Cutie Honey Universe is a Japanese anime television series produced by Production Reed (now Ashi Productions).It is the fifth animated reboot/remake project based on Go Nagai's Cutie Honey manga franchise, celebrating the author's 50th anniversary as a manga artist.The series aired in Japan from April to June 2018 and is licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks.
Plot
Honey Kisaragi is an android fitted with the Atmospheric Element Condenser (translated as the "Airborne Element Fixing Device" for the US release), 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.[3]
Like in the original manga, Honey is a superpowered android living as a young boarding school girl at the all-girls Saint Chapel Academy. Her powers come from an Atmospheric Element Condenser 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.[4]
The leader of Panther Claw, who lusts for the Condenser 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), a mysterious police inspector from France who has been assigned to help PCIS in their pursuit of Panther Claw.
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.
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 fervently 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.
One of Sister Jill's strongest fighters, she has the ability to form her legs and lower body into a dragon, complete with fire-breathing 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.
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.
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.
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.
The hulking, intimidating boss ("bancho") of a girl gang named the Sukeban at Saint Chapel Academy who act as an unofficial 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.
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.
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.
The sadistic superintendent of Saint Chapel whose cruel discipline, penchant for sadomasochism and habitual wielding of a whip have earned her the nickname "Hystler" ("Histora" in the US translation). 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.
Honey's surrogate father, a scientist who copied the personality patterns of his dying daughter into her android form, into which he also integrated his invention, the Atmospheric Element Condenser. 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.[11][12] 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.[13] The opening theme is "Ai ga Nakucha Tatakaenai" (愛がなくちゃ戦えない) by AŌP, while the ending theme is "Sister" by Luz.[13]
