I found Healin' Good Precure a series which didn't pretend. It was what it was, and I found it consistent with itself from start to finish. Hilariously topical in regards to the time period in which it was released, perhaps it allowed the season to benefit from a boost in appreciation from my behalf. Overall, though, I found it a very solid season. As a matter of personal note, having Aoi Yuuki voice another pink-haired magical girl felt like a blast from the past, and having her be in a magical girl show that isn't suffering is actually quite refreshing. Onto the review! Because the anime waswhat it was, the review won't be as necessarily lengthy. (Except it is, whoops!)

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Story: 8

In terms of a magical girl show formula, the story was effective. It had an engaging start, quite a few interesting mid-story arcs and an equally as satisfying conclusion. While linear, it was to its advantage since it didn't try to go places with its organization.

It -did- try to pull off some sort of allegiance switch by the end that ended up a little unexpected and out of the blue. While clumsy, it didn't necessarily impact the story that drastically.

Healin' Good also benefitted from the reduced schedule imposed by the pandemic's restrictions, as it was only 45 episodes instead of the usual 49 - that meant less filler, which, while cute, can sometimes feel like a drag.

However, I did wish they focused more on the human healing aspect of it. While the Green Aesop of "PROTECT NATURE" didn't feel out of place with the healing animals, I wish there were more aspects regarding actual medicine, in particular with Hinata's family business.

Art: 8

Everything is cute, befitting the series. I particularly appreciated the designs of the mascots - simplistic and adorable, the soft, round shapes making them look like actual plush dolls really worked to their advantage. In terms of Precure outfits, they're quite cute and don't feel overdesigned - just the right amount of detail to make them feel like cute warriors.

As for the attacks themselves, the special moves didn't feel like they dragged on for an unnecessary amount of time, which is another positive point to the series. Unfortunately, in terms of fight, I feel like while they tried to strike a balance between physical combat and magical wand usage, they sometimes leaned more towards the latter than the former, which I felt like was an unfortunately moot point in all these positive ones.

Otherwise, the rest is pretty typical of a magical girl franchise.

Sound: 7

Some of the soundtrack did appeal to me - otherwise it's pretty standard stuff. In particular, the transformation themes, one of the primary earcatches, are quite appealing this time around. The openings and endings are also quite cheerful and groovy. Otherwise, nothing really particularly struck me as astounding.

Character: 7

The precures, as always, are unambiguous forces of good with positives that far outweigh the negatives. The clumsy one of the bunch, Hinata, has flaws which still allow her to be endearing while also allowing us to relate to her. In particular, since I'm quite forgetful and anxious of people around me doing better than I am, I found myself liking her the most out of the cast!

Otherwise, the episodes don't delve a whole lot into their psyche, though we get a solid backstory with Cure Grace which allows us to understand much better the reason she is so devoted to her battle - and that helps us consider her the leader of the group! As for the inevitable sixth (fourth?) ranger that arrives halfway through, her immediate power level is counterbalanced by her unusual personality, which allows us to like this quirky addition more and forget that her ability far surpasses that of the other 3 in most occasions.

I appreciated the villains being villains and having little to no redeeming qualities. Hugtto's own tragic villains is a tough act to follow for a series like this (see Star Twinkle, who tried and, in my opinion, failed) and having villains that are unapologetically so feels like a breath of fresh air.

Enjoyment: 9 ; Final Rating: 8

Between the time period in which it aired, and the various abovementioned points, I found myself really liking Healin' Good as a whole, and think it deserves the rating I gave it. If you're hesitating on which season of PreCure to start with, I do think this one is a pleasant start as it is easy on the eyes and the mind, and may come in handy to dispel your troubles about the ongoing situation in the world.

Perhaps there is a hidden Healin' Pretty Cure somewhere in the world helping us?

(PS: I just realized that I criticized Star Twinkle for the similar things Healin' Good did. Maybe because the primary theme didn't interfere with the storytelling method? www)