Yes, I haven't written as many reviews as I used in the past five years. Not because I haven't watched anything since then, but most likely because social networks have completely taken over the world of reviews with their youtubers and tiktokers sharing their biased, sometimes lacking, viewpoints.
On the other hand, written reviews have also been monopolized by paywalls that have dubious experts polishing the latest turds. Moreover, and this is the end of my rant, they say the movie industry is dying because of streaming services that know their viewers all too well: Short stories with the simplest so that they can continue doom-scrolling their socials while the actors on screen have explained their reasons for doing what they're doing for the tenth time on several episodes.
Quentin Tarantino has got to be one of the last filmmakers that truly love cinema. Not only is he a director, but also a curator with surgeon knife precision, when it comes to bringing a script to life through some of the most memorable characters we have seen on screen since the early 90s. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is a gargantuan 4 hour and 36 minute experience not for the faint of the heart. Or at least, not for those in deep need of checking their phone screens every 5 minutes.
Behind the blood bath.
They call her One Eye.
Seeing this film on the big screen 23 years after its original premiere, feels refreshing, compelling, and satisfactory. It's no secret the movie industry has been going down since the superhero craze. Now, all you see on screen is either a children's flick, an exhausted new superhero film, a lame remake, and that's pretty much it. People no longer remember going to the movies as a cultural act. An act of appreciating art in the room that was designed to bring the experience to life like no other place would. Now, they're a bunch of couch potatoes on their phones while the TV is on.
Kill Bill is one of the best films of all time. It is a homage to everything Tarantino loves about the film industry, and he knows his audience very well. Casual movie goers would neither think about the quality of a film, nor their artistic value. Seeing Kill Bill is seeing samurai films from the 1950s, martial arts B-movies from the 60s, obscure revenge films from the 70s, and slashers from the 80s. All with the twist of having a marvelous script with wonderful characters, and actors that excel at bringing such characters to life. No matter when you experienced Kill Bill for the first or the last time. You will forever remember its characters and plot.
Tarantino & Thurman promoting the "after credits scene".
Most beautiful celluloid assassin.
Once we got to the intermission, a girl no older than 20 asks me "Excuse me folk, what is an intermission?" and I replied "it means you have a 15 minute break". So she and her friend went out, like the majority of viewers did. This is where I realized: "Quentin Tarantino has achieved the legendary level". New generations are discovering his films for the first time, and regardless of not grasping every reference, or context from years past, they get they're watching a quality film that was made with durability in mind. The majority of the people that were there, must have been 20 to 30 years old. The older viewers, like myself, a proud 44 year older, must have been the least in the room. I don't blame them, sitting for four hours straight, is not an easy task. Although I was prepared with my large bucket of popcorn and Sprite Zero, the intermission felt like the coming of a lifeboat. I could stand up, and walk for a little.
Time for a walk.
"Now, We return to Kill Bill".
Does Kill Bill: TWBA feature extra/new scenes?
Yes, it does. For the part we used to call "Volume 1" there is an expanded animated scene where we see Oren Ishii avenge his parents from every murdering bastard that was in the scene. I gotta admit, it didn't feel like filler at all. It could have been in the original version with no issues. Other minor shots appear when Beatrix Kiddo is fighting the crazy 88 in the restaurant, but you have to be quick, because these new angles go fast. Moreover, the famous fight, which was spent in black & white in the original cut, is now back to its bloody colorful massacre original intention. Gallons of blood are all over the screen, and I couldn't help but laugh, at youngsters being horrified with some of the most gruesome deaths.
Unlike other old films brought back to theaters for anniversary celebrations, Kill Bill's return has got nothing to do with celebrating nostalgia. It is, let's say the "director's cut" we never got to see in 2003. A movie with such long runtime would mean theaters would technically lose money showing one instead of two films in a four hour time frame. Fast forward to 2026, and we can easily list films that are longer than 3 and even 5 hours! Two quick examples: The Batman & Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Last Duel.
Easy peasy.
Does Kill Bill: TWBA feels like a better film compared to the two original volumes?
No, it does not. The original volumes are the same movie only without the expanded animé scene. Moreover, this new take removes completely the opening black & white credits where Beatrix Kiddo is driving retelling what happened on volume 1 and where she's heading. Save for that, Volume 2 plays in its entirety as does volume 1 with a few added minutes. The seamless experience was already there in the original version of both films.
Overall, a reminder of what great films used to be when the industry cared about art, and it wasn't force-fed into an algorithm that seems nearly impossible to avoid.
Fads come and go. What was once a matter of laughter in the film industry, became the ruling genre, and it ultimately imploded. Questions also came from every corner of the industry: producers, directors, actors, and a toxic, rather questionable fan base. The Flash was originally intended as the next step into Zack Snyder's DCU. Sadly, movies are now treated like products, people no longer root for the artistic elements that make a good movie. Now the world has turned its back to artists, and all it does is deliver headlines based on how much money these films are making or losing. There's also the unwanted comparison "our film is making more money than yours" and a neverending thread of negativity that really makes it seem social networks could be the worst idea of recent years. In fact, I stopped reviewing films in 2017 (Wonder Woman) only to return briefly in 2020 with WW 84. Superhero exhaustion is real regardless what corporate patronizing media says.
In the 80s (I was born in 1981) we had very few superhero films. Superman III, Supergirl, Superman IV and Batman. Although The Incredible Hulk TV show lasted until 1982, that's pretty much everything we had available, despite cartoons and older TV shows reruns. So, an 80s kid would get his/her comic book education mostly from actual comic books, and boy were the 80s a nice decade to get that superhero degree. So, I would say there are two kinds of superhero fans now. The casual ones, the ones that watch the movie, or TV show, and obviously the, let's say, dedicated ones. Those who read the comic book, and watch the movie and TV show with their critic eye looking for every similitude with the source material. but wait! there's more! there are fans of the superhero video-games, fans of the collectibles like action figures, wear, and a never ending etc. So how can you please every type of fan? Simple, you can't.
Two flashes for the price of one, and a Supergirl.
The reason to watch this film for older fans.
The Flash film is its own version of Flashpoint, or any based upon a multiverse story already told to exhaustion on paper by DC Comics for decades.In a nutshell, Barry Allen discovers by accident that if he goes faster than expected he can time travel. Obviously, any Flash fan at this point knows this can only mean one thing: He's going to prevent his mother's death. Moreover, in doing so, we all know this will have catastrophic consequences for reality as we know it. If you're one of the few unfamiliar with Flash's story, the film will explain it you with the aid of tomato sauce can, and spaghetti cooked by none other than Batman, the dark knight.
Production wise, the scarlet speedster film faced a neverending season of problems that halted and delayed the project for five years. The internet incels, paid & biased media, made it really difficult for Warner Bros to develop a cohesive and coherent cinematic universe. On the one hand,every film, save for Wonder Woman & Aquaman "performed" really well ,although Wonder Woman's sequel flopped despite being released for free on streaming platforms for the pandemic. On the other hand, Aquaman's sequel has been halted and delayed by Amber Heard's divorce, and the many changes Warner Bros fat executives demanded. So in a strange universal alignment, real life problems seem to have defeated the idea of having a shared multiverse. Oh, I forgot the Shazam movies and the Blue Beetle one coming soon. They're also hot garbage, or at most filler material for something that will never be. Enter James Gunn, the new head of the cinematic reboot he promises will change the tide to smooth sailing. However, his The Suicide Squad film wasn't that much of a success. Perhaps, Peacemaker seemed like an original idea, a one hit wonder, in music terms but nothing worth calling groundbreaking.
Iris West and her unfinished arc.
His face relates to our experience as fans.
Anyway, going back to The Flash, the film would originally Superman & Aquaman, and perhaps other Justice League members but nope. Henry Cavil was fired years ago, and despite all the love he gets on the internet, not even The Rock and his Black Adam cameo could save him. Moreover, Warner Bros, and James Gunn just didn't care at what millions of fans were asking for years on the internet. True, we got the Zack Snyder 4 hour cut of the Justice League Warner execs spent years saying it didn't exist. Oh, also that canceled Batgirl film. Not to mention Ezra Miller's legal problems which led a lot of people into boycotting this film.
At this point, we realize we're focusing on corporate business territory we shouldn't give a crap about. Sadly, this is how both social and official media work these days. We are told to celebrate those who get richer, and laugh at those who don't. So where is the art in that? Where are those cinema fans looking for a soul changing experience? Well, they're probably busy buying stuff they don't need.
The batmobile rides again (not)
A nice Supergirl with no future.
So in a world where everything is based on algorithms that will offer customized ads to maintain your brain busy consuming and avoiding at all costs thinking, how hard can it be for another superhero film to make sense? While The Flash flopped in theaters, it's actually doing pretty well on streaming and on-demand services.
Useless business talk aside, The Flash offers an entertaining story that is outdone by what was happening outside in the real world. Going to the movies knowing this is a standalone project with no future led a lot of people into not buying the movie tickets. How can you root for characters that will never return? For example, Supergirl. Sasha Calle's version of Kara Zor-El while brief, leaves a mark, and a lot of people would have loved to see more of her. Same with Michael Keaton's return as Batman. Fans of his movies were thrilled when the official announcement was made, but nope, no more movies for him too. Moreover, Ben Affleck's Batman also shows up for one final adventure, and I know many people liked his take on the caped crusader. While comparisons are a bitch, the other film example I can think is Rogue One. A film that is completely wasted by the fact everyone knew every main character would die at the end. Bad idea! The viewer needs to establish an emotional interest in character development. If you already know what's coming you simply lose interest. I for one, think The Flash is a good movie, but it could have been larger than life had it not being devoured by behind the scenes trouble.
As above mentioned, time travel changes everything for Barry Allen. The first big change, is he meets a younger version of himself, and this is the best part of the movie. The way Ezra Miller is capable of portraying two very different versions of himself, proves he can act. Sadly, there won't be any more movies to see how much farther he could have expanded the fastest man alive story.
Zod returns, and where is Superman?
Batfleck's final adventure.
Another interesting occurrence in The Flash is how much they reused from Man Of Steel to tell the main story. But, didn't people hate Man Of Steel? Why choose this particular film to be the setting of the story? I don't think I have an answer for that. Henry Cavil is nowhere to be found in the film, yet we get all his foes back searching for him, while they conveniently adjust the story to offer us Supergirl instead.
Early on the movie also offers the last Justice League moment from the DCU. Batman, The Flash and Wonder Woman. I have to admit I jumped in happiness when she showed up! Gal Gadot did a wonderful job! I do hope she gets a chance to complete her trilogy of films. I mean, James Gunn gave Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn a chance, why stop there? Heads up! there is a rumor that James Gunn, Peter Safran, and Gal Gadot herself are working in Wonder Woman 3 as I'm posting this review.
Here to do a man's job.
The lasso of truth delivers the best joke.
Plot wise, Barry Allen discovers the mess he caused, so in teaching his younger version how to become The Flash, he loses his powers, which leads to laughter as the inexperienced young Barry attempts to master his powers as fast as he can. Of course, in this new reality there is no Superman, no Justice League, so while the original Barry knows there is no way he can defeat General Zod, because... he was there! In a cleverly placed sequence, we discover he was testing his powers with a proto-suit while Earth was invaded by Kal-El's not so friendly long lost relatives. So with no powers, and a younger version of himself, all they can do is hope The Batman still exists, which to our 40 year old happiness, it actually does! Bruce Wayne, The Batman returns from self-imposed exile, and it's none other than Michael Keaton himself. Tim Burton's Batman is back for one final adventure.
The batmobile, the batwing, the batcave and even a collection of bat-suits all return to the big screen bringing mostalgia to its peak once we hear him say "Yes, I'm Batman". However, he'll only help them find this Superman and then hit the sack. The white whale proves to be well guarded by mad scientists and a legion of soldiers. Obviously, Batman is a one man army, so with his aid, our two Barry Allens discover the shocking truth: There is no Superman! only a mysterious female prisoner that goes by the Kara Zor-El name. Phew! We're saved! As soon as she gets some vitamin D, she's ready to wear the red S suit and cape to take down the bad guys and see if she can find his long lost cousin.
Just in case, a few extra bat-suits.
Moving forward is the only way.
The concept of time travel in the movie offers one valuable life lesson. What if all the bad stuff in our lives was necessary to make us the people we are today? The question is not only raised by Ben Affleck's Batman, but also by many other characters throughout the film. Changing the past, or erasing it to save the pain, will not always be the best solution to our problems. Moreover, the original Barry realizes some things are impossible to fix, and all he's got left is learning how to come to terms with it.
Even though the movie features a lot of DC comics characters, make no mistake, this is a Flash film, he is the main character. His personal drama goes back and forth until he realizes what he really needs to do. The loss of his mother in the hands of a mysterious murderer (we know from comic books it is Reverse Flash,but not here, we're neither told, not shown), and how his father is unfairly sent to jail because of it, play an important part in the film.
Some of the CGI from the movie.
Visual effects, or CGI has been one of the most criticized aspects from the film. Although director Andy Muschietti said: “We are in the perspective of The Flash. Everything
is distorted in terms of lights and textures. We enter this
‘waterworld’, which is basically being in Barry’s POV.
“It was part of the design so if it looks a little weird to you that was intended,” he added.
All in all, The Flash doesn't win the superhero race, regardless of how fast he can go. The Marvel Cinematic Universe did it first, despite the fact we all know DC Comics came first with many of the most innovative stories and characters in the industry. People talk about superhero fatigue, and I agree. It's time for the industry to push other kinds of TV Shows and films. We need more variety urgently.
The pandemic struck hard in the world. Not only in health terms but also in unemployment rates, businesses going out of business, and the industry of entertainment struggling to find new ways to deliver their products to a world that could no longer go out to concerts, cafe venues, and movie theaters. Moreover, global warming, nonsensical wars, dictatorships and sexism continued to hurt a planet that is running out of batteries long ago. Of course, my fellow reader, I have no intentions of waking up to this sick sad world, I'm sure you are well aware of it.
Wonder Woman 1984, AKAWW 84 was supposed to premier in theaters in 3 different dates that were delayed until it was decided the movie would premier in selected theaters in the USA & Canada, while also premiering at HBO Max streaming service on December 25th, yes, Christmas Day! A little ray of hope in such uncertain times is more than a welcomed gesture.
By the way, I stopped reviewing superhero films years ago due to an overwhelming exhaustion caused by lots of these films. However, I can make an exception since this is the only superhero film to ever premier during the pandemic.
Barbara Minerva.
Maxwell Lord.
Background
WW84 is a 2020 Americansuperhero filmbased on theDC ComicscharacterWonder Woman. It is the sequel to 2017'sWonder Womanand the ninth installment in theDC Extended Universe(DCEU). The film is once again directed byPatty Jenkinsfrom a script she wrote withGeoff Johns (a real comic book person)andDave Callaham, based on a story by Johns and Jenkins.Gal Gadot returns asDiana Prince / Wonder Woman, alongsideChris Pine,Kristen Wiig,Pedro Pascal,Robin Wright, andConnie Nielsen. Set in 1984 during theCold War, the film follows Diana and her past loveSteve Trevoras they face off againstMax LordandCheetah.
Discussion of a sequel began shortly after the release of the first film in June 2017 and the decision to proceed was confirmed the following month. Principal photography began on June 13, 2018, with filming taking place at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in England, as well as the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia in the United States, London and Duxford in England, Tenerife and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, and Almería in Andalusia, Spain. Production wrapped on December 22, 2018, after a six-month shoot, with additional filming in July 2019.
Wonder Woman 1984 premiered on December 15, 2020, via the DC FanDome virtual platform. It was theatrically released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 25, 2020, and also made available to be streamed digitally on HBO Max for a month before it will go to premium video on demand. In international markets that do not have HBO Max, the film was theatrically released beginning on December 16, 2020. It was praised for its "escapist qualities" and Jenkins' take on the 1980s, but many critics found it "overindulgent or cliché". A sequel is in development, with Jenkins and Gadot returning.
Steve Trevor and 80s fashion.
"Not a fan of your look Steve".
Plot
In her youth, Diana Prince participated in a multi-stage athletic competition on Themyscira against older Amazons overseen by Queen Hippolyta. After falling from her horse, Diana takes a shortcut to catch up to it and resumes the competition. Just before she wins, her aunt Antiope removes her from the competition, lecturing that "no true hero is born from lies".
In 1984, 66 years after the first film, Diana works as a senior anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., specializing in ancient Mediterranean civilizations; Diana also secretly fights crime as Wonder Woman. At work, she meets new employee Barbara Ann Minerva, an insecure woman who comes to idolize and envy Diana. After Wonder Woman foils an attempted robbery, the FBI asks Barbara to identify a cache of stolen antiquities from the robbery. Both Barbara and Diana notice that one object — later revealed to be the "Dreamstone" — has a Latin inscription.
Diana unknowingly uses the stone by wishing that her deceased lover Steve Trevor was alive; his soul then returns and inhabits another man's body. Later, after Diana saves her from an assault, Barbara wishes upon the stone to become like Diana, inadvertently attaining Diana's superpowers and godhood. Businessman Maxwell "Max Lord" Lorenzano visits the Smithsonian under the guise of a wealthy donor, secretly coveting the Dreamstone in hopes of saving his failing oil company. During a gala at the Smithsonian, Max seduces the unwitting Barbara, who is taken by his charm to gain access to her office and steal the Dreamstone. He later wishes to become the embodiment of the stone and gains its power to grant wishes while also having the ability to take whatever he desires from others.
Friend?
...Or foe?
Review
Superheroes are obviously still a trend in the film and TV industry. Despite a certain excessive amount of products related to them, audiences around the world are still craving for more, and that accurately connects with the "Be careful was you wish for" concept present in WW 84.
Running two hours and 30 minutes WW 84 is a light hearted story that will surely appeal to the innocence of younger audiences looking forward for an adventure full of heroics and a simple plot with simpler antagonists. Grown ups, depending on which side of fandom you're standing on, will either enjoy it for its nostalgic approach, or hate it for its apparent lack of realistic drive which serious superhero films have (?) But I'll leave that up to you, of course.
The opening scenes are all about WW saving the day. For some reason, this sequences strongly reminded me of the opening scenes from Superman IV The Quest For Peace. Anyway, after the nostalgic heroics we are taken back to Diana's childhood while slapped in the face with some ugly CGI. How can this be? I mean, aren't they resourceful enough to afford working with the best? Fortunately, things get way better in that department, as the movie moves on.
Plot wise, this ancient stone (Dreamstone) works as a wishing well and I for one, think it's a nice Mcguffin, I mean even Diana Prince, Wonder Woman! couldn't help to wish for the one thing she wanted most in the world. From there on, it's all about facing the consequences of the "be careful what you wish for" idiom which by definition is described as follows:
If you get things that you desire, there may be unforeseen and unpleasant consequences.
And here's where the film actually starts. As above mentioned (in plot) The main character and her two antagonist, wish for a few changes in their lives, so consequences will arise ready or not.
Flyboy is back.
Useless man next to a Goddess.
80s wise, the setting isn't THAT 80s. There isn't a bunch of songs from the decade playing in the background, and honestly, the shopping mall scene (which also briefly features a video arcade) is the most 80s scene. On the other hand clothing, especially, Barbara's is definitely 80s. And last but not least, the Cold War. All these secret nukes and red buttons are there, and they are very 80s. I mean, a lot of movies and TV shows from the 80s focused on secret missiles, double agents and nuclear bomb fears all over, so that's definitely the other 80ish element present in the film, but then again I do wish there was more neon lights and an actual soundtrack with cool songs by Blondie, Duran Duran, A-Ha, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, The Cure, etc.
Now, let's talk about those consequences above mentioned. While the film is directed by a woman, you can easily see the influence of men from the production desk all over.
On the one hand we have, Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) a professional woman who's not valued in her field because she isn't popular? because she doesn't have a perfect body? because she doesn't dress to kill? because she doesn't sleep with her colleagues? This is a big What the fucking fuck? moment in the movie. Moreover, Her overly anxious desire for popularity with men ultimately leads her to fight against WW, a woman that treated her kindly and befriended her! Oh, but women should hate the likes of Diana Prince! Smart, professional, independent and good looking! let's trash her! If this was a representation of women in the 80s, I'm not too sure the script had a lot of Patty Jenkins on it. it's more like it was 80% written by Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham and all Patty was left with, was to choose the dresses and hair styles.
Borrowing Saint Seiya's sagittarius armor.
Up up and away!
On the other hand Wonder Woman!, her movie is ruined as soon as Steve Trevor is back from the dead. Why? Well, because she becomes the good girl next to the "capable man".
Look at her role as soon as Steve Trevor shows up. She helps him pick out clothes. She listens intently as he pontificates on flying. She risks herself to save children. And she appeals to the better nature of the power hungry man, to talk him off the ledge by reminding him that he has feelings... instead of snapping his damned neck like she does in the comics.
You can like that. It's very likeable. That's the point. In the first film, she was defying femininity norms for the 1910s. In the sequel, Diana is embracing them: she's demure, humble, eventually selfless, supportive, but still emotionally and sexually available. She compliments men. She wants nothing for herself. How perfectly... traditional.
This is no longer the woman who held the shield in No Man's Land, with the men following behind her. It's not that it's not, for the most part, an enjoyable movie. It is. I just feel guilty for liking it. Every good superhero movie has a "fuck you" quality about it. Something that uses inherent silliness to boost it.
Superman was "fuck you I'm a guy in my underpants and a cape. I'm still cool. In fact, I'm cooler for making this work!"
Batman was "fuck you I can't even move my neck and I'm still taking dudes down."
Iron Man was "I'm Robert Downey Jr. and everyone said my career was dead! fuck you!"
Thor was "fuck you it's Shakespeare with muscles!"
The first Wonder Woman was a "fuck you I'm a woman in my metal underwear being scandalous". But in WW84 she spends more time getting effed than doing the effing. And if you were left feeling somewhat disappointed and can't put your finger on why, maybe that's it.
It's not the plot holes. Superhero movies have those. It's not the required suspension of disbelief. It's that, in the scramble to SAY SOMETHING about the root causes of, among other things, Trumpism, everyone seemed to forget that it wasn't Maxwell Lord in superpowered Wall St. It's supposed to be a WONDER WOMAN movie.
Now I'm worthy because men want to fuck me.
The Breakfast club.
Moving on to the good things about WW84 I can say, there were moments where Wonder Woman shows progress, evolution as a hero. This time her lasso of truth has become a much stronger weapon, and we get to see her cover big distances with it. I really liked that, and I liked it even more as later she learns to fly! because WW flies! In addition, I liked the fact she gets wounded and still continues to fight. The invisible plane nod was also nice. Moreover, the thing I liked the most is how she wins the big fight by not throwing a single punch to Maxwell Lord. What else? oh, the acting. We can't deny Kristen Wiig plays a convincing troubled woman. I can say the same thing about Pedro Pascal. He was good enough. Gal Gadot was also the best. that is, when she had the chance.
Overall, an entertaining film that isn't good. it lacks most of the things it promised to be, considering WW should be an iconic feminist hero.
Yes! we're not dead! (yet) and we've been planning this post for quite a while. Today we'll take a look at another Cutie Honey Animé adaptation.
Cutie Honey Universe is the 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.
Today's entry marks our latest entry in the Cutie Honey franchise. So fa we've reviewed the original series, the 90's remake, and the 2004 Gainax's OVAs. We may review Cutie Honey Flash in the distant future.
"The forces of evil are on the rise. When
the evil mastermind Sister Jill transforms one of her girls into the
bestial Breast Claw and sends her minions out on a mission involving the
group Panther Claw and a jewelry store heist, Honey Kisaragi departs
from her Catholic girls' school to confront the threat as Cutie Honey.
But that's exactly what Sister Jill wants, as she desires Honey's
Airborne Element Fixing Device, which allows her to transform into
Honey's seven different forms. Meanwhile, Sister Jill is also on the
scene in disguise as Inspector Genet, trying to worm her way into
Honey's confidence from a different angle."
That old fashioned sense of humor is back.
Sexy violence is back too!
2018 marked 50 years of Go Nagai's work as a writer and manga
artist, and given the influence of his back catalogue it's not
surprising that his most famous works have been undergoing a resurgence
lately. The Devilman franchise has reached an all-new audience with mega popular Netflix exclusive Devilman Crybaby, while the original Mazinger Z anime received a proper sequel over 40 years later with the Mazinger Z Infinity movie. So where does this leave Nagai's high-action, lowbrow magical girl series? An influence to the pantheon that followed, Cutie Honey returns for its first animated outing since 2004 with the release of Cutie Honey Universe. Closely patterned in both story and character design after the original manga series, Cutie Honey Universe was animated by studio Production Reed (who until 2007 were Ashi Productions) and ran for a total of 12 episodes.
As the first Cutie Honey anime in nearly 15 years and part of a wider celebration of Go Nagai's works, you might expect Cutie Honey Universe
to be a show that's a bit more welcoming to a new audience. And though
Universe is a self-contained show that (eventually) tells you enough you
need to know about Honey Kisaragi and her fight against Panther Claw,
its overall presentation certainly may turn off a lot of newcomers. In my humble opinion, I'd say this so-called reboot, is in essence, nothing but a humble tribute to Go Nagai's work. Producers didn't have to rediscover fire here. Most of the tropes the original Manga had, are somehow present throughout the 12 episode run of this updated homage.
Shake that booty!
Fight until you're almost naked!
While is obvious to any connoisseur that Cutie Honey comes from a far less complex Manga made in the early 70's. I'm amazed to read all these reviews criticizing the show as lacking both character and plot development. Misinformation is always a problem when it comes to reviewing a product based upon a 47 year old property. There's no way you can measure by today's standards something that was made long ago in a different world.
When you read things like "the poor plotting and characterization is the wildly
inconsistent tone of the show" in allegedly well informed Animé sites you realize deserve to die. Anyone whose got even a glimpse of Go Nagai's works will understand they come from simpler times, and that's the big problem I have with these sites. Their users neither bother to read from start to finish, nor they will watch an entire series with solid background knowledge about the show. They only see the cover and judge.
"The inconsistent tone" reviewers mention, it's because it is supposed to be like that. Cutie Honey has always been an amalgam of comedy, action, sexual innuendo, and plot twists. There are darker characters, comic relief type of characters, and a wide variety of craziness that goes with the territory.
Sister Jill is one mean bitch.
And so are these fangirls.
One thing I agree with the naysayers is that its
visuals standout. The
adherence to Nagai's original style results in some really great looking
character designs, while the bright color palette gives the show a
dazzling flair that constantly works in its favor. Praise especially
goes to the forces of Panther Claw, which as well as proving to be wild
and wonderful also provide some cool body horror moments from time to
time. Even though the fight scenes mostly take place against
unremarkable blue backdrops, little touches like Honey slicing the
entire backdrop and it then staying sliced afterward really add to its
"what's old is new again" charm.
Another complaint, and this time I agree with it too, is the fact that the show is missing the iconic Cutie Honey theme song. For legal reasons, the legendary track has been replaced by "You Can't Fight Without Love", which while not a bad song in
itself feels completely out of place in a show that's supposed to be
celebrating the character's legacy. It's then made worse but the show
featuring numerous musical numbers (including one in the final episode)
that then repeat this new opening, rather than bring the original back
for a different moment of glory. Even as someone unfamiliar with the
history of Cutie Honey it strikes of just how out of touch
Universe is with the rest of its peers – wanting to seemingly go it
alone but also failing to capture the elements that helped make it
popular in the first place.
Sexual tension.
Treason.
Up next, the episode guide with a brief plot description:
No.
Title
Original air date
1
"Everything About You Is Perfect" ( あなたの全ては完璧)
April 8, 2018
Honey Kisaragi is called in to help out at a hostage situation at a
jewellery store involving the evil organisation Panther Claw, where she
meets an inspector from France named Genet. Heading inside, Honey comes
up against three of Panther Claw's emmissaries, who are after the
Airborn Element Fixing Device she possesses. Transforming into the
soldier of love, Cutie Honey, Honey fights against Panther Claw,
defeating one of its members before pursuing the other two as they
escape towards a scrapyard, where Genet manages to kill another one.
Honey soon comes up against Panther Claw's leader, Sister Jill, who
overpowers her before escaping.
2
"The True Joy of Having Met You" (あなたに出会えた事の心からの喜び)
April 15, 2018
Honey explains to Genet about how her father Dr. Kisaragi gave her a
life and a super android body before he was killed while defending her
from Panther Claw. Following that incident, Honey teamed up with PCIS
investigator Seiji Hayami in order to fight against Panther Claw and get
revenge for her father. Meanwhile, Seiji ends up in hospital after his
car is rigged to explode, which turns out to be a trap by the latest
Panther Claw minion, Fire Claw, to lure out Honey, but she manages to
quickly defeat her.
Never shy away from a battle.
Stage fright?
3
"I Am Made For You" (私はあなたにふさわしい)
April 22, 2018
Honey's best friend, Natsuko Aki, becomes enamoured with Genet, who asks
her out on a date and gifts her with a white rose. While Honey deals
with another Panther Claw situation, Naoko Sukeban follows Genet and
Natsuko to a department store. The store is suddenly attacked by another
Panther Claw minion, Badfly Claw, who turns all the other customers
into living mannequins. As Naoko and her gang get injured protecting
Natsuko, Honey, realising the hostage situation was a decoy, rushes to
the scene and defeats Badfly Claw. Following the incident, and with all
of the Sukeban girls suddenly receiving white roses from an anonymous
source, Natsuko begins to have her suspicions about Genet.
4
"Pure Beauty" (無垢の美しさ)
April 29, 2018
Following a plan devised by Genet, Honey poses as an idol to lure out
Panther Claw, only to get captured. However, when they attempt to
dissect her body at their hideout, it turns out to be a fake created by
the real Honey, who had beaten her captors and disguised herself as a
Panther Puppet. Running low on energy, Honey is forced to disguise
herself as a statue to evade the Panther minion Scissors Claw, only to
find herself in trouble the next morning when Seiji's father and
brother, Danbei and Junpei, take an obscene interest in her statue form.
After Honey finally shoos them away and reunites with her team, it is
revealed that Genet is secretly Jill, who is targeting Honey from within
the PCIS team.
Heroic transformation.
Mean boobs.
5
"Till Death Do Us Part" (死ぬまで気持ちは変わりません)
May 6, 2018
Genet informs Honey and Seiji that their mayor, Noriko Terada, is
secretly Panther minion Iron Shadow. Needing evidence to expose her,
Honey transforms into a reporter to interview Terada, but doesn't get
much useful information out of her. Following Genet's instruction,
Honey, along with Seiji's family, follows Terada to an island resort,
where she spots her trying to make an arms deal and exposes her. Iron
Shadow then attacks with hostages that she had captured and turned into
mannequins, preventing Honey from fighting back. However, Danbei manage
to use his pervertedness to create a chance to cut off Iron Shadow's
whip, severing her control over the hostages and allowing Honey to
defeat her. Despite this setback, however, Jill prepares to enact the
next stage of her plan to gain Honey for her own.
6
"May Fortune Befall You" (あなたの幸福を祈る)
May 13, 2018
One summer's day, a Panther Claw army led by Dragon Panther and Snake
Panther launches a sudden airborne assault against Saint Chapel, as a
part of Sister Jill's plan to drive Honey into despair and thus into her
hands. With the school destroyed and their schoolmates slaughtered,
Honey and Natsuko seek refuge in the woods, with their pursuers hot on
their heels. Honey disguises Natsuko as a rock before taking the fight
to Sister Jill herself, but ends up severely beaten. Natsuko bursts her
camouflage and creates a diversion, allowing Honey to recover, and Naoko
ends up blasted while covering Honey and Natsuko's escape from the
island. Sister Jill slays Snake Panther for disobeying her orders to
capture Honey alive; and for the death of her friends, Honey swears
bitter revenge on Panther Claw.
Big tits are the main plot trope here.
Titty trope troop.
7
"Devotion to You Alone" (あなただけに尽くします)
May 20, 2018
Following their close escape, Honey and Natsuko (much to Danbei and
Junpei's joy) find refuge with the Hayamis. Despite Honey putting up a
cheerful air, Natsuko and Seiji are worried about how this terrible loss
has really affected her, and wonder how they can help restore her
spirits. Natsuko once more confronts Inspector Genet and later tells
Honey, who went looking for her, about her suspicions; but as they
return home, they find a bunch of Sister Jill's red roses there, which
evoke a severe shock reaction from Honey as part of Jill's ploy to break
her will. Deciding to fully confide in Natsuko, Honey tells her about
her true nature, the Airborne Element Fixing Device, and how this
invention has made her Panther Claw's target.
8
"Vows of Love" (愛の誓い)
May 27, 2018
With her new-won knowledge of Honey's true nature, Natsuko is unsure how
to cope with her worry about Honey's well-being. Tarantula Panther and
her teammate Octopanther are assigned by Jill to kidnap Natsuko. To
spring the trap, Tarantula makes contact with Natsuko; but when the
latter pours out her heart to her, Tarantula, with her own unrequited
feelings for Jill, begins to sympathize with Natsuko and advises her to
tell Honey about her true feelings. Natsuko fails her chance at her next
date with Honey, and is kidnapped by Jill during the following night.
Whilst looking for her, Honey is ambushed by Octopanther, but
unexpectedly aided by Tarantula Panther and is left with a new incentive
to track down and defeat her nemesis.
From sensitive naked statue...
...To naked bombshell.
9
"The Whole World Is Just You and Me" (この世界は二人だけ)
June 3, 2018
Jill sends PCIS a video message, threatening to kill a number of
hostages - most of her remaining Panther minions and Natsuko - unless
Honey surrenders herself and the Airborn Element Fixing Device. PCIS
advises against giving in to Jill's demands and attempts to rescue the
hostages themselves, but Jill's deviousness lets her kill off all her
Panthers first, saving Natsuko for the end. When Honey arrives, Jill
drops Natsuko off the roof of a high building. Tarantula Panther and
Honey work together to save her; but Jill corrupts Tarantula, splitting
her into a good and evil half. Before Honey can rescue her, Evil
Tarantula kills Natsuko with Jill's sword, leaving Honey shattered.
10
"Thank You for Your Compassion and Encouragement" (あなたの思いやり、励ましに感謝します)
June 10, 2018
Honey begins a merciless crusade against all Panther Claw activity
across the city. With Natsuko's loss, however, she has begun to lose her
former cheerfulness, distancing herself from her few remaining friends,
just as Sister Jill (still posing as Genet) has planned. In her
deteriorated state, Honey finds herself nearly out of power when she
runs into Good Tarantula, who wishes to help her, and Dragon Panther,
who aims to protect Tarantula. The battle is halted when Tarantula tells
Honey about her awakened sympathy for Natsuko, and that she is
therefore no longer Honey's enemy, and after a tense start Honey and the
Hayamis take Tarantula Panther and Dragon Panther in. During a
subsequent talk, Tarantula breaks down Honey's emotional barriers by
turning herself into Natsuko. Deciding to fully go on the offensive,
Honey turns to Genet for aid, still unaware that she is giving herself
all the more to her nemesis.
Japan's obsession with shaved vaginas.
♪♫ No pubes, no pubes ♪♫
11
"You Will Be Mine to the Bitter End" (あなたはあくまで私のもの)
June 17, 2018
Sister Jill keeps taunting Honey at every opportunity, fanning her
hatred towards the murderer of all whom she has held dear. Jill
challenges Honey to seek her out at her headquarters, Phantom Castle,
and Honey decides to engage her nemesis without involving her few
remaining friends. Tarantula Panther offers to accompany her, wishing to
atone for her part in Natsuko's death, but Dragon Panther knocks her
out and takes Honey to the castle herself. There, Genet finally reveals
herself as Sister Jill, shattering Honey's resolve to fight until Dragon
Panther intervenes on her behalf, and both prepare to charge Jill's
monstrous amalgam of her Panther servants, Gill Panther, together.
Meanwhile, while looking for Genet, Seiji stumbles into an
interdimensional pocket containing frozen figures of Sister Jill's
victims, including Natsuko, and thus discovers Jill's secret on his own.
12
"You Will Return with Hope" (あなたは希望を持ち帰る)
June 24, 2018
Jill kills Dragon Panther, and Honey ends up at the verge of defeat as
well, when Tarantula, the Hayamis, Naoko and the whole of PCIS - all
disguised as Cutie Honey lookalikes - intervene. Upon witnessing her
friends' unshaking faith and their willingness to give everything they
can for her, Honey recovers her fighting spirit, which the Airborne
Element Fixing Device transfers to all her allies, uniting them all into
a virtual army of Honeys. As the final fight rages between the Honey
army and Panther Claw, Honey faces Sister Jill and, with the hearts of
all her friends behind her, finally slays her nemesis. In the aftermath,
Honey and Naoko return to their rebuilt school
Overall, Cutie Honey Universe delivers a "to standards" retelling of a story that doesn't need to be updated. While it may have been produced with new fans in mind, I don't think reboots will help someone get into a classic story. Because, there's no Star Wars remake, and I'm sure there won't be one. Same with Cutie Honey and a long list of Animé from the 70's & 80's.
Now, if you want to update Cutie Honey, push it into ecchi territory. Add full frontal nudity, sex scenes and a slow motion transformation that shows detailed aspects of our favorite super android lady from the 70's. Because, ultimately, that is probably the only thing that hasn't been tried with Honey Kisaragi and her many sequels and remakes.
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