Witchy Precure! -MIRAI DAYS-

Episodes 6-7

Being stuck in the past isn't good, but it can look appealing if you think you have no future. That, as it turns out, is what Ire's motivation is: he's trying to return to a past where he was happier than he thinks he'll ever be in the present and future when his mother was alive and the world was full of possibilities. It's a selfish reason especially since it involves unleashing Chronosto, the time monster, on the world at large, to say nothing of stealing powers from Mother RaPaPa herself. But sometimes the pain is so great that you can't think about anything else. Sometimes it makes you want to do anything to just make it stop, and damn the consequences.

Ire's motives are emblematic of the greater themes of this series. As a child of both the magic and non-magic worlds, he's adrift in much the same way Mirai has been since she and Liko were separated. Reuniting with Liko hasn't helped that sense of being unmoored in a present that isn't like the future she imagined, making her a parallel to Ire. I say “parallel” rather than “foil” because, although I think she'll ultimately pull out of her unease, it won't be easy. We see that in episode seven when she remembers her words to Liko about smiling through the pain, words Liko repeats to her as she worries about Hi-chan. Having her advice returned to her is bittersweet because it shows her the memory of a more settled (or perhaps better) time while also reminding her that Liko is by her side again…just not exactly as the Liko when they were in middle school. Growing up sometimes means growing apart, and while I wouldn't say that they've done that, there are differences in their relationship that hurt Mirai. It's natural, but that doesn't make it fun.

This idea is at the heart of Ire's drive to return to the past, and it becomes the impetus for Chronosto's attacks on the town. We see that when he targets his middle school friend Sota. Sota's already worried about the reality that the glorious soccer career he dreamed of may not come to fruition, and that's an opening Chronosto can use to attack: he shows Sota his happy past, mediocre present, and then a vision of a desolate future, where he becomes just another salaryman while his college teammate goes pro. He then offers Sota a chance to remain in the past, stealing his present and future time while trapping him in a stone statue to continue dreaming of the past.

The stone statue is important because it implies that no one who bargains with Chronosto actually goes back in time. Instead, they're given the illusion of it, much like people's fears and insecurities trap them in objects/monsters in Go! Princess Precure and You and Idol Precure♪. The difference is that Chronosto makes them think they want to be there by implying that their futures are set in stone. It's a bit like the film Labyrinth, when the Goblin King offers Sarah everything if he'll just let him rule her. It's not a true bargain, it's a contract where only one person wins. And while the Cures break the statue and drive off the monster, it's Ha-chan offering Sota a glimpse of a different future that breaks the spell. The implication that Sota had a crush on Ha-chan changes everything – just seeing her again is enough to give him hope.

Ire lived a life devoid of that. His inability to learn magic because of where he was born again parallels Mirai, who overcame that hurdle. His love for the puppy who turned out to be Choronosto showed him pouring his affection into something that only gave the illusion of loving him back. (Although the beast's inability to speak without barking is both a delightful callback to Cure Wonderful and a fun joke, as well as a potential indication of a resolution later on.) Mirai was the lucky one, and he resents her for that.

Dreams are an integral part of human life. Hi-chan came to represent Mirai's dream of her “better” past with Liko and Ha-chan, and knowing that she's Ha-chan's daughter for all intents and purposes simply drives home the inexorable march of time. Ire is willing to give up his present and future for a dream of the past. Will Mirai do the same? Or will she be the one to help him wake up?

Rating: