Project A-ko: Difference between revisions
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==Production== |
==Production== |
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⚫ | The film was directed by [[Katsuhiko Nishijima]] who would later go on to direct ''[[Agent Aika]]'' and ''[[Labyrinth of Flames]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Haverson|first=Dave|date=February 2002|title=Anime - Labyrinth of Flames|page=85|work=Play|location=United States of America}}</ref> The music for the film features music and songs composed by [[Richie Zito]] and [[Joey Carbone]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-03 |title=Project A-ko: Perfect Edition Blu-ray |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/project-a-ko/perfect-edition-blu-ray/.183739 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=[[Anime News Network]] |language=en}}</ref> Nishijima said that he wanted to make a film that directors [[Mamoru Oshii|Mamorou Oshii]] and [[Hayao Miyazaki]] were not able to make which is a light hearted entertaining film without much deep social commentary.<ref>{{Cite news |last=手 司 |first=土器 |date=May 1986 |title=西島克彦監督、怪気炎あげる |work=[[Animage]] |publisher=[[Tokuma Shoten]] |location=Japan |pages=22 |language=JA}}</ref> Production of the film included several artists who would later create other popular works, including [[Michitaka Kikuchi|Kia Asamiya]] and [[Atsuko Nakajima]].{{Cn|date=March 2024}} [[Yuji Moriyama]] is credited with [[Character designer|character design]] and [[animation director]], and previously worked on the ''[[Urusei Yatsura (1981 TV series)|Urusei Yatsura]]'' television series, and films ''[[Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer|Beautiful Dreamer]]'' and ''[[Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer|Only You]]''.<ref name=":0" /> |
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The title itself is a reference to the 1983 [[Jackie Chan]] film ''[[Project A (film)|Project A]]'', although the film bears no resemblance to ''Project A''; the working title ended up sticking.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ledoux|first1=Trish|title=The Complete Anime Guide|last2=Ranney|first2=Doug|date=December 1995|publisher=Tiger Mountain Press|isbn=0-9649542-3-0|edition=First|location=Issaquah, WA|page=62|chapter=Anime Genres|lccn=95062359}}</ref> |
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⚫ | The film was directed by [[Katsuhiko Nishijima]] who would later go on to direct ''[[Agent Aika]]'' and ''[[Labyrinth of Flames]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Haverson|first=Dave|date=February 2002|title=Anime - Labyrinth of Flames|page=85|work=Play|location=United States of America}}</ref> The music for the film features music and songs composed by [[Richie Zito]] and [[Joey Carbone]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-03 |title=Project A-ko: Perfect Edition Blu-ray |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/project-a-ko/perfect-edition-blu-ray/.183739 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=[[Anime News Network]] |language=en}}</ref> Nishijima said that he wanted to make a film that directors [[Mamoru Oshii|Mamorou Oshii]] and [[Hayao Miyazaki]] were not able to make which is a light hearted entertaining film without much deep social commentary.<ref>{{Cite news |last=手 司 |first=土器 |date=May 1986 |title=西島克彦監督、怪気炎あげる |work=[[Animage]] |publisher=[[Tokuma Shoten]] |location=Japan |pages=22 |language=JA}}</ref> Production of the film included several artists who would later create other popular works, including [[Michitaka Kikuchi|Kia Asamiya]] and [[Atsuko Nakajima]].{{Cn|date=March 2024}} [[Yuji Moriyama]] is credited with [[Character designer|character design]] and [[animation director]], and previously worked on the ''[[Urusei Yatsura (1981 TV series)|Urusei Yatsura]]'' television series, and films ''[[Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer|Beautiful Dreamer]]'' and ''[[Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer|Only You]]''.<ref name=":0" /> According to Moriyama, the crew of the film had mostly worked on ''Urusei Yatsura'', and felt demoralized after [[Mamoru Oshii]] left production of the series, and wished to work on a new project.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Ruh |first=Brian |title=Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii |date=2004 |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |isbn=978-1-4039-6334-5 |location=New York |pages=45-46}}</ref> Moriyama said:<blockquote>The currents [at that time] were shifting favorably towards more serious works that were loaded with meaning and heavy themes. It was a frustrating time for animators who liked to animate. A-ko was a deliberate attempt to push all that aside, to provide some mindless fun, to make an action-packed film that would be fun to make and fun to watch. I guess you could say it was an animator’s anime. Animators who wanted to animate big action but couldn’t, came together on this project and let it all hang out.”<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>The title itself is a reference to the 1983 [[Jackie Chan]] film ''[[Project A (film)|Project A]]'', although the film bears no resemblance to ''Project A''; the working title ended up sticking.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ledoux|first1=Trish|title=The Complete Anime Guide|last2=Ranney|first2=Doug|date=December 1995|publisher=Tiger Mountain Press|isbn=0-9649542-3-0|edition=First|location=Issaquah, WA|page=62|chapter=Anime Genres|lccn=95062359}}</ref> |
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''Project A-ko'' was initially planned to be part of the ''[[Cream Lemon]]'' series of [[hentai|pornographic]] OVAs, but during the production of the series, it was decided to make it into a more mainstream title.<ref name="Chapman">{{Cite news|last=Chapman|first=Paul|date=May 4, 2021|title=The Fantastic True Story of How Project A-ko Was Lost and Found|work=Crunchyroll News|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2021/05/04/feature-the-fantastic-true-story-of-how-project-a-ko-was-lost-and-found|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921135504/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2021/05/04/feature-the-fantastic-true-story-of-how-project-a-ko-was-lost-and-found|url-status=live}}</ref> 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. |
''Project A-ko'' was initially planned to be part of the ''[[Cream Lemon]]'' series of [[hentai|pornographic]] OVAs, but during the production of the series, it was decided to make it into a more mainstream title.<ref name="Chapman">{{Cite news|last=Chapman|first=Paul|date=May 4, 2021|title=The Fantastic True Story of How Project A-ko Was Lost and Found|work=Crunchyroll News|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2021/05/04/feature-the-fantastic-true-story-of-how-project-a-ko-was-lost-and-found|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921135504/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2021/05/04/feature-the-fantastic-true-story-of-how-project-a-ko-was-lost-and-found|url-status=live}}</ref> 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. |
Revision as of 02:59, 12 June 2024
Project A-ko | |||||
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![]() Original Japanese film poster | |||||
Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | プロジェクトA子 | ||||
| |||||
Directed by | Katsuhiko Nishijima | ||||
Written by | Katsuhiko Nishijima Tomoko Kawasaki Yuji Moriyama | ||||
Story by | Katsuhiko Nishijima Kazumi Shirasaka | ||||
Produced by | Kazufumi Nomura | ||||
Starring | Miki Itō Michie Tomizawa Emi Shinohara Asami Mukaidono | ||||
Music by | Richie Zito Joey Carbone Toru Akasaka | ||||
Production companies | A.P.P.P. Soeishinsha | ||||
Distributed by | Shochiku | ||||
Release date |
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Running time | 84 minutes | ||||
Country | Japan | ||||
Language | Japanese |
Project A-ko (プロジェクトA子, Purojekuto Ēko) is a 1986 Japanese animated science fiction action comedy film directed by Katsuhiko Nishijima.[1] This film focuses on 16-year-old Japanese teenage schoolgirl A-ko , who defends her best friend C-ko , as they face off against their fellow classmate and rival B-ko while the Earth faces the threat of an alien invasion.[2] This series references a number of other works of anime from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Gundam, Macross, and Fist of the North Star.[citation needed]
The film was largely well received by critics. The film was followed up by several sequels and a spin-off first with Project A-Ko 2 in 1987.[2][3]
Plot
An alien spaceship crashes into Graviton City, wiping out the entire population and leaving a massive crater where the city is rebuilt 16 years later.[2] High school students A-ko Magami, a perky, fun-loving red-haired, sailor-suited teenage girl, and her best friend C-ko Kotobuki, a bubbly, carefree optimist, enter a new year of school as transfer students 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, due to her habit of chronically oversleeping her alarm clock each morning. The pair catch the unwanted attention of B-ko Daitokuji, a rich, snobbish, spoiled, and brilliant fellow student.
B-ko develops an obsession in regards to C-ko, and is determined to win her over. B-ko's attempts to win C-ko over fail, however, 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. After losing each new and more powerful mecha, she eventually 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.
Trench-coated spy "D" has been monitoring A-ko and C-ko each morning and reporting back 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's own fight continues across the big city even as the military and aliens do battle. C-ko is abducted in the middle of this confrontation by "D", who is 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 (actually the remains of the previously crashed ship). Having survived the crash, both A-ko and C-ko find themselves on top of an unconscious B-ko.
A-ko happily awakens the next morning, sore from the previous day's adventures, and walks with C-ko to school in their new uniforms. 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.
Cast
Character | Japanese voice actor | English dubbing actor |
---|---|---|
Eiko "A-ko" Magami (摩神 英子, Magami Eiko, A子) | Miki Itō | Stacey Gregg |
Biiko "B-ko" Daitokuji (大徳寺 美子, Daitokuji Biiko, B子) | Emi Shinohara | Denica Fairman |
Shiiko "C-ko" Kotobuki (寿 詩子, Kotobuki Shiiko, C子) | Michie Tomizawa | Julia Brahms |
Ayumi Azumi (安土 亜弓, Azumi Ayumi)/Miss Ayumi (亜弓 先生, Ayumi Sensei) | Asami Mukaidono | Liza Ross |
Captain Napolipolita (キャプテン・ナポリポリタ) | Shūichi Ikeda | Jay Benedict |
Spy D | Tesshō Genda | Marc Smith |
Mari (真理) | Daisuke Gōri (male voice) Sayuri Ikemoto (female voice) |
Anne Marie Zola (female voice) |
Asa (あさ) | Yōko Ogai | Toni Barry |
Ine (いね) | Yoshino Takamori | Anne Marie Zola |
Ume (うめ) | Megumi Hayashibara | Liza Ross |
Production
The film was directed by Katsuhiko Nishijima who would later go on to direct Agent Aika and Labyrinth of Flames.[4] The music for the film features music and songs composed by Richie Zito and Joey Carbone.[5] Nishijima said that he wanted to make a film that directors Mamorou Oshii and Hayao Miyazaki were not able to make which is a light hearted entertaining film without much deep social commentary.[6] Production of the film included several artists who would later create other popular works, including Kia Asamiya and Atsuko Nakajima.[citation needed] Yuji Moriyama is credited with character design and animation director, and previously worked on the Urusei Yatsura television series, and films Beautiful Dreamer and Only You.[2] According to Moriyama, the crew of the film had mostly worked on Urusei Yatsura, and felt demoralized after Mamoru Oshii left production of the series, and wished to work on a new project.[7] Moriyama said:
The currents [at that time] were shifting favorably towards more serious works that were loaded with meaning and heavy themes. It was a frustrating time for animators who liked to animate. A-ko was a deliberate attempt to push all that aside, to provide some mindless fun, to make an action-packed film that would be fun to make and fun to watch. I guess you could say it was an animator’s anime. Animators who wanted to animate big action but couldn’t, came together on this project and let it all hang out.”[7]
The title itself is a reference to the 1983 Jackie Chan film Project A, although the film bears no resemblance to Project A; the working title ended up sticking.[8]
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.[9] 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.
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.
Release
The film was released to theaters by Shochiku-Fuji on June 21, 1986, alongside a shorter film titled Going on a Journey: Ami Final Chapter. Pony Video distributed the film via VHS and LaserDisc later in the year. The film's soundtrack was released on LP, CD, and cassette through Polystar Records on May 25 of the same year. "Dance Away" by Annie Livingston was released as a single simultaneously with the album, with the background music track "Spaceship in the Dark" as the B-side.[10] A Japanese-language version of "Dance Away" and "Follow Your Dream" by Project Sisters (プロジェクト・シスターズ, Purojekuto Shisutāzu) was released a month later.[11]
Project A-Ko was Central Park Media's first video release in 1991 alongside Dominion Tank Police and MD Geist.[12] They later released a dubbed version produced by Manga Entertainment to VHS in 1992.[2] The English dub for the rest of the franchise was produced with Ocean Studios instead. The album was released in the U.S. in 1994 by Central Park Media under their MangaMusic label and later included as a bonus disc the "Collector's Series" DVD in 2002.[13][14]
After releasing Project A-ko on DVD in its original widescreen video format, Central Park Media later released a "Collector's Series" version in 2002, which features remastered video and coloring, a large number of A-ko related extras, commentary and interviews by many of the Project A-ko staff, and a free Project A-ko soundtrack CD.
In May 2011, Eastern Star released a newly remastered R1 Project A-ko DVD. It contains many of the extras of the original CPM release, minus the soundtrack CD.[15] Discotek Media released the film on Blu-ray in December 2021. Originally, the footage for the film was to be sourced from the laserdisc release using the Domesday Duplicator to capture the footage at a higher quality than previous releases,[16] with a technology called AstroRes being used to upscale the footage and restore it to a higher quality.[9] The film was instead sourced from the original 35mm film negatives, which were previously thought lost.[17] The 35mm film negatives had been stored in a film laboratory but a clerical error had resulted in confusion as to where it was.[9]
Reception
The film has largely been praised reviewers who consider it a classic for fans of Japanese anime.[2][18][19] The film's humor was praised, with Hyper magazine saying that the film hits with its "cheesy" humor.[19] Reviewer Joe Bob Briggs praised the film, citing the more adult subject matter compared to Saturday morning cartoons and crazy action, giving it four out of four stars. He placed the film alongside others such as Gunbuster and Dominion: Tank Police which feature scantily clad women in science fiction adventures causing a lot of mayhem.[20] J-Fan praised the English dub calling it one of Manga Entertainment's best dubs saying it is a "near perfect example of the genre. Highly recommended."[2]
GameFan writer Shidoshi considers the film a "must see" film for any serious anime fan, saying it rises above being a mere parody and stands on its own as a work. He also says that it is the best film in the series, with the sequels being the sort of work that the film set out to mock.[18]
However, some reviewers found the story confusing and hard to follow, with GameZone magazine saying: "Confused? You better believe it. The plot's got more twists than a bag of noodles".[21]
Sequels
Central Park Media has released the three OVA sequels in a single-disc DVD collection, Project A-ko: Love and Robots:
- Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group (1987)
- Cinderella Rhapsody (1988)
- FINAL (1989)
After this original series, a spin-off entitled A-ko the Vs (1990) was created and released in the OVA format. In this two-part series (a "Grey side" and "Blue side"), A-ko and B-ko are partners hunting monsters in an extraterrestrial environment, with no relationship to the previous series. Central Park Media released it as Project A-ko: Uncivil Wars.[22]
References
- ^ "Project A-Ko DVD". Right Stuf Inc. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lynn Davies, Robert (December 1995). "Project A-Ko The Pocket Guide". J-Fan. United Kingdom: Ebony Publishing. pp. 59–61.
- ^ Crandol, Mike. "Project A-Ko DVD". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ Haverson, Dave (February 2002). "Anime - Labyrinth of Flames". Play. United States of America. p. 85.
- ^ "Project A-ko: Perfect Edition Blu-ray". Anime News Network. 2024-03-03. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ 手 司, 土器 (May 1986). "西島克彦監督、怪気炎あげる". Animage (in Japanese). Japan: Tokuma Shoten. p. 22.
- ^ a b Ruh, Brian (2004). Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-1-4039-6334-5.
- ^ Ledoux, Trish; Ranney, Doug (December 1995). "Anime Genres". The Complete Anime Guide (First ed.). Issaquah, WA: Tiger Mountain Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-9649542-3-0. LCCN 95062359.
- ^ a b c Chapman, Paul (May 4, 2021). "The Fantastic True Story of How Project A-ko Was Lost and Found". Crunchyroll News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "プロジェクトA子 Dance Away/Spaceship in the Dark". Muuseo. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ^ "プロジェクトA子 ダンス・アウェイ/フォロー・ユア・ドリーム". Muuseo. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ^ "They made it through another year!". Animation Magazine. January 2006. p. 31.
- ^ "Project A-ko: Original Soundtrack". VGMDb. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
- ^ Project A-ko: Original Soundtrack at Discogs (list of releases)
- ^ Douglass, Todd Jr. (June 20, 2011). "Project A-Ko". DVDTalk.com. Internet Brands. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (2020-09-14). "Discotek Licenses Rose of Versailles, Hajime no Ippo, Project A-Ko Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 8, 2021). "Discotek Licenses Dear Brother, Sgt. Frog, Kashimashi, Nyanbo! Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Shidoshi (May 1998). "Anime Fan "Oldies but Goodies"". GameFan. p. 86.
- ^ a b Autohead, Max (December 1995). "Anime - Project A-Ko". Hyper. Australia. p. 19.
- ^ Briggs, Joe Bob (March 27, 1992). "'Annie Mae' cartoons: Saturday Mornings was never like this". The Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ "Zone 7: Intergalactic Punk Rock Hip Hop". GameZone. October 1992. pp. 94–95.
- ^ See, Raphael. "Project A-ko: Versus". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
External links
- Official website
- Project A-ko at IMDb
- Project A-Ko (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- 1986 films
- Project A-ko
- 1986 anime films
- 1986 action comedy films
- 1980s Japanese films
- 1980s Japanese-language films
- 1980s parody films
- 1980s rediscovered films
- 1980s science fiction comedy films
- 1980s science fiction action films
- 1980s high school films
- Animated films set in the future
- Discotek Media
- Japanese animated science fiction films
- Japanese science fiction comedy films
- Central Park Media
- CPM Press
- Animated films about impact events
- Shochiku films
- Films about alien invasions
- LGBT-related anime and manga