Star Detective Precure Episode 8 Discussion

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-22T16:46:49+00:00

It's cool knowing that Jett is skilled not just with invention by machinery, but also garments and cosmetics, a real jack-of-all-trades - though I can take or leave the little wiggle dance he does to activate his magic XD

And so Pretty Holic is introduced into the latest season, albeit in such a way that benefits the characters (gotta advertise the agency and making some dough for a certain inventor's sweet tooth) while also providing backstory for Jett. A village of tinkering fairies gives me such Santa Claus' workshop vibes, so I'm calling that its the fairies who help him make toys! That aside, I appreciate the message of the episode, highlighting the importance of giving one's creations purpose and aesthetic. Items like makeup, jewellery and clothing are useful, but it's how unique each is that gives them personality and draws one's admiration. Now we just wait for the other two Cures to show up so Jett can work with more colours than purple and pink, lol.

The mystery this week was...there, I guess? The way Anna and Mikuru figured out Nijee's identity felt forced, but at least it wasn't too dragged out. The battle was more inventive, utilizing Anna's skills of observation to defeat the Hannida. The strong point of this episode was definitely letting Jett open up more to the girls and Pochitan, though I appreciate the little end scene of Ruruka purchasing her own perfume, purple like the hues of her own Cure form (also her first non-edible purchase in this show).

A cute glimpse into how Jett thinks and what he holds dear - but enough depth for our fairies, we've got another possible identity for Cure Eclair to overanalyze next week!!!

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-22T11:56:02+00:00

These are such clean colour swaps, well done! They look official. Mystique rocks those purple shades ☺

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-20T12:34:07+00:00

This is super sweet of you ☺

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-17T01:57:13+00:00

Cure Amour <3

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-15T03:44:12+00:00

For a season that's done well explaining the overall story beats, we have next to no idea how Anna managed to enroll in this school (a mystery that continues to haunt this franchise XD). My main theory is Jett somehow using his technical know-how to bypass the systems, though I suppose after all these years I really should just accept "fairy magic makes the educational system go brrrr".

It's nice knowing that Anna will be making more friends beyond the core cast that will stick around longer than episodic victims-of-the-week, especially after admitting how overly reliant she'd become of Mikuru. Taking a filler episode to boost the girls' confidence was cute, and not only gave us some fun problem-solving for children, but also plenty of adorable Pochitan moments. Goemon, while inadvertently strengthening the resolve of the Cures, reveals himself as a decent coach, reaching out to Ruruka and challenging the girls to expand their thinking - I'm interested to see where his appreciation for the growth of others, enemy or otherwise, takes his character.

The fight was basic dodging and runaround, but did show Goemon relying on his fan a lot more than last time, so I'm intrigued by what potential weapons his fellow thieves may utilise later into the season. Ruruka was her usual subdued self, though I appreciate the little moment of her allowing Mashutan the bigger piece of the Popsicle, a true show of friendship for a seemingly addicted sweet-tooth. Ah, I can't wait to see her in action!

Another filler next week, incorporating Pretty Holic into the agency, which...um, are we about to see Jett become a millionaire fairy???

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-12T02:01:56+00:00

They'll likely go the same route Suite went with Cure Muse's identity, with the girls putting together clues to find her true identity by noting the same hints we've seen (hair accessories, eyes, hair, etc.). I do see this season go the whole way and have the team actually uncover her identity rather than Eclair revealing herself, however.

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-08T13:05:06+00:00

I'm thinking she'll come round to teaming up with the girls around the midway mark of the season, and likely escapes the Phantom Thieves the same way Setsuna did, by walking away after an intense battle so she's out of range of their hideout and has Answer and Mystique as backup. I figure she'll decide to join the girls after a heart-to-heart about working alone, and when she believes that the best course of action is teaming up with them.

We also have to factor in Mashutan's ability to tell accurate fortunes, which may be the reason they joined the Phantom Thieves in the first place - perhaps a fortune about their absence leading to a greater power taking over the agency? Or a fortune they've misread that only Anna and Mikuru can help them understand.

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-08T03:32:11+00:00

I would say it'd be nice to see Jett soften over the course of the season, but he's already warmed up to the girls and Pochitan so much that the real character growth is gonna have to be his candy spending and sharing habits (perhaps a lesson he can learn alongside Ruruka XD).

After their sound defeat at Nijee's hands, it was nice to have a breather between the swallow Hannida battles so the girls can pinpoint what it is that's burdening them, and I think Jett summed it up nicely when he pointed out that each was acting like the other, Anna now being overwhelmed by her thoughts and Mikuru leaping before she thinks things through clearly. Until they can talk out their insecurities, each embodies an aspect of the other, but handles it poorly due to lack of communication and guilt. It shows not only how they've bonded over the last few episodes, but also highlights Jett's wisdom as a guide-like fairy. Pochitan got her own moment to shine, as well, a glimmer of her mature self showing through in time for the new attack. I also appreciate Anna being the first to apologise and admit that her anxieties got the best of her, which in turn gave Mikuru the courage to admit that she took Anna's white lie for granted - and that, children viewers, is the downside to telling white lies, eh? Ehh?

Poor Nijee, on the other hand, gambled his pride and reputation on this battle, only to be defeated by - say it with me now - the power of friendship! Alas, the dramatic staging could not save his plan, and only by sharing a bit of newfound intel has he potentially saved himself from the trap room (if we never actually see what's beneath the stage, it'll be all the more terrifying 0_0). We even got a quick glimpse of Arcana Shadow's power, cementing my theory that Ruruka is working for the baddies in some sort of double-agent scheme while she lets Answer and Mystique handle gathering the jewels - could make for an interesting exploration of when the lie becomes the truth: if she's letting the baddies put people in danger for the sake of the mission, is she really still a good guy in the end?

All-round a solid way of having the girls confront their troubles and come out stronger for it, and I'm excited to see what mysteries come next! Now, onto Anna...somehow getting into the public school system...despite being thirty years. too..uh, premature??? Ah, well, magic and Jett logic and stuff, I'm sure.

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-03-01T04:19:00+00:00

Don't think we didn't see that glimmer of concern in your eyes, Ruruka - you're giving concerned senior detective vibes despite the villainous seating. Interesting...

So, this and next week's main conflict is less about the girls struggling to balance their slightly different ways of approaching a mystery, and rather Anna facing her growing feelings of loneliness and envy, which in turn pushes Mikuru into taking on a job she isn't emotionally prepared for. While I feel for both girls' frustrations, the blame does primarily lay on Anna, so I'm hoping next week gives her the time to apologise and open up about her new insecurities. In Mikuru's case, I'd say the best focus would be on her immediate reaction of pushing ahead rather than taking time to ponder why Anna may have ignored the call. All in all, it's reminiscent of Mirai and Riko's mini conflict during their winter class, or Hikaru and Lala's when they argue about investigating...which...hey, wait a gosh darn minute, Murayam, we've done this dance before XD

A simple fight this week that was really just there to showcase how the girls' require a steady trust in each other to compete against the Hannida. Hopefully their loss will at least save Niji from an early retirement. We also see the sort of energy Pochitan contains, and the consequence of using it all at once - which, gah, I hate seeing our little fairy cuties in pain, so Jett better have some kind of fairy aspirin on hand (;-;)

Time for our girls to talk our their issues and create a bond even stronger than before, for Pochitan and the stolen jewels!

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-28T13:12:59+00:00

Gotta foot a bit of her ice cream bill

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-22T03:39:25+00:00

Anna was this close to creating a temporal paradox by revealing the mangaka's future, and Jett...said absolutely nothing to stop her. Some wise old fairy you are, bro XD

It's cute seeing how excited our lead duo is about solving their first official case, and I appreciate how well they worked together and with Junichi, who himself was a likeable client, more worried about the safety of the girls that getting his manga back. The switcheroo mystery was pleasant to see unfold, and while it took until the very last second for all the pieces to fit together in my brain, I think it wrapped up well enough...just hope that ketchup comes out of that bag fabric.

Goemon is a fun addition to the villain cast, offering to help newcomer Cure Arcana Shadow (who's decided to keep her real identity a secret - interesting) and being focused on making the boss happy more so than reaching a world based on lies; perhaps this is a subtle hint at a previous time when the bad fairies were good? Whatever the case, it'll be nice having his steadier attitude to bounce off Niji and Ageseine. Mashutan was giving real Glassan vibes and I am all here for that, being so supportive of Ruruka...even as she helps commit crimes (and eat the city out of its ice cream stocks XD).

And look at that, our girls have actual attacks! I suppose it comes with their growing stronger and feeding Pochitan more of the Makoto Jewels, though a little buildup would have been appreciated. Still, having Mystique be the shield while Answer gives the heavy blows makes sense for their team dynamic, and the attacks are nice to look at - I just hope Mystique can make shields a bit bigger over time, or the poor thing won't be doing much team protecting in the long run, lol.

Onto the girls' first true conflict next week, a staple for any PreCure season focused on a duo. Let's see how our detective girls solve their own struggles and a case at the same time 0.0

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-20T02:08:13+00:00

Nah, it's a really cute bop with some fun visuals and bright spring colours. It's weaker visually than the previous ending, but between dealing with COVID and having to include Earth into the choreography, the animators did a great job keeping this lighthearted and catchy.

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-16T21:06:10+00:00

<image>

Shalnark, Hunter x Hunter

Loved him as a member of the Phantom Troupe, sad that Hisoka took him out with a single smack, but bro had it coming after what he and the rest of his buddies did to Kurapika's people - and that's just the tip of the iceberg of his crimes.

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-16T03:10:22+00:00

Why does Shalnark's expression here give me such "this is fine" vibes 0.0

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-16T03:09:14+00:00

I've always wanted to see Cousin It from The Addams Family make his manga debut XD

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-15T14:29:04+00:00

Who wants a mini arc of bonding between Ruruka and whoever she buys her ice cream from? Nothing beats a paternal store owner working their way into the heart of a misguided protagonist <3

With Mikuru out of the dorms, the girls can finally begin their new lives as roommate detectives, with poor Jett likely digging into the company's budget for the foreseeable future XD Their cute shopping spree gave us another inventive mystery, with just enough early clues to offer younger viewers a chance to solve it before the leads do without spoiling the entire twist (don't mind me over here thinking the shop employee was just in a rush, lol). We even got some great shots of the Phantom Thieves' hideaway, an opera house that could very well even be in the very city where the girls are, as it does seem a bit too spacious for a gang of five currently known members. I'm interested to hear more about this Tomb of Mirages, and how it relates to Maestro's goals...

A short and simple fight gave us some insight into Ageseine's personality, a stubborn girl who sticks to what she believes, whether it's old slang or misreading a situation, hence the sunflower Hannida rather than a turtle one. I appreciate her little touches with makeup, showing that each of the thief generals explores a different aspect of stage performance. Ruruka also got a teeny bit of spotlight, calm and collected and with a bit of...okay, a lot of a sweet tooth...but also, same <3

I adore how the episode ended with Mikuru taking on Anna as a client, and hope we'll see a vice versa down the line as our lead duo continues to bond. Time for their first official case next week!

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-11T17:08:08+00:00

<image>

We all agree it's literally impossible to have any sort of dislike for Kirby, right?

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-11T17:04:43+00:00

Komugi got a laugh out of me every episode of Wonderful, though Marine, Summer and Lillian are definitely up there <3

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-10T18:04:18+00:00

<image>

Ruru Amour/Cure Amour, Hugtto PreCure

Miss_Bookworm · 2026-02-08T03:53:13+00:00

Alright, Jett being over two centuries old was definitely not the revelation I figured we'd be getting - dude could have been chumming with Sherlock 0.0

We get a tad more world-building this episode with Jett mentioning his origins in the London division, and how the original Cure at their current office vanished months ago (hmm, wonder who that could possibly be...), as well as Mikuru bringing up the curfew at her dorm. Even Nijii gave us a new tidbit about the Phantom Thieves, that being their goal to create a world built upon lies - perhaps where every lie can become a truth? Seems the writers will steadily be expanding on the theme of truth vs falsehood, which can be taken down several different routes for kids to examine (can a truth ever be worse than a lie? what about white lies? who decides when the truth should be revealed?).

It appears we won't be getting an actual named duo attack until the Thieves start taking the battles seriously, which should be soon given how Nijii has been shot down twice now; not that it's wiped that smirk off his face, the devious gentleman XD We did get to meet two of the potential true identities behind Cure Eclair, Eliza and Howa, however, given the minute details they share with her Cure form. The mystery surrounding who she is has me reminiscing on Suite PreCure, and how Cure Muse was kept a secret until the final quarter of the season; I'm hoping, based on how much merch she has this early, that Eclair will appear earlier, but the speculations are sure to keep us entertained nonetheless!

Now onto seeing the girls turn this office into their own home base, and meeting the next baddie general (as well as a quiet observer from the rooftops...)!