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Project A-ko
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==Production== ''Project A-ko'' was directed by [[Katsuhiko Nishijima]] who would later go on to direct ''[[Agent Aika]]'' and ''[[Labyrinth of Flames]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Haverson|first=Dave|date=February 2002|title=Anime - Labyrinth of Flames|page=85|work=Play|location=United States of America}}</ref> The music for the film features music and songs composed by [[Richie Zito]] and [[Joey Carbone]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-03 |title=Project A-ko: Perfect Edition Blu-ray |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/project-a-ko/perfect-edition-blu-ray/.183739 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=[[Anime News Network]] |language=en |archive-date=2024-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303105318/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/project-a-ko/perfect-edition-blu-ray/.183739 |url-status=live}}</ref> Nishijima said that he wanted to make a film that directors [[Mamoru Oshii|Mamorou Oshii]] and [[Hayao Miyazaki]] were not able to make which is a light hearted entertaining film without much deep [[social commentary]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=ζ εΈ |first=εε¨ |date=May 1986 |title=θ₯Ώε³Άε 彦η£η£γζͺζ°ηγγγ |work=[[Animage]] |publisher=[[Tokuma Shoten]] |location=Japan |pages=22 |language=JA}}</ref> Yuji Moriyama is credited with [[Character designer|character design]] and [[animation director]], and previously worked on the ''[[Urusei Yatsura (1981 TV series)|Urusei Yatsura]]'' television series, and the films ''[[Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer|Beautiful Dreamer]]'' and ''[[Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer|Only You]]''.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Davies |first=Julie |date=September 1994 |title=Project A-Ko is A-Okay |journal=[[Animerica]] |publisher=Viz Media |volume=2 |issue=9 |pages=6β10}}</ref> According to Moriyama, the crew of the film had mostly worked on ''Urusei Yatsura'', and felt demoralized after [[Mamoru Oshii]] left production of the series, and wished to work on a new project.<ref name="Ruh">{{Cite book |last=Ruh |first=Brian |title=Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii |date=2004 |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |isbn=978-1-4039-6334-5 |location=New York |pages=45β46}}</ref> Moriyama also said that the motivation for making the film was to create a less serious and more entertaining film: <blockquote>The currents [at that time] were shifting favorably towards more serious works that were loaded with meaning and heavy themes. It was a frustrating time for animators who liked to animate. ''A-ko'' was a deliberate attempt to push all that aside, to provide some mindless fun, to make an action-packed film that would be fun to make and fun to watch. I guess you could say it was an animator's anime. Animators who wanted to animate big action but couldn't, came together on this project and let it all hang out.<ref name="Ruh" /></blockquote> Production of the film included several artists who would later create other popular works, including [[Michitaka Kikuchi|Kia Asamiya]] and [[Atsuko Nakajima]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} The title itself is a reference to the 1983 [[Jackie Chan]] film ''[[Project A (film)|Project A]]'', although the film bears no resemblance to ''Project A''; the working title ended up sticking.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ledoux|first1=Trish|title=The Complete Anime Guide|last2=Ranney|first2=Doug|date=December 1995|publisher=Tiger Mountain Press|isbn=0-9649542-3-0|edition=First|location=Issaquah, WA|page=62|chapter=Anime Genres|lccn=95062359}}</ref> ''Project A-ko'' was initially planned to be part of the ''[[Cream Lemon]]'' series of [[hentai|pornographic]] OVAs, but during the production of the series, it was decided to make it into a more mainstream title.<ref name="Chapman">{{Cite news|last=Chapman|first=Paul|date=May 4, 2021|title=The Fantastic True Story of How Project A-ko Was Lost and Found|work=Crunchyroll News|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2021/05/04/feature-the-fantastic-true-story-of-how-project-a-ko-was-lost-and-found|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921135504/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2021/05/04/feature-the-fantastic-true-story-of-how-project-a-ko-was-lost-and-found|url-status=live}}</ref> The only sequence animated during its ''Cream Lemon'' days left in the revised production is B-ko's private bath scene. In a nod to ''Project A-ko's'' origins as a ''Cream Lemon'' episode, the owner and several working girls from the brothel in the ''Cream Lemon'' episode "Pop Chaser" - where director Katsuhiko Nishijima was one of the animators - can be seen in one of the classrooms A-ko and B-ko crash through during a fight sequence in the film. Moriyama explains that the names "A-ko", "B-ko", and "C-ko" were initially [[Placeholder name|placeholder]] names that were kept throughout production rather than being replaced.<ref name=":5" /> The film's format uses a surface plot a high stakes action story, while at the same time making [[allusion]]s and [[parodies]] to a number of other works of [[anime]] from the 1970s and 1980s.<ref name="Ouelette" /> The classmate Mari alludes to ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', and the character of the Captain Napolipolita is inspired by ''[[Captain Harlock (manga)|Captain Harlock]]''.<ref name="Swallow" /> Additionally the [[Bow (watercraft)|forward section]] of the alien spacecraft looks like the ship "Arcadia" from ''Captain Harlock''.<ref name="Ouelette" /> In addition, the series makes homage to [[Comics|American comics]] as well, as A-ko's parents resemble [[Superman]] and [[Wonder Woman]].<ref name="Swallow" />
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