Having watched only a few episodes of the 2002 anime, I'm glad I went into this one without any bias. I think it deserves to be treated as its own thing, which is why I'm leaving this review of the show for other newcomers. The first season is good but the second one is where the plot really picks up. I liked how the mystery surrounding the aliens gradually unravelled and how the conflict escalated in both seasons. Both finales were really climactic and satisfying. The animation is mostly good, although the monster designs could have been more creative. The soundtrack by Yasuharu Takanashi really elevatesthe epic moments but it sadly doesn't fit the transformations too well.

One of this show's greatest strengths are the characters. The mew mews are all likeable, having their own quirks and unique abilities. Ichigo is a well-written protagonist with more sides to her than just her romantic side. She got good character development and so did her friends. As for the aliens, they also have distinct personalities and feel like a real threat. The only potentially controversial character is Kisshu. Some say that his abusive behavior was romanticized, but I thought it was portrayed quite realistically. I suppose you have to judge for yourself.

The character I was disappointed with is Ichigo's love interest, Aoyama. He does play an important role in the story, but his chemistry with Ichigo was really bland. Another big issue I have with this show is the pacing, which is very fast in the first season. It feels like we're missing a lot of interactions between the mew mews and between Ichigo and Aoyama, so their relationships don't progress naturally.

In conclusion, Tokyo Mew Mew New isn't perfect, but I had a lot of fun watching it. Nowadays every mahou shoujo anime has some kind of twist, so it's great to see a return to form. It's funny without being childish and serious without being too dark. Most importantly, it made me love the characters, which is why I want to check out the 2002 anime as well.