Cutie Honey Universe
| Cutie Honey Universe | |
 Honey in various costumes | |
| Genre | Science fiction, Magical girl |
|---|---|
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Akitoshi Yokoyama |
| Written by | Natsuko Takahashi |
| Studio | Production Reed |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | AT-X, Tokyo MX, BS11 |
| Original run | April 8, 2018 – June 24, 2018 |
| Episodes | 12 |
Cutie Honey Universe is a 2018 anime television series directed by Akitoshi Yokoyama at Production Reed. It is the fifth animated project based on Go Nagai's Cutie Honey manga franchise, celebrating the author's 50th anniversary as a manga artist. The series began airing in Japan in April 2018 and is licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks.
Plot
Honey Kisaragi is an android fitted with the Airborne Element Fixing Device, which allows her to transform into the warrior of love, Cutie Honey, among other forms. When her father is killed by the evil Panther Claw organisation, Honey teams up with the PCIS (Panther Claw Criminal Investigative Services) to fight against them, unaware that its key investigator, Inspector Genet, is really Panther Claw's leader, Sister Jill.[1]
Characters
- Honey Kisaragi (如月 ハニー, Kisaragi Hanī) / Cutie Honey (キューティーハニー, Kyūtī Hanī)
- Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (Honey, Cutie Honey), Maaya Uchida (Hurricane Honey), Yukari Tamura (Misty Honey), Tomoyo Kurosawa (Flash Honey), Kana Hanazawa (Idol Honey), Suzuko Mimori (Fancy Honey)[2][3]
- Like in the original manga, Honey is a superpowered android living as a young boarding school girl at Saint Chapel Academy. Her powers come from an Airborne Element Fixing Device invented by her father, and it is this invention along with her innocence and good heart that makes her Sister Jill's target.
Next to her standard Cutie Honey incarnation, this version sports the following alter egos: the motor-racing Hurricane Honey, the fashion-oriented Fancy Honey, the tomboyish and camera-oriented Flash Honey, the music-oriented Misty Honey, and the cabin attendant-styled Idol Honey.[2] - Sister Jill (シスタージル, Shisutā Jiru)
- Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka[4]
- The leader of Panther Claw, who lusts for the Fixing Device hidden inside Honey's body and for her innocence, which she attempts to destroy, thereby corrupting Honey to evil. Her henchwomen are recruited from among young girls enarmored with her, whom Jill eventually transforms into her superpowered agents of evil. She uses white roses to inject them with a nanovirus, which turn blood-red when the transformation is completed. In order to get close to Honey, she poses as Inspector Genet (ジュネ, June), a mysterious police inspector from France who has been assigned to help PCIS in their pursuit of Panther Claw.
- Natsuko Aki (秋 夏子, Aki Natsuko)
- Voiced by: Yui Horie[5]
- Honey's schoolmate and best friend. Initially only knowing about Honey's work for PCIS, she still suspected that Honey was not a normal person, but remains loyal to her. Unlike her manga version, she survives the Panther Claw assault on Saint Chapel in episode 6, and is subsequently entrusted by Honey with her full story. However, shortly afterwards she is captured by Jill and killed by Evil Tarantula Panther just before Honey can rescue her.
- Tarantula Panther (タランチュラパンサー, Taranchura Pansā)
- Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya[4]
- Sister Jill's aide de camp. She features several arachnoid characteristics, concluding an additional abdomen and the ability to create weblines which perform a number of functions, including changing the appearance of any person (including herself) enveloped by them. Originally one of the girls feverently devoted to Jill, she gradually becomes disillusioned as she continues witnessing her mistress' cruelty even towards her own devotees and Natsuko's deep love for Honey. When she senses her growing doubts, Jill splits Tarantula into a good and evil half. Good Tarantula atones for her role in Natsuko's death by aiding Honey in her final battle, in which she and her evil half slay each other.
- Dragon Panther (ドラゴンパンサー, Doragon Pansā)
- Voiced by: Chiaki Takahashi
- One of Sister Jill's strongest fighters, she has the ability to form her legs and lower body into a dragon, complete with fire-breating and flight abilities. Unlike most of her peers, she is more interested in a warrior's prowess rather than trying to win Jill's heart, and she is quite fond of Tarantula Panther. For these reasons, she sides with Honey against her former mistress during the final episodes arc, a choice for which she is killed by Sister Jill. This characterization is a complete reversal from her original manga version, where it was Dragon Panther who killed Natsuko and was subsequently slain by Jill for insubordination; a role which is filled by Snake Panther in the Universe series.
- Seiji Hayami (早見 青児, Hayami Seiji)
- Voiced by: Shintaro Asanuma[5]
- In this series, Seiji is a member of PCIS, and an old acquaintance of Dr. Kisaragi. Whenever a case gets too difficult to handle for normal officers, he calls Honey to the scene.
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- Voiced by: Kousei Tomita[6]
- Danbei is the father of Seiji and Junpei and a millionaire, slightly perverted but with a strong sense of justice.
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- Voiced by: Yuka Terasaki[6]
- Seiji's younger brother and his father's constant sidekick who shares his pervertedness and has an attraction to older women, including Honey and Genet.
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- Voiced by: Ippei Orishima
- One of Seiji Hayami's assistants in the PCIS, and a former private investigator.
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- Voiced by: Rui Tanabe (Akebi) and Yuki Hirose (Momoni)[1]
- A pair of young and cheeky female mecha users and intelligence operatives in the PCIS. While effective, they tend to disrespect their superiors and make fun at their incompetence at every opportunity.
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- Voiced by: Romi Park[6]
- The hulking, intimidating boss ("bancho") of a girl gang named the Sukeban at Saint Chapel Academy who act as an inofficial campus police force. Despite her rough looks and personality, she has a crush on Honey and is as a result quite jealous of Natsuko. During Panther Claw's assault on Saint Chapel, in revenge for the death of her entire gang and in order to protect Honey, she intercepts a deadly attack by Snake Panther and covers Honey and Natsuko's escape, apparently at the cost of her own life. However, thanks to her toughness she returns in the final episode to take the final fight to Sister Jill, and later joins Honey at their rebuilt school.
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- Voiced by: Ryo Naitou[6]
- The wife of Saint Chapel's principal who is in a lesbian relationship with Alphonne. She is slain in her lover's arms when Panther Claw destroys Saint Chapel.
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- Voiced by: Minoru Shiraishi[6]
- Honey and Natsuko's homeroom teacher who is in a lesbian relationship with the principal's wife. She is slain in her lover's arms when Panther Claw destroys Saint Chapel.
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- Voiced by: Yu Kobayashi[6]
- The sadistic superintendent of Saint Chapel whose cruel discipline, penchant for sadomasochism and habitual wielding of a whip have earned her the nickname "Histler". Unaware of Honey's alter ego as a super heroine, she often ends up punishing Natsuko whenever Honey is called away on a mission against Panther Claw. Like most of the others, she is killed during Panther Claw's assault on Saint Chapel.
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- Voiced by: Katsuji Mori
- Honey's father, a scientist who copied the personality patterns of his dying daughter into her android form, into which he also integrated his invention, the Airborne Element Fixing Device. He was later killed by Panther Claw, who were after the device, shielding Honey from a fatal blow; it was also on that night that he taught Honey the secret of her powers. He was also the inventor of a gravity-based transportation device which is frequently used by Panther Claw for their attacks and escapes.
Production
Cutie Honey Universe was first announced in December 2017 as part of creator Go Nagai's 50th anniversary as a manga artist.[7][8] The anime is being directed by Akitoshi Yokoyama at Production Reed, with series composition by Natsuko Takahashi and character design and chief animation direction by Syuichi Iseki. The series premiered in Japan on April 8, 2018 on AT-X, Tokyo MX and BS11. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series and is simulcasting it in several countries outside of Japan on their Hidive service; they are scheduled to also publish a home video release of the series.[9] The opening theme is "Ai ga Nakucha Tatakaenai" (愛がなくちゃ戦えない, You Can't Fight Without Love) by AouP, while the ending theme is "Sister" by Luz.[9]
Episode list
Template:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode list| No. | Title[a] | Original air date |
|---|
Notes
- ^ English episode titles taken from Hidive.
References
- ^ a b "Cutie Honey Universe Anime Casts Rui Tanabe, Yūki Hirose, Ippei Orishima". Anime News Network. March 20, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ a b "Cutie Honey Universe: Maaya Sakamoto, Yukari Tamura, Maaya Uchida and Other Cast for 7-Transformation Project". MANGA.TOKYO. February 9, 2018. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-05-04/cutie-honey-universe-reveals-full-cast-list-for-5-honeys/.131176
- ^ a b "Atsuko Tanaka and Rie Kugimiya to Play Antagonists in Cutie Honey Universe, New Visual and Cast Comments Released". MANGA.TOKYO. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Cutie Honey Universe Introduces Two New Characters and Cast". MANGA.TOKYO. March 6, 2018. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f "Cutie Honey Universe Introduces 7 Additional Characters". MANGA.TOKYO. March 27, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ "永井豪「キューティーハニー」"カッコかわいい"をコンセプトに2018年アニメ化". Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "New Cutie Honey Universe Anime Announced for 2018". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Sherman, Jennifer (March 29, 2018). "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Cutie Honey Universe Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
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External links
- Official website Template:Ja icon
- Official English website
- Cutie Honey Universe at IMDb
- Cutie Honey Universe (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
