Monday, November 1, 2010

Review: Dirty Pair: Flight 005 Conspiracy



Among one of my current favorites right now is the Dirty Pair franchise. Despite what the name may make you think of, it is NOT a porno. Instead, it's an 80s sci-fi cop-buddy anime. In particular, it follows the story of Kei and Yuri, 2 "Trouble Consultants" for the World Work and Welfare Association, or 3WA for short. Kei and Yuri will get the job done, though they have a knack for creating mass collateral damage.


The Dirty Pair franchise consists of a 24-episode TV series, several OVAs, and a full-length movie. This review is on one of the OVAs, Flight 005 Conspiracy. One of the first things I noticed about this particular OVA was the darker tone of the feature. Having only seen part of the TV series, this threw me off. Instead of the light-hearted comedy and action from the TV series, a noticeably darker motif was present.


Flight 005, a space liner, is mysteriously destroyed, apparently killing 300 passengers and 10 crew members. Naturally, the 3WA is called in to investigate, sending the Lovely Angels, better known by their nickname, the Dirty Pair. There's a twist, though. At the same time, Kei and Yuri must investigate a scientist gone missing. Can the Dirty Pa- er, Lovely Angels handles 2 cases at once?


I can't say I loved this particular installment in the franchise. While it had the action (and property damage) that I've come to expect, it was far too dark and serious to be worth re-watching. Also, the OVA spent far too much time getting Kei and Yuri into place to advance the plot along. Overall, though, the animation was decent (for 1990, anyway.), and the original voice actors came back for this one.



Taking everything into consideration, I'd rate this a 3.25/5. As I mentioned, too dark and serious to merit rewatching. As much as I like Dirty Pair, this was likely the low point for the franchise. At least, before Dirty Pair Flash. Makes me wonder what to expect from Affair of Nolandia...

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