Project A-ko

Not to be confused with the android Project Aiko.

Project A-ko
Project A-ko Australian DVD cover
Directed by	Katsuhiko Nishijima
Studio	Soeishinsha, Studio A.P.P.P.
Release date(s)	June 21, 1986 (1986-06-21)
Running time	84 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Project A-ko (プロジェクトA子, Purojekuto Eeko) is an animated movie that led to later releases set in the same series, and spinoff release as well. This parody series references a number of other works of anime from the 1970s and 1980s. The title itself is a reference to the 1985 Jackie Chan movie Project A (the film bears no resemblance to Project A, and Project A-ko was originally just a temporary working title for the film, but it ended up sticking). Production of the first movie included several artists who would later go on to become popular in their own works, including Kia Asamiya and Atsuko Nakajima. Also noted is the western production of the soundtrack of the first movie, credited to Joey Carbone & Richie Zito. The English language version was produced and released by Central Park Media.

Summary

The opening of the film takes place in orbit and follows a spacewalk in progress when an unknown object crashes through the astronauts' support craft down to the earth below. Some years later, a highly developed city has been built in the impact crater (with similar overtones to Macross's setup). The plot revolves around Eiko (or, "A-ko,") Magami, a red-haired teenage girl, and her best friend is Shiiko (or, "C-ko") Kotobuki, a bubbly, carefree, optimistic blonde. During their school days, A-ko displays unexplained superhuman feats of speed and strength, usually in an effort to get to school on time. The two girls transferred to an all-girls high school and catch the attention of Biko (or, "B-ko") Daitokuji (who wears a hairstyle reminiscent of Lynn Minmei). B-ko, who is from a rich family and is herself a brilliant student, develops a sudden interest in isolating C-ko's time all to herself and push A-ko out of the way.

During these interactions, a large figure in a trench coat identified as "D" is seen monitoring the situations and reporting their findings to an unknown large spacecraft as it approaches earth. Their conclusion is that they have located the princess which they have been looking for, and they make plans to recover her.

As the spacecraft invades earth and engages the military, A-ko's and B-ko's fight escalates at the same time when B-ko puts on a battle suit to match A-ko's power. The schoolyard fight moves into the city as the space invasion force makes landfall, and the girls continue to fight oblivious to the chaos around them.

They're snapped out of their struggle when C-ko is abducted by the alien force, setting aside their differences until they rescue her.

Throughout the picture are several references and direct parodies to popular anime of the day, including Macross, Fist of the North Star, Captain Harlock, Gundam, and numerous others.

Characters

A-ko (A子) (Eiko Magami (摩神 英子, Magami Eiko))

A-ko, a red-haired girl who seems to be near invulnerable with superhuman speed and strength, is the heroine of the series and lives in Graviton City, Japan. A-ko is usually very friendly, cheerful, and polite and always tries to lead a normal life despite abilities. However, she does have a fiery temper and is very dangerous when angered. She has a large appetite and a tendency to oversleep on school days. Her constant friend is C-ko Kotobuki, whom she has known since kindergarten. Although A-ko can sometimes be frustrated with her, she truly loves C-ko. Both are transfer students to Graviton High, but wear their former school's sailor-style uniform for most of the film.

Voiced by: Miki Itō (Japanese), Teryl Rothery (English) and Stacey Gregg (first movie only)

B-ko (B子) (Biko Daitokuji (大徳寺 美子, Daitokuji Biko))

B-ko Daitokuji is well-known in Graviton High as the daughter of a local industrial tycoon. As a scholastic genius, she is seen living a luxurious lifestyle including limo rides to school and carrying haughty airs in her demeanor. At school, a small group of classmates act as her loyal subordinates.

Although seemingly very calm and poised in public, and always deferring to her teachers' authority, B-ko has a tremendous temper which flares whenever she doesn't get what she wants. Her desire to steal C-ko's affection away from A-ko develops from regular obsession to all-consuming, devoting all her resources, her subordinates, and her mechanical genius to her goal.

Voiced by: Emi Shinohara (Japanese), Venus Terzo (English) and Denica Fairman (first movie only)

C-ko (Shiiko Kotobuki (寿 詩子, Kotobuki Shiiko))

C-ko Kotobuki is A-ko's best friend and has depended on her since they met in kindergarten. Though the same age as the other two girls, C-ko can be considered quite childlike. She is described as cute and innocent, tends to be hyperactive, and, in the Japanese version, frequently refers to herself in the third person, a trait associated with being childish. C-ko can often be sensitive and immature, and because of this, she has a tendency to cry.

In the first installment of the series, C-ko is revealed to be the Fourth Princess of the Fifth Queen of the Lepton Kingdom of Alpha Cygni, an all-female race of extraterrestrial aliens. She crash-landed on Earth when she was an infant, and the Lepton Kingdom has been searching fervently for her ever since. However, C-ko is fairly uninterested in her unearthly ancestry and wants nothing more than to remain on Earth with A-ko.

C-ko enjoys cooking, but the food that she prepares is largely inedible and often contains ingredients not meant for human consumption.

Voiced by: Michie Tomizawa (Japanese), Cathy Weseluck (English) and Julia Brahms (first movie only)

Captain Napolipolita

Napolipolita is a captain in the Alpha Cygnan space navy, who has spent the last sixteen years searching the universe for C-ko. Although she first appears to be a man, it is later revealed that the Alpha Cygnans are an all-female race, some of which resemble males. Although Napolipolita cuts a fine figure, always impeccably dressed with a dramatically-swirling cloak and wraparound sunglasses, her facade quickly shatters when danger arises. During the long sojourn in space, she has become completely addicted to alcohol and unravels when she is unable to get a drink.(Capt Napolipolita is an obvious parody of Capt Harlock)

Voiced by: Shūichi Ikeda (Japanese), Scott McNeil (English) and Jay Benedict (first movie only)

D (Operative DC138621-S113)

As a spy for the Lepton Kingdom, D has been stationed on earth for a long while, searching for signs of their missing princess. Her long exile comes to fruition when she encounters A-ko and C-ko racing to school one morning. She continues to stalk the pair, despite suffering massive (but accidental) bodily harm whenever they meet.

Like the Captain, D is in fact a woman, but appears very masculine to Earthling eyes. This confusion is cleared up at the end of the first movie, when she dons a very scant uniform to battle A-ko.(Operative D is a parody of the Character D from Vampire Hunter D)

Voiced by: Tesshō Genda (Japanese), Robert O. Smith (English) and Marc Smith (first movie only)

Miss Ayumi (亜弓先生, Ayumi-sensei)

Miss Ayumi is a teacher at Graviton High School who has A-ko, B-ko, and C-ko in her class at the same time. This means that she has the task of trying to get C-ko to learn while preventing A-ko and B-ko from murdering each other.

Miss Ayumi is modeled after the lead character of the eponymous TV series Creamy Mami, one of several magical girl TV shows that came out during the 80s.

Voiced by: Asami Mukaidono (Japanese), Lynda Boyd (English) and Lisa Ross (first movie only)

Mari, Ine, Asa, Ume

These four girls are B-ko's only friends, although "employees" might be a better term. They spend most of their time doing whatever B-ko orders them to. This can range from reconnaissance work, to piloting B-ko's enormous war machines, to helping her stage commando raids against anyone who dares to cross her. They are apparently not paid well and gripe among themselves that they can only afford to eat ramen noodles most of the time.

Ume is chubby and wears spectacles. Ine is skinny and buck-toothed. Asa is fairly normal-looking. Mari stands at least eight feet tall with tanned skin and an enormous musculature. She is an obvious parody of Kenshiro from the anime/manga series Fist of the North Star. She looks quite a bit like him, uses a similar fighting style, constantly tatters her clothing when flexing and has many of his mannerisms; however, her speaking voice is a normal female one.

Mari voiced by Daisuke Gohri (Japanese)

Ine voiced by Yoshiko Takamori (Japanese)

Asa voiced by Yoko Ogai (Japanese)

Ume voiced by Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese)

Production

In Japanese, "-ko" is a common suffix for girl's names, like Hanako, Rumiko, and Yuriko. Additionally, "-ko" can mean "child". So A-ko, B-ko, and C-ko can literally mean Child-A, Child-B and Child-C. This is a common way to reference extra characters in Japanese contemporary drama. So "A-ko" can be indicative of the common name "Eiko." Also, it can mean that she and the other main characters of the series are actually just extras. 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 hentai 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" can be seen in one of the classrooms A-ko and B-ko crash through during a fight sequence in the film.

Director Katsuhiko Nishijima states (possibly jokingly) 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.

Video release in North America

After releasing Project A-ko on DVD in its original widescreen video format, Central Park Media later released a "Collector's Series" version, 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.

On May, 17, 2011, Eastern Star released a newly-remastered R1 Project A-ko DVD.

Sequels

Direct to video released sequels were produced.

Central Park Media has released the other Project A-ko OVAs in two DVD collections: Project A-ko: Love and Robots (which contains the OVAs Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group, Cinderella Rhapsody, and Final) and Project A-ko: Uncivil Wars (which contains both the Grey Side and Blue Side of A-ko the Vs).

External links

• Project A-ko at the Internet Movie Database
• Project A-Ko (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Project A-ko reviews from multiple sites at Meta Anime Review
• Graviton High Project A-ko fansite