Project A-Ko 4: Final

The end of an era.

Project A-ko 4: Final (プロジェクトA子 完結篇) is a 1989 Japanese anime OVA release directed by Yuji Moriyama. It is the fourth installment of the Project A-ko series. 

Back in the day, very few film projects were made with sequels in mind. Perhaps, Star Wars and the Superman movies are early examples of long term planning. As a result of this, the viewers would get the immersive experience of being part of a world of characters where time passes, and in doing so, characters grow and face new challenges until we reach the inevitable climax, and the story is completed.

Animé connoisseurs know Project A-KO is one of the essential OVA films every fan must watch and hopefully, add to their home library. They also know, the original was a parody on some of the popular Animé from the late 70s/early 80s. No one was expecting a developing story, or an expanding universe that would continue to tell the story of A-Ko, B-Ko & C-Ko. However, popular demand is a strong force that drives producers and artists alike to push their ideas to the limit. 

A-Ko & B-Ko continue the fight.

Their teacher is getting married!

Let's do some recap, before we continue reviewing the final installment of the A-Ko saga. The Alpha-Cygnans, a powerful alien race with advance technology and a great army that resembles SDF Macross' Zentradi (or Zentraedi if you think Robotech) come to Earth searching for their missing princess. Eventually it turns out, C-Ko is their long lost princess, and this leads to  War in which A-Ko & B-Ko are part of it as well. Of course, mankind triumphs, and this leads the surviving aliens to adapt to Earth's customs, and they end up transforming their mother ship into a giant shopping mall with B-Ko's help (Project A-Ko 2). Fast forward to Project A-Ko 3, where we find A-Ko & B-Ko fighting over the love of Kei Yuki, a handsome biker. The aliens now rebuilt their mothership into a luxurious hotel, and as you can probably guess, the setting for the final battle takes place right there.

Recap aside, part 4 goes back to part 1 for the most part: A brand new armada from the Alpha Cygnans return from space to reclaim their princess for once and for all. In the meantime, nothing has changed between our school friends. However, Miss Ayumi is getting married with Kei! Confusion will lead to chaos, as the main fleet of the aliens show up to stop the wedding because they think Miss Ayumi is their long lost princess. Meanwhile, an archeological team in Iraq, is deciphering some apocalyptic writings at an ancient site that may have something to do with the approach of the Alpha Cygnans. It reads that Alpha-Cygni's alien princess will be claimed and demons will be unleashed on the earth for ten days. Also it has a connection to the star of David. Suddenly the wall begins to part revealing a statue (which looks like C-ko) that causes the temple to collapse on the archeologists. 

A war is coming and B-Ko knows it.

The military force enters the action.

The aliens finally arrive and explain that their princess must come with them. C-ko's mother reveals herself and convinces her daughter it is time to go home. C-ko agrees since she feels she never really fit in with any of her classmates anyway. Miss Ayumi is outraged that nothing special happened to her because of her lucky charm pendant and smashes it while the Captain and D lament that they've been left behind because the Captain wasted time getting there by picking up a few more alcoholic drinks. A-ko and B-ko chase after the alien ship in B-ko's giant robot...

I don't want to spoil the ending to a 35 year old OVA, but we all know Project A-Ko  is about the neverending battle between A-Ko & B-Ko to conquer C-Ko's friendship and ultimately answer the Who's C-Ko's best friend forever? question. Moreover, the comedic drive the saga has, is somehow changed for a more adult, civilized solution to the permanent childish pointless bickering of the main characters.

War is coming lieutenant.

Suspiciously familiar crafts return.

As above mentioned, Project A-Ko 4 attempts to deliver fans of the saga, a much needed sense of closure. C-Ko finally asks herself what's her role in the relationship she has with A-Ko & B-Ko, and even though she's supposed to be the youngest of the trio, her realization is a very adult one: She has been a tool, a puppet, an object for too long. So, in learning this  truth, she discovers she better returns to her mother and to space with the Alpha-Cygnans where she belongs.

With C-Ko out of the scene, A-Ko & B-Ko discover their lives, and ultimately, their fight, has little to no meaning at all. Differences set aside, they team up to go after C-Ko for the final time. Also, let's not forget the prophecy the archeological team unraveled: If the aliens take their princess home, Earth will spend 10 days fighting demons. So the situation escalates to world proportions.

The A-Ko giant robot!

Princess C-Ko.

Project A-Ko was always a comedic effort, and while this final installment does include a few jokes here and there, the attempt at providing a dramatic ending, goes against the whole reason why people became fans of the saga. Ecchi content is toned down to a minimum, as well as panty shots and other cartoonish visual jokes. I get it, it's the end, producers have to  deliver a satisfying ending, and yet they don't. While part 4 teases us with a variety of fake endings, the actual ending leaves us, and the characters in a neverending loop where history repeats itself over and over. However, this is how most franchises are built. They take the best parts, and reuse them in sequels with subtle modifications, leading us into thinking "wow, that's new!" while it actually isn't.

One reason I, a 42 year old man still watch 1980s and 1990s Anime and OVAs, is because Japanese artists were always the daring kind. They would push boundaries every time. Even the most obscure and forgotten Animé/OVAs had something original to say, something original to show, not giving a damn at what animated content should or should not touch. Project A-Ko certainly pushed boundaries, but when they decided to get serious about the story, they became Project A-Ko 4: Final, a completely decaffeinated parody of themselves.

 

A-Ko says good-bye.

B-Ko always ready for action.

Final thoughts

As above mentioned, the Animé phenomenon was built on groundbreaking ideas that had never been seen before in American animation. Pushing boundaries with their stories, and graphic violence, nudity & sex, this granted a legion of fans tired of stupid cartoons with no exciting content. Project A-Ko was originally intended to be a  Hentai film. A sequel to the 1984 Cream Lemon series. A few rewrites later, it became the science fiction adventure comedy we know it is today. Sequels can be a pan in the ass for sure. Being able to maintain the integrity of the original OVA is a gigantic task that the even the best have failed at. Perhaps, one sequel would have been enough. Maybe keeping all the sleaze and crazy ideas until the very end of the saga, could have made Project A-Ko 4: Final a fitting ending to a saga that is cherished by many 80s Animé enthusiasts, myself included.

Happy new year!

Movie trailer:

Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody

A love triangle?

プロジェクトA子3 シンデレララプソディ  AKA Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody is the third installment in the “Project A-Ko” franchise, and while it improves the production values from its prequel, the story suffers from the sequel Star Wars trilogy syndrome: it's a "Somehow Palpatine returned" plot twist not many people liked. I for one, enjoyed it anyway. Released in 1988, and now available on Blu-Ray, here's our review:

Synopsis:

In the middle of another break from school, A-Ko dreams of finding the perfect boyfriend. Because of this, she and C-Ko get into an argument that leads to C-Ko running away and nearly getting hit by a motorcyclist named Kei. While working part-time at a fast-food restaurant to raise money for a party dress, A-Ko meets Kei and immediately falls in love with him. B-Ko happens to like him as well; however, both A-Ko and B-Ko are unaware that C-Ko is the apple of Kei's eyes.

 

Disclaimer: While I spent some time googling for screen-caps from the fantastic blu-ray set, I found none, so the pictures I'm using do not mirror the HD quality, of the recently released OVA by Discotek Media. Get it on Blu-Ray retro animé remastered on high definition looks and sounds fantastic when producers do the the job right. On the other hand, I'm too lazy to take pictures directly on my TV and then post them here.

Now with more Mecha power!

...And superhero poses!

Anyway, the third part tries to shift focus from the apparent Lesbian love triangle A-Ko & B-Ko share with C-Ko. If you've watched the previous volumes with attention you'll notice this is only teased at certain moments. We never hear B-Ko saying "I'm in love with C-Ko" Neither we hear it from A-Ko. Their interest for C-Ko could be easily understood as "I want to win her friendship, so that you're no longer her best friend". A pretty childish concept, but you know this is a fictional work where comedy and fiction get along  despite what reality might dictate. Let's remember that the Yuri genre in Manga and Animé is not always about depicting gay relationships. Sometimes rivalry, strong friendship and women as lead characters is all it takes. Moreover, characters are not always coming out, or revealing their sexuality. There's a thin line where the viewer has to decide how to interpret these characters relationships when they're not explicit. Such is the case of Project A-Ko, hence why a lot of people didn't like volume 3.

Example from the HD remaster. Worth every penny.

Not an actual screenshot from the Blu-Ray disc.

This OVA introduces a new character named Kei (nothing to do with Super Dimension Century Orguss), a motorcyclist who almost runs over annoying C-Ko and is subsequently run over by A-Ko. Kei hardly speaks, and he doesn’t do that much, but A-Ko and later B-Ko fall for him immediately for no reason. I realize it’s part of the humor of the OVA to have the two girls fall head-over-heels for a guy with seemingly no personality, but after both of them spent so much time fighting for/over C-Ko in the past two installments, it seems a bit out of character for them to suddenly be boy-crazy. C-Ko is also even more annoying here than in the previous stories, especially in how she treats A-Ko. Meanwhile, B-Ko’s minions get a little more screen time here, which is nice.

 

Setting the plot aside, I'd like to detour a tad to mention the opening dream scene where A-Ko is playing billiard with other people. The scene, has nothing to with the story at all. However, the animation style is clearly a homage to Megazone 23 Part II.  While animation director Moriyama Yuuji didn't work in any of the Megazone films, it seems he asked episode director/key animation Masuo Shouichi who did work on the first one, to upgrade character designs to bring that high quality vibe the Megazone trilogy is known for (well, maybe not part 3). This could also explain why Kei is a motorcyclist, and how the overall look of Graviton City and A-Ko's job at McDonalds mirrors that of Shogo Yahagi in the above mentioned legendary trilogy of animation.

 

C-Ko is more annoying than ever here.

A-ko wants to grow up. Get a job, buy dresses.

Going back to Graviton City, the former alien invaders led by captain Napolipolita had devised a new commercial strategy to rebuild what's left of their spaceship in hopes of returing to wherever they come from in outer space. The latest attraction is Space-Ship Land, and it's opening day! Hotels, restaurants, shopiing mall, movie theaters, playland and their own Disney castle are ready to receive citizens under the professional surveillance of Graviton's policemen, and their secretly placed agents just in case.

So, for some reason A-Ko thinks Kei is in love with her, while at the same time B-Ko thinks she's best looking and could easily have him as her boyfriend instead. What both don't know until the climax, is that Kei's interest lies somewhere else. Somewhere unexpected it seems. The battle between A-Ko & B-Ko is to be won with different weapons this time. On the one hand, A-Ko is tired of being a school student with no money, so she decides to find a part-time job at a local Mc-Donald's. Why did the Japanese think working for a fast food joint was cool in the 80s? it beats me. Besides, you won't make a lot of money. Anyway, this also has an effect on C-Ko who disagrees with A-Ko leading a more adult life and having less time to spend with her. This premise seems quite promising but it's sadly underdeveloped to give way to the comedic tone of the franchise. On the other hand, B-Ko is still a rich annoying bitch, so the first thing on her to do-list is buying the dress A-Ko is saving money for. B-Ko's dad is nowhere to be found in part 3. Perhaps, he's in jail? Nah! it's Project A-Ko! one of the craziest 1980s Animé sagas! there's no time for serious business here. Real life begone!

The recently opened new battle ground.

Thankfully the Blu-Ray has subtitles here.

Speaking of real life, Project A-Ko 3 features a lot of Easter eggs and nods to other animé properties. Now, this is reason #1 you should collect the A-Ko saga on Blu-Ray. The guys at Discotek went the extra mile here. Each disc comes packed with extras! One of them being a Trivia section that explains every single Easter egg and nod on screen. A-Ko 3 features a scene in the school where our ladies are in class, most of the stuff written in the classroom and their notes are obviously in Japanese. The trivia section explains most of them. Not to mention if you didn't catch the nods, they also explain them. I won't spoil them so that you're pleased when enjoying them yourselves.

While the OVA may seem slow-paced to some, the crazy cartoonish destruction the franchise is known for, comes at the end with one of the craziest montage that leads nowhere! The police department won't let another spaceship disaster happen. Not on their watch! So the above mentioned hidden agents are called by the city major, and this is probably the most comedic Animé moment ever in the franchise. Agents have been secretly placed all over Graviton city, and while most of them have Sentai transformation scenes with their own cool mecha and battle poses, nothing happens! I fucking laughed my ass out at this scene. The final battle scene, as it has always been in Project A-Ko's world, is decided once again with A-Ko facing B-Ko while mayhem unleashes, and yes, Captain Napolipolita is probably going bankrupt for good this time.

 

Will these three ever have peace?

A-Ko thinks she's fat. Really?

Regarding fanservice, the producers have toned it down more and more with every volume. You still get a crazy scene where some men are at a porn movie theater, and the alarm that calls for all the secret agents, literally "interrupt" them from enjoying "themselves".

Overall, this OVA is a downgrade from the previous two installments of the franchise, but it is still somewhat watchable and further explores the zany characters of Graviton City. I recommend watching this only if you have seen the movie and the first OVA, but I advise that you keep your expectations low.

 

Now, let's dance to Babe's Get A Chance!

 

 

The OVA trailer:

Stay fresh cheese-bags!

Project A-Ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group

The sequel is here!

“Project A-Ko 2,” the first OVA sequel to the movie of the same title, picks up shortly after where the movie left off, fleshing out the anime’s world and characters in a satisfying way. Released only a year after the original, Project A-Ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group (プロジェクトA子2 大徳寺財閥の陰謀 ) is our first 2023 review!

Synopsis:

Three weeks after the incident that left Captain Napolipolita's ship balancing on top of Graviton City, A-Ko and the gang go on summer vacation. While A-Ko ponders losing some weight (80's stereotypes) and B-Ko devises another plan to defeat her redheaded rival to win C-Ko, Napolipolita and Spy-D experience severe homesickness - begging for a way to return to their home planet. Meanwhile, Hikari Daitokuji - B-Ko's father and the CEO of the Daitokuji Financial Group - arms the local military with new mecha to attack Napolipolita's ship and obtain its advanced technology.

B-Ko's dad has big plans.

...While A-Ko & C-Ko enjoy summer break.

 

The setup for the plot is a bit unrealistic, which is par for the course for this franchise. The spaceship that crash-landed precariously atop a tower (that was actually another crashed spaceship) in the movie has been turned into a massive entertainment complex in the span of just three weeks. The aliens are trying to raise money to repair the spaceship so they can return to their home planet (preferably with their long lost and found princess C-Ko), while B-Ko’s father, who’s just as loony if not loonier than B-Ko herself, wants to confiscate the spaceship to acquire its technological secrets. Meanwhile, A-Ko just wants to enjoy summer vacation with C-Ko, while B-Ko continuously tries to get in their way to win C-Ko's friendship for once and for all. In a nutshell, the relationship status of the main characters from the previous film remain the same. now, why B-Ko is so obsessed with becoming BFF with C-Ko remains unexplained on this new chapter. On the other hand, we finally meet A-Ko's parents who are going on a summer vacation somewhere else. A-Ko's mum is concerned about her eating habits, since she's gained "5 Cms" since school break. Fortunately, A-ko couldn't care less and enjoys food as much as she can.

 

The alien invaders are no longer a treat to the city or anybody. Their spacecraft is completely useless without the means and tools to repair their anti-gravitational devices so they come up with a very realistic plan to solve their problem: As above mentioned, they transform their ship into a giant shopping mall & hotel because, in captain Napolipolita's own words, "humans love buying". However, B-Ko's father is interested in the alien technology he could reverse engineer on his favor. 

 

Plotwise, as crazy as the story is, there is an undeniable cohesion  that benefits the main characters and antagonist. Once Again, little annoying C-Ko is the center of attention. She's now the device standing between B-Ko's dad and the alien technology he craves, but at the same time this presents a problem for his daughter's own agenda. Will B-Ko finally stand on A-ko's side and join in the ultimate battle?

 

Everybody loves C-Ko.

Everybody loves Fist Of The North Star, especially Maria.

Since the story takes place only 3 weeks afther the original movie, the main characters haven’t really changed much, unless you count the “reformed” aliens (whose mass killings in the movie have been conveniently forgotten about). We get introduced to a new character, Hikaru Daitokuji (B-Ko’s father), a powerful business man whose antics help define the Like father, Like son saying better than any scholar could. In addition, Miss Ayumi, the school teacher is also introduced as a new character. Although she holds no connection to the main plot, at least we discover she's a great swimmer admired by her students.

The animation and direction are comparable to those of the movie, although perhaps less “cinematic” in scope and scale. There are similar animation gags and Easter eggs that appear for a few seconds (or even just a split second) on screen, and some of the scene compositions are similar — the ending scene is even framed in an almost identical way to the movie’s ending. Perhaps J.J. Abrams was inspired by this OVA to copy and paste from Star Wars' Episode IV to make his Episode VII. No one knows. 

Regarding nods to other Animé or Sci-Fi works, you have to pay more attention as this sequel avoids being obvious. There's a scene where the spacecraft is filled with spies. There is a very quick mention of the obvious FBI, CIA and KGB but, the actual nod is when they mention the OSI. The what? The Office of Scientific Investigation! Where legendary Six Million Dollar Man & The Bionic Man work! There are more references but I count on you finding them out yourselves when you watch this wonderful 80s OVA.

Nods to other Anime return.

mecha also return to remind you of other Anime.

All of the characters who appeared in the movie are voiced by the same actors , so if you're a Seiyu freak, you'll be pleased. The background music is decent, and the theme song was written by Mariya Takeuchi the legendary voice behind the city pop classic anthem "Plastic Love". She would also work in few other Anime related projects. However, she didn't record the song for A-Ko 2. Satomi Fukunaga was the artist chosen to perform "Natsu No". 

Pony Canyon was the company that produced this sequel (also A-ko 3 & 4). They have been around since 1966 and have produced and impressive amount of OVAs, films and Anime series. Among them, you can think of the more recent Shingeki No Kyojin, Rozen Maiden, Ranma½ OVAs, and one of the first Ecchi Anime Lemon Angel. Originally, the first Project A-Ko was supposed to be a part of the Lemon Angel saga but producers saw the potential and turned into the classic it is today.

 

Men, and their love for warfare.

Women, and their love for ice cream.

And what about Fanservice?

Compared to earlier Project A-Ko, the sequel does not have as much ecchi content as you may expect. While there are scenes of the girls changing clothes and wearing swimsuits, there’s no nudity this time. The changing clothes scenes are far more realistic, and that's a good thing, we're passed that in this new chapter. The upskirt shots are still there, but have been toned down a bit. The violence remains cartoonish in nature, so while destruction is massive at one point, even Princess C-Ko bodyguard survives.

Is this Yuri Animé or not?

While a lot of people may have thought there was a Lesbian interest from what they saw in the original film, I'd say the sequel doesn't really expand on the subject at all. Basically, we see A-Ko taking care and enjoying some free time with her evidently younger friend. There are no indications of anything beyond that. B-Ko on the other hand, seems to be driven by pure competition against A-Ko, she wants to beat her at whatever she seems good at. On the other hand, C-Ko is merely enjoying her adventures with her super powered friend and that's it. Now, Project A-Ko 3 finally addresses all these doubts viewers may have, but I won't spoil it yet, for a new review is on the way.

Project A-Ko is packed with gay & gender bender jokes.

The A,B,C.

Boring adult criticism.

In a nutshell, Project A-Ko 2 feels like a legit sequel to the original film. Obviously, being an OVA and not a fully produced film, the story is of smaller proportions and that may hurt character development. Essentially, everyone stays the same but,let's not forget it takes place only three weeks after the first movie. See how much you change in three weeks! I dare you! Like most Animé, the main characters are teenagers, and that could be disappointing when you're way pass that. It's hard to believe they can achieve all these antics, but again, this is science fiction, an animated story, not a portrayal of real life. The Japanese have a long tradition of putting kids into adult situations, and I'm glad C-Ko remains a kid through the saga. Otherwise, it'd be unbearable or at least unethical to watch it and say "I enjoy it". Perhaps that's an improvement over the original, where there were several nude scenes of these teenage characters. Sexing up is a thing of the past we don't need it, although is understood part of Animé popularity overseas had a lot to do with animated adult situations. The "Dark & Gritty", "Not kids stuff" labels really helped these shows make way into our homes.

Seriousness set aside, Project A-Ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group, is a welcomed sequel to one of the most important Animé films from the 80s. Sadly, or luckily, it's not a standalone experience. It requires you to watch the original film first to get familiar with the characters. The only letdown is that A-Ko's unique superhero like skills are never explained. We still don't know how or where she got to be this OP.

Now let's dance!

 

And the original VHS trailer:

 

La Mujer Murciélago / The Bat Woman

Dressed for the job you want.

Holy copyright infringement Batman! Today's entry will take us to the warm waters of 1960s Acapulco (Mexico) and the not so safe lands of blatantly stealing somebody else's idea.

La Mujer Murciélago, AKA The Batwoman is a 1968 Mexican wrestling superhero film directed by Rene Cardona and starred by Mexican Italian bombshell Maura Muti. Yes, you read that right "Wrestling superhero" was a popular movie genre in Mexico. In a nutshell, most of these films would have a super powered wrestler aiding the police in solving the weirdest cases: Aliens, vampires, werewolves, mummies, gangsters, imposters, you name it!

Acapulco city is no longer a safe city for wrestlers and fit people. Some madman that goes by the name of Dr. Williams has been plotting murders of the best specimens available: Luchadores! Obviously, the police are too stupid to find out who's behind these surgical precise murders. The FBI sends one of their best agents to aid detectives Mario Robles & Tony Roca: The Batwoman!

A mad scientist that looks like an early Two-Face.

A sea creature! Call Aquaman!

Set to work undercover (because she dresses casual, like everybody else does) Our Batwoman  is actually, Gloria, a rich woman who's champion of all martial art, wrestling and scuba diving. Everyone loves her, and everyone wants to befriend her or fuck her. Being so popular, no one will notice her undercover work at a local gym where the best wrestlers work out.

Why didn't DC Comics notice this movie?

Being so popular with the now classic show, Batman was the number one superhero in the late 60's. Toys, apparel, candy, records, stickers and even a movie and a strong influence over the actual comic book, guaranteed millions of dollars to the property owners. So why didn't DC Comics stopped the production of this rip-off? Perhaps they didn't think their comic books were sold south of the border. Be that as it may, we can't help but notice how shameless this rip-off is:

Like Bruce Wayne, Gloria is a rich loner, master of all martial arts. Check! She also wears a batsuit with the exact same color pattern as Bruce does! check! She has black car with red stripes that kinda looks like the magnificent Batmobile from the original show.

Fight crime with an ergonomic suit.

Look gorgeous at any situation.

So what's original in Batwoman's world?

Well, she's more like a hero wrestler. The likes of El Santo and his many imitators. Also, she fights evil scientists and sea creatures. Not that Batman didn't, but there are subtle differences here. In addition, she wears a skin tight bikini to fight crime. No nip slips, no pubes in broad daylight. On the other hand, Batgirl had a full body suit, or a skirt depending on the version. A lot less kinkier in the source material if I might add.

Another aspect that would make therapy charlatans shit in their pants, is the fact that evil Dr. Williams was ahead of its time! The reason behind murdering perfect athletes is because they can be the best pineal gland donors! Yes, the bad guy is depleting the substance to create the ultimate man-fish warrior! And yet, here you are wasting your money on scam therapies to feel happier! Wait no more and call now! Dr. Williams can turn you into a perfect creature in no time! Oh, wait, you're neither a wrestler nor living in 1968. Oh well, whatever, nevermind!

¡Arriba las manos y abajo la verga!

It's not wise to upset a lady.

Believe it or not, the film did so well in Mexico that they sold it to France & Italy where it caused a big sensation. Sadly, you can't get an official copy of it in the U.S. because, DC Comics! However, it's on YouTube.

Now, what makes this film memorable, is the fact they got away with it, and of course Maura Muti's perfect body. A shame she never posed nude or worked in dirty movies. 

Plotwise, La Mujer Murciélago isn't an original story. As a matter of fact, it plays like a standard wrestler hero movie. The bad guys don't help either. Cloned from 50's horror films Dr. Williams is cliched as fuck. Same with the sea monster which looks to be taken straight from The Creature from the Black Lagoon. On the other hand the action scenes cause a mildly better impression on the viewer. There's an excellent car chase sequence, and while there aren't a lot of fight scenes, they're well staged as well. 

Hands up! panties off!

Sometimes we feel like fucking justice, don't we?

Overall, The Batwoman can be an odd addition to those looking for some entertainment during these pandemic times. Just don't expect too much, enjoy the visual spectacle Maura Muti is.

Here's the movie trailer:

けっこう仮面 / Delicious Mask/Splendid Mask, Kekko Kamen

She may have lost her costume. but she's never lost a fight!

Background

Kekko Kamen (けっこう仮面) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. It was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Jump from September 1974 to February 1978, with the chapters collected into five tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. It follows the misadventures of a student named Mayumi Takahashi who attends a boarding school called "Sparta Satan Academy" that is run by sadistic psychopaths. The teachers are constantly looking for ways to torture or humiliate the students, and from this the teachers derive sexual satisfaction. Takahashi's only protection is from a mysterious nude female superhero—the titular Kekko Kamen. The manga has spawned an original video animation series and numerous live-action films. In North America, the OVAs were released by ADV Films, while several of the films were published by different distributors. 

A four-episode original video animation adaptation of Kekko Kamen was created by Studio Signal and released by Nippon Columbia on two VHS tapes in 1991 and 1992. A DVD collection was released on April 21, 2001. The first two episodes were directed by Nobuhiro Kondo and the second two by Kinji Yoshimoto. The opening theme song is "Kekko Kamen no Uta" (けっこう仮面の歌 Kekkō Kkamen no Uta, "The Song of Kekko Kamen") which Go Nagai wrote for the manga, with composition and arrangement by Keiju Ishikawa, and sung by Emi Shinohara. The ending theme is "Morodashi Heroine Kekko Kamen" (モロダシ・ヒロインけっこう仮面 Morodashi Hiroin Kekkō Kamen, "Naked Heroine Kekko Kamen") written by Hiroshi Koenji, composed and arranged by Keiju Ishikawa, and sung by Emi Shinohara.

The special attack.

Defeated by pussy force!

Official release & LAM series

The OVA series was released in the United States subtitled in English on two VHS tapes by ADV Films on February 7 and April 4, 1995. A single DVD version was produced on February 15, 2005, which beside the subtitles, also included dubbed English audio. ADV Films has also re-released Kekko Kamen in bundled DVD packages with other anime; Cutey Honey/Kekko Kamen on April 1, 2008, and Puni Puni Poemy/Kekko Kamen on April 21, 2009. The OVA was also released in a dubbed version in Italy on VHS by Dynamic Italia in 2000 under the name Kekko Kamen: La maschera libidinosa.

On the other hand, there have been eleven live-action films based on Kekko Kamen. Go Nagai has been intricately involved in the production of the films. The first three movies and the three from 2006 were released in direct-to-video format, while films four through seven and eleven were theatrically released in Japan. The 2012 film was released theatrically in limited locations before being released on DVD after more than a month. The first four theatrical films were released on DVD in North American by Media Blasters' Tokyo Shock label beginning in 2005.

• First series, produced by Japan Home Video

• Kekko Kamen (けっこう仮面)(1991)
• Kekko Kamen 2 (けっこう仮面2)(1992)
• Kekko Kamen 3 (けっこう仮面3)(1993)

• Second series, produced by Art Port

• Kekko Kamen: Mask of Kekkou (けっこう仮面 MASK OF KEKKOU)(2003) also known in English as Kekko Kamen New
• Kekko Kamen: Mangriffon no Gyakushu (けっこう仮面 マングリフォンの逆襲)(2003) known in English as Kekko Kamen: The MGF Strikes Back
• Kekko Kamen Returns (けっこう仮面 RETURNS)(2004)
• Kekko Kamen Surprise (けっこう仮面 SURPRISE)(2004)

• Third series, produced by Art Port, starring Maria Ozawa

• Kekko Kamen Royale (けっこう仮面 ロワイヤル)(2006)
• Kekko Kamen Premium (けっこう仮面 プレミアム)(2006)
• Kekko Kamen Forever (けっこう仮面 フォーエバー)(2006)

• Fourth series, produced by AMG Entertainment, starring Aino Kishi

• Kekko Kamen Reborn (けっこう仮面 新生)(2012) also known as Mask The Kekkou Reborn

a perverted principal.

a Nazi teacher who digs S & M?

The Review

"Nobody knows my face, but everybody knows my body. I am the messenger of justice, sent by God to this school of perversion! My name is Kekko... Kekko Kamen! I hide my face but expose all else."

From Go Nagai, the creators of Cutie Honey (the franchise) comes a new type of superhero for a world that has succumbed to perversion and torture. 1991 surely was one of the hottest summers Japan ever had, thanks to this four episode OVA that is not afraid to show it all! Where others only tease, Kekko Kamen feasts wild! 

Private school Spartan Satan (who'd send their kids to school with that name!?) has been the epicenter of abuse & torture. Their "educational" approach says that for every student that fails, an expert teacher will provide the proper punishment that will eliminate any trace of laziness left in their students. Obviously, something's fishy!. Toenail of Satan (yes, that's his actual name),  The school principal wears a demonic mask and a black tunic (as if Satanic rituals were performed in school time). The remaining staff are three teachers:  One Ilsa She-Wolf of the SS wannabe, Ben Kyoshi a masked teacher that looks like a mad doctor, Keiko Natsuwata, the muscular gym teacher and a Samurai teacher. All of them specialized in their kind of torture. Mayumi Takahashi, a mediocre student, is the constant target of these "teachers" who are looking for new ways to teach her through torture the importance of getting good grades in school.  One random day, where there's torture lessons for below the standard students, a mysterious, and completely naked masked woman appears out of nowhere to stop the abusive behavior these bunch of educators gone psycho, keep going for weeks and weeks. This masked lady calls herself Kekko Kamen (delicious mask AKA splendid mask. The name remains the same as the original Japanese due to the lameness of the translated version).

At first Mayumi thinks second year student, Yuka Chigusa is the secret identity of Kekko Kamen since the principal found a note left by the unusual heroine written in one of Chigusa's panties. Obviously, the mystery of who's hiding behind the mask will remain unsolved throughout the four episode run.

The Gym Teacher.

The masked teacher.

Kekko Kamen is obviously one of those Animé you know you  can't take seriously in order to enjoy them. While I know there's a lot of straight Hentai Animé out there that try to deliver that feeling of being an "erotic movie" made for Netflix & Chill purposes, Kekko Kamen is the exact opposite. A kick in the nuts for those producers who are obsessed with excessive "fan service" and no story telling at all. Most of my readers here are seasoned Animé fans, so this may seem like an unnecessary explanation, but here goes nothing: 

Kekko Kamen is the most honest look at female superheroes ever made in the history of history. and I'll tell you why: Most female superhero suits protect little to nothing when compared to their male counterparts, so why bother with a hundred panty shots when you can give your audience what they're really looking for? And this is where, Kekko Kamen outsmarts most of her predecessors and successors with ease. The private school context is full of perverted adults who use torture & punishment just to see their students naked. Kamen knows this, so her actual weapon is her body, which is good enough for dealing with both men & women. She's no hypocrite, she knows what sleazy fucks are looking for, and she's clever enough to have a set of special attacks that master the idea of destroying your enemy with what they want the most.

Symbols of evil.

Violence.

While each episode presents a different challenge, there's no time for the viewer to say "I already know what she's going to do". Each enemy teacher has a different skill that Kamen has to deal with in a different way. In the two last episodes she's even helped by Yuka & Mayumi.

On the other hand while the story seems to focus only on female characters, Spartan Satan Academy also has male students, and not just a few but a lot. However, we don't see too much development there since, only bad students are punished, and by the time you're on episode 3, we realize there's only one bad student: Mayumi Takahashi who claims at a certain point "nobody's gonna ever wanna marry me, because They've seen it all already", perhaps a crude hidden critic on the current state of things in some countries in the world where virginity and hiding your privates are the treasure you'd save to your future loving husband/wife only.

No more please!

Is the nude body sinful just because it is nude?

Plot wise, things are pretty clear from episode one: Kekko Kamen is the only one who can stop  these abusive teachers from getting away with murder. Ecchi wise, I'd say the story is clean enough to pass as a comedy that relies on nudity to create more humorous moments rather than arousing situations. In the story people are naked because they're "ashamed" of being forced into being naked in front of people, so I'd say that feeling is part of the torture, and Kekko Kamen doesn't give a flying fuck about being nude, sorta assuming the human body should no longer be an object of "sin" but one of nature. 

Go Nagai originally worked on the Cutey Honey series that lasted 25 episodes on air in 1975. By the same time the Kekko Kamen manga was already published but only after  17 years we'd see the first and only animated version of it.  Although by the end of the last episode we hear a promising "The crisis at the school is over for now. However, if the sales of this video are really good, she will return! For now, goodbye, Kekko Kamen. Thank you Kekko Kamen!" Nothing really happened afterwards.

Fighting for love!

Defeated Nazi!

Music wise, the soundtrack is only O.K.. However the only two songs in the series, do stand out mostly due to their hilarious lyrics. Some lines from "Kekko Kamen No Uta" (the song of Kekko Kamen) are: "No one has ever solved the mystery of her unknown face, on the other hand, everyone's seen her completely nude!"... "And she won't leave until  we've all seen her flash"..."But everybody knows about her physical attitude"..."She attacks with a yell, spreading out her legs. Then she cold cocks evildoers by socking them in the eggs"... "But everyone knows the sight of her nipples". 

Sound FX wise, you'll find a lot of familar sounds that are not only popular in Animé but also in videogames and TV shows from the same decade. These effects are put to good use in battle scenes as well as comedic moments. Jokes are delivered well and in the case of certain characters, every sound made is side splitting. The dub actors change around a few too many lines, but overall they created a solid track as well.

Her body is the ultimate weapon.

But she fights for love and justice just like anybody else.

Art wise, If you've ever seen a Go Nagai show, you know what to expect in this department. Characters are attractively designed and backgrounds are sufficiently detailed. Great attention is paid to the abundance of naked bodies and nothing ever seems out of proportion. The animation quality may be a little below par, but it's nothing that makes you take notice of it as being particularly poor. 

The production values for Kekko Kamen are minimal. While the (all-cel) animation isn't awful, shortcuts are taken wherever possible and movements at times look amateurish and cheaply-done. Backgrounds, though of mediocre artistic merit, are blended seamlessly with character animation, while the quality of the character designs varies markedly depending on how important the character is and how much of the character's screen time involves nudity. Fresh-faced Mayumi in particular looks appealing (if a bit cartoonish), while Yuka just looks weird; it could be that the proportions in her face are a bit off, or it could be the shape of her eyes, I'm not sure. Special attention is paid to depicting attractive-looking breasts, which are never small but also are never outlandishly proportioned. (Kekko has quite a rack, for instance, but she's also solidly-built and broad-shouldered so it seems natural.) Those looking for shots of genitalia are going to be disappointed, as the artists took the “Barbie doll” approach to avoiding pubic region detail in most cases and use gimmicks to avoid showing anything in others.

Our heroine defeated by muscles.

Sometimes, she realizes she's naked and shy.

Overall, while filled with comical action scenes, naughty scheming, and at least some attempt at establishing character relationships, Kekko Kamen is, in the end, really all about the nudity. Virtually all punishments devised by the school's principal & his teachers involve clothing being torn off female students, and Kekko Kamen herself never covers up anything more than her feet and head. Only one female character with any significant dialogue keeps her clothing intact throughout, and the heavily-victimized Mayumi spends nearly as much time partly or completely naked as she does fully clothed. I don't think there's more than five continuous minutes at any point in the series without at least some nudity. Add to that the occasional S&M elements, some extremely ribald humor (one of the female characters is an android with an off switch in an interesting place), and Kekko's signature Open Thighs Jump attack and you have a voyeur's dream. 

Obviously, Kekko Kamen will never be mistaken for one of the elite anime titles, but it is an amusing view and should be well-appreciated by fans of ecchi content.


The English dub trailer:





a Kekko Kamen tribute from Fanime 2002:





Kekko Kamen No Uta, the main theme song from the OVA:





The brief opening & ending: