SSBS – Tokyo Mew Mew Episode 44: The City Turns into a Forest – What Protects Ichigo’s Smile

Plot: Aoyama continues to have nightmares about Ichigo in her Mew form collapsed on the floor and crying.

Meanwhile, Akasaka and Shirogane share more information they gathered from the alien ruins to the Mews. They theorize that the ancient aliens created Mew Aqua, and what they’ve been finding as of late are actually small fragments of the crystals they originally created that have been scattered all over the world (Or….I guess just Japan). There is a True Mew Aqua crystal somewhere out there with unimaginable power.

The good news is, Shirogane believes the aliens don’t know either of those facts yet, but now they realize that the fight to get the Mew Aqua first is more important than ever.

Later, Shirogane gives Ichigo a pep talk, promising that, if push came to shove, he’d make good on his promise to always to protect them. Ichigo can’t help but suspect again that this indicates he’s The Blue Knight.

Aoyama suddenly calls, asking to meet with Ichigo. Shirogane kindly takes over for her at the café so she can see him.

Ichigo and Aoyama enjoy their date, even if it’s briefly interrupted by a rain shower. Aoyama also has a brief moment of concern where he believes Ichigo might be crying, like she was in his nightmare, but she shows that she’s fine. She’s just a little spooked by the thunder.

That night, Akasaka and Shirogane detect a mass influx of strange readings all over Harajuku – a popular shopping district of Tokyo. The aliens are there, and they’re causing the trees and rocks to go crazy, taking over the area and destroying everything in their path.

The girls investigate the city, now also ridden with massive insects, and eventually find the Mew Aqua. However, something seems off about it. Before they’re able to collect it, Taruto and Pai show up to battle them for it.

Taruto turns the tree holding the Mew Aqua into a Chimera Animal who increases the oxygen levels in the area so much that the girls start passing out.

Only Ichigo and Zakuro are able to fight, but they can’t do much with such high oxygen concentrations.

Shirogane, realizing what’s happening, grabs some pills to help with oxygen concentration and speeds off to the girls in his cat form.

All of the Mews but Ichigo get captured, and she’s barely able to stand. She sees the remnants of the wedding dress she looked at with Aoyama earlier, hoping to one day wear a dress as beautiful at her wedding. Filled with a newfound determination, she gets up to fight once more, but it’s quickly proven that she physically cannot continue.

She’s about to get captured when she’s rescued by Shirogane.

And The Blue Knight.

Shirogane gives her the pills while The Blue Knight vows to protect Ichigo and rescues the other Mews.

Ichigo is dumbfounded to discover that The Blue Knight was not Shirogane, and just as quickly as he arrived, he vanishes.

The Chimera Animal suddenly loses power and is blasted away by the Mews. The aliens wonder what happened to the supposed Mew Aqua and leave the scene.

Later, the Mews, Shirogane and Akasaka gaze at the forest where Harajuku once stood. They wonder what that strange fake Mew Aqua was with concern that more might appear and be manipulated by the aliens.

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– I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad they didn’t kill that roach. They made it way too cute, and I love the little smirk it had.

– Why is Ichigo sweeping the lawn?

– Shirogane’s being really sweet today, aw.

– I have a question: If Mew Aqua is so insanely powerful and the aliens could manufacture it before….why did they not create a ton of it and save their environment?

– I can’t stop staring at the girls faces when they’re talking to Shirogane and Akasaka outside of the car. They all look…wrong. Especially whatever Zakuro’s face is doing.

– Lettuce’s theory about the aliens knowing the humans would pollute the earth, which is why they made the Mew Aqua, makes no sense. The aliens never knew another race would develop and take over the planet nor did they know they would pollute it in thousands of years. And, again, if the Mew Aqua can fix pollution problems, why did they not use it to save their asses when they polluted the planet and screwed it up?

This is another one of those things where I think 4Kids would’ve been written into a corner. In their version, the aliens are legit aliens. They didn’t originate on earth. So not only would them making the Mew Aqua not work, but the idea that they made the Mew Aqua to help stop the pollution of earth also wouldn’t be viable.

– I find it kinda adorable that Zakuro’s afraid of bugs.

– The roach from before is massive and chasing them now. That’s hilarious.

– Huh, that’s kinda ironic. A minute ago, they were basically guilt tripping themselves saying the aliens might have made Mew Aqua for the sake of stopping human-made pollution and improving our lives, but now a Chimera Animal made with Mew Aqua is injecting so much oxygen into the air that it’s killing them.

– This is incredibly petty of me to nitpick, but the sounds of those pills shaking is way too fast for the speed at which Shirogane is running.

– Oh my god, the way Ichigo’s drawn when Shirogane lands.

– Oh my god, the animation when they’re freed from the tree. It’s like someone dropped paper cutouts.

– Lettuce’s attack is staving off the vines. Okay. Zakuro is holding the Chimera Animal still. Okay. But Mint and Pudding just, like, shot their attacks into Ichigo’s bell and…what? Did it make her Ribbon Strawberry Surprise more powerful? Doesn’t look it. You guys really couldn’t find it within yourselves to give them a real purpose here, could you?

– I think this is the first time something so massively terrible has happened without being able to pick up the pieces at all in the end. Harajuku is now a massive forest filled with a destroyed cityscape, and there’s nothing they can do about it. Also, you can’t tell me people didn’t die in there. Buildings were crushed, cars were impaled with spikes while they were still driving, there have to be multiple fatalities in there.

– This whole somber ending sentiment is kinda ruined when the next episode preview is Ichigo trying in vain to make Aoyama chocolates….

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I don’t have much to add on about this episode, but I enjoyed it. The enemy was really threatening this time around, they legitimately destroyed a whole district and left it destroyed, we finally learn that Shirogane isn’t The Blue Knight and it feels like the stakes continue to increase.

Only bad spots in my opinion were Pudding and Mint basically getting to be nothing but Ichigo powerups (maybe?) in the end and the somewhat janky art and animation.

Next time, Ichigo does indeed try to make chocolates for her beloved Aoyama, and we finally learn who The Blue Knight truly is.

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