Cutey Honey Anime Soundtrack (TMR 42)
Slinking all over the place . . . in the buff
One of my favorite manga is Cutey Honey by Go Nagai. Honey changes into different costumes — nurse, waitress, bike racer— as she combats evil, but in a ribald twist on magical girls à la Sailor Moon, she’s stark naked during the moments of transformation. This is known as the Honey Flash. The 1982 anime soundtrack from Nippon Columbia has as many moods as Honey has outfits. Every couple minutes, a new collection of sounds in orchestral rock and jazz so effectively conjures atmosphere that listeners don’t need to be familiar with the series to imagine the kind of action it might accompany onscreen. I particularly love the cloak-and-dagger vibe of “Panther Claw,” with its slinky bass, sultry flute and bluesy organ. The Cutey Honey soundtrack is a reminder of all the TV soundtracks that have passed across our screens but are now all but forgotten.
Here’s a cover of the anime opening theme by Koda Kumi for the 2004 live action film: 倖田來未 / キューティーハニー — YouTube
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