I started watching Precure in its release order avoiding the trouble of looking in thousands of threads to see which entry is the best one to start the series with. Thus Splash Star is my second dive third if you count Max Heart separately in this huge sea that I still have left to explore. First of all Ive read some people pointing out the similarities between the OG Futari wa and Splash Star. At first sight it may seem impossible not to look at the two Splash Star protagonists and see our old friends Nagisa and Honoka but as the episodes progressed different dynamics can be seen between them that distinguish this instalment from its predecessor. With that said Ill try not to remark on any parallelism between both of them even though I couldnt stop doing comparisons between the two shows during my viewing lol. Story I think the story is the most remarkable thing about Splash Star and its all thanks to two characters. No not Saki and Mai but Kaoru and Michiru. These two managed to sustain and raise what at first seemed like the typical story about legendary warriors who need to save the Earth from dark villains. so I got really invested in the bonds both Kaoru and Michiru created with the protagonists and other friends the relationship between Kaoru and Minori Sakis little sister is very cute as well as their whole character arc. The pacing is great all the villains come and go at the right moment and maybe when it can start to get a little tiresome Kaoru and Michiru step in and refresh the story. Lastly Id like to point out how the anime conveys emotions in different situations very well through drawings making Saki and Mai characters evolve. Characters Saki and Mai both with their different personalities balance each other nicely giving some powerful and emotional moments. Regarding the side characters I think Splash Star is capable of the best and worst. Ok maybe not the worst but there are a bunch of forgettable characters like their girl friends and overall their families. Aside from Kaoru and Michiru Kenta and Minori are the other two that I liked the most bringing the first one a lot of funny moments and the last one extremely cute ones. The spirits or mascots were meh I didnt particularly like or hate them. The villains were great though. I couldnt stop laughing everytime Moerumba danced or teased Gooyaan same with Mizu Shitatare getting mad at Saki for always saying her name wrong and I liked how Kintoleski always made sure his opponents were fighting full strength. Art Not gonna talk much about the art mainly cause I dont really know what to say. Being a coastal city there are some nice sea visuals plus the giant tree of life thats inside the town. The characters designs are good its nice to see the protagonists have more than one battle outfit. Also some fights are very well done combining action with super powers but overall I think they all looked pretty much the same. Sound The OP and the two EDs were energetic and catchy. The soundtrack was good as well but even though I said I wouldnt compare the two anime I gotta say that there arent any cool insert songs like Shining Star or Heart to Heart in the OG Futari wa. Same as in Max Heart where they repeat the instrumental version of the OP/EDs quite a lot. In conclusion Splash Star is an enjoyable anime thats worth recommending to anyone that loves mahou shoujo and has liked any other Precure entries. Dont be reluctant to watch this anime only because it may seem the same as the previous Futari wa since Saki and Mai and Kaoru and Michiru will make sure to prove you wrong. 550https://i.ur.com/PIPlPWF.jpg?1