Project A-ko 2 review: Did the Daitokuji zaibatsu's plot succeed?

"Project A-ko 2: The Intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu": A masterpiece of an OVA and its appeal

■Overview of the work

"Project A-ko 2: The Intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu" (Project A-ko 2 Daitokuji Zaibatsu no Inbou) is an OVA released by Pony Canyon on May 21, 1987. This work was produced as a sequel to the theatrical anime "Project A-ko" released in 1986. It is one episode, 50 minutes long, and was animated by APPP and co-planned and produced by Soei Shinsha and Pony Canyon. The original work was written by Nishijima Katsuhiko, Shirasaka Kazumi, and Moriyama Yuji, and Moriyama Yuji is the director, original creator, character designer, and animation director.

■ Story

C-ko adores A-ko and is always by her side. B-ko loves C-ko so much that she wants to have her all to herself. In order to make C-ko hers without A-ko getting in the way, B-ko devises a plan. This story unfolds dramatically, with friendship, love, and intrigue intertwining. As B-ko's scheme tests the relationship between A-ko and C-ko, A-ko's superhuman strength and cheerful personality add excitement to the story.

■Explanation

The "Project A Girl" series began as a theatrical anime film based on the title of the movie "Project A" starring Jackie Chan. "Project A Girl," released on June 21, 1986, was a huge hit, and its popularity led to the development of an OVA series. "Project A Girl 2: The Intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu" is the second film in the series, and it has further deepened the appeal of the series. In particular, the addition of a new element, the intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu, adds to the thrill and suspense of the story.

■Cast

The cast of this film is as follows:

• Eiko Makami (A-ko) played by Miki Ito
• Yoshiko Daitokuji (B-ko) played by Emi Shinohara
• Sushiko (C-ko) played by Michie Tomizawa

These voice actors vividly express the individuality of each character, enhancing the appeal of the work. In particular, Miki Ito's role as A-ko perfectly portrays her brightness and strength.

■ Main staff

The main staff of this work are as follows:

• Original author: Katsuhiko Nishijima, Kazumi Shirasaka, Yuji Moriyama
• Director, original concept, character design, and animation director: Yuji Moriyama
• Screenplay: Takao Koyama
• Directed and Storyboarded by: Tomomitsu Mochizuki
• Art director: Junichi Azuma
• Director of photography: Norihide Kubota
• Sound Director: Yasunori Honda
• Producers: Naotaka Yoshida, Toshitoshi Maruyama
• Production Producer: Kazufumi Nomura
• Animation production: APPP
• Planning and production: Soei Shinsha, Pony Canyon

The film was produced by a unified team of staff, and has been praised for its high quality and ingenious storytelling. In particular, Yuji Moriyama's character design and animation direction have greatly enhanced the visual aspects of the film.

■ Main Characters

The main characters of this work are as follows.

• Eiko Makami (A-ko): The main character of the "Project A-ko" series. A girl with superhuman strength and an incredibly cheerful personality. Her strength and cheerfulness are at the heart of the story.
• Daitokuji Yoshiko (B-ko): The main character of this work, she is the daughter of the Daitokuji conglomerate. She falls in love at first sight with C-ko, who has just transferred to the school, and is trying to get C-ko to like her somehow. Her schemes and actions add tension to the story.
• Sushiko (C-ko): A slightly crybaby girl who transferred to the school with A-ko. She adores A-ko and is always with her. Her purity and friendship are important elements of the story.

The relationships and growth of these characters add to the appeal of the work. In particular, the intertwining of A-san and C-san's friendship and B-san's schemes has the power to draw viewers in.

■ Related works

The "Project A-ko" series includes the following related works:

• Theatrical animation "Project A-ko"
• OVA "Project A-ko 3 Cinderella Rhapsody"
• OVA "Project A-ko Final Chapter"
• OVA “A-Ko The VS / GRAY SIDE”
• OVA “A-Ko The VS / BLUE SIDE”

These works complement the overall storyline of the series and depict A-ko's adventures and growth. The OVA series in particular are a collection of works that center on the character of A-ko, although each has its own theme and plot.

■ Theme songs and music

The theme songs for this film are as follows:

• TM1
• "JUMP your heart! Summer intro"
• Lyrics and composition: Mariya Takeuchi
• Vocals: Yoshinori Fukunaga

This theme song is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the song, written and composed by Mariya Takeuchi, has a melody that symbolizes A-ko's brightness and strength.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

Project A-ko 2: The Intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu has been highly praised as an OVA, especially for its storytelling and characters. The story, which combines A-ko's superhuman strength and cheerful personality, B-ko's scheming and C-ko's innocence, has the power to draw viewers in. Yuji Moriyama's character design and skill as animation director also greatly enhance the visual aspects of the work.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• Masterful storytelling: A dramatic mix of friendship, romance and intrigue keeps viewers hooked.
• Appeal of the characters: The relationships and growth of the characters, with A-chan’s brightness and strength, B-chan’s scheming and C-chan’s purity, all intertwine to enhance the appeal of the work.
• Visual Quality: Yuji Moriyama's character design and talent as animation director really add to the visual quality of the film.
• The appeal of the theme song: The theme song "Jump Your Heart! Summer Intro", written and composed by Mariya Takeuchi, is an important element in creating the atmosphere of the work.

"Project A-ko 2: The Intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu" has been highly praised as an OVA work, especially for its storytelling and character appeal. The story, which intertwines A-ko's superhuman strength and cheerful personality, B-ko's schemes and C-ko's purity, has the power to draw viewers in. In addition, Moriyama Yuji's character design and skill as a drawing director also greatly enhances the visual aspect of the work. The reasons for recommending this work are as follows. Clever storytelling: The dramatic development, in which friendship, love, and intrigue intertwine, has the power to draw viewers in. Character appeal: The relationships and growth of the characters, which intertwine A-ko's brightness and strength, B-ko's schemes and C-ko's purity, enhance the appeal of the work. Visual quality: Moriyama Yuji's character design and skill as a drawing director greatly enhance the visual aspect of the work. The appeal of the theme song: The theme song "Kokoro mo JUMP shite! Natsu no Intro", written and composed by Takeuchi Mariya, is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

■ Detailed information and supplementary information

"Project A-ko 2: The Intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu" was released as an OVA in 1987. It is a single episode, 50 minutes long, animated by APPP, and co-planned and produced by Soei Shinsha and Pony Canyon. The original story was written by Nishijima Katsuhiko, Shirasaka Kazumi, and Moriyama Yuji, and Moriyama Yuji is also in charge of direction, original concept, character design, and animation direction. This work is a sequel to the theatrical anime "Project A-ko" released in 1986, and the addition of a new element, the intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu, adds more thrill and suspense to the story.

The cast of this work includes Miki Ito as Eiko Makami (A-ko), Emi Shinohara as Miko Daitokuji (B-ko), and Michie Tomizawa as Sushiko (C-ko). These voice actors vividly express the individuality of each character, enhancing the charm of the work. In particular, Miki Ito's role as A-ko perfectly portrays her brightness and strength.

The main staff includes Nishijima Katsuhiko, Shirasaka Kazumi, and Moriyama Yuji as the original author, Moriyama Yuji as the director, original concept, character designer, and animation director, Koyama Takao as the scriptwriter, Mochizuki Tomomitsu as the director and storyboard artist, Azuma Junichi as the art director, Kubota Norihide as the director of photography, Honda Yasunori as the sound director, Yoshida Naotaka and Maruyama Hisatoshi as the producers, Nomura Kazufumi as the production producer, APPP as the animation producer, and Soei Shinsha and Pony Canyon as the planning and production companies. This work, which was produced by this team of staff, has been praised for its high quality and clever storytelling. In particular, Moriyama Yuji's skills as the character designer and animation director greatly enhance the visual aspects of the work.

The three main characters are Makami Eiko (A-ko), Daitokuji Yoshiko (B-ko), and Sushiko (C-ko). A-ko is the protagonist of the "Project A-ko" series, a girl with superhuman strength and an exceptionally cheerful personality. B-ko is the main character of this work, the daughter of the Daitokuji conglomerate, who falls in love at first sight with C-ko, who has transferred to the school, and is trying to get C-ko to like her somehow. C-ko is a bit of a crybaby who transferred to the school with A-ko, and she adores A-ko and is always with A-ko. The relationships and growth of these characters enhance the appeal of the work. In particular, the intertwining of the friendship between A-ko and C-ko and B-ko's schemes has the power to draw the viewer in.

The "Project A-ko" series includes the animated film "Project A-ko", the OVA "Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody", the OVA "Project A-ko: Final Chapter", the OVA "A-Ko The VS / GRAY SIDE", and the OVA "A-Ko The VS / BLUE SIDE". These works complement the story of the entire series and depict A-ko's adventures and growth. In particular, the OVA series is a group of works that center on the character of A-ko, although each has a different theme and development.

The theme song for this work is "Kokoro mo JUMP shite! Natsu no Intro", written and composed by Mariya Takeuchi and sung by Yoshinori Fukunaga. This theme song is an important element in livening up the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the song written and composed by Mariya Takeuchi has a melody that symbolizes A-ko's brightness and strength.

"Project A-ko 2: The Intrigue of the Daitokuji Zaibatsu" has been highly praised as an OVA work, especially for its storytelling and character appeal. The story, which intertwines A-ko's superhuman strength and cheerful personality, B-ko's schemes and C-ko's purity, has the power to draw viewers in. In addition, Moriyama Yuji's character design and skill as a drawing director also greatly enhances the visual aspect of the work. The reasons for recommending this work are as follows. Clever storytelling: The dramatic development, in which friendship, love, and intrigue intertwine, has the power to draw viewers in. Character appeal: The relationships and growth of the characters, which intertwine A-ko's brightness and strength, B-ko's schemes and C-ko's purity, enhance the appeal of the work. Visual quality: Moriyama Yuji's character design and skill as a drawing director greatly enhance the visual aspect of the work. The appeal of the theme song: The theme song "Kokoro mo JUMP shite! Natsu no Intro", written and composed by Takeuchi Mariya, is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work.