WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 16 of Tropical-Rouge! Precure, "The Witch's Trap! Laura Was Captured!" now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Pretty Cure as a franchise has a little bit of everything for everyone: imaginative monster-of-the-week episodes that take advantage of the status quo and powerful character arcs, but Episode 16, "The Witch's Trap! Laura Was Captured!" delivers on both fronts, and may just be the lynchpin that swivels the series into either direction, thanks to its titular character -- and her desire to become human.
Those who've been watching from the start will no doubt be confused by Laura's change of heart, with the arrogant mermaid is usually the first to insist others change to suit her, rather than the other way around. As such, the series has spent the past few episodes setting up situations where she's felt left out from the rest of the Cures, or gotten a chance to taste the freedom being human would bring in order to slowly bring her to a place where, while not regretting being a mermaid, she truly wants to be human.
The episode quickly makes the parallels to The Little Mermaid blatantly obvious by having Laura sneak into a library to read it. She's promptly discovered by Minori, who puts two and two together, and asks Laura point-blank if she's planning to become human. While this stuns Laura, Minori cautions her against it, noting that every wish comes at a price, like the mermaid's voice in the story, or the way someone who wants good grades loses their free time to studying.
It isn't long before the others begin to notice Laura is acting oddly downbeat, which is only exacerbated when Manatsu's mother discovers her. After a brief chat, Laura spots Aoi's pedicure and is offered one by the well-meaning mother. While she understandably refuses --lacking toes -- they instead paint her fingernails a beautiful cerulean blue.
The rest of the girls get into the nail-painting action the next day, finishing just in time for the villains to interrupt with a motivation-stealing attack. Unlike normal though, the villains have a plan. After allowing the Zenzen Yarane-da to be seemingly defeated, they forcefully knock the Mermaid Aqua Pot out of Laura's hands with a barrage of bottles, making it not only so that the Cures can't defeat the Yarane-da (as the Aqua Pot is key to preserving stolen motivation), but also capturing Laura in the process!
Understandably, the Cures are concerned for their friend and are eager to go rescue her -- only to realize they have no clue where the Grand Ocean or the Witch of Delay's hideout is. Their worries only increase when Minori finally shares Laura's recent reading material, and all of them are horrified that their beloved friend would want to become human, having accepted her fully for the mermaid she is.
But even captured, Laura doesn't go down without a fight, and she thinks quickly to leave the girls a trail of breadcrumbs with bubble pictures from the reclaimed Aqua Pot. While the girls make good use of their Cure forms' never-before-seen ability to breathe underwater to rush to her rescue, Laura herself has already been brought before the Witch.
And just like a certain other mermaid before her, she finds herself silenced -- albeit before the Witch even makes the offer. But make an offer she does. If Laura will lend her strength to the Witch's cause, the Witch of Delays will make her human. Yet unlike the mermaid princess of The Little Mermaid -- here Laura wouldn't be making the choice for love. She'd be betraying those she loves to make the choice. That may be a sacrifice of too great a cost for the Queen hopeful. Or it may not.
The episode ends with the proposition unanswered, for better or worse. While the show clearly intends to change up the status quo, with Episode 17's title being "Mermaid's Miracle. Transform! Cure La Mer," it's still up in the air whether the change will be a one-time shift or if, having completed her arc, Laura will move aside to allow other characters their chance in the spotlight and make good on the other hanging plot threads, such as Asuka's mysterious past with the Student Council President. Regardless of the decision though -- one thing is clear; neither Laura nor Tropical-Rouge! will ever be the same again.
