Episode 16: Droplets of Love! Lettuce and the Little Mermaid

Season 2, Episode 4 - Aired: 7/25/23

'''Droplets of Love! Lettuce and the Little Mermaid''' is the 16th episode of Tokyo Mew Mew New.

Summary
Walking home, Retasu overhears a lady call out to someone named "Ryou"; however, the person was different from the Ryou she knew.

The following day at the Café Mew Mew underground lair, Ryou and Keiichiro inform the Mew Mews about a plausible spot where more Mew Aqua is located, the Maritime Museum. Ryou planned to have one of them accompany him to figure out whether or not a Mew Aqua was located there, and Retasu volunteered herself. It was decided that Retasu would be best as it suits her Mew Mew Nature.

On the event day, Retasu gets dressed and meets Ryou at the train station, where they ride the train to their destination. At the museum, they locate the artifact believed to be the Mew Aqua, and Ryou notes that it resembled the earrings that Retasu wore that day. Retasu also mentions how the artifact earrings resemble the ones from the Mermaid fairy tale. Ryou, though, mentions the earring's historical facts and asks Retasu to see if it contains Mew Aqua. When Retasu does, she's surprised as she hears a voice in her head.

Quiche could then be heard who sat on a lifeboat hanging above the artifact. He then tried to steal it, but Ryou took it and passed it to Retasu, who escaped while in her Mew Mew Form. Although Ryou tries to hold Quiche back, he escapes Ryou's grasp and attacks Retasu, who counterattacks, but still gets sent backward and falls into the ocean water while sustaining a cut to her arm. While drowning in the water, Retasu locates the other earring artifact that reacts to the one she held.

Meanwhile, at the Café Mew Mew, Ichigo talks via text to Aoyama, and after Bu-Ling buts in, Keiichiro announces that Retasu has gone missing.

Switching to Retasu, she awakens on a beach where a pointy-eared lady mistakes her for a mermaid. Transforming back into her human form, the lady sees that Retasu is hurt and guides her into town. There, the lady introduces herself to Retasu as Madeline; while they walk, a man named Chiffon, who resembles Ryou, approaches them and tries to convince her to come with him. However, she refuses, and before leaving, Chiffon tells Madeline to come to the docks that night if she changes her mind.

At Madeline's house, Retasu's cut is treated by Madeline, and when she prepares some soup, Retasu asks about her relationship with Chiffon. Madeline then reveals that he and some others will escape the planet via a spaceship as it's foretold the land will sink into the ocean.

A flashback shows that the island they lived on was becoming increasingly submerged in water because of the planet's climate change. Two sides were formed: one wanted to escape via spaceship, and the other wanted to stay. Chiffon was on the escape side, while Madeline was on the stay side. When Retasu asks Madeline if Chiffon is her boyfriend, she blushingly denies the notion. Retasu then notices the earrings resemble the artifacts, and it's revealed that Chiffon bought her them one day. Just then, Chiffon contacts Madeline again, begging her to meet him at the docks; although she dismisses him, Retasu convinces her, using the earrings to motivate her.

Upon reaching the docks, Retasu and Madeline rush to the dock's end, where the spaceships start to take off. Madeline catches Chiffon's attention as they do, but falls off the dock in the process. Transforming into her Mew Mew Form, Retasu dives into the water and manipulates it so the two can hug and embrace each other.

Brought to tears by what she did, Madeline's earrings started to glow and flash, sending Retasu into an alternate space. There, Madeline thanks her and reveals that, in reality, she never reunited with Chiffon and that her earrings embodying her regret, sank the bottom of the ocean. Before passing on, Madeline advised Retasu to be honest with whom she has feelings for.

Back in the present, Retasu is reunited with Ryou and learns that she has both earrings and the same bandage that Madeline wrapped around her arm. Later, it's learned that the earrings no longer have Mew Aqua in them, and by the ship's bow, Retasu confesses her love for Ryou. Hearing her feelings flusters Ryou who lists off positive qualities about her; however, he cannot reciprocate them as his main focus is the Mew Project. Retasu understands and afterwards meets up with Zakuro, who praises her bravery. Retasu then processes to cry when Ryou isn't within earshot.

Major

 * Retasu Midorikawa
 * Ichigo Momomiya
 * Minto Aizawa
 * Bu-Ling Huang
 * Zakuro Fujiwara

Minor

 * Ryou Shirogane
 * Keiichiro Akasaka
 * Masha
 * Masaya Aoyama
 * Quiche
 * Mrs. Huang
 * "Taren" Huang
 * Madeline
 * Chiffon

Trivia

 * Retasu's image song "A Map Drawn on the Sandy Beach" is an insert song in the scene where Retasu is getting ready to go to the exhibit with Ryou.

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