Let’s be real for a second. If you mention Doki Doki Pretty Cure in a room full of longtime magical girl fans, you’re going to get a reaction. It won’t be a lukewarm one, either. People either absolutely adore the high-stakes, Kingdom Hearts-adjacent drama of the Trump Kingdom, or they have deep-seated beef with how the spotlight was shared. Or wasn't shared.
It's been over a decade since this tenth installment of the Pretty Cure franchise hit the airwaves in 2013, and honestly, the dust still hasn't settled.
The show followed Mana Aida, a girl who basically defines the "overachiever" trope. She’s the student council president. She helps everyone. She never says no. When the Jishin—monsters born from the blackened hearts of selfish people—start wrecking havoc, Mana jumps in headfirst. But here’s where it gets interesting. Unlike the seasons that came before it, like Smile PreCure! which was essentially a sugary, episodic comedy, Doki Doki swung for the fences with a heavy, lore-driven plot involving a fallen kingdom and a missing princess.
The Mana Aida Factor: Hero or Screen Hog?
You can't talk about Doki Doki Pretty Cure without talking about Mana (Cure Heart). In most seasons, the "Pink Cure" is the leader, but the power balance stays relatively even. Not here. Mana is the sun, and everyone else is just a planet orbiting her.
Some fans find it inspiring. She’s a powerhouse of empathy. But others? They felt like the rest of the cast—Rikka (Cure Diamond), Alice (Cure Rosetta), and Makoto (Cure Sword)—got pushed to the sidelines. Take Makoto, for example. She started as this tragic survivor of a genocide in the Trump Kingdom, a lone warrior seeking her princess. By the middle of the season, she’s basically Mana’s biggest cheerleader.
It’s a weird dynamic.
The writers, led by Ryota Yamaguchi, clearly wanted to deify the concept of "selflessness." Mana is meant to be the antidote to the season's villains, the Selfish. But when a protagonist is so perfect that they don't have much of a character arc themselves, the story has to rely on how they change the people around them. If you love seeing a "perfect" hero work their magic, you'll love it. If you prefer the messy, relatable growth of someone like Cure Blossom from HeartCatch, this season might feel a bit frustrating.
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Regina and the Complexity of Evil
If there is one thing everyone agrees on, it’s Regina.
The daughter of the King Selfish is easily one of the most compelling "villain" characters in the entire franchise. She isn't just a monster of the week. She’s a bratty, entitled, but deeply lonely girl who becomes obsessed with Mana. Their relationship is the actual emotional core of the show.
There's a specific tension in the middle of the season where Regina starts to develop a conscience, only to be forcibly "re-corrupted" by her father. It was genuinely dark for a Sunday morning kids' show. It raised questions about brainwashing and parental abuse that the series didn't shy away from. Honestly, Regina’s struggle to understand why she feels love—a "selfish" emotion in her world—is better written than some prestige dramas.
The Glitter Force Doki Doki Controversy
We have to address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the elephant in the Netflix library.
When Saban Brands brought Doki Doki Pretty Cure to the West as Glitter Force Doki Doki, they didn't just dub it. They hacked it to pieces. We’re talking about 49 episodes condensed into 30.
Entire character arcs? Gone.
The finale’s stakes? Neutered.
The nuance of the Trump Kingdom’s fall? Simplified until it barely made sense.
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For many Western fans, this was their first exposure to the series. It’s no wonder the reputation took a hit. If you’ve only seen the Glitter Force version, you’ve essentially watched a "Greatest Hits" reel that misses the connective tissue. You lose the slow build-up of Aguri (Cure Ace), whose sudden appearance late in the game is jarring enough in the original version, but almost nonsensical in the edit.
Why the Late-Game Addition of Cure Ace Still Stings
Speaking of Cure Ace. Wow.
In most seasons, a new Cure joins the team around episode 20-23. In Doki Doki Pretty Cure, Aguri Madoka shows up as Cure Ace and basically tells the main girls they suck at their jobs. She enforces "The Five Vows of a Pretty Cure" and acts like a drill sergeant.
It was a bold move. Usually, the mid-season upgrade is a moment of celebration. Here, it felt like a lecture. While Aguri eventually softens and her backstory—being the "light" split from the Princess’s heart—is fascinating, her introduction remains one of the most polarizing moments in magical girl history. She essentially replaced Regina’s spot on the team, which many fans never truly forgave.
The Animation and Technical Legacy
Toei Animation went all out on the character designs for this one. Akira Takahashi, who also did the designs for Suite PreCure, opted for a very detailed, "royal" aesthetic. The outfits are asymmetrical, heavy on the card-suit motifs, and arguably some of the most intricate in the franchise.
The music, composed by Hiroshi Takaki, also stands out. It leans heavily into orchestral swells and harpsichord sounds, fitting the kingdom theme perfectly. It feels "big" in a way that later seasons like KiraKira or Tropical-Rouge! don't always aim for.
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But even with the high production values, the show faced a weird problem: power creep. By the end, Cure Heart is basically a god. The final battle involves her flying into space to punch a giant heart. It’s epic, sure, but it moves the show away from the "teamwork" vibe that defines PreCure and moves it closer to a standard Shonen battle anime.
Does the "Selfish" Theme Hold Up?
The core conflict of the show is Love vs. Selfishness. In 2026, looking back at this, it feels a bit simplistic but weirdly relevant. The Jishin are created when people let their minor frustrations—like waiting in line or wanting a better toy—consume them.
The show argues that being "selfish" isn't just about being mean; it's about losing sight of the people around you. Mana’s "overbearing" kindness is presented as the only way to break that cycle. Whether you find that message profound or annoying usually dictates your entire opinion on the season.
There’s a specific episode where a doctor is targeted because he’s overworked and just wants to sleep. The show acknowledges that his "selfish" desire for rest is human, but warns that letting it turn into bitterness is the danger. It’s a surprisingly mature take on burnout for a show aimed at six-year-olds.
How to Experience Doki Doki Properly Today
If you’re looking to dive into this season, don't just stream whatever version pops up first.
- Watch the Sub: Seek out the original Japanese version. The voice acting, particularly Hitomi Nabatame as Mana and Mai Fuchigami as Alice, carries much more emotional weight than the localized scripts.
- Pay Attention to the Background Lore: The history of the Trump Kingdom is scattered through dialogue. It’s a tragedy that mirrors the main plot in ways that aren't always spelled out.
- Watch the Movie: DokiDoki! PreCure the Movie: Mana's Getting Married!!? The Dress of Hope that Connects to the Future is actually one of the better-standalone films. It digs into Mana’s family history and gives her some much-needed vulnerability.
- Contextualize the "Mana-Centrism": If you go in expecting an ensemble show, you'll be disappointed. If you go in treating it as a character study of a girl who literally cannot stop helping people, it’s much more satisfying.
Doki Doki Pretty Cure isn't perfect. It’s lopsided, the pacing in the final ten episodes is a rollercoaster, and the "Sixth Ranger" arrival is a total tonal shift. But it’s also ambitious. It tried to tell a grand, sweeping fantasy epic within the constraints of a "monster of the week" format. It gave us Regina, one of the best "frenemies" in anime, and a soundtrack that still slaps.
Whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny it has a soul. It’s a season that takes big risks, and in a franchise that has been running for over twenty years, those risks are what keep the series from becoming stagnant.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Compare the Media: If you've only seen Glitter Force, watch the original episode 1, 21, and 45-49 of Doki Doki. You will see a completely different story regarding the stakes of the Trump Kingdom.
- Explore the Manga: The manga adaptation by Futago Kamikita offers a slightly different, often more "shoujo-romance" flavored take on the character dynamics, especially between Mana and her friends.
- Check the "All Stars" Appearances: To see how these characters evolved, watch the PreCure All Stars Memories movie. It places the Doki Doki team alongside other generations, highlighting how unique their "royal" fighting style really is.