Purojekuto A-ko (1986)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Katsuhiko Nishijima

Writers:

Tomoko Kawasaki (writer)
Yûji Moriyama (writer)

Release Date:

21 June 1986 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Sci-Fi | Comedy

Plot:

Project A-ko is the typical love triangle of three school girls and their confrontations with aliens, giant robots, and women who look like burly men.

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Spaceship | Transvestite | Cult Favorite | Uniform

Cast

Denica Fairman	...	Daitokuji Biiko (B-ko) (English version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hirofumi Banba	...	Space Station Director
Toni Barry	...	Asa (English version)
Jay Benedict	...	Captain (voice: English version)
Julia Braams	...	C-Ko (1st Volume Only) (voice: English version)
Ted Cole	...	Grash (voice: English version)
Tesshô Genda	...	'D'
Daisuke Gôri	...	Mari (male)
Stacey Gregg	...	A-Ko (1st Volume Only) (voice: English version)
Megumi Hayashibara	...	Ume
Shûichi Ikeda	...	Captain
Sayuri Ikemoto	...	Mari (female)
Miki Itô	...	Magami Eiko (A-ko)
Asami Mukaidono	...	Miss Ayumi
Kenji Nagae	...	Space Station Member
Samantha Newark	...	Vocals (voice)
Yôko Ogai	...	Asa
Tamio Ôki	...	Director of the Earth Defense Army
Ippei Oogi	...	Announcer
Lisa Ross	...	Miss Ayumi (voice: English version)
Teryl Rothery	...	Magami Eiko (A-ko) (after 1st Vol) (voice: English version)
Emi Shinohara	...	Daitokuji Biiko (B-ko)
Marc Smith	...	'D' (voice: English version)
Yoshino Takamori	...	Ine
Shizuo Takeuchi	...	Announcer
Venus Terzo	...	Daitokuji Biiko (B-ko) (after 1st Vol) (voice: English version)
Michie Tomizawa	...	Kotobuki Shiiko (C-ko)
Cathy Weseluck	...	C-Ko (after 1st Vol) (voice: English version)
Ken Yamaguchi	...	Space Station Colonel
Annemarie Zola	...	Mari (English version)

Also Known As:

Project A-Ko

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Australia:PG | UK:15

Company:

APPP

Trivia:

Some of the missiles fired during the space battle scene are actually Pepsi cans. This may be a reference to the film _Chôjikû yôsai Macross: Ai oboeteimasuka (1984)_ qv), which used a similar gag that replaced a pair of missiles with a Budweiser can and a sake flask. This gag was courtesy of mecha designer Shôichi Masuo, who also previously worked on the Macross scene in question.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the alien ship destroys the space station, the resulting wreckage floats across the screen towards the left comes to a complete stop. In the next shot, the debris is moving once again.

Quotes:

C-Ko: Hi. Hi big boy.
Mari: [male voice] What?
[female voice]
Mari: I ain't no boy just because I shave everyday. You gotta be initiated which you might find painful!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs "Chôjikû yôsai Macross" (1982)

Soundtrack:

In Your Eyes

Awesome animation feature from Japan

Project A-KO is probably one of my first forays into the world of Anime (Japanese Animation). With its female characters, martial arts fighting portrayals, collateral damage, super-science, super-powered people, aliens and spaceships, this movie successfully spoofs the Anime genre up until 1986.

This is a great introductory movie for people that want to start enjoying Anime. It is campy, light-hearted and exciting all at once. Since the movie is a comedy-spoof, it almost always fails to take itself seriously.

Project A-Ko is one of the most enduring Anime experiences of all time. The English dub is done rather well so those that dislike subtitles can still enjoy the movie with little distraction.

9.5/10