Akiyama Minako

**Akiyama Minako** (秋山美奈子 *Akiyama Minako*) is one of the main Cures in *HeartCatch Pretty Cure!☆Reborn*. She is a young girl who is the reincarnation of **Dark Pretty Cure** (ダークプリキュア *Dāku Purikyua*). She worked for Lady Sabakuno Namida as **Aranya** (アランヤ *Aran'ya*) until Episode 22. Minako's alter ego is **Cure Jewel** (キュアジュエル *Kyua Jueru*).

## Appearance

Minako appears as an 11-year-old girl with long brown hair with some of it tied up into twin tails (with green ribbons) and green eyes. She wears a white dress with frills on the straps and a double layer on the skirt. She also has a pink bow and white slip-on shoes. In the summer, she wears a black button-up sleeveless shirt, and denim shorts. She wears black ankle-boots and an orange flower hair-clip. In the winter, Minako wears a black dress, black tights, and black knee-high boots. She also wears a white scarf.

As Cure Jewel, she ages to 17 years, and is pale white and usually has her right eye closed. Her right eye is gold, her left eye is blue. She wears a black dress and she wears a short arm warmer on her right arm and a long black glove on her left arm. She has one black "dragon" wing on her left shoulder. She has short dark green hair that curls up a little, and has three red spike-like hair clips.

## Personality

As Aranya, she seemed to be calm and quiet, and was very intelligent for her age, and used strategy to win. Like the other members of her team, she was very evil. She had sworn that she and Pretty Cure would always be enemies, no matter what.

As Minako, she is still calm and quiet, and she is typically sweet, reserved, and patient, though her nature may be due to naivety and guilt when she remembers her sins of doing evil things and hurting her friends in the past but got over it when she faced her real self with the help from her friends, which was shown in Episode 23. She then becomes kind-hearted and loves her friends.

## History

### Aranya

Aranya was first seen outside of Hanasaki Hanae's house, watching her. Hanae, furious that the girl had scared her, told the girl to leave immediately. The girl obeyed, but she seemed quite suspicious. Later on, Hanae and her best friend, Myoudouin Hinata were eating lunch together, and Hinata told Hanae that she was worrying over her homework, which probably had all the questions incorrect. Hanae then sees Aranya, which surprises her. Aranya then introduces herself, and that she had been watching Hanae ever since she met Chypre. When Hinata asked what was going on, Aranya saw that her Heart Flower was wilting, and she stole Hinata's Heart Flower from her. She merged the Heart Flower with a tree, and the Heart Flower turned into a monster known as a Desertrian. However, Aranya witnesses Hanae gaining the ability to transform into Cure Rose, and Cure Rose defeated the Desertrian. Aranya then swore that she and Pretty Cure will always be enemies, no matter what happens.

In the next episodes that Aranya had appeared in, she has tried her hardest to get rid of Pretty Cure, and fought them with her Desertrians. In Episode 13, Aranya was given a Dark Bracelet by Lady Sabakuno Namida, which made her strong. Later on, Hanasaki Kaoruko revealed that the Dark Bracelet was brainwashing Aranya, and the Cures tried to save her. For the next few episodes, the Cures had tried to save Aranya, but their attempts had always failed.

### Rebirth

In Episode 22, Aranya is given one final chance to defeat the Cures. Aranya tells them that she wants to meet them in the forest for a final battle, and when they show up, they battle. However, after the Cures had defeated Aranya, Lady Sabakuno Namida appears with Hotaru, Hajar and Marudeva, to say that she no longer needs Aranya. Lady Sabakuno Namida had killed her, but she is resurrected by a mysterious light, giving her a new form: Cure Jewel. Although the Cures instantly accepted her, she refuses, and walks away.

Now known as Minako, she can't help feeling guilty for the sadness that she had caused, and is haunted by her past deeds. After a talk with Tsukikage Yuri and the battle with Hajar's Desertrian, Minako finally decides to join the team, and much to her delight, the Cures accepted her.

## Relationships

**Hanasaki Hanae -** Aranya was furious when Cure Rose defeated her Desertrian in Episode 1, and swore that she and Pretty Cure would always be enemies. When Aranya became Cure Jewel, Cure Rose wanted her to join, despite Aranya's past sins. They are now friends.

**Tsukikage Yuri -** Minako seems to look up to Yuri, and the two appear to get along like sisters.

## Cure Jewel

**"The rainbow-coloured crystal that represents life! Cure Jewel!"**
命を表す虹色の結晶！キュアジュエル！
*Inochi o arawasu nijiiro no kesshō! Kyua Jueru!*

**Cure Jewel** (キュアジュエル *Kyua Jueru*) is the Pretty Cure alter ego of Minako. She controls the power of crystals. Her main attack is Jewel Reflection.

### Attacks

* **Jewel Reflection** (ジュエルリフレクション *Jueru Rifurekushon*) is Cure Jewel's main attack, performed with the Jewel Tact. It first appeared in Episode 22.
* **Jewel Blast** (ジュエルブラスト *Jueru Burasuto*) is Cure Jewel's purification attack, performed with the Jewel Tact. It first appeared in Episode 23.
* **Magical Storm** (マジカルストーム *Majikaru Sutōmu*) is Cure Jewel's first group attack that she performs with Cure Rose, Cure Ocean, Cure Sunburst and Cure Moonbeam. This attack requires her to be in Flower Form and her Jewel Tact to be used. It first appeared in Episode 29.
* **Sparkle Explosion** (スパークルエクスプロージョン *Supākuru Ekusupurōjon*) is Cure Jewel's second group attack that she performs with Cure Rose, Cure Ocean, Cure Sunburst and Cure Moonbeam. This attack requires her to be in Flower Form. It first appeared in Episode 35.
* **Iris Temptation** (アイリステンプテーション *Airisu Tenputēshon*) is Cure Jewel's main attack which requires her to be in Flower Form. It first appeared in Episode 40.

## Dark Pretty Cure

Dark Pretty Cure is the past self of Minako. She had an antagonistic rivalry with Cure Moonlight and had a deep conscious of defeating her competition and wanted to eliminate Cure Moonlight once and for all and was very desperate. She was mysterious and calm, but was deadly in battle.

## Etymology

**Akiyama** (秋山): *Aki*(明子) translates to "autumn; bright; sparkle" while *Yama*(山) translates to "mountain".

**Minako** (美奈子): *Mi* (ミ) translates to "beauty", while *Ko* (コ) translates to "child". Along with *Na* (ナ), this name means "beautiful child".

**Aranya** (アランヤ): *Aranya* is a name that means "desert", an obvious reference to when she was a part of the Desert Emissaries.

## Songs

Minako's two voice actresses, **Ōkubo Rumi** and **Takayama Minami**, had both participated in several image songs for the character they voice. Many of them include duets with **Asano Mayumi**, who voices Hanasaki Hanae, **Inoue Marina**, who voices Kurumi Ayano, **Horie Yui**, who voices Myoudouin Hinata, and **Nakajima Megumi**, who voices Tsukikage Rina.

### Singles

* Destiny (*Ōkubo Rumi*)
* Who Am I? (*Takayama Minami*)

### Duets

* Miracle Team (*along with Asano Mayumi, Inoue Marina, Horie Yui and Nakajima Megumi*)
* Desert World (*along with Kishio Daisuke and Abe Atsushi*)
* One Thousand Stars (*along with Asano Mayumi, Inoue Marina, Horie Yui and Nakajima Megumi*)
* Our Colourful Christmas (*along with Asano Mayumi, Inoue Marina, Horie Yui and Nakajima Megumi*)

## Trivia

* Aranya is the first villain to have no blood relatives.
* She is the first villain who is a child.
* Aranya is the third female villain, preceded by Smash and Princess Akuma.
	+ She is currently the only one of the three to not be deceased. It should be noted, however, that Aranya was killed by Lady Sabakuno Namida, but was resurrected as a Pretty Cure.
* Minako is the reincarnation of Dark Pretty Cure.
* Minako's birthday falls on August 25. This makes her a Virgo.
* She is the first Cure to have two voice actresses.
	+ The Fusion Forms also had two voice actresses, but they were only upgrades of the main Cures.
* She is also the first villain to become a Cure.
* Minako is the only Cure in her season to not have a fairy partner.
* Minako is also the only Cure in her respective season to not have a catchphrase.
* She is the only Cure who was given an age and voice change during transformation.
* HPCR30 revealed that Minako was very good at surfing, although she had never tried it.