The entries were then subjected to a series of format and design examinations led by media specialists and the Organising Committee's Mascot Selection Panel to determine whether they "would appeal to elementary school-aged children" and whether they "amply reflected the spirit of the Tokyo 2020 Games Vision".

[15] Someity, the Paralympic mascot, is a figure with pink-checkered patterns inspired by cherry blossoms and also the Games' official logo.

[19] Olympic officials expected the mascots to generate approximately $130 million (¥14.4 billion) in revenue from licensing and merchandising to help finance the Tokyo Games.

[17][13] Organizers of Tokyo 2020 had been criticized for budget management; according to Reuters, a 2016 study found that overall expenses for the Olympics "could balloon to four times the initial estimate made in the bid process.

[21] On 11 July 2019, Tokyo 2020 organizers unveiled new merchandise, some of it featuring the mascots, which was able to be purchased either online or through authorized vendors throughout Japan.

[22] Plush dolls of Miraitowa and Someity were attached to the bouquets given to Olympic and Paralympic medalists at Tokyo 2020, with their "armor" in the color of the athlete's medal, as part of their design by the Nippon Flower Council.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the robots are "programmed to show facial expressions as they wave at and shake hands with athletes and fans".

[25] The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee plans to use the mascots primarily to promote the Games and greet visitors and athletes, attempting to increase engagement with children.

[28] On 22 July 2019, the official Japanese Twitter account of Tokyo 2020 posted an animated short depicting Miraitowa participating in all the sports to be contested at the Games.

[29][30][31] On 25 August 2019, the same Twitter account posted a similar animated video featuring Someity participating in the Paralympic Games.

[32] The public reaction to the mascot selection was "generally positive", according to an article published on Forbes' website in March 2018 by contributor Jake Adelstein.

Adelstein described the mascots as "cute", though he commented that "there was some criticism of the futuristic blue and pink characters falling clearly into traditional gender roles".

[34][36][37] James Dator, in a blog entry published on the sports news website SB Nation, wrote that there is "nothing functionally wrong" with the mascot design, but felt that Sanae Akimoto's pair C was a superior candidate and should have been chosen instead.

[38] On the other hand, Naoki Ogi, a Japanese pedagogy expert, emphasized the importance of the role of children in selecting the mascots, as opposed to adults.

[39] The article quoted a mother named Yuki Fuka, who commented, "Within the whirlwind of all the Olympic controversy, I think the mascots were forgotten somewhere along the way [...] The Games have just started and their existence is already an afterthought.