Score: A

While heroes might stumble at times, there’s nothing like seeing one rise back up again! They really let Sora fall about as far as she reasonably could. But that really did make it a thrill when she arrived on the scene once more. While it’s possible to nitpick at things, I really don’t feel like doing so here. They could have gone full Boku no Hero with it and named the episode “Sora Harewataaru: Origin” and have it be completely appropriate!

The downside of running back home…

Because this really was all about Sora’s beginnings and her finding herself once again. In a sense making saving Shalala straight forward let them just focus on Sora’s struggles. Because it wasn’t about whether they realistically could save her since Butterfly’s healing ability is one of the most broken in fiction. It was a question of whether Sora could stand up again and chase after her dreams. In the end her dream was shattered, and her willpower went with it. Having her pen break really did hammer home how devastated she was at that point.

What surprised me was that she did immediately go back home without saying anything. I didn’t think she had been broken to that extent. But it does make sense. And in the end despite all the strengths Sora has…she is a kid. It’s easy for a lot of people to run back home to family when times are tough. I suppose it depends on the person, but I’d say that’s what family is supposed to be. While facing her little brother’s disappointment would be hard I suppose having to face Mashiro and the others was even more frightening to her.

Great little moment here

I really enjoyed Sora’s father. He was just a great parental figure during all of this. With the awkwardness of Sora coming home he got the family to just settle down for a meal. Then he was there to back Sora up when her brother was giving her a hard time. He also helped remind Sora of what got her rolling beyond just being rescued as a child. Then when her mother might have stepped in, he prevented that to let things play out. Top tier parenting right there. He did let Sora take her time to breathe, but he also knew that the girl who wanted so badly to become a hero could find her dream again in time.

That’s not to say I disliked the mother. But I found her a bit on the opposite side of things. Her priority of course was to protect Sora and I get that. But I didn’t love her basically telling Tsubasa and Ageha to hit the road. If she had been allowed to take that stance with the letter from Mashiro as well then things really could have gone badly. Honestly, I would have loved to see them meet with Sora that night since it would have been interesting. It was a nice continuation of Tsubasa’s character arc too. At one point she was hostile towards him (to protect Ellee) and now he was actively trying to get her to come back.

Prism dug deep

I really wondered what role Mashiro was going to play here. It was even more curious when she did stay back from going in person. Would she play the role of just purely trusting in Sora or would she find some way to reach out. The latter seemed likely since I just couldn’t see Sora rising again without Mashiro playing a role. This all started with the two of them. That she would send a letter was very much Mashiro. The same goes with the content of the letter. Of course, she wouldn’t ask Sora to come back. I like her playing a bit of a reversal card. Promising that she’d step up and get stronger so Sora wouldn’t have to fight. Mashiro would never want to put Sora through that pain after all.

The best thing was the part that really shook Sora up. Sora may have lost faith in herself and lost sight of her dream, but she was already living it. For Mashiro she was a hero from the day they met. It was the Sora that stepped up against a monster despite having no abilities that won Mashiro over. Sora was always fighting and overcoming her own hesitations and that was what made her a hero in the first place.

That feeling when a hero returns

Nothing was more satisfying though than seeing Sora arrive on the scene and just unleash hell! Can we call this the power boost of a first transformation? I mean she’s still Cure Sky, but she also lost her transformation pen. Though I guess hero power explains everything. They did absolutely lean into a triumphant song for Sky arriving to save the day. Although part of me is again thinking Boku no Hero and how this would have been a perfect time for “You Say Run” to start playing XD. Honestly if I was more knowledgeable about it, I’d probably try to create one of those AMVs for this scene with that song.

Silliness aside though, it was a great moment for her. They let this heroic rise have all the glory it warranted. Sora unleashed one heck of a first strike, handled the sword like a pro, and delivered one more solid shot to set up the finisher. I’d say she was just the missing piece for this fight. Wing is a good agile fighter, Prism is all about range, and Butterfly is a bit chaotic. But none of them are suited to fighting a physical attacker. Sky arriving and utterly settling things in a hurry both makes sense and is exactly what that moment required.

Just realized he was worthless

Saving Shalala was straight forward. Honestly, she didn’t even look all that bad when Wing grabbed her. Maybe Battamonda was exaggerating her condition to stress out the cast. Of course, if she was on death’s door then Butterfly’s healing move really is insane. She should be stationed at the nearest hospital! No offence to her dream job, but she could really do some good there. But hey, let’s focus more on the fact that they did accomplish what they set out to do. No worries about things getting worse or Shalala being turned into a more personal enemy to be thrown at them yet again later. She’s fine and I’m sure will be heading back home as soon as she’s 100%.

Speaking of Battamonda it was satisfying giving Prism the same “scaring the hell out of him” moment that Sky did earlier. Basically, everyone besides Wing has utterly wrecked this guy on some level. They are owning this guy so badly that you can’t help but see him as being utterly pathetic. Of course, Sky’s stance on letting him go is the only option since they can’t really kill him. I’m not sure that Precure has never gone that dark, but I think that’s something saved more for other magical girl franchises! Treating him like trash is basically the best option right now. It both raises Sky up and drags Battamonda down. She proves that she can get stronger while he is left feeling like he’s not even worth their time.

Congrats on being alive!

This really was a great episode. You never want to see Sora suffering. She’s a great girl and I hope she reaches her dream to a level that she’s satisfied with. But letting her hit a low point just allowed her rise to be even more satisfying. I know many wanted her to hit that low with Kabaton and having him get killed or something. But this was a good way to really make it hard on Cure Sky. She had to look to her past, face her weakness, and still find the ability to stand up one more time. I’d say the next episode would be a breather episode but they did just gather enough to help the King/Queen. It doesn’t resolve their current overall situation, but it’s good that those two will be back to normal. Ellee especially deserves to see her parents healthy.