Studio: Sunrise
Short Synopsis
Kei and Yuri, the "Lovely Angels", are trouble consultants for the WWWA, the galaxy's welfare and security agency, famous for solving their cases and leaving a trail of destruction behind them. This time they are sent to the Leo system to investigate two incidents that seem to be linked: the mysterious destruction of the space shuttle Flight 005, travelling between the planets Zol and Dolz, and the disappearance of a well-known scientist who may have been aboard. What starts as a routine inquiry becomes a conspiracy thriller. Following the evidence, the pair uncover powerful interests trying to cover up what really happened to the flight and to the scientist's research, and they find themselves targeted by people who want the case closed. The details of the conspiracy and how the case ends are best left to the film; the plot summaries available to this book do not go beyond the set-up.
Why It Matters
- Compared with the slapstick tone of much of the Dirty Pair series, Flight 005 Conspiracy is a harder-edged, more serious mystery, closer to a detective film, and it shows how the franchise could carry an adult thriller while keeping the bickering chemistry between the hot-headed Kei and the more composed Yuri.
- Dirty Pair, based on Haruka Takachiho's science-fiction novels, was one of the most influential anime franchises of the 1980s, with a television series, OVAs and films; its pair of female agents became a model for later "girls with guns" anime. This hour-long OVA was one of two stand-alone features made for the series.
Notes and Trivia
- The other stand-alone feature in the series was Affair of Nolandia (1985).
- The OVA was later released in English, with both dubbed and subtitled versions.
- A ten-episode OVA series had appeared in 1987 and 1988; ADV Films later released it in English.
- See also: Project A-ko: Grey Side/Blue Side (1990), City Hunter: Bay City Wars (1990).