Cutie Honey the Live! [Talk + Updated Journal Style!]
A live action movie, and now a live action series! I managed to get the first episode (it's huge, like 500mb for a 20:00 minute movie, but the quality is gorgeous! =D). It's obvious from the first episode that this series is very different from Go Nagai's original work. It's also not related to the live action movie. Information here.
Updated Journal Style in commemoration!
For those who don't know about Cutie Honey, it's the perverted precursor to the transforming magical heroine, about a female android who can disguise herself into various forms, her true form being the butt-kicking Cutie Honey.
Don't judge this series by the Opening, Cutie Honey the Live is much more darker than the live action movie. The opening song is still the Cutie Honey theme song of course, it's tradition to have a new rendition of this song. Unsurprisingly, it's has a para para dance beat to it (translation: it's very upbeat), although honestly I really like it. You can never go wrong with the Cutie Honey theme song. It's sung by Wild 3-Nin Musume. The ending is BUT, Metamorphosis by Kuribayashi Minami, this song is really awesome and the video that accompanies it is super cute.
The episode was kind of different then what I expected, for example Honey dosen't appear untill all the way at the end of the episode. Rather, the episode is about the poor detective Seiji who looks for a long-time client's brother Jirou. However, both of them are sought after by the evil Panther Claw organization, and Seiji gets involved in the mess. He ends up resorting to call Cutie Honey with his cell phone. Unlike in the Live Action movie, Seiji is the cute idiot as he was in the original Cutie Honey. His actor Syouma, is really cute too. I also love the choice for Cutie Honey, Mikie Hara. She is just so naive and energetic, and is the only thing that keeps the show from becoming way to dark. Btw, her henshin item has been modernized. It's now a heart necklace that becomes the standard heart choker/collar when she's in Cutie Honey form. However she didn't disguise as anyone in the show, so we didn't get to hear her famous monologue (hopefully next episode!). The new bad guy Yuji Nakajo appeared as well, he's got split personalities (one of them is a demonic persona known as "Giza") and his hands remind me of Freddy Kreuger. Although, he's really hot and is played by Kouhei Murakami. He's really creepy when he's in his "young child" persona though. Cutie Honey and Yuji duked it out, and it seemed as Cutie Honey was loosing. However, the episode ended in a cliff hanger... Lame.
The show is really mature. I assumed that because it's a live action TV series, it would be a bit toned down. I guess I'm ignorant of the standards of Japanese Television, as boy was I wrong. Yes it's a given, since it's based on Go Nagai's work. However, I'm more surprised at the violence then the fan service (this is a staple of the Cutie Honey series anyways). People love stabbing other people, and I'm being serious. Every minute someone was getting stabbed in the first episode. Every bad guy had some knife or sharp object (I was so surprised that Cutie Honey didn't have her rapier with her, with all the stabbing). There was also a random boob shown (some woman with some old guy) right near the end of the episode. Thankfully, they couldn't get show Mikie nude and it was all airbrushed (it would be sort of against the law if they didn't airbrush it).
Although, apparently Honey isn't the only "flashing" android in town. There is also Sister Miki and Sister Yuki, based on spades and diamonds respectively [there seems to be a playing cards suit theme going on here; Hearts (Honey), Diamonds (Yuki), and Spades (Miki), but what about clubs?]. They don't appear in Episode 1, but they do make a cameo in the opening. From the opening, it seems they have there own weapons, Miki has a boomerang (this was originally one of Cutie Honey's weapons), and Yuki I really can't tell what the heck her weapon is, and Honey has her rapier. Is Cutie Honey becoming more sentai? However, Sister Yuki and Sister Miki are quite reminiscent of Misty Honey in Cutey Honey Flash. If anything, their title of "Sister" (which was a title used in Panther Claw for Sister Jill) makes me think they're more antagonistic. Speaking of Sister Jill, no sign or her or Panther Zora has been seen. This is one of the big changes in Cutie Honey the Live, however there might be a chance she'll appear later. If anything she could be the android that represents clubs?
Overall this new series is really interesting. It's really mature though. if it wasn't Cutie Honey I really wouldn't be watching it. I can't wait for more episodes! :D (hopefully in smaller sizes >_>)
[More Live Action!]
Speaking of Live Action, I really need to see Negima Live Action's first episode... grrr
Off topic note: Digimon Data Squad is quite awesome! I needed to mention that lol
Updated Journal Style in commemoration!
For those who don't know about Cutie Honey, it's the perverted precursor to the transforming magical heroine, about a female android who can disguise herself into various forms, her true form being the butt-kicking Cutie Honey.
Don't judge this series by the Opening, Cutie Honey the Live is much more darker than the live action movie. The opening song is still the Cutie Honey theme song of course, it's tradition to have a new rendition of this song. Unsurprisingly, it's has a para para dance beat to it (translation: it's very upbeat), although honestly I really like it. You can never go wrong with the Cutie Honey theme song. It's sung by Wild 3-Nin Musume. The ending is BUT, Metamorphosis by Kuribayashi Minami, this song is really awesome and the video that accompanies it is super cute.
The episode was kind of different then what I expected, for example Honey dosen't appear untill all the way at the end of the episode. Rather, the episode is about the poor detective Seiji who looks for a long-time client's brother Jirou. However, both of them are sought after by the evil Panther Claw organization, and Seiji gets involved in the mess. He ends up resorting to call Cutie Honey with his cell phone. Unlike in the Live Action movie, Seiji is the cute idiot as he was in the original Cutie Honey. His actor Syouma, is really cute too. I also love the choice for Cutie Honey, Mikie Hara. She is just so naive and energetic, and is the only thing that keeps the show from becoming way to dark. Btw, her henshin item has been modernized. It's now a heart necklace that becomes the standard heart choker/collar when she's in Cutie Honey form. However she didn't disguise as anyone in the show, so we didn't get to hear her famous monologue (hopefully next episode!). The new bad guy Yuji Nakajo appeared as well, he's got split personalities (one of them is a demonic persona known as "Giza") and his hands remind me of Freddy Kreuger. Although, he's really hot and is played by Kouhei Murakami. He's really creepy when he's in his "young child" persona though. Cutie Honey and Yuji duked it out, and it seemed as Cutie Honey was loosing. However, the episode ended in a cliff hanger... Lame.
The show is really mature. I assumed that because it's a live action TV series, it would be a bit toned down. I guess I'm ignorant of the standards of Japanese Television, as boy was I wrong. Yes it's a given, since it's based on Go Nagai's work. However, I'm more surprised at the violence then the fan service (this is a staple of the Cutie Honey series anyways). People love stabbing other people, and I'm being serious. Every minute someone was getting stabbed in the first episode. Every bad guy had some knife or sharp object (I was so surprised that Cutie Honey didn't have her rapier with her, with all the stabbing). There was also a random boob shown (some woman with some old guy) right near the end of the episode. Thankfully, they couldn't get show Mikie nude and it was all airbrushed (it would be sort of against the law if they didn't airbrush it).
Although, apparently Honey isn't the only "flashing" android in town. There is also Sister Miki and Sister Yuki, based on spades and diamonds respectively [there seems to be a playing cards suit theme going on here; Hearts (Honey), Diamonds (Yuki), and Spades (Miki), but what about clubs?]. They don't appear in Episode 1, but they do make a cameo in the opening. From the opening, it seems they have there own weapons, Miki has a boomerang (this was originally one of Cutie Honey's weapons), and Yuki I really can't tell what the heck her weapon is, and Honey has her rapier. Is Cutie Honey becoming more sentai? However, Sister Yuki and Sister Miki are quite reminiscent of Misty Honey in Cutey Honey Flash. If anything, their title of "Sister" (which was a title used in Panther Claw for Sister Jill) makes me think they're more antagonistic. Speaking of Sister Jill, no sign or her or Panther Zora has been seen. This is one of the big changes in Cutie Honey the Live, however there might be a chance she'll appear later. If anything she could be the android that represents clubs?
Overall this new series is really interesting. It's really mature though. if it wasn't Cutie Honey I really wouldn't be watching it. I can't wait for more episodes! :D (hopefully in smaller sizes >_>)
[More Live Action!]
Speaking of Live Action, I really need to see Negima Live Action's first episode... grrr
Off topic note: Digimon Data Squad is quite awesome! I needed to mention that lol