Tokyo Mew Mew Magical Girl Manga Gets All-New Anime

A website countdown ended on Thursday and announced that Reiko Yoshida and Mia Ikumi's Tokyo Mew Mew manga is getting an all-new anime titled Tokyo Mew Mew New. The anime will mark the 20th anniversary of the manga, as well as the 65th anniversary of Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine, which originally serialized it.

The "Tokyo Mew Mew New Seiyū Idol Auditions" began accepting applications on Thursday to fill the role of protagonist Ichigo Momomiya. The open audition process will run through spring and summer via the audition app mysta. The auditions are open to females from elementary-school age through 30 years old. The chosen applicant will receive an exclusive contract with Pony Canyon's Swallow agency.

Yoshida and Ikumi serialized their original Tokyo Mew Mew magical girl manga from 2000 to 2003 (with Kodansha credited for the franchise's original concept), and Tokyopop published all seven volumes in English. Kodansha Comics released the manga in three omnibus volumes with a new translation in 2011.

The manga inspired a 52-episode television anime series from 2002 to 2003, and 4Kids Entertainment aired the anime with the title Mew Mew Power in 2005. Yoshida and Ikumi also serialized a sequel manga titled Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode from 2003 to 2004, and Kodansha Comics published the manga in English.

The franchise launched a new manga series by Madoka Seizuki titled Tokyo Mew Mew Ōre on November 30. The new Tokyo Mew Mew manga focuses on male characters instead of the female characters of the previous manga and anime.

Yoshida and Ikumi published a new two-chapter manga Tokyo Mew Mew 2020 Re-Turn in December and January.

Update: Ikumi posted an illustrated comment, noting that she was surprised when she heard this work from years ago was being animated again. She asked the anime staff to do their best.