The online press conference to unveil the latest installment of the anime “PreCure” series, “Kimi to Idol PreCure♪,” was held yesterday, January 25. Misato Matsuoka, who plays Cure Idol/Sakura Uta; Minami Takahashi, who plays Cure Ink/Soukaze Nana; Natsumi Takamori, who plays Cure Kyun Kyun/ Shizue Kokoro, and ABC Animation producer Mai Nishimura appeared on stage.
Surprise at the end of recording “Wanpuri” and “Kimi to Idol Precure♪” will begin airing on February 2. Producer Nishimura spoke about the theme of this work, saying, “The ‘idols’ we want to convey this time are ‘idols who can shine together with you,'” and expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We want to make this the most shining work in the series.” Next, a surprise Cure Idol stage was held, and the start of the conference was lively with lively singing and dancing. After the stage ended, Matsuoka, Takahashi, and Takamori appeared with the Precures and performed their respective Precure speeches.
First, they were asked how they felt when they discovered they would appear in “Kimi to Idol Precure♪.” Matsuoka, who played Kirarin Usagi in “Wonderful Precure!”, was announced to be appearing as a surprise at the end of the recording. “I can’t believe it. I was so surprised that tears started flowing before I knew it. I’ve been watching Precure since I was little. So I’m full of happiness that I’ve become an idol of mine as an adult,” she said excitedly.
Samurai at heart? Takahashi cut her bangs to match Cure Kyun Kyun Nana, who has a cute contrast with her character and seems energetic. She had always said that she wanted to become a Precure, and said with sparkling eyes, “I was excited to finally be able to voice and breathe life into the Precure that I’ve always wanted.” She passionately said, “(Precure) is special, and I’ve always felt that it can support people’s hearts. I’ve always wanted to be an actor who can support you, so I thought, ‘I want to become a Precure someday.'”
Meanwhile, Takamori, who played the role of Kome Kome in “Delicious Party♡Precure,” expressed her surprise, saying, “The memory was still fresh in my mind, so I was surprised,” and revealed her feelings, saying, “I’m here now with the feeling that it might not sink in until I watch the broadcast for the first time.” Matsuoka’s impression of Uta is, “She’s a girl who lives in the moment.” “I think she’s a very charming girl with her ever-changing expressions, movements, and emotions, and I feel that she’s full of ‘sparkle, run … Takamori saw the character name Cure Kyun Kyun and the character illustration and thought Kokoro was cute, but at the recording site, the staff told her, “Kokoro is a samurai.” She said about her acting, “I’m going to remember that she’s a tough and stoic person at heart,” and smiled, “I think that contrast is so cute. I can’t wait to show everyone the ‘samurai’ part.”
She had such a strong desire to appear in “PreCure”… About Kokoro’s catchphrase, “My heart is pounding!” Takamori was asked about something that “has made her pound recently.” She shared an episode of Matsuoka, Takahashi, and Takamori having a party to celebrate her appearance in “Idol PreCure with You.” Since it was before the cast was announced, the party was held at Takamori’s house so that no one would notice. Takahashi prepared a cake with “Congratulations to us” written on it.
The three of them happily talk about this secret story. “It was my first time to have a celebration party with my family, so it was fun. I thought it was already a great group, and I was so excited,” she recalled. When asked about the last step she took, based on the phrase “take a step forward” in Cure Ink’s catchphrase, Takahashi immediately answered, “Being able to appear in PreCure.” She surprised everyone by revealing that she had cleared her schedule yearly to record PreCure, even before the role was decided. “Having my schedule filled up with recordings for PreCure was a step forward,” she said, explaining that this appearance was a big step for her. Also, about Cure Idols, Matsuoka was asked about idols for him. Matsuoka introduced his younger sister as “an idol for me for a long time,” showing how smitten she was.
Precure is an idol, and when asked about the commonalities between hero idols and Precure, Matsuoka mentioned that “they are a presence that can give energy” and “the supporters can feel radiant.” In contrast, Takamori focused on the suffering of Precure, saying, “Precure is not only all about the radiant side, but they also hit walls and have a lot of worries, and they overcome those and become stronger.” She compared that to idols and wondered, “I wonder if the parts where life-sized girls work hard and shine overlap.”
When asked about the commonalities between voice actors and Precure, Takahashi said that Precure’s transformation and the work of a voice actor are similar and said with a blush, “Voice actors also have characters, and they voice them, so they become special beings. They’re just normal people in their everyday lives.” Regarding the appeal of “Kimi to Idol Precure♪,” Takamori said that while working with the production staff, she felt that “we’re not just making idol content, but a Precure called ‘Kimi to Idol Precure♪,'” emphasizing that the series is not just based on idols. Takahashi said that idols are beings that support people’s hearts with their songs and fan service, and passionately stated, “Precure are idols, and they give fan service and can directly help ‘you,’ so it’s like they’re the embodiment of idols.”
Matsuoka agreed, continuing, “They’re like idols and heroes.”To appear in “Kimi to Idol Precure ♪,” which will deliver many wonderful songs, Matsuoka watched many videos of actual idols and observed their performances and the audience’s smiles. Takamori confessed that she took her first dance lesson to understand Kokoro, who is good at dancing. “I’m still not as good as Kokoro-chan,” Takamori said with a wry smile. When those around her urged her, “Let Kokoro-chan teach me!” Cure Kyun Kyun looked into Takamori’s face as if to encourage her. Takahashi, who has always liked idols, said, “I get power from (idols), and thanks to that, I’ve been able to work hard in my daily life,” and enthusiastically said, “I hope I can convey the feelings I’ve received from idols to ‘you’ in front of the TV.” Lastly, Matsuoka reflected on the support she received from fans and people involved, saying, “I’m doing my best to deliver this sparkle I received from so many people to you in front of the TV, so I hope your heart will also be ‘Sparkle Run Run~♪’!” Takahashi, who followed, smiled and said, “I would be happy if I could be a step of courage for you who support me.” Takamori revealed her strong feelings, saying, “Since Kokoro-chan was able to make her dream come true, now it’s my turn to make Kokoro-chan’s dream come true for a year,” and also mentioned the songs, saying, “I think we will be able to deliver a lot of wonderful songs to everyone.” Finally, she told children and fans, “I hope you will enjoy the year with the feeling that you are a Pretty Cure,” and closed the press conference.
TV anime “Idol PreCure with You♪” Broadcast information ABC TV and 24 TV Asahi affiliated stations nationwide: Every Sunday from 8:30 from Sunday, February 2, 2025 BSS Sanin Broadcasting: Every Sunday from 6:15 from Sunday, February 9, 2025 Streaming information Missed broadcast: TVer Unlimited broadcast: Animehodai / ABEMA / Prime Video / Bandai Channel / d Anime Store / DMM TV / Hulu / Toei Anime Channel / U-NEXT
Staff Series director: Ima Chiaki Series composition: Kato Yoichi Character design: Sugimoto Miho Art design: Iida Rie Art director: Chen Yannian Color design: Yanagisawa Kumiko Music: Fukasawa Erika / Mase Misaki Production: ABC TV / ABC Animation / ADK Emotions / Toei Animation Cure Idol/Sakura Uta: Misato Matsuoka Cure Ink/Soukaze Nana: Minami Takahashi Cure Kyun Kyun/Shiu Kokoro: Natsumi Takamori Purirun: Yoshino Nanjo Meloron: Hanai Miharu