Welcome to Waifu Wednesday, Nicchiban’s weekly column where we talk about anime characters, their appeal, and a little on their history.

Today on Waifu Wednesday: Cutie Honey from Cutey Honey. I’m going to be real with you. I have no idea why the west can’t decide which version of Cutie/Cutey to use so I’m just going to use them interchangeably.

Since Cutey Honey is an older franchise beginning in 1973, there’s been multiple incarnations of the character. We’ll talk about the original but largely we’re focusing on the 2004 Gainax version voiced by Horie Yui and directed by Anno Hideaki; since in my personal opinion that’s the cutest one.

Cutie Honey is an android who fights evil with the power of love, and while originally she was a Catholic schoolgirl, she’s an office lady in Tokyo in the 2004 version. As a heroine she’s hotblooded and smug which is a shift away from her airheaded and tomboyish private demeanor.

The Cutey Honey series is notable for allegedly being the first seinen series with a sole female protagonist. As such, the original series and all incarnations of it are laden with fanservice and Honey’s clothes disappearing completely during her transformation is a staple of the show; even going as far back as 1973.

One of the best things about Cutie Honey is simply the feeling of nostalgia, even if you’ve never seen the series its left a mark on anime that gives the series and characters a sort of familiarity for almost everyone.