Tropical Rouge Precure Ep 1 Review: As Radiant as the Sun! Cure Summer is born!

Hi, Everyone! A new season of Precure and this is my review of Tropical Rouge Precure Episode 1!

No Heel turn Face characters but it is too early to say now...

Did Cure Papaya fire lasers from her eyes?! (Instant Win!)

Our story begins with our new lead, Natsumi Manatsu who is preparing to stay with her mother in the big city. She bid farewell to her father and the rest of the villagers while taking the ship to the mainland. Meanwhile, a mermaid named Laura has found that her kingdom, Grand Ocean was attacked by the Witch of Mawashi that caused all the subjects to lose motivation.

The Queen ordered Laura to find the Legendary Precure who are humans that possess "Light" in their heart. She was given the Tropical Compact and set off to the mainland. Along the way, Manatsu dropped her lipstick into the sea which is a gift from her mother. Laura found the lipstick and continued her search for the Legendary Precure.

Manatsu and her mother really looked alike...(Doujins Artist, do your things!)

Manatsu met her mother, Aoi who worked in an Aquarium centre and even meet the director of the centre, Hirabayashi Manfune who told her about how Dugongs are mistaken as Mermaids and how humans only explored about five per cent of the world's ocean.

The Eyecatch

Manatsu decides to explore the city and even meet Suzumura Sango in the Pretty Holic Beauty Palour but Manatsu was too shy to enter the palour. She later took a break at the beach when she saw Laura resting too and was totally amazed that Laura is a real-life mermaid. 

Bow to me, Humans!

Laura had an inner monologue of using Manatsu as a pawn to make her become the next queen but Manatsu was too excited and tried to cheer her up. Laura took out the lipstick which Manatsu thanks her for finding it. The two of them used lipstick and Manatsu told her that this feeling of fun is like the warmth of the sun. Laura thought that Manatsu could be a Precure and asked her to open the Tropical Compact but it didn't budge.

Laura decides to leave while Manatsu went to her new home. A group of sportsmen were running on the beach when suddenly Chongire, a general under the Witch of Mawashi appeared and create the monster of this season, the Yaranede from a coconut tree.

The Yaranade sucked the motivation out of the sportsmen who felt weak and tired. Laura was captured by the Yaranede when Manatsu who heard an explosion earlier arrived to stop them. Manatsu remembered her father's words of doing what is important right now which triggered the Tropical Compact to create a ring for Manatsu. 

Iwae! The New Precure for 2021! Her Heart and Lips is as Radiant as the Sun! Cure Summer has arrived!

Manatsu then used the Tropical Compact to transform into Cure Summer! She easily freed Laura from the Yarande and her incredible strength was overwhelming. Laura's magic bottle also reacted which freed the motivation energy from the Yaranade. It tried to suck Cure Summer's motivation but unable to as her will power is too strong. Her lipstick also transformed into the Heart Rouge Rod that create her special attack- Otento Summer Strike which defeated the Yaranade.

After Chongire retreated, Laura was impressed by Manatsu's actions and even started calling her by her first name. (She was calling Manatsu a human before that) Laura even told her that she has to fight which question Manatsu even more...

I will handle it in next week's episode...

The Witch of Mawashi was informed about the Precure's appearance but decided to handle the matter the next day as she went to bed...

So after last season about Healing the world which is too close to what is going on now in the world, we have a more upbeat season and I already enjoyed the chemistry between Manatsu and Laura. I already love Manatsu's energetic personality and how she is not as dumb as she looked. Although she still behaves like a kid who has never seen the big city and was amazed by the sight and sounds of it. 

I am happy that we are getting some unarmed combat from Cure Summer and her willpower is so ridiculous that it reminded me of Cure Happy's guts powers. Her special attack, Otento Summer Strike is pretty unique since she has to "create" a ball of energy like blowing bubblegum and her finishing pose remind me of Suite Precure's Finale pose. 

I am not sure if Laura and the Queen of Grand Ocean are related but from the way, Laura behaves in the premiere episode, I could tell that Laura is very arrogant since she called Manatsu human instead of her name and her ambition of becoming the next queen is definitely going to backfire as she wants to make use of Manatsu and the rest of the girls in getting what she wants. But then, like Hime/Cure Princess who started off a spoilt girl but later learn that there are more important things than herself, hopefully, Laura will learn her ways in the future and become a better person. 

For the villains of this season who are led by the Witch of Mawashi, the first general, Chongire was already a laidback character who just want to suck all the motivation out of humans and didn't even bother about Manatsu until she becomes Cure Summer. Even the Witch herself was too lazy to do anything and went to bed instead. I am pretty sure that the villains will also get their sticks together as Cure Summer and the others will start to beat them in the following episodes otherwise it will be really one-sided. (No sign of any potential heel turn face from the villains' side but then it is the first episode so I let it pass for now)

In the next episode, Manatsu begins her first day in school and even meet Sango again. As the title implies that Manatsu needs to balance her school life and being a Precure at the same time. Until then, stay safe and see you in the next post!