Score: B+

Glad to say that the second episode of Hirogaru Sky was equally as solid as the first. They picked up right where the last left off and helped further cement Cure Sky as a great lead character. The biggest gain here was establishing Mashiro both as Sora’s friend and someone that can support her. She clearly is picking up on the signs of Sora’s difficulty with her situation and is doing all she can to help her out. Even if the most she can do is just being supportive and helping replace her hero notebook. The feelings are definitely getting across.

Nothing like an “understanding” grandmother

I suppose Mashiro having a grandmother who appears to have connections to that other world really helps a lot. Usually for Precure from another world there is some self-sufficiency going on. But Sora just kind of jumped into a portal with Ellee and hardly is in a position to even take care of this girl on her own. So thankfully Mashiro’s family can lend a hand. They’ve got more than enough room for her to live there for the time being and to take care of a baby at the same time. I’ve got questions about the rest of her family…since we haven’t seen them, but that can wait for another time.

It still makes me wonder what angle they’ll take with the grandmother. Former Precure? I can’t imagine she’s the actual heroic figure that Sora met since she’s a bit out of that age range. But clearly, she must at least have visited that other world to know Ellee’s identity. Maybe she was a denizen of that other world and moved to this one for some reason? It’s probably not going to be earth shattering. But I do look forward to finding out just what this old lady’s story is.

Now that’s a dramatic rescue

Sora is being established as a really solid protagonist. She’s one of the most likable for the franchise in years. She does have a tough time adapting to a world that is too different from her own. But she’s still got a lot of energy and passion. Understandable that after being saved in dramatic fashion that she’d want to be like that person. And since she didn’t know much about her…being a hero just seemed like the natural direction. Was that person also a Precure? A knight? The point remains that the impact was so deep that her life was changed for good.

I can’t say enough about how good it is that they don’t make Sora too much to handle. She’s not annoying with her focus on being a hero. While she may recite some of her personal pledges now and then, she’s not on it all the time. And while she might throw herself into danger, she is shaking when she does so. Wanting to be a hero and being willing to take a stand doesn’t mean being unaffected by everything. If they can keep that balance to her character then she should be a really strong part main character.

Mashiro being a solid friend in this one

Good on Mashiro for both picking up on things and doing what she can. Obviously, she wanted that fancy notebook for herself. But she made the right call to give something back to a person that had both saved her life and showed her real heroics. There might have been enough money to buy Sora some clothes, but not for endless extra purchases. I also appreciate the show not rushing her into becoming the second Cure in the show. She’s obviously going to get there, but no harm in building things up. That allowed this episode to focus on Sora’s past and getting her settled in. Now isn’t necessarily the time for Mashiro to make her move. In fact, waiting is better since she’ll eventually be unable to stand back and let Sora nervously shake by herself.

For now, Mashiro is just really helpful for guiding Sora around and explaining things. I can’t imagine how Sora feels dropping into a world this alien. Her reactions might lead to momentary embarrassment for Mashiro, but she can at least explain things and ease her in. Plus, she’s already proving herself a valuable friend. Sora counted on her to help with shopping for clothes and both sides felt satisfied with the end result. I will be interested in getting more of her personal motivations and desires though as the show goes along.

Vending machine takes the loss this time!

The action remains good and I don’t have complaints there. Sky was fighting a living vending machine. What else can be said? If the show can keep the fights entertaining then I’m good with that. And I appreciate that so far Sky is a pretty brawling type of main character. No special abilities beyond just the superhuman mobility and strength. Something to be said as well about how smooth Sky is about rescuing her friend, getting her out of danger, and then getting the fight to the ground where it wouldn’t risk putting Mashiro in danger. That’s just being responsible.

Good win for the brawling Precure

I’m still feeling really good about this season of Precure. Honestly, I didn’t even get past the first few episodes of the last one. But this one is holding strong so far and isn’t rushing the rest of the cast into the picture yet. There are obviously more Precure to come, but for now they are building the foundation of a good show. No complaints about how this episode played out and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Not sure that I’ll pick this one up since that’s a big investment of time. But you never know.