Kodansha’s Nakayoshi manga magazine released a statement today announcing that Mia Ikumi, best known for her work on Tokyo Mew Mew, passed away on March 7 from a subarachnoid hemorrhage at age 42. The upcoming anime Tokyo Mew Mew New‘s official Twitter account released a statement alongside Nakayoshi magazine’s.
訃報 征海美亜先生 ご逝去のお知らせhttps://t.co/2XJ4RCOrTl
— なかよし編集部 (@nakayosi_manga) March 14, 2022
『東京ミュウミュウ にゅ～♡』の原作『東京ミュウミュウ』の作者である征海美亜先生がご逝去されました。
謹んでご冥福をお祈りいたします。アニメ『東京ミュウミュウ にゅ～♡』製作委員会 https://t.co/KNYvPjlX7a pic.twitter.com/OiHtlE4yVj
— TVアニメ『東京ミュウミュウ にゅ～♡』公式 TOKYO MEW MEW NEW (@mew_mew_new) March 14, 2022
Ikumi made her manga series debut with Super Doll Licca-chan in 1998 for Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine, where she would later publish Tokyo Mew Mew with writer Reiko Yoshida from 2000 to 2003. The influential series inspired a 2002 television anime that ran for 52 episodes and a new series due to begin this summer.
From 2004 to 2008, Ikumi worked on Repure, Koi Cupid and Only One Wish before publishing the two-part Tokyo Mew Mew Re-Turn in 2020 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Nakayoshi magazine.
A special edition print of all Tokyo Mew Mew manga was recently announced to coincide with the new anime series. Nakayoshi’s official notice states that Ikumi completed new cover illustrations for every volume before her passing.
Source: Nakayoshi official website, Tokyo Mew Mew New official account
Der shy man behind @Shymander, Liam is a timezone-fluid Aussie with a distinct fondness for anime, Eurovision and creating odd stats projects despite hating math.
