Dirty Pair Flash

Publisher
ADV
Director
Tsukasa Sunaga
Production
Bandai, Sunrise, VAP
Country of origin
Japan
Format
OVA
Running time
30 min x 6 vol
Year
1994

Dirty Pair Flash: Random Angels

By John Huxley
28th Apr 04

If you're adverse to a little fanservice then avert your eyes now - this third edition of Dirty Pair Flash is 125 minutes of unadulterated animated fanservice heaven.

The first episode begins fairly anonymously with our lovely angel Kei caught unwittingly in the middle of an attempt to assassinate the one and only heir to a vast fortune. The W3A special agent has been charged with protecting this would be billionaire; but unfortunately for the butch, trigger happy Kei he's no more than a little baby boy who just won't stop with the waterworks! What follows is an action-packed episode set amidst the snowy mountains and wooded forests of some exotic country, including some excellent set-pieces that aren't too dissimilar to a certain James Bond opening sequence. Emerging unharmed at the end of the episode (come on, I'm not really spoiling anything here!), Kei and the baby are left standing in the middle of nowhere as the final shot fades to black. Understandably this ambiguous finale had me built up in anticipation for a continuation of the story in the next episode. It never happened. All five episodes on this disc are, unlike the previous two volumes of Dirty Pair Flash, entirely unconnected. While this format does lend the show a little variety, it's a shame this story is left unresolved; a simple epilogue would have done the job nicely.

Thankfully the other four episodes don't suffer from an inconclusive ending.

The next episode sees our heroines take a well deserved vacation in a picture perfect sunny vista (do these girls actually have a job?). Predictably everything doesn't run as smoothly as planned when both Kei and Yuri are subject to unexpected attacks from a mystery assailant. The attacker soon reveals herself to be a seven year old girl who heralds from a long line of illustrious assassins, and codename Sweet Fairy has chosen her first target to be the notorious W3A agents Yuri and Kei. The action in this episode is easily on par with anything Dirty Pair Flash has offered so far - it's imaginative, well directed and smoothly animated. The Sweet Fairy makes use of some ridiculous gadgets, including killer seagulls, a giant teddybear mech and tongue-in-cheek pretty girl magic wand. Some may find the fanservice surrounding this young girl unacceptable (her costume change leaves little to the imagination), but I'm sure the more liberal among us won't be so offended considering the lighthearted nature of the show and relatively tame exploitation involved.

The third episode continues the heavy-duty fanservice with a thinly disguised attempt to get Yuri in to a whole variety of different costumes, including a bunny outfit and a copy of the original Dirty Pair uniform. Fittingly, she is forced to live in a giant, life-size doll house complete with removable front wall and twee furnishings by a rich, spoilt son of a billionaire who has an unhealthy obsession with the apparently pure and innocent Yuri. Desperately trying to fit in with his image of the perfect woman (to get at his money, of course!), Yuri does everything she can to please the delusional brat; including those less than subtle costume changes. This episode isn't entirely without merit; there are more than a few funny moments and there's something to be said for watching Yuri parade around like a fashion model.

The first scene of the next episode begins with yet another costume change for Kei and Yuri as they don skimpy swimwear (not for the first time) and get stuck in to a high octane game of beach volleyball. This episode is once again high on fanservice content, with our two lovely angels forced to undertake a rigorous regime of training for the beach volleyball competition (that has yet to take place). The sponsor of this competition, it is later revealed, is an elusive wanted criminal who will only appear in public to present the winners with their hard-fought prize. The majority of the episode is dedicated to the girl's training sequences, which include such strenuous exercises as sit-ups, hopping up stairs and jogging...all in the name of peace and justice, of course. Again, despite the less than subtle fanservice it's an entertaining episode with plenty of comedy and a great 'Rocky' feel to it.

If the last two episodes were a little too light on action for your tastes, fear not, because the last episode on this disc is as action-packed as they come. The plot is barely memorable, though it does result in a siege on the W3A headquarters with Kei, Yuri and their boss locked inside with a giant, unstoppable mech intent on killing them all - what happens next hardly needs any explanation. The action in this episode is excellent, as good as anything Dirty Pair Flash has had to offer in this volume or any other, and the bad guys involved are suitably cliched and immediately unlikeable. It's a great way to end the disc.

As a series of random episodes, this volume of Dirty Pair Flash predictably offers a mixed bag. Some are all action affairs with plenty of explosions while others offer more a more lighthearted story that's more likely to tickle your funny bone. And though they vary in quality they never drop below the strictly average; the majority of episodes being of a decent standard. The excessive fanservice may deter a few, but it really shouldn't be so offensive to the majority of viewers. Besides, if you do find this sort of thing highly offensive, you're missing out on a good portion of some of the best anime around. More fool you!

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English and Japanese audio, English subtitles, character biographies, original trailer, clean credit animation, ADV previews.

Release information: UK release date: 15th December 2003, ADV

Notes: The extras on this disc are nothing out of the ordinary, though it's always appreciated to have the option of English and Japanese audio. Speaking of which, the image and audio quality are less than excellent when compared to recent releases, though it's worth noting the age of the series. Perhaps the main selling point of this DVD is the five, self-contained episodes on one disc. This is really good value for money considering there's no need to commit to a large, six-part series to enjoy the whole story.

-- John Huxley 28th Apr 04

Dirty Pair Flash Images