Idol Star Pretty Cure♪

**Idol Star Pretty Cure♪** (アイドルスタープリキュア♪ *Aidoru Sutā Purikyua♪*) is a Japanese magical girl anime series produced by Toei Animation and the fourteenth installment in Izumi Todo's *Pretty Cure* franchise. It started airing on February 6, 2017, succeeding *Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!* in its initial timeslot. It is directed and written by Kobayashi Tsubomi. The series' main motifs are idols and fashion.

## Production

After watching the idol anime known as *Aikatsu!*, Kobayashi Tsubomi was so inspired that she decided to create a Pretty Cure series based off of it. She began planning it on a document, and officially revealed the series on January 3, 2016, on this blog post.

## Synopsis

* *Idol Star Pretty Cure♪ episodes*

Ever since childhood, Aihara Utau dreamed of becoming an idol. She performed in all of her school's talent shows, and practised her singing. At the age of 13, she was accepted into the prestigious school for idols, Yumesaki Academy. Like the other students of Yumesaki Academy, she was taught how to be a proper idol. One day, Utau encounters a fairy named Cadence, who came from the magical land of La Musique. Cadence told her that an evil organisation known as Noir had attacked La Musique in order to destroy all sorts of music. The five legendary Top Designers sent Cadence to the human world in order to find the Pretty Cure. With no choice, Cadence gave Utau an Idol Bracelet, which allowed Utau to transform into Cure Harmony, a Pretty Cure born to defeat Noir. Now being joined by Umino Hitomi (Cure Serenade), Amaterasu Kiyomi (Cure Operetta) and Murasaki Kotone (Cure Concert), they form the *Idol Star Pretty Cure♪* team in order to collect the Star Cards, kept by the Top Designers, and protect everyone's happiness.

## Characters

### Pretty Cure

* **Aihara Utau** (藍原歌う *Aihara Utau*)/ **Cure Harmony** (キュアハーモニー *Kyua Hāmonī*) - Utau is the main protagonist who is a 13-year-old girl in her first year at Yumesaki Academy. She is kind and loves to help out a friend in need, and is honest and loves music. She has dreamed of becoming an idol ever since she was a child. Her favourite type of Star Cards are "Sparkle Angel". After meeting Cadence, Utau became Cure Harmony, the Melody of Love whose theme colour is pink.
* **Umino Hitomi** (海野ひとみ *Umino Hitomi*)/ **Cure Serenade** (キュアセレナーデ *Kyua Serenāde*) - Hitomi is a shy but sweet-natured girl 14-year-old girl who has the voice of an angel, and is very intelligent. She is peaceful and never gives up, no matter how difficult the task may be. Her favourite type of Star Cards are "Bright Future". After meeting Cadence, Hitomi became Cure Serenade, the Rhythm of Hope whose theme colour is blue.
* **Amaterasu Kiyomi** (天照清美 *Amaterasu Kiyomi*)/ **Cure Operetta** (キュアオペレッタ *Kyua Operetta*) - Kiyomi is a fun-loving 13-year-old girl who loves to sing and dance. She is full of jokes to make her friends laugh and is athletic. Her favourite type of Star Cards are "Happy Magic". After meeting Cadence, Kiyomi became Cure Operetta, the Beat of Happiness whose theme colour is yellow.
* **Murasaki Kotone** (紫琴音 *Murasaki Kotone*)/ **Cure Concert** (キュアコンサート *Kyua Konsāto*) - Kotone is a mysterious 15-year-old girl who is a wonderful singer. She is cold and believes that she should do things herself, and helps out those who are weaker than herself. Her favourite type of Star Cards are "Lolly Vamp". After meeting Cadence, Kotone became Cure Concert, the Song of Courage whose theme colour is purple.
* **Kagamine Moira** (鏡音モイラ *Kagamine Moira*)/ **Cure Rhapsody** (キュアラプソディ *Kyua Rapusodi*) - Moira is a 14-year-old girl who is the princess of La Musique. She is distant and lonely at first, but after joining the Cures, she smiles a little more. Her favourite type of Star Cards are "Lovely Blossom". She transforms into Cure Rhapsody, the Ballad of Kindness whose theme colour is red.

### La Musique

* **Cadence** (ケイデンス *Keidensu*) - A bird-like fairy. She came from La Musique to look for the Pretty Cure. She loves to sing.
* **Sonata** (ソナタ *Sonata*) - Sonata is the older sister of Cadence. She is an extremely powerful fairy and is kind and gentle, and is also a natural leader and is very concerned about the safety of her people and her sister.

### Noir

* **Lilith** (リリス *Ririsu*)/ **Princess Seira** (セイラ王女 *Seira-ōjo*) - She is the merciless leader and sorceress of Noir. Her goal is to destroy music once and for all. She dislikes dreams and happy music, and always plays a sad melody on her violin. She is later revealed to be the younger princess of La Musique, Seira.
* **Eris** (イーリス *Erisu*) - The most powerful warrior of Noir. She is very ruthless and merciless in battle, and likes to play with people's emotions. She is later revealed to be the one who tricked Seira into practicing dark magic, which turned her into Lilith.
* **Evil Tunes** (邪悪な曲 *Jaakuna kyoku*) - A group that consists of three members and serve as Lilith's subordinates. They have the power to turn people into Namidas. The members are:
	+ **Antaeus** (アンタイオス *Antaiosu*) - One of Noir's commanders and a member of the Evil Tunes. He is cruel and can't stand love. He acts like a rebel and has bad manners.
	+ **Circe** (キルケ *Kiruke*) - One of Noir's commanders and a member of the Evil Tunes. She is vain, and seeing others in despair satisfies her.
	+ **Sisyphus** (シーシュポス *Shīshuposu*) - One of Noir's commanders and a member of the Evil Tunes. He is intelligent and cunning and loves to trick people.
* **Namida** (涙 *Namida*) - The series' main monsters. They are created when a commander summons a bell and jingles it around, creating horrible music, and causing the chosen living thing to change into a Namida. The name is Japanese for "tear".

### Minor Characters

* **Mizuno Asami** (水野麻美 *Mizuno Asami*) - Utau's roommate and childhood friend. She is a friendly 13-year-old girl who loves to sing.
* **Fukushima Tsubasa** (福島翼 *Fukushima Tsubasa*) - The headmistress of Yumesaki Academy. She is a middle-aged woman, and is revealed to be the Top Designer of *Sparkle Angel*, Utau's favourite brand.
* **Kagayaku Eiji** (輝く永次 *Kagayaku Eiji*) - A famous director who is mysterious and calm, and is revealed to be the Top Designer of *Bright Future*, Hitomi's favourite brand.
* **Murakami Nagisa** (村神なぎさ *Murakami Nagisa*) - Kiyomi's roommate and a dance-talented student. She is energetic and lively, and is revealed to be the Top Designer of *Happy Magic*, Kiyomi's favourite brand.
* **Tsukino Yozora** (月野夜空 *Tsukino Yozora*) - A famous supermodel who is gentle and refreshing, and is revealed to be the Top Designer of *Lolly Vamp*, Kotone's favourite brand.

## Items

* **Idol Bracelet** (アイドルブレスレット *Aidoru Buresuretto*) - The Cures' main transformation device. It is shaped as a bracelet with a rainbow dial that allows the girls to transform once they shout "*Pretty Cure, Live Start!*".
* **Star Card** (スターカード *Sutā Kādo*) - The series' main collectible items, which the Cures can use to attack. They are created by the Top Designers. They can give a Pretty Cure a new outfit for each attack.
* **Idol Mic** (アイドルマイク *Aidoru Maiku*) - The Cures' main attack weapon. The microphones allow the Cures to perform individual and group attacks.
* **Book of Stars** (星の書籍 *Hoshi no shoseki*) - A book that holds holds all the information about Pretty Cure and their respective brands in it, and it is also used as storage for the Star Cards.

## Locations

* **Yumesaki Academy** (夢咲学園 *Yumesaki Gakuen*) - The all-girls boarding school that the Cures attend. Students live in dormitories and they train to become idols.
* **Hoshi Akari** (星明かり *Hoshi Akari*) - The city where Yumesaki Academy is located.
* **La Musique** (ラミュージック *Ra Myūjikku*) - Cadence and the Top Designers' homeland. It is known as the "Kingdom of Music". Within the kingdom, there is a legend about five Pretty Cure.
* **Noir** (ノワール *Nowāru*) - The evil organisation and the main antagonists of the series. Their leader is Lilith and their goal is to destroy music.

## Trivia

* *Idol Star Pretty Cure*♪ shares a few similarities with *Suite Pretty Cure♪*:
	+ Both have a theme of music.
	+ Both feature a team of four (prior to Cure Rhapsody)
	+ Both series use names from mythology.
	+ Both series start on February 6.
* This is the third season where the lead Cure is not 14 years old, preceded by *Go! Princess Pretty Cure* and *Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!*.
* This is the fifth series to feature a female main villain, preceded by *Yes! Pretty Cure 5*, *Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!*, *Go! Princess Pretty Cure* and *Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!*.
* Like the previous two seasons, this season features the Cures attending a boarding school.
* This is the second series to have the collectible items as cards, preceded by *Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!*.
* This is also the fifth series to have form changes, preceded by *Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star*, *Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!*, *Go! Princess Pretty Cure* and *Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!*.
* This series shares a few similarities with *Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!*:
	+ Both series feature a team of four Cures with the colours pink, blue, yellow and purple (prior to Cure Rhapsody).
	+ Both series have form changes.
	+ Both series' collectible items are cards.
	+ Both series have a trio of villains consisting of two men and one woman.
* Two J-pop idols, Tano Asami and Mizuki Nana, sing the opening and ending songs, and they have previously voiced two Cures from past Pretty Cure seasons. This is possibly because this season has a theme of idols.
* The series' writer and director, Kobayashi Tsubomi, has officially revealed that the mysterious red girl from the opening is the fifth Pretty Cure, Cure Rhapsody, who is scheduled to debut in Episode 22 of the anime. Tsubomi has also revealed a second mascot named Sonata, who will debut in Episode 20.
	+ Cure Rhapsody was originally scheduled to make a cameo appearance in ISPC14, but this idea was later scrapped.

## Merchandise

Please refer to the main page *Idol Star Pretty Cure♪ Merchandise* for more information.