is a Japanese
shōnen manga
are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series written and illustrated by
Go Nagai
, better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of Japanese science fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Japanese horror, horror, and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', b ...
. First appearing in ''
Weekly Shōnen Champion
is a Japanese Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga magazine published by Akita Shoten.
History
''Shōnen Champion'' was first published on July 15, 1969. It has had numerous popular series by manga artists such as Osamu Tezuka, Go Nagai, Shinji Miz ...
''s 41st issue of 1973, the series ran until April 1974. It follows an android girl named Honey Kisaragi, who transforms into the busty, red or pink-haired heroine Cutie Honey to fight against the assorted villains that threaten her or her world. One of the trademarks of the character is that the transformation involves the temporary loss of all her clothing in the brief interim from changing from one form to the other. According to Nagai, she is the first female to be the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
of a ''shōnen'' manga series.
The ''Cutie Honey'' franchise spans many works, including numerous manga series, three
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series, two
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
series, two drama CDs, three live action adaptations, and four stage plays. The first anime aired in 1973 and is considered a
magical girl
is a Genre#Subgenre, subgenre of primarily Japanese fantasy media (including anime, manga, light novels, and live-action media) centered on young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an ideal alter ego into wh ...
series in retrospect. In addition, the theme song of the series has become one of the most famous theme songs in the history of anime, and is widely known in Japan, even to those unfamiliar with the series. Despite the many different ''Cutie Honey'' works made, this theme song continues to be sung in all live-action and animated works except ''
Cutie Honey Universe'' and ''
Cutie Honey: Tears'', with different arrangers and singers. According to a Bandai survey, Cutie Honey ranked first in the "Favorite Characters" surveyed in April 1997 in two categories: girls aged 3 to 5 and girls aged 6 to 8.
Plot
Honey Kisaragi is a regular, 16-year-old
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
schoolgirl,
until the day her father is murdered by the "Panther Claw" organization. After his death, she learns she is actually an android created by him and within her is . With her cry of "Honey Flash!" she can use the device to transform into the sword-wielding red-haired superhero, Cutie Honey.
This device, or similar devices, have been used to explain her powers in all later ''Honey'' versions.
While attending the Saint Chapel School for Girls (in ''Cutie Honey Flash'', the school is
co-ed
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
instead of being an all-girls school), Honey seeks revenge against the Panther Claw organization, which is ruled by an ancient primordial evil known as Panther Zora and her younger sibling Sister Jill. Zora wants "the rarest items in the world" and seeks to steal the device within Honey created by her father, which would allow them to "create an endless supply of jewels".
Meanwhile Jill, leader of the group's division in Japan, "only wants the finest riches" and has a
crush
Crush may refer to:
* Infatuation or limerence, the romantic attraction to another person
* Puppy love, feelings of love, romance, or infatuation felt by young people
Crush may also refer to:
Film
* Crush (1972 film), ''Crush'' (1972 film), a H ...
on Honey.
Honey is aided in her quest by Danbei Hayami and his two sons, journalist Seiji and young Junpei.
Danbei is based on the character Daemon from Nagai's prior work ''
Abashiri Family
is a Japanese manga series created by Go Nagai that originally ran in the magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Champion''. Some of its characters returned with different names as part of other series, such as ''Cutie Honey'', ''UFO Robot Grendizer'' an ...
''.
Nagai's manga also borrows the character Naojiro from that series (in a ''female'' form named Sukeban Naoko),
while the anime borrows the Paradise School along with the characters Naojiro and Goeman (a teacher at the school) from the series. Naojiro is here the boss of the school's delinquent boys before being joined in the job by Honey.
Honey is mischievous for a Japanese female hero, often teasing her male friends and mocking her enemies in combat. When transforming into Cutie Honey, she gives a brief rundown of the forms she has previously taken in that particular episode, and then declares, "But my true identity is ..." before yelling ''"Honey Flash!"'' and transforming. At school, Honey is something of a "class clown" who enjoys teasing and
prank
A practical joke or prank is a trick played on people, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. The perpetrat ...
ing her teachers Alphonne and Miharu.
Much of the comic relief in the series comes from Honey's exploits at school. Miharu initially sees Honey as an incorrigible pest, but Alphonne is attracted to Honey and goes out of her way to be nice to her. Honey's best friend and roommate at school is the cute, freckle-faced Natsuko "Nat-chan" Aki. In the manga, Nat-chan, as well as the other students, had a crush on Honey; this crush was downplayed in the TV series.
Honey has a large array of transformations in the series, her most common personae including:
* Hurricane Honey (
biker), the top female racer in Japan.
* Misty Honey (singer), a rockstar with a dusty voice, who uses her microphone as a weapon.
* Idol Honey (
stewardess
A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...
), foreign airline stewardess.
* Flash Honey (
cameraman
A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not necessarily imply that a male is performing the task.
...
), a reporter who blinds her opponents with her camera's "flash."
* Fancy Honey (model), a classy model who uses a long-stick cigar as a weapon.
* Cutie Honey (
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
ine), a sword-wielding pink-haired warrior of love.
Production
In 1972, Nagai wrote that the idea to create a hero with seven transformations was pitched by a Toei producer. His inspiration for this character came from classic shows that featured protagonists who took seven different forms, including the ''
Bannai Tarao''
mysteries[. ] and ''
Warrior of Love Rainbowman
is a tokusatsu series created by Kōhan Kawauchi. This was the first live action superhero TV series produced by Toho Company Ltd., and was broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi) from October 6, 1972 to September 18, 1973, with a total of 52 epi ...
'' (1972).
[''Rainbowman'' and '']Seven Color Mask
is the name and title character of a tokusatsu TV series, later called . It was created by Kōhan Kawauchi, who also created '' Moonlight Mask''. This B&W TV show was the first superhero TV series by Toei Company Ltd. It was broadcast on NET ...
'' (1959), both created by Kōhan Kawauchi
(February 26, 1920 – April 6, 2008), also known as Yasunori Kawauchi, was a Japanese screenwriter who created various tokusatsu series, including the first, '' Moonlight Mask'', in 1958. He was originally from Hakodate, Hokkaido.
His series ' ...
, were two tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...
(live-action) shows involving transforming superheroes (another Kawauchi creation, " Gekko Kamen", is parodied in Nagai's ''Kekko Kamen
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. It was serialized in ''Monthly Shōnen Jump'' from September 1974 to February 1978, with the chapters collected into five ''tankōbon'' volumes by Shueisha.
It fo ...
''). His decision to make the protagonist a "
female android" came from female characters from his previous works, ''
Harenchi Gakuen'' and ''
Abashiri Family
is a Japanese manga series created by Go Nagai that originally ran in the magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Champion''. Some of its characters returned with different names as part of other series, such as ''Cutie Honey'', ''UFO Robot Grendizer'' an ...
'', and from the character Maria from ''
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big city b ...
''.
The series' working title was ''Honey Idol'', as stated by Go Nagai the booklet of a DVD release. Nagai revealed in the afterword of a recent manga rerelease that Honey Kisaragi's name is a reference to the 1965 American TV series ''
Honey West
Honey West is a fictional character created by the husband and wife writing team Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in eleven mystery novels by the duo.
The character is notable as being one of the firs ...
''.
Originally, ''Cutie Honey'' was meant to be a
shōjo series like the later ''
Cutie Honey Flash
is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation, part of the Go Nagai's ''Cutie Honey'' franchise. Airing in Japan, the series assumed the timeslot of '' Sailor Stars'', the final story arc of the long-running ''Sailor Moon ...
'', and was planned to focus more on the relationship between Honey Tachibana (original name for Honey Kisaragi) and Shun Kazami (original name for Seiji Hayami) as well as lacking any nudity or excessive violence. A great deal of merchandising was initially planned, such as 'changing' dolls of Honey. The manga was slated to run in the monthly ''
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese manga magazine published by Shueisha on the third of each month. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are '' Nakayoshi'' and '' Ciao''. It is one of the best-selling manga magazines, having sold over 590million c ...
'' magazine, and the series was set to air Mondays at 7:00 pm on NET TV (now
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...
), a timeslot previously held by
magical girl
is a Genre#Subgenre, subgenre of primarily Japanese fantasy media (including anime, manga, light novels, and live-action media) centered on young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an ideal alter ego into wh ...
series, but the timeslot was given to ''
Miracle Shōjo Limit-Chan
is a Japanese magical girl anime television series consisting of 25 episodes. It was directed by Takeshi Tamiya and Masayuki Akehi, and it was first broadcast on TV Asahi (then NET) in 1973. Based on an original story by Shinji Nagashima and ...
'' instead and ''Cutie Honey'' was set to air Saturdays at 8:30 pm on the programming block ''Majū Kaijin Daihenshin!!!'' which previously aired ''Micord S'' and ''
Devilman
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The manga focuses on a high school student named Akira Fudo who absorbs the powers of the demon called "Amon" with help of his friend Ryo Asuka in order to batt ...
''. Because of this, ''Cutie Honey'' retooled into a ''
shōnen'' series, making it the first magical girl series for young boys.
Although the series had done well in the ratings department, especially compared to its predecessor, ''
Microid S'', it was canceled after only 25 episodes, the primary reason being concerns over salacious content. The cancellation took producer Toshio Katsuta by surprise, as he was sure the series would last for three or four seasons. His confidence was why Paradise Academy was introduced so late into the series. Katsuta and
Go Nagai
, better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of Japanese science fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Japanese horror, horror, and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', b ...
both decided the series should end with Honey's final battle with Sister Jill, leaving Panther Zora at large.
Media
Manga
The original work of the franchise was the ''Cutie Honey'' manga series written and illustrated by
Go Nagai
, better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of Japanese science fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Japanese horror, horror, and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', b ...
that ran in ''
Weekly Shōnen Champion
is a Japanese Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga magazine published by Akita Shoten.
History
''Shōnen Champion'' was first published on July 15, 1969. It has had numerous popular series by manga artists such as Osamu Tezuka, Go Nagai, Shinji Miz ...
'' magazine from October 1973 to April 1974. During the same time, other short manga series were published in different magazines than the original, and by different creative teams. These included two manga made by
Ken Ishikawa
was a Japanese manga artist. He is renowned as the co-creator (with Go Nagai) of the ''Getter Robo'' anime series, as well as four of their subsequent manga continuations. According to Nagai, he considered Ishikawa his greatest friend and ally. ...
, another two by
Yū Okazaki, one by Chizuko Beppu, one by Yoshiko Suganuma, and another by Masatoshi Nakajima.
Nagai's 1973 manga was
republished in 1985 as a single volume, but no further manga versions of ''Cutie Honey'' were produced until 1992.
In 1992, Nagai created a new ''Cutie Honey'' manga, simply titled ''Cutie Honey'', set 30 years after his original. The manga ran in ''Weekly SPA!'' magazine from July 1992 to April 1993. It was released in the United States in 1997 by the now-defunct
Studio Ironcat
Studio Ironcat was a small publishing company based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, dedicated to publication of manga and later, Amerimanga. The company is most known for its publication of the first volume of ''Megatokyo'', a prominent webcomi ...
, as ''Cutie Honey '90''.
It has received criticism for having "bad quality" and "clumsy" looking characters.
Set 30 years after the original manga, Honey teams up with Officer Todoroki and the Hayami family to battle a revived Sister Jill.
Several manga adaptations of 1997's ''
Cutie Honey Flash
is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation, part of the Go Nagai's ''Cutie Honey'' franchise. Airing in Japan, the series assumed the timeslot of '' Sailor Stars'', the final story arc of the long-running ''Sailor Moon ...
'' anime were published between March 1997 and April 1998 in various magazines. These included three manga made by Yukako Iisaka, another three by Shinko Kumazaki, and one by Kazushi Sasaki.
Running from August 2001 to July 2003, was written and illustrated by Go Nagai and published in ''
Weekly Manga Action
is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Futabasha. It is currently published twice a month, on the first and third Thursday. The magazine was originally formed as and began publishing weekly from July 7, 1967. It is considered the f ...
'' magazine. Set in 2005, Seiji Hayami's daughter, Seiko struggles with apparitions of monstrous beings, including the Panther Claw terrorist organization, which she must defeat with the help of Hisashi Hanyu, who is Cutie Honey in disguise.
ran from November 2003 to July 2005 in Tokusatsu Ace magazine.
Two volumes were planned, but only one was released. The manga was not fully released until October 2007, when a complete edition was published.
An omnibus volume was released in March 2018 by
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment is an American publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original English-language manga, but now publishes licensed manga and light novels from Japan, as w ...
. In this version of the tale, Natsuko Aki is a squad leader for the public safety bureau. Natsuko takes it upon herself to arrest Honey, but Dr. Kisaragi asks Natsuko to befriend Honey and help her become more human.
ran from June 2004 to February 2006;
it was "written by Go Nagai, but not drawn by him", and tells the story of a boy named Yuuta, a ''Cutie Honey'' fan, who meets an alien with powers similar to those of Honey.
''Honey & Yukiko Hime: Cutie Heroine Daisakusen'' was a digital manga published in 2008 that was written by Go Nagai and illustrated by Kazuhiro Ochi. The manga is a
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Music
Albums
* ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue
* ''Crossover'', an album by ...
between ''Cutie Honey'' and another Go Nagai manga, ''
Dororon Enma-kun
, also known as ''Satanikus!'', is a Japanese horror-comedy anime and manga series created by Go Nagai. It is one of Nagai's most famous works in Japan, although not very well known in the rest of the world. In 2006, it woul ...
''.
''Cutie Honey vs Abashiri Family'' was a manga published in
''Weekly Shonen Champion'' magazine in 2009 that was written an illustrated by Go Nagai. Made to celebrate ''Shonen Champion''
's 40th anniversary, the manga is a crossover between ''Cutie Honey'' and ''
The Abashiri Family'', another Go Nagai manga.
''HoneyVS'' was a
one-shot
One shot may refer to:
Film and television
* One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so
* ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake
* ''One Shot'', a ...
manga published in ''
Grand Jump
is a Japanese biweekly seinen manga magazine published by Shueisha under their '' Jump'' line of magazines. Launched in November 2011 as a merging of '' Business Jump'' and '' Super Jump'', it carried over nine series from the former and three ...
'' magazine in 2012 by Masaki Segawa. The manga is a crossover between Cutie Honey and ''
Getter Robo
is a Japanese Mecha anime and manga, mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa (manga artist), Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. An anime television series produced by Toei Animation was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 197 ...
'', another Go Nagai manga.
''Oedo Honey'' was a one-shot manga published in ''Grand Jump'' magazine in September 2012 by
Masakazu Yamaguchi
is a Japanese manga artist from Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Works
*''0→1Rebirth'' ('' Monthly Shōnen Sirius'', Kodansha)
*'' Arm of Kannon'' (''Comic Birz'', Gentosha)
* (''Scola'')
*''Boing'' (''Weekly Young Jump'', Shueisha)
* (''Weekly S ...
. The manga is a story about Honey and Sister Jill traveling back in time to the
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
.
''Cutie Honey vs Devilman Lady'' was a manga published in ''
Champion RED Ichigo
is a monthly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine published on the 19th of each month by Akita Shoten since August 19, 2002 (cover date October 2002), initially published as a ''shōnen'' magazine. Since 2015, the magazine slogan is .
was a ...
'' magazine from June to October 2013 that was written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The manga is a crossover between ''Cutie Honey'' and Nagai's ''
Devilman Lady''.
''Gekiman! Cutie Honey-hen'' was an autobiographical manga published in ''
Weekly Manga Goraku
is a Japanese weekly manga magazine published since 1968, by Nihon Bungeisha. The magazine is published every Friday.
Serialized works
Listed alphabetically by title.
*''69 Denashi'' (Yasuhito Yamamoto)
*''Ad Boy'' (Makoto Niwano)
*''Aisu Otoko ...
'' magazine from July 2016 to September 2017 that was written and illustrated by Go Nagai. Chronicling the development of Cutie Honey while simultaneously retelling the original story, this manga was released to promote ''
Cutie Honey: Tears''. The manga was later re-tooled without the autobiographical portions as "Cutie Honey 2023."
A new tie-in manga for ''Cutie Honey Nova'' premiered online on April 1st, 2025. Written and drawn by
Naoto Tsushima, this new story follows Honey as aspires to be an idol at St. Capella Academy while battling against Panther Claw. New chapters are uploaded the first and fifteen of every month on Hobby Japan Web.
Anime
1973 TV series
Toei Animation
is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
produced an anime television series titled ''Cutie Honey'', simultaneously as the manga was being drawn. It was broadcast on NET (now
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...
) on October 13, 1973, and ran for 25 episodes until March 30, 1974. The TV series is much tamer than the manga version, removing much of the violence, gross out humor and lesbian undertones, but retaining Miss Alphonne's attraction to Honey. According to Go Nagai, the TV series ended after 25 episodes due to NET executives getting unhappy about the nudity. While the manga was marketed as "" ("science fiction comics"), the Toei anime is considered, at least in retrospect, a
magical girl
is a Genre#Subgenre, subgenre of primarily Japanese fantasy media (including anime, manga, light novels, and live-action media) centered on young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an ideal alter ego into wh ...
series.
Character designs were done by
Shingo Araki
was a Japanese animation artist and character designer.
Career
He developed an interest for drawing at age five. He graduated in Aichi Prefecture. In 1955, at age sixteen, he debuted as a cartoonist in the "Machi" magazine. He then joined Mushi ...
, musical score by
Takeo Watanabe
Takeo Watanabe' Animeland Retrieved November 11, 2009. was a Japanese musician and composer. In addition to composing the well known theme song for ''Cutie Honey'' he has also composed music for multiple anime television series and films includin ...
, scripts by
Masaki Tsuji
is a Japanese anime screenwriter, mystery writer, manga author, travel critic, essayist, professor as well as mystery fiction novels writer. Tsuji was most active in the business from the 1960s through the 1980s, and worked as a script writer on ...
, Susumu Takaku, and Keisuke Fujikawa, while episode directors included
Tomoharu Katsumata
is a Japanese film director best known for his work on various anime works. A leading director at the Toei Animation studio during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Katsumata worked as a director on several of Toei's anime television adaptations of m ...
, Osamu Kasai and Hiroshi Shidara. The series stars
Eiko Masuyama
was a Japanese actress and narrator. She worked for Aoni Production. She was most known for originating the roles of Fujiko Mine (''Lupin III''), Honey Kisaragi (''Cutie Honey''), and Bakabon's Mama ('' Tensai Bakabon'').
Early life
Eiko Masu ...
as Honey Kisaragi.
Outside Japan, the original ''Cutie Honey'' TV series was released was France, where it aired under the title ''Cherry Miel'' ("Cherry Honey") from August 1988 to February 1989,
In November 2013,
Discotek Media
Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series.
History
Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retr ...
released a DVD boxset of the complete series in North America. In February 2025, they released the series on SD Blu-ray. The series was also dubbed and broadcast in Hong Kong in 1975.
For an anime television series, the original ''Cutie Honey'' achieved respectable ratings in Japan, and some of its cast and crew have worked on other major titles. The series achieved a peak rating of 11.6% for episode 18 (broadcast February 11, 1974) and generally scored ratings of around 8–10%.
''New Cutie Honey''
The
original video animation
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
series ''New Cutie Honey'' was released in 1994 and ended with eight episodes in 1995. The series stars
Michiko Neya
is a Japanese voice actress. She was affiliated with Arts VisionAffiliation with Arts Vision in the 1990s:* 1998 profile: * Roster as of January 1998: * Roster as of May 1998: and is currently freelancing. Some of her major roles in anime inc ...
as Honey Kisaragi.
100 years after the decisive battle with Panther Claw, Honey Kisaragi now works as the mayor's secretary in the crime-prone metropolis of Cosplay City. One day, after being attacked by minions of the Demon King Dolmeck, who dominates the city, Honey regains her former power and memory and awakens as Cutie Honey. Honey faces a new battle against Dolmeck who is planning to revive her former nemesis, Panther Zora.
The series staff planned to make at least twelve episodes, but it ended with eight in 1995. A 2004 DVD release included a scripted but unfilmed ninth episode—a Christmas story—as a
drama CD
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
. The eight filmed episodes were released by
ADV Films
A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gr ...
in the United States.
Jessica Calvello
Jessica Calvello is an American voice actress and production assistant primarily known for her anime voiceover work and also known for her non-anime voice work on a number of animated shorts. Some of her more well known roles are Excel in ''Exc ...
, the voice of Honey in the English language version, was hand-picked by Nagai, though he originally wanted
Winona Ryder
Winona Laura Horowitz (born ), known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Having come to attention playing quirky characters in the late 1980s, she achieved success with her more dramatic performances in the 1990s. Ryder's L ...
. Until
Discotek Media
Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series.
History
Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retr ...
picked up the first anime, this series remained the only ''Cutie Honey'' anime to be commercially released in the US. Discotek Media released the series on
Blu-ray
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
in August 2019.
''Cutie Honey Flash''
Toei Animation
is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
also produced a ''
shōjo'' ''Cutie Honey'' series, known as ''Cutie Honey Flash''. It began broadcasting on
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...
on February 15, 1997, and aired until its conclusion on January 31, 1998. Employing many of the same animation staff as the recently finished ''
Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
''Sailor Moon Sailor Stars'', or simply ''Sailor Stars'', is the fifth and final season of ''Sailor Moon'', a Japanese magical girl anime series based on the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series by Naoko Takeuchi; the season was directed by Takuya Igar ...
'', including Miho Shimagasa, ''Flash'' features similar character designs and fits the more traditional mold of magical girl series. It uses
hand-drawn animation; according to Shimagasa, the use of
digitally animated characters on hand-painted backgrounds was planned and tested, but later rejected.
The series stars
Ai Nagano in her debut, as Honey Kisaragi. Nagano originally read for Natsuko Aki but was asked to read for Honey instead.
The series was dubbed and aired in Germany and South Korea.
The series is unrelated to the previous anime productions, being more of a re-imagining of the story. Most of the characters from the original TV series return, with the exception of Junpei, Naojiro, and the staff of Paradise School. The anime also introduces Misty Honey, a rival and self-proclaimed younger sister of Cutie Honey, whose name was chosen through a contest in Japan. Honey has a larger array of transformations as well, including versions of
her original forms Hurricane Honey and Cutie Honey.
An anime film, ''Cutie Honey Flash: The Movie'', was released in July 1997. The film takes place between episodes 19 and 20 of the television series.
''Re: Cutie Honey''
Gainax
Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; , Hepburn: ) was a Japanese anime studio famous for original productions such as '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', '' Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise'', '' Gunbuster'', '' Nadia: The Secret of Blue ...
, along with
Toei Animation
is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
, produced ''Re: Cutie Honey'', a three-episode OVA series that adapts and expands on the 2004 live-action film, ''
Cutie Honey
is a Japanese Shōnen manga, shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. First appearing in ''Weekly Shōnen Champion''s 41st issue of 1973, the series ran until April 1974. It follows an android girl named Honey Kisara ...
''. It was first shown on the
Animax
, stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime.The Anime Biz' - ...
satellite television network, with the first episode airing on July 24, 2004, two months after the live-action film was released. DVD releases for each episode followed, with the first on September 21. While
Hideaki Anno
is a Anime, Japanese animator, filmmaker, Film producer, producer, and voice actor. His most celebrated creation, the Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), ''Evangelion'' franchise, has had a significant influence on the anime television industr ...
directed the series in general, each episode also had its own director and the three episodes differed in style. This time, Honey is portrayed by
Yui Horie
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with VIMS and Starchild. She has been affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "''My best friend''" on . Since then, s ...
.
The Re: Cutie Honey Complete DVD, released on September 21, 2005, includes a CD drama starring the four voice actresses that have voiced Honey up to then:
Eiko Masuyama
was a Japanese actress and narrator. She worked for Aoni Production. She was most known for originating the roles of Fujiko Mine (''Lupin III''), Honey Kisaragi (''Cutie Honey''), and Bakabon's Mama ('' Tensai Bakabon'').
Early life
Eiko Masu ...
(the '70s series),
Michiko Neya
is a Japanese voice actress. She was affiliated with Arts VisionAffiliation with Arts Vision in the 1990s:* 1998 profile: * Roster as of January 1998: * Roster as of May 1998: and is currently freelancing. Some of her major roles in anime inc ...
(
New Cutie Honey),
Ai Nagano (
Cutie Honey Flash
is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation, part of the Go Nagai's ''Cutie Honey'' franchise. Airing in Japan, the series assumed the timeslot of '' Sailor Stars'', the final story arc of the long-running ''Sailor Moon ...
), and
Yui Horie
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with VIMS and Starchild. She has been affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "''My best friend''" on . Since then, s ...
(
Re: Cutie Honey).
''Cutie Honey Universe''
Another anime television series in ''Cutie Honey'' franchise, ''Cutie Honey Universe'', premiered in April 2018 as part of creator
Go Nagai
, better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of Japanese science fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Japanese horror, horror, and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', b ...
's 50th anniversary as a manga artist. The series, with its storyline and character designs closely patterned after the original manga, was directed by Akitoshi Yokoyama at
Production Reed with
Natsuko Takahashi
is a Japanese anime screenwriter. After learning about the profession of screenwriting in middle school, in university she entered a contest. Although her entry did not fit the theme of the contest, the examiners liked it so much that they gave ...
handling series composition, and Syūichi Iseki designing the characters and credited as chief animation director. The series stars
Maaya Sakamoto
is a Japanese actress and singer. She made her debut as a Voice acting in Japan, voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime ''Little Twins'', and became known as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in ''The Vision of Escaflowne''. Other ...
as Honey Kisaragi.
After Panther Claw holds hostages at a jewelry store, Honey teams up with the Panther Claw Criminal Investigative Services to fight against them. Unbeknownst to Honey, the group's key investigator, Inspector Genet, is really Panther Claw's leader, Sister Jill
Live-action films
The 2004 live-action film ''
Cutie Honey
is a Japanese Shōnen manga, shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. First appearing in ''Weekly Shōnen Champion''s 41st issue of 1973, the series ran until April 1974. It follows an android girl named Honey Kisara ...
'', produced by
Gainax
Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; , Hepburn: ) was a Japanese anime studio famous for original productions such as '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', '' Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise'', '' Gunbuster'', '' Nadia: The Secret of Blue ...
and directed by
Hideaki Anno
is a Anime, Japanese animator, filmmaker, Film producer, producer, and voice actor. His most celebrated creation, the Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), ''Evangelion'' franchise, has had a significant influence on the anime television industr ...
, stars popular Japanese model
Eriko Sato
is a Japanese actress. She is also a former gravure idol and made her debut in 1998.
Early life
Sato was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and raised in Tokyo.
Career
Sato starred in Hideaki Anno's 2004 comedy film ''Cutie Honey (film), Cutie Honey'' ...
as Honey. The
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...
film loosely retells the story of Cutie Honey's battle against the Panther Claw to defend humanity and avenge her father. It was released direct-to-DVD in the United States in April 2007 by
Bandai Entertainment
was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America.
Most of the anime and ...
. It is popular in Thai culture, and was distributed by Sutida Inc. media conglomerate. The film was not successful at the box office in Japan, leading to the bankruptcy of the production company, Towani, in September 2004.
In this film, there have been frequent cases of mass robbery of precious metals and disappearances of young women in Tokyo. Police inspector Aki Natsuko suspects Panther Claw's involvement in these incidents and begins chasing Cutie Honey, who was seen battling them. Honey Kisaragi, who works in an office, joins forces with reporter Seiji Hayami and Natsuko to defeat the evil Panther Claw and their leader, Sister Jill.
Another film, ''
Cutie Honey: Tears'', was released in the fall of 2016. Unrelated to the previous film, it stars
Mariya Nishiuchi
is a former Japanese model, actress, and singer-songwriter who is affiliated with Rising Production. She is the younger sister of model, actress, and BeForU member Hiromi Nishiuchi.
Filmography
TV series
Films
Discography Singles
Maga ...
as a new version of Honey (here named Hitomi) in a
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting said to focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech". It features futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyberwa ...
world.
In the future, abnormal weather, as well as a virus, have caused a decline in the human population. In this world, the rich and powerful dominate the world and live above the poor, who suffer on the polluted streets below. One man from the upper area, Dr. Kisaragi, plans to change the world for the better by creating an android using the brain patterns of his deceased daughter. The android, Hitomi Kisaragi is brought down to lower areas at the cost of Dr. Kisaragi's life. On the surface, Hitomi pairs up with reporter Seiji Hayami and the resistance leader Kazuhito Uraki to fight against the oppressors of the world, controlled by the evil android Jill.
Live-action TV series
Made to commemorate Go Nagai's 40th anniversary as a writer, a live-action TV remake, ''
Cutie Honey: The Live'', premiered on TV Tokyo on October 2, 2007. Starring
gravure idol
A model is a person with a Role (disambiguation), role either to display commercial product (business), products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an Model (art), artist's model.
Modelling ("modeling" in British and ...
Mikie Hara as Honey, the series focuses on a set of three transforming girls with different personalities and a Panther Claw run by four leaders. Dr. Kisaragi is portrayed by Go Nagai, the creator of the Cutie Honey series.
Honey Kisaragi, a second-year high school student who attends Shirobara Gakuen, hides her android status and lives a human life as an ordinary high schooler. She fights the mysterious secret society Panther Claw with the private detective Seiji Hayami. Meanwhile, Honey meets Miki Saotome and Yuki Kenmochi, but after several clashes with Panther Claw together, Honey gets know to the others, and their friendship deepens, forming a team of Cutie Honey, Sister Miki, and Sister Yuki.
Video games
* , was developed by Datawest and released by
NEC
is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...
in 1995 for the
PC-FX
The is a 32-bit home video game console co-developed by NEC and Hudson Soft. Released in December 1994, it is based on the NEC V810 CPU and CD-ROM, and was intended as the successor to the PC Engine (known overseas as the TurboGrafx-16). Unlik ...
.
The game has an original story. The player becomes a private detective and investigates mysterious disappearances alongside Honey.
New Honey transformations Fantasy Night Honey, Wrestler Honey, and Command Honey were added. It is packed with over 40 minutes of animated scenes, using over 10,000
animation cels.
* ''Cutey Honey F'', also known as ''Cutey Honey Flash'' (キューティーハニーフラッシュ), is a
Sega Pico
The Sega Pico, also known as is an educational video game console by Sega Toys. The Pico was released in June 1993 in Japan and November 1994 in North America and Europe, later reaching China in 2002.
Marketed as "Educational entertainment, ...
game released in 1997, based on the
anime series of the same name. Sister Jill kidnaps Natsuko to lure out Cutie Honey. Honey investigates Natsuko's disappearance while having to deal with the Panthers stationed around her school and community. By helping her classmates and defeat the Panthers. Honey fights against Jill after tracking her down and wins rescuing Natsuko. Players control Honey by moving around various areas and interacting with other characters. At certain points, Honey can assume alternate forms to play mini games that advance the plot, most of which involve the Panther grunts and after the games are over, Honey becomes Cutie Honey and finishes them off. Every time one of these minigames are played, Honey loses a heart point and to recover them she interacts with certain NPCs in conversation and going on dates with some of them.
* ''Cutie Honey Love Flash'' (キューティーハニー ラブ♥フラッシュ, ''Cutie Honey Love♥Flash'') is a mobile phone game developed by
DeNA
is a Japanese provider of mobile portal and e-commerce websites headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. It owns the Mobage cell phone platform and also operates other services, including the e-commerce website DeNA Shopping (formerly: Bidders).
H ...
that was released in 2011 as social game offered through
Mobage
is a portal and social network for games owned by the Japanese company DeNA. It derives its name from the Japanese slang word for mobile games.
History
In 2011, as part of a strategy to unify its services, DeNA rebranded Mobage Town as Mob ...
for feature phones.
Dynamic Planning
is a licensing company owned by manga artist Go Nagai. It was established in 1974 as a sister company of Dynamic Productions.
Dynamic Planning is credited in all of Go Nagai's animated works since 1974 as the "planner" and/or "producer".
S ...
had a hand in the development including the animation designing. The game introduces new characters alongside familiar faces. It functions similar to other phone games that use digital cards in its gameplay. Players select an avatar that uses the Atmospheric Element Condenser, effectively becoming a Cutie Honey. To advance the game, players collect jewelry and makeover cards in the story mode quests in the fights against Panther Claw. Once enough is collected, the player performs a Honey Flash gaining new forms and abilities (e.g. Kung Fu Honey, Angel Honey, and Maid Honey).
* ''CR Cutie Honey'' (CRキューティーハニー) is a 2017
pachinko
is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Gambling in Japan, Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of l ...
game manufactured by
Newgin
is a privately owned Japanese manufacturer of pachinko and pachislot machines incorporated in May 1968 in Nagoya, Japan. The company slogan is .
History
The company was founded in October 1949 as Marushin Bussan, then was reorganized into in ...
. The game character designs and forms for Cutie Honey in the game are loosely based on past incarnations of the character, with ''RE: Cutie Honey'' being the strongest influence as Cutie Honey's superhero costume in this title is a revamped version of the 2004 design.
Stage plays
Several stage plays based on the ''Cutie Honey'' franchise have been produced, the first of which was in April 1997, when ''Cutie Honey F Show'' was performed. The next time Cutie Honey would be seen on stage was in 2003, when ''Cutie Honey Magical Stage'' was held at the
Bandai Museum
The is a museum devoted to Bandai characters located in Mibu, Shimotsuga District, Tochigi, Japan. It opened on July 19, 2003 as the Bandai Museum at Matsudo, Chiba. It was closed on August 31, 2006 and moved to Mibu, Tochigi on April 28, ...
from July to August of that year.
''Cutie Honey Emotional'' was performed in February 2020 at the Sunshine Theater in Tokyo. Cutie Honey is portrayed by former
NMB48
NMB48 (read "N.M.B. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group that debuted in 2011 as the second sister group to AKB48, produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NMB48 is named after the Namba district in Osaka city of Osaka Prefecture, where the group is based ...
member,
Kei Jonishi. The play was written and directed by Ichidai Matsuda.
''Cutie Honey The Live Autumn Cultural Festival !!!'' was performed from September to October 2020 at Tokyo Theater 1010.
''Cutie Honey CLIMAX'' was performed in June 2021 at Tokyo Theater 1010. The play is a sequel and final chapter to ''Cutie Honey Emotional and Cutie Honey The Live Autumn Cultural Festival !!!''.
Theme song
The ''Cutie Honey''
opening theme
A title screen (also called an opening screen or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often an opening theme song with visuals ...
, which appears throughout all of the ''Honey'' anime and live-action versions, except for ''Universe'', is known for its lyrics by
[ADV's ''Essential Anime Collection'' release of ''New Cutie Honey'' contains two different opening sequences: the one for episodes 1 through 4 credits the theme's lyrics to "Krodo Q", and the version used in episodes 5 through 8 credits them to "Clode Q".] describing Honey and her body.
The 1973 series' theme, originally intended for
Linda Yamamoto
, Chinese: 山本稲; pinyin: ''shan bendao'') is a Japanese singer and model whose latest hit song was in 1973.
Biography
Yamamoto was born March 4, 1951, in Kitakyushu to a Japanese mother and an American father. Her father was a U.S. servi ...
to perform,
[.] was sung by
Yoko Maekawa
is a Japanese singer best known for various anime songs, particularly the opening for ''Cutie Honey''. She rerecorded the openings for ''Cutie Honey'' and ''Majokko Megu-chan'', titling them "21st century" versions, in 2008. The ''Cutie Honey'' ...
.
In ''Cutie Honey Flash'', it is performed by SALIA.
In the ''New Cutie Honey'' OVA, the original song is performed by les-5-4-3-2-1,
[ (English subtitles)] and the English language version by Mayukiss.
[ Opening sequence.] Kumi Koda
, known professionally as , is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs.
After debuting with the single " Take Back" in December 2000, Koda gained fame in March 2003 when the songs from her seventh single, " Real Emoti ...
performed it for the ''Re: Cutie Honey'' OVA and its live-action adaptation. In ''
Cutie Honey: The Live'', the theme is sung by
Minami Kuribayashi
is a Japanese singer, songwriter, lyricist and former voice actress from Shizuoka Prefecture. From 2016 to 2019, she performed under the stage name Minami.
Her involvement in the game and anime ''Kimi ga Nozomu Eien'', where she voiced the rol ...
as part of Wild 3-Nin Musume.
Other artists have also covered the song, including
GO!GO!7188
Go!Go!7188 (Go Go Nana Ichi Hachi Hachi), also known simply as Go!Go!, was a Japanese rock band with influences spanning from surf rock to punk rock to J-pop.
History
In June 1998, Yumi Nakashima (nicknamed Yuu) and Akiko Hamada (nicknamed ...
for their
Tora no Ana
is a 2002 cover album by GO!GO!7188, containing covers of anime songs and Japanese pop songs from the 60s and 70s. The name translates in English as ''Tiger's Lair'' while the cover art has been compared to that of Revolver by The Beatles. The ...
album,
Masami Okui
is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Itami, Hyōgo. She began her professional musical career at age 21 as a concert backup singer. From almost the very beginning of her career, Masami has sung themes for anime television and movies. She ...
in the ''Masami Kobushi'' album, and a version by
TWO-MIX
Two-Mix (temporarily known as II MIX⊿DELTA) is a J-pop, Japanese pop duo formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama (vocals and composer) and Shiina Nagano (synthesizer, composer and lyricist). Their style is fast Electronic music, electronic Pop music, ...
.
Animetal Lady also did a cover of the song for their 1998 album ''
Animetal Lady Marathon'', with the lyrics sung by
Mie of the Japanese pop group
Pink Lady. Pop star
Ahyoomee's solo debut was a Korean adaptation of Koda's version; it became highly popular online, despite controversy over her pronunciation of the lyrics and her "unambiguously Japanese" outfit in one performance. Harp player Mika Agematsu covered the theme—and songs from ''
Lupin III
, also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese media franchise created by Monkey Punch. The series follows the endeavors of master thief Lupin III (character), Lupin III, grandson of gentleman t ...
'', ''
Candy Candy
is a Japanese series created by Japanese writer Keiko Nagita under the pen name Kyoko Mizuki. The main character, Candice "Candy" White Ardley, is a blonde girl with freckles, large emerald green eyes and long hair, worn in pigtails wi ...
'', and others—in her album ''Anipa'' (UCCS-1088); it was released by
Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum ...
in June 2006 in Japan, and in February 2009 in the United States. In the fourth edition of her 2016 "BELIEVE" single,
Mariya Nishiuchi
is a former Japanese model, actress, and singer-songwriter who is affiliated with Rising Production. She is the younger sister of model, actress, and BeForU member Hiromi Nishiuchi.
Filmography
TV series
Films
Discography Singles
Maga ...
recorded a "CUTIE HONEY -TEARS- version" of the song for the B-side; "BELIEVE" is the theme song of the live action film ''
Cutie Honey: Tears'', in which she played the title character.
Idol singer Ayaka Sasaki
is a Japanese idol. She is known as a member of the female musical group Momoiro Clover Z.
Her Momoiro Clover Z signature color is Pink. She is the youngest member of the group. Her self-introduction is: .
On July 24, 2021, it was reported Sas ...
of
Momoiro Clover Z
is a Japanese idol girl group, commonly abbreviated as MCZ or .
The four members of MCZ are known for energetic performances, incorporating elements of ballet, gymnastics, and action movies.
MCZ is notable for being the first female group to ho ...
has also sung the song in various concerts, including the 2019
Tokyo Idol Festival
The Tokyo Idol Festival (stylized in all caps; abbreviated as TIF) is an annual music festival featuring live performances by female idol groups and solo idols from all over Japan.
History
The first edition of the Tokyo Idol Festival was he ...
.
The song can also be heard during episode 27 of the 1974 magical girl TV series ''
Majokko Megu-chan
is a Japanese magical girl anime television series. The manga was created by Tomô Inoue and Makiho Narita, while the 72-episode anime series was produced by Toei Animation between 1974 and 1975. This series is considered an important forerunn ...
'', when the main character Megu watches Honey, in her pop idol persona (Misty Honey), perform it on TV.
[Yoko Maekawa performed the opening themes for both ''Cutie Honey'' and ''Megu-chan''.] In the seventh episode of the 2006 series ''
Princess Princess'', the Princesses also perform it, singing a few lines from the theme for an opening to a choir concert.
A "self cover" CD, ''Cutie Honey (21st century ver.)'', with new versions of the opening and ending themes by Maekawa herself, was released in February 2008.
Connections to other works
Since its creation in the 1970s, ''Cutie Honey'' and its heroine have been referenced and parodied in various works by Nagai and others.
Manga
Honey appears as a secondary character in Nagai's ''
Violence Jack
is a Japanese manga, written and illustrated by Go Nagai since 1973 until its conclusion in 1990. It has had several serializations and one-shot stories which have run in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Most of the stories have be ...
'' manga. There, Honey is the younger sister of Ryou Asuka and is living in New York City. When she hears of the earthquake that devastated
Kantō, Honey and several of her friends go to Japan to search for Ryou, who has become the pet of the Slum King.
Honey's friends are alternate universe versions of her transformations in the 1973 series:
* Cutie (
fencer)
* Hurricane (military)
* Idol (
stewardess
A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...
)
* Flash (photographer)
* Misty (police officer)
* Fancy (
bodybuilder
Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic ...
)
In the last volume, Flash, Misty, and Cutie are killed when they fall into a spiked trap when they try to free a chained up Miki Makimura. Honey is electrocuted when she tries to rescue Ryou from the Slum King. Idol, Fancy, and Hurricane die in an explosion. The spirits of the seven women come together to form Angel Honey, whom Ryou sees in his dreams. When Ryou returns to his true form, as Satan, he fights in his sister's memory.
Also, Honey's best friend Nat-chan (Aki Natsuko) – or a girl strongly resembling her – appears in the ''
Devilman
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The manga focuses on a high school student named Akira Fudo who absorbs the powers of the demon called "Amon" with help of his friend Ryo Asuka in order to batt ...
'' manga. Her appearance is brief before she is killed by a demon.
Anime
Honey makes an appearance in the last episode of the OVA adaptation of ''
Kekkō Kamen'' as a student; her teacher from the 1973 TV series, Alphonne, also makes two
brief appearances there.
Danbei is a main character in Go Nagai's 1975 anime ''
UFO Robo Grendizer''; in episode 50 of ''Grendizer'', Seiji Hayami appears taking pictures in a crowd. This scene also featured cameos by Hayato from ''
Getter Robo
is a Japanese Mecha anime and manga, mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa (manga artist), Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. An anime television series produced by Toei Animation was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 197 ...
'' and Babel II from ''
Babel II
is a Japanese 1971 manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It was translated into an animated format in 1973 as a television series, in 1992 as an original video animation series and in 2001 as a thirteen-episode television series. Yokoyama ...
''.
In the Japanese opening of ''
Super Milk Chan'', there are moments that directly parody the 1973 series' opening sequence.
Video games
A
strategy video game
Strategy video game is a major Video game genres, video game genre that focuses on analyzing and strategizing over direct quick reaction in order to secure success.
Although many types of video games can contain strategic elements, the strategy ...
, ''
Majokko Daisakusen: Little Witching Mischiefs'', was developed by
Toys for Bob
Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. It was founded in 1989 by Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (programmer), Fred Ford and is best known for creating ''Star Control'' and the ''Skylanders'' franchise ...
and released by
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered ...
in 1999, and features Cutie Honey and other magical girls from the animation studio
Toei.
An
RPG
RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
, ''Legend of Dynamic Goushouden: Houkai no Rondo'', was developed and released by
Banpresto
(formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in the New Territories. Ba ...
in 2003, and features Honey and other characters created by Nagai.
Notes and references
Notes
References
*
External links
''Cutie Honey'' anime (original)at Toei Animation
''Cutie Honey F'' (anime)at Toei Animation
''Re:CUTIE HONEY''at Toei Video
*
{{Tomoharu Katsumata
1973 anime television series debuts
1973 manga
1992 manga
2001 manga
2003 manga
2004 manga
ADV Films
Akita Shoten manga
Android (robot) comics
Fusosha Publishing manga
Futabasha manga
Ken Ishikawa
Kodansha manga
Magical girl anime and manga
Manga adapted into films
Science fiction anime and manga
Seinen manga
Seven Seas Entertainment titles
Shōjo manga
Shōnen manga
Shueisha manga
Toei Animation television
Tokuma Shoten manga
TV Asahi original programming
Magical girl television series