Ikumi created other girl–animal combinations while designing the four other Mew Mews, including a mouse girl with the same green coloring as Retasu. However, the mouse design was one of several designs rejected for use in the series as the choices were narrowed down. Once the main Mew Mew designs were finalized, Ikumi named them after various foods: Ichigo (Strawberry), Minto (Mint), Retasu (Lettuce), Bu-Ling (Pudding), and Zakuro (Pomegranate). During one of the project meetings, an unnamed editor remarked that the names might be hard to remember and suggested naming the characters after various colors instead, but the food names were kept. Although Ikumi initially suggested calling Ichigo's main attack "Strawberry Bell Bell" as a joke, the editorial team thought it was funny and kept the name. Ikumi noted that future attack names were decided by which sounded funniest. The only character from Ikumi's "Tokyo Black Cat Girl" to retain his original name and general appearance was Masha, but his gender was changed to female in "Tokyo Mew Mew".