The Pretty Cure Series (プリキュアシリーズ, Purikyua Shirīzu; also titled Precure Series or PreCure Series) is a Japanese tokusatsu heroine, magical girl anime franchise created by Izumi Todo and produced by Toei Animation. Each series revolves around a group of magical girls known as Pretty Cures who battle against evil forces. Starting in February 2004 with Pretty Cure, the franchise has seen many anime series, spanning over 1000 episodes to date, as well as spawning movies, manga, toys, and video games. Its most recent iteration, Star Detective Precure!, began airing in February 2026 as part of TV Asahi's Sunday morning children's television block. As of December 2022, three series have received English adaptations, although many others have received English subtitle versions.
Contents
Overview
Each series focuses on a group of teenage girls who are granted special items that allow them to transform into legendary warriors known as the Pretty Cure. With the assistance of creatures known as fairies, the Pretty Cure use their magical powers and enhanced strength to fight against evil forces who create monsters to bring misery to the Earth. As the series progresses and stronger enemies appear, the Cures gain new magical items, new abilities, and sometimes new allies to help them in their fight against evil.
Production
There are currently twenty-three anime television series in the franchise, two of which are direct sequels to their previous series. To date, three of the series have received English adaptations. Pretty Cure was dubbed into English by Ocean Productions and aired in Canada under the name Pretty Cure. Smile PreCure! and DokiDoki! PreCure were adapted by Saban Brands and released on Netflix under the names Glitter Force and Glitter Force Doki Doki, respectively. The series, Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode, Healin' Good Pretty Cure and Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure, began streaming in Crunchyroll on their respective territories. Each series has received a manga adaptation illustrated by Futago Kamikita, which is published in Kodansha's Nakayoshi shoujo magazine alongside the anime. Starting with Fresh PreCure!, each ending movie featured a dance choreography by each series' Pretty Cure members.
As of 2020, Toei Animation Inc. and Toei Animation Europe owns the international rights to the franchise while both the dubs of Smile and DokiDoki alongside the Glitter Force brand is currently owned by Hasbro.
Adaptations
Films
Starting in 2005, Beginning with Pretty Cure Max Heart, each television series has received a theatrical animated film based on the series, with Max Heart receiving two films.
Starting in 2009, crossover films featuring characters from multiple series have been released annually, with 14 crossover films released to date. The eleventh crossover film, Hug! Precure♡Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories, has been awarded the Guinness World Records title for "Most Magical Warriors in an Anime Film", with a total number of 55 Cures with speaking roles.
Extras
Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom (2023)
Witchy Precure!! ~Miral Days~ (2025)
PetitCure ~Precure Fairies~ (2025)
The Stage
Dancing Star Pretty Cure The Stage (2023)
Dancing Star Pretty Cure The Stage 2 (2025)
Dancing Star Pretty Cure The Stage 3 (2025)
Dancing Star Pretty Cure The Stage Party (2026)
Colorful Runway! Pretty Cure The Stage (2026)
Video games
Several video games have been produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Bandai) for video game systems and educational consoles, as well as Data Carddass arcade machines.
Console Video games
Pretty Cure: Unbelievable! The Dream Park is a Labryinth (ふたりはプリキュア ありえな～い！夢の園は大迷宮, Futari wa Purikyua: Arienai! Yume no En wa Daimeikyu) (2004, Game Boy Advance)
Pretty Cure Max Heart: Really? Really!? A Fight is Okay, Isn't It? (ふたりはプリキュアマックスハート マジ?マジ?!ファイト de INじゃない, Futari wa Purikyua Max Heart: Maji? Maji!? Fight de IN Janai) (2005, Game Boy Advance)
Pretty Cure Max Heart: Absolutely! Pretty Cure on DS - The Great Battle Where Power Gathers (ふたりはプリキュアマックスハート DANZEN!DSでプリキュア力をあわせて大バトル！!, Futari wa Purikyua Max Heart: Danzen! DS de Precure - Chikara o Awasete Dai Battle) (2005, Nintendo DS)
PreCure Splash Star: In Top Condition for the PanPaka Game! (ふたりはプリキュア Splash Star パンパカゲームでぜっこうちょう!, Futari wa Purikyua Splash Star: Panpaka Game de Zekkōchō!) (2006, Nintendo DS)
Yes! PreCure 5 (Yes！プリキュア5, Yes! Purikyua 5) (2007, Nintendo DS)
Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: All Assembled! Dream Festival (Yes！プリキュア5GoGo！ 全員しゅーGo!ドリームフェスティバル, Yes! Purikyua 5 GoGo!: Zenin Shu Go! Dream Festival) (2008, Nintendo DS)
Fresh PreCure! Play Collection (フレッシュプリキュア!あそびコレクション, Furessh Purikyua! Asobi Collection) (2009, Nintendo DS)
Heart Catch PreCure Fashion Collection (ハートキャッチプリキュア!おしゃれコレクション, Hātokyatchi Purikyua! Oshare Collection) (2010, Nintendo DS)
Let's Play With Voices! Heart Catch PreCure (こえであそぼう!ハートキャッチプリキュア!, Koe de Asobō! Hātokyatchi Purikyua!) (2010, Nintendo DS)
Live-action Drama
A live-action series, Koe Girl! (声ガール！, Koe Gāru!), aired in Japan between April and June 2018, celebrating the franchise's 15th anniversary. The series follows a group of aspiring voice actresses and stars Haruka Fukuhara, who voiced Himari Arisugawa/Cure Custard in KiraKira PreCure a la Mode.
Reception
The combination of transmedia text products, including anime series, films, live performances, theme stores, and toys, has been analyzed as a "system of consumption, knowledge and action [that] creates a lifestyle-text, a set of fictional media works that are synonymous with the lifestyle practices they promote."
The Pretty Cure films are the seventh highest-grossing anime film franchise. Bandai Namco's net income from Pretty Cure video game sales was ¥3.6 billion ($45.12 million) from April 2008 to March 2012, ¥1 billion ($13 million) from April 2012 to March 2013, ¥700 million ($7.17 million) from April 2013 to March 2014, and ¥800 million ($7.8 million) from April 2014 to December 2020, adding up to ¥6.1 billion ($73.1 million) net sales revenue for Bandai Namco.
Merchandise
Pretty Cure has had numerous licensed merchandise sold in Japan. By 2010, it became Japan's fifth highest-grossing franchise annually.