History Manga / HoneyHoneyNoSutekiNaBouken

[[quoteright:289:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/honeytitle_5148.jpg]]
[-[[caption-width-right:289:Not pictured: [[AnachronismStew King Kong, Geronimo, Vikings, and Robin Hood at the Grand Prix]]]]-]

Literally "Honey Honey's Wonderful Adventures", first a 1966 manga series by Hideko Mizuno, Creator/OsamuTezuka's assistant and one of the first successful female mangaka. Later it was made into a 29-episode anime series by Creator/ToeiAnimation for the Kokusai Eiga (Movie International) company in 1981 and telecast on Creator/FujiTelevision from October 1981 to May 1982.[[note]]Although Fuji TV broadcast the series, it did not co-produce the series, and thus it was not a Fuji TV network show, airing on [[Creator/TokyoBroadcastingSystem TBS]] or [[Creator/NipponTelevision Nippon TV]] affiliates in some markets.[[/note]]

It has been distributed as: Honey e il gatto birbone (Italian); Honey Honey (Portuguese, Latin-American Spanish and English); Favo de Mel (Brazilian Portuguese); I fantastici viaggi di Fiorellino (Italian); Las Aventuras de Silvia (Spanish); Les Aventures de Pollen (French); Miodulinka (Polish); Pollen (French); and هني هني (Arabic). Unfortunately the story was cut short because of how poor the ratings were back in Japan, but most of the manga's plot had been adapted, besides a few better subplots. And the series did become rather popular in Europe - two different dubs exist in Italy. An English dub produced by a company called Modern Programs International was shown in the United States on [[Creator/ABCFamily CBN cable]] and a handful of episodes were also released on VHS, making it one of the earliest shojo anime series to reach the States.

The story begins in Vienna, 1907 (sort of) with vain Princess Flora's nineteenth birthday celebration, where suitors from all over the world are gathered to try to get their hands on her vast fortune and her hand in marriage. The classy masked bandit named Phoenix crashes the party and declares brashly that Flora wouldn't be nearly as beautiful as she is without her ring. Shocked at Phoenix's brashness and fed up with her suitors' motivations, in a fit of rage, she tucks her priceless diamond ring, the "Smile/Star of the Amazon[[note]]depending on the dub[[/note]]", into a cooked fish and chucks it out the window. A little white cat named Lilly eats the fish whole, swallowing the ring along with it. Flora then declares that she will marry whomever can retrieve the Smile of the Amazon and return it to her.

Lilly belongs to Honey, a young orphaned waitress. Phoenix catches up to her and asks her for her cat, her closest companion, and Honey demands 100 million for her while running off in a hot air balloon along with Lilly. From then on, it's all about the wacky chase over all of Europe (and beyond), in a race to retrieve a missing ring, with even more surprises in store for the princess, suitors and Honey & company. These surprises range from encounters with more racial stereotypes, Film/KingKong, the evil Slag, Vikings, and more...

Note that unlike most early shojo series, Honey Honey refuses to take itself seriously (except once or twice, towards the end, and that doesn't stick too much).

Not at all to be mistaken with ''Manga/CutieHoney''[[note]]although Masaki Tsuji was the head writer on both shows and series director Takeshi Shirato worked on both as well, as did several others[[/note]] or ''Manga/CandyCandy''[[note]] although both Candy and Honey Honey share [[Creator/MinoriMatsushima the same Japanese voice actress]][[/note]], the latter being a {{melodrama}}. Also no relation to the hit song by Music/{{Abba}}.

The rights to the series are currently held by Enoki Films USA.
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!!Tropes related to the series:
* AdaptationDyeJob: Early promotional artwork for the anime depicts Honey as a brunette (and Phoenix as blond). She remained a brunette even in some merchandise released ''when the show was already on the air''. In the finished product, she became a blonde.
* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: In almost every dub, except the Portuguese dub aired in Brazil, which used the Japanese closing theme for both the opening ''and'' closing.
* AnachronismStew: PlayedForLaughs
* ArabOilSheikh: One of Flora's many suitors, all of them encompassing one offensive racial stereotype and playing it for laughs.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Between Honey and Phoenix.
* BreakingTheFourthWall
* DominoMask: Phoenix wears an uncharacteristically frilly red one.
* DoorstopBaby: Honey herself. Actually a variation on this trope, as Honey is left not at someone's door but in a field in the springtime, surrounded by honeybees -- which is where she got her name from -- and subsequently brought up in a (presumably Catholic) convent. Her cat Lily was also abandoned, and as Honey explains in the first episode, that's why she and her cat are so close.
* DoubleDoubleTitle: This series is released in some countries as simply ''Honey Honey''.
* DubNameChange: Honey's name is almost always changed, but most of the rest of the other characters' remain unchanged. This was inverted in the Mexican Spanish dub instead.
* EngagementChallenge: As per usual with the trope, sets off the plot entirely.
* FallenPrincess: [[spoiler:What Honey turns out to be.]]
* FieryRedhead: Princess Flora.
* GagDub: Particularly the Portugeuse dub, but the original Japanese is equally silly.
* GagSeries
* GentlemanThief: Phoenix
* HiddenPurposeTest: The Vikings capture Honey and force her to walk on red-hot coals. She thinks it's just to torture her. [[spoiler:Actually, she has to remove her shoes because they are looking for a rose-shaped birthmark that represents royalty on a young girl's foot. Guess what, she has it!]]
* HistoricalFiction: PlayedForLaughs.
* HornyVikings: Kidnapped by Vikings. Yes. [[spoiler:They turn out to be former retainers of Honey's parents (hence why they knew about the rose-shaped mark), and their leader Erik is also Phoenix's father.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Phoenix, perfectly complimenting Honey's {{tsundere}}.
* MealTicket: Princess Flora, and she disapproves.
* MediumAwareness: Depending on the dub, but most characters make references to the writers or the commercial break.
* MoodWhiplash: [[spoiler:The death of Phoenix's father/Honey's protector Erik]] is one of the few dark spots in an otherwise very light and fun series.
* MuggedForDisguise: At one point, Phoenix poses as Princess Flora after stealing her gown, leaving the real Flora BoundAndGagged in a closet.
* MysteriousProtector: Phoenix seems to serve as this, being the well-dressed fellow with an eyemask far before [[Franchise/SailorMoon Tuxedo Mask]], although his role is taken ''far'' less seriously than in BSSM.
* NamesToKnowInAnime: This series is a rare ''shoujo'' project for series director Takeshi Shirato, whose extensive resume as an animator and/or director includes monster action hits like ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'', ''Anime/MazingerZ'' and ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''. Masaki Tsuji, the head writer for the anime, is an award-winning screenwriter and acclaimed mystery novelist.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Repeatedly claimed by Phoenix, but as the series continues, it becomes clear that he doesn't mean it.
* ShoutOut:
** Flora is kidnapped by a giant ape and carried to the top of 70's skyscrapers in a ''Film/KingKong1933'' reference, and the show [[AnachronismStew makes no apologies for that.]]
** Spot the reference [[http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff228/letsanime/?action=view¤t=honeyhollywood.jpg when she goes to Hollywood]].
** One episode is an entire reference to ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie''.
* {{Tsundere}}: Combined with PluckyGirl in Honey. She may be an orphan, but she's not particularly the heartwarming/helpless type, and she does what she can to keep Lilly safe and doesn't hesitate to tell Phoenix off.
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* HairDecorations: Honey's enormous bow.

Literally "Honey Honey's Wonderful Adventures", first a 1966 manga series by Hideko Mizuno, Creator/OsamuTezuka's assistant and one of the first successful female mangaka. Later it was made into a 29-episode anime series by Creator/ToeiAnimation for the Kokusai Eiga (Movie International) company in 1981 and telecast on Creator/FujiTelevision from October 1981 to May 1982.[[note]]Although Fuji TV broadcast the series, it did not co-produce the series, and the show aired in non-network time slots across Japan, including on [[Creator/TokyoBroadcastingSystem TBS]] or [[Creator/NipponTelevision Nippon TV]] affiliates in some markets.[[/note]]

Note that unlike most early shojo series, Honey Honey refuses to take itself seriously ([[spoiler:except once or twice, towards the end, and that doesn't stick too much]]).

* AdaptationDyeJob: Early promotional artwork for the anime depicts Honey as a brunette. She remained a brunette even in some merchandise released ''when the show was already on the air''. In the finished product, she became a blonde.

Lilly belongs to Honey, a young orphaned waitress. Phoenix catches up to her and asks her for her cat, her closest companion, and Honey demands 100 million for her while running off in a hot air balloon along with Lilly. From then on, it's all about the wacky chase over all of Europe, in a race to retrieve a missing ring, with even more surprises in store for the princess, suitors and Honey & company. These surprises range from encounters with more racial stereotypes, Film/KingKong, the evil Slag, Vikings, and more...

Not at all to be mistaken with ''Anime/CuteyHoney''[[note]]although Masaki Tsuji was the head writer on both shows and series director Takeshi Shirato worked on both as well, as did several others[[/note] or ''Manga/CandyCandy''[[note]] although both Candy and Honey Honey share [[Creator/MinoriMatsushima the same Japanese voice actress]][[/note]], the latter being a {{melodrama}}. Also no relation to the hit song by Music/{{Abba}}.

Not at all to be mistaken with ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' (although the two shows shared a number of the same staff, notably screenwriter Masaki Tsuji and series/episode director Takeshi Shirato) or ''Manga/CandyCandy''[[note]] although both Candy and Honey Honey share [[Creator/MinoriMatsushima the same Japanese voice actress]][[/note]], the latter being a {{melodrama}}. Also no relation to the hit song by Music/{{Abba}}.

Literally "Honey Honey's Wonderful Adventures", first a 1966 manga series by Hideko Mizuno, Creator/OsamuTezuka's assistant and one of the first successful female mangaka. Later it was made into a 29-episode anime series by Creator/ToeiAnimation for the Kokusai Eiga (Movie International) company in 1981 and telecast on Creator/FujiTelevision from October 1981 to May 1982.

Not at all to be mistaken with ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' (although the two shows shared a number of the same staff, notably screenwriter Masaki Tsuji and series/episode director Takeshi Shirato) or ''Manga/CandyCandy''[[note]] although both Candy and Honey Honey share [[Creator/MinoriMatsushima the same Japanese voice actress]][[/note]], the latter being a {{melodrama}}.

Not at all to be mistaken with ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' (although Masaki Tsuji was the head writer on both the original ''Cutey Honey'' and this series) or ''Manga/CandyCandy''[[note]] although both Candy and Honey Honey share [[Creator/MinoriMatsushima the same Japanese voice actress]][[/note]], the latter being a {{melodrama}}.

* AdaptationDyeJob: Early promotional artwork for the anime depicts Honey as a brunette. In the finished product, she became a blonde.

Literally "Honey Honey's Wonderful Adventures", first a 1966 manga series by Hideko Mizuno, Creator/OsamuTezuka's assistant and one of the first successful female mangaka. Later it was made into a 29-episode anime series by Creator/ToeiAnimation for the Kokusai Eiga (Movie International) company in 1981 and telecast on Fuji TV from October 1981 to May 1982.

* NamesToKnowInAnime: The series director, Takeshi Shirato, has a rather impressive resume that includes monster hits like ''Anime/MazingerZ'' and ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''. Masaki Tsuji, the head writer for the anime, is an award-winning screenwriter and acclaimed mystery novelist.

Not at all to be mistaken with ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' or ''Manga/CandyCandy''[[note]] although both Candy and Honey Honey share [[Creator/MinoriMatsushima the same Japanese voice actress]][[/note]], the latter being a {{melodrama}}.

Literally "Honey Honey's Wonderful Adventures", first a 1966 manga series by Hideko Mizuno, Creator/OsamuTezuka's assistant and one of the first successful female mangaka. Later it was made into a 29-episode anime series by Creator/ToeiAnimation for the Kokusai Eiga (Movie International) company in 1981.