29 December 2013: The Yes! Precure 5 GoGo! ending is sort of underwhelming
The number of Pretty Cure series has nearly doubled between the time I started my still uncompleted viewer's guide to Precure and the present day. In the past (even though it wasn't really the reason why), I was able to blame the plodding pace of Pretty Cure subs for my lack of progress on the treatise. Well, I can't use that excuse anymore. Now that Doremi and Dreaming Roses have finished off Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!, every single episode of Pretty Cure has English subtitles.
I am rather surprised Yes! was the last iteration to be completely fansubbed. I had always considered it to be the first "mainstream" installment in the Pretty Cure franchise. It is surprisingly clever and wry at times, the tone is fairly upbeat, and overall the series seems like it would be more accessible to general audiences than the original generation and Splash Star. I'm unsure if these attributes are responsible for Yes! Precure 5 GoGo! having a weaker ending than First Pretty Cure, Max Heart, or Splash Star, but I can understand how it might have been deliberately less hard core than those examples in order to avoid giving its finale a harsh tonal shift.
My disappointment with the series' lackluster ending is also partly due to spoilers I had encountered years ago. There's a key development in the GoGo! conclusion that I knew ahead of time because of scenes from the All Stars movies and various depictions in fan art. However, even that was disappointing because both its setup and its execution were so matter-of-fact and low key that the actual scene lost any impact it might have had. Considering the enthusiasm some artists dedicate to this particular theme, I was really expecting something a lot more. I guess those artists were too.
Unfortunately, Yes! Precure 5 joins the Fresh, Suite, and Smile generations on the list of Pretty Cure installments having weak endings. I haven't quite reached the end of DokiDoki! Precure yet, so I can't say whether or not Yes! will be getting more company in this regard. Nevertheless, even if DokiDoki! does limp across the finish line, Yes! Precure 5 GoGo! can at least claim it's the best Pretty Cure series with a lousy ending. (This is the part where agitated Smile Precure! fans disagree with me vociferously via the Twitter or possibly the Pinterest).
Even though I've seen Yes! and Yes! GoGo! now, this doesn't mean I'm any closer to completing my Pretty Cure viewer's guide. The original intent was to provide a concise source for neophytes to reference critical Precure information. Unfortunately, with already 10 years to cover and another in the works, I'm not sure how concise such a guide can actually be. What do I leave out?
For example, regarding Yes!, I guess I have to omit segments related to Cure Dream's disappearing midriff and speculation about it paralleling Cure Black's disappearing midriff. I'd also have to avoid addressing whether or not Milky Rose's tiny navel-baring midriff sliver makes her battle costume the dirtiest of all the designs. Do I also have to leave out arguments insisting that Mailpo is one of the best Precure mascots ever? Stay tuned. It might only take me another five years to finish this thing.