While the other, younger heroines of Kira Kira Precure a la Mode have to stay relatively safe and familiar, Akira and Yukari can push the envelope while the core of Precure -platonic middle school friendships among girls-remains safe and intact.Ī relatively clear-cut yuri relationship is new territory for Precure, but it can be seen as the latest in a long line of experiments in an established franchise. That might seem like a small detail, but it actually helps to establish the foundation for full-fledged yuri to exist in the narrative of Precure itself, and not just in fan speculation.Īs one of Toei Animation’s three most popular series along with Dragon Ball and One Piece, Precure can’t risk rocking its boat too hard, but the fact that Chocolat and Macaron are high schoolers renders them as more experimental characters in the first place. With Akira and Yukari, it’s the first time that we have two heroines outside of middle school. Cure Ace, a child who can become an adult, tries to be the best of both worlds. 17-year-old Cure Moonlight not only had the potential to appeal to older girls, but her backstory-a Precure who lost the will to fight but is inspired by the new generation to take up the mantle once more-was a first for Precure. The introduction of 9-year-old Cure Muse was a move to see if viewers would prefer a heroine closer to their age. The creators know the characters will appeal to their target demographic of elementary school girls.Īkira and Yukari are the latest evidence of how, each time a Precure outside of that 13 to 15 age range is introduced, it comes with a willingness to expand the typical demographic and experiment with new ideas. Middle school is essentially the “safe zone” for Precure. The typical Precure series instead emphasizes close (but generally platonic) friendships among girls and positions high school as something in the far future, after all of the magical girl struggles are over. However, there is another important element that has set the groundwork for this occasion, something that has slowly worked its way into the franchise over the course of many years-the use of character ages to experiment with new ideas.Īkira and Yukari are high schoolers with romantic feelings for each other in a franchise that traditionally features middle schoolers and places romance in the backseat of its story, if it’s even there at all. Also, given Chocolat and Macaron’s designs (Chocolat has a Takarazuka Revue-esque look Macaron is extremely feminine and beautiful), the intent to show a lesbian romance between the two seems obvious in hindsight. The inclusion of fully canon yuri in Precure is itself monumental, and the decision by the creators to have this in their anime is worth applauding.
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