Amamiya Elena
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Amamiya Elena |
| Occupation: | Pretty Cure, student |
| Relationships: | |
| Fandom: | Star Twinkle Pretty Cure |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Amamiya Elena, or Cure Soleil, is a character in Star Twinkle Pretty Cure. She is notable for being the only character of colour to be featured as a primary Cure in the Pretty Cure franchise. Elena, in universe, is a popular and bright person. She has close associations and theming with the Sun.
History
Before the release of Star Twinkle Precure, fans speculated on the pre-season leaks. Most fans were hopeful about the leaks, particularly surrounding Elena, as she was the first major character of colour in the franchise. However, fans note this as a reason for not believing the authenticity of the leaks. Despite this, she received a hopeful and positive reception.
The yellow one I love! First Pretty Cure with a darker skin (not including the International Pretty Cure in Happiness Charge Pretty Cure)! With the yellow hair she kind of reminds me of a gyaru/ganguro! I think her design looks really interesting, the lower part is blocked by the logo, so we can't see a lot, but I like the mix of yellow & orange in her design. I also think it's interesting her design also features some pink elements. I think she looks really pretty!sekaiichihappy, Star Twinkle Pretty Cure possible leak!, December 15, 2018
I like her design. And the concept of there being a darker skinned cure is great! But... it just feels a bit off on her, IDK, Maybe I’ll get used to it.Skye Kiruma, My opinions on the designs of the Recent Star Twinkle Leak, December 14, 2018
Can I get a YASSSSSS!?!?!? This is definitely my favourite of the outfits in Star Twinkle PreCure, even if I don’t end up liking the girl wearing it.queensparklekitten, Review of the costumes in Star Twinkle PreCure, December 27, 2018
Fandom
Controversy/Complaints
In-Canon Character Development
A common complaint from fans against Elena's canon characterisation is that she is underdeveloped. The accusation is that her character, along side Kaguya Madoka's character, was side lined for the development of the other three main characters in the season, Hoshina Hikaru, Hagaroma Lala and Yuni. One fan claims that this underdevelopment makes Elena a tragic character, because of her lost potential[1].
Fans commonly question why Elena is commonly sidelined in episodes supposedly focused on her. A proposed reasoning behind this is that she has already learnt all the lessons she needed to before the start of the show[2], that she is already matured and well developed. This is cited through her experience as an older sibling, providing her with more maturity and problem solving skills than the other characters. Additionally, that because of support from her family, she is a happy and well rounded person, thus she doesn't need to develop as a character any more.
However, other reasoning proposes that the studio is ignoring her, accusing Elena of becoming more background character than a main character[3]. The claim is that her character has been pushed aside by other characters in the season. A primary reference being how, in an episode supposedly focused on developing Elena's character, another main character, Lala, pushed Elena away to become side focus.
When ignoring these accusations, fans believe that she has a brilliant arc[4].
Shipping
Pie chart of slash relationships in Ao3 featuring Amamiya Elena as of July 9th, 2024. Pie chart considers each relationship as if it was an individual fanwork.
A common pairing of Elena is Amamiya Elena/Kaguya Madoka ('EleMado'). This can potentially be because of their close connotations with the sun and the moon, respectively. Additionally, they are occasionally considered the first mid-season duo,[5] which comes from their close celestial associations and that they are both popular at school and mature[6]. Fanworks of this ship dominate over other relationships featuring Elena. Commonly, themes of eclipses, solar or lunar, are explored or referenced in fanworks.
Generally, no other ships involving Elena are popular or noteworthy.
Fanworks
Fanfiction
Commonly, fanfiction of Elena is focused on her relationship with Kaguya Madoka. Examples of fanfiction featuring Elena include:
- The Amamiya Family Reunion by Legocat22
- The Moon Can't Shine Without You by merryfortune
- Eclipse by Escarlata
References
- ^ https://x.com/FreddyGutierr16/status/1777920938601795651
- ^ https://techouspeaks.tumblr.com/post/186128689536/character-studies-elenas-development-is-she
- ^ https://aminoapps.com/c/precure/page/blog/the-problem-of-soleil-selene/Kxdx_PLFMuLJDYwa4Y2g7zxxeexvW2amPR
- ^ https://aminoapps.com/c/precure/page/blog/a-cure-to-be-celebrated-cure-soleil/qoro_DJsRudYn37RpnzN7gqYb1GkNNl4g6
- ^ https://www.tumblr.com/genderqueer-miharu/738863949641138176/its-actually-very-interesting-how-precure-has
- ^ https://theobliviousprattler.wordpress.com/2019/03/03/star-twinkle-precure-cure-soleil-and-cure-selenes-transformations/