Article date: June 4, 2002

Tokyo Mew Mew Created by: Mia Ikumi (Manga) & Reiko Yoshida (Scenario) Manga book: Volume 1-4 (still running) Anime series: Episodes 1-8 (as of June 3, 2002)

"We will serve for the future of the earth-nyan!"

Ichigo Momomiya was just an ordinary middle school student - until the day that changed her life and her destiny. It was a day when she dated the school idol-boy, Aoyama-kun whom she had a deep crash. She was a happy little girl but - she somehow got involved with a mysterious experiment in which she was injected with the DNA of Iriomote Yamaneko! (Iriomote Wild Cat in English, a species that exists in Okinawa but registered as one of the red data book species)
And what's more, she was asked but a mysterious man called Ryo Shirogane "to save the earth from aliens", and she became one of the members of "Tokyo Mew Mew" who will fight against mysteries aliens called "Chimera-anima"; animals that were injected with the DNA of aliens. Will she be able to find the rest of the Mew Soldiers? And what will happen to her love for Aoyama-kun? And what will be the battles and relationship between Kish - the alien who has a deep crash on Ichigo!?

This could become a post-Sailor Moon title, for its increasing popularity reminds us of the first time when SM first appeared on TV. Ichigo, and the rest of 4 girls transforms into the heroines with a mission to save the earth from evil aliens. They use magical weapons to fight with the enemy, and they each have a "kime-zerifu" - the set phrase they always use. And of course, the manga version of the series is published in Monthly Nakayoshi which was the magazine that serialized Sailor Moon in the past.

So it may follow a trend of Sailor Moon but there are a lot of unique characteristic seen in this title. For instance, each of the Mew Soldiers are the combination of animal spices that are facing extinction - the animals that are listed under red data book. And here is a glimpse of their character introduction.



When the five girls meet they will become heroines to rescue the planet earth with their magical power... "Chikyu no mirai ni, gohoushi suru nyan!" (We will serve for the future of the earth nyan!)

Ichigo Momomiya - Mew Ichigo (the main character)
	Combined animal (injected DNA):	Iriomote Yamaneko (Iriomote Wild Cat), a species that exists in Okinawa. Also known as Prionailurus bengalensis ssp. iriomotensis.
	Weapon:	Strawber-bell (or Strawberuberu)
	Set skill & phrase:	Ribbon Strawberry Check!
	Uniform:	Pink
Minto Aizawa - Mew Mint
	Combined animal (injected DNA):	Blue Lorikeet, a bird species that exists in Cook Islands and French Polynesia. Also known as Vini peruviana.
	Weapon:	Mintone Arrow
	Set skill & phrase:	Ribbon Mint Echo!
	Uniform:	Blue in manga, green in anime
Retasu Modorikawa - Mew Lettuce
	Combined animal (injected DNA):	Black Finless Porpoise, a mammal species that exists in Japan, China, Korea, India, Vietnam and other Asian countries. Also known as Neophocaena phocaenoides.
	Weapon:	Lettuce-tanets
	Set skill & phrase:	Ribbon Lettuce Rash!
	Uniform:	Green. In the manga version, she usually wears a pair of glasses.
Fon Purin - Mew Purin / Pudding
	Combined animal (injected DNA):	Golden Lion Tamarin, one of a monkey species that exists in Brazil. Also known as Leontopithecus rosalia.
	Weapon:	Pudding-ring
	Set skill & phrase:	Ribbon Pudding-ring Inferno!
	Uniform:	Yellow
Zakuro Fujiwara - Mew Zakuro (Zakuro = pomegranate)
	Combined animal (injected DNA):	Grey Wolf, that exists in Portugal and Spain. Also known as Canis lupus.
	Weapon:	Zakuro's Whip
	Set skill & phrase:	Ribbon Zakuro's Pure!
	Uniform:	Purple
Masha
	Originally called R-2000, this is a pet robot that once belonged to Shirogane., but now belongs to Ichigo. Its name changed when it became Ichigo's pet, and the name "Masha" came from Ichigo's beloved Aoyama-kun (Masaya Aoyama). It reacts against Chimera-anima

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