With the approach of mid-season, it would be a perfect time for the first review of Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure. At this point, things are now just beginning to shape up. The five girls who make up the precure team is a united force of diverse personalities, though Laura (Cure La Mer) has grown from her original smugness, and Manatsu (Cure Summer), starting out with a nice blend of high-energy and ditziness, is beginning to take on the responsibilities of leading the good girls. All the more important as the bad guys, while they seem so lackluster, make up for it with a high degree of persistence.
My main complaint has been about the villains in the series. We make so much of the 'legendary warriors,' that we never take a thought of the opposition. The evolution of the Pretty Cure opponent is as interesting as development of the teams of cures through these eighteen years.
The basic ingredient of the force of evil is the leader (in TRPC’s case, the Witch of Delays), who is aided by his/her own set of lackeys. It started with a set of aides to the head-honcho who would attack the Pretty Cures alone, in tandem, or as a full force. By Yes! Precure 5, this developed into the concept of the 'general,' usually three in number (as we have in Tropical Rouge). These generals would compete against the Pretty Cures to gain favor from the main nemesis, usually in the form of powers to create monstrosities and teams of henchmen to throw at the precure teams. The villain-force of TRPC follow this formula, but to this point, they have been duds.
For the record, here are the main superstar villains of the Pretty Cure franchise (IMHO).
Three best bad-dudes:
1) Joker (Smile Precure, aka Rascal Glitter Force). Black eye sockets framed in a mask, concealing a mind so twisted, that no one could trust what this imp would be up to.
2) Close (Go! Princess Precure). His punk-rock mannerisms were so vicious that even the leader of the forces of darkness, Dyspear, withdrew so Close could make that last brutal attack to defeat Cure Flora.
3) Kumojockey (HeartCatch Precure) His flowing red hair so matched his martial spirit. A worthy opponent to the fighting skills of Cure Sunshine, it was heart-warming to have this general end up at her father’s dojo.
Three best monsters:
1) Tetsuborg (Go! Princess Precure) A fighting force of hideous form that could battle against the Princesses with a high degree of skill.
2) Zakenna (Futari wa Pretty Cure) The original, and still one of the best. Assuming forms of inanimate objects, they had the scary aspect which kept Cures Black and White wondering when they’d attack next.
3) Byo-gens (Healin’ Good Pretty Cure). Developed in the time of Covid-19, these monsters could infect and take over rapidly. Monsters that would be a reflection of the moment.
But … because we are talking about Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure …
Three best ‘bozo’ bad-niks:
1) Jikochuu (Dokidoki! Precure aka Disdains Glitter Force Dokidoki!) The fun came in their silly concession speeches as they were purified by Cure Heart et. al.
2) Notraiders (Star Twinkle Precure) The scourge of the universe, huh? Best comedy martial arts team since …
3) Choinks (Happiness Charge Precure). They fight, they sing, they dance. The lowest form of family friendly villainy in the franchise.
Honorable mention:
Akanbee (Smile Precure, aka Buffoon Glitter Force)) The fact that these monsters were based on the ‘clown premise’ made them scary enough. But not too, though.
Enough mulling about the bad boys. The main hope for Tropical Rouge series is the persistence of the three generals who withdraw as quickly as they fail ... which can be quick. Their monsters, the Yarane-de, are the more comically drawn than the other fiends of the franchise, but they have been getting better, and a recent find by the youngest general Elde, might spell a more intense second half of the season.
So much for the forces of the Witch of Delays, who is after 'motivation power.' Activity is the theme of TRPC (along with makeup, similar to Smile Precure), and there is no one livelier than Cure Summer. The other members of the team balance Summer's more outlandish actions. Fashion conscious Cure Coral, intellectual Cure Papaya, scrappy Cure Flamingo. Then comes a precure from the land under attack, the Gran Ocean, the mermaid Laura who trades in her fish tail for legs to become Cure La Mer. A neat take on the ‘Little Mermaid’ concept.
The animation is lavished on the Precures who shine (or, to be exact, tropi-shine) in comparison to the other characters. The battle sequences against the doofus-y Yarane-de are so-so, but they end with a remarkable 'victory blast.' And the music is well set to the tropical beat which makes one want to dance ... which is what the Pretty Cures try to have you do at episode's end.
But the enemy still remains the enemy of the series' success. But don't give up hope. With the acquisition of a mysterious cup, the opposition may get stiff, and then we hope to see the 'tropi-shine' become 'tropi-spectacular.'
Screenshots
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