As the 23rd installment of Toei Animation's monumental magical girl franchise hits Japanese cinemas, the creative forces behind Eiga Meitantei Precure! Fushigi na Niwa to Futari no Himitsu (Detective Precure The Movie: The Mysterious Garden and Two Secrets) are reflecting on their journey. Premiering nationwide on September 18, the feature-length mystery brings together four lead voice actresses—Hikari Senga, Kaede Hondo, Ikumi Hasegawa, and Nao Toyama—for an exclusive conversation regarding their roles, the unique time-slip narrative, and real-life recording booth mysteries.
The film follows protagonist Anna Akechi who, after encountering a mysterious fairy named Pochitan in 2027, is whisked away to the year 1999. Teaming up with aspiring detective Mikuru Kobayashi and fairy Jet-senpai at the Kyuat Detective Agency, Anna transforms into Detective Precure to recover stolen items from the Phantom Thief Syndicate while combating the troublesome "X-mark" phenomenon plaguing the city.
Behind the Mic
Reflecting on the collaborative recording process, Senga noted how moving it was to see all four Precure heroines uniting to solve cases for the first time. Meanwhile, Hasegawa discussed the unique challenge of stepping into her role as Cure Éclair during a pivotal expansion of the team's dynamic. The cast also shared lighthearted anecdotes from the studio, including a humorous unresolved mystery involving prank snacks where nobody could correctly identify the strange flavors.
