I saw the original Tokyo Mew Mew when I was about 11 as one of the very first anime I watched and it had me UTTERLY in its grip. Since then, as I grew up, I became more aware of just how cheesy it was and poked fun of it with the teenage/young adult sense of "ha ha, silly 11 year old me for liking something like this"... I wondered why I liked it so much.
Now, in my late 20s and without a preliminary rewatch, I decided to jump into the remake fairly blind for nostalgia's sake and I'm so pleasantly surprised! I can see clearly why I loved the original back in the day. Every aspect o the 2002 series that enthralled me all those years ago has come back to hit me in the face, and it may be saccharine and cheesy but I can't help but fall in love with it all over again.
I have no choice but to sink bank into the mindset of a pre-teen girl watching Tokyo Mew Mew New - and surely it's pre-teen girls that are intended to be watching.
The show feels more concise than its predecessor, and it's very charming indeed. While, as most magical girl series are prone to be, TMMN is somewhat a coming of age story, I'm now noticing just how much of a tween girl wish fulfilment fantasy it also is at its core. Each episode reveals something that I know I would have eaten up at 11 (and did!): from the cheesy romance and friendships, through the cute outfits, to the backdrops of each episode (11 year old me would have loved to be at a ball at sea), to the borderline harem of cute guys, and, oh, being a cat. Or was that one just me?
Additionally, one of the other significant changes I'm cognizant of is the main cast that isn't Ichigo. Each girl is a character in her own right and is made loveable and engaging to watch. You care about them. It's a change I really love, Tokyo Mew Mew New feels like a series about all five girls rather than just the one. And, even though Ichigo is still the main character, it's through loving her friends that we as a viewer can relate to her and the way she loves and cares about them. I'm excited to watch season 2 and see more of them all!
TMMN is by no means a perfect series. It's a magical girl show that has a fairly young audience to appeal to, but also the added weight of a dedicated older fanbase, and big shoes to fill. Personally, I think it does a great job of balancing those things. It's a great update that manages to keep all the charm of its source material while making it feel fresh and engaging. It's also, in my opinion, very pretty! Considering the 2002 Tokyo Mew Mew is what got me seriously into anime, TMMN had a lot to live up to for me and I'm delighted to say it's done damn well.
