Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch (マーメイドメロディーぴちぴちピッチ) is an anime/manga series created by Michiko Yokote (横手美智子) with artwork by Pink Hanamori (花森ぴんく, Hanamori Pinku). The manga version was published monthly in the manga magazine Nakayoshi. There are 32 chapters published (including two special stories) and most of them are compiled into six volumes issued by Kodansha. The anime, on the other hand, was produced by TV Aichi. The first season of which, composed of 52 episodes, was shown on the TV Tokyo Network from April 5, 2003 to March 27, 2004. A second season, entitled Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Pure, lasted 39 episodes long and was aired from April 3 to December 25, 2004.
Lucia, MermaidPrincess of the North Pacific Ocean, sets out to land to find the boy she saved from a shipwreck seven years before, the boy she entrusted her pink pearl. She eventually found the boy, named Kaito Domoto. But the human form Lucia assumed, a girl named Lucia Nanami, doesn't have any resemblance to her mermaid form. But she also cannot tell Kaito who she really is; otherwise she would turn into foam. So she tries to convince Kaito into figuring out who she really is (since nothing was said about the other way around).
At the same time, Lucia has been told that a group of sea monsters or suiyō (水妖) have invaded the marine world and she had to gather the six other Mermaid Princesses and their pearls to resurrect the legendary goddess Aqua Regina to stop them. So to fulfill this, she joins forces with Hanon and Rina, both Mermaid Princesses who also came up to dry land, use their pearls, turn into singing idols, and use their voices as an offensive.
Characters
The spellings of the names of the Mermaid Princesses are based from how they were spelled in the official merchandise. Other names were based from the ones used by fans over the internet.
Main Characters
Lucia Nanami (七海るちあ, Nanami Ruchia) - Mermaid Princess of the North Pacific Ocean, keeper of the pink pearl, and main character of the story. She went up to land to search for the boy she saved seven years before. She was unaware of the danger in the marine world and her real mission until she was told by her "older sister" Nikora about it. She is depicted by her simplicity, typical of most shoujomangaheroines.
Hanon Hoshou (宝生波音, Hōshō Hanon) - Mermaid Princess of the South Atlantic Ocean and keeper of the light blue (i.e. 水色, mizuiro) pearl. She found and befriended Lucia after they found each other on land. She is depicted as realistic but perky and worldly, especially on her romantic pursuit for her music teacher. Unlike Lucia, she went up to land to escape from the sea monsters.
Rina Touin (洞院リナ, Tōin Rina) - Mermaid Princess of the North Atlantic Ocean and keeper of the green pearl. Initially she was depicted as stern and bent on revenge after her escape from the sea monsters which led to the capture of her friend and fellow Mermaid Princess, Noel. But later, she is depicted as being mature, acting as a older sister figure to Lucia and Hanon. She is also depicted as beautiful and cool, which earned admiration from girls as well as boys, as well as boyish as she always wears a boy's uniform to school.
Major Supporting Characters
Kaito Doumoto (堂本海斗, Dōmoto Kaito) - a son of a pair of musicians and an avid surfer, as well as Lucia's love interest. While he may be popular with girls, he is secretly in love with the mermaid who saved him from the shipwreck seven years before (which killed his parents) and has yet to realize that mermaid was Lucia. But beneath his human exterior lies un-human qualities such as understanding a dolphin, being oblivious to spells meant for humans, and having a mysterious light coming out of his forehead.
Hippo (ヒッポ) - Lucia's guardianpenguin, serving as her guide. Accompanying Lucia in her search for her pink pearl, he was among those who rejected her relationship with Kaito. He is also polite (always putting -さん, -san after every name) even when angry. Later on, he is able to transform into a very handsome human boy, as well as a creature called Hippocampus.
Nikora (にこら) - virtual manager of the "petit-hotel" Pearl Piari (プチホテルパールピアリ, puchi-hoteru pāru piari) on land, where Lucia, Hanon, and Lina work (in the manga, she is the owner of a bath house called Pearl Waters). A mermaid like Lucia, Hanon, and Lina, she is the one who explained Lucia's mission and even "poses" as Lucia's older sister to justify it.
Madame Taki (タキさん, Taki-san) - owner of the Pearl Piari. A fairly major character in the anime, she is seen most of the time looking at her crystal ball.
Tarou Mitsuki (海月太郎, Mitsuki Tarō) - Lucia's music teacher and Hanon's love interest (she refers to him as 太郎ちゃん, Tarō-chan). He had met a mermaid in the past, and made a piano piece for her, not knowing whatever happened to her after their last meeting.
Noel (ノエル, Noeru), Mermaid Princess of the Arctic Ocean and keeper of the deep blue (i.e. 藍色, aiiro) pearl. She helped Rina escape from the sea monsters, which led to her capture. She is depicted as calm, gentle, and caring, as well as studious (as she sometimes wears glasses on land later in the second season of the anime).
Caren (かれん, Karen), Mermaid Princess of the Antarctic Ocean, keeper of the purple pearl, and twin sister of Noel. In the first season, after she won a beauty contest, she was asked by Taro about his mermaid, and she later blamed Rina for her twin sister's abduction. But even after things straightened out, she chose to go find Noel alone. She is Noel's polar opposite, having a mysterious personality. While she is depicted in the first season as, most of the time, cold, she is depicted as wild, humorous, and even a bit sexual in the second season.
Coco (ココ, Koko), Mermaid Princess of the South Pacific Ocean and keeper of the yellow pearl. Incarcerated by the sea monsters for most of the first season, nothing else was known about her except that in the manga, she is a friend of fellow Mermaid Princess Sara. Later, she is depicted as playful, as well as gentle in the manga, yet brash and outspoken in the anime.
Aqua Regina (アクア・レジーナ様, Akua Rejīna-sama) - the ocean goddess who gives the Mermaid Princesses new songs and upgrades to their gear. She is needed to ultimately stop the sea monsters, which is why the seven pearls have to be gathered.
Antagonists
Gakuto (楽斗/ガクト) - the leader of the sea monsters who is bent on taking over the marine world. He is always depicted drinking wine, and wearing black. His resemblance to Kaito made the latter a subject of initial ire by Rina. He is known in the anime as Gaito (ガイト). (There is no definite reason for the name change, but one obvious reason is to distinguish him from J-Pop star Gackt, whose name is spelt the same way in katakana.)
The Dark Lovers (ダーク・ラバーズ) - Gakuto's four female followers who serve him in exchange for his love for them. There are composed of the following:
Izul (イズール, Izūru) - The most mature of the four, she has the power control waves and marine beasts and has the ability to create dragons from water.
Eriru (エリル) - The one with the multiple personality disorder. At one phase, she is cute, and acting as if she were antsy (spinning around and never saying any normal speech). But she becomes scary when threatened and changes her voice accordingly.
Maria (マリア) - The one closest to Gakuto in terms of love. She has the power to make and/or manipulate ice and snow.
Yuuri (ユーリ, Yūri) - the youngest-looking of the four. She has the ability to control people and objects, especially with the use of her music and, if any, a nearby piano. Although loyal to Gakuto, his continued treatment to her as a child leads to a star-crossed relationship with Hippo, i.e. his human form.
Black Beauty Sisters (ブラック・ビューティー・シズターズ) - composed of the red-wearing older sister SheShe (シスターシェシェ, Shisutā Sheshe) and the blue-wearing younger sister MiMi (シスターミミ, Shisutā Mimi). Gakuto hires them after the Dark Lovers' failed attempts to capture the Mermaid Princesses. These two have the ability to sing tunes more powerful than the songs the Mermaid Princesses themselves sing. Their group name is usually shortened by fans to BBS.
Sara (沙羅) - Mermaid Princess of the Indian Ocean and keeper of the orange pearl. She joins Gakuto in his quest to take over the marine world after an incident bestowed her a dark power, turning both her orange hair and her orange pearl pitchblack and destroying her own kingdom. That incident was a proposed rendezvous with Taro in which he never showed up.
Songs used in the anime (First season)
Although Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch is comparable to any shoujo title, the novelty is the songs used not only as theme songs, but also those used as battle songs and image songs.
Opening and Ending Songs
Opening Songs
"Taiyou no Rakuen ~Promised Land~" by Miyuki Kanbe (Episodes 1-28) Translation: Paradise of the Sun ~Promised Land~
"Rainbow Notes" by Miyuki Kanbe (Episodes 29-52)
Ending Songs
"Daiji na Takarabako" by Lucia (Asumi Nakata ) (Episodes 1-28) Translation: Important Treasure Box
"Sekai de Ichiban Hayaku Asa ga kuru Basho" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado , and Mayumi Asano) (Episodes 29-52) Translation: The Place Where Morning Comes First
Mermaid Songs
They were either used as song used in battle or as image songs or both.
"Splash Dream" by Lucia (Asumi Nakata)
"Ever Blue" by Hanon (Hitomi Terakado)
"Star Jewel" by Rina (Mayumi Asano)
"Legend of Mermaid" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano)
"Super Love Songs!" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano)
"KIZUNA" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano) Translation: BONDS
"Yume no Sono Saki he" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano) Translation: To the Place After a Dream
"Aurora no Kaze ni Notte" by Caren (Ema Kogure ) Translation: Riding on the Winds of the Aurora
