Title:
Tokyo Mew Mew, Book OnePublisher’s rating:
Age 7+Genre:
Action/Sci-FiPublisher's Website:
TokyopopAnime:
4KidsTVSound bite:
Strawberry Shortcake meets Godzilla. Five girls are injected with the DNA of endangered species and sent off to fight space aliens who threaten the earth. Good story but a little more mature than the rating suggests. Since animals become evil this is not a good choice for children who are scared of animals.My rating:
Despite the publisher's rating, better for kids 10 and up because of themes and the complexity of the story line.Kid Reviews:
ShoujoOneMore details:
Plot Summary:
The problem: Aliens have infected animals on earth, causing them to attack humans. The solution, formulated by two mysterious young men, Ryou and Keiichiro, is to inject the animals with the DNA of endangered species, who have a strong will to live. Due to an inopportunely timed earthquake, the animal DNA is injected into five girls instead. Ichigo, an eleven-year-old who received wildcat genes, is the first to discover her new powers. When a giant rat attacks her boyfriend, she grows ears and a tail and, at Ryou's urging, drives the alien out of the animal. Ichigo must find the other four special girls. She visits one suspect, Mint, in her dressing room during a ballet performance. When Mint's dog becomes a monster and attacks Ichigo, Mint transforms into a superhero and rescues her. The men summon Ichigo and Mint to work in a cafe as cover while they try to find the-girls. Some of the customers are discussing a ghost that has appeared at their school swimming pool. Ichigo and Mint investigate and find that the ghost is really another girl, Lettuce, who was injected with dolphin DNA. Upset because she has been bullied by her schoolmates, Lettuce attacks Ichigo and Mint. They subdue her, and then Ichigo tells her "You're really sweet inside." Lettuce calms down and joins the others at the cafe. The other two girls are not found until the next book.
Character and morality:
Ichigo is a typical manga heroine, eager to please but willing to stand up to others if she sees injustice. Mint is wealthy, lazy, and rude. Lettuce is bullied repeatedly by her schoolmates; Ichigo tries to stand up for her but another girl holds her back. The bullying upsets Lettuce, and when she becomes a superhero she attacks the other girls. Ichiro calms her by telling her she is really a good person, then gives her a shove to let her know she can't lash out at people.
Ichigo's age is given as 11, but she has well-developed breasts, and when she transforms into a superhero she wears a rather mature costume. She has a crush on a boy, Masaya, who seems to be interested only in environmentalism. The only physical contact occurs when Ichigo trips and accidentally falls on Masaya, kissing him. Ichigo is also attracted to Ryou, and she gets angry when his interest in her seems to be purely practical, as a weapon against the aliens. After her shift at the cafe, Ichigo goes upstairs to say goodbye to Ryou. She sees him standing shirtless, with his pants partially unzipped but nothing showing, in his room. He is upset when he sees her spying on him but calms down when she brings him a snack.
Bonus features: This book includes information about several endangered species and several articles about the comic and its creator.
Violence:
Cartoon violence. Lots of explosions and things flying through the air. The violence isn't graphic, but some children may be troubled by the animals who morph into monsters and attack the humans. Ichigo is kidnapped by two men but is quickly reassured that they mean her no harm. The superheroes' weapons are hearts with big bows on them, and their battle cries are "Ribbon!" and "Strawberry bell bell!"
Sexuality/body functions:
When Ichigo's DNA merges with the wildcat's, she is shown nude and floating through space. We see the outline of her breast but no nipples or pubic hair, and there is no sexual connotation to the scene.
Although there is no overt sexual content, several scenes contain allusions to sexual matters. When Ichigo first finds out she is a superhero, Ryou shows her the mark left by the injection on her upper thigh. She misinterprets his intentions at first and calls him a "pervert" and accuses him of sexual harassment.
Language:
No offensive language
Substances:
No drug references.
