Japanese Anime ‘Precure’ Takes on Detective Genre in 23rd Series, Solving Mysterious Cases

By Susumu Miyajima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:00 JST, April 10, 2026

Transforming into a magical warrior is surely the dream for all children who tune into “Precure” on Sunday mornings. For its 23rd series, “Meitantei Precure!” (“Star Detective Precure!”), which began airing in February, the popular anime series takes on the mystery genre.

Each series has centered around a group of girls called Precure, who are granted special powers to fight the forces of evil with their own hero persona and name.

In the new series, junior high schooler Anna Akechi slips back in time from 2027 to 1999, along with Pochitan, a fairy who appears before her one day. In 1999, they meet Mikuru Kobayashi.

Anna and Mikuru begin living in a detective agency office. Clients reach out claiming “something important went missing” or “I saw a family member who should be overseas here in town.” Behind these cases lurks the Phantom Thieves’ Guild, who are in search of Makoto Jewels — gems that reside within people’s most cherished possessions.

The following are extracts from an interview conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun in February with voice actors Hikari Senga, Kaede Hondo and Nao Toyama. Senga plays Anna and detective Cure Answer, who Anna magically transforms into, while Hondo gives a voice to Mikuru and her alter-ego Cure Mystique. Toyama plays Luluka Moria and the still-mysterious Cure Arcana Shadow.

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The Yomiuri Shimbun: How did you feel when you got your role?

Hikari Senga: I’ve been a huge fan since the very first “Precure” series. On the day the cast of the new series was announced, I showed my mother a video saying, “This is my voice.” She was like, “What? What?!” and started crying. My father, a big anime fan, was happy but also critiqued me from an otaku perspective, saying, “You should’ve done [things] this way or that way.”

Kaede Hondo: I auditioned for both Anna and Mikuru. I got a phone call from my manager, who told me that I was cast, and I was like, “Which one? The pink one! Yay!” It was a fun exchange (with my manager).

Nao Toyama: I had taken the role of a fairy in “Go! Princess Pretty Cure” (which aired about 10 years ago) and felt that I had given it my all with no regrets. Years later, when I was called for another audition, I felt surprised — like, “I can audition again!?” My manager cheered me on wholeheartedly, keeping my schedule open every year for the audition. When I got the part, I broke down, crying (with joy) so hard I surprised even myself.

Fun for parents, kids

Yomiuri: Tell us about the character you play.

Senga: Anna slips back in time to 1999 out of nowhere but stays positive, thinking, “I’ll do my best in this era and help everyone.” She’s incredibly kind, rarely flustered and accepts everything. I want to convey her coolness and that somewhat soft, adorable charm.

Hondo: Mikuru Kobayashi teams up with Anna, and maybe she is more of a hard worker with guts rather than a natural genius. When her dream of becoming a Detective Precure comes true, she explodes with joy. When she’s deep in thought, her mind is a mess, and she freezes. She’s emotionally rich and also clumsy, serious and passionate.

Toyama: Cure Arcana Shadow is a mysterious figure: She’s a Precure member who also belongs to the enemy Phantom Thieves’ Guild. She’s incredibly quiet, so there aren’t many hints about who she really is. Because she’s so mysterious, I want to portray her as a girl with an air that makes you want to know more about her, rather than like an enigmatic, unapproachable older sister.

Yomiuri: The new series is a mystery set in 1999.

Senga: There are all sorts of puzzles woven in that both kids and adults can enjoy. Even we as voice actors are solving mysteries during dubbing sessions, wondering “What does this mean?” or “What happens to this person?”

Toyama: The year 1999 really hits home for the parents’ generation, right? One transformation item, for example, works by moving the hands of a clock, and looks like a retro rotary dial phone. Nostalgic items such as old cellphones also appear. We hope parents can enjoy watching together with their children, pointing out, “That’s how it was back then,” or “I think this person is the culprit.”