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Some characters need no introduction in Japan but may not be so well known overseas. Cutie Honey is probably one of them.

For longtime manga and anime fans, Honey Kisaragi is not just another retro heroine. She is one of the original icons of transforming girl action: flashy, stylish, sexy and heroic. Before the modern mahou shoujo, battle heroines, android idols and transformation sequences that are expected, Honey was a pioneer already shouting “Honey Flash!” and turning the screen into pure 1970s chaos.

The basic setup for the series is wonderfully direct. Honey Kisaragi looks like your average bishoujo heroine, but she is actually an android created through her father’s advanced technology. After tragedy strikes, she transforms into the warrior Cutie Honey and battles the criminal organization Panther Claw. The original manga was created by Go Nagai in 1973, and the character has remained one of manga’s most recognizable super-heroines ever since.

She is part magical girl, part superhero, part sci-fi android, part tokusatsu-style transformation fantasy and 100% Go Nagai. I think Osamu Tezuka is more widely known for being dubbed the father of manga but Go Nagai was equally as influential in shaping the industry. Nagai is a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica, making his professional debut in 1967. Since then he is credited with creating the super robot genre, helping pioneer the magical girl genre with Cutie Honey, along with the post-apocalyptic and ecchi genres.

As such, Honey is cute, funny, violent, glamorous, absurd and shamelessly over-the-top, often all at once. That mix is why the character has survived so many different reinterpretations over the years and every era seemingly finding a slightly different Honey.

Cutie Honey Nova is a new reboot project that positions Honey as a Reiwa Honey (current imperial era) more than 50 years after the original character’s birth. It is a new transformation battle heroine reboot, with a new manga launched in April 2025. Classic Cutie Honey has that bright 1970s heroine charm but Nova reimagines her with a much sharper modern edge meaning more polished, sleeker and dangerous in new ways.

Nova gives her a heavier sci-fi look, more mechanical detail and a visual that feels closer to modern mecha-musume and character model culture than old-school magical girl simplicity. It is nostalgia with armor, exposed skin and a very deliberate attempt to make Honey appeal to current otaku.

And that brings us to the figure by Good Smile’s Pop Up Parade. Normally, PUP is not the line you go to for the ultimate premium figure experience. It is accessible, broad and wallet friendly, but not usually where you expect luxury paintwork or wild high-end finishing. Good Smile is using the SP branch of the line, which is meant to be a special series that goes beyond the usual scope and features a larger size, more detail and extra visual impact.

I think it is very unlikely for this series to explode in popularity so we may not have many figure options. The SP treatment gives a figure that is closer to 1/6 scale and uses more intricate design choices like translucent parts that are closer to other premium figure lines.

That is probably the right approach for this design. Size helps add impact to Nova Honey. The bishoujo outfit, long silhouette, futuristic saber and updated proportions  (͡o‿O͡)  all benefit from more shelf presence than a smaller budget figure could provide.

The clear parts are also a smart fit. Cutie Honey has always been about flash. The transformation call, the bright costume changes, the heroine pose, the shameless confidence all make it clear that this is not a franchise built for subtlety. Translucent pieces give the Nova design a little of that modern sparkle without needing huge effects. For a figure line that has to keep costs under control, that kind of material contrast can do a lot of work.

The main thing to watch, honestly, will be the finish. I generally avoid PUP because they usually don’t seem good value for the price. When it comes to paint depth, tiny details, surface texture and muscle definition, it usually looks cheap and fails to have any wow factor. This is one of the rare times where I think they focused the budget where it mattered most: the face, silhouette, armor detail, and the overall pose and bishoujo focus.

Magi Arts also has an upcoming Nova Honey but from promotional pictures, the Good Smile direction seems like an all around nicer figure for a lower price. Magi Arts went for a more dynamic pose that has a fun feeling to it and is definitely crammed full of detail, but it also feels too much.

The slight bend at the waist, hand above ready to draw her sword and feet angled inward despite the wide stance is simple yet works incredibly well. Good Smile made sure the design was just as ecchi and powerful as Honey herself. The visual appeal is front and center, looking good from all sides. The expression is cute and has charm. For a 50 year old character, she fits the current modern times but still has something nostalgic in the way she looks.

Cutie Honey Nova is currently available for pre-order and eligible for an early bird discount!

Thank you for reading!