Futari wa Pretty Cure: The Next Step

Futari Wa Pretty Cure: The Next Step (ふたりはプリキュア：次のステップ) is a Japanese magical girl anime series produced by Toei Animation and the technically fifth installment in Nina Atsuiaka 's Pretty Cure spinoff series. It is scheduled to air in February 2024, succeeding Pretty Cure of the Stars  on its initial time slot. The themes and motifs of this season include moving forward and passing the torch, as well as the power of friendship. This was made in reference to Extreme Ghostbusters.

Story
Zakennas are back in Wakaba City but after the death of Nagisa Misumi, which the media assumed to be from a fight with the Zakenna, nobody truly believes in the now scientist Honoka Yukishiro and the unemployed Hikari Kujou are telling the truth about them. Nobody but Tamako Kitamura and Yukiko Minami. Honoka and Hikari, knowing they are nice and strong women, give the two girls the ability to replace the original Cure Black and White. They accept the offer, and now they are here to fight the Zakenna without magical girl transformations and whatnot.

Along the way, the four meet Mitsuko Kobayashi, who suppossedly turns into Shiny Luminous. She is also an epiphany of something but we'll have to wait until 2024 to find that out.

Characters
Yukishiro Honoka (雪城 ほのか) - She used to take the form of Cure White but now teaches Tamako and Yukiko how to fight.

Kujou Hikari (九条 ひかり) - She used to take the form of Shiny Luminous but she has no literal point yet.

Misumi Nagisa (美墨 なぎさ) - She used to take the form of Cure Black but she died in a car accident.

Kitamura Tamako - Cure Black. Cocky but she has a heart. Is cocky a strong word?

Minami Yukiko - Cure White. Actually from San Francisco but she is self-taught in Japanese.

Kobayashi Mistuko - Shiny Luminous. The embodiment of [something]

Trivia

 * Yōko Honna, Yukana and Rie Tanaka do not return as their roles here. This is in order to not break canon in the real universe.