Flesh from fantasy
Dimitri Katadotis
With the comely confection Cutie Honey, director Hideaki Anno gets into the skin of anime
Leave it to the Japanese to truly pull off a live-action version of a cartoon. Based on the '70s-era anime (and manga) by Go Nagai, Cutie Honey is a gloriously candy-coloured synthesis of two mediums - beholden to neither, its own pop product. Director Hideaki Anno replicates the swooshing gravity-defying action, the kaleidoscopic visual style and the coyly naive tone of classic-era anime, this with a go-go retro feel that's perhaps the film's best special effect. As with so much anime, Cutie Honey is childish without being for the kids, with comely star Eriko Sato regularly ending up in her bra and panties for no good reason. Like Wonder Woman or Cat Woman - or any superheroine, for that matter - her Cutie Honey is worth fantasizing about, not the least when she dons her hot pink, semi-S/M spandex and armour warrior garb. This is Japanese girl power with enough tease to keep the boys happy, Charlie's Angels without the smug self-consciousness.
Hour had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Anno via e-mail, with questions kept simple for clarity. Because of the vagaries of translation back and forth between English and Japanese, his responses were, well, similar to the subtitles that accompany many an Asian film that make it to these shores. We decided to print them intact (with slight editing). In their way, they remain true to the spirit of the movie he made.
Hour Why did you decide to direct
the movie version of this anime? Were you a fan of Cutie Honey when you were younger? What did it mean to you?Hideaki Anno As a child I was a fan of the original author, Mr. Go Nagai. I was looking at Honey's comics and animation. I think it's very honourable I finished the director of such works.
Hour What was your thinking in trying to translate an animated work into live action? What techniques did you use?
Anno In this movie, I tried to unite the pictorial feature and fun which animation has. I requested work to the number one animation staff and number one CG staff in Japan, in order to realize this fusion. And I completed this movie with the staff. Based on the technique of animation, the technology constitutes an image, and is the completely new image technique. We are calling this new method "honimation."
Hour What were the challenges in taking on this project? You've worked in animation, how was this different?
Anno The contents of the movie were constituted so that I might have as many of the viewers as possible be glad. I think that there is such no consideration in my old movies.
Hour What inspired you in making Cutie Honey in terms of its retro feel?
Anno Since the original was created in the '70s, I valued the original image. I think that the '60s and '70s were a time when energy was full of people, for Japan. Therefore, I thought that I wanted a spectator to remember the vitality of the time. I myself like the design line of the time, and think that it is more interesting than a present-day one. And I reflected it in the movie.
Hour How did you work with the actors?
Anno Fundamentally, I do not carry out performance instruction to an actor. I had them perform as they read and felt the script. I think that my work is preparing the environment so that a player can do as for it.
Hour What do you think is the message of Cutie Honey, or is it just about a pretty girl called Cutie Honey?
Anno Strong will which responds to reality and makes a living. And power of surviving life.
You definitely had to appreciate how well they adapted anime to live action in 'Cutie Honey' - it definitely retained the after-school cartoony - atleast, my recollection of japanese cartoons that i used to watch as a kid) - feel to it (complete with gratuitous panty shots, random bursting-into-song, etc).
What struck me more than that, however, was the sheer volume of horny geek/nerd-guys that attended the screening. You could taste the anticipation in the air which pretty much exploded you saw the stray t&a shot (not even frontal nudity, but it didn't take much). It was almost too overwhelming... but all in all, watching Cutie Honey at Fantasia was definitely an amusing experience.
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Quynh Nguyen
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{2 votes}
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Cutie honey rules !!!!
I am truely happy that an awesome anime series such as cutie honey has been made into a live, full - length feature.
Thumbs up !!! I really have to hand it to the director Hideaki Anno for taking up the challenge of converting a classic anime series into a movie that is jam packed with intense action sequences, fun light- hearted comedy and good actors.
Honestly, he did an amazing job and I believe the movie will be a huge success when it hits the Fantasia film festival theaters this summer.
Anime is usually under - rated and injustly labeled as "kids stuff". Sure, the characters usually have messed up personalities, funky hair and huge eyes, but the fans learn to love these general characteristics and try to go " beyond what you see".
As the ever growing anime community would tell you, dare to venture into this complex universe and you shall surely find a series that shall tickle your 1000 senses, widen your horizons, expand your knowledge and let you totally enjoy the anime experience.
My advice to all :
1: Pick up a copy of the Fantasia film festival program.
2: Scan the pages till you see a pink haired cutie
3: Buy your ticket for the movie Cutie Honey
and finally
4: Enjoy your anime experience !!!
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Genevieve Roy
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{25 votes}
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Well, to be honest, I only seen the trailer, but I've seen other movie trailers and wasn't disappointed. I'm excited to see that Cutie has gotten both a live action and a movie treatment because both the Anime and Manga rock! I love the scene at the beginning of the trailer with the motorcycle. It was stylish and reminded me of Kill Bill a little. I'm wondering what the heck they're planning on doing with the animation I saw in the trailer. I wonder if it will be like Tank Girl, where the animation came in between scenes. The scene where she's jumping around, dodging missles (or bullets) looked pretty cool because it was in live action, but looked like animation. I'm really looking forward to the movie because it's right up my alley. It probably will become a cult classic, and it looks very stylish. "Ai no senshi, Cutie Honey-san!"
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Nate Cox
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{18 votes}
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| CUTIE HONEY: live and in color! |
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I'll admit it: I've never been a big Cutie Honey fan.
Oh, I know it and yes, I've seen it but when push comes to shove if I had to watch one manga over any other I'd never pick this one simply because I've always found it to be too cheery. Hey, what can I say, if they ever make a live action LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND then maybe we'll talk.
This aside, you've got to hand it to Hideaki Anno for even being willing to undertake this enterprise. You can easily adapt an American cartoon or comic strip and transform it into a live action picture because American creations are inherently more grounded and less colorful. Adapting something like Cutie Honey is like Rodin crafting something classic out of a fresh wad of bubble gum.
Next to impossible. And if it is possible you can rest assured that it'll be different.
At least it seems as if Anno gets and respects the source material (yeah, that one's aimed to Joel Schumacher and the nimrod behind CATWOMAN) so the chances are fair that it'll be a damned solid experience.
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Pedro Eggers
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{13 votes}
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If Britney Spears can sell childish antics to adults why wouldn't Cutie Honey work? By the way, wasn't Howard the Duck a comic book that was turned a full length feature film?
A chick with weapons. Quentin Tarantino did it with flare with Kill Bill. Bring on Cutie Honey I say!
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Ronny Pangia
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{7 votes}
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Cutie Honey seems like it will take North America by storm like Charlie Angels did. We need more female who will kick butt on screen to show the boys that girl's rock. Cutie Honey will be a hit with Canadians and they will flock the theaters to see this amazing Japanese film. Kutie honey looks like a really cool action figure to get so that the kids can play with it instead of always playing with babies. I'm looking really forward to seeing this film in theaters. I'll bet anybody that this film will be a cult classic.
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Carmela Sicurella
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{7 votes}
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The question is- will North American audiences "get" this at all - somehow I doubt it.
While manga and anime are both starting to grow to the point where they're not just cultish fads, my feeling is that live action stuff like this is still a few years away from becoming more than something for the boys wearing their faded X-FILES RULES t-shirts.
Me- I'm looking forward to this film, though I doubt I pay $$$ to see it at some overpriced cinema. If it comes to DOLLAR CINEMA though - I am most definitely there.
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Rob Postuma
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{7 votes}
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