Welcome to your place of Otakus

Just got home from Japan, jetlagged, and not up to being productive yet so let’s talk about something fun.

Not the plot, tho. After that new clunky whojamabob appeared, my interest in the story kinda waned by like 30% knowing the ending will probably be more predictable than not.

But it’s a magical girl show so what else is new. :P

Anyway, the reason I’m calling this “the pinnacle” is that TanPre has gone beyond what previous seasons did with their Form Changes.

With the exception of Splash Star (which I haven’t watched yet so can’t comment), those series tend to restrict their Form Changes to the sub-attacks. Basically, cosmetics with explosive special effects but don’t really contribute much to the plot.

Seasons written by Isao Murayama (MahoPre, StarPre), however, do slightly better in tying those Forms to their respective narratives. Like how the Linkle Stones that let MahoPre have multiple transformation styles are crystallized powers left behind by Mother Rapapa. And (iirc) how the Constellation Forms in StarPre’s movie were an extension of power from the Zodiac Pens/Princesses.

But still, the main function of these forms is to serve as alternative costumes for the Cures.

Think of it this way. If the story is pretty much the same without Form Changes, then are they really necessary? Ehh…no.

But do they make the season more interesting and fun to watch? Oh yea, absolutely. *nods aggressively* 🙂‍↕️

Form Changes never detract, they help boost interest.

But for a long time, that’s all they were. Eye candy for the viewers.

It wasn’t until Arcana Shadow that a Form Change actually spoke something about that character and the story.

Of course, Arcana was not the first to go dark.

There are plenty of Cures before her who were villains before “falling to the light”. And I believe Sky was the first Cure from a main cast to take on a corrupted form.

But the Cures who converted to the light weren’t Cures during their villain eras so they don’t count towards this discussion.

And Sky as a dark Cure only occured at the end of HiroPre, with its duration not even lasting a whole episode. Moreover, Sky did not willingly accept darkness into herself. She was under duress and only did it to save Prism.

While for Luluka, nobody forced her to take on Shadow powers and join the Phantom Thieves. She chose to do it of her own will because she felt she needed that strength to defeat Eclair.

And next week, she will drop even further into darkness, resulting in the creation of a third form: Eclipse Shadow.

This is incredible because around five years ago, you can tell Toei was still not ready to have a character from the main cast be a full-time villain while also still being an active Cure.

Not even letting any Cure be an anti-heroine because purity clause exists in in the magical girl genre, too.

But somehow, somebody convinced someone on the high chair that “Hey, dark magical girls like Fate Testarossa, Akemi Homura, etc, will always be popular so why don’t we include one for this season revolving around detectives and phantom thieves? She’ll surely be a hit if we give her a great design as well as an amazing sad backstory to match and that will definitely make the fans want to root for her and buy up all her related merchandise so that we’ll have to put in orders for more! PROFITS! WOOHOO!!”

Thus, the concept of Luluka/Arcana Shadow beautifully bloomed into existence and helped make TanPre one of the most well-received Precure seasons to date.

🎶AAAAAHHHH~🎶 🙌😌🌟

Honestly, it’s no surprise.

There are many ways a character can become insanely popular but sometimes, knowing how to use a simple approach to get the maximum results seems to be the most effective.

Arcana Shadow’s design is well-balanced. It’s everything you’d want a magical girl to look (pretty, cute and dignified) without needing to overdecorate into gaudy or ridiculous territory like some other Cures do.

Even when she eventually switches (back) to her original white form, Arcana doesn’t lose her charm. If anything, knowing that she returns to the good side and is able to genuinely smile from her heart again eases the loss of Shadow’s black color theme that made her unique in the first place.

The pink ombre at the ends of her hair is even more noticeable, too. And pink is always the color of a lead Cure even if it’s not their primary one (look at Answer, Sky and La Mer) so that’s proof that Arcana is as main character as the leading duo for this season. If not moreso, haha 😂

But most importantly, you can glean almost all of Luluka’s character arc simply by observing the progression from one Form Change to the next.

Starting out as Arcana, pure white with a touch of pale pink. Innocence, idealistic, bright and believing in the future.

Then Arcana Shadow, pitch black with deep purple. The opposite of white (reverse, tarot card turned upside down). More serious and cynical. Full of mysteries and secrets.

Then Eclipse Shadow, a cloudier (?) black underlined by angry red. Still beautiful but wearing the colors of the devil, holding a weapon like death. Born out of desperation, not despair.

And finally, back to Arcana. Purified, returned to the light. A revival of hope.

This is how you use Form Changes in your narrative.

It’s not just an outfit or palette swap. It shows the character’s personality, her history, her struggles, her triumphs, her virtues and her strengths.

It tells her story through the concept of design.

People say that Luluka’s been given a lot of preferential treatment but you can understand why, right?

She’s one of the biggest driving forces of the plot. Giving her three forms is less about favoritism (in fact, Eclair is the favored one, not Arcana) and more about reflecting the progression of the story.

And that’s why I like her best 😊

That said, I’m still gonna call the white version “Arcana Bleach”.

I mean, c’mon. Who didn’t think that when those spoiler images were revealed to be true?

She lost all her colors in the wash! 😂

I'm a big fan of big silly props-

so enjoy this M.W.S. from Xenosaga episode 1 that couldn't leave my brain that I modeled.

She’s here! So glad I took a break a few months ago when I heard the switch 2 edition rumors.

A little late to the party, but here's my full collection of app icons that I did for the @youarestrongerzine! This was my first time designing something like this and it was a very fun challenge.

The full zine's been out for a bit now, you should check it out if you haven't yet! So many wonderful works and digital merch all available for FREE!!

Cure Beauty <3

i can't believe i haven't done this before on my blog before. anyways this came about because i was looking at some very very old posts and i came across one where i mentioned that chocolat's design was "ranked #5 out of 6 on my list of kirakira cure designs" and "that i should put together an actual ranking post someday." well, nearly three years later, i'm finally doing it. so without further ado, let's begin!

#1: cure custard

custard's #1 because she manages to pull off the combined animal & sweet theme really, really well. her theme being a squirrel also gives her this cozy woodland creature vibe that i think goes good with a sweets motif. compared to some of the others, her dress design is also pretty simple (no patterns/crazy colors/stripes) and i think that works in her favor since it means the outfit isn't too busy. my favorite parts are her purin skirt and her shoes & socks combo. they're so cute!

#2: cure macaron

cure macaron is another favorite of mine, shoutout to that macaron-esque skirt it's iconic. like himari, she's another good example of the animal & sweets themes complimenting each other instead of clashing, though i still think himari pulls it off better. my one nitpick is that i'm not super sold on some of the shades of purple that they used, but that's a minor thing in the grand scheme of things

#3: cure whip

whip is in the middle because while i like her design, it doesn't stick out to me the way custard's and macaron's do. i do really appreciate, however, the fact that her design has a bit more of a patissier vibe to it thanks to her vest with the double buttons, the bow, and the puffy sleeves. also i'm a huge fan of her boots

#4: cure parfait

a lot of ciel's outfits make my eye twitch because i like their individual components but not how they look when put together (and that annoys me a lot). unfortunately, her cure form is not an exception, which is why it's at #4. to start with the good: i really like her dress! it's gorgeous and i love that it's designed to resemble a parfait glass. the rainbow ruffle is so pretty. i also have a soft spot for her ponytail. there's something about it that reminds me of 1960s hairstyles and i like it

now, the bad: her boots. oh my dear god her boots. they are the dealbreaker for me i hate them so much. i know what they were going for (horse hooves) and it works when she's viewed from the front. however her fighting style is supposed to be graceful, nimble, and flight-based. and those boots end up looking like they weigh her down, which clashes with that fighting style. if she was a normal horse i would tolerate it a lot more, though i'm not a fan of platforms in general so i still probably wouldn't be their biggest fan. i like their color scheme, though.

other things i'm not sold on include her gloves (i wish they were longer because the elbow length leaves a lot of awkward empty space between her shoulders and her gloves), her hair color (i like that shade of pink but i don't think it works well with the color scheme of her dress, i've seen edits that give her blonde or green hair and i think they work better), and the size of her parfait on her head (it hides one of her ears and makes her look like she's only got one ear!)

overall, i think that her design is a bit too busy for my tastes. she's got so many different pieces that fight for your attention (her three animal parts, her giant platforms, her rainbow ruffle, and the flared-out portion of her hair at her waist) that there's no single focal point that centers the design. which annoys me because, as i said, i like some of the pieces individually.

#5: cure chocolat

the only reason her design isn't #6 is because i am a sucker for top hats and i like her red and brown color scheme. i wish more precures had brown as a sub color it's very underrated

anyways. where do i even start. to start, her design is just way too busy for my tastes. similar to parfait, there's way too many different parts fighting for my attention all at once. why is there random yellow trim on her tie that looks vaguely like fire. the stripes on her sleeves are kind of distracting. normally i'm a huge fan of capes but this one is unfortunately overpowered by the giant tail. this design is unfortunately an example of the animal & sweets themes clashing with one another instead of looking cohesive

and speaking of her animal parts, i don't think they communicate the idea of a dog effectively. when i first saw her design all those years ago i genuinely thought she was supposed to be a fox and got really confused when i saw people talking about "the cat and dog cures from kirakira". i was like ??? yeah there's a cat cure but what dog cure??? i think it would've worked better if they'd given her floppier ears and a smaller, skinner tail (having a smaller tail might also solve the cape problem).

i also wish they'd given her pants or shorts instead of a skirt. i just simply do not like how it looks with her bodice and also they're cowards for not letting her have pants in her cure form

#6: cure gelato

gelato is last because i'm just not really a fan. i do think her lion's mane hairstyle and her ice cream skirt are pretty cool, but i also don't like how dainty the skirt looks compared to the rest of the outfit. it clashes a lot and i think that's what really drags this design down. also not a big fan of the yellow on her sleeves and gloves, and i'm saying this as someone whose favorite color is yellow. i simply Do Not like that shade of yellow and that shade of blue together it's giving IKEA

bonus round: cure waffle

Random list I decided to make, because I think some FF characters are written better than others. I'm mostly writing about the games I've played, so keep that in mind.

Cloud from FFVII (particularly in the Remake trilogy): Considering I didn't grow up playing FFVII, I'm surprised I'm putting Cloud here. I used to think he was all brooding emotion for no apparent reason. The way his childhood is narrated and his growing up is told through Crisis Core and the Remake trilogy (especially in Rebirth) is really quite touching, if also deeply traumatic. Sure, Cloud's being injected with Jenova cells is a part of his trauma, but the basic reasons for why followed the path he did is because he was lonely and tried to make good on the one promise/connection he made with Tifa. It's surprisingly honest for a JRPG, and I think accounts for why a lot of fans like Cloud as a character. He goes through the most growth as a person, piecing himself back together through the story.

Yuna from FFX: Even though she's not the primary protagonist (insofar as we don't play as her), Yuna's character development is arguably one of the most compelling for a female character in the series. Her faith is tested and she remakes her commitments to protect the people and free them from their suffering. The journey she makes is both inner and outer, and that really comes through in the way she chooses to fight Sin without the Final Aeon. Even when she's faced with the limits of her knowledge about what could defeat Sin, she forges ahead and trusts in her companions. Especially when read as a story of faith, Yuna's arc is really amazing to see.

Cecil from FFIV: This might come as surprising to a lot of people familiar with Final Fantasy. Cecil is not exactly fans' first choice of a favorite character, but in terms of character development, he's a good example of a classic trope done well. His journey of redemption and challenging himself to do right by others was really resonant for me. His story isn't complicated, and the game plays it pretty straight. FFXVI's Clive is very similar to Cecil, down to the medieval fantasy aesthetic, but the main difference is that Clive is significantly more confident than Cecil (more on this later).

Tidus from FFX: FFX was my first entry into the series, and I have a huge soft spot for it. Putting Tidus at number 4 is a little disappointing for me, because I realize in retrospect that his personal development is perhaps a bit too subtle. He has surprisingly ordinary problems: negligent parents and growing up in the shadow of his father's fame. A lot of his personal growth has little inherently to do with the world of Spira, which makes it less flashy than the other characters on this list. Even so, he goes from being resentful about his father to actually developing values and taking his own place in the world. More impressively, he almost trades characters with Yuna, choosing to give his life in the service of others and learning from her convictions to make his own. I've always loved this side of Tidus, and the fact that his arc never makes Yuna's out to be a self-fulfilling journey from ignorance to truth.

Squall from FFVIII: I know a lot of people find FFVIII polarizing, and even find its story to be a little nonsensical. Perhaps I'm more generous, but I found Squall's growth fairly compelling in that his aloof and distant demeanor ultimately boils down to a fear of being left alone and losing the people he cares about. He has tangible experiences to that effect (along with the rest of the main cast, but it's more fleshed out for him), and it makes a lot of sense why he struggles to change in his relationship with Rinoa. Squall carrying Rinoa across the bridge to Fisherman's Horizon was one of the most moving scenes in a Square Enix game that I've seen.

Aqua from KHBBS and 0.8 Prologue: Aqua is a weirdly well-written character in an otherwise narratively light series. She's mature, responsible, and caring, but keenly aware of the limitations of her abilities. She doesn't have the most screentime, but she's one of the few KH protagonists to exhibit anger and grief. She actually succumbed to the darkness, and had real reasons to do so. The balance between Aqua's search for confidence and her desire to protect her friends is accentuated by her decision to sacrifice herself. The KHBBS protagonists are generally stronger because they experience tragedy and get a wider range of emotions, but Aqua stands out as uniquely challenged by her circumstances. Terra is narratively required to be messed-up, and Ven is a victim of the narrative more than anything else.

Roxas from KH358/2 Days and KHII: Roxas is a well-loved character in the KH fanbase, probably he's one of the few characters who isn't happy go-lucky like a certain "other". I was a little concerned that Roxas would end up being too similar to Cloud, but I think his anger really sets him apart. He's trying to hard to understand what it means to be his own person and to claim his relationships, and it's something a lot of people can appreciate and relate to. The main reason he's not higher on this list is that he doesn't have that much screentime and I think his relationships with characters other than Axel and Xion are significantly less well-defined than they should be (Naminé stands out as an example).

Lightning from FFXIII: Lightning has often been compared to Cloud and Squall for her emotionally reserved and cold behavior, but I think it comes from a quite different place than the other two. Lightning was an orphan forced to raise her sister alone, and she became a soldier to do that. Unfortunately, this is where the rankings start to dip in positivity. I want to like Lightning's growth into a hero, but too much is told in supplementary materials in the game and side events. One of her better sub-plots is with Hope, where she learns to be sensitive to his anxieties and encourages him to fight in spite of the odds. But her determination to defy her fate and save Serah is mostly unchanged through the first game; her development in FFXIII-3 is honestly not well-articulated and the character of Lumina doesn't do very well at bringing out Lightning's apparent anxieties.

Clive from FFXVI: This might irritate some people, but this is my list! I actually like Clive, and his love for Joshua was genuinely endearing, especially given that he thought he killed him. But his transition into the role of Cid didn't really do anything for me, as it seemed too good a fit for him. We already know that Clive is caring, loyal, responsible, and sensitive to the ways that Bearers are abused (apparently because of his upbringing). It's not at all surprising that Clive took the role from Cid, and their mentor-student relationship didn't feel very powerful. I don't think Clive changed very deeply over the course of the game, other than that his conviction to free Bearers became stronger. I pointed out that Cecil is very similar to Clive earlier. The main difference is that Clive's redemption is undercut by the fact that he never killed Joshua, and that he finds that out fairly early in the game. This sets up Clive's story, pitched as being about revenge and redemption, to have a different payoff. But that never comes because the problem of the Crystals is fundamentally separate from his need for expiation.

Ashe from FFXII: Another surprise on this list, mainly in that Ashe is not typically thought of as the protagonist of FFXII (even though practically speaking, she is). FFXII's narrative issues aside, Ashe has some interesting stuff going for her: she loses her husband soon after they get married, and she pursues power to seek revenge. This is a solid foundation for a character development, and it does fit solidly within the game's central narrative. The problem is that Ashe is never truly treated as the main character, and Balthier (along with the other characters, such as the infamous Vaan) takes up a lot of space in telling her story. She ends up being a bit of a wasted opportunity for a female protagonist.

Ramza from FF Tactics: Ramza's growth is technically from a naïve place of privilege to a hero fighting against corruption. The problem is that he's deliberately cast against Delita, who has taken to playing both sides in order to shape the world into one he thinks is just. The fact that Ramza is not fully noble is not really dwelled upon, compared to the low birth of Delita. It's narratively exploited for melodrama, but nothing more. In fact, most of Ramza's character feels like theatrics and not really the result of Ramza growing as a person or changing his views in light of what he learns about his world. The entire rug of his world is pulled from underneath him, but Ramza simply isn't affected enough by that. He insists that simply ousting people from power according to one's whims is cynical and wrong, but it's not substantiated by him choosing to do anything different about society.

Noctis from FFXV: People complain about Tidus being "whiny" but Noctis actually is. I don't hate Noctis, but he's not given enough space to grow as a person. He's thrust into responsibility largely because his father is killed, and his transition from a pampered prince to a responsible king (even if he dies in the end) doesn't feel quite earned. Losing Luna is one of the stronger moments in the game, but his allies (particularly Ignis and Gladio) do too much of the heavy-lifting by reminding Noctis of his responsibilities. Ardyn actually wins against Noctis because the latter is prototypically immature, and easily taken advantage of. The timeskip only amplifies how weird his development is.

Yuna in FFX-2: This placing may be odd, considering how highly I ranked Yuna in FFX. This is partly because I'm not a huge fan of FFX-2's story, but more importantly, Yuna gets narratively shafted. The game's semi-political drama makes Yuna out to have no real views on the world of her own. The game spends so much time trying to tell us that Yuna is trying to "have fun" but this is mostly because Rikku tells her to and she has nothing better to do. Yes, there's the whole sphere of Shuyin who looks like Tidus, but this premise kind of falls apart when she falls back into being a do-gooder. But why is that a bad thing if that's precisely what she chose to be in the first game? She's not ever really searching for Tidus, but is really just drawn to Lenne and Shuyin's story because it helps her find closure or meaning in her own relationship with Tidus. Yuna's personal reflections on Spira's changes are kind of interesting from a worldbuilding perspective, but it's very difficult to appreciate all of this when the story has her spend a lot of time making apologies for her choices and values. To quote Rikku to Beclem: "Who's Calm do you think this is, buster?"

Sora from Kingdom Hearts (except in Chain of Memories): This might make more folks mad, but it needs to be said: Sora never changes as a character! Now don't get me wrong: I love Sora's soft and friendly personality. But it stayed that way through all of the games. It's the one thing that every other character keeps noting about Sora, and it gives the impression that he's never undergone any growth. And that's because he hasn't! The sole exception is in Chain of Memories, where we actually see Sora get angry and frustrated. This is because he's losing his memories and ultimately who he thinks he is, which seems to be the farthest Square was ever willing to go in shaking up his narrative. And then they erased this experience by making him forget in KH2! Riku has more character development than Sora (and he only got to be a protagonist in Chain of Memories). Kairi has more character development than Sora does, and that's largely when she's being captured by Axel and fleeing Saïx!

Zidane from FFIX: Zidane's story never really appealed to me, to be perfectly honest. I don't remember enough of the story beats for it to be memorable. The whole thing about him being an Angel of Death and his crisis about the meaning of life is way too general to be a real character arc.