Hugtto! PreCure Episode 40: Full of Contradictions

It’s hard to believe that we are already at episode forty of Hugtto! PreCure. The end is in sight, and I don’t want to see this show go. I guess the best thing to do for now is just focus on this episode, which sees Dr. Traum trying to reconnect with his daughter.

Cure Tomorrow

This episode starts with Dr. Traum and Harry explaining what happened in the future. Harry was captured, but saved by Cure Tomorrow. However, Tomorrow was captured shortly afterwards, but Harry found the resolve to save her. They escaped from Criasu, and used the last of Mother’s power to go back in time. Due to that, Cure Tomorrow transformed into a baby – yes indeed, Hugtan and Cure Tomorrow are one and the same.

Hana swears to protect Hugtan no matter what

Knowing that Hugtan has now awakened the power of Mother, Traum tells everyone that Criasu will be coming after Hugtan even more fervently than before.
Ruru wants to know why Traum is only just telling all this now, but any answer he attempts to give is met with ‘does not compute’. It becomes too much for Ruru, and she runs off.

Hugtan comforts Ruru

The other girls chase after Ruru in order to try and find her. It is Hana and Hugtan who catch up to her first, and Ruru is convinced she is experiencing a system error. However, Hana tells her that it is actually her heart, and Ruru believes that the pain she is feeling must be because of that.

Ruru gets embarrassed when Traum recounts her early days

The opportunity presents itself for Ruru to talk to Traum, so she does – with a little encouragement from Hana. Traum tells Ruru what she was like when she was first activated – quite troublesome, as it were. However, there is also something that Traum’s flashback alludes to, but he doesn’t explicitly say.

I presume that this was Traum’s biological daughter

It appears that the initial reason behind Traum creating Ruru was an attempt to replace a daughter he lost. Again, it’s not said explicitly, but the allusion is very much there. However, things didn’t turn out like Traum expected, so he decided it would be best to distance himself from Ruru and deleted all of her data.
In the present, Dr. Traum can see that Ruru’s friends treasure her as ‘Ruru Amour’, and nobody else.

Emiru arrives to help Ruru – about thirty seconds too late

Emiru shows up with her and Ruru’s guitar, saying that music can express what words generally can’t. However, she is too late – Ruru and Traum have said what they needed to say to each other. Despite that, the pair play a song for Traum.

Ma Cherie and Amour face a Wild Oshimaidaa

After Emiru and Ruru’s performance, Gelos attacks with a Wild Oshimaidaa. Of course, PreCure do their thing, but the enemy manages to get the upper hand. When Cure Amour is in danger, Traum leaps to her defence. He is defending his daughter, after all.

Ruru is not keen on Traum’s reaction after suggesting they should eat together sometime

After the battle, Traum decides that it is time for him to leave. Before he does so, Ruru suggests that they should eat together some time. Traum starts pushing his luck somewhat after that.
With things between Ruru and Traum settled, Hana says that they will protect the future, and return Hugtan to said future as well. Of course, if Hugtan returns, that means Harry will need to as well.

Emiru is not keen on the idea of Ruru returning to the future

The episode ends with Emiru realising that Ruru will return to the future as well. She does not take that well.

This episode of Hugtto! PreCure was excellent. Of course, being an episode focused on Ruru pretty much always meant I was going to enjoy it, but it did bring along some revelations as well.
First up, Hugtan is Cure Tomorrow. I’m pretty sure there have been theories floating around since the beginning that Hugtan is actually a Cure, and now we have concrete evidence that that is indeed the case. Presumably she will regain her normal form in time for, or during, the final battle.

This episode also provided a bit of insight into Traum. I already theorised that he built Ruru in an attempt to replace his deceased daughter. Again, nothing is explicitly stated, but the pieces are all there for viewers to put together.
Of course, Ruru is very much her own person, and not the daughter that Traum presumably lost.
Actually, now I think about it, Traum has been a fun character whether he is good or evil. This episode also gave him a bit more depth, which was nice to see.

Next time, Ruru is indeed planning on returning to the future. It seems like Emiru will be struggling to cope.