Star Detective Precure! Episode 1 Dominates Trends on Premiere Day: Long-Awaited Dual Transformation and Villain Draw Buzz like “The Black-Clad Girl Is Cute!” and “That Was Yoshitsugu Matsuoka!”

The latest entry in the Precure anime franchise, Star Detective Precure! (aired on ABC TV and TV Asahi affiliates every Sunday at 8:30 AM), premiered its first episode on February 1. As the 23rd installment in the long-running series, the landmark debut quickly became a hot topic online, with viewers praising elements such as “an incredible transformation sequence and beautifully animated, cool yet cute battle scenes” and reacting enthusiastically with comments like “The black-clad girl in the ending is adorable!”

Episode 1, titled “Birth! Star Detective Precure!”, opens with Anna Akechi, who has just turned 14, returning home with her mother. She notices a pendant left in her room and assumes it is a birthday gift. When Anna puts it on, a mysterious fairy suddenly appears. The fairy, who introduces itself as Pochitan, begs, “Please come with me and help me!” As the pendant begins to glow, the two are engulfed in light.

Anna later lands in an unfamiliar place, where she meets Mikuru Kobayashi, a girl who dreams of becoming a detective. Mistaking Anna and Pochitan for examiners of a “detective test,” Mikuru notices that Anna is not wearing any shoes and takes her out to buy some. During their shopping trip, however, Pochitan suddenly flies off. Chasing after the fairy, they arrive at a wedding venue, where a bride is in distress after losing her precious tiara. Offering to help, Anna and Mikuru begin searching for the missing tiara together, setting the episode’s mystery into motion.

The episode also features the transformation scenes of both heroines, prompting a flood of reactions online. Comments included “So Nijii really was Yoshitsugu Matsuoka after all. That energy, expression, and voice will definitely awaken a love for handsome villains,” “When was the last time we had two Precure from episode one?” and “That transformation bank was insanely cute.” On X, the hashtag #precure climbed to the number one trending spot.

Star Detective Precure! marks the first detective-themed Precure series, with its story set primarily in 1999. The protagonist, Anna Akechi, is a 14-year-old second-year middle school student living in Makoto Mirai Town. Guided by the fairy Pochitan and the mysterious pendant in her room, she time-slips from 2027 to Makoto Mirai City in 1999. There, she meets Mikuru Kobayashi, another 14-year-old girl who admires great detectives. As incidents begin to occur, the two cannot ignore people suffering after having their precious belongings stolen. Transforming into the Star Detective Precure, they solve mysteries with the catchphrase “That mystery is now solved, Cure-ly!” while protecting smiles through deduction and searching for clues that may allow Anna to return to her original time.

The newly announced characters and cast include Hikari Senga as Cure Answer and Anna Akechi, Kaede Hondo as Cure Mystique and Mikuru Kobayashi, and Nao Toyama as Cure Arcana Shadow and Luluka Moria. The role of Cure Eclair will be revealed at a later date. Emiri Kato voices the fairy Pochitan, Hina Yomiya plays Mashutan, Yuki Kaji voices Jett-senpai, and the cast for Shushutan has yet to be announced.

While many purple-themed Precure characters such as Cure Kyun-Kyun and Cure Majesty have appeared in past series, the production’s publicity staff noted that this is the first time a main protagonist Precure has featured purple as her character color.

Source : ORICON NEWS