Pudding Fong

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Pudding Fong (Kikki Benjamin and Paddy Fon)

Mew Pudding (Mew Kikki and Mew Paddy)

Pudding Fong (黄　歩鈴, Chinese Pinyin: Huáng Bùlíng or Huang Bu Ling, Japanese: Fon Purin) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series, Tokyo Mew Mew.

Her name is constantly under debate by fans. As Pudding is Chinese in nature, when referring to Tokyo Mew Mew, using "Huang Bu-ling" (hyphen may be omitted depending on the romanization system used) is more correct than "Fon Purin". "Fon Purin" is the Japanese rendering of her name, with "purin" also being the Japanese rendering of the English word "pudding", keeping with the theme of the characters having food-related names. Pudding Fong, the name used throughout this article, as it is the translation given by the company who translated the manga (Tokyopop).

Pudding is also known as Fon Pulin in the Singaporean version of the manga, Kikki Benjamin in Mew Mew Power, As Super Gatinhas and in the Dutch version, and Paddy Fon in Mew Mew: Amiche Vincenti (Italian version).

[edit] History

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Manga

Pudding on the front cover of Tokyo Mew Mew, volume 4.

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew

Pudding is first seen at the beginning of volume one, while at the museum, where she distracts the girls from picking on Lettuce Midorikawa. One of the girls attempts to throw coffee at Pudding but then is stopped by Zakuro Fujiwara.

After this, Pudding isn't seen until the end of volume one, and her introduction continues into volume two. While Ichigo and Masaya are on a date at the local zoo, they spot Pudding performing. After the performance, Pudding runs over and demands a fee of 1,000 yen (around $10 dollars, depending on currency conversion). Ichigo stuffs some old candy into Pudding's hand and runs off to get some juice. Pudding chases Ichigo and jumps out in front of her with a mask on, causing her cat ears to sprout. Pudding wants cat ears of her own and is rambling on about them when they are confronted by Kish. Pudding is hoisted in the air by an elephant Chimera Anima and Ichigo is about to be killed when Mint and Lettuce show up and distract Kish so Ichigo can transform. Ichigo, Mint, and Lettuce attack the Chimera Anima, who drops Pudding. Ichigo is about to be crushed, however, and Pudding pushes her out of the way. Just as Pudding is about to be crushed, her Mew Mark on her forehead glows and she transforms into Mew Pudding. She then uses her Pudding Ring to encase in Chimera Animas in a gelatinous substance. Ichigo then does the finishing move, reverting the animals back to normal.

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew A 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.

Pudding was among the Mew Mews who met Berry Shirayuki in her Mew Mew form. When Ichigo returned, she and the rest of the Mew Mews move to her school so the whole group could be together if an enemy shows up.

Later, the Saint Rose Crusaders brainwash the people to believe that Berry was the evil Mew Mew, ruining Tokyo Mew Mew. However, Pudding and the others stand by her side.

[edit] Anime

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew

Pudding appears in episode seven of Tokyo Mew Mew, titled "Purin Toujou, Mimi to Shippo mo Gei no Uchi" (Enter Pudding, The Ears and Tail are Part of the Act!)

Ichigo is taking groceries home when she sits down to relax on a bench. While she's there, a girl named Pudding starts to perform tricks in front of her. After she's done, Pudding demands a tip, so Ichigo stuffs some old candy in her hand and runs off. Angered, Pudding pulls a shark out of her hat. Ichigo gets frightened and her cat ears and tail pops out. Pudding desperately wants cat ears and won't leave Ichigo alone until she tells her how to get them. Ichigo tells Pudding that in order to get cat ears, she has to run around the park on her ball. Pudding obliges and while she's doing this, Ichigo runs off. Later, Pudding finds Ichigo and chases her. Ichigo gets mad and tells Pudding to go home. Later, Ichigo feels bad about scolding Pudding so harshly, so she goes back to the park to find her. When she gets there Kish is trying to take Pudding's spirit. The Mew Mews show up and try to stop him, but they can't when he uses merges an alien with a woman's spirit to form a samba-talented lizard Chimera Anima. They're about to be attacked again when Pudding jumps in front of the attack with a glowing Mew Mark on her forehead and monkey ears. Pudding is ecstatic because of her new ears and calls them cat ears, but Ichigo tells her they're not cat ears, and Pudding is a little disappointed. Masha spits out a pendant, allowing Pudding to transform into Mew Pudding and defeat the Chimera Anima.

[edit] Mew Mew Power

In Mew Mew Power, Zoey runs into Kikki at the park and when Kikki asks for a tip, Zoey responds with "Okay, don't do drugs and stay in school!" This gets Kikki very angry and then she pulls a shark out of her hat causing Zoey's ears and tail to pop out. She follows Zoey around, demanding for money and wanting the same ears and tail, until Zoey tells her off. Later, Kikki saves Zoey from Dren and becomes Mew Kikki.

[edit] Personality

Pudding is a hyper and lively child that likes to act and put on performances. She refers to herself in the third person (i.e. "Pudding wants to play" instead of "I want to play") and puts "na no da" at the end of all her sentences in the Japanese manga and anime, as a sort of catch phrase. The same with her younger sister, Heicha. She soon develops a fondness for Tart (Tarb in Mew Mew Power), wanting to be his friend. At the end of the manga after Deep Blue is destroyed and the aliens turned good, Pudding is about to kiss Tart and sticks a candy drop in his mouth. Tart blushes and says he might come back someday to get another candy drop. At Café Mew Mew, Pudding performs tricks while being a waitress, and often breaks things because of this. Balancing on a big ball, fire eating and dish spinning are only a few of her tricks.

[edit] Family

It may seem a little odd how Pudding puts on performances and quickly askes for a fee after she is done with the performance, but it is because it is in order to get money for her family after the death of her mother and due to the fact that her father is on a pilgrimage to practice martial arts.

Pudding cares a lot for her family, treasures her memories of her mother and is very defensive of her mother's belongings. Pudding has a sister and four brothers, Hanacha, Chincha, Lucha, Honcha, and Heicha, and has a pet monkey named Ah-Nin (in the manga). Even though her mother has died, her father is never home, so that she has to take care of her siblings and earn money for her family, she still retains her sweet and childish personality, most likely to cope with the responsibility she has, and the stress.

[edit] Romanization

In the Japanese version of the manga, Pudding's name is written in katakana and in chinese characters. When she is in Mew form, her name is written in katakana, and when she is "normal", her name is written in Chinese characters. This was most likely done so that she can hide her identity as Mew Pudding, and for emphasis, as it is common to write Japanese and Chinese 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: "歩 bu" - step "鈴 líng" - bell, "黄 Huang"- yellow
Name Pronunciation:
Japanese Name: Purin Fon
Japanese name Pronunciation: Pu-reen Fon
Alias: Mew Pudding (ミュウ・プリン Myuu Purin)
Signature Color: Yellow
Age: 8-9 as she ages during the series (14 in Mew Mew Power)
Birthday: August 7
Grade: 3rd grade by American standards, 3rd year of elementary school by Japanese standards (8th in Mew Mew Power)
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Hair Color: Blonde, yellow in Mew form
Eye Color: Dark brown, same color in Mew form
Height: 4 feet 6 inches
Weight: 71 pounds
BMI: 17.8
Likes: Playing
Favorite Food: pudding, chou a la creme
Least Favorite Food: Rakkyu, a Japanese food pickled in light vinegar
Blood Type: O
Mew Mark: Two monkey tails on her forehead that form a heart, similar to Ichigo's mark, colored yellow (pink in the anime)
Transformation saying: "Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!" in Tokyo Mew Mew, "Power Pendant, Activate!" in the "premiere" episode of Mew Mew Power ("Power Pendant, Mewtamorphosis!" in a later episode), "Mew Paddy, metamorfosi!" (Mew Paddy, metamorphosis!) in Mew Mew: Amiche Vincenti.

In Mew Mew Power, she only says her transformation phrase in one episode, episode 20; the only other episode with her solo transformation, episode 7, had her saying an unrelated sentence in place of a transformation phrase.

Animal: Golden Lion Tamarin (Called "Lion Tamarin Monkey" in Mew Mew Power)
Love interest: Pudding considers the alien Tart as a 'buddy' and is determined to establish a friendship with him. It is assumed that Tart likes her as well, though he'll deny it. Several times in the manga and anime, Tart turns bright red when Pudding hugs him and calls him her friend.

In one episode, Pudding and Tart are trapped underground, when Tart realizes that Pudding is running out of air, and will die if he doesn't do anything, he hastily teleports her above ground. When Pudding regains consciousness, she tacklehugs Tart, going on about how he saved her, and how he's a good guy. He turns bright red again, pushes her away, and claims that he only saved her life because he hasn't made her cry yet.

[edit] Weapons and abilites

Her DNA is infused with the Golden Lion Tamarin, which makes sense seeing that she's very acrobatic. She at first thinks her DNA was that of a lion. In the anime, in the panic of self-sacrifice, she can create giant boulders, supporting the theory that her element is that of earth (at this point, she also gains ears and a tail).

[edit] Tokyo Mew Mew

Mew Pudding using her "Pudding Ring", or "Puddring Ring".

Weapon: Pudding Ring/Puddring Ring (プリング・リング Puringu Ringu)
Attack: (Reborn) Pudding Ring Inferno (リボーン・プリング・リング・インフェルノ Riboun Puringu Ringu Inferuno)

In the manga, Pudding doesn't say "Reborn" in her attack, unless she is attacking with the other Mews.

The attack traps Chimera Anima in a giant blob of some type of gelatinous substance, possibly flan or pudding. It appears to be edible, at least by Masha.

Weapon: Pudding's Leg
Attack: Pudding Kick

This attack was used to kick one of the many incoming sardine Chimera Animas in episode 41.

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: Puddring Ring
Attack: Mew power extension!

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

[edit] Reborn Translation Error

See also: Tokyo Mew Mew#Alterations in Tokyopop's manga translation

"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.

[edit] Pun of Pudding's Weapon

The pun of her weapon in the Japanese version is a cross between "pudding" (プリン purin) and "ring" (リング ringu), making it "puringuringu" (プリング・リング) which translates to Pudd-ring Ring, or Pudding Ring.

[edit] Mew Mew Power

Weapon: Golden Tambourine
Attack: Tambourine Trench

Her attack traps the Predacyte in a yellow stasis field.

[edit] Mew Mew: Amiche Vincenti

Weapon: Fiocco di Paddy (Paddy's ribbon).
Attack: Fiocco "Immobilizza" (Ribbon "Immobilize")

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Voice Actresses

In Tokyo Mew Mew, her seiyū is Hisayo Mochizuki.
In Mew Mew Power, her voice actress is Kether Donahue.
In Miau Miau Power, her voice actress is Shirley Marulanda.
In Mew Mew Amiche Vincenti, her voice actress is Tosawi Piovani
In As Super Gatinhas, her voice actress is Lene Bastos.
In the Dutch version, her voice actress is Lizemijn Libgott.

[edit] Character Songs

Pudding has two character songs performed by Hisayo Mochizuki, who is Pudding's voice actress.

Taiyou no Watashi (Sunny Me)
Yes Yes Yes

Both can be found on Mew Pudding no CD (Mew Pudding'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]