Project A-ko or Akira: Why So Serious

Project A-ko is one of the first animes I've ever heard of, but because I heard that the first movie is the only must buy, I was looking just for this video. Everyone else must have wanted it because it took me a good six months to find it.


This is one of the funniest and surreal titles I've ever seen. I would say very Tenchesque if this wasn't made before Tenchi, so this may have inspired titles like Tenchi Muyo! and El-Hazard(I can definitely draw Fatora and B-ko comparisons). It's laugh out loud funny with its cute humor that makes you wonder why we now resort to toilet humor like South Park and Beavis and Butthead. Of course, I'm not willing to stop drinking from the bowl. If you're looking for a comedic anime unless a lot of unnecesary crying drives you nuts, Project A-Ko is a must own or atleast a rent which might be easier.

A-ko has transferred to Gravitron High School along with her ditzy sidekick C-ko. Maybe A-ko isn't becoming a popular school icon, but C-ko sure is especially by the class's smartest and richest student B-ko. Well its actually gone beyond idolizing for B-ko since she wants to destroy A-ko so she'd be C-ko's best friend. Add in the fact that B-ko has held a grudge with A-ko since kindergarden she'll do anything to succeed. One problem with her plan, A-ko is extremely strong, so she needs to resort to robot warfare to stop her nemesis. While all this is going on, a spaceship is approaching Earth to take back a princess that left for this planet and these aliens seemed to have narrowed the princess down to one overly sensitive blond high schooler.

Personally, I feel the plot is good enough without the aliens, but it does create a kick ass finale. The humor never stops even in the action sequences, and it featured the greatest one-on-one fight until Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie's Chun Li v. Vega. The animation and soundtrack are great, and since I haven't found anyone who sells the dubbed version, nothing is lost in translation which does include the possible homosexual feelings of B-ko towards C-ko (she thinks about the blond's cuteness while she is swimming in the nude if you don't believe me).

This idea of this can slow the film down, but otherwise this is virtually perfect acceptable any audience except for some gratuigious nudity i.e. B-ko's swimming scene. It doesn't exactly seem like I'd continue a movie series with this film, but it would make a great TV series, we could use a change of pace from all this Sailor Moon stuff.

©1986 Soeishinsha/Final-Nishijima