Honey Kisaragi is a regular, 16-year-old Catholic schoolgirl, until the day her father is murdered by the Panther Claw organization. After his death, she learns she is actually an android created by him and within her is a device that can “create matter from the air” (空中元素固定装置, kūchū genso kotei sōchi; variously translated as "[atmospheric] element condenser mechanism", "Fixed System of Air Elements", "Airborne Element Solidifier", "Atmospheric Element Condenser", etc.). With her cry of Honey Flash! she can use the device to transform into the sword-wielding red-haired superhero, Cutie Honey. This device, or similar devices, have been used to explain her powers in all later Honey versions.
While attending the Saint Chapel School for Girls, Honey seeks revenge against the Panther Claw organization, which is ruled by an ancient primordial evil known as Panther Zora and her younger sibling Sister Jill. Zora wants "the rarest items in the world" and seeks to steal the device within Honey created by her father, which would allow them to "create an endless supply of jewels". Meanwhile Jill, leader of the group's division in Japan, "only wants the finest riches" and has a crush on Honey.
Honey is assisted in her quest by Danbei Hayami and his two sons: journalist Seiji Hayami and the young Junpei. Danbei is based on the character Daemon from Go Nagai’s earlier work, Abashiri Family. Nagai’s manga also borrows the character Naojiro from that series—reimagined in a female form as Sukeban Naoko—while the anime adaptation incorporates Paradise School along with the characters Naojiro and Goeman, a teacher at the school. In this version, Naojiro serves as the leader of the school's delinquent boys, later sharing the role with Honey.
Honey is mischievous for a Japanese female hero, often teasing her male friends and mocking her enemies in combat. When transforming into Cutie Honey, she gives a brief rundown of the forms she has previously taken in that particular episode, and then declares,
> "But my true identity is ..."
before yelling "Honey Flash!" and transforming. At school, Honey is something of a "class clown" who enjoys teasing and pranking her teachers Alphonne and Miharu. Much of the comic relief in the series comes from Honey's exploits at school. Miharu initially sees Honey as an incorrigible pest, but Alphonne is attracted to Honey and goes out of her way to be nice to her. Honey's best friend and roommate at school is the cute, freckle-faced Natsuko Aki and his nickname, "Nat-chan." In the manga, Nat-chan, as well as the other students, had a crush on Honey; this crush was downplayed in the TV series.
Honey has a large array of transformations in the series, her most common personae including:
