A special cheering screening (ōen jōei) of Movie Meitantei Precure! The Mysterious Garden and Two Secrets was held on October 15 at Shinjuku Wald 9 in Tokyo, with simultaneous screenings at 53 cinemas across all 47 prefectures in Japan. Following the screening, a staff talk event brought together director Hanako Ueda, screenwriter Yoshimi Narita, Toei Animation producer Mao Nakagawa, and ABC Animation producer Kanako Tada. The audience greeted the staff with thunderous cheers and enthusiastic call-and-response chants.

Box Office Performance

Since its September 18 release, the film has earned over 1.22 billion yen and attracted more than 958,000 admissions through October 14. It also became the first film in the Precure franchise to screen in 4DX format, starting October 2.

Reactions and Memorable Moments

Director Ueda shared a moving story: her high school homeroom teacher took their child to see the film, spotted her name in the credits, and reached out through mutual friends — recalling a graduation message Ueda had written years earlier promising to put her name in film and TV credits. “You made your dream come true,” the teacher wrote.

Producer Tada was equally moved, recounting how an acquaintance brought both their mother and child to see the film and sent a long letter with photos. “Even the mother was deeply touched — this is exactly why you can’t quit Precure!” she laughed.

Scenes the Staff Cared About Most

Director Ueda highlighted the scene where Answer enters the giant Damedame’s body, saying she worked extensively with the art and photography teams and personally touched up the animation. Screenwriter Narita said her top priority was “the flow of Karin’s emotions — what brings her down, what words help her stand up and take that first step.” Producer Nakagawa singled out the moment the insert song “First Step” plays after the power-up transformation: “Even in the editing stage, watching just the storyboard animatic with that song playing made me cry.”

How Karin Got Her Name — and Her Score

Responding to fan questions submitted via social media, Narita explained that she initially proposed several cute, easy-to-pronounce girls’ names and let the director choose. Ueda added that she researched the flower language of every bloom that appears in the film: “The name ‘Karin’ was chosen because the flower associated with it means ‘effort,’ which perfectly matched the character.” It was also revealed that the character was originally named “Koharu” in the earliest drafts.

The story behind Karin’s test score drew particular laughter. Director Ueda’s storyboard originally showed 29 points, but Producer Tada — who said she felt deeply invested in Karin — pushed back:

“The storyboard was wonderful, I had nothing to say — except about the 29 points! (laughs) It’s not that 29 is bad, but Karin always tries so hard. I considered scores like 62 or in the 70s, where she’s still falling short of 100. But ultimately, thinking about how she’s still in the middle of her journey of effort, I proposed 49 points.”

Alan’s Backstory Before Meeting Karin

Narita described Alan as a character who, unlike Usonoir — who attacks humans because he cannot get along with them — was saved from that fate by meeting Karin. Director Ueda elaborated: “Alan was in fairy form when they met because it’s harder to hide in human form. He was quietly staying in a corner so as not to bother anyone. Karin found him there and accepted his abilities, which is why he tends to stay in fairy form around her.”

On what she valued most in making the film, Ueda said: “Because this story is about unraveling the mysteries of the heart, I focused on showing characters’ faces as much as possible to convey emotional change through expression.”

“I Wanted to Repay the Precure Series”

The closing remarks were deeply emotional. Producer Tada spoke through tears: “If even one person feels a little lighter after watching this, that’s enough. To anyone struggling like Karin — please don’t deny who you are right now. Karin embodies the spirit of Precure: living for others, never giving up. That makes her both fragile and incredibly strong. Please keep cherishing that gentle, strong self.”

Producer Nakagawa expressed confidence that the film’s message had reached its audience, and hinted at further plans — noting she was aiming for the film to top the all-time rankings among Precure theatrical releases. Screenwriter Narita pledged to keep writing for the franchise “as long as I’m asked.”

Director Ueda, a lifelong Precure fan since the very first series Futari wa Precure, delivered the most heartfelt message of the evening: “After reading so many reactions since the film opened, I think I may have wanted to repay the Precure series through this film. Through Karin, I may have wanted to express in images the light and the sense of being saved that Precure gave me.”

She closed with a wish for the audience: “Children who are hurting like Karin are often very good at hiding it and rarely ask for help. I hope this film can push viewers to notice the hearts of people around them that they might not normally see. And I sincerely hope that tomorrow — for everyone — is a good day.”

Film Information

Movie Meitantei Precure! The Mysterious Garden and Two Secrets
Now screening in Japan

Staff

• Original work: Izumi Tōdō
• Director: Hanako Ueda
• Screenplay: Yoshimi Narita
• Music: Erika Fukasawa / Misaki Mase
• Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Emiko Miyamoto
• Art Director: Risa Fujii
• Color Design: Satoshi Takezawa
• Photography Director: Takumi Arai
• Production Manager: Hirotaka Naota

Cast

• Hikari Senga, Kaede Hondo, Nao Higashiyama, Misato Matsuoka, Minami Takahashi
• Natsumi Takamori, Yoshino Nanjō, Miharu Hanai
• Maria Naganawa, Atsumi Tanezaki, Satsumi Matsuda, Reina Ueda
• Emiri Katō, Hina Hitsujimiya, Yuki Kaji
• Akari Kitō, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kōki Uchiyama