New Pretty Cure Anime Sparks Outrage Over Minor-Adult Romance

TOEI Animation’s magical girl series “Pretty Cure” by Izumi Todo is critically acclaimed for its musical and idol themes. The franchise’s 22nd installment, “You and Idol Pretty Cure”, is currently airing, but its latest developments have left fans unhappy with what’s unfolding on screen.

In the most recent episode, “You and Idol PreCure” introduced Hibiki Kaito, an 18-year-old “Legend Idol” who secretly visits Café Glitter while on hiatus as he pursues music overseas. There, he meets protagonist Uta and her friends.

https://twitter.com/Marcouli99/status/1893528354633969738?t=dKXRvqf5MPBmAiBLcSyaEg&s=19

Kaito volunteers to help Uta and effortlessly serves customers, impressing everyone. His skills and confidence leave Uta feeling inadequate, and her frustration grows when Kaito manages to save a civilian during a Makkuranda attack—something Cure Idol was unable to do in time.

As soon as the episode aired in Japan, longtime Pretty Cure fans erupted on social media, criticizing the apparent setup between Kaito and Uta. The issue? One is a junior high school girl, and the other is an adult.

One user wrote, “If it was a boy and girl of the same age who had feelings for each other, that would be fine, but an 18-year-old and a 14-year-old is just a crime.” Another viewer argued that romance has no place in an idol-themed PreCure series.

“I personally think that gorgeous costumes, makeup, and romance are unnecessary for PreCure, which young children watch. It doesn’t need a love story,” another fan commented. While it’s still unclear what kind of relationship the two characters will have, fans are already outraged by their first interaction.

A few weeks ago, a Pretty Cure stage show banned adult audiences, sparking buzz within the Japanese community. Now, controversy has shifted to Uta and Kaito’s growing bond. As long as they remain just friends, most fans seem content—but if it develops into something more, backlash is likely to intensify.

For more daily updates on anime and manga, follow us on Google News. Be sure to check out our trending anime news section for more articles.