Agent Aika

Sometime in the future. In Japan two friends, Aika and Rion, are digging for lost treasures in the sea with a help of their submarine. The job is not doing too well. But one day their paths cross with an evil madman called Hagen who wants to destroy the earth with a help of strange substance called Lagu. His goal is to save himself ( and a lot of women ) in a spaceship before the catastrophe and to rebuild the world later...with his children. Of course, Aika and Rion will stop him.

Now, what to say about "Aika"? It's nonsense, but it's an amusing kind of nonsense. The people who claim this is "the worst anime in history" are exaggerating it a lot. The sci-fi action story is one huge fun ride in which you just have to relax and enjoy because it has many highlights: gadgets, spaceships, a bad guy who has a love relationship with his sister, a charming girl with glasses...

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Yes, the story has too much "fan service"( camera angles are always placed on the ground so they can catch the slips of women )but at the same time the characters are just so sweet you are willing to forgive every flaw. Just look at Rion. In one scene she is captured by the evil Hagen in a spaceship. Every crew member is a woman. Suddenly Hagen offers Rion a valuable role in the new post apocalyptic earth if she agrees to have his children( just like every crew member agreed ). But Rion gets furious beyond words and, among others, says: "You men are all the same! You just want one thing only!" I found that to be hilarious. I'm still not too fond of Aika's diadem that creates some kind of a super-woman out of her( although Rion likes it claiming she looks like a super hero )and leaves the story too sci-fi driven."Aika" is a weird comedy but it works.

Grade: 6/10

Agent Aika plays like an animated Russ Meyer movie. It's perfect 1:00 AM entertainment and great way to play 'count-the-panties' (you won't be able to keep up). I suggest watching the subtitled version, as the dub verges on unlistenable. Just kick back and have fun with this flick. DON'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!!!!

If you like panties you will like Agent Aikas escapades.

I was laughing so hard by the end of the first episode because of the relentless panty shots...I loved all of the panty shots...every last one. Even the evil guy who commands the huge aircraft carrier like vessel has his chair sunken in to the deck so that he can look at all of the beautiful pantied bottoms of the hot little sweeties under his command. Oh yeah...the story line is pretty good too, typical secret agent/bad guy/try to rule the world stuff with lots of shooting, explosions and fighting.

This series is just silly fun, and to make anything else of it is a waste of time. Don't gripe, just watch. At least it's not as bad as The English Patient.

This is a satire of all the sexist nonsense from female-hero anime and carries over to a lot of female-hero films you see today.

Sexist camera angles are taken to extremes in this series, actually to the point of being funny rather than annoying like they are in so many productions. The transformation into a magical form that so often includes a hint that the person might be naked midway through now not only leaves no doubt but the machine causing the transformation actually grows hands and starts pulling clothes off her.

Not that women are the only objects of ridicule in this. The evil mastermind come creepy voyeur is so camp he should be teaching a masterclass in the subject.

... and what it is mostly is an exercise in finding excuses for gratuitous lingerie shots, masquerading as a female-oriented spy thriller. To that end, most of the characters are young, female and attractive and involved in a lot of wild and occasionally skirt-raising action. The baddies have a literal army of short-skirted minions, viewed typically from a low angle, while our intrepid heroines seem to have great trouble finding clothes that can hold together in the whirl of battle.

It's all rather silly and obvious, but it's well-drawn, decently plotted and good-looking entertainment for what it is. Just don't expect Lupin III, and get ready for more fan service in the first half hour than in a whole season of any other show.