Wayback Wednesday Series - Futari wa Pretty Cure

They are COMBAT READY!

FOREWORD: This post will commemorate the franchise's 10th anniversary.

The date: February 1st, 2004.

Every mahou shoujo (magical girl) fan is waiting for the premiere of this incredible series that started it all, and the first of the most-celebrated franchise; this is Futari wa Pretty Cure.

Yes, Futari wa Pretty Cure (English translation for 'Together, We Are Pretty Cure') is premiered on across Japan, and it was produced by Toei Animation and broadcasted on ANN by TV Asahi. It is the first of the franchise that is created by Izumi Todo*. Directed by Daisuke Nishio, who is famously known for directing Kindaichi Case Files, the film Interstella 5555, and the Dragon Ball franchise, the anime premiered on February 1st, 2004 to January 30th, 2005 with a total of 49 episodes in the original series. The following year, the direct sequel to the original, Max Heart, is premiered, with Kishio returned as director, and it was aired on February  6th, 2005 to January 29th, 2006 with a total of 47 episodes. It has two movies (Max Heart the Movie and Max Heart the Movie 2: Yukizora no Tomodachi), both directed by Atsuji Shimizu, premiered in Japanese theaters on April 16th, 2005 and December 10th, 2005 respectively. It was the only Pretty Cure series in franchise history, receiving a English-dubbed version, in which is aired in March 6th, 2009 to July 31st, 2010 on Canada's YTV. The series is licensed by Blue Water Studios in North America, and ODEX Pte Ltd in Singapore.

The series revolves around two ordinary girls: Nagisa Misumi (Natalie Blackstone), a strong-hearted second-year and the ace of the school's lacrosse team, and Honoka Yukishiro (Hannah Whitehouse), Nagisa's classmate, and often called, 'The Queen of Knowledge'. One day, they encounter Mipple and Mepple, from the Garden of Light, who both, give the girls the power to transform into Cure Black and Cure White, the emissaries of light, in order to fight against a dimension of evil that has encroached on the Garden of Light, and is now about to do the same to Earth, the Garden of Rainbows. The Cure then, search for the Prism Stones, and placing them in Prism Hopish, a heart-shaped device that is protected by the Guardian named Wisdom. Once after they discovered all of the Prism Stones, its power then takes the Cures to the Garden of Light, and repairs most of the damage that is done by the Dark Zone. Porun, who is the prince of the Garden of Light, grants the Cures to use of their Rainbow Bracelets as they defeat the Dark King later in the series.

In the direct sequel Max Heart, Nagisa and Honoka meets Hikari Kujou, a mysterious girl who is soon revealed to be the 'Life' of the Queen, whose powers were ultimately scattered into the form of twelve 'Heartiels' following her bout with the Dark King. Remnants of the Dark Zone in the meantime however, are protecting a mysterious boy, who is long suspected of being the 'Life' of the Dark King. Hikari then, gained the power to become Shiny Luminous, and joins Nagisa and Honoka, and thus the Pretty Cures once again go into battle against the Dark Zone in order to retrieve the Heartiels and restore the Queen.

Yoko Honna, who is known for her roles such as her live action role in Kamen Rider BLACK and its sequel BLACK RX, Mina Sawatari in Glass Mask, Sumeragi Lee Noriega in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Sakura in Hanamaru Kindergarten, plays Nagisa aka Cure Black.

One of the popular seiyuus of this time, Yukana (Yukana Nogami in real life), who played Honoka aka Cure White, is known for her roles including Reina in Groove Adventure Rave, Teletha Testarossa in Full Metal Panic!, Alice Beckham and Marie Bito in Machine Robo Rescue, C.C. in Code Geass and Tama in Gugure! Kokkuri-san.

The ever popular Rie Tanaka, who is known for her roles including Lacus Clyne in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and its sequel (SEED Destiny), Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke in Strike Witches, Suigintou in Rozen Maiden and Chi & Freya in Chobits, plays Hikari aka Shiny Luminous.

One of my favorite seiyuus, Tomokazu Seki, who played Mepple, is known for his roles such as Giga in Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Brandon Heat in Gungrave, Melissa (Yui Kusanagi's plush doll companion) in Kamigami no Asobi, Jun Kitagawa in Kanon, Domon Kasshu in Mobile Fighter G Gundam, and his famous role, Toji Suzuhara in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The voice actress of Mipple, Akiko Yajima, is known for her career. That includes R. Dorothy Wayneright in The Big O, Mari Wakatake in Blue Drop, Sakuya in Eureka Seven, Haydée in Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, Relena Darlian (Peacecraft) in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, and her famous role, Shinnosuke 'Shin-chan' Nohara in Crayon Shin-chan.

Haruna Ikezawa, who is born in Athens and known for her roles in Clamp School Detectives, Gegege no Kitaro (aka Spooky Kitaro), Gravitation, Maria-sama ga Miteru, One Piece and Zatch Bell, plays the prince of the Garden of Light.

Other seiyuus starred in this series including Asuka Tanii, Taiki Matsuno (who will later on playing Tart), Ai Nagano, Rika Komatsu, Fumie Mizusawa (she will become Erika/Cure Marine years later), Kenichi Ono, Hiroki Takahashi, Kouji Ishii, Reiko Kiuchi, Issei Futamata, Wataru Takagi, and many more.

It is now time to relive the adventures of the girls, fighting evil and saving the world. This is Futari wa Pretty Cure!

* - This is a collective pseudonym for the staff at Toei Animation.