Re: Cutie Honey - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Re: Cutie Honey - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Re: Cutie Honey is a fun and erotic action-packed anime with plenty of fun for fans of the genre. Created by Go Nagai (Devilman), Re: Cutie Honey features impressive original animation produced by studio Toei Animation (Dragon Ball Z, Digimon Fusion). Broadcast on Animax and SKY PerfecTV!, Re: Cutie Honey features production by Hiroki Satō (FLCL), Hiromi Kitazaki (SaiKano), Motoo Kawabata (Restaurant to Another World), and Toshiyuki Matsui (Saint Seiya Omega). The theme music for Re: Cutie Honey is performed by Kumi Koda. Featuring voice performances by Yui Horie, Kazue Ikura, Junko Noda, Yui Horie, and Hideo Ishikawa.

A secret society by the name of Panther Claw unleashes its claws on the ordinary citizens of Japan. The secret society is determined to please their beloved cult leader: Sister Jill (Kazue Ikura). Inspector Natsuko "Natchan" Aki (Junko Noda) is hot on the case and determined to do whatever it takes – bringing down cult leader Sister Jill. Yet the real hero of the story is none other than the sexy Cutie Honey (Yui Horie).

The bosom heroine of the tale fights evil-doers as a champion of justice and as the Warrior of Love! Cutie Honey is an android fighter. Cutie Honey has some personal matters to attend to as she seeks revenge against the killers who brought down her beloved father. Can Cutie Honey stop the evil of the Panther Claw and save the day?

The animation is exceptional and one of the best highlights of the production. Re: Cutie Honey is an incredible achievement in this regard with a lot of great qualities on display with the series art. The incredible animation adds to the artistry of the production. The series has such a vast and gorgeous tapestry of colors and these beautiful elements of the production enhance the experience in so many evocative ways. The colors add to the eroticism of the anime and the boldness of the visuals makes the series more rewarding for audiences seeking something sensual and erotic in the best way possible.

An impressive aspect of the series animation – with the animators doing their best to highlight the sexiness of Cutie Honey and her incredible costumes. The animation benefits from top-notch art direction by Masaru Satō (Armitage III, The Irresponsible Captain Tylor) alongside animation direction by Keiichi Ichikawa (Digimon Fusion, One Piece), Tadashi Hiramatsu (FLCL, Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms), and Wase Emishi (Kimagure Orange Road, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou).

The character designs by Tadashi Hiramatsu (Jujutsu Kaisen, His and Her Circumstances) are impressive in showcasing the characters. The design work on the costumes certainly helps to emphasize the nice artistry of the production. The designs enhance the style of Cutie Honey and her aesthetic – giving a strong cool chic vibe that works well for the series.

The cinematography by Takeshi Fukuda (Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos, Powered Armor Dorvack) evokes a classic anime series in some respects. Despite the modern lush style, the retro vibes are emphasized by the cinematography. The series looks all the better as a result. A good effort by cinematographer Fukuda.

The score composed by Susumu Ueda (Asura, Yugo the Negotiator) is entertaining and energetic. The music is a huge part of the experience. The score by Ueda is brimming with creativity for an action series. The score provides the right adrenaline-rush to enhance the series.

Written by Kazuki Nakashima (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill), Re: Cutie Honey is a fun throwback to classic anime series. The writing is fun and campy. The camp factor is high on the series and for those who revel in these types of series the writing style is over-the-top campiness and that adds to the charm. Lots of fun moments with the dialogue.

Directed by Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water), Re: Cutie Honey is full of exciting energy. Anno is a remarkable talent as one of the forefront animators and directors in anime history. Anno has a good time with the project and the result is something sexy and entertaining. Fans of action anime will undoubtedly want to check it out.

Re: Cutie Honey - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Re: Cutie Honey is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.83:1 widescreen. The upscale is excellent looking and the quality of the presentation shines in a number of ways. The colors look fantastic on the release and the depth of the image is impressive. There is so much to appreciate. Encoding looks great, too – especially for an upscaled presentation. The presentation looks close to native and that is quite worthwhile.

Re: Cutie Honey - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio tracks: English uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding sounds crisp, rewarding, and engaging. The audio clarity boosts the fidelity of the release and makes for a more rewarding experience.

Audiophiles seeking the best possible audio presentation will be happy to experience the series with lossless encoding – far superior to lossy audio on streaming video platforms. This is one of the coolest things about the Blu-ray disc format – the superior audio options available on the format. Streaming video services never provide lossless encoding options and as a result the entire viewing experience is less immersive and engaging. Discotek has done a terrific job with the release and fans are sure to be pleased with the results. There is something enormously satisfying to see the lossless sound flag on one's receiver and know one is getting the purest and more genuine sound experience possible – a euphoric feeling.

Re: Cutie Honey - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a nice quality o-card slipcover. Discotek does great work with the slipcovers on their releases. The slipcovers look great and feel special in hand. To hold physical media and to also appreciate the nice detail given to the cover art – it makes the physical (tangible) experience also incredibly gratifying. The quality slipcover also looks great on the shelf.

The on-disc supplements are expansive. It is nice to see so much effort put into assembling a quality bonus features package for diehard fans of the series. The bonus features cover a lot of ground – a selection of quality supplements round out the package and add a lot of extra value to the release. Supplements are as follows:

Episode 1 Audio Commentary with Hiroyuki Imaishi (Director) & Kazuki Nakashima (Screenplay/Scenario)

Creditless Opening (HD, 1:29)

Creditless Ending (HD, 1:37)

Original Credit Sequences (HD, 8:14)

Storyboard to Screen Episodes (SD, 2:17:02)

Production Announcement Video (SD, 18:16)

Liner Notes includes 30 click-through slides.

Art Gallery includes 16 click-through illustrations

Interviews –

Hideaki Anno (Chief Director) (SD, 4:16)

Kazuki Nakashima (Screenplay/Scenario) (SD, 1:32)

Hideo Ishikawa (Voice Actor, Seiji Hayami) (SD, 1:58)

Roundtables with Yui Horie (Voice Actor, Honey), Hideo Ishikawa (Voice Actor, Seiji Hayami), Hideaki Anno (Chief Director), & Kazuki Nakashima (Screenplay/Scenario) (SD, 34:01) is one of the best inclusions on the set with over thirty minutes of the collaborators discussing their involvement on the production. Fans seeking some additional insights into the production may wish to take a look. 

Re: Cutie Honey - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Re: Cutie Honey is a fun and exciting action-packed adventure. The series has plenty of camp fun and sexiness. The appeal of the series is easy to see and fans of the genre will appreciate the bosom fun provided. The Blu-ray release provides a quality presentation and a wonderful assortment of bonus features. The release also includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover. Fans of the series wanting to purchase the release will be pleased with the quality packaging, presentation, and on-disc bonus features. Recommended.