After getting a recap episode last time, Tropical-Rouge! PreCure returns to normal service with its forty-second episode. Preparations of the Tropical Graduation Festival – or Tro-Fest – are well underway. Of course they can’t go smoothly, particularly with the enemy becoming even more desperate to achieve their objective.
Manatsu and Laura head to the school on a Saturday to help with the Tro-Fest preparations
This episode consists of the Tropical Club checking in on the other clubs’ preparations for the Tro-Fest and rehearsing their play. Then it goes into the PreCure stuff, where they have to face the supposedly strongest Yarane-da.
Minori can’t seem to find a satisfying way to end her play
The first part of this episode features several familiar faces as Manatsu and Laura go around the school checking up on the clubs the Tropical Club has helped previously. Everyone has something planned for the Tro-Fest, and they are all motivated. Of course that’s going to play into the plot of this episode a little later on.
As for the Tropical Club itself, seems Minori is still working on her play. We only get a very brief synopsis of what she’s written, but it doesn’t really sound like the characters have any obstacles to overcome.
Always nice to see Yuriko and Asuka together
Out of those familiar faces we see around the school, Yuriko is very much worth mentioning – after all, she’s closely tied to Asuka’s character development. The conversation between the two provides some interesting information about Asuka’s future.
Manatsu knows Laura is thinking about Gran Ocean’s law
Things are looking bright for Asuka and Yuriko. Laura and Manatsu… well, the Gran Ocean’s law regarding human and mermaid interaction hangs over Laura’s head, and Manatsu is able to pick up on that. Whilst Laura states she will change that law when she becomes queen, she seems far less certain of it in her private thoughts. Very keen to see where that particular plot thread ends up going.
A sharksucker Yarane-da
On the Sunday of Tro-Fest preparations, the enemy attacks. The Cures make short work of the Yarane-da, but turns out the one they focused on was not their biggest concern.
The actual threat is a blue whale Yarane-da
Apparently blue whales are surprisingly stealthy. Seriously, how do you miss a floating blue whale? Turns out Butler got a two-for-one deal on his Yarane-da, and the strongest sea creature is definitely a worthy candidate to be a Yarane-da.
Butler also offers up some interesting information about the Witch of Delays; she used to be known as the Witch of Destruction. Also, Butler is prepared for the Cures’ attack, and quickly puts a halt to it. Butler is definitely one of the better Pretty Cure antagonists.
Manatsu inside the Yarane-da
Yet another episode where Butler steps up, and causes the Cures to suffer a rare loss. This time around, they lose Manatsu to inside the Yarane-da, and the Aqua Pot is broken, too. Of course that’s setting the Cures up for a spectacular come back, but that’s something for the next episode.
The Legendary PreCure appears before Manatsu
This episode closes out with a vision of the Legendary PreCure.
Various things were getting set up with this episode, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where that all goes. We’re drawing ever closer to the end of this season, but it looks like it could be quite the ride.
Next time, a rescue mission.
Rory Muses 
it seems it’s finally time to learn what really happened back then. All this stuff between Laura and Manatsu is sure raising some not so happy flags, but there are also flags being raised that even if everything seems impossible, things could end up better than they even imagined.
This is a pretty big setback, and I knew it wasn’t going to let the plot thread of that terrible mermaid kingdom law just disappear.
Besides the fact that Laura hinted at something not so “pure” that she was thinking of as her backup plan, Manatsu also seems to be thinking of things in her own way too. This should be quite the experience!