Wikipedia

Cutie Honey(film)

Cutie Honey(キューティーハニー,Kyūtī Hanī)is a 2004 Japanesetokusatsusuperhero filmdirected and co-written byHideaki Anno.It is an adaptation of the 1970smangaandanimeseriesCutie Honey.

Cutie Honey
Promotional poster of the film, with Eriko Sato asCutie Honey
Directed byHideaki Anno
Screenplay byHideaki Anno
Rumi Takahashi
Based onCutie Honey
byGo Nagai
Produced byMorio Amagi
Motoo Kawabata
StarringEriko Sato
Mikako Ichikawa
Jun Murakami
Mitsuhiro Oikawa
Hairi Katagiri
Shie Kohinata
Mayumi Shintani
Eisuke Sasai
Toru Tezuka
Ryō Kase
Ryo Iwamatsu
Suzuki Matsuo
Kyusaku Shimada
Ryuhei Matsuda
Masaki Kyomoto
Hideko Yoshida
CinematographyKosuke Matsushima
Edited byHiroshi Okuda
Music byMikio Endō
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. PicturesJapan
Release date
  • May 29, 2004(2004-05-29)[1]
Running time
93 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office$4.3 million

The film stars popular Japanese modelEriko Satoas the hyperactive Honey. The film loosely retells the classic story of Cutie Honey's battle to defend humanity and avenge her father against Panther Claw.[2]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 "love"(Ái,ai).

Cutie Honeywas followed two months later by anOVAseries,Re: Cutie Honey,based on the film. In North America, the film was released direct-to-DVD on April 17, 2007 byBandai Entertainment.[3]Previously, the 1994New Cutie HoneyOVA was the only incarnation ofCutie Honeyto have been commercially released in the United States.

Plot

edit

Honey Kisaragi is a cheerful woman living inTokyo.Following a fatal accident a year prior, Honey's father, Professor Kisaragi, revived her by transferring her mind into anandroidbody usingnanotechnologycalled the "I-System". Honey is a skilled swordsman, fighter, and master of disguise. She maintains a day job as an office temp, but her routine tardiness and airheaded personality irritate her colleagues.

Professor Kisaragi was murdered by Panther Claw, a terrorist organization, led by the stoic, tree-esque Sister Jill, who seeks to use the I-System to perfect and sustain her beauty. Sister Jill is aided by a loyalbutler,and her four generals: Gold Claw, Cobalt Claw, Scarlet Claw, and Black Claw. Kisaragi's colleague, Dr. Ryo Utsugi, becomes Honey's caretaker, whom she affectionately calls her uncle.

Utsugi is taken captive by Gold Claw, who is confronted by the police, led by the tightly wound Natsuko Aki. Cutie Honey intervenes, rescuing Utsugi and defeats Gold Claw, but their battle destroys theTokyo Bay Aqua-Line.Natsuko attempts to arrest Honey, but she flees. Dr. Utsugi is captured off-screen by Panther Claw. Natsuko is pressured by her superiors to solve Panther Claw's crimes, particularly the disappearance of numerous women across Japan; unaware Jill is using them to maintain her life force.

Both Honey and Natsuko meet the suave Seiji Hayami, a journalist andNSAagent, who informs them of Panther Claw's plans. Natsuko confronts Honey at work for further information, but they are attacked by Cobalt Claw in an elevator. An enraged Honey pushes her powers into overdrive, burning Cobalt to death. Natsuko lets Cutie stay the night at her home, but asks her to leave the next day. Cutie falls into a state of depression, whilst Natsuko is suspended by her superiors. Honey, Natsuko, and Seiji spend a night getting drunk and singingkaraoke.In the morning, Jill's butler invites the trio to the hidden Jill Tower, offering Honey the chance to rescue Utsugi is exchange for merging with Jill.

Sister Jill executes Gold Claw for her past failures, then raises her fortress beneathTokyo Tower.Honey and Natsuko separately move to rescue Utsugi. Honey is confronted by Scarlet Claw, whom she defeats her, but Black Claw executes Scarlet for retreating. Honey then battles Black Claw, killing him with her Honey Boomerang, but is drained of her energy in the fight. Natsuko confronts the butler, who promises to free Utsugi if she takes his place to bait Honey. Seiji finds and frees the captured women by using an anti-nanotechnology device.

Honey confronts Jill and her butler, agreeing to merge with Jill in order to free Natsuko and Utsugi. Natsuko fires Seiji's gun at Honey's choker, activating her transformation. Honey and Jill find themselves in a shared state of consciousness, where they experience Honey's cherished memories with her father. Encouraged by Honey to embrace love, Jill transforms into a small flower, which her Butler lovingly protects. Jill Tower collapses once Honey and her friends escape. Afterward, Honey, Natsuko, and Seiji choose to open a private investigation firm together.

Main characters

edit
  • Erika Satoas Cutie Honey / Honey Kisaragi, the titular character, a lively and carefree and android who doubles as a crimefighter.Carrie Keranenprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Mikako Ichikawaas Natsuko Aki, an overly serious and uptight police inspector. Eva Kaminsky provides vocals in the English dub.
  • Jun Murakamias Seiji Hayami, a charming journalist and NSA agent.Wayne Graysonprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Hairi Katagirias Gold Claw, the egotistical first general of Panther Claw.Shannon Conleyprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Shie Kohinataas Cobalt Claw, the contortionist-like second general of Panther Claw.Karen Strassmanprovides vocals in the English dub.
    • Kohinata also plays Honey's work colleague Rinko Terada.
  • Mayumi Shintanias Scarlet Claw, the playful but cowardly third general of Panther Claw.Erica Schroederprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Mitsuhiro Oikawaas Black Claw, the theatrical fourth general of Panther Claw.Dan Greenprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Eisuke Sasai as Sister Jill, the ancient leader of Panther Claw.Madeleine Blausteinprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Toru Tezula as the Butler, Sister Jill's loyal servant. Scott Simpsons provides vocals in the English dub.
  • Masaki Kyomotoas Dr. Ryo Utsugi, a scientist who is Honey's honorary uncle.
  • Ryo Iwamatsu as Goko, Natsuko's subordinate.Mike Pollockprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Ryo Kaseas Todoroki, Natsuko's subordinate.Michael Sinterniklaasprovides vocals in the English dub.
  • Suzuki Matsuoas Honey's office manager.

Cutie HoneycreatorGo Nagaicameos as a bystander whose car is crushed by Cutie Honey, whilst film director Hideaki Anno appears as an office worker.

Reception

edit

Ilya Garger ofTimesaid thatCutie Honeywas more like the "tamer"1970s anime versionthan the original manga, withcampy"over-the-top" acting and "unpolished"CGI effects.Garger added that "much of the film seems devoted to giving people a chance to ogleEriko Satoin an array of fetching costumes—and in all fairness, she does an excellent job of being oglable. "[4]AVarietyreview agreed with those points: it called the movie "an embarrassment ofkitsches"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 andmatteeffects were "crude byH'woodstandards ".[5]

OnAllmovie,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 fromPower Rangers/Super Sentaiand the childish heroine Honey. While Gibner said that Sato's role as Honey is "hard not to enjoy", he considered the film an unsatisfying "noisy thing" with an incoherent story.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^Gainax Co., Ltd."キューティーハニー NEWS & TOPICS".GAINAX NET.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-10-09.Retrieved2008-02-12.
  2. ^Johnston, Chris (May 2007). "Cutie Honey".Newtype USA.Vol. 6, no. 5. p. 154.ISSN1541-4817.It's a new high-water mark for anime turned live-action
  3. ^Bandai Entertainment, Inc."Cutie Honey: The Movie (Live-Action)".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-05-28.Retrieved2008-02-12.
  4. ^Garger, Ilya (2004-06-21)."Animé Goes Live".Time.Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2007.Retrieved2009-05-25.
  5. ^Eisner, Ken (2004-12-14)."Cutie Honey".Variety.Retrieved2008-08-03.
  6. ^Gibner, Jason."Cutie Honey (2004) - Review".Allmovie.All Media Guide.Retrieved2015-04-05.

Further reading

edit
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cutie_Honey_(film)&oldid=1258699813"