Project A-KoWhen you think of anime (Japanese animation), a bevy of tropes come to mind--spaceships, martial arts, schoolgirls, robots, lasers, and more. Project A-Ko is both a self-aware satire of these elements as well as a core entry into the vanguard of anime in the 1980s, which introduced the West to an evolution in style, quality, and subject matter to a medium previously regarded as being exclusively kids entertainment. Project A-Ko is a humorous and light-hearted tale of the eponymous A-ko, a school girl of sixteen endowed with superhuman strength and speed, her bitter rivalry with the spoiled rich girl, B-ko, and the friendship triangle between them and the bubbly C-ko.
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A-ko's story comes sixteen years after a devastating impact destroys the old Graviton City in Japan, upon which the new city is built, one which has apparently become the acme of modern development for technology--a convenient justification for the schoolgirls at Graviton High to use powered armor and jet packs during their extracurricular activities. As the girls begin their first day of school, little do A-ko and C-ko know that they are being surveilled by the mysterious "D", an alien spy looking for a missing princess who was likely a survivor of the devastating impact years prior. It is little coincidence then that the girls are all sixteen, and Project A-Ko strongly alludes that the missing princess in A-ko. In fact, with A-ko's supernatural strength and speed, combined with her parents who are alluded to be heroic archetypes like Superman and Wonder Woman, it also suggests that A-ko has origins similar to the "man of steel". But Project A-Ko revels in subverting expectations, as it becomes clear that C-ko is, in fact, the absentee princess when she is abducted by the militant aliens, who also happen to all be cross-dressing space women. But even the sci-fi backdrop and multitude of intense scenes of space combat and alien invasion are really just the side story to the feud between A-ko and B-ko. What begins as a rivalry for C-ko's affection escalates into an increasingly destructive series of showdowns and a literal arms race for B-ko to show off her self-proclaimed brilliance in trouncing her mortal foe. B-ko's dislike for A-ko becomes more intense when she realizes--and desperately tries to remind A-ko--that they knew each other in kindergarten. B-ko recalls that she challenged A-ko to a "battle to the death" over C-ko, ostensibly stemming from A-ko saving C-ko from an escaped wolf, with B-ko "forgotten" in the aftermath. In reality, B-ko abused C-ko, playing cruel pranks on her in those days, and B-ko deludes herself into believing the events of the past happened differently. In many ways, B-ko mirrors Superman's own nemesis, Lex Luthor--a brilliant yet arrogant, self-serving villain who resents the hero for getting all the glory...or getting anything she can't have. A-ko consistently thwarts B-ko not only through her super abilities, but also by not letting B-ko drive a wedge between her and C-ko, rising above the pettiness with which B-ko degrades herself. B-ko's obsession with C-ko goes beyond mere friendship, implying other interests in the erstwhile space princess; alternately, B-ko's vanity is so overwhelming that anything she can't contain or control is a persistent sticking point, driving her insane with rage.
No doubt it has become clear that the three focal girls in Project A-Ko all share very similar, even sequential names. Also of note is that while all three girls possess bright hair (A-ko's is red, B-ko's blue, and C-ko's yellow), these are more than just reflections of anime tropes--they are a visual metaphor for the paradigm between these three and also emphasize key personality traits about them. Project A-Ko joyfully pays homage to various anime, including unsubtle nods to Japanese TV shows like "Fist of the North Star", "Macross", and others. The musical score of Project A-Ko is a mix of synthesized, electronic beats and chords along with a series of syrupy sweet tracks about the joys of friendship and encouraging one to "follow your dream". To make the friendship between A-ko and C-ko more convincing, Project A-Ko shows many moments of them hanging out, ditching class to see a silly movie (featuring a killer Colonel Sanders of all things), and eat ice cream. C-ko frequently tries to show her affection for A-ko by preparing her a bento box lunch, although it becomes clear that cooking is not one of her strong points. These moments make it clear that what A-ko and C-ko have is an honest, heartfelt friendship, something that--for all her genius--B-ko cannot understand (or is unwilling to understand in her arrogance). The frequent encounters outside Graviton High between A-ko and B-ko are like scripted "boss fights" from some video game, and the outlandish action and colorful array of fantastic enemies also plays to this. B-ko eventually concludes that after all her fantastic and dynamic robots are made into the kind of rubble A-ko leaves in her wake on her morning commute, that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. In B-ko's eyes, this means facing A-ko in her warped perception of a "fair fight" by donning a revealing bikini body suit, replete with missiles and a penchant for administering pro-wrestling-inspired attacks while shouting the names of her signature moves. The long, satisfying fight between A-ko and B-ko is more thrilling because of the build up to it, and it seems as though it might last forever until C-ko's abduction forces an uneasy truce. Project A-Ko was so popular as an example of both easy and fun anime action and a buffet of anime conventions that it spawned a series of varied sequels, some which even took the trio into space as bounty hunters. But it is the original which carries the most magic as a hallmark for what it was that made anime so appealing to Western audiences in the first place.
Recommended for: Fans of a colorful and funny anime, packed with innocent and humorous action and lots of tropes of the medium. Project A-Ko practically made the super-powered schoolgirl in the sailor suit one of the most iconic images in anime.
No doubt it has become clear that the three focal girls in Project A-Ko all share very similar, even sequential names. Also of note is that while all three girls possess bright hair (A-ko's is red, B-ko's blue, and C-ko's yellow), these are more than just reflections of anime tropes--they are a visual metaphor for the paradigm between these three and also emphasize key personality traits about them. Project A-Ko joyfully pays homage to various anime, including unsubtle nods to Japanese TV shows like "Fist of the North Star", "Macross", and others. The musical score of Project A-Ko is a mix of synthesized, electronic beats and chords along with a series of syrupy sweet tracks about the joys of friendship and encouraging one to "follow your dream". To make the friendship between A-ko and C-ko more convincing, Project A-Ko shows many moments of them hanging out, ditching class to see a silly movie (featuring a killer Colonel Sanders of all things), and eat ice cream. C-ko frequently tries to show her affection for A-ko by preparing her a bento box lunch, although it becomes clear that cooking is not one of her strong points. These moments make it clear that what A-ko and C-ko have is an honest, heartfelt friendship, something that--for all her genius--B-ko cannot understand (or is unwilling to understand in her arrogance). The frequent encounters outside Graviton High between A-ko and B-ko are like scripted "boss fights" from some video game, and the outlandish action and colorful array of fantastic enemies also plays to this. B-ko eventually concludes that after all her fantastic and dynamic robots are made into the kind of rubble A-ko leaves in her wake on her morning commute, that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. In B-ko's eyes, this means facing A-ko in her warped perception of a "fair fight" by donning a revealing bikini body suit, replete with missiles and a penchant for administering pro-wrestling-inspired attacks while shouting the names of her signature moves. The long, satisfying fight between A-ko and B-ko is more thrilling because of the build up to it, and it seems as though it might last forever until C-ko's abduction forces an uneasy truce. Project A-Ko was so popular as an example of both easy and fun anime action and a buffet of anime conventions that it spawned a series of varied sequels, some which even took the trio into space as bounty hunters. But it is the original which carries the most magic as a hallmark for what it was that made anime so appealing to Western audiences in the first place.
Recommended for: Fans of a colorful and funny anime, packed with innocent and humorous action and lots of tropes of the medium. Project A-Ko practically made the super-powered schoolgirl in the sailor suit one of the most iconic images in anime.