YMMV / Prétear

• Adaptation Displacement: The anime is far better known than the manga.
• Alternate Character Interpretation:
  • Is the Great Tree of Fenrir the true Big Bad of the series? Or was it simply a wild animal, fueled by the simple instinct to feed. After Takako falls past the Despair Event Horizon upon Sasme's death. Shin, who had been in mental contact with the tree through his powers, comments that the creature was now "confused". Indicating that without directions from the Princess of Disaster, the tree simply did not know what to do other than eating all the Leafe in the area.
  • Did Hayate actually love Himeno in the manga, or is their relationship a case of History Repeats given his handling of Takako’s feelings? The anime at least explicitly showed Hayate and Himeno fall in love with each other, complete with a True Love's Kiss.
• Cry for the Devil: While their actions are very extreme, Takako and Sasame still come across as sympathetic due to the Love Hurts portions of their backstories.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: One wonders if Prétear was one of the Magical Girl shows that Gen Urobuchi reported to have watched while doing research for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, as many of Prétear's themes are echoed in that show's plot. For starters, there is the plot point that the Big Bad was a former Prétear who fell into despair and ultimately became the very thing a new Prétear would have to fight. This echoes the twist in Madoka that Magical Girls who fall into despair become Witches, the very thing they are meant to fight against. The Demon Larvae, meanwhile, operate in a manner similar to Grief Seeds, hatching into monsters that must be defeated by the resident Magical Girl. Said battles also occur in a Pocket Dimension that protects the outside world. Given the use of Fairy Tale Motifs, both shows arguably also draw from the common trope of a young girl in folklore being threatened by an older, female figure.
• Narm: During the fifth episode of the anime. Hajime and Shin are cornered by monsters, which is genuinely horrifying. But the way the boys keep saying how "they're scared" makes them sound odd instead of sympathetic.

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