New 'Cutie Honey' Anime Releasing in 2018

Cutie Honey is one of the more beloved series by fans, and that's due in part to its longevity. Every few years Cutie Honey finds its way back into anime fandom in one form or another, and now the franchise is back with a new anime series.

As part of a series of new anime projects celebrating the 50th Anniversary of original creator Go Nagai's manga projects, a new Cutie Honey anime, Cutie Honey Universe, will release in 2018.

The series will be produced by Production Reed with Akitoshi Yokoyama (Photo Kano) directing. Natsuko Takahashi (Yuyushiki) will be handling the series' composition, while Syuchi Iseki (Kill la Kill, Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt) will design the characters and serve as the chief animation director.

The announcement also provided the first key visual for Cutie Honey Universe that reveals the many outfits Honey will don in the new series:

Much like Devilman: Crybaby and Mazinger Z/INFINITY, the new series is a new take on an old favorite as Cutie Honey Universe's series concept is "Cute and Cool Girl."

Series creator Go Nagai had this to say about the new project:

"I am really happy that Cutie Honey is getting a new anime following my other representative works, Devil Man and Mazinger Z. I think it will conclude the anime project for the 50th anniversary of my works. My heroine, who started her activities in a weekly manga magazine and a TV anime at the same time, has been active in anime, manga, and films over and over again. Since the concept for this new anime is 'Kakko Kawaii Onnanoko (Cool and Cute Girl),' I am already looking forward to seeing how Honey Kisaragi will revive in modern times and show what kind of her 'cool and cute' action."

For those unfamiliar with Cutie Honey, the series was originally created by Go Nagai in 1973. First published in Weekly Shonen Champion magazine, the series follows an android named Honey Kisaragi who transforms into the hero Cutie Honey in fights with various villains. Sparked by the death of her creator, Honey must protect the special thing inside of her body that villains seem to be after. Go Nagai claims that she is the first female protagonist in a shonen comic series, and her transformations into Cutie Honey often involve a complete loss of clothing in between transformations.

The series has run in many different forms, reinventions, two anime series, two OVA series, a live-action film adaptation, and a live-action television series. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the original manga for an English language release, and the Cutie Honey aGoGo! spin-off manga written by Shinpei Ito with collaborative efforts from Hideaki Anno as well.

via Crunchyroll