The first episode of the new AIKa series has hit the internet, and while waiting for the DVD release I indulged in a quick little preview. I didn't watch the full episode, to be honest, but it seems like it's a step towards reconciling Virgin Mission and Naked Missions. The characters are older, with Aika looked like a cross between her sixteen and twenty-six year old versions, and the story seems to take itself a little more seriously than R-16.
Oh, and the big battle has Aika taking on the entire cast of Hamlet. Definitely inspired. It's just too bad most of the fighters fall with some awkward martial arts chops, still a far cry from the frantic, over the top battles in the original Aika.
Still, it has potential. I don't know how many episodes the new OVA is aiming for, but I'm hoping it'll be longer than AIKa R-16, and hopefully with battles more reminiscent of AA.
Showing posts with label r-16. Show all posts
Showing posts with label r-16. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission
I've always been a big fan of Agent Aika (and to a lesser extent, Najica), so I was pleased to hear a prequel was in production. Thanks to a buddy's deviantart, I found myself thinking again about the old series, and ordered both the Agent Aika Legends complete series and R-16: Virgin Mission off Amazon. I had seen most of the original Aika before, so the focus here will be on the prequel.
And it's a mixed bag. The OVA strays a bit from it's roots. The premise of an Aika in her mid-teens allows for a sillier production. It's actually a little too risqué for comfort considering the cast's age.
It further veers away by taking itself much more lightly. Part of AA's charm was it's own serious demeanor despite it's obvious ecchi cheesiness. The fact that it took itself seriously made the jokes that much more apparent, and added to the allure of cute girls duking it out.
It's kind of like the difference between a real deal catfight and a couple girls playfully wrestling around in jell-o. The staged quality of the latter gives it all a fake, manufactured feel, and just isn't as interesting or sexy.
Regardless, R-16 does have some pretty cute moments, and Aika herself is probably more likable than the stoic adult Aika from the original. Aika's later sidekick Rion is nowhere to be found, which isn't a huge loss.
The beach fight is probably the defining fight of the series (like the parking lot brawl in Aika or the rooftop maid battle in Najica) and smartly takes place in the middle episode. Aika and it's spiritual successor Najica both started off with their best, which left the rest of the respective series feeling a little empty.
All in all? It's decent. It doesn't always feel like Aika, but it does have it's moments, and it did apparently pave the way for another AIKa, AIKa Zero, which takes place sometime between Virgin Mission and the original. And it's probably a step up from Najica.
As a side note, I finally saw the live-action episode of AIka in it's entirety, and it's pretty awful. It's below B-movie cheesy, in the realm of Kekko Kamen or Ninja Vixens: mildly kinky stuff apparently shot with a camcorder. It's pretty embarrassing.
And a missed opportunity! Instead of martial arts like the show's known for, it's mostly just silly little invisible darts that render the victim unconscious. Sure, all the cute girls fall in scandalous fashion, but it's just not as fun as it could be.
And it's a mixed bag. The OVA strays a bit from it's roots. The premise of an Aika in her mid-teens allows for a sillier production. It's actually a little too risqué for comfort considering the cast's age.
It further veers away by taking itself much more lightly. Part of AA's charm was it's own serious demeanor despite it's obvious ecchi cheesiness. The fact that it took itself seriously made the jokes that much more apparent, and added to the allure of cute girls duking it out.
It's kind of like the difference between a real deal catfight and a couple girls playfully wrestling around in jell-o. The staged quality of the latter gives it all a fake, manufactured feel, and just isn't as interesting or sexy.
Regardless, R-16 does have some pretty cute moments, and Aika herself is probably more likable than the stoic adult Aika from the original. Aika's later sidekick Rion is nowhere to be found, which isn't a huge loss.
The beach fight is probably the defining fight of the series (like the parking lot brawl in Aika or the rooftop maid battle in Najica) and smartly takes place in the middle episode. Aika and it's spiritual successor Najica both started off with their best, which left the rest of the respective series feeling a little empty.
All in all? It's decent. It doesn't always feel like Aika, but it does have it's moments, and it did apparently pave the way for another AIKa, AIKa Zero, which takes place sometime between Virgin Mission and the original. And it's probably a step up from Najica.
As a side note, I finally saw the live-action episode of AIka in it's entirety, and it's pretty awful. It's below B-movie cheesy, in the realm of Kekko Kamen or Ninja Vixens: mildly kinky stuff apparently shot with a camcorder. It's pretty embarrassing.
And a missed opportunity! Instead of martial arts like the show's known for, it's mostly just silly little invisible darts that render the victim unconscious. Sure, all the cute girls fall in scandalous fashion, but it's just not as fun as it could be.
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