Smile Pretty Cure!

Smile Pretty Cure! (スマイルプリキュア！ Sumairu Purikyua!?) is the ninth anime series of the Pretty Cure franchise.
Directed by Otsuka Takashi and produced by Toei Animation, the series premiered on TV Asahi on February 5th, 2012, succeeding Suite Pretty Cure♪ in its timeslot. The signature motif is based on fairy tales.
This series has been dubbed into English by the company Saban as Glitter Force. The first 20 episodes were available on Netflix on December 18th, 2015, in every region except Asia . The other 20 episodes were available on August 26th, 2016 .
== Official Announcement ==
Smile Pretty Cure! was first announced in Mainichi Shinbun's Mantan Web in November 2011 after Toei officially revealed the new copyright name for the ninth series. Later that month, the official logo was revealed by TV Asahi. An official pamphlet included in the December issue of Nakayoshi also revealed the character designs of the 5 main Cures alongside their fairy mascot, Candy. The ninth Pretty Cure Series was announced to premiere on February 5, 2012, thus setting up Suite Pretty Cure♪ to have a grand total of 48 episodes.
In theaters, during the screening of movie Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage: Mirai no Tomodachi, it was revealed that the Smile Pretty Cure! the movie, Ehon no Naka wa Minna Chiguhagu! would be released in October of 2012.
== Plot ==
Far away in the universe exists a place called Märchenland, where characters from fairy tales live. Near the corner of Märchenland exists a world called Bad End Kingdom, where the antagonists of all fairy tales gathered. In order to show everyone the "Worst Ending", the people of Bad End Kingdom traveled to Earth to collect Bad Energy. If the villains succeed, all of the worlds in the universe will suffer from the "Worst Ending".
In order to prevent the "Worst Ending", the 5 Legendary Warriors - Pretty Cure - need to collect Cure Decor: the power of happiness of Märchenland's Queen. The Cure Decor, however, has been stolen and hidden away. Set to the task of finding Pretty Cure, Candy the fairy follows the 5 Beams of Light to Earth, where she meets a flustered Hoshizora Miyuki, a transfer student on her first day of school, and already running late...
== Characters ==
=== Pretty Cure ===
* Hoshizora Miyuki (星空 みゆき Hoshizora Miyuki?) (known as Emily in the English dub) A fourteen-year-old girl with an interest in picture books and fairy tales, who transferred to Nanairogaoka Middle School. Like many of the lead Cures before her, Miyuki is cheery and optimistic, but also something of a klutz. Her catchphrase is "Ultra Happy!" She transforms into Cure Happy (Glitter Lucky in the dub) and uses the power of light.
* Hino Akane (日野 あかね Hino Akane?) (known as Kelsey in the English dub) A girl from Osaka whose parents run an okonomiyaki shop and is a member of the school's volleyball team. Akane may be a jokester, but when she has a goal set, she is very passionate about achieving it. She transforms into Cure Sunny (Glitter Sunny in the dub) and uses the power of fire.
* Kise Yayoi (黄瀬 やよい Kise Yayoi?) (known as Lily in the English dub) A girl who is in the Homemaking Club and aspires to be a mangaka. Though timid, shy about her work, and a crybaby, Yayoi is very loyal, diligent, and headstrong when pushed. She transforms into Cure Peace (Glitter Peace in the dub) and uses the power of lightning and thunder.
* Midorikawa Nao (緑川 なお Midorikawa Nao?) (known as April in the English dub) A tomboyish girl from a family with many younger siblings who is a member of the school's soccer team. Nao is straightforward and reliable with a strong sense of justice, though she does get frustrated when things do not go according to plan. She transforms into Cure March (Glitter Spring in the dub) who uses the power of wind.
* Aoki Reika (青木 れいか Aoki Reika?) (known as Chloe in the English dub) The student council vice president and a member of the Art Club, often writing poems and tanka. Reika is generally elegant and kind-hearted but has a frightening temper once her patience reaches her limit. Her father is a painter whilst her mother practices aikido and her elder brother practices judo. She transforms into Cure Beauty (Glitter Breeze in the dub) and uses the power of snow and ice.
=== Mascots ===
* Candy (キャンディ Kyandi?) Candy is the main mascot of the group. She was sent to Earth by the Royale Queen to find the Pretty Cure and to collect Cure Decor in order to save Märchenland.
* Pop (ポップ Poppu?) Pop is a lion-like fairy and the second fairy mascot in Smile Pretty Cure! who first appeared in Episode 6. He is the big brother of Candy and came to earth to pass the Cures the Decor Décor to collect the Cure Decor pieces in.
=== Bad End Kingdom ===
* Pierrot (ピエーロ Piēro?) (known as Emperor Nogo in the English dub) is the sinful emperor of Bad End Kingdom, who invaded Märchenland to steal the Cure Decor and bring about the "Worst Ending".
* Joker (ジョーカー Jōkā?) (known as Rascal in the English dub) At Pierrot's service, he is the leader of the Bad End Generals.
* Wolfrun (ウルフルン Urufurun?) (known as Ulric in the dub) is a wolf-like monster whose mission is to chase Candy before she finds Pretty Cures. He is based on the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs.
* Majorina (マジョリーナ Majorīna?) (known as Brooha in the dub) is one of Pierrot's subordinates. She is a little witch who resembles the Evil Queen from Snow White.
* Akaoni (アカオーニ Akaōni?) (known as Brute in the dub) At Pierrot's service, he is a red skinned demon who resembles an oni from Japanese fairytales such as "Momotaro".
* Akanbe (アカンベェ Akanbē?) (known as Buffoons in the dub) are monsters summoned by the villains of the series to battle the Pretty Cure. They are created by fusing an ordinary object with a Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, or Purple Nose containing Pierrot's power, turning the Cure Decor's energy to Bad Energy. Near the end of the series, the Bad End Generals are able to merge with the Akanbes and control them first-hand.
== Items ==
* Smile Pact - (Glitter Pact in English) The Cures' transformation device. If Cure Decors are inserted to the Smile Pact, it produces items or allows the girls to transform.
* Cure Decor - (Glitter Charm in English) The source of happiness of Royal Queen; special tokens that can be used either to revive Royal Queen of Märchenland or bring about the Worst Ending.
* Decor Décor - (Charm Chest in English) A special box used to store Cure Decor pieces in, brought to the Cures by Pop in Episode 6.
* Princess Candle - (Princess Wand in English) The Cure's main weapon, first used in Episode 23. Used alongside the powers of the Super Princess Cure Decors, the Cures can undergo their secondary forms called Princess Form (Glitter Princess Mode in English) to execute their most powerful group attack, Rainbow Burst.
* Royal Clock - The Cure's weapon which allows them to transform into their Princess Form to execute their most powerful group attack, Royal Rainbow Burst. They also need their Princess Candles to perform it. It can also turn Hyper Akanbes to a normal, red-nosed Akanbe.
== Locations ==
* Märchenland (メルヘンランド Meruhenrando?) (known as Jubiland in the dub) is a fairy tale kingdom where all fairy tale characters live. The Queen has been sealed before the story begins. Märchen is German for "fairy tales".
* Nanairogaoka Middle School (七色ヶ丘中学校 Nanairogaoka Chūgakkō?) (known as Rainbow Hills Middle School in the dub)is the school that the Cures attend. "Nanairo" means "rainbow" in Japanese.
* Bad End Kingdom (バッドエンド王国 Baddo Endo Ōkoku?) (known as the Shadow Realm in the dub) is the home place of the series's antagonist, whose residents invaded Märchenland and traveled to Earth in an attempt to give it the "Worst Ending" by collecting Bad Energy.
* Magical Library (ふしぎ図書館 Fushigi Toshokan?) (known as the Library of Legends in the dub) is a magical location in Smile Pretty Cure!. It is the place where all fairy tales from the different worlds are stored. It seems to be located in an alternate dimension, separate from the human world and Märchenland, and can only be accessed through the Book Door Code. The girls' secret base is also located here.
* Nanairogaoka (七色ヶ丘 Nanairogaoka?) (known as Rainbow Hills in the dub) is the hometown of Hoshizora Miyuki, Hino Akane, Kise Yayoi, Midorikawa Nao, and Aoki Reika.
* Okonomiyaki Akane (お好み焼き屋「あかね」?) is the home of Hino Akane, an okonomiyaki shop named after her name by her parents after she was born.
* Fairy Tale World (絵本の世界 Ehon no Sekai?) is the place where Nico, a character from Smile Pretty Cure!: Ehon no Naka wa Minna Chiguhagu!, lives.
== Differences Between Smile Pretty Cure! and Glitter Force /Adaptations To English Audiences ==
* The names of the Cures are "Americanized" and the villains' names are changed as well.
* The Akanbes are renamed "Buffoons".
* All of the music in the dub is re-scored.
* Only 40 episodes are dubbed in English, with 8 episodes omitted. This is due to Glitter Force originally being intended to air on Nickelodeon, where each season of a show must have exactly 20 episodes.
* Märchenland has been renamed Jubiland and Nanairogaoka is referred to by the English translation of its name, Rainbow Hills.
* The transformation phrased is changed to "Glitter Force Makeover!"
** Unlike in Smile Pretty Cure!, they also talk during the transformation.
* Fairies have been renamed 'Pixies' in the dub.
* The Bad End Kingdom has been renamed the Shadow Realm.
* The Magical Library is now called the Library of Legends.
* The Bad End Pretty Cure is now called the Glitter Shadow Force.
* Many scenes of the show, including parts of the opening, the transformations, and attack sequences, are darkened heavily. This is to reduce the risk of viewers suffering epileptic seizures or developing eye problems from the bright and flashing colors.
* Various signs, letters, or anything featuring Japanese text is either replaced with English sentences and phrases or completely removed.
* Scenes without speech in the original now have speech to replace the silence.
* The ending alternates every four episodes. While the first two contained footage from the Japanese endings, the other eight are new with different CGI models.
== Reception ==
Smile Pretty Cure! was well-received, placing regularly in Japan's weekly top ten anime shows broadcast.
Ella Anders of BSC Kids writing for Glitter Force was critical about the amount of Americanization and the title change provided by Saban Brands, writing that the "With the world so interconnected as it is now the removal of cultural aspects was saddening. It would be such a great chance to celebrate and focus on Japanese culture." She also mentioned that fans of the Pretty Cure series dislike the Saban dub.
== International Dubs and Broadcasts ==
Smile Pretty Cure was quickly picked by several TV broadcasters around the world and was made into 27 languages. It should be noticed that the European and American TV rights for Glitter Force only allowed the first season to be aired for unknown reasons.