And because it’s made for children, they fully commit to being flamboyantly evil, which makes me even happier. They’re truly gothic characters in the purest sense. And the fact that you can see that kind of aesthetic portrayed seriously in live-action—not just as a one-off gag—is something practically unique to nitiasa. The existence of these Villainess executives inevitably plants a seed in certain kids’ minds: “Wait… girls can wear this many frills and ribbons? Dresses? There’s a thing called gothic lolita?” For people of my generation, it was Magiranger leading straight into Rozen Maiden—especially Suigintou—and at that point it was over for us. Completely over.
Because clothes become more enchanting, more decadent, the blacker they are.
And then there are the Three Dark Sisters from Kamen Rider Gotchard, which is about to air its finale. They’re unfair in the best possible way. To give designs like that to characters whose entire arc revolves around struggling with not being human, gradually learning emotion—including love—and then to spend an entire year fully depicting the way they live… I can only feel grateful for it. The series isn’t even over yet, but even from this perspective alone, I already trust Gotchard immensely. It already feels like it gave me a genuinely wonderful year.
She isn’t explicitly gothic, but Yodonna-sama from Mashin Sentai Kiramager was absolutely one of those “Villainess designed to hit their target perfectly” — clearly built with future spin-offs in mind. And, well… it worked on me exactly as intended. In fact, Super Sentai has long had a sort of “thrill slot,” where sexy actresses would play enemy characters—a tradition that mostly faded away after the Showa era. But Yodonna-sama brought that energy back in full force. Nashiko Momotsuki’s performance was incredible, and because she’s a cosplayer herself, there was an added layer of appeal and authenticity to the role. She completely embodied the archetype of the “dangerously sexy Villainess” who can leave even adult viewers flustered. Only nitiasa could allow something to commit this hard to the bit.
With both the Three Dark Sisters from Gotchard and Yodonna-sama’s spin-off having come to an end, I’d more or less stopped expecting Kamen Rider Gavv to give us another Villainess. I mean, in shows aimed at girls you see those characters fairly often, but in Kamen Rider they’re actually pretty rare. Wizard was an exception, though — its main heroine was practically gothic incarnate, and I spent that entire year losing my mind over it.
Just as I was thinking, “Well, this year’s Pretty Cure doesn’t even really have villains to begin with,” I opened the newly released footage for Gavv yesterday and then…
!?
N-no way… Suddenly there are these wildly bold Cruella-style two-tone color schemes… and there are two of them!? And they’re standing there facing each other with clasped hands like something straight out of Rozen Maiden!?
This is a problem. A real problem. At this point I become completely incapable of evaluating the series objectively and start shamelessly playing favorites. Though honestly, since it’s all personal taste anyway, that’s perfectly fine. I already love Gotchard, after all. Man… it looks like next year is going to be another gloriously goth-filled one. I love Wizard.
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