``I'm afraid we weren't able to show much nudity.''

-- Hideaki Anno

 

Honey Flash!

Hideaki Anno's latest film is a live action adaptation of the 1970s manga, Cutie Honey. Although Anno's first two films were experimental, arthouse fare, Cutie Honey is a light, campy funride, a romp through the conventions of low-budget Japanese action films and TV.

While content-wise, the film is new territory for Anno, many of the lessons from his first two films are present. The experimental camera angles of Love & Pop are used, but more selectively and to greater effect. The "arty" look of Shiki-jitsu is most evident in Sister Jill's water-logged hideout and some of the villain's costumes. But overall, Cutie Honey is the first film where Anno lets experimentalism follow the story, not overwhelm it. The action sequences are fun, and Anno's inventiveness squeezes the most out of the shoe-string special effects budget, but the film really works best when the characters are just talking and hanging out, getting drunk and singing karaoke. Anno is primarily known as the director of Evangelion, but his most radical innovation was making the giant robot anime pedestrian, bringing truly human characters and situations to anime for the first time. Cutie Honey is, similarly, a pedestrian superhero story, a science fiction story that is really just about real life.

 

Honey Flash Artbook Selection

 

 

 

Soundtrack

Love & Honey single
Koda Kumi

Koda Kumi's a rare bird: a pop singer with idol looks who can actually sing. Koda made her debut with Real Emotion in Final Fantasy X-2, and puts her great voice to work in "Cutie Honey Theme" (used in both the film and anime), a catchy remake of the original. "Into Your Heart" is fantastic as well-- it's used as the ED to the anime, but not sure whether it's in the film. Also included are instrumentals and two unremarkable b-sides, "Theme of Sister Jill," a forgettable, slower number sung in English, and "Yogiri no Honey," which gets a little annoying.

 

Music Video

Koda Kumi's music video to Cutie Honey (included on DVD with the single) is smokin. Koda's an great performer: she's got a strong voice, presence, and she likes to dance around in cute little dances she choreographs herself (Yuna's dance in Real Emotion is based on Koda's own moves). Koda plays up the camp of Cutie Honey, adding plenty of playful winks and smiles. The repetitiveness of the song is broken up by a little interlude featuring Koda dressed in black performing overtly sexual dance moves. Cutie Honey!

 

 

 

Links:

Cutie Honey official site - trailer, character profiles, etc

Hour.ca interviews Hideaki Anno - email interview with Anno featuring horrible translation on someone's part.

Asahi on Cutie Honey - includes a few quotes from Anno

Illusions - Cutie Honey scans from magazines and CD inserts

Midnight Eye reviews Cutie Honey

Eriko Sato photoshoot with Go Nagai (Japanese)