Another addition to the site reviews - I actually wrote this back about the time 4Kids announced their license, but figured it belongs here as much as on the main site...

28 - Kitty Panic! The Key to the Mystery is her K.I.S.S
Big problem for Ichigo - during a tender moment with Aoyama-kun she gets a bit too worked up and turns into a cat. Completely. And she's the cutest little black kitty. ^^ It's an unfortunate side-effect of her Mew Mew powers, but that doesn't help her as she tries to figure out how it happened & how she can change back to a girl again. Amorous cats & strange dogs don't make life any easier, either. On the good side, however, she gets to spend the night with Aoyama-kun after he picks up this stray cat he just found...

29 - A Forbidden Love - I Can Understand Cats ~nya!
The next stage of Ichigo's transformation - she can understand cats now. As soon as one of the local strays figures this out, he comes to Ichigo for help in getting together with the cat of his dreams, Jacqueline - but she's a rare Siamese breed, so we're talking a real 'lady & the tramp' relationship here, and Jacqueline's owner is not best pleased. To add to the problems, Jacqueline's owner has moved home (apparently taking the cat with). Since it's easier for humans to get around town, it's up to Ichigo to help Asano get together with his lost love - but as usual, a Chimera Animal gets in the way of a happy ending...

30 - Be Honest! Unspoken Love in the Crystal Ball
Aoyama-kun hasn't been showing his usual interest lately, and Ichigo's getting worried - so she goes to see Mariko, another girl from school who seems to have fortune-telling powers. Her recommendation? Be more honest with him about her feelings. So far so good, but Mariko seems to be having trouble living by her own advice - she's unable to bring herself to share her own feelings with the person she loves herself. Meanwhile, Kisshu & co have located another possible source for Mew Aqua - Mariko's crystal ball...

31 - Father's Back... One-Game Match for Ichigo
Ichigo's dad finds out about her relationship with Aoyama-kun, and like any father when he finds out about their daughter's first love, he's not best pleased. Understatement. Ichigo's meant to have a date with Aoyama-kun the next day, but her father seems determined to ruin her plans. When Papa finally manages to confront Aoyama-kun, neither are in the mood to give ground. Whose love will win the day?

32 - Princess Fight - The Hero Can't be Bought for Money
Mint's family having their traditional annual tea-party, and the rest of the Mews are invited - although they're initially suspicious that Mint's just after free waiting staff... Not wanting to turn her down, they go anyway, but Ichigo & Lettuce feel a bit out of place amongst all the rich people at the party. Even Mint gets upstaged when Mint's "Eternal Rival" Kanna Saionji arrives - and suddenly Mint's reason for inviting Icihigo & co becomes clear - they're handy for palming Kanna onto. ^^; Can Ichigo handle Kanna for more than 5 minutes, and will Mint find it in herself to bury their rivalry?

5 episodes, only 2 of which involve Chimera Animals & the usual plot formula. Plenty of variety for everyone, then. There are a few character-development stories here, which is always good to see... First, there's the ongoing effect that Ichigo's cat DNA is having on her - which seems to be causing some concern, with the prospect of her turning permanently into a cat being raised. Beyond that underlying problem, the first two episodes dealing with her new cat powers are both great fun to watch. And did I mention that Ichigo makes the cutest little kitty? :)

Secondly, there's some exploration of the relationship between Ichigo & Aoyama-kun, between Ichigo's reluctance to be honest with him about her feelings, and her father's reaction to finding out his lovely daughter's got herself a boyfriend. Again, pretty good stuff, although I wonder how much longer Ichigo can keep her situation a secret from him (you know he's got to find out sometime...).

Finally, there's an epsiode all for Mint-san, which attempts to paint her in a slightly less-aristocratic & more sympathetic light - which when you campare her to Kanna and her ojousama laugh isn't too hard to do. That said, it's the weakest episode from this batch.

The existence of mewmewalliance.com means I can't hide how much I enjoy this show - derivative mahou shoujo it may be, but it's damn good mahou shoujo, too. My personal favourite current show.