The movie Happiness Charge Precure! Ningyou no Kuni no Ballerina is the second feature film related to the Happiness Charge series. I didn’t dislike it at all, although there have been several better films among those in the Precure franchise. From a technical standpoint, it’s very engaging and even features minimal use of CGI, unlike New Stage 3. The overall presentation is very smooth, and there are excellent choreographies, even during the fight scenes. The only real flaw I found lies in the excessive use of stock footage, both for the transformations and individual attacks.
The basic plot follows the same framework as the Precure films of that era, which unfortunately gives a sense of déjà vu: there’s an initial battle, then a new character appears and presents themselves as a friend to the protagonists. This is followed by a betrayal, but later it’s understood that they too were deceived. The true enemy is then defeated through an exclusive form obtained thanks to the Miracle Light, and finally, there’s a happy ending. Now, I’d like to analyze in more detail the characters introduced in the film.
The antagonist is named Black Fang, and he is one of the generals of the Phantom Empire (which makes sense, considering there are canonically many of them worldwide, even though in the series, aside from Japan, only Madame Momiere is shown). I appreciate him from the perspective of character design and characterization. He certainly doesn’t shine for originality; one could say he’s a simple enemy, and this contributes to making him effective: he’s simply a wicked individual with no chance of redemption. He’s a manipulator capable of targeting a fragile subject, like a child, and stripping her of her dream, just to harvest enough despair (I’m not sure how much sense it makes that this allows him to surpass Mirage, but oh well). The fact that he is responsible for the disability strengthens him as a villain but weakens the film’s message.
Why? Let’s talk about Tsumugi. She is an aspiring dancer, but suddenly, she loses the use of her legs. Doctors can’t understand the cause. Even her relationship with her classmates deteriorates, as they initially visited her in the hospital but then, probably also due to the wall Tsumugi built between herself and others, stopped coming. All of this leaves her deeply desperate, to the point where the only support she still considers is her dolls. However, Black Fang suddenly appears and takes her to a place where she regains mobility and where the dolls have come to life. She is, however, required to deceive the Precures and defeat them, so she can maintain this realm; otherwise, it will eventually collapse, as it’s generated by Black Fang’s power. Throughout the film, Tsumugi follows a journey, thanks to the Precures, that helps her realize that escaping reality forever is not the right choice and that, even if one has lost their dream and connections, it’s possible to start again. Clearly, the way she arrives at this conclusion (a speech and the power of friendship) is not particularly mature, as the film is aimed at a young audience. Yet, I didn’t like the choice to have Tsumugi regain mobility in her legs: she decided to side with the Precures without knowing she would regain it, and having her start anew despite her disability would have sent a great message to children in similar situations. It’s a shame it ended with a resolution where there’s no permanent damage.
Finally, there’s Zeke, a doll brought to life by Black Fang’s powers. He’s very cool aesthetically, and I liked how he was practically the spokesperson, being the only one with a human form, for the love the dolls feel for Tsumugi, helping her make her choice. I also liked that he contributed to the fight by freeing the Precures and hoping they would find a way to save Tsumugi. His relationship with Hime was also nice.
Regarding the characters already known, Iona and Yuuko fight but don’t do much else; it’s worth noting that they are the ones who harbor suspicions about this realm. Ribbon and Glasan have some funny scenes, while Seiji and Blue are completely useless until the final part, where the god, appearing in mirrors that materialize out of nowhere in Earth’s sky, manages to convince people to wave the Miracle Lights (in the real world, such a request coming from an individual in that manner would only trigger general panic).
Hime is the second Precure in terms of screen time, thanks to her falling in love with Zeke, referring to how, in her childish way, her ideal man is a kind prince on a white horse. It’s amusing to see her fantasize about their future, only to experience a strong disappointment when she discovers he’s a doll. As for Megumi, she’s the one given the most screen time and the only one with an exclusive form (reminding me of the final arc), as well as the person who, with her speech, manages to save Tsumugi. It was, at the very least, very emotional and portrayed as coming from an ordinary, fragile person, as at first, she doesn’t know what to say to help her. Last thing: I don’t understand why they never use the Innocent Forms except in the final dance.
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