Tokyo Mew Mew New: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Tokyo Mew Mew New: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Tokyo Mew Mew New is an anime action-adventure fantasy. The series was originally broadcast on AT-X, BS TV Tokyo, and TV Tokyo. Based on the manga by Reiko Yoshida (story) and Mia Ikumi (art), Tokyo Mew Mew New is produced by Eimi Shimizu (Vinland Saga, Attack on Titan Final Season – The Final Chapters), Hirofumi Itō (Love and Lies, Cop Craft), Masae Yamato (Blue Period, Vinland Saga), Rina Nakazawa (Adachi and Shimamura), Sakura Shimizu, Shin Furukawa (Attack on Titan, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord), and Yuriko Yamada (Zoids Wild Zero, Play It Cool, Guys). The series has compelling theme music by Kentarō Sonoda (OP) and KHAi (ED).

Tokyo Mew Mew New is from executive producers Sadakazu Kikuchi (The Demon Girl Next Door, Ace of Diamond) and Youhei Takami (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond, Those Snow White Notes). Featuring stunning animation produced by Graphinica (Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Expelled from Paradise), Tokyo Mew Mew New is a compelling action-fantasy featuring voice performances from Mirai Hinata, Momoka Ishii, Rian Toda, and Ryōko Jūni. Fans of the action genre will want to check out this purr-fect series (pun intended).

Ichigo Momomiya (Yūki Tenma) isn’t having the time of her life. Instead, Inchigo is having a nightmare of an existence as her life spirals away from momentary happiness to something far more complicated to explore. While out on a date, Ichigo hoped to have sparks fly. Instead, the sparks flying are far more adrenaline-packed when she finds herself shot with a giant ray causing her to get a unique DNA transformation combining her normal DNA with that of Iriomote Cats. The change causes her unexpected superhero abilities and now she’s fighting the giant monster that interrupted her own special date.

Can Ichigo learn how to master the feline techniques of her new abilities as a magical cat girl? Can these abilities be harnessed for good – meow, meow? As challenges arise left and right, Ichigo finds herself looking for the source of her powers and to find the other Mew Mew Girls. If the Mew Mew Girls can team up with Ichigo then these cat ladies can fight off the impending doom of alien invaders seeking to take over civilization. Can cats defeat the aliens, meow?

The series has outstanding animation and this is one of the greatest elements of the production. The series is such a lush and gorgeously realized production. The art style is remarkably stunning and it presents so much colorful and detailed animation that it makes a huge impression on the series. Featuring top-notch art direction by Kaoru Chiba (Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga) and chief animation direction by Rie Nishimura (Kakegurui, La Corda D'Oro - primo passo), Satoshi Ishino (Captain Earth, Carole & Tuesday), Takeshi Yoshioka (Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory), and Toshimitsu Kobayashi (Fate/stay night, The Asterisk War: The Academy City on the Water), Tokyo Mew Mew New is a outstanding achievement in animation. The series provides such a colorful and robust art style for the cat-tastic series to explore.

The character designs by Satoshi Ishino (Captain Earth, Date A Live) make a solid impression on the series production as well. Given that Tokyo Mew Mew New is a series with cat-girls, the designs on Tokyo Mew Mew New are tailored to showcase this aspect of the production. The character design elements certainly highlight the genre well and seem well-tailored to the production. A solid effort by Ishino.

The cinematography by Di Zhang (Plunderer) adds a lot to the experience. The visual quality of Tokyo Mew Mew New is important to the series style. The visuals add to the sense of charm and fun – as robust colors and aesthetics enhance the experience. Di Zhang certainly understands the genre elements and what works well for a cat-girl anime. The bright and crisp animation is enhanced by Zhang’s impressive cinematographic approach.

The score composed by Yasuharu Takanashi (The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal) is a fun and charming part of the equation. Takanashi has plenty of fun with the genre and has crafted an exciting score that is a good backdrop to the adventure. The music enhances the action and brings some added action-packed fun to the series. The engaging and charming score is a good backdrop for the production.

Written by Yuka Yamada (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, My Senpai Is Annoying), Tokyo Mew Mew New takes a fun concept and runs with it. Yamada enjoys exploring the world of these characters and delving into the action-packed adventure as well. The script does a good job of blending together the charming characters alongside the magical elements of the saga.

Director Takahiro Natori (Cannon Busters, Aria - The Natural) achieved something entertaining here by bringing together a compelling team for the series. The animation is remarkably artistic and this is an important part of the puzzle. Tokyo Mew Mew New highlights the engaging direction of Natori and audiences who enjoy action-adventure anime will certainly appreciate the filmmaker’s contribution. Ambitious, charming, and full of life, Tokyo Mew Mew New is well worth purring about.

Tokyo Mew Mew New: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Tokyo Mew Mew New is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is remarkably crisp and colorful on the release. The animation looks well detailed. An outstanding encode with excellent color reproduction and detail. The line art looks exquisitely well detailed. The bright and colorful animation style is enhanced by the solid encoding from Sentai. The release benefits from a healthy bit-rate and the presentation offers a robust encode that is superior compared to streaming platforms (which offer a more compressed video stream). Those seeking the best presentation quality will appreciate the superior image provided by the Blu-ray format and this is readily apparent on this release.

Tokyo Mew Mew New: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding on the release is top- notch. The sound quality is exceptionally rich and rewarding. Dialogue is crisp and clear for the presentation. The sound quality is fantastic and the clarity sounds silky smooth.

The sound direction by Toshiki Kameyama (Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon, March comes in like a lion) adds to the experience and provides a nice balance of action and adventure alongside the drama. A solid lossless audio encode from distributor Sentai Filmworks. A testament to the high quality of lossless encoding, which offers a superior presentation compared to lossy streaming services (with streaming video services only offering audio at a significantly reduced bit-rate in a lower-quality audio format).

Tokyo Mew Mew New: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The one area of the Blu-ray release that could have used some improvement is the supplemental package. The release includes a decidedly lackluster supplemental package and only includes a handful of standard extra offerings. The set could have been improved with the inclusion of audio commentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, and character art galleries. Unfortunately, the set does not include these kinds of bonuses and only provides the following standard supplements:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 3:37)

Tokyo Mew Mew New: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tokyo Mew Mew New is an entertaining and action-packed adventure series. The series has a colorful and vibrant aesthetic that is a testament to the high-quality animation highlighted on the series. The aesthetic helps the production to stand out as something visually creative and engaging. The Blu-ray release provides excellent video and audio quality. The only potential downside to the release is the lackluster supplemental package. Fans of Tokyo Mew Mew New will consider it well worth picking up for their collection. Recommended.