New Cutey Honey: The Sailor Moon 18-35 has been looking for

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

New Cutey Honey: The Sailor Moon 18-35 has been looking for

I think that cartoons that show nudity and graphic violence are probably what defines Japanese animation to those who are virtually clueless about anime. This may also be the same for US distributors because these seem to be essential to get theatrical releases in the west.

Despite the dirty connotation I am giving these films and shows, these are probably the most important films in animation. Films like "Akira" and "Ghost in the Shell" show that animation is not only for kids and that limitations exist due to a writer's imagination.

New Cutey Honey: Collection One

CUTEY HONEY

Genre: Sci-Fi (Action themed) Length: 120 minutes (Four OVAs) Audience: 17 Up

Opinion: Unless you love every episode of a series similar to this, like Sailor Moon, this title is a gamble.

This is a review of the DVD release.

Based from the manga of Go Nagai.

I guess the future is pretty bleak in all forms of Sci-fi. "New Cutey Honey" takes place in a city that is virtually controlled by the evil cyborg Dolmeck. Police are powerless and the villain's mutant minions that our soon to be heroine's sidekick's, Chokkei, cybernetic grandfather cannot easily defeat. Fortunately, there is a prophecy for a time when an evil force like Dolmeck rises to power which is the arrival of a somewhat ancient heroine who is out to protect the weak.

Chokkei learns about this from his grandfather when he asked a question about a statue that looks a lot like the mayor's secretary, Honey. Well Chokkei's grandfather is immediately sure that she is the Honey from the prophecy, so the only think left to do is to convince her

http://www.angelfire.com/anime4/animeflow/

that she is super human. Since the mayor is at the top of the villains hit list, they better convince her soon.

Armitage from the postcard that came with the VHS.

I was always hesitant about buying New Cutey Honey (NCH) since I have an impressionable little brother and this was the only title whose A.D.V. Films preview blatantly shows nudity. After seeing the surprisingly risqué "Knights of Ramune" which features the work of the same character designer of NCH, Osamu Horiuchi, I pretty much told myself to forget buying this series. But always being curious and thrifty (thanks to Mom and Dad for buying me a DVD player for Christmas), I decided to by the first NCH DVD "Collection" which contains the first four episodes of the series or the first two video cassettes if you are a penny pincher who needs to know the bulk value of this disc.

Surprisingly, New Cutey Honey (NCH) is nothing like I expected. After seeing Knights of Ramune; a series that features the work of NCH 's character designer, Osamu Horiuchi, I figured this title would be some what offensive, but this series plays out more as a somewhat racier "Sailor Moon". The style of animation used is really unique with its ability to mix a 70s' style of drawing (this style is probably very similar to the original Cutey Honey series) for the supporting characters and a more modern style of animation for Honey and the villains she faces. Also the soundtrack is really good which gives this series a pop music video feel.

As for the episode plots, they follow the widely used throughout anime method of having the heroes face off and destroy the episode's designated villain, only to realize that this villain was working for an even greater one. I think this is a rather hit and miss method, but all the episodes on this DVD seem to work well, but they are by no means as strong as the episodes of the best anime series.

Because this series uses this story format, I immediately know that this title is not for everyone, and I for one do not plan on buying any follow up volumes of this series. Unless you love every episode of a series similar to this, like Sailor Moon, you are gambling $20 to $30 if you choose to purchase a New Cutey Honey video.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: It appears that the series is divided into two seasons, so the ending of the last episode on this DVD actually has a good method of closure. This makes the disc stand alone and it does not make you feel like you need to buy any follow up videos of this series.

Image from the CG Shrines

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The Bus's Transit of Anime Reality

This is how I became a rabid otaku. My first website was not suppose to be strictly dedicated to anime, but all things that were a 17 year-old Russ (Star Wars, Red Dwarf, and Highlander).

It became my first lesson in website design. Don't try to cover too much because you are going to be left disappointed. So I kept it to anime, and it wasn't till college took up most of my time did I ever feel disappointed by it.

I was also the creator of a fairly popular Neon Genesis Evanglion site: EvaUnit03's Tokyo 3 Station. This is where I took Danielle Scott's idea of incorporating alternative rock with the series for a critical and musical look at Evangelion.

The anime reviews for the show can be found at http://evaunit03.homestead.com/. The manga reviews can be found at Russ's Online Home.

A Critique of the Chinese Subtitled Version

Evangelion: Death

Evangelion Death is basically a review of the entire series up to Episode 24 that uses the rap around device of the first four children playing classical pieces on stringed instruments. For each kid who joins in, his story is told. Through Shinji we also learn the story of Misato and Ritsuko. Since I don't know Japanese as well as I thought, maybe that hurt my opinion on the editing. Maybe I just prefer chronological order.

There are a few enhancements to the animation to set up the second film, Rebirth, but everything else is from the T.V. series besides for the rap around device. If your like me and saw Eva through A.D. Vision, they did a lot of unreasonable editing (allegedly restored), so we missed a lot via this company. If you enjoyed the series you'll enjoy this, but if you're overly anxious for the conclusion like I was since I felt the T.V. series ending was perfect, you could get bored with the Death, and fast forward 45 minutes to Rebirth.

Evangelion: Rebirth

All of the angels have been destroyed, so what is there left for Nerv to do? On that thought, Seele decides its time to take Nerv back from Gendo Ikari by hacking in and taking over the Magi. Luckily, Ritsuko creates the 666 program through Casper which stops this invasion.

Before the hackers stuck, Misato had been searching for answers about the concept of the Third Impact. Shinji is looking for sympathy after killing Kaworu, and Asuka has become almost totally unreceptive to anything. Unfortunately, the cast can't go back to these plans because Seele has launched an assault force to kill everyone in Nerv to make sure Seele is absolutely in control.

Obviously this film sets its self up for a sequel, especially since we find out what Seele now has as their secret weapon. I don't support why the films were made, but this is a beautiful piece of animation which surpasses the quality of Gainax's last big film Wings on Honneamise. The story is superb, and I was actually impressed in the emotional performances of the voice actors. It has some of the most superb sequences I've ever seen in an anime, and its sound track lives up to the series's. Love the end of the T.V. series or not, this 45 minute film will blow you away.

On that note about the soundtrack, here's the theme song in midi form.