Will the elusive power of Mew Aqua be enough to wash away the aliens once and for all??
Creative Staff
Story: Reiko Yoshida
Art: Mia Ikumi
Translation: Elina Curran
What They Say:
Ichigo is out on a date with her “crush” when suddenly she’s involved in an odd incident in which her DNA is merged with the DNA of an almost-extinct wildcat. When four other girls’ DNA is merged with the DNA of four other almost-extinct animals, it’s apparent that they’re part of a much bigger plan. Ichigo and her friends have been chosen to become a part of a secret project called the “Mew Project.” Their mission: to protect the planet from aliens who are using animal to attack humans!
The Review!
After more love related antics and an explanation as to the true power of Mew Aqua, the alien known as Pie begins his assault. His enzymes begin tearing apart Ichigo’s school, forcing her to transform in front of Aoyama. Fortunately, she is able to ward of the enemy and talk her way out of being found out. Pie’s attacks continue when the girls go out on a personal cruise to find Mew Aqua, and Lettuce ends discovering a new ability in the process. Afterwards, we learn that the aliens were actually ancient inhabitants of the earth long ago, and that they are attempting to awaken their leader Deep Blue.
From there, the aliens kick off a new plan, this time on a larger scale than ever before: Operation Tokyo Renaissance. When Ichigo ends up getting closer to Aoyama than ever before, a sudden shift occurs in her body, causing her to turn into an actual cat! She panics, but it isn’t long before Aoyama finds her and takes her back to his house. After a variety of antics, Ichigo is picked up by Ryo and informed that the aliens have formed a massive cocoon on Tokyo Tower. Unfortunately, Ichigo is still a powerless cat, and the rest of the team is unable to break through the aliens’ defenses on their own. When Ichigo is once more picked up by Aoyama, she ends up learning she can turn back into a human by receiving a kiss (though she doesn’t get it from who she intends to), and after a few more gags is able to return to her normal life.
Having overcome that trial, the girls meet up to discuss what to do about the cocoon, and are informed that they will need to find Mew Aqua in order to safely defeat the aliens. While chasing a fake signal of Mew Aqua, the girls fall right into Kish’s trap and Ichigo is forced to miss her date with Aoyama. Just when it looks like they’re starting to get the situation under control, a giant moth by the name of Dust Waiburn emerges from the cocoon and begins spewing heavy pollution into the air. Suddenly, Mint feels a strong premonition from the top of Tokyo Tower. The other girls cover her ascent, and at the peak of the tower she finds the Mew Aqua. The Aqua is then used to create a new item known as the Mew Aqua Rod, which helps clear the skies and allows the team to defeat the monstrous moth.
Ichigo’s enemies are temporarily subdued, but her love life still needs to be dealt with. She dreads meeting up with Aoyama after being so late, but when she arrives he admits his love for her, and she is able to reciprocate her feelings while hiding her feline features. The last chapter of the book is spent on a date between Ichigo and Aoyama, which unsurprisingly ends up getting crashed by Kish. When it looks like Ichigo has made a fatal mistake in the ensuing battle, a mysterious sword-wielding pretty boy called the Blue Knight appears to save her.
The bonus chapter is a prototype of the series known as Tokyo Black Cat Girl.
In Summary:
By setting up and focusing more on a central arc this time around, this volume fairs a good bit better than the first. The first few chapters are still pretty bland, and the story still spends a lot of time choosing to hit you over the head with the environmentalist agenda, but things definitely pick up around the middle of the volume. For once, the enemy actually feels like it has a chance of putting up a fight, and the Ichigo’s strange new change makes for some surprisingly interesting/amusing moments. With the end just around the corner, hopefully the next volume will bring more of an overarching plot like what is shown here than what was on display in the first volume.
Content: B
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Rating: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released by: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: December 13th, 2011
MSRP: $14.99
