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Project A-Ko - Love & Robots

Project A-Ko - Love & Robots

List Price: $29.99
Your Price: $26.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Japanime film ever
Review: Maybe all the wackiness got to my head, but I think this is the best Japanese animated film, if not the best movie ever. I haven't been watching it much lately, but that could be 'cause I watched it about 5 consecutive times when I first rented it and more than 20 times after I eventually bought it 4 years ago. Hey! How many times have YOU watched a single flick? Seriously though, I have been known to have weird taste so you might not like this film nearly as much as I do. However, if you'd like a movie with the hyper behavior found in Ranma 1/2 and Tenchi Muyo (...) and the blow-everything-up machine clashes of the Gundam series (...), Project A-ko is your ticket.

Everything up to this point was written for the VHS version of this movie. Now, the Collector's Series DVD is slightly different. I'm sure Amazon.com tells all the extra features but there is something you might want to know: near the end of the movie (when Miss Ayumi steps out of the classroom onto the balcony), there is a slight pause that shouldn't be there. This is trivial and it's probably just the copy I have, but I thought you should know. This is a Dual-Layer Format DVD. It says on the back of the box that the "Layer transition may trigger a slight pause."

One more thing: don't bother using the english subtitles to read words you can't quite make-out. The direct english translation is different from the dubbing.

One more thing: It took me a dozen rewinds to figure this out, but what B-Ko says when she dons a ballcap and vest for five seconds is, "We'll call it our own superbowl." You probably already knew that, but sometimes the characters talk too fast and it's hard to know what they say.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A-OK anime parody/satire
Review: Project A-ko is about the friendship-relationships of three school girls, all of whom have super/extra human attributes which create unique experiences. But that's not what it's really about. A wacky story line is a framework to hilariously ridicule "otaku" and other anime stereotypes. Stereotypes parodied include:
* pre-occupation with school girls (in sailor suits)
* robots (with school girls inside)
* repetitive fight scenes (to the extreme)
* one central character being annoying (to the extreme)
* transgendered sub-theme (this is even funnier after Ranma 1/2!)
* Hidden plot elements that make more sense on subsequent viewing
* Characters stolen from other 1980's anime series
* period music (theme song almost identical to movie Flashdance)
* Inappropriate "fan service": dressing, bathing, and upskirt shots, ...

This is not for everyone. As a parody, it's not a good introduction to anime. Also has incidental nudity and lesbian allusions that some could find offensive.

A "must buy" for those who enjoy satire and collect best of genre anime. Similar humor to that in _Mars_Attacks_ and _GalaxyQuest_.

Definitions:
otaku --- someone anime obsessed to the point of perversion
fan service --- special inserts catering to otaku cravings which increase video sales.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A-Ko remastered
Review: The Collector's Series DVD version of Project A-ko is all new version of an anime classic. This version is far better then the old Image version in just about every way. CPM were able to locate the original full screen version of the film (all the old versions had the top and bottom cut off to create a wide screen version for the theater), and the film has been Digialy remastered. The remaster was well done, colour is much better then the old release, black level is back where it should be without being crushed. I don't see any artifacts like I have seen in some other remastered animation. Gone are the badly timed white subtitles of the Image release, this version has very easy to read subtitles in yellow with thin black boarder.

Extras? Some of the best I've seen on any anime DVD! All the extras from the old LD are back (missing on the Image DVD), plus new ones from the Japanese SE LD, plus some created just for this release. If you buy the A-ko box set you also get the sound track on a CD (along with two more DVDs).

There are lots of good reviews here about the movie, I've just reviewed the technical features of this DVD. If you have ever been interested in this movie, or even already have a Image version THIS is the version to buy! I don't see how it could be any better.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: NOOOOOOOO
Review: The first animation I've seen...The best animation I've seen. Absolutely great movie without being too serious or too joking. It has almost every thing an Animation fan would want. Robots, Space Ships, Planes, Super Powers and Fighting. Add a little humor and a dose of seriousness and you've got yourself a good time.

The movie is about A-Ko, your average high school gal...with super powers?? Yep!! And her best friend C-Ko who is so nice and ignorant it's down right annoying. And the super genius antagonist B-Ko who is trying to steal C-Ko's affection away from A-Ko. Everything goes screwy when Aliens come to Earth looking for their long lost Princess.

All and all this movie is awesome. If you haven't seen it than you're not a true animation fan! Have Fun with this one!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hold it...!!
Review: The following review refers to a previous DVD edition. Somehow this got attached to the new "collector" edition which, judging by at least one other review, looks to be pretty good. Go ahead and get this edition, and pay no mind to what follows:I won't go on about how great this movie is. I leave that to the other reviewers. What I will talk about is the dreadful job that has been done releasing this. The picture is grainy. They didn't clean up the scratches on the film. The sound quality on the Japanese track is okay, but is shockingly poor on the english dub. Trust me, even if you prefer dubs to subs, you won't like this. They also put the subtitles on the picture itself instead of below it like they used to. I advise you to wait for the Project A-ko collection. Rent it first, and see if they don't do a better job. It's a shame. This movie deserves better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great movie with good satirical qualities
Review: This anime is very comedic and is often viewed as a satire of all anime up to that time. However, it does have a plot of its own.

The main setting is an all-girls school where the heroine, A-ko, and her best friend, C-ko, is confronted by B-ko who wishes to break up their friendship and take C-ko for herself. Each main character has her own unique qualities, A-ko is super strong, B-ko is rich and a brilliant engineer, and C-ko is extremely cute (through the eyes of the characters). B-ko uses all her resources and goes to extreme measures to try and achieve her goal. This provides for some great action and comedic scenes. Meanwhile, there's another unknown menace that threatens them all.... Definitely, a great movie to watch.

This is the first movie in the series of six Project A-ko movies. I am glad to have it on DVD because it is bilingual, and it is like owning both VHS copies (subtitled and dubbed) in one package.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Project A-ko Movies
Review: This DVD contains three of the four project A-ko movies. There are also two other movies nicknamed the "Versus movies" which do not really continue on in the plot. This DVD contains the three sequels to the original Prokect A-ko movie.

I did not find the other movies as wonderful as the original but they are definately worth a look.

Plot of Daitokuji Group is the second installment in the series, named after B-ko's family, which involves the aliens asking for A-ko's and B-ko's help during their summer vacation. However B-ko's rich father has other plans for the aliens.

Cinderella Rhapsody is the third movie. A-ko's falls in love with K which upsets C-ko. A-ko gets a job so she can buy the perfect dress she spies in a window display. B-ko becomes obsessed with K as well. C-ko is very distraught by this lack of attention. K however likes C-ko.

Final is the last movie of the project A-ko series. Miss Ayumi, the girl's teacher is lonely so she agrees to an arranged marriage. However Mr. Daitokuji (B-ko's father) is arranging the marriage. Meanwhile a fleet of spaceships is arriving and there is a newly discovered pyramid in Egypt. Quite Odd.

All the movies are really cute and have comical and excellent plots complimented with great music. Be warned there are latent homosexual themes in the movies as well as minor nudity. These three movies are like the first one in the fact that they are all knock-off's of other popular anime and Japanese movie series. I highly recommend this DVD.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The English dub audio sucks!!
Review: This is one of the few animes that I still get a kick out of (mainly because of the fact that it is an anime that ridicules its own genre). After seeing my fair share of Japanese animation movies and series, I have noticed an unfortunate trend. That is, that anime is utterly plagued with stereotypes. This movie redeems itself in that it (quite intentionally) pokes fun at those rampantly recurring elements that make up Japanese animation.

What themes am I referring to? I'm talkin' bout' epic space battles with zillions of missles, about ultra hot women fighting and striking poses left and right, about the stupid sailor outfits, gigantic robots, jealousy among peers in a prestigious school, etc. Just about every sterotype is represented here, and played off as exactly that.

So check it out. There's something here for you no matter what. I'm willing to bet that if you love or hate most animes, you'll at least enjoy this somewhat. I also want to point out the fact that the overall QUALITY of the animation here is AMAZING even today. ... This is the one to watch. This movie has provided me with a surprizing amount of entertainment value over the years, and has imparted a strange attraction to redheads on me to boot.


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