Cutie Honey (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 2004 Japanese tokusatsu
(live-action) film adaptation, produced by Gainax
, of the 1970s manga
and anime
series Cutie Honey
.
The film stars popular Japanese model Eriko Sato
as the hyperactive Honey. Directed by Hideaki Anno
, the film loosely retells the classic story of Cutie Honey's battle to defend humanity and avenge her father against Panther Claw. In this version, Honey's powers come from the Imaginary Induction System. Called I-system for short, the name is a pun on the word . Villains Honey faces include Sister Jill, Gold Claw, Cobalt Claw, Scarlet Claw and Black Claw. The film also features a cameo by creator Go Nagai
.
In its native Japan, Cutie Honey was followed two months later by an animated series, Re: Cutie Honey
, based on the film. In the United States, the film was released direct-to-DVD on April 17, 2007 by Bandai Entertainment. Previously, the 1994 New Cutie Honey
OVA was the only incarnation of Cutie Honey to have been commercially released in the U.S.
) is in charge of the cases related to Panther Claw, which makes her meet the mysterious warrior Cutie Honey. Distrusting Honey, she sets out to strike down both Panther Claw and Honey. She has a serious personality, never smiling and being cold around others. However, by meeting Honey she begins to change and becomes more friendly to others. Her two immediate subordinates are Todoroki and Goki, both of them loyal to Natsuko even in the harshest situations.
), he follows Honey closely and has a deep knowledge of her, her powers and origin. He always assists Honey whenever she needs it, and seems to be fond of Natsuko as well. His true motives, however, are not clear, but it's sure that he is not a simple reporter.
) is third to fight Honey. Honey and Scarlet fight high up in the sky above
the city. Scarlet was obviously powerful, bringing with her an aura that made the world around her
into a shade of red. During the fight Scarlet Claw ends up leaving a large hole in several Buildings including the Office Building where Honey works. Scarlet Claw is defeated when Honey deflects her force beam back at her and, fleeing, she is destroyed by Black Claw.
said that Cutie Honey was more like the "tamer" 1970s anime version than the original manga, with camp
y "over-the-top" acting and "unpolished" CGI effects
. Garger added that "much of the film seems devoted to giving people a chance to ogle [Eriko Sato] in an array of fetching costumes—and in all fairness, she does an excellent job of being oglable." A Variety
review agreed with those points: it called the movie "an embarrassment of kitsch
es" with "camp pleasures and candy-coated, comic-book giddiness" that has "more humor and a lot less perversion" than the manga, and praised Sato as "a highly marketable plus as the sexy superhero who shouts 'Honey, flash!'", but said its CGI and matte
effects were "crude by H'wood standards".
On Allmovie, Jason Gibner wrote that the film's "scenes where Honey lounges around in nothing but a white bra and panties for extended periods of time" give "a feeling of unpleasant and unexpected sleaziness", despite being aimed at children with villains similar to those from Power Rangers
and the childish heroine Honey; while he said Sato's role as Honey is "hard not to enjoy", he considered the film an unsatisfying "noisy thing" with an incoherent story.
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
(live-action) film adaptation, produced by Gainax
Gainax
is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
, of the 1970s manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Cutie Honey
Cutie Honey
is a Japanese media franchise created by Go Nagai. Cutie Honey first appears on volume 41 of the 1973 edition of Shōnen Champion. According to Nagai, she is the first female to be the protagonist of a shōnen manga series....
.
The film stars popular Japanese model Eriko Sato
Eriko Sato
, originally a glamour model, is a Japanese actress.She was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and raised in Tokyo. She was given the Best Actress award at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival....
as the hyperactive Honey. Directed by Hideaki Anno
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,...
, the film loosely retells the classic story of Cutie Honey's battle to defend humanity and avenge her father against Panther Claw. In this version, Honey's powers come from the Imaginary Induction System. Called I-system for short, the name is a pun on the word . Villains Honey faces include Sister Jill, Gold Claw, Cobalt Claw, Scarlet Claw and Black Claw. The film also features a cameo by creator Go Nagai
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
.
In its native Japan, Cutie Honey was followed two months later by an animated series, Re: Cutie Honey
Re: Cutie Honey
is a three-episode OVA series based on the 2004 tokusatsu film Cutie Honey, both being adaptations of the 1970s manga written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The series was co-produced with Gainax and Toei Animation, directed by Hideaki Anno, and shown on the Animax satellite television network in...
, based on the film. In the United States, the film was released direct-to-DVD on April 17, 2007 by Bandai Entertainment. Previously, the 1994 New Cutie Honey
New Cutie Honey
is a 1994 Japanese anime series in the Cutie Honey media franchise created by Go Nagai. Inspired by continued popularity of the original 1973 Cutie Honey television series, and first announced by Toei Video on October 1993, it remains the only Honey anime licensed for sale in the United States...
OVA was the only incarnation of Cutie Honey to have been commercially released in the U.S.
Cutie Honey/Honey Kisaragi
Honey Kisaragi (played by Eriko Sato) is the daughter of professor Kisaragi. She was a normal person until she had an accident where her human body died. Her father saved her by creating an android body and transferring her mind into it. Thanks to the AI system, she is able to transform into almost any identity she needs. When transfomed into Cutie Honey, she becomes a powerful warrior wielding a sword. She needs to have energy in order to change from Honey Kisaragi to any of her transformations. When depleted, she has to eat a lot to regain her abilities. Her father was killed by the organization Panther Claw, and she vows revenge against them by any means necessary. Although she has a lively and carefree personality, she has no friends and most people take advantage of her naiveness. Her only relative is Dr. Utsugi, a friend of Dr. Kisaragi who has continued his research.Natsuko Aki
A police inspector, Natsuko (played by Mikako IchikawaMikako Ichikawa
Mikako Ichikawa is a Japanese actress and model from Tokyo, Japan. She was working as a model for the Japanese fashion magazine Olive under an exclusive contract...
) is in charge of the cases related to Panther Claw, which makes her meet the mysterious warrior Cutie Honey. Distrusting Honey, she sets out to strike down both Panther Claw and Honey. She has a serious personality, never smiling and being cold around others. However, by meeting Honey she begins to change and becomes more friendly to others. Her two immediate subordinates are Todoroki and Goki, both of them loyal to Natsuko even in the harshest situations.
Seiji Hayami
Seemingly a regular reporter, Seiji (played by Jun MurakamiJun Murakami
is a Japanese actor. He was given a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2001 Yokohama Film Festival.-Selected filmography: is a Japanese actor. He was given a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2001 Yokohama Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
), he follows Honey closely and has a deep knowledge of her, her powers and origin. He always assists Honey whenever she needs it, and seems to be fond of Natsuko as well. His true motives, however, are not clear, but it's sure that he is not a simple reporter.
Gold Claw
Gold claw (played by Hairi Katagiri) is the first to battle Cutie Honey. She almost wins but was defeated by the Honey Boomerang while trying to escape the sea bunker she and Honey were battling on. Gold Claw was not killed but later in the movie Sister Jill removes her thinking of her as weak. Gold Claw's left arm has 3 blades to slash and her right has barrels wrapped around her wrist so she is able to shoot Gold Missiles. The long blade on the top of her head may be used to grab and throw her enemies and to fly using it like a helicopter propeller.Cobalt Claw
Cobalt Claw (played by Shie Kohinata) is second in line to fight Cutie Honey. First she stole the body of Honey's boss, then she chases Honey and Nat-Chan into an elevator where she ditches the skin and reveals herself as Cobalt Claw. Cobalt would've been able to win but lost due to the I-System reacting to Honey's feelings of vengeance. Ultimately Cobalt Claw was melted. Cobalt Claw usually steals skin to get close to her victim, then she attacks with her 4 long braids, usually by tripping or gagging. If her braids are destroyed Cobalt Claw uses her contortionist body to unzip extra pockets in her suit that carry extra arms.Scarlet Claw
As you would predict Scarlet Claw (played by Mayumi ShintaniMayumi Shintani
is a Japanese voice actress and actress.-Notable Voice Roles:*Lolo in Brigadoon: Marin & Melan*Angel in The King of Fighters 2002*Shibahime Tsubasa in Kare Kano *Haruhara Haruko in FLCL*Daisy in Guardian Hearts...
) is third to fight Honey. Honey and Scarlet fight high up in the sky above
the city. Scarlet was obviously powerful, bringing with her an aura that made the world around her
into a shade of red. During the fight Scarlet Claw ends up leaving a large hole in several Buildings including the Office Building where Honey works. Scarlet Claw is defeated when Honey deflects her force beam back at her and, fleeing, she is destroyed by Black Claw.
Black Claw
The final Claw to face Honey is the seemingly androgynous Black Claw (played by Mitsuhiro Oikawa). Black Claw is duochromatic (black and white) and fights with a spinning sword attack and a hidden microphone. During the fight Panther Claw's minions played classical Music and accompanied Black Claw as (s)he sang. Black Claw was defeated when Honey used a point blank Honey Boomerang.Sister Jill
Sister Jill (played by Eisuke Sasai) is the head of Panther Claw. Her real power and form are unknown. She has an special interest in Honey's AI system.Reception
Ilya Garger of TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
said that Cutie Honey was more like the "tamer" 1970s anime version than the original manga, with camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
y "over-the-top" acting and "unpolished" CGI effects
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
. Garger added that "much of the film seems devoted to giving people a chance to ogle [Eriko Sato] in an array of fetching costumes—and in all fairness, she does an excellent job of being oglable." A Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
review agreed with those points: it called the movie "an embarrassment of kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
es" with "camp pleasures and candy-coated, comic-book giddiness" that has "more humor and a lot less perversion" than the manga, and praised Sato as "a highly marketable plus as the sexy superhero who shouts 'Honey, flash!'", but said its CGI and matte
Matte (filmmaking)
Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image with a background image . In this case, the matte is the background painting...
effects were "crude by H'wood standards".
On Allmovie, Jason Gibner wrote that the film's "scenes where Honey lounges around in nothing but a white bra and panties for extended periods of time" give "a feeling of unpleasant and unexpected sleaziness", despite being aimed at children with villains similar to those from Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
and the childish heroine Honey; while he said Sato's role as Honey is "hard not to enjoy", he considered the film an unsatisfying "noisy thing" with an incoherent story.
Further reading
External links
- Cutie Honey official website at Vap Inc.
- Cutie Honey official website (former URL) in the Internet Archive Wayback Machine
- Cutie Honey at allcinema
- Cutie Honey at the Japanese Movie DatabaseJapanese Movie DatabaseThe , commonly referred to as JMDB, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database, but lists only those films originally released in Japan. The site was started in 1997, and contains movies from Meiji...
- Cutie Honey at Variety Japan