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:

 

Project A-KO

An all time favorite OVA.

The 80's were a rather unique time for Animé lovers. The rise of OVA was clearly during this decade, as well as it was a great time for the earliest adult themed Japanimation flicks. Topics such as graphic violence, rape, homosexuality, prostitution and hardcore sex were all there and the Japanese audiences didn't run away from them. On the other hand, western audiences were barely getting to know the wonders of Japanese animation. Harmony Gold played a significant role during this time, since they Americanized (I don't want to say "white washed" but...) several Animé and  OVA from those days. If you're a new generation connoisseur, I'm sure you know the Harmony Gold team was responsible for Robotech.

Project A-ko (プロジェクトA子 Purojekuto Ēko) is a 1986 animated fantasy-parody film that had several sequels and a spin-off. This series references a number of other works of anime from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Macross, Fist of the North Star and Gundam. The title itself is a reference to the 1983 Jackie Chan movie Project A, although the film bears no resemblance to Project A; the working title ended up sticking.

Girls will be girls.

Project A Ko, a peeping tom visionary.

Production of the first movie included several artists who would later create other popular works, including Kia Asamiya and Atsuko Nakajima. Also noted is the western source of the soundtrack, credited to Joey Carbone and Richie Zito.

In Japanese, "-ko" is a common suffix for girls' names, like Hanako, Rumiko, and Yuriko, or indeed Eiko, which sounds just like A-ko. The literal meaning is "child", so A-ko is a generic "Child A", a common way to reference peripheral characters in Japanese contemporary drama. In the making-of documentary for the film, it is stated that "A-ko", "B-ko", and "C-ko" were intended as generic "Jane Doe"-type names.

Project A-ko was initially planned to be part of the Cream Lemon series of pornographic OVAs, but during the production of the series, it was decided to make it into a more mainstream title. The only sequence animated during its Cream Lemon days left in the revised production is B-ko's private bath scene. In a nod to Project A-ko's origins as a Cream Lemon episode, the owner and several working girls from the brothel in the Cream Lemon episode "Pop Chaser" - where director Katsuhiko Nishijima was one of the animators - can be seen in one of the classrooms A-ko and B-ko crash through during a fight sequence in the film.

Veritech fighters!

Roy Fokker's part time veritech?

Director Katsuhiko Nishijima states (possibly in jest) that he took on this project because he was missing some teeth at the time and needed the funding from this film to buy new ones.

The Canadian game company Dream Pod 9 published Project A-ko: The Roleplaying Game in 1995.

What is Project A-Ko about?

An alien space craft crashed into Graviton City, wiping out the entire population and leaving a massive crater where Graviton City is rebuilt. Students A-ko Magami and her best friend C-ko Kotobuki, a bubbly, carefree optimist, enter a new year of school at the all-girls Graviton High School. Although A-ko possesses superhuman speed and strength, she considers herself an average teenager; she mostly worries about getting to school on time, chronically oversleeping her alarm clock each morning. The pair catch the unwanted attention of B-ko Daitokuji, a rich, spoiled and brilliant fellow student.

B-ko develops a crush on C-ko, and is determined to win her over. B-ko's attempts to win C-ko over fail and remembering that she was A-ko's rival back in kindergarten, B-ko creates a series of mecha piloted by her team of female followers to attack A-ko each morning. Losing each new and more powerful mecha she creates and dons the "Akagiyama 23", a powered suit that looks like a bikini. B-ko quickly escalates the fight across the school with no restraint.

Underwear battle!

Take that!

Trench-coated spy "D" has been monitoring A-ko and C-ko each morning and reporting to a large spacecraft as it approaches Earth. The aliens' conclusion is that they have located a lost princess whom they have been looking for. The aliens finally reach Earth and begin an all-out attack against the Graviton military, which is outmatched by the alien technology. A-ko and B-ko own fight continues across the city even as the military and aliens battle. C-ko is abducted in the middle of this confrontation by "D", revealed to be a member of the Lepton Kingdom of Alpha Cygni, an all-female race of aliens. C-ko is their princess.

Witnessing the abduction, A-ko and B-ko set aside their differences. Infiltrating the spaceship, A-ko confronts D and the ship's alcoholic Captain Napolipolita, while B-ko rescues C-ko. B-ko then reneges on the truce and opens fire on A-ko, D and the Captain, destroying the ship's navigation system. The vessel lands, precariously perched on top of the city's Military Command Tower.

A-ko awakens the next morning, sore from the previous day's adventures, and walks with C-ko to school. The girls pass by a disheveled D and the Captain begging for donations to repair their ship. The film ends with B-ko, ready for yet another fight, smiling as A-ko appears on the horizon.

Heroes support hygiene.

Why Japanese girls are all shaved up?

OK, but is it worth the try?

A hilarious send up of all things Anime, Project A-Ko is a biting yet reverent satire of everything we've come to expect from Japanese animation. The film is filled to the brim with dead-on parodies of classic anime such as Fist of the North Star, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, and Captain Harlock. Unfortunately many of the older titles skewered in this picture are too dated or obscure to have been seen by many of today's anime fans (a scene-for-scene spoof of "Harmageddon" is likely to go right over most people's heads). That is not to say Project A-Ko cannot be enjoyed by the casual otaku; the film is more a parody of basic anime themes and cliché's than a spoof of any one particular show. Anyone familiar with the conventions of big robots, cute girls in sailor-suits, intergalactic sci-fi and martial-arts mayhem will feel right at home here. The characters of A-ko and B-ko are deconstructed composites of basic hero/villain stereotypes, and that most revered of anime staples, the Giant Mech, is revealed as the ultimately ridiculous idea that it is. Nothing is sacred in A-ko's world, but it is plain that the creators truly love that which they caricature, and their sense of joy is evident in every frame.

But Project A-Ko is more than just a comedy....it's also one of the greatest action anime ever made. The entire second half of the movie is essentially an extended fight scene. As A-ko and B-ko take their wall-crushing fistfight into the middle of Graviton City they run afoul of the military and the mysterious alien invaders. When the connection between the girls and the aliens is made clear (in one of the great comedic plot twists in any anime), the two rivals call a truce long enough to take down the offending extra-terrestrials....with their bare hands. The action builds at a frenetic pace, and just when you think things can't get anymore ludicrous Project A-Ko manages to top itself again and again. When firing a tank at B-ko fails to stop her, A-ko throws the tank at her. A-ko later demonstrates her hopscotch skills at 50,000 feet on a wave of anti-aircraft missiles. If it all sounds unbelievable....well, it is, but it doesn't feel that way when you're watching it. I've never seen any other film which manages to pile on so much excess so effortlessly, without anything seeming forced. Anyone who thinks Dragon Ball Z is the ultimate action anime needs to give Project A-Ko a long, hard look.

In Project A Ko, girls rule the world.

a true valkyrie woman.

The somewhat dated artwork may turn off some viewers, but by mid-1980s standards this is a very well-drawn film. The animation is fairly limited in most of the calmer scenes, but when A-ko and B-ko launch into action they move with a wonderfully fluid vitality that keeps things interesting and exciting. Many more recent "action" anime lack the rip-roaring feel Project A-Ko creates as the two antagonists punch, kick, jump, and throw each other through walls....all beautifully timed and fully animated. Totally worth a try!

Here's Project A KO, the OVA from 1986 in its original English dubbed version: