Monday, April 25th - 3:40 am
Update -
Andrew Floyd
Anime Recommendations:
Project A-Ko
How much is there?
The series that put CPM on the map with fans - 4 movies, and 2 special
episodes, Vs Grey Side and Vs Blue Side. CD soundtrack available in the
U.S., manga versions of the anime are out there if you look, though they
were produced and released in the U.S. by Malibu comics and CPM.
What is it?
Another long time gem of anime fandom, Project A-ko has been around since
the late 1980s. In fact, the first exposure to Project A-ko was from a fan
produced subtitled tape I got from a member of a computer user group I
belonged to at the time. This was well before CPM came out with their
releases.
Basically, the first movie is like this: Super strong A-ko is close friends
with C-ko, while rich and spoiled B-ko also likes C-ko. She'll try almost
anything to get A-ko out of the way, but A-ko being the daughter of a couple
superheroes seen in U.S. comics... Well, that's alluded to and not straight
out declared, but hints are dropped at the end of the first movie. Oh wait,
what about the alien invasion??
I haven't seen CPM's digitally restored version of the first film, which was
originally shown in theatres and released on laserdisc in letterbox format.
I'd like to see it, because it could help me with my composite Snappy of B-ko
in her battle bikini. (woo!!) I'm told the translation isn't any better than
the fan translation, and the dubbing certainly sucks. Never watch Project A-ko
dubbed!
Fortunately, if you like watching your movies in slow frame advance mode,
you should be able to find info on the net detailing the dozens of in-jokes
in the first movie. You'll discover bits like:
- the name is a parody of the Jackie Chan Project A action flicks
- Project A-ko started out as an installment in the Cream Lemon series, but
thankfully the producers changed their plans and we got an anime classic
instead (though I'd love to see any Cream Lemon, especially Pop
Chacer sometime wink wink) You can see proof in the extras at the end of the
subtitled tape for Project A-ko 2, if I remember right.
- Just what you can expect to find in C-ko's lunches (use C-ko of Borg
fanart around here)
- why one of B-ko's minions reminds you of Hokuto no Ken. ^_^
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The soundtrack for the first film is amazing, and no wonder CPM released
it here. You got English lyrics in there, and some great music for action. I
don't consider an anime music collection complete without it.
The comic books were also the first time I ordered and pre-paid for
something at a comic book shop. I have all the issues produced in my
collection. Hopefully I've dug one out for a cover scan for this article.
^_^;;; If there's any original Japanese manga, now is the time to bring that
over, too!! The books Malibu and CPM produced were not largely made using
cel art from the movies, but instead drawn by American artists, and they are
full color. The comic books cover only the first 2 movies and the Blue Side
/ Grey Side stories. While they lack in artistic quality (Well, the Malibu
books aren't too bad), they are collectible, since I've yet to see much in
the way of Project A-ko goods. I would imagine there's stuff out to be found
- I just haven't yet. (Wow. Looking over these time capsules of fandom, the
subtitled VHS tapes were $29.95 to $39.95 each!)
Now with having said that, I hope Jay's added some notes, and you will want
to get the anime. While I hear there's a DVD boxed set, get the subbed
tapes. ^_- And if you really look, you'll find Image Entertainment's NTSC
Laserdisc of the first Project A-ko movie. I wonder if this is the same
Image Entertainment who released Hyper Police on DVD a while ago...
Jay- I guess I'll add my notes here...
Project A-Ko and I go back a long way. As I recall, it was the summer of
1996 and had been a Sailor Moon fan for several months but not seen many
other anime, nor much of even SM in Japanese. My friend from New York City
was coming to stay at my house for the weekend and we decided to go to the
video rental store down the street and do their 5 for 5 for 5.55 deal. Five
videos, for five days, for $5.55. Pretty good!
We rented a bunch of crap, and Project A-Ko. We were intrigued by the
nudity disclaimer prominently featured on the box (the video store had the
subtitled version), although "nudity" ended up being A-Ko's "pencil tip"
breasts, as we called them.
I was blown away by the film. It was like few animated movies I had ever
seen. Between the action, comedy, and most of all, the music (the
soundtrack is a real 80's blast-to-the-past and will get stuck in your head
for weeks) I was addicted.
I decided I had to get the movie. We didn't have two VCRs at the
time so I wasn't able to copy it, and because I had seen the subtitled
version, I decided I really wanted exactly what I had seen. So I went
to different stores in the area and asked for Project A-Ko, but all they had
was the dub. Needless to say I was disappointed; for weeks, I was A-Ko-less.
But I refused to give up. My family took a trip to the west coast that
summer, and having heard that it was a haven for anime collectibles
(remember this was 1996, when anime was still "Japanimation" and usually
relegated to comic book stores and Chinatown) thought I could find someone.
I was going to be in Hawaii too, so I e-mailed someone from the Looney
Mailing List who lived there and asked where the best place to find anime
was.
I tried first in San Francisco, heading into a Japanese video place only
to find it in Japanese... with no subtitles. And not for sale; only for
rent. Scratch that. I also looked in Los Angeles, but came across the same
result. Last, we were in Hawaii; I decided to head a bit out of the way, to
the place the person from the mailing list had suggested.
It ended up being a Tower Records, but they had one of the largest anime
racks I'd ever seen up to that point. I found Project A-Ko subtitled, with a
price tag of $40. I was a bit sticker-shocked but pleased none-the-less.
When I went to the register, though, I was told that it was the rental copy,
and I couldn't buy it. But I should check the video sales area. Sure enough,
there it was- for $30! Not bad. And when I took it to the register, I was
told it was on sale- for $20! God really smiled upon me that day.
I credit the obsessiveness of my A-Ko search as a main reason why I
always preferred subtitled Japaense animation.
I can't tell you how many times I watched that video afterward but to
this day it resides in its yellow Tower Records bag. I eventually picked up
the other films, finding a nearby video store selling its previously viewed
copies. They're not as good, but still entertaining. Except for Blueside/Greyside,
that shit sucks.
Anyway, I really feel like watching it again now...
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