Pretty Cure

The Pretty Cure Series (プリキュアシリーズ, Purikyua Shirīzu), also known as PreCure (プリキュア, Purikyua) and PC, is a Japanese magical girl anime franchise created by Izumi Todo and produced by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, Asatsu-DK, Toei Animation, and the anime dubbing and distribution division of Aroba Animation. Each series revolves around a group of magical girls known as Pretty Cures who battle against evil forces. Starting in February 2004 with Futari wa Pretty Cure, the franchise has seen many anime series, spanning over 800 episodes to date, as well as spawning movies, manga, toys, and video games. Its most recent iteration, Healin' Good PreCure, began airing in February 2020 as part of TV Asahi's Sunday morning children's television block. To date, every series minus three has been dubbed into English.

Overview
Each series focuses on a group of teenage girls who are granted special items that allow them to transform into legendary warriors known as the Pretty Cure. With the assistance of creatures known as fairies, the Pretty Cure uses their magical powers and enhanced strength to fight against evil forces who create monsters to bring misery to the Earth and further their plans. As the series progresses and stronger enemies appear, the Cures gain new magical items, new abilities, and sometimes new allies to help them in their fight against evil.

Main series
There are currently seventeen anime television series in the franchise, two of which are direct sequels to their previous series. To date, every series except Splash Star, Kirakira, and Star Twinkle has been dubbed in English via the Anime Dubbing and Distribution division of Aroba Animation, headed by Anthony Zuniga Sr., alongside owning the rights to the franchise in The Americas, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Films
Beginning with Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart, each television series has received a theatrical animated film based on the series, with Max Heart receiving two films. Starting in March 2009, crossover films featuring characters from multiple series have been released annually, with 12 crossover films released to date. The eleventh crossover film, ''Hugtto! PreCure Futari wa Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories,'' has been awarded the Guinness World Records title for "Most Magical Warriors in an Anime Film", with a total number of 55 Cures with speaking roles.

Musicals
Live stage shows since Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart began in February 2005. They don't usually have special names like movies or games, and they are performed in theatres or stages. These musicals are often made for children between the age of 5–9.

Video games
Several video games have been produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Bandai) for video game systems and educational consoles, as well as Data Carddass arcade machines.


 * Console video games


 * Futari wa Pretty Cure: Arienai! Yume no En wa Daimeikyu (ふたりはプリキュア ありえな～い！夢の園は大迷宮, Pretty Cure: Unbelievable! The Dream Park is a Labyrinth) (2004, Game Boy Advance)


 * Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart: Maji? Maji!? Fight de IN Janai (ふたりはプリキュアマックスハート マジ?マジ?!ファイト de INじゃない, Pretty Cure Max Heart!: Really? Really!? A Fight is Okay, Isn't It?) (2005, Game Boy Advance)


 * Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart: Danzen! DS de Precure - Chikara wo Awasete Dai Battle (ふたりはプリキュアマックスハート　DANZEN!DSでプリキュア力をあわせて大バトル！!, Pretty Cure Max Heart: - Absolutely! Pretty Cure on DS - The Great Battle Where Power Gathers) (2005, Nintendo DS)


 * Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star: Panpaka Game de Zekkōchō! (ふたりはプリキュア Splash Star パンパカゲームでぜっこうちょう!, Pretty Cure Splash Star - In Top Condition for the PanPaka Game!) (2006, Nintendo DS)


 * Yes! PreCure 5 (Yes！プリキュア5) (2007, Nintendo DS)


 * Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: Zenin Shu Go! Dream Festival (Yes！プリキュア5GoGo！ 全員しゅーGo!ドリームフェスティバル, Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: All Assembled! Dream Festival) (2008, Nintendo DS)


 * Fresh Pretty Cure: Asobi Collection (フレッシュプリキュア!あそびコレクション, Fresh Pretty Cure: Play Collection) (2009, Nintendo DS)


 * HeartCatch PreCure! Oshare Collection (ハートキャッチプリキュア!おしゃれコレクション, HeartCatch PreCure! Fashion Collection) (2010, Nintendo DS)


 * Koe de Asobō! HeartCatch PreCure! (こえであそぼう!ハートキャッチプリキュア!, Let's Play With Voices! HeartCatch PreCure!) (2010, Nintendo DS)


 * Suite PreCure♪: Melody Collection (スイートプリキュア♪ メロディコレクション) (2011, Nintendo DS)


 * Smile PreCure! Let's Go! Märchen World (スマイルプリキュア!　レッツゴー！メルヘンワールド) (2012, Nintendo 3DS)


 * PreCure All-Stars: Zenin Shūgō☆Let's Dance! (プリキュアオールスターズ ぜんいんしゅうごう☆レッツダンス！, PreCure All-Stars: All Together☆Let's Dance!) (2013, Wii)


 * DokiDoki! PreCure: Narikiri Life! (ドキドキ!プリキュア なりきりライフ!, DokiDoki! Precure: Impersonator Life!) (2013, Nintendo 3DS)


 * HappinessCharge PreCure! Kawarun Collection (ハピネスチャージプリキュア! カワルン☆コレクション, HappinessCharge PreCure! Sparking Collection) (2014, Nintendo 3DS)


 * Go! Princess PreCure: Sugar Ōkoku to Rokunin no Princess (Go!プリンセスプリキュア シュガー王国と6人のプリンセス, Go! Princess PreCure: The Sugar Kingdom and the 6 Princesses) (2015, Nintendo 3DS)


 * PreCure Tsunagaru Puzzlun (プリキュアつながるぱずるん, PreCure Connecting Puzzlun) (2017, iOS, Android)


 * Nari Kids Park: Hugtto! PreCure (なりキッズパーク　HUGっと！プリキュア) (2018, Nintendo Switch)


 * Arcade game


 * PreCure All Stars Data Carddass series (プリキュアデータカードダスシリーズ) (2007–2017)


 * Educational titles


 * Futari wa Pretty Cure (ふたりはプリキュア) (2004, Sega Pico)


 * Futari wa Pretty Cure: Max Heart (ふたりはプリキュアMax Heart) (2005, Beena)


 * Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star (ふたりはプリキュアスプラッシュスター) (2006, Beena)


 * Yes! Pretty Cure 5 Go Go: Love Love Hiragana Lesson (Yes！プリキュア5GoGo！lovelove☆ひらがなレッスン) (2008, Beena)


 * Isshoni Henshin Fresh Pretty Cure (いっしょにへんしん♥フレッシュプリキュア！) (2009, Beena)


 * Oshare ni Henshin HeartCatch PreCure! (おしゃれにへんしん ハートキャッチプリキュア！) (2010, Beena)


 * Suite PreCure♪: Happy Oshare Harmony☆ (スイートプリキュア♪ハッピーおしゃれハーモニー☆) (2011, Beena)

Live-action drama
A live-action series, Koe Girl! (声ガール！, Koe Gāru!), aired in Japan between April and June 2018, celebrating the franchise's 15th anniversary. The series follows a group of aspiring voice actresses and stars Haruka Fukuhara, who voiced Himari Arisugawa/Cure Custard in Kirakira PreCure a la Mode.

Reception
The combination of transmedia text products, including anime series, films, live performances, theme stores, and toys, has been analyzed as a "system of consumption, knowledge, and action [that] creates a lifestyle-text, a set of fictional media works that are synonymous with the lifestyle practices they promote."

The Pretty Cure films are the seventh highest-grossing anime film franchise. Bandai Namco's net income from Pretty Cure video game sales was ¥3.6 billion ($45.12 million) from April 2008 to March 2012, ¥1 billion ($10.26 million) from April 2012 to March 2013, ¥700 million ($7 million) from April 2013 to March 2014, and ¥500 million ($5 million) from April 2014 to March 2016, adding up to ¥26.9 billion ($67.4 million) net sales revenue for Bandai Namco.

Merchandise
Pretty Cure has had numerous licensed merchandise sold in Japan. Between 2004 and 2007, Pretty Cure licensed merchandise sold ¥162.13 billion in Japan, where it became the sixth highest-grossing franchise annually by 2005. Pretty Cure licensed merchandise in Japan later sold ¥49,915.44 million in 2008 ¥62,449.2 million in 2009, and ¥76,646 million in 2010, becoming Japan's fifth highest-grossing franchise annually. Pretty Cure licensed merchandise later sold ¥63.12 billion in 2011, ¥63,508 million in 2012, ¥61,701 million in 2013, ¥45,461 million in 2014,¥45.64 billion in 2015, and ¥49.76 billion in 2016. Combined, Pretty Cure licensed merchandise sold ¥617.274 billion ($7.14 billion) in Japan up until 2016. Bandai Namco's net income from their Pretty Cure toy sales was ¥24 billion ($217.34 million) from April 2017 to December 2019. In total, Pretty Cure has generated at least ¥641.274 billion ($7.357 billion) in merchandise sales as of 2019.