WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 15 of Healin' Good Pretty Cure, "First Fight, Nodoka and Rabirin Grow Apart," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Healin' Good Pretty Cure has tackled the theme of healing through topics such as physical disabilities, personal insecurities and community involvement in the past. Following on from this, Episode 15, Pretty Cure addresses bullying, fights among friends and how to resolve these issues.
After Rabirin and the healing animals successfully saved Nodoka's school day by returning her lost recorder, they walk back home and encounter a mascot character outside. Rabirin immediately falls in love with the character's design but Pegitan and Nyatoran aren't feeling it. Despite Rabirin voicing how she thinks the character looks cute, Nyatoran and Pegitan immediately patronize her for saying so, insisting it isn't cute at all. Once she realizes how they feel about it, out of peer pressure, Rabirin reluctantly agrees with them.
This is the beginning of a downhill slide for Rabirin. To Pegitan and Nyatoran, they were just voicing their opinions but they weren't taking into consideration how rude they were being. It's common courtesy not to belittle someone for enjoying something, but some people -- or healing animals -- will always feel the need to inject their negative opinion following one of praise.
Nyatoran and Pegitan's rudeness causes Rabirin to hide her fanaticism towards Lavendaruma. Rabirin even goes so far as to hide a box underneath Nodoka's bed with a flyer of the doll. One night, when Rabirin decides to take a look at this picture, Nodoka wakes up, surprising and embarrassing Rabirin. Luckily, Nodoka is a true friend to Rabirin and even defends her, reaffirming that the doll is indeed cute. Elated, Rabirin mentions to Nodoka that there is a stamp card event where one can win a Lavendaruma doll. Understanding what Rabirin wants, Nodoka agrees to participate in the event, echoing what Rabirin told Nodoka at the beginning of the episode when returning her recorder: "This is what friends do."
At the Herb Gardens, Nodoka and Rabirin grow closer. Working together to achieve a goal creates a strong kinship between the two.
The two complete the stamp card and win the Lavendaruma doll. However, as they are walking back home they run across Hinata and Nyatoran. Despite how happy Nodoka appears to be, Nyatoran continues to call out Rabirin for suddenly liking this "uncool" daruma doll. In a fit of tearful rage, Rabirin slams the doll down and insists she actually hates the doll.
Rabirin is just acting out due to Nyatoran's bullying, but she didn't realize this would also hurt Nodoka's feelings as well. Nodoka and Rabirin spent a lot of time bonding over their love for this mascot and working hard to get a doll of it. She's hurt to discover all this was seemingly fake on Rabirin's part. Sleeping separately at home, Nodoka feels a new type of pain after experiencing her first fight with a friend.
The healing animals soon make up with each other, though, with Nyatoran apologizing to Rabirin for being a rude little cat monster. Rabirin still feels sad though, as she has yet to make up with Nodoka.
This effects them in battle later, as Rabirin and Nodoka's transformation is cut short when they can't connect with each other. Luckily, Princess Rate is around to force the two characters to emotionally and cheesily make up with one another, professing that their friendship will never end. With paw outreached, Nodoka and Rabirin are able to transform once again, save the leaf element and defeat the Mega Byogen.
With Nodoka and Rabirin back together again, they both set out to acquire another daruma doll. Nodoka ponders if it's possible to avoid all future quarrels, to which Rabirin points out that while those can't be avoided, peace can still be made afterward. Communication appears to be the solution to this episode's woes, reinforcing another form of the healing that is central to the series' ethos.