Gravity's Rainbow and Tokyo Mew Mew: Difference between pages

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Revision as of 20:55, 10 July 2007

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{{Infobox Book

{{Infobox animanga/Header|

| name = Gravity's Rainbow

title_name=Tokyo Mew Mew<br>(Mew Mew Power)

| image = [[Image:gravitys rainbow cover.jpg|200px]]

|image=MewMews.jpg

| author = [[Thomas Pynchon]]

|size=250px

| country = [[United States]]

|caption=The Mew Mew crew

| language = [[English language|English]]

|ja_name=東京ミュウミュウ

| cover_artist =

|ja_name_trans=Tōkyō Myū Myū

| series =

| genre = [[HistoricalMagical novelgirl]], [[PostmodernRomance literaturefilm|Romance]], [[Hysterical realismComedy]]

| publisher = [[Viking Press]] ([[first edition]]), [[Penguin Books]], [[Bantam Books]]

| release_date = 1973

| media_type = Print (clothbound [[hardcover]], [[paperback]])

| pages = 768 (Penguin)

| isbn = ISBN 0140188592 (Penguin)

| preceded_by = [[The Crying of Lot 49]]

| followed_by = [[Slow Learner|Slow Learner - Early Stories]]

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Manga|

'''''Gravity's Rainbow''''' is a novel written by [[Thomas Pynchon]] and first published in [[1973]].

title=Tokyo Mew Mew

|creator=[[Mia Ikumi]] and [[Reiko Yoshida]]

|author=[[Mia Ikumi]] and [[Reiko Yoshida]]

|publisher={{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kodansha]]

|publisher_other={{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Forlaget Carlsen]]<br> {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Sangatsu Manga]]<br> {{flagicon|France}} [[Pika Édition]]<br> {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Carlsen Comics]]<br> {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Japonica Polonia Fantastica]]<br> {{flagicon|Singapore}} [[Chuang Yi]] (English)<br> {{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Bonnier Carlsen]]<br> {{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Bongkuoh]]<br> {{flagicon|United States}} {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Tokyopop]]

|serialized={{flagicon|Japan}} ''[[Nakayoshi]]''

|first_run=

|last_run=

|num_volumes= 7 (original) + 2 (A la Mode)}}

{{Infobox animanga/Anime|

title=

|director=[[Noriyuki Abe]]

|studio=[[Studio Pierrot]]

|network={{flagicon|Japan}} [[TV Aichi]], [[TV Tokyo]]

|network_other={{flagicon|Australia}} [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon Australia]]<br> {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Brazil]]<br> {{flagicon|Canada}} [[YTV (Canadian television)|YTV]]<br> {{flagicon|Colombia}} [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Latin America]]<br> {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[A+ (TV channel)|A+]]<br> {{flagicon|Israel}} [[Arutz Hayladim]]<br> {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[SIC]]<br> {{flagicon|South Korea}} [[SBS (Korea)]]<br> {{flagicon|United States}} [[4Kids TV]]<br> {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[Cable TV Hong Kong]]

|first_aired=[[April 6]] [[2002]]

|last_aired=[[March 29]] [[2003]]

|num_episodes=52

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

:''"Mew Mew Power" redirects here. For specific information on the dubbed version, see [[English adaptations of Tokyo Mew Mew]]''

Set in Europe near the end of [[World War II]] during the end of [[1944]] and much of [[1945]], ''Gravity's Rainbow'' features the creation of the first military [[ballistic missile]]s as a main theme while subverting many of the traditional elements of [[plot]] and character development.

'''{{nihongo|''Tokyo Mew Mew''|東京ミュウミュウ|Tōkyō Myū Myū}}''', licensed as '''''Mew Mew Power''''' in North America, is a [[magical girl]] [[manga]] and [[anime]] series, created by writer [[Reiko Yoshida]] and illustrator [[Mia Ikumi]]. It aired in [[Japan]] on [[TV Aichi]] and [[TV Tokyo]].<ref name="ANN" />

== Structure and chronology ==

{{QuoteSidebar|200px|#eeffff|right|Quotation|''A million bureaucrats are diligently planning your death, and some even know it.''|Thomas Pynchon}}

Originally published as a manga series, ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' was later adapted into a 52-episodes anime with the same title. The manga version also had several side stories, and a sequel titled ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew A la Mode]]''. None of these spin-offs were given an anime counterpart.

''Gravity's Rainbow'' is in four parts, each made up of a number of episodes whose divisions are marked by a series of [[square (geometry)|square]]s. It has been suggested that these represent [[sprocket]] holes as in a reel of [[film]], though they may also bear some relation to the engineer's graph paper on which the first draft of the novel was supposedly written. Another clear influence from film is that characters may suddenly jump out of the plot to perform a musical number, as in a [[musical film]], after which they return to their role in the plot.

<!--Lead: This should ideally be able to stand on its own as an article, providing a brief summary of the topic and touching on all the main points of the whole article. At the very least, this should describe the anime or manga, its premise and plot, its author or director, and the English language licensers (if any). Avoid needless spoilers and trivia, and keep the recommendations of Wikipedia:Lead section in mind.-->

In the July/August/September 2005 issue of Book Forum (search for the word "squares" at [http://www.bookforum.com/pynchon.html this link] to find the reference), one of the book's editors is quoted as saying that the aforementioned squares relate to edited correspondence sent between soldiers and their loved ones back home. When family and friends received edited letters, the removed sections would be cut out in squared or rectangular sections. The squares starting the four parts are indicative of what is not written, or what is edited out by an external source.

==Plot==

<!--Plot: This should comprise a succinct description of the plot and major subplots, but please avoid excessive details of twists and turns in the story. Differences between the original versions and adaptations (whether Japanese or international) often fall within the scope of this section, usually warranting at most a distinct subsection.--><!--archive: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokyo_Mew_Mew&diff=128427768&oldid=128363531-->

Five girls named Ichigo Momomiya, Mint Aizawa, Lettuce Midorikawa, Pudding Fong, and Zakuro Fujiwara, have their [[DNA]] "infused" with the DNA of Red Data Animals ([[endangered species]]). Gaining special abilities and a [[kemonomimi|different appearance]], they later find out that they have been chosen to protect Earth from a group of aliens who wish to 'reclaim it': Kish, Tart, Pie, and their leader Deep Blue, who have the power to control [[jellyfish]]-like parasites called [[Chimera Anima]] which infect animals, turning their hosts into [[monsters]]. Together, the five superheroes form a team called '''Tokyo Mew Mew'''.<ref>[[Mia Ikumi|Ikumi, Mia]]; [[Reiko Yoshida|Yoshida, Reiko]]. ''Tokyo Mew Mew volume 2'', pages 144-145 (English translation). [[Tokyopop]]. ISBN 1591822378.</ref><ref>Episode 11.</ref>

The numerological significance of the episodes is in keeping with the use of [[numerology]] and [[Tarot]] symbolism throughout the novel. Part 1 is built around 21 episodes, the number of cards in the [[Major Arcana]] of a Tarot deck if the Fool card is not counted or assigned a null value, hence "Beyond the Zero". Part 2 contains 8 episodes, a number with repeated appearances throughout the narrative but no immediate association outside the narrative; Part 3 includes 32 episodes, a number some speculate is related to the [[gravity|gravitational]] acceleration of 32 feet per second per second; Part 4 consists of 12 episodes, this number being most commonly associated with the 12 [[Twelve Apostles|Apostles]] and in keeping with the closing themes of that section.

At the same time, these five girls must also work as waitresses at the Cafe Mew Mew, which is secretly the headquarters of Tokyo Mew Mew, owned by Ryou Shirogane and Keiichiro Akasaka. To make things more difficult for Ichigo, since she is mainly doing all the work at Cafe Mew Mew, she must also deal with finding out whether her crush, and later in the series boyfriend, Masaya Aoyama, likes her or knows that she is a Mew Mew. She is also pursued by two other boys, Ryou Shirogane and the alien Kish. Ichigo is only troubled for a part of the series, however, for she finds out that Masaya does indeed have feelings for her and they become inseparable by series end.

Each part opens with its own title and opening [[quotation]] or [[epigraph]], and covers a primary time period, excluding analepses:

<!--At the time Tokyo Mew Mew was published in Japan (2001), there were around 2,580 [[species]] of animals facing [[extinction]]. This number most likely increased by the time it was translated (2003).--><!--I'll do something with this later-->

#''Beyond The Zero'' - Primarily occurs during the [[Christmas]] [[Advent]] season of [[1944]] from December 18-26. The opening quotation by [[Wernher von Braun]] is attributed to remarks made by him before the July [[1969]] [[Project Apollo|Apollo]] moon launch. "Nature does not know extinction; all it knows is transformation. Everything science has taught me, and continues to teach me, strengthens my belief in the continuity of our spiritual existence after death."

#''Un Perm au Casino Hermann Goering'' - Spans the five months from Christmas 1944 through [[Whitsunday]] the following year, May 20, [[1945]]. The section title translates as "A Furlough at the Hermann Goering Casino". The opening quotation is by [[Merian C. Cooper]] to [[Fay Wray]] as recounted by her to the September 21, 1969 issue of the ''[[New York Times]]''. "You will have the tallest, darkest leading man in Hollywood."

#''In The Zone'' - Set during the summer of 1945 with some overlap of the time period of Part 2. The dominant action takes place from May 18 through August 6, the day of the first [[atomic bomb]] attack and also the [[Feast of the Transfiguration]]. The familiar quotation is from [[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]. "[[Toto (dog)|Toto]], I have a feeling we're not in [[Kansas]] any more..."

#''The Counterforce'' - Begins shortly after August 6, 1945 and covers the period up to September 14th of that same year, the day of the [[Exaltation of the Holy Cross]], with extended analepsis to [[Easter]]/[[April Fool's]] weekend of 1945 and culminating in a prolepsis to [[1970]]. The simple quotation, "What?" is attributed to [[Richard M. Nixon]].

== PlotCharacters ==

{{See also|List of minor characters in Tokyo Mew Mew}}

{{spoiler}}

<!--Characters: This describes the characters in modest detail. If the character section grows long, please reconsider the amount of detail. archive: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokyo_Mew_Mew&diff=128427768&oldid=128363531-->

<big>'''Mew Mews'''</big>

<!--DO NOT CHANGE THE AGES OF THE MEW MEWS. IT WILL BE TREATED AS VANDALISM.-->

[[Image:Mew Ichigo.jpg|left|80px]]

;[[Ichigo Momomiya]]: The first member of the "Mew Project" and the main character of the series, called Zoey Hanson in the [[English]] adaptation. Ichigo is an 12 year-old girl who becomes infused with the DNA of an [[Iriomote Cat|Iriomote Wildcat]], allowing her to transform into Mew Ichigo. Ichigo's personality is much like that of a main character of a shoujo manga series, being enthusiastic, outgoing and sometimes a bit of a ditz. At first, she doesn't want anything to do with the Mew Project. However, she soon realizes the importance of her task and truly accepts her role as Mew Ichigo.

{{anime voices|Saki Nakajima}}

<br clear="left"/>[[Image:Mew Mint.jpg|left|100px]]

;[[Mint Aizawa]]: The second member of the Mews, called Corina Bucksworth in the English adaptation. 12 year-old Mint is infused with the DNA of a [[Blue Lorikeet]] <ref>[[Mia Ikumi|Ikumi, Mia]]; [[Reiko Yoshida|Yoshida, Reiko]]. ''Tokyo Mew Mew volume 1'', page 50. [[Kodansha]]. ISBN 4061789554.</ref><ref name=TMM12>Episode 12</ref><ref name=TMM19>Episode 19</ref><ref name=MMP1>''Mew Mew Power'', Episode 1</ref>. A snobbish girl from a wealthy family, Mint may seem stubborn and mean at first, but she is a good friend and is a valuable Mew. Most of the time Mint may not seem like it, but she is very sensitive and her feelings can be easily hurt. She also admires Zakuro very much, almost to the point of being obsessed.

{{anime voices|Yumi Kakazu}}

<br clear="left"/>[[Image:Mew Lettuce.jpg|left|80px]]

;[[Lettuce Midorikawa]]: The third member of the Mews, called Bridget Verdant in the English adaptation. 13 year-old Lettuce is infused with the DNA of a [[Finless Porpoise]], allowing her to transform into Mew Lettuce, having power over water. Although she comes from a supportive family, Lettuce is very timid and shy. Only after she joins the Mews does she gain a bit more confidence and pride in herself. She is also very clumsy, tending to break many plates while working at Cafe Mew Mew. However, she is very hard-working and always tries to help out her friends whenever possible.

{{anime voices|Kumi Sakuma}}

<br clear="left"/>[[Image:Mew Pudding.jpg|left|80px]]

;[[Pudding Fong]]: The fourth and youngest of the Mews, called Kikki Benjamin in the English adaptation. 11 year-old Pudding is infused with the DNA of a [[Golden Lion Tamarin]], allowing her to transform into Mew Pudding, having power over possibly earth. Pudding has a very unusual family: her mother died when she was young, and her father is on a [[pilgrimage]] to practice [[martial arts]]. Therefore, she must care for her four brothers and one sister, cooking meals and keeping house. Pudding always retains her childish nature, in spite of her huge responsibility. In the manga, she has a pet monkey named An-Nin, who she is often seen playing with.

{{anime voices|Hisayo Mochizuki}}

;[[Zakuro Fujiwara]]: The fifth oldest of the Mews, called Renée Roberts in the English adaptation. 14-year-old Zakuro is a mysterious model. She is infused with the DNA of a [[Gray Wolf]] allowing her to transform into Mew Zakuro. At first, Zakuro refuses to join the Mews, but she later decides to make an exception for them. She doesn't talk much, is serious, and is anti-social to the customers at Cafe Mew Mew, though is kind at sometimes.

{{anime voices|Junko Noda}}

<br>

<br>

<big>'''Friends'''</big>

[[Image:Masaya1.png|left|80px]]

;[[Masaya Aoyama]]: Ichigo's crush who later is her boyfriend, called Mark in the English adaptation. Masaya is popular with the girls, with a crowd of them always coming to the gym to watch him do [[kendo]]. He is also concerned about the Earth's [[Natural environment|environment]]. He acts in a generous manner to make it through in life and to hide the fact that he is [[cynical]] toward most people.

{{anime voices|Megumi Ogata}}

<br clear="left"/>[[Image:Ryou1.png|left|80px]]

;[[Ryou Shirogane]]: The very-rich owner of Café Mew Mew, called Elliot Grant in the English adaptation. Ryou is a genius and is the first person to be injected with animal DNA, as he injected himself to ensure the safety of project mew.

{{anime voices|Kouichi Toochika}}

<br clear="left"/>[[Image:Keiichiro1.png|left|80px]]

;[[Keiichiro Akasaka]]: The gentleman of the males, known to be feminine and kind, called Wesley J. Coolridge III in the English adaptation. An old friend of Ryou's late parents, Keiichiro assumed the role of Ryou's guardian after the couple's deaths. He also helps to manage Café Mew Mew, and is Ryou's partner in the Mew Project.

{{anime voices|Hikaru Midorikawa}}

<br>

<br>

<big>'''Antagonists'''</big>

[[Image:Kish.png|left|80px]]

;[[Kish (Tokyo Mew Mew)|Kish]]: Named after the unfamiliar food item [[Quiche]], called Dren in the English adaptation. He is one of the aliens attempting to reclaim the earth. He seems to harbor strong feelings for Ichigo, as their first encounter was Kish stealing a kiss from her.

{{anime voices|Daisuke Sakaguchi}}

<br clear="left"/>[[Image:Tart1.png|left|80px]]

;[[Tart (Tokyo Mew Mew)|Tart]]: A young, hyper alien who came to help Kish defeat the Mews, and to reclaim Earth,' called Tarb in the English adaptation. He doesn't see the Mew Mews as a challenge, but particularlly doesn't like Ichigo. He is rather rude and acts similar to a toddler.

{{anime voices|Asai Kiyomi}}

;[[Pie (Tokyo Mew Mew)|Pie]]: Serious, analytical, and very dedicated in his pursuit of the Mews, called Sardon in the English adaptation to reclaim his Alien's planet. He controls [[viruses|germ]]-like Chimera Animas, and has a fan that allows him to use wind and thunder attacks.

{{anime voices|Nobutoshi Kanna}}

;[[Chimera Anima]]: Monsters created when small jellyfish-like parasites possess an animal, a plant, or a human spirit stolen from people by the aliens that turns them into monsters, called Predacytes in the English adaptation. They are under the control of whoever creates them.

==Adaptations==

The plot is complex, involving the [[V-2 rocket]] and [[Operation Paperclip]], [[IG Farben]], [[Standard Oil]], [[parapsychology]], [[behaviorism]], psychology theory ([[Ivan Pavlov]]'s experiments concerning [[conditioning]] especially), and [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]], such as the [[Phoebus cartel]] and the [[Illuminati]]. ''Gravity's Rainbow'' also draws heavily on themes that Pynchon had probably encountered at his work as a technical writer for [[Boeing]], where he edited a support newsletter for the [[Bomarc Missile Program]] support unit. The Boeing archives are known to house a vast library of historical V-2 rocket documents, which were probably accessible to Pynchon.

===Manga===

{{main|Tokyo Mew Mew (manga)}}

The ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' series began as a [[manga]] written by [[Reiko Yoshida]] and drawn by [[Mia Ikumi]]. The concept was possibly from Ikumi's earlier story, [[Tokyo Black Cat Girl]], expanding it into a team of five girls rather than just one.

As if to showcase both the erudite and the naughty, the narrative contains numerous descriptions of illicit [[Sexual intercourse|sexual encounters]] and [[narcotic|drug]] use by the main characters and supporting cast, sandwiched between very dense dialogues or reveries on historic, artistic, scientific, or philosophical subjects, interspersed with whimsical nonsense-poems and allusions to obscure facets of 1940s [[pop culture]].

Spanning 29 issues, the manga was serialized in the [[Kodansha]]'s [[shōjo]] magazine ''[[Nakayoshi]]'' from September 2000 to February 2003. It has also been collected in [[tankōbon|tankobon]] (graphic novel) form, which consist of seven volumes. The story was succeeded by ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode]]'', a two-volume sequel to ''Tokyo Mew Mew'', originally serialized in ''[[Nakayoshi]]'' from April 2003 to February 2004, spanning ten issues. Reiko did not help create the sequel<ref>On both the English and Japanese manga cover, Reiko is not mentioned</ref>. An English translation of the manga has been published in North America by [[TOKYOPOP]]. It was also published in English in Singapore by Chuang Yi.<ref name="ANN2">[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=2719 "Tokyo Mew Mew (manga)"], by ''[[Anime News Network]]'', retrieved May 21, 2007</ref>

The main narrative thread (in as far as there is one) concerns a possibly promiscuous [[US army]] [[lieutenant]] named Tyrone Slothrop. (At certain points in the book, Pynchon leads the reader to doubt the very existence of the women Slothrop claims to sleep with.) In "Beyond The Zero", some of the other characters and organisations of the book note that each of Slothrop's sexual encounters in [[London]] precedes a V-2 rocket hit in the same place by several days.

===Anime===

He is studied covertly and sent away by superiors in mysterious circumstances to the [[Hermann Goering]] [[casino]] in recently liberated [[France]]. There he learns of a rocket, the 00000, and a component called the S-Gerät (short for ''Schwarzgerät'', which translates to ''black device'') which is made out of the hitherto unknown plastic ''Imipolex G''. It is hinted at that Slothrop's prescience of rocket hits is due to being [[operant conditioning|conditioned]] as an infant by the creator of Imipolex G, Laszlo Jamf. After getting this information, Slothrop escapes from the casino into the coalescing post-war [[no man's land]]-like "Zone" of Europe, searching for the 00000 and S-Gerät.

<!--{{For|plot details|List of Tokyo Mew Mew episodes 1-26|List of Tokyo Mew Mew episodes 27-52}}-->

[[Image:TokyoMewMewLogo.png|thumb|right|''Tokyo Mew Mew'' logo]]

The [[anime]] series was produced by [[Studio Pierrot]] with assistance from Ikumi and Yoshida and aired on [[TV Aichi]] in Japan. It started airing one day after the forth volume of the Japanese manga was released. It consists of 52 episodes of approximately half hour each.<ref name="ANN" />

Slothrop's quest continues for some time "In The Zone" as he is chased by other characters. Unfortunately, he is repeatedly sidetracked until his persona fragments totally in part four despite the efforts of some to save him. The final identification of him of any certainty is his picture on the cover of an [[album (music)|album]] by obscure [[English people|English]] band The Fool.

Later in the series, the animation/artwork changed mainly around episodes 40 to 52 – where most the characters start to look more detailed and more [[bishōjo|bishojo]]/[[bishōnen|bishonen]]. For example, the Mew Mew's eyes changed, and their hair color when in Mew form is more bright. The animation style experienced other minor changes during the series, but this is the most noticeable.

Towards the end of "The Counterforce", it transpires that the S-Gerät is actually a capsule crafted to contain a human. The maniacal Captain Blicero prepares to fire the 00000. He launches it in a pseudosexual act of [[human sacrifice|sacrifice]] with his bound [[sex slave]] Gottfried captive within its S-Gerät. At the end of a final episode where the rocket descends, the text halts with a complete obliteration of narrative from a rocket blast as the 00000 lands (or is about to land) on a cinema.

[[Ichigo Momomiya|Ichigo]]: [http://cafemewmew.sukosuko.com/images/screencaps/dvd002/035.png episode 7] and [http://cafemewmew.sukosuko.com/images/screencaps/dvd009/019.png episode 49]

== Relation to actual wartime events==

Many facts in the novel are based on technical documents relating to the V-2 rockets. Equations featured in the text are correct. References to the works of Pavlov, [[Ouspensky]], and Jung are based on Pynchon's actual research. The firing command sequence in [[German language|German]] that is recited at the end of the novel is also correct and is probably copied in verbatim from the technical report produced by [[Operation Backfire]].

[[Zakuro Fujiwara|Zakuro]]: [http://cafemewmew.sukosuko.com/images/screencaps/dvd002/171.png episode 10], and [http://cafemewmew.sukosuko.com/images/screencaps/dvd009/064.png episode 51]

In reality, a [[V-2 rocket]] hit the [[Rex Cinema]] in [[Antwerp (city)|Antwerp]] on [[December 16]], [[1944]] where some 1200 people were watching the movie ''[[The Plainsman]]'' killing 567 people, the most that were killed by a single rocket during the whole war.

Music for the series was written and composed by Takayuki Negishi, with the cooperartion of TV Aichi. The music was produced by Shin Yoshimura, NEC Interchannel <ref>http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/mewmew/index.html</ref>. Two music albums based on the series were released, as well as some 4 CD singles.

Additionally, the novel uses many actual events and locations as backdrops to establish chronological order and setting within the complex structure of the book. Examples include the appearance of a photograph of [[Wernher Von Braun]] in which his arm is in a cast. Historical documents indicate the time and place of an accident which broke Von Braun's arm, thereby providing crucial structural details around which the reader can re-construct Slothrop's journey. Another example is the inclusion of a [[BBC]] radio broadcast of a Benny Goodman performance, the contents of which, according to historical record, were broadcast only once during the period of the novel and by which the events immediately surrounding its mention are fixed. Further historical events, such as Allied bombing raids on [[Peenemünde]] and the city of [[Nordhausen]] (close to the V-2 producing concentration camp [[Mittelbau-Dora]]) also appear in the novel and help to establish the relation of the work's events to each other.

<!--was it animated traditionally?-->

== Public reaction ==

Tokyo Mew Mew was directed by [[Noriyuki Abe]], and Character design was headed by Mari Kitayama.

The novel is regarded by some as the greatest [[postmodernism|postmodern]] work of [[20th century]] [[literature]], while others have declared it unreadable.

====Plot Deviations====

The three-member [[Pulitzer Prize]] jury on fiction unanimously supported ''Gravity's Rainbow'' for the [[1974]] [[Pulitzer Prize for Fiction]]. However, the other eleven members of the fourteen-member Pulitzer board overturned this decision, calling the book "unreadable", "turgid", "overwritten", and "obscene", with at least one member confessing to having gotten only a third of the way through the book.

The anime’s general plot is basically the same as in the manga; however, certain events occurred differently in the two versions.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

The book, however, won the [[National Book Award]] for 1974.

''Tokyo Mew Mew'' has been translated into English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean.<ref name="ANN"/> Sometimes various alterations were made.

The novel inspired the [[1984]] song "Gravity's Angel" by [[Laurie Anderson]]. In her [[2004]] autobiographical performance ''The End of the Moon'', Anderson said she once contacted Pynchon asking permission to adapt ''Gravity's Rainbow'' as an [[opera]]. Pynchon replied that he would allow her to do so with one condition: the opera had to be written for a single instrument: the [[banjo]]. Anderson said she took that as a polite "no."

===Theme Songs===

It also was the inspiration for the title of Pat Benatar's 1993 album "Gravity's Rainbow" [http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_music_benatar.html].

;'''Opening song''': "My Sweet Heart" by [[Rika Komatsu]] <ref name="ANN">[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=829 "Tokyo Mew Mew (TV)"], by ''[[Anime News Network]]'', retrieved May 21, 2007</ref>

;'''Ending song''': "Koi wa [[wikt:À la Mode|À la Mode]]"<ref name="ANN" /> by ''Tokyo Mew Mew:'' [[Saki Nakajima (seiyū)|Saki Nakajima]] (Ichigo), [[Yumi Kakazu]] (Mint), [[Kumi Sakuma]] (Lettuce), [[Hisayo Mochizuki]] (Pudding), and [[Junko Noda]] (Zakuro)

==English adaptations==

Reportedly, a scene in the film ''[[Trainspotting (film)|Trainspotting]]'' ([[1996]]) is an homage to a passage where Tyrone Slothrop dives into a toilet [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117951/trivia]. The novel also features in the animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]];'' in the thirteenth-season episode "[[Little Girl in the Big Ten]]", [[Lisa Simpson]] spies a college girl's recreational reading material. Awestruck, she asks, "You're reading ''Gravity's Rainbow?''" To which the college student replies, "Well, ''re''-reading." This exchange may have motivated Pynchon to guest-star in two later episodes, both of which preserve (and satirize) his anonymity by animating him with a paper bag over his head. The Japanese [[anime]] series ''[[Boogiepop Phantom]]'' also makes ''Rainbow'' allusions. (Such as the title of 11th episode, ''Under the Gravity's Rainbow'')

===English anime adaptation: Mew Mew Power===

[[Image:Gravitys-Rainbow-722917.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with cover art by [[Frank_Miller_%28comics%29|Frank Miller]], to be released in 2006.]]

{{See also|Editing of anime in American distribution}}

A [[German language|German]] film, ''[[Prüfstand VII]]'' (''Test Stand 7,'' [[2002]]) is based upon ''Gravity's Rainbow.'' Starring Inga Busch as Bianca and Jeff Caster as Pointsman, it was nominated for the [[2003]] [[Adolf Grimme Award]] in the area of "outstanding individual achievement" (recognizing its writer/director Robert Bramkamp).

''Mew Mew Power'', [[4Kids Entertainment|4Kids]]' English adaptation of the anime, features major alterations: The characters are renamed, episodes and clips are moved around, backgrounds are visibly altered, and scenes are cut — ranging from a few seconds to more than a minute each.<ref>[http://mmpu.smuncensored.com/stats.html "Episode Stats"], by Kari, ''Mew Mew Power Uncensored'', retrieved May 12, 2007</ref><ref>[http://mmpu.smuncensored.com/ep23.html "Episode 23 Comparison"], by Kari, ''Mew Mew Power Uncensored'', retrieved May 12, 2007</ref> The 4Kids' English adaptation replaced the original background music and songs with a completely new score — the original Japanese songs and transformation music were replaced by several new English songs.<ref>[http://mmpu.smuncensored.com/inserts.html "Song Lyrics"], by Kari, ''Mew Mew Power Uncensored'', retrieved May 11, 2007</ref>

<!--how many episodes did 4kids aquire? censoring?-->

[[New York City|New York]] artist [[Zak Smith]] created a series of 760 drawings entitled, "One Picture for Every Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel ''Gravity's Rainbow''" (also known by the title "Pictures of What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel ''Gravity's Rainbow''")

[http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/zak_smith/title.htm]. Occupying eleven rows and over nine meters of wall space, the drawings attempt to illustrate, as literally as possible, every page of the book. The piece includes palm trees, shoes, stuffed toys, a lemon meringue pie, [[Richard Nixon]], [[Sigmund Freud]], an iron toad wired to an electric battery, a [[dominatrix]], and other exotic images from the novel. The series had a successful reception at New York's 2004 Whitney Biennial event, and it gained a reputation "as a tour de force of sketching and concept" (Abbe 2004).

====Theme Song====

[[David Lowery]] has stated that the [[Camper Van Beethoven]] song ''All Her Favorite Fruit'' is based on a subplot of ''Gravity's Rainbow''.

;'''Opening song''': ''Team Up!'' by [[Bree Sharp]]

===English manga translation===

When [[Norman Mailer]] invited Pynchon out for a drink after the success of ''Gravity's Rainbow'', Pynchon is reputed to have replied (in a written note): "No thanks. I only drink [[Ovaltine]]." Mailer subsequently denied the truth of this anecdote.

<!--Yes, in this case the whole Alterations section goes into the Adaptations article.-->

The English version of the ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' manga was released in United States by [[Tokyopop]]. Unlike the anime adaptation, it keeps all of the characters' original names (There are different ways to romanize the characters' names: refer to the characters' articles for more information). There are mistranslations present (in the manga), <ref>[http://mmpu.smuncensored.com/series.html "Series"], by Kari, ''Mew Mew Power Uncensored'', retrieved May 11, 2007</ref><ref>[http://antares7.absoludicrous.net/drr/r-r-tmm.html "Death Reborn Revolution and Death Ribbon Revolution: Rebōn in Tokyo Mew Mew"], by Ian Andreas Miller, ''DIES GAUDII'', retrieved May 11, 2007</ref> but it does not affect the plot of the story. The manga is published in its original right-to-left format.

The [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] song [[Smells Like Teen Spirit|"Smells Like Teen Spirit"]] is rumored to derive from a lyric in ''Gravity's Rainbow''. The pop group [[Army of Lovers]] derive their name from a graffito reference ("an army of lovers can never be defeated") in ''Gravity's Rainbow''. (This is itself a reference from [[Plato]] in the ''[[Symposium (Plato dialogue)|Symposium]]''.)

<!--Reception: This should concisely describe the opinions expressed about the the subject by reviewers, critics, academics, and (if reliable, secondary sources exist) fan communities. Varying opinions, criticism kind and harsh, and controversies should be presented in a neutral tone. Although difficult to acquire, criticism and reactions from non-English sources (especially original Japanese responses!) are strongly desired.-->

[[Derek Gregory]] also named his last chapter in the influential [[The Colonial Present]] 'Gravity's Rainbows' (sic) after the book. Gregory's book, which has had a large impact in modern [[Political geography]], is a highly critical account of actions by [[Israel]], the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[USA]] in [[Palestine]], [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq]].

==Reception==

Tokyo Mew Mew has been compared to [[Sailor Moon]] many times by reviewers; they both have a female protagonist, five original members who have a signature color and power.

<!--SITES: http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=389 , http://animeworld.com/readerreviews/tokyomewmew.html-->

== Availability ==

''Gravity's Rainbow'' is available in [[paperback]] under ISBN 0140188592 (New York: Penguin, 1995) and ISBN 0140283382 (New York: Penguin, 2000).

<!--Media information: This can include lists of episodes, manga volumes, soundtracks, etc., and should be placed towards the end of the article. If these lists take up a large amount of space, consider moving them to a separate page titled List of (series) media.-->

Also available is Steven C. Weisenburger's ''A Gravity's Rainbow Companion: Sources and Contexts for Pynchon's Novel'' (Athens: U of Georgia P, 1988), which documents many of the references and allusions used by Pynchon for his novel. ISBN 0820310263

==Publications and other media==

==See also==

<!--{{main|List of Tokyo Mew Mew media}}-->

*[[ergodic literature]]

Several CDs of Tokyo Mew Mew were released. All of the background music was released in a two-part original soundtrack, released September 25, 2002 and January 22, 2003 respectively. Various other CD albums and singles contain the theme songs, the characters' image songs, transformation music, and two insert songs by [[Rika Komatsu]]<ref>[http://home.comcast.net/~volleyballbaby9008/cdlist "Track Listings"], by Michie, ''Myu Ongaku'', retrieved May 11, 2007 ''(Might have issues opening in some browsers)''</ref> — ''Glider'' and ''My Days (Ano Hi wo Wasurenai)''<ref> Played in episodes 35, 37 and 41</ref>.''Glider'' is used as background music for one of Ichigo's attacks.<ref>Episodes 26 and 43 — The attack is "Reborn Aqua Drops".</ref>" There are also games, one for [[Playstation]] (released [[December 5]], [[2002]]) and one for [[Game Boy Advance]], titled はめパネ 東京ミュウミュウ ''hamepane Tōkyō Myū Myū'' (Setting panels Tokyo Mew Mew) released [[July 11]], [[2002]] ; both of them were released only in Japan.

<!--==Battle costume==

In the commentary at the end of volume two, it is shown on comic book form that the staff of ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' actually created Ichigo's battle outfit for Youki Yoshida to wear, since she played Ichigo at ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' events.<ref>[[Mia Ikumi|Ikumi, Mia]]; [[Reiko Yoshida|Yoshida, Reiko]]. ''Tokyo Mew Mew volume 2'', page 184 (English translation). [[Tokyopop]]. ISBN 1591822378.</ref> --><!--I'm thinkin this will eventually be in the media section (or whatever) in TMM. It deals with promoting TMM.-->

==Characters' names origin==

;The main characters in ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' are named after foods.<ref>[http://animeworld.com/readerreviews/tokyomewmew.html "Tokyo Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power) Reader Review - Notes and Trivia"], by Marc Marshall, ''Akemi's Anime World'', retrieved May 11, 2007</ref><ref name = SAIKOU_NI_HAPPY1>[http://www.geocities.com/ichigo_tokyomewmew/information_otherinfo.html "Other Info"], by Lai Tsua, ''SAIKOU NI HAPPY!'', retrieved May 11, 2007</ref>

The Mew Mews are named after fruits – or other foods – that are similar to their signature colors: Ichigo's pink is similar to the red of a strawberry, Mint's blue is like that used on some mint-flavored candies, Lettuce's green is similar to some types of lettuce, Pudding's yellow is similar to the color of some types of [[flan]] or pudding, Zakuro's color is a red-violet similar to the red of a pomegranate, and Ringo's red is the same as a red apple's color.

====References to foods in characters' names====

<!--The names, except for Gateau, are purposefully given in transcription - spelling variations don't matter, only the meaning.-->

{| class="wikitable"; border="0"; width=80%

|-

|'''Name'''

|'''Meaning'''

|'''Name'''

|'''Meaning'''

|-

|'''Ichigo'''

|[[Strawberry]]

|'''Kisshu'''

|[[Quiche]]

|-

|'''Minto'''

|[[Mint]]

|'''Pai'''

|[[Pie]]

|-

|'''Retasu'''

|[[Lettuce]]

|'''Taruto'''

|[[Tart]]

|-

|'''Purin'''<ref>Pudding's name – '''Pudding Fong''' (黄　歩鈴, ''[[Chinese language|Chinese]] [[Pinyin]]: Huáng Bùlíng or Huang Bu Ling'', Japanese: ''Fon Purin'') – is actually Hwang Bu-ling, relating to her Chinese origin; the pun in her name relates to the fact that "Bu-ling" and "pudding" are written the same in Japanese katakana.</ref>

|[[Pudding]]

|'''Gateau du Rowa'''

|"Gateau du Roi" ("[[King cake]]")

|-

|'''Zakuro'''

|[[Pomegranate]]

|

|

|-

|

|

|-

|

|

|}

;All the main characters in ''Tokyo Mew Mew'' have the kanji for colors in their last names, with the exception of Ichigo and Zakuro.<ref name=engjap>Probably translated using http://www.freedict.com/onldict/jap.html, a Japanese-English translator, and vice versa.</ref>

<!--An online translator is referenced. Please do ***NOT*** put hyphens on that site because they won't work. Besides, putting the English word in won't turn up hyphens in the Japanese words either.-->

Ichigo's {{nihongo|kanji|桃|momo}} means "peach", and Zakuro's {{nihongo|kanji|藤|fuji}}, means "[[wisteria]]". In Japanese, "pink" is called "peach ''color''". {{nihongo|"Peach color"|桃色|momo-iro}} <ref name="colors1">[http://www.learn-japanese.info/colors.html "Colors"], by ''Nihongo o Narau'', retrieved May 22, 2007</ref> does not refer to the color of the peach fruit — a peach's color is called {{nihongo|"skin color"|肌色|hada-iro}}<ref name="colors1"/>. Although "Purple" has {{nihongo|its own kanji|紫|murasaki}},<ref name="colors1"/> "light purple" is written {{nihongo|wisteria ''color''|藤色|fuji-iro}}. The kanji of the other characters' colors are also similar to traits of the characters, such as their signature color (for the Mew Mews), hair color or eye color.

;Mint, Lettuce, Zakuro, Keiichiro, and Masaya also have the kanji of [[geography|geographic]] features in their last names.

Masaya's, Keiichiro's, and Ryou's last names are also the names of districts in Tokyo: [[Aoyama, Tokyo|Aoyama]], [[Akasaka, Tokyo|Akasaka]], and [[Shirokane]] (pronunciation is different).<ref name = SAIKOU_NI_HAPPY1/>

====References to colors and geographical features in characters' names====

{| class="wikitable"; border="0"; width=80%

|-

|'''Name'''

|'''Kanji'''

|'''Color'''

|'''Kanji'''

|'''Geographic feature'''

|-

|'''Ichigo Momomiya'''

|桃 ''momo''

|pink

|-

||'''Mint Aizawa'''

|藍 ''ai''

|indigo

|沢 ''zawa''

|[[swamp]]

|-

|'''Lettuce Midorikawa'''

|碧 ''midori''

|green

|川 ''kawa''

|[[river]]

|-

|'''Zakuro Fujiwara'''

|藤 ''fuji''

|light purple

|原 ''wara''

|[[meadow]], [[field (agriculture)|field]], [[prairie]], [[tundra]]

|-

|'''Pudding Fong'''

|黄 ''huáng''

|yellow

|-

|'''Keiichiro Akasaka'''

|赤 ''aka''

|red

|坂 ''saka''

|[[hill]]

|-

|'''Masaya Aoyama'''

|青 ''ao''

|blue

|山 ''yama''

|[[mountain]]

|-

|'''Ryou Shirogane'''

|白 ''shiro''

|white

|

|

|-

|

|

|}

==References==

{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==

{{Contains Japanese text}}

{{wikiquote}}

<!--***NOTE:***

Please list other language sites on the corresponding language Wiki where they can be easily found by people who can actually read that language; this is an English site for English speaking people so the links should be to sites they can read, i.e. in English, or to official site in the original language of the show, in this case Japanese. **This goes for Korean, French, Dutch and Portuguese.**-->

===Japanese===

:''The following links were last verified [[21 February]] [[2006]].

* [http://www.ikumimi.com Ikumimi's Room]<br>(Mia Ikumi's website)

* [http://pierrot.jp/title/mewmew/index.html Tokyo Mew Mew at Studio Pierrot]

* [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/mewmew/index.html TV Aichi Mew Mew website]

* [http://www.interchannel.co.jp/music/anime/tokyomew/tokyomew.html @fun Stage Tokyo Mew Mew]

===English===

{{col-begin}}

{{col-1-of-2}}

'''Tokyo Mew Mew (Anime)'''

* [http://www.absoluteanime.com/tokyo_mew_mew/index.htm Absolute Anime]

* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=829 Anime News Network]

* [http://www.mewmewalliance.net/ Mew Mew Alliance]<br>(Campaign site for uncut Tokyo Mew Mew)

'''Tokyo Mew Mew (Manga)'''

* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=2719 Anime News Network]

* [http://www.chuangyi.com.sg/english/sud_pages/mewmew/mewmew.html ChuangYi]

* [http://www.tokyopop.com/S-1114/ Tokyopop]

{{col-2-of-2}}

'''Mew Mew Power'''

* [http://www.4kids.tv/mewmew/ 4Kids TV]

* [http://www.4kidsentertainment.com/properties/mewmew.html 4Kids Entertainment]

* [http://www.ytv.com/programming/shows/mew_mew_power/ Mew Mew Power on YTV]

* [http://mmpu.smuncensored.com/ Mew Mew Power Uncensored]<br>(Site discussing differences between 4Kids' ''Mew Mew Power'' and the original Japanese ''Tokyo Mew Mew''.)

{{col-end}}

</div>

{{Tokyo Mew Mew}}

*[http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/gravity/ HyperArts' ''Gravity's Rainbow'' Web Guide &amp; Concordance]

*From [http://www.themodernword.com The Modern Word]:

**[http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_quotes.html More selected ''Gravity's Rainbow'' quotes]

**[http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_music_fool.html Discussion of Slothrop's appearance on The Fool album (with pictures)]

**[http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/zak_smith/title.htm Zak Smith's Illustrations For Each Page of ''Gravity's Rainbow''] (see also Mary Abbe, "Words and pictures; A brilliant new show pairs 755 antic drawings with a monster novel", [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] ''Star Tribune'' [[17 December]] [[2004]]).

*[http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/okla/mccarron24.htm Essay of similarities between ''Gravity's Rainbow'' and ''Catch-22'']

[[Category:1973Anime booksseries]]

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[[he:טוקיו מיו מיו]]

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