Tokyo Mew Mew

Tokyo Mew Mew (????????, T?ky? My? My?) is a Japanese sh?jo manga series written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi. It was originally serialized in Nakayoshi from September 2000 to February 2003, and later published in seven tank?bon volumes by Kodansha from February 2001 to April 2003. It focuses on five girls infused with the DNA of endangered animals which gives them special powers and allows them to transform into "Mew Mews." Led by Ichigo Momomiya, the girls protect the earth from aliens who wish to "reclaim" it. The series was adapted into a 52 episode anime series by Studio Pierrot. It debuted in Japan on April 6, 2002, on both TV Aichi and TV Tokyo; the final episode aired on March 29, 2003. A two-volume sequel to the manga, Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode, was serialized in Nakayoshi from April 2003 to February 2004. The sequel introduces a new Mew Mew, Berry Shirayuki (meaning "White Snow Berry"), who becomes the temporary leader of the Mew Mews, while Ichigo (meaning "Strawberry") is on a trip to England. Two video games were also created for the series: a puzzle adventure game for the Game Boy Advance system and a role-playing video game for the PlayStation. Tokyopop originally licensed the manga series for English-language publication in North America and released the complete original series as well as the sequel, with Kodansha Comics planning to re-publish the series with a new translation in September 2011. 4Kids Entertainment licensed the anime series for North American broadcast under the name Mew Mew Power. Heavily edited and dubbed, 23 episodes of Mew Mew Power aired on and 4Kids TV in the United States and the entire 26 episodes aired on YTV in Canada. 4Kids Entertainment was unable to license the remaining 26 episodes of the series, thus were unable to complete its broadcast. They have never released the series to home video. Well received by English-language readers, several volumes of the manga series appeared in the Top 50 sales lists for graphic novels in their respective months of release. Critics praised the manga as a cute and entertaining series with free-flowing style and character designs. à la mode received praise as a good continuation of the series, but was also criticized for offering nothing new. The anime adaptation received high ratings while airing in Japan, resulting in numerous marketing tie-ins. Despite criticism for extensive editing that removed most of the Japanese elements, the Mew Mew Power dub became the highest rated 4Kids show during its broadcast. It was licensed for regional release in several other countries instead of the original Japanese series.