Ikumi's initial vision for "Tokyo Mew Mew" was a story called "Tokyo Black Cat Girl" that featured a cat-girl battling alien invaders. After the story was transitioned to a more upbeat story of five female superhumans, the character designs were redone to have a lighter, more colorful feel. The main series characters were praised for being a perfect fit for the overall story, as well as for their cute appearances. The characters introduced in "a la Mode" were also praised for their visual appearances, but criticized as being repeats of the original series.