Zakuro Fujiwara

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Renee Roberts redirects here. For the English actress see Renee Roberts (actress).

Zakuro Fujiwara (Renée Roberts and Pam Fujiwara)

Mew Zakuro (Mew Renée and Mew Pam)

Zakuro Fuijwara (藤原　ざくろ, Fujiwara Zakuro^?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Tokyo Mew Mew.

Zakuro is known as Renée Roberts in Mew Mew Power, and in As Super Gatinhas, and Pam Fujiwara in Mew Mew: Amiche Vincenti (Italian version).

[edit] History

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Manga

Zakuro on the front cover of Tokyo Mew Mew, volume 5.

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew

Zakuro is first seen at the museum, where she stops three girls who go to Okumura Daifuzuku Junior High from bullying Lettuce Midorikawa, by holding the girl's arm who was attempting to throw coffee at Pudding in a rather painful position.

In volume two, Ryou says that Ichigo, Mint and Lettuce will go to the audition, to find out if Zakuro is a Mew. He knows Zakuro is a Mew, but doesn't tell the girls. At the audition Mint is the first to audition, and is rather good, most likely due to ballet and dance training. Ichigo is second, but is too nervous. She awkwardly does her walk, and is commented by the judges that her walk needs work. Lettuce is third, but due to her being rather clumsy, trips on the judges' table, so is not being able to do her audition. Pudding then shows up, though Ryou didn't say she was to go to the audition. Most likely not knowing what to the audition is about, she does numerous performances (twirling plates on sticks, hitting a gong and fire eating). One of the judges named MacGregor gets angry and cancels the audition. Zakuro then comes in, wondering what is going on, speaking to the judges in a different language. It is not known which language, but the girls watching her say she can speak English, French, German, Chinese and Spanish. After talking to the Mr. MacGregor, Zakuro says the audition will continue if she shows the walk.

During Zakuro showing the walk, Ichigo then realizes that she needs to find her mark. While she is trying to find her Mew Mark, a flock of crows then shatter the windows, entering the audition room. Mint then transforms to save Zakuro, but she then transforms (and looks rather surprised she did) and fights off the crow Chimera Animas. After defeating them with no help from Mint, and then walks off, but then Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding say they have found their final Mew. Zakuro looks surprised to what they are saying, but then says she works alone and will not join the team, telling them to "Get lost", leaving the girls rather hurt.

Later, while the girls are working at Café Mew Mew, Mint seems rather depressed about what Zakuro said, not even drinking tea at the usual hour (3:00), and mistaking a vase for a tea kettle.

Later, the girl go ot where Zakuro is appearing as a guest, called the "Anime Animal Hour". A guard stops them from entering, but Pudding uses a incense, saying "Fong Sian Ten Huan!", which puts the guard to sleep. The girls then dress up in costumes (and looking rather like playboy bunnies except Pudding dressed up like a panda), to not be noticed. Fooling of the directors (calling them extras), they go to where Zakuro is. The animals (a cheetah and a couple of birds) then turn into Chimera Animas. Kish then reveals himself, presumbly how the animals turned into Chimera Animas. Ichigo then transforms into Mew Ichigo, reverting the animals back to normal, but Kish fuses the jellyfish parasites into one, calling it a "Parasite Anima". When it almost attacks her, the other girls transform (excluding Zakuro). They all attack the Parasite Anima all at once, but it is ineffective. It attacks all of them, but then constricts Ichigo. She is about to be killed, but Zakuro transforms, attacks the Parasite Anima realeasing Ichigo. All of the Mew's weapons resonate, combing with Ichigo weapons, making the "Stawberry Bell Bell Version Up", defeating the Parasite Anima. This entire time the girls where on live television. After being asked who they are by the press, Ichigo says the are Tokyo Mew Mew. Zakuro them lead the girls through a back door, to conceal their identity. Though Zakuro says doesn't join groups, she says she will join the girls.

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode

While Ichigo is in London with Masaya, the rest of the Mews are left to fight the Chimera Animas. Mint is mad that she and the rest of the Mews are more busy defeating the Chimera Anima since Ichigo left. All of the Mews agree, but they are not angry like Mint.

After Ichigo returned from England, Zakuro and the others (Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding) meet Berry Shirayuki, the newest Mew. But soon they face a new challenge called the Saint Rose Crusaders. They all transfer schools to Berry's to keep an eye out for the Crusaders. Later, the Crusaders brainwash the people who are fans of Tokyo Mew Mew, to believe Berry was the evil Mew Mew, ruining Tokyo Mew Mew. However, the other Mew members stand by her side.

[edit] Anime

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew

Zakuro appears in episode 10 of Tokyo Mew Mew, titled "Saigo no Nakama, Maboroshi no Ippiki Ookami" (The Final Member, The Legendary Lone Wolf), and her introduction continues into episode 11, titled "Shinjiru Kokoro, Gonin Sorotte Toukyou Myuu Myuu" (Believing Hearts, The Five Together are Tokyo Mew Mew).

The girls go to a model shoot to find out if Zakuro's a Mew Mew. Pudding Fong interrupts by performing tricks and the agent, who speaks English, gets angry. Zakuro walks in and talks to the agent in English and the girls watch and admire her, though they don't understand what they're saying.

Mint runs over and asks if Zakuro has noticed anything strange happening lately. Zakuro walks off. The girls follow her to a church later that night and Kish attacks with a crow Chimera Anima. She drives them off and Mint Aizawa calls her the fifth member of the team, but Zakuro pushes Mint away and leaves.

In the next episode, the girls go to try and convince Zakuro to join the team, but Kish comes in and traps them in a sandstorm that leads to another dimension. He says he won't bring them back unless Ichigo and Zakuro fight each other (which could be for Kish's entertainment), and the winner has to work with him. He leaves and Ichigo retreats to the cafe. She later goes back to talk to Zakuro, but Zakuro refuses to work with the people that changed her body (referring to being infused with grey wolf DNA). Ichigo tells Zakuro that all she wants to do is save her friends, but Zakuro has to go do her TV show.

While the show is airing, one of the workers is attacked by Kish and her soul is used for a cobra-like Chimera Anima. Ichigo tries to fight but is slammed into a wall and constricted by the Chimera Anima. Ichigo tells Zakuro to run because she's a friend. She tries to attack Kish but her powers don't seem to work. Zakuro transforms and appears in the other dimension and uses her whip to get the girls back to the real world (like "ripping" through the dimension). After they get back, their weapons resonate and Ichigo defeats the Chimera Anima. Zakuro says she doesn't like friends, but will consider it this time, and joins the group.

[edit] Mew Mew Power

In Mew Mew Power, Renee is a bit more antisocial, grouchy, and sarcastic. What was changed is that when the agent speaks in episode 10, he speaks French (also in the Spanish version) and when Renee speaks to him, she speaks French (also in Spanish version) as well.

[edit] Personality

Zakuro is a beautiful model who seems cruel and cold on the outside, but is helpful and intelligent when she feels she needs to be. At Café Mew Mew, Zakuro is cold and antisocial to the customers. She is very shrewd and insightful. She is curious about the aliens reason for coming here and of how they really feel. She is always willing to test the virtues and commitment of the other Mews, whether they believe it to be cruel or not. She is also a very quiet girl, like Lettuce, but her actions speak louder than her words. She always is ready to help people in trouble.

Zakuro is suspected of being a Christian, as she wears cross necklaces, her weapon is shaped like a cross, and she is often seen at a church. This is notable because in Japan, Christianity is a minority religion.

[edit] Romanization

In the Japanese version of the manga, Zakuro's name is written in katakana and hiragana. When she is in Mew form, her name is written in katakana, and when she is "normal", her name is written in hiragana. This was most likely done so that she can hide her identity as Mew Zakuro, and for emphasis, as it is common to write Japanese words in katakana. Due to the difference being different writing systems, this was omitted in the English version of the manga, as English has only one writing system. Because of this, fans who have only seen the English version could find it odd how no one found out her identity.

[edit] Profile

Name Translation: "ざくろ Zakuro"=Pomegranate, "藤 Fuji"=Wisteria, "原 wara"=swamp
Name Pronunciation: Zah-koo-rou Foo-jee-wah-rah
Alias: Mew Zakuro (ミュウ・ザクロ Myuu Zakuro)
Signature Color: Purple
Age: 15-16 as she ages, but her age isn't said later in the series (17 in Mew Mew Power).
Birthday: September 6th (December 3rd in Mew Mew Power)
Grade: 10th grade, 1st year of high school by Japanese standards (10th in Mew Mew Power)
Zodiac sign: Virgo (Sagittarius in Mew Mew Power)
Hair Color: Purple, light purple in Mew form
Eye Color: Dark blue, purple in Mew form
Height: 5 feet 6 inches (6 feet 1 inches in Mew Mew Power)
Weight: 108 pounds (130 lbs in Mew Mew Power)
BMI: 17.4
Likes: Internet
Fears: Bugs (insects, arachnids, etc.)
Favorite foods: cheese cake
Least favorite food: Natto (fermented soybeans)
Blood Type: AB
Transformation saying: "Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!" in Tokyo Mew Mew, "Power Pendant, Activate!" in the "premiere" episode of Mew Mew Power (she doesn't say anything in later episodes), "Mew Pam, metamorfosi!" (Mew Pam, metamorphosis!) in Mew Mew: Amiche Vincenti.
Mew Mark: Two wolves around her navel, colored purple (pink in the anime)
Animal: Gray wolf
Love Interest: Zakuro has no offcially stated love interest in the manga and anime.

[edit] Weapons and abilities

Her DNA is infused with the Gray Wolf. When she transforms she develops lavender wolf ears and a wolf tail. She is the 5th and last member of the team to join. Her emotion-fueled power is unknown, but its speculated that it is related to fire because there are flames in her transformation.

Mew Zakuro with her Zakuro Whip

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew

Weapon: Zakuro Cross Whip / ZaCross Whip (ザクロス・ウイップ Zakurosu Uippu)
Attack: Reborn, Zakuro Spear (リボーン・ザクロ・スピア Riboun Zakurosu Supia) or Reborn, Zacross Pure (リボーン・ザクロス・ピュア Riboun Zakurosu Pyua)

Weapon (manga only): Mew Aqua Rod (ミュウ・アクア・ロッド Myuu Akua Roddo)
Attack (manga only): Reborn, Aqua Drop (リボーン・アクア・ドロップ Riboun Akua Doroppu)

Weapon: Zakuro Whip / ZaCross Whip
Attack: Mew power extension!

this attack is only used in volume seven with Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding to give time for Ichigo to battle Deep Blue.

[edit] Reborn Translation Error

"Reborn" was incorrectly translated as "Ribbon" in the English version of the manga. In the Japanese manga it was written as リボーン riboun, which is "reborn". But, to an English native speaker, it roughly looks like "ribbon", so Tokyopop assumed it was "ribbon" which is seen throughout the entire manga series. However, many fans still call it "ribbon," as do fansubs and fandubs, as a vast majority of fans do not know the correct translation.

"Ribbon" was to be used only once in the Tokyo Mew Mew franchise; the opening song of the anime, sang by Rika Komatsu, which sounds very different from リボーン riboun. リボン ribon was never to be present in the manga, but the English version of the manga has "ribbon" present.

A screenshot of the opening song of the Japanese version showing Rika Komatsu sings リボン ribon, not リボーン riboun.

リボン ribon and リボーン riboun do look similar, with the only difference being a dash between ボ bo and ン n, called a chōon, used in katakana. The chōon represents the length of the a vowel, which is very important in determining the meaning of a word, regardless of a words looking similar. Many non-Japanese fans who have seen the Japanese version of the manga and the anime most likely either didn't know that the chōon is important in determining the meaning of a word, or knew but didn't catch this.

[edit] Pun of Zakuro's Weapon

The pun of her weapon in the Japanese version is quite vague; it comes out to something between "zakuro" and "cross" (クロス kurosu), making it "Zakurosu-uippu" (ザクロス・ウイップ) which roughly translates to "Zacross Whip", or Zakuro Cross Whip. This can also be taken to mean "Zakuro's Whip".

[edit] Correct Translations of Zakuro's Attack

The translation of Zakuro's attack name (リボーン・ザクロ・スピュア riboun zakurosupyua) is somewhat confusing.

Throughout the English version of the manga, the translation of Zakuro's attack name varies between "Ribbon, Zakuros Pure", "Ribbon, Zakuro's Pure", and "Ribbon, Zakuro Pure", making it confusing which, or what is the correct translation. As it varies so much, some fans (usually who have not seen the Japanese version of the manga) write it out as リボーン・ザクロスピア riboun zakurosupia, removing "supyua", as the most likely think it is the katakana equivalent of "spear", or do not know what that translates to as well.

The reason for the English manga mistranslation is mostly likely how "pure" is written in katakana (ピュア pyua), and the company who translated the manga (Tokyopop) most likely assumed the "su" part is supposed to be an apostrophe "s" ('s).

The correct translation of Zakuro's attack name is "Reborn ZaCross Pure", making it similar to "ZaCross Whip", which may be a reference to Zakuro being possibly Christian, as is seen in a church, she wears a cross, and her weapon is cross-shaped.

[edit] Mew Mew Power

Weapon: Purple Dagger.
Attack: She remains silent while attacking.

Renee's weapon is edited to not look like a cross, although this edit is inconsistent, as pictures of the unedited weapon can be seen on the 4Kids website. Oddly, in the 4Kids market section of the website, the "Purple Dagger" item is shown as the unedited weapon, which is strange because 4Kids draws the items themselves. Her weapon was changed to a dagger is because when editing anime, religious references are removed, as her weapon is cross originally.

[edit] Mew Mew: Amiche Vincenti

Weapon: Fiocco di Pam (Pam's ribbon)
Attack: Fiocco d'energia (Ribbon of energy)

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Voice Actresses

In Tokyo Mew Mew, her seiyū is Noda Junko.
In Mew Mew Power, her voice actress is Mollie Weaver.
In Miau Miau Power, her voice actress is Rocio Bermúdez.
In Mew Mew: Amiche Vincenti, her voice actress is Patrizia Scianca.
In As Super Gatinhas, her voice actress is Tatiane Keplermaier.

[edit] Character Songs

Zakuro has two character songs performed Junko Noda, Zakuro's voice actress.

Do Bi Dancin' Night
Don't Cry

Both can be found on Mew Zakuro no CD okiki nasai! (Mew Zakuro's CD). They are also included in the CDs Character songs megamix, Super best hits-Cafe Mew Mew side, and Super best hits-Tokyo Mew Mew side. ^[1]

[edit] Trivia

The animation/artwork underwent several changes around the later episodes of season 2 (mainly around episodes 40-52); the characters start to look more detailed and more bishōjo/bishōnen. For example, the style for Zakuro Fujiwara drastically changed in the later episodes. The animation style experienced other minor changes during the series, but this is the most noticeable.
In Mew Mew Power, Renée could possibly be named after Renee Roberts (actress), or from the two actresses Renée Zellweger (first name) and Julia Roberts (last name).