Every anime has at least one reference to catgirls, whether it's a parody, a costume, or just some adorable fan art. The appeal of catgirls wasn't a brand-new concept before the 21st century, but there was one anime that brought it into the mainstream: Tokyo Mew Mew.
During the early 2000s, magical girl anime like Sailor Moon and Princess Tutu were well into their prime years - and consumers were loving it. Nakayoshi, a popular shoujo magazine was primarily the source that provided these beloved stories. And in 2000, Tokyo Mew Mew began its serialization. The premise follows the life of Ichigo Momomiya, a peppy and excitable girl with a massive crush. Depending on the adaptation, the setting takes place in either middle school or high school, but regardless she's there to begin her lengthy academic career with purr-pose.
A Hiss-terical Cat-astrophy
Like with most magical girl anime, it starts off with a normal girl experiencing her first crush or meeting her love interest for the first time. After bravely asking out her crush, Masaya Aoyama on a date, Ichigo prepares for a day of fun at an endangered species exhibit. It has a good start, when suddenly she and four other girls are engulfed in a mysterious light. After having to save Aoyama from an animal-turned monster, she discovers her new superpowers as a Mew Mew. Dawned in a frilly pink dress with a strawberry undertone, cosplayers all over the world were ready to begin crafting their newest project.
Tokyo Mew Mew brought to the table current events that affect our everyday live, but is almost never acknowledged: species endangerment. In the world of Tokyo Mew Mew, the threat they are fighting against are not just standard villains - but aliens who lost their homeland to natural disaster and global warming. Given the way things currently are, the Earth is heading towards that fate, and the only way to prevent it is getting rid of humans. Despite that, the Mew Mews have the same goal to protect the world from ruin.
Animal Instinct
Each girl is infused with an endangered animal and are granted animal-like abilities. What the anime does best is using the importance of the environment as a subplot while still maintaining the traditional magical girl formula. In one episode from the original adaptation, Aoyama laments about a cherry blossom tree that he's fond of, that's planned to be taken down. Ironically, that's one of the targets of the aliens. Once in full bloom, they plan to turn the petals into poisonous agents, which means it has to be destroyed in order to save the surrounding residents.
However, there is a twist of ethics in this scenario. The aliens are destroying the environment to kill humans, but it's humans that are attempting to stop it from being damaged any further. However, the infected trees have to be destroyed anyway. Both species are repeating the same mistakes despite having the same goal. A much more complex setting than the standard children's show.
The Purrfect Catgirl
Aside from the themes of the anime and manga, Mew Ichigo is known for her cat-like mannerisms. Most notably is her signature battle-ready pose. This has been imitated by a lot of anime, manga, and even video games in recent years. Arguably the biggest impact Tokyo Mew Mew has made is Ichigo's overall character and aesthetic. A pink haired anime girl with fluffy cat ears and a tail is enough to make anyone's heart melt. As of 2022, there are three spin-off manga, two games, and two anime adaptations of this beloved franchise.