Agent Aika

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Agent Aika


caption = Cover of Agent Aika　Trial 1
ja_name = アイカ
ja_name_trans = AIKa
genre = Action, Adventure , EcchiInfobox animanga/OVA
title =
director = Katsuhiko Nishijima
studio = Studio Fantasia
licensor = flagicon|Japan Bandai Visual
flagicon|USA U.S. Manga Corps (original), Bandai Entertainment (new)
flagicon|Italy Dynit (original)
episodes = 7 + Special
released = 25 April 1997 [Ann anime|id=102Retrieved 2006-08-08.] Infobox animanga/Manga
title = AIKa TRIAL 0
author = Konomichi Ayumi
publisher = flagicon|Japan Wani Books
demographic =
magazine = Comic GUM
first = 1998
last =
volumes = 1

"Agent Aika", known in Japan as simply nihongo|"AIKa"|アイカ, is an adventure anime OVA series. It is about a Japanese woman named Aika Sumeragi (voiced by Rei Sakuma) who works as a salvager for companies that hire her, but gets caught up in a plot for world domination. The series was available in North America from Central Park Media, but now it has been licensed by Bandai Entertainment.

On April 25 2007 the first volume of the three-part prequel OVA "", detailing Aika's time as a teenager, was released in Japan. A remastered version of the original series was released also, along with a special Live Action edition of Agent Aika.

Plot

Tokyo has sunk into the ocean, along with most of the world, during a large-scale land subsidence. Aika Sumeragi is a salvager who works for a small company run by a father and daughter tandem. Alas, the company isn't exactly successful, and money is needed desperately. Thus, Aika accepts the very dangerous job of acquiring an artifact called Lagu for a hefty sum. The boss' daughter Aida Rion joins Aika on this particular mission, and the two set off.

Later on, Aika and Rion are captured by Rudolf Hagen — an effeminate but over-sexed man who wants Lagu and Aika (and just about every pretty girl) for himself. Hagen commands a huge battleship manned exclusively by droves of cute girls in mini-skirts (an example of what is often called "fan service"). Alongside Hagen is his obsessive sister Neena, who is jealous of Aika, as well as another salvager named Gust, who's also after Lagu and has a crush on Aika as well. When Aika's special bustierre is activated, she becomes a "superwoman" who can take on whole armies by herself.

Characters

Aika and co.

*Aika Sumeragi (皇藍華), 26 [http://www.aika-sumeragi.jp/boxchara.html AIKa characters] Retrieved 2007-04-23.] :She is considered to be one of the best in the business. She was raised as a test subject by her scientist parents who died in the catastrophic earthquake. She was protected by the bustier made by her parents and thus survived. She was then picked up by Aida Gozo, who raised her, and later on she works in Gozo's office as a Salvager.

:Aika possesses a unique battle suit made out of 'ultranate' (or more accurately just "alternate metal" from the katakana オルタネートメタル), shaped into a golden bustier that transforms her into a dark-skinned and blue-haired woman with supernatural strength and resilience. But she dislikes the perfection attained by the transformation and tries not to rely on it. Although not used in the anime, in this form she is called Shivie Aika.

:She is constantly fighting with Gust, who either tries to steal her bounty or hits on her. Aika will do anything to get the job done, even if it means sacrificing her morals.

:anime voices|Rei Sakuma|Debbie Rabbai, Angoria Deb (English, episodes 5-7)

*Rion Aida (相田りおん), 18 :She is Aika's salvaging partner and her Boss' daughter. Her mother divorced him after she was born. She wants to run the business better, but her father keeps to his policies. She does not like being left out of transactions nor having Aika do the work herself. Rion looks upon Aika as her real sister and yearns to become like Aika.

:anime voices|Hiroko Konishi|Purva Bedi

*Gozo Aida (相田郷造), 51 :He was an active industrial spy, but rode on the chance of the catastrophic earthquake and entered the salvaging business, setting up K2 Corporation, a Salvaging operation. He is Rion's father. He prefers to hold onto the old ways (cheapest price for the best service) and principles of doing business, which does little good to the business. His past with Aika goes far back.

:anime voices|Akio Otsuka|David Rankin, Trisdan Goddard (English, episodes 5-7)

*Michikusa Shuntaro (道草旬太郎), 21 :Graduated from the Salvager training school with barely passing grades, he joins K2 Corporation through a relative. His father is the president of a major salvaging company. He is a new character introduced in the second series.

:Cute-looking but totally air-headed, Michikusa is prone to dressing cutely as well (including donning Delmo staff uniforms on several occasions), and using a kappa doll and squeaky voice to try cheering up Rion when her mood is down, which earns him frequent beatings by Rion because he just succeeds in annoying her.

:anime voices|Masaya Onosaka|Jeffery Gimble

*Maypia Alexymetalia (メイピア・アルキメタリア) :She is a 'Class A' spy (who carries suitable business cards) employed by the government to retrieve information on Lagu by infiltrating Hagen's army dressed as a black Delmo. She runs into Rion and ends up following her.

:After having been abandoned by her employers and her subsequent rescue by Aika and her friends, she went freelance. She reappears in episode 7, where she joins Rion and company in their assault on the Delmo base.

:anime voices|Sakiko Tamagawa

*Gust Turbulence (ガスト・タービュランス), 24 :He is the son of a company's president. Although he is pretty well-off, he prefers to be independent and become a Salvager to earn his own bread.

:At first look he may be a rash person, but he has skill. He would like Aika to go out with him, but she refuses. He seems to end up in the right place to get the bounty.

:anime voices|Juurouta Kosugi|Alvaro J. Gonzalez

*B.A. Bandora (バ・バンドラ) :Gust's cyberpunk-styled partner, a veteran Salvager. May not always agree with him but helps him out anyway.

:anime voices|Hisako Kyoda|Mina Sands

The Hagens

*Rudolf Hagen (ルドルフ・ハーゲン), 31 :Hagen was born as a genetically altered test tube baby, in the process he received superior genes. Because of that he yearns for superior women to impart the genes to his next generation.

:Hagen is the evil mastermind who, even though contracted by the military to find the Lagu, wants it for his own ends. He believes that Lagu is something the Earth produced to destroy the humanity that polluted it. He enjoys commanding his army, especially the bridge, and is passive but calculating. He plans to repopulate the Earth with his own progeny conceived with his Delmo staff.

:anime voices|Kaneto Shiozawa|Scott Cargle

*Neena Hagen (ネーナ・ハーゲン), 28 :She is a test tube baby like Rudolf. It is unknown if she is the blood sister of Rudolf. Nevertheless she respects and loves Rudolf dearly to a level beyond siblings, and dislikes Aika for "seducing" her brother Rudolf. A sadistic character and unstable mood, she walks around in her bare essentials and makes sure the black Delmos are punished for failure.

:She later receives from Rudolf an Alternate Metal panty which allows her to transform to a powered-up form. However, the device fusing into her soon runs out of control, and she becomes a hideous monster. In this form she embraces and kills her brother and flees into space cradling his corpse. Her ultimate fate is unknown.

:anime voices|Atsuko Tanaka|Suzanne Savoy, Suzy Prue (English, episodes 3-4)

Delmo Corps

The Delmo Corps, also referred as the Delmogeny (デルモゲニイ), is an army of pretty ladies assembled by Professor Hagen for the purpose of propagating his genes; they also function as Hagen's private army. Some of them work ordinary jobs like guides and waitresses, but on top of that they are also involved in espionage activities.

Even after Hagen's defeat, the Delmo Corps still functions. With its aim to capture Aika to avenge Hagen and to study the alternate metal, they become the main antagonist in the second series.

*White Delmo – Officer class and Hagen's personal bodyguards. They are responsible for the smooth operations of the ship.

:*Captain/Commander (艦長/司令)::The unnamed chief commanding officer of the Delmo is a beautiful green-haired woman highly accomplished in military and reconnoissance work. After Hagen's demise she took command of the Delmogeny and continues to seek revenge on Aika and her entourage.

::She distinguishes herself from her subordinate commanders by wearing two patches with a white H on her uniform's collar. She is a responsible officer who is very concerned with the welfare of her troops, and has a love relationship with her (also unnamed) second-in-command.

::anime voices|Yuko Nagashima|Mary Anne Towne

:*Adjutant (副官)::The second-in-command in the Delmo Corps. She is very loyal and cares very much for the Captain, with whom she has a lover's relationship.

::anime voices|Akiko Hiramatsu|Rachael Lillis

:*Mina Etsuko (ミナ エツコ)::She participated in Operation "Silver Wild Grapevine", where she played the role of the head of the air base.

::anime voices|Akemi Okamura

*Golden Delmo - Special operations task force. They carry out special missions.:*Bianca (ビアンカ)::The operative in charge of Operation "Golden Apple". She wanted revenge for one of the Delmo (a personal friend) who died during the events in series one. She plans to humiliate Aika by using a woman disguised as a man to toy with Aika's feelings, then capture Aika alive. She uses a retractable sleeve-blade in melee combat and has a hidden flame thrower on her right arm.

::anime voices|Minami Takayama|Wendy Talker

:*Rie Petoriyacowa (リエ ペトリヤコワ)::The child-like operative in charge of Operation "Silver Wild Grapevine". She had been studying Aika and had learnt how Aika fights. Aika was tricked into a pilot adaptibility physical examination, whereby Rie gathers physical data on Aika.

::anime voices|Ikue Ohtani|Tara Jayne

:*Sania (サニア)::One of the two operatives that destroyed the K2 Corporation building. Her preferred weapon is a grenade pistol.

::anime voices|Miki Nagasawa

:*Tonia (トニア)::One of the two operatives that destroyed the K2 Corporation building. Uses claws on both hands in melee combat.

::anime voices|Kikuko Inoue

*Blue Delmo – Elite infantry class. They carry weapons and perform duties such as piloting or defending the ship against intruders.

:*Valarie/Pierre Valimore (ヴァレリー/ピエール)::A bishōnen woman who took part in Operation "Golden Apple". She volunteered to be the one to disguise herself as a man.

::anime voices|Shiho Niiyama|P.M. Lewis

*Black Delmo – Infantry class, in charge of carrying out simple missions, mass-attacking in melee, and the administration of the ship.

*Pink Delmo – Mechanics and engineers also seen operating heavy weapons, from tanks to battleship guns.

Episodes

The first series consist of the episodes one to four, and because of its popularity a second series was made.

*TRIAL.1 Beautiful Agent
*TRIAL.2 Naked Mission
*TRIAL.3 Takeoff Position
*TRIAL.4 A Flower Blooming in Space
*Special TRIAL
*TRIAL.5 The Golden Delmo Operation
*TRIAL.6 Delmo Operation: White Silver
*TRIAL.7 Break the Decisive Battle! Delmo Base!

Music

Opening themes:"Silent City" by Mari Sasaki (episodes 1-4):"Ao no Jyuujika" by Kishi Kyouko (special trial):"Manatsu no Seiza" by Mink (episodes 5-7)

Ending themes:"More Natural" by Hiroko Konishi (episodes 1-4):"aa, jinsei tae te yume mo saku" by Rei Sakuma and Akio Otsuka (special trial):"Dance With Me Tonight" by PUNKY FRUITES! (episodes 5-7)

Trivia

*There's about one panty shot every 20 secs in the Agent Aika anime (the first episode alone has about 122 panties in more or less plain view) – even more if you count group-scenes as more than one.
*The automatic rifles shown and used throughout the series are German StG45(M), a weapon which historically never went past the prototype stage; parts for only 30 complete weapons were produced before the end of World War II.
*The planes Aika flies resemble Russian MiG-21 (episodes 1-4) and MiG-25 (episode 6).
*Studio Fantasia created a spiritual sequel to Agent Aika with the series Najica Blitz Tactics.

ee also

*
*Najica Blitz Tactics

References

External links

* [http://www.aika-sumeragi.jp/boxtop.html Official site of the AIKa Remaster Box]
*ann anime|id=102