Project A-ko (1990 film)

Project A-ko (プロジェクトA子), commonly known as Project A-ko: The American Film, is a 1990 American animated action comedy sci-fi film directed by Kosuke Masuyama and starring, and. Based on the, the film was produced by and written by , with  as executive producer. It focuses on a happy-go-lucky 16-year-old red-haired, sailor-suited teenage schoolgirl, A-ko Magami, who goes on her magical adventure from high school to outer space as she struggles to finish her homework, rescue her friend C-ko, and save the Earth from an evil alien invasion.

The screenplay was originally intended to be a live-action film, but the film adaptation became animated because of a contractual obligation with and. The film premiered in Suginami, Tokyo on September 26, 1990 and was released theatrically in the United States by on September 29, 1990. Upon release, the film has received positive reviews from critics and fans, who praised the animation, themes, characters, voice performances and the soundtrack. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing $500 million over a $66 million budget in the box office worldwide. Its success spawned various adaptations of the film into other media, including a computer game by, a direct-to-video spin-off film, books and toys.

Plot
In 1986, an alien space craft crashes into Graviton City, wiping out the entire population and leaving a massive crater where the city is rebuilt. Students A-ko Magami, a perky, fun-loving red-haired, sailor-suited teenage girl, and her best friend C-ko Kotobuki, a bubbly, carefree optimist, enter a new year of school as transfer students at the all-girls Graviton High School. Although A-ko possesses superhuman speed and strength, she considers herself an average teenager. She mostly worries about getting to school on time, due to her habit of chronically oversleeping her alarm clock each morning. The pair catch the unwanted attention of B-ko Daitokuji, a rich, snobbish, spoiled, and brilliant fellow student.

B-ko develops a crush on C-ko, and is determined to win her over. B-ko's attempts to win C-ko over fail, however, and remembering that she was A-ko's rival back in kindergarten, B-ko creates a series of mecha piloted by her team of female followers to attack A-ko each morning. After losing each new and more powerful mecha, she eventually creates and dons the "Akagiyama 23," a powered suit that looks like a bikini. B-ko quickly escalates the fight across the school with no restraint.

Trench-coated spy "D" has been monitoring A-ko and C-ko each morning and reporting back to a large spacecraft as it approaches Earth. The aliens' conclusion is that they have located a lost princess whom they have been looking for. The aliens finally reach Earth and begin an all-out attack against the Graviton military, which is outmatched by the alien technology. A-ko and B-ko's own fight continues across the big city even as the military and aliens do battle. C-ko is abducted in the middle of this confrontation by "D," who is revealed to be a member of the Lepton Kingdom of Alpha Cygni, an all-female race of aliens. C-ko is their princess.

Witnessing the abduction, A-ko and B-ko set aside their differences. Infiltrating the spaceship, A-ko confronts D and the ship's alcoholic Captain Napolipolita, while B-ko rescues C-ko. B-ko then reneges on the truce and opens fire on A-ko, D, and the Captain, destroying the ship's navigation system. The vessel lands, precariously perched on top of the city's Military Command Tower (actually the remains of the previously-crashed ship).

A-ko happily awakens the next morning, sore from the previous day's adventures, and walks with C-ko to school in their new uniforms. The girls pass by a disheveled D and the Captain begging for donations to repair their ship. B-ko, ready for yet another fight, smiles as A-ko appears on the horizon.

In 1987, the event centers on B-ko's father Hikaru Daitokuji, a billionaire industrialist who bears a strong resemblance to Ted Turner and Tony Stark. B-ko's obsession with C-ko finds another outlet, as she uses her genius intellect to help the Alpha Cygnans repair their spaceship, since C-ko has developed a soft spot for the stranded Napolipolita and D. The Alpha Cygnans have turned their ship into a posh 30,000 room hotel, but long only to return home.

The event also involves a stereotypical summertime swimming pool scene. The heroines are also being stalked by a steadily growing number of mysterious men in white suits, who all attempt to appear inconspicuous by nonchalantly reading newspapers. Later in the movie, they reveal themselves as spies, their mission being the capture of the Cygnan "super-technology."

The climax of the film involves the military forces — being manipulated by Hikaru Daitokuji — attacking the Alpha Cygnan ship with a giant experimental mecha named the Queen Margarita (whose blueprints he confiscated from B-ko) in a greedy attempt at seizing their alien technology. This results in the movie's one truly classic moment, in which B-ko's father flies into the fray wearing one of his daughter's revealing Akagiyama battle suits and attempts to catch the Ship — which is plummeting back to Earth — and ends up blowing out his back.

In 1988, it is Spring break for the students of Graviton High. While B-ko plots to whisk C-ko away to some secluded location, C-ko dreams only of spending time with A-ko, having fun as usual. A-ko, however, has other plans. She decides that it's time to "stop hanging around" with C-ko and find a boyfriend.

Unsatisfied with her wardrobe, she gets a job at a local fast food restaurant to earn money to buy new clothes. This leaves C-Ko feeling quite lonely, so she spends most of her days waiting for A-ko to get off of work.

One day, A-ko (literally) runs into Kei Yuki, a handsome biker. To her great delight, Kei returns to the restaurant where she works and seems to hang about. B-ko also notices Kei and decides to "steal" him from A-ko. Later, C-ko sees A-ko and Kei arriving on Kei's motorcycle. She runs up to A-ko and snarls and hisses at Kei like a feral cat, angry that he is robbing her of A-ko's affections.

A-ko and B-ko's battle for the habitually silent Kei culminates in a disastrous "date" at the Alpha Cygnans' Space Hotel. During the posh event, A-ko realizes that she removed her magic armbands which keep her powers under control. Without them, her strength is so great that it obliterates everything she touches. The destruction spurs Graviton City's overenthusiastic Public Works Defense Force into action. This colorful all-volunteer force (of which Miss Ayumi is a proud member) assemble from all corners of the city, clad in superhero outfits and piloting a small army of various mecha.

Just when it seems that all hell is going to break loose, A-ko and B-ko's melee comes to an abrupt halt when Kei reveals his love for C-ko. C-ko utterly rejects him. A-ko and B-ko are both crushed and disappointed, but A-ko does find joy in being with her best friend again.

In 1989, the Alpha Cygnans—still searching for their "lost princess"—return to Earth, this time with a fleet of three thousand ships. A pendant is unearthed in ancient Babylon, identical to one belonging to Miss Ayumi, who is about to get married. Hikaru Daitokuji arranges a marriage between Miss Ayumi and Kei.

The wedding takes place at the gymnasium at Graviton City High School for Girls. At the same time, the Alpha Cygnan fleet—with their Queen on the flagship—approach the City, trying to stop the wedding. The weakened Earth Defense Force try to stop them from stopping the wedding. While all this is happening, A-ko and B-ko tear apart the wedding and try to do so to each other. Kei, Ayumi, and C-ko are caught in the middle of the melee.

Interspersed with the main narrative are cuts of an archeological team in Iraq, deciphering some apocalyptic writings at an ancient site that may have something to do with the approach of the Alpha Cygnans. It reads that Alpha-Cygni's alien princess will be claimed and demons will be unleashed on the earth for ten days. Also it has a connection to the star of David. Suddenly the wall begins to part revealing a statue (which looks like C-ko) that causes the temple to collapse on the archeologists.

The aliens finally arrive and explain that their princess must come with them. C-ko's mother reveals herself and convinces her daughter it is time to go home. C-ko agrees since she feels she never really fit in with any of her classmates anyway. Miss Ayumi is outraged that nothing special happened to her because of her lucky charm pendant and smashes it while the Captain and D lament that they've been left behind because the Captain wasted time getting there by picking up a few more alcoholic drinks. A-ko and B-ko chase after the alien ship in B-ko's giant robot. When it runs out of fuel B-ko carries A-ko using her flying battlesuit and continues the pursuit into outer space. After C-ko sees A-ko outside the ship's window she is delighted until she watches them slowly lose ground and eventually plummet to Earth, B-ko's suit out of power and appearing as a shooting star to viewers on the ground.

The next day A-ko sadly wakes up and walks downstairs to answer the door. A-ko is overjoyed to discover C-ko, who happily tells her she changed her mind and came back. As A-ko hugs C-ko, C-ko makes her promise to never fight with B-ko ever again, and the two girls lived happily ever after.

In 1990 as set in an alternate world, A-ko and B-ko are bounty-hunter partners who hunt giant tortoises on a sand planet. When C-ko is kidnapped by a gang of space pirates, A-ko and B-ko set off to rescue her—thinking only of the reward money offered by her wealthy father. Aided by a pint-sized Galactic Police Officer named Maruten, the girls discover that C-ko's abduction is part of a much larger scheme. Gail, the charismatic leader of the space pirates, intends to use C-ko's body as a host for the spirit of Xena, a long-dead sorceress. Although Gail believes that Xena will "purify" the universe, he is oblivious to her true motive—to annihilate all universes and create a new one in which she is the absolute ruler.

The final showdown occurs in the Talho sector, where Xena begins to merge all existing universes into one. This features A-ko and B-ko fighting each other in a variety of different eras and locations, including the climatic battle of the first movie. This seems to suggest that the two are always destined to battle.

The audience is also treated to what could be a brief glimpse of A-ko and B-ko back on planet Earth, in which the girls graduate from Graviton High and continue their rivalry for Kei in the workplace.

In the end, the universe is saved, Maruten takes all of the credit, and A-ko and B-ko are left as broke and short-tempered as they began.

Cast

 * as A-ko/Eiko Magami
 * as C-ko/Shiiko Kotobuki and Ume
 * as B-ko/Biko Daitokuji and Ine
 * as Captain Napolipolita and Kei Yūki
 * as D (Operative DC138621-S113)
 * as Miss Ayumi and Asa
 * / as Mari
 * as Hikari Daitokuji
 * Miki Emoto as herself
 * as herself
 * Erika Shima as herself
 * as the Fashionship Girl, Kei's Mother and Liza Chichi
 * and as the Hamburger Shop Girls
 * and as the Earth Defense Force soldiers
 * as C-ko's Mother
 * as the Principal
 * as the Middle-Aged Female Teacher
 * as the EDF Commander
 * as the EDF Executive Officer and Grash
 * as the Operator
 * as the Priest
 * as Gail
 * as Maruten and Kotobuki's Secretary
 * as C-ko's Father
 * Alix Koromzay as C-ko's Servant
 * as the Escort Fleet Captain and Lord Buriburi Tissue