Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode the Movie: Crisply! The Memory of Mille-feuille!

Lore & Background

The film follows Ichika and the other Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode characters as they attend a patisserie competition in Paris, France. During a live demonstration at the Kirakira Patisserie, a sentient evil whisk appears, and the girls transform to fight it. The whisk curses Cure Parfait, reverting her to her fairy form. Later, Ciel encounters Jean-Pierre, a patissier she studied under years ago, who now has a self-proclaimed assistant named Cook. Cook is later revealed to be the culprit behind the whisk and Jean-Pierre's odd behavior, and she turns experimental sweets loose in the city. The Witchy Pretty Cure! team—Cures Miracle, Magical, and Felice—arrive to help. Cook pushes Jean-Pierre into batter, turning him into an Ultimate Sweet. With the power of a magical sparkle, the Cures are freed from a curse and gain

Reader's Guide

Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode the Movie: Crisply! The Memory of Mille-feuille! is significant as a standalone film for the Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode series, featuring a crossover with the Witchy Pretty Cure! team. The film ranked number 1 in the Japanese box office in its opening weekend, indicating strong audience reception. It explores themes of perseverance and overcoming self-doubt, as seen through Ciel's struggle to improve her patisserie skills and her eventual runner-up finish. The film also introduces new characters, including the villain Cook, who is revealed to be an aspiring patissier betrayed by humans. The inclusion of the 5-minute CG short Petit Dream Stars! Let's la Cookin'? Showtime! adds a lighter, fairy-focused subplot. The film's legacy lies in its integration of multiple Pretty Cure teams and its focus on the art of patisserie, set against the backdrop of Paris.

Did You Know?

• The film was released as a double feature with a 5-minute CG animated short film, Petit Dream Stars! Let's la Cookin'? Showtime!.
• The film features the Pretty Cure teams from Witchy Pretty Cure!.
• The film ranked number 1 out of top 10 in the Japanese box office in its opening weekend.
• The voice cast includes Aoi Yūki as Cook and Onoe Matsuya II as Jean-Pierre Zylberstein.

The Film's Place in the Pretty Cure Franchise

The theatrical release Crisply! The Memory of Mille-feuille! arrived in Japanese cinemas on October 28, 2017, serving as the standalone movie for the fourteenth entry in Izumi Todo's long-running Pretty Cure metaseries. This installment introduced the twelfth generation of Cures to audiences and marked the third time the franchise deployed a five-person team, a deliberate choice by producer Yu Kaminoki to distinguish it from the preceding Witchy Pretty Cure!, which had started as a duo before expanding to three. The film also benefited from the momentum of the March 2017 crossover Pretty Cure Dream Stars!, which brought together characters from Go! Princess PreCure, Witchy Pretty Cure!, and the new Kirakira cast. By the time the movie hit theaters, the series had already established its identity through its February 2017 premiere on All-Nippon News Network stations, and it would be succeeded by Hug! PreCure the following February. The vocal best album Suite☆Etude☆A La Mode, released in January 2018, further cemented the film's musical legacy by including songs drawn from both the anime and its theatrical feature.

Creative Vision and the Challenge of Dessert-Themed Action

The production team faced a unique creative puzzle: how to make a battle-oriented magical girl series work within a dessert and patisserie framework. Producer Yu Kaminoki openly acknowledged that fitting fighting elements into a sweets-themed narrative was difficult and not naturally compatible with the Pretty Cure formula. The solution came through the introduction of Colorful Pop Battles, a distinct combat style designed to complement the series' culinary identity rather than contradict it. The catchphrase Create, Taste and Battle! encapsulated this tripartite philosophy. Directors Kohei Kureta and Yukio Kaizawa were selected specifically to share the production burden while pushing new concepts forward; Kaizawa, who had previously directed the Cure Flora and Mischievous Mirror short film, brought fresh ideas to Toei's Sunday morning lineup. The five-person team's personalities were each tied to the animal motif, with one character's role drawing inspiration from the Otokoyaku tradition of Takarazuka Revue, adding theatrical depth to the ensemble.

The CG Short and Musical Soundtrack

Accompanying the main feature was a fully computer-generated animated short titled Petit☆Dream Stars! Let's・la・Cookin'? Showtime!, representing a notable technical departure for the franchise. This CG segment extended the series' world beyond traditional hand-drawn animation, offering audiences a different visual experience tied to the same narrative universe. Musically, the film was embedded in a rich soundtrack ecosystem. The anime's opening theme SHINE!! Kirakira ☆ PreCure a la Mode was performed by Yuri Komagata, while Kanako Miyamoto handled both ending themes—Let's La Cooking☆Showtime for the first twenty-two episodes and Shubidubi☆Sweets Time thereafter. Yuki Hayashi, known for scoring My Hero Academia, Haikyū!!, and Gundam Build Fighters, composed the series' instrumental score. Two official soundtracks, Precure Sound Decoration!! and Precure Sound Go Round!!, were released in May and November 2017 respectively. The January 2018 vocal best album Suite☆Etude☆A La Mode then collected songs from both the anime and its movie into a single compilation.

Thematic Core: Kirakiraru, Animals, and the Mobile Patisserie

At the heart of the film and its parent series lies the concept of Kirakiraru, a luminous element that resides in sweets and embodies the feelings baked into them. When evil fairies strip this essence away, desserts turn black and lifeless, creating the central conflict the Cures must resolve. The protagonist Ichika Usami, a second-year middle school student with a passion for patisserie work, transforms into Cure Whip after encountering the fairy Pekorin, who can detect Kirakiraru. Together with five fellow Cures, she operates the Kirakira Patisserie, a mobile sweet shop that serves as both a creative outlet and a base of operations. The series weaves together two complementary motifs—desserts and animals—because, as the producers explained, the animal element helps balance the culinary theme and extends naturally to Ichika's imaginative dessert decorations. The overarching themes of happiness and creativity, paired with the catchphrase Create, Taste and Battle!, give the film its distinctive emotional and narrative identity within the broader Pretty Cure universe.