Movie Talk: Agent Aika (1997)

 Agent Aika is the anime equivalent of an Andy Sidaris movie. A lot of beautiful people in very little clothing trapped in an overly convoluted action plot. This one also throws in a heavy dose of science fiction, as the story eventually moves into outer space. No other anime series, at least as far as I have seen, manages to balance action, sleaze, camp and plot as well as Agent Aika does. There are a couple of different series following the character, but the original run is still my favorite. 

If you mention this show to any anime fan of a certain age there are two words that will come to mind. Panty shots. Almost every single frame of this show is animated in a way to make sure that we are getting a birds eye view up the skirts of the largely female cast. There is plenty of nudity as well, but the name of the game here is ladies underwear, so be ready. Otherwise, this show doesn't push too hard outside of being a cheeky. There is some implied naughtiness, but generally that kind of action is kept off screen. That is actually why I chose not to include this one under the Hentai Havoc title. This is dirty, but not THAT dirty. 

I found this show way back when it first came out on VHS. It was one of those shows that was marketed as sexy, with the VHS tapes having titles like Lace In Space and Naked Mission. It didn't try and hide what it was. That was for sure. When it came to being exposed to a lot more explicit, and sexual content I ended up seeing the animated stuff first. It was easier to get away with, because everyone just looked at it and thought "It's a cartoon!" Yes, it is a cartoon where the main heroine has a liquid metal courset that gets really handsy when activated. It also has a plot where a man creates an army of beautiful women that he plans to impregnate to build a new human race with his superior DNA. Oh, and his sister is REALLY in love with him. This show is tasteless and wonderful, and I ate it up back in the day. It doesn't hurt that the dub for the series is absurd at times, with the main male good guy sounding like Dudley Do-Right. I was in gay heaven. 

Also, for a show that leans so hard into the late night territory, it looks damn good. Solid character designs and strong animation keep the production looking slick, while the music is no slouch either. The original series has two different opening songs, and both are bangers that will live in your head for years. This was a limited OVA (or Straight to Video for those non-anime fans) series, and the money was well spent and spread across the episodes. 

Watching it now, I can see the flaws. There is plenty of casual homophobia in an episode where one of the baddies pretends to be a man to seduce Aika. Obviously this is whole thing is pure exploitation. It is a product of its time, and honestly... I love it for that. This show could never be made today. That isn't just because of the racy content. I can't imagine a major production house putting out something that leans this hard in to camp. This plays it as straight as it can, which makes everything that much bigger and over the top. Even if the camera is always pointing up, the characters treat the situations with utmost seriousness. That level of committing to the bit seems to be lost these days. Not just in anime, but in film and TV in general. When I compare a series like this to and Andy Sidaris movie, I do it not as a joke. This captures the same feel as his movies. These are midnight movies that are jam packed with boobs, bullets and bombs. Yes, it is very much the male gaze, but that male is slightly drunk and maybe a little high, and he keeps yelling "Woooo!" for no reason. 

Agent Aika is actually available on Tubi uncut in English and I think subbed as well. I really recommend it. It is dated, and for sure it is tasteless. Still, I mean, if you are reading this blog, I highly doubt that some panty shots are going to offend you. There were two later series that work as prequels to this series, although only Agent Aika R-16: Virgin Mission was ever released in English. Aika Zero still hasn't been translated.  R-16 is okay, but doesn't reach the level of camp that the original does. Oh! There are also live action shorts that were released as extras at some point. They... well, they exist. Personally, not my thing. The original series, though... chef's kiss.