Ringo Akai

''"Mew Mew Ringo, Metamorphose!" - Ringo's transformation call.''

Ringo Akai (赤井 りんご, Akai Ringo) is one of the main characters in the PlayStation game Tokyo Mew Mew – Tojo Shin Mew Mew! – Minna Issho ni Gohoshi Suru Nyan.

She is an 11-12-year-old girl who is unique among the Mews in that she was not infused with her animal by Ryou or the Mew project, but rather had fused with her pet penguin thanks to a Mew Aqua pendant her mother gave her.

Plot
In the PS1 game, Ringo and the original five Mew Mews must defend Ringo's home island from Quiche, the chimera anima, and a new alien named Gâteau du Roi after the group invades in search of Mew Aqua. Her Mew Aqua pendant necklace was given to her by her deceased mother.

After Ringo's pet penguin Yuki (Japanese for "snow") transforms into a Chimera Anima, the pendant activates and allows her to transform into a Mew Mew.

Civilian
Ringo has light brown, choppy, shoulder-length hair in a bob hairstyle. She wears a big red bow in her hair and has an ahoge (a piece of hair that sticks up from the top of the head.) She has light skin and childish brown eyes.

Mew Form (2002)
When changing into Mew Ringo, Ringo wears a strapless top that ends with a fin-like appearance with white pantaloons underneath. The pantaloons have ruffles and go to mid-thigh. She also has two arm garters and a choker that are red and lined with white lace. On her choker hangs a Mew Pendant and on her arms are two gloves that go all the way up to her elbows. To finish her Mewfit, she wears white ruffle socks that go up mid-calf with red high-heeled mary-janes.

The bow in her hair becomes larger and thicker and she doesn't wear a leg garter like the other Mews.

Mew Form (2020)
As of 2020 Re-turn, Ringo's outfit only has slight changes. Her choker is now a ribbon with a gem center, her socks have little bows on them, her shoes have bows placed at the top of them, and she now sports a long, tied plaid garter on her right thigh.

Personality
Ringo is an introverted, timid, reserved young girl who lives on a nature preserve island. Her entire life, she lived alongside her brother and is not used to outsiders. She doesn't have any friends, except her pet penguin, Yuki.

Ringo starts to come out of her shell after befriending the Mew Mews and becomes more confident in her abilities.

Transformations
Ringo does not have infused DNA like the other Mew Mews, so she wears a necklace containing Mew Aqua that, plus the combination of Yuki's penguin DNA, allows her to transform into Mew Ringo. The animal she represents is the Humboldt penguin.

Ringo's Mew Pendant is a gold oval pendant with a red heart-shaped outline on it. At the bottom is a red heart-shaped crystal. Around the heart crystal are four smaller oval fittings with smooth red gems in them.

Weapons and Attacks
Ringo uses a wand that is similar to the Mew Aqua Rod called an Appletick, but she cannot attack without the help of another Mew. The Appletick is a small stick with a red apple on top of it. Right under the apple is a tiny pink gem with four red petals coming off of it. The stick part is pink and her solo attack is Ribbon Apple Pop, which is a healing power. Her element is spirit.

Etymology

 * The name Ringo means "apple" (りんご) in Hiragana.
 * Ringo's surname Akai means "red" (赤) (aka) and "well, mine shaft, pit" (井) (i).

Trivia

 * Even though she does not appear in the anime, Ringo has character songs just like the rest of the Mews, sung by Taeko Kawata. Her character songs are 'Rakuen wo Sagashite' (Looking for Paradise) and 'Iyashite Agetai' (I Want To Heal You)
 * Despite popular belief, Ringo and Ichigo Momomiya are not related. Many fans simply believe they are due to their similar appearances.
 * The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) is a South American penguin native to the coasts of Chile and Peru. It is "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated population of 32,000.
 * Ringo is the only Mew Mew who does not gain an animal part upon transforming such as ears, a tail, etc. This is because she is not infused with DNA like the other Mew Mews.
 * Contrary to popular belief, Ringo is the 6th Mew. She appears in the PS1 game, which came out before A La Mode did.