The book "The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture" described Misty's portrayal in the anime as a mother figure, calling her a "nurturing component" for the original trio of herself, Ash and Brock. It further described her as an "unusually 'complete' girl of the cartoon world", noting both her feminine sentimentality and her "explosive rage". "Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces" praised the character as being "particularly nuanced" and described her as contributing heavily to the series' appeal. "Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon" stated that though the anime focused on Ash, Misty was a distinctly significant character especially to young female consumers, neither "butch" nor "dizzily feminine", seemingly "carefully constructed to appeal to preadolescent girls". It added that, unlike other aggressive female characters in the series, Misty did not sacrifice her femininity to succeed, making the character further popular with young American women, a contrast to Japanese children who focused more on the individual Pokémon species to identify with.