Kyûteî Hanî: The Live (2007–2008) User Reviews (3)

Good but could have been better...

[down-03576 · 8/10 · 17 December 2023]

I just watched all 26 episodes on blu-ray - buy quick while it's still reasonably priced. Mikie Hara is great as Honey - beautiful, upbeat, and fills out the costume as you would expect one to do if they are playing Cutie Honey. I liked Eriko Sato as Honey in the 2004 movie better and I liked that movie better overall; however, this series obviously gives more depth to the characters being 26 episodes versus the 90-some-minute film.

I like the addition of the "sisters" here. There is a good dynamic here and it gives Honey something and someone to work off of here rather than just villains. Nat is more of a minor character here. I liked her, but they could have done more with her. Seiji, the detective best friend, started off OK, but became annoying very quickly. He is really the only one who over-acts. Sure, the action is over-the-top and rediculous most of the time. The girls are all fine actors and do a good job carrying the series despite Seiji's terrible performances. Maybe he's a good actor and we have to blame the director and writers - I don't know.

There is some lazy writing to be found here. Some weak story lines where the characters have to be stupid to make the story work - existance tax, really?! And there was another story with a problem that could have been solved by the characters just talking to each other. The computerized effects are weak, but the make-up and practical stunts are good for the most part.

I found myself liking the dynamic between the "sisters" a lot and that is the best part about this series. Mikie Hara is great as I said, but I found myself liking Miki's (Ayame Misaki) character best. She is quite different than Honey and that is a good contrast. She was a more downbeat and dark person, and probably more relatable.

The ending was OK... I won't spoil it here, but I was hoping for a different ending. I predicted some of how it ended, but not all. I would recommend this; however, I would recommend watching the 2004 movie first. I like Honey much better in live action and would like seeing a higher budget, more serious adaptation of this material. Of course, we still need a happy-go-lucky Honey.

Fun shonen series with luckluster ending

[TooKakkoiiforYou_321 · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

Due probably to the production team losing all ideas on how to finish this series in a satisfactory way, except for repeating plot lines/scenes from previous episodes and adding a final boss that is not interesting in the slightest. But hey, surely the ride was fun for the first 20 or so episodes. I also really like the villainess with a taste for bondage and an Harlequin Costume (the best of all the characters IMHO) and the outro song for the titular character, from a singer me thinks I'll follow more closely from now on. Overall, there are far worst ways to spend your time.

Another incarnation of the Lovely Warrior: Cutey Honey

[xenophile2002 · 7/10 · 25 August 2008]

First off, a confession: I've only seen a few episodes of this so far. With that out of the way:

Our mechanical angel of justice is a bit more ditsy in this version, or maybe naive would be a better word. Very different than the version in _Shin Cutey Honey_ or _Cutie Honey Flash_ or even the 1973 series.

Mikie Hara, the actress who plays the gorgeous android (the opening credits make it clear that's what she is, so this is hardly a spoiler), is not only super-cute (which any actress taking on this role had better be), but plays the role with a joy that is a delight to watch. Particularly some of the fight scenes, while a bit silly, show how much Honey enjoys her calling.

The exception, of course, are those fight scenes that end the first several episodes, in which we watch her get kicked around for five minutes straight. I understand that the hero has to take a few whacks so we can tell that she is truly overcoming an adversity. I agree that things can't be too easy, or else how do we see that she's a hero instead of a bully? But it gets to be a bit much.

There is a little nudity in this, unfortunately I haven't seen any from Mikie Hara herself. Maybe she shows us the goodies in later eps, but I'm not holding my breath. Still, she is the beautiful transforming android who fights for love and justice, and if you've liked other incarnations of the character, you should check this one out.