WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Tropical-Rouge! Precure, "Believe Yourself. Super Cute Cure Coral!" now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The ability to become a social chameleon has both benefits and drawbacks; going with the majority means that everyone likes you but at the cost of knowing yourself. Sango Suzumura, the newest addition to Tropical-Rouge!'s Pretty Cure roster as Cure Coral, perfectly exemplifies this concept as she struggles throughout the episode to gather up the courage to do the things she wants, rather than conform to the group.
Episode 3 starts by giving a slightly more proper introduction to Sango, building on her and Mantasu's relationship from the last episode by showing how they've reacted to the club exhibition. While neither girl can decide which club to join, the first hint that something is wrong comes from the difference in their reasons. While Manatsu can't narrow down the options to just one, Sango finds herself pulled in multiple directions as her classmates implore her to join their club.
The girls' weekend trip to the mall -- where the classmates agree on every decision -- only exacerbates the problem. Buying a keychain? Star charms. Going to ice cream? Strawberry-chocolate. Not wanting to be left out or looked down upon for being different, Sango immediately joins them in whatever choice they've made, with only Manatsu thinking purely for herself and choosing something different.
Still, even though she may not be asserting herself, Sango proves herself to have a kind, generous heart. When she realizes that the four ice creams they ordered deprived a young girl in line behind them of the flavor, she gives hers to the child without so much as a second thought. This kindness extends even further when she meets Laura.
During a trip to the aquarium, Sango is separated from the group and stumbles across a mermaid, instinctually calling her "cute" -- something Laura (the mermaid) happily confirms. Upon realizing that Laura is an actual living creature, Sango restrains her freak-out quite well and is more curious about getting to know her fishy friend, eager to share her find with the others -- only for Laura to disappear.
It is here that her efforts to be part of the group begin to show their dark side. As the girls leave the aquarium, the three classmates start to joke around that mermaids must have funny faces. Rather than stand up against them, Sango awkwardly laughs and goes along with it, despite her feelings -- and she regrets it.
This is an all-too-real struggle for many, who, with the right group of people, would laugh and joke about others in a way that they would never do by themselves. Sango may not have experienced bullying in the past to explain her intense desire to fit in, but she reveals to Manatsu later that she hates being the odd one out. Those feelings culminate in her being very self-conscious about the things she likes as a result. To that end, Sango respects Manatsu's self-confidence -- that she's not afraid to do what she wants to, or say what she thinks, despite the group.
Having already met, Laura immediately scolds Sango for not standing up for her "cute." Then again, Laura is her cute, so seeing Sango falter when her opinion is completely valid is upsetting. The combined pep talk from Mantasu and Laura helps Sango come out of her shell, just in time for the next Yarane-Da attack.
When her classmates assume that because a mermaid was seen near the monster, that the mermaid is behind, Sango finally comes to Laura's defense. She proclaims Laura's status as a good person and affirms her cuteness before rushing to see if there's any way to help.
Keeping up her confidence, Sango becomes Cure Coral and resolves to keep enjoying her own cute, which she demonstrates in the episode's closing moments as the group stares at a store window. Yet again, the three classmates agree on something specific, and in a rather diplomatic move, she agrees, then points out something that she thinks is cute.
Not only does this assertion of Sango's thoughts satisfy herself, but the others agree with her, showing they are willing to accept her as she is, not as she thinks they want her to act. Being herself allows Sango to better the group by showing them things they may not have noticed without her.
