Line #200 Anime/ProjectAKo


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0bf8d201f04817af0d6f3db53808ab8f.jpg]]
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3	->'''B-ko Daitokuji:''' ''A-ko, the depth of my vexation is beyond your comprehension!''\
4	'''A-ko Magami:''' ''Today I woke up early. This may never happen again! But you! You! Over a stupid, petty... B-ko, YOU IDIOT!!!''
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6	[[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture Sometime in the future]], Eiko ("A-ko") Magami -- a teenage girl endowed with absurdly high levels of [[LightningBruiser superhuman strength and speed]] -- attends Graviton High with her [[TheDitz bubbly]] and childlike [[ChildhoodFriends best friend]], Shiiko ("C-ko") Kotobuki. Also attending class is Biko ("B-ko") Daitokuji, a beautiful and [[TheOjou mega-rich]], tall AcademicAlphaBitch who is determined to win C-ko [[PsychoLesbian for her own]]. Unfortunately for B-ko, that means having to go through A-ko first.
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8	So each school day, B-ko attacks A-ko with all manner of HumongousMecha and, eventually, a [[{{Stripperiffic}} revealing]] purple [[BattleBikini battlesuit]]. Things become more complicated after an alien warship from the Lepton Kingdom (located in Alpha Cygni), manned by the mysterious Captain Napolipolita, descends upon Graviton City with the goal of capturing one of the girls--or rather, ''rescuing'' her, as [[RagsToRoyalty she seems to be their long-lost princess]].
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10	A raucous blend of over-the-top comedy, action, and science fiction, ''Project A-Ko'' was one of those films ''everyone'' saw during the infancy of the American anime community, notably because it was one of the first theatrically-released anime films that could not be considered an "arthouse" film to also receive a commercial release in TheEighties. The general level of goofiness in the film is evident in the names of its main characters: "Girl A" (A-ko), "Girl B" (B-ko), and "Girl C" (take a wild guess). Another character is also named "D". But despite--or perhaps because of--that goofiness, the intervening years between its initial release and now have not lessened the influence of, and love[=/=]respect for, ''A-ko''.
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12	''A-ko'' was followed by three movies which continue the story of the first film and an AlternateContinuity OVA series.
13	* ''Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group'' concerns the aftermath of the battle with the Alpha Cygnans, as their mothership has crashed and is now being converted into a tourist destination managed by the now-pacified aliens. As A-ko and B-ko fight once again, B-ko's father, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive rich executive Hikaru Daitokuji]], enlists the help of the Space Defense Force in securing the ship and its' technology for himself.
14	* ''Cinderella Rhapsody'' takes place during Spring Break, as A-ko, wanting a boyfriend, [[CrashIntoHello litteraly runs]] into handsome motorcyclist Kei and becomes enamored with him. B-ko, despite her infatuation with C-ko, finds herself attracted to him as well, and begins competing with A-ko for his affection. Unfortunately for them both, Kei is in love with C-ko, who is feeling very lonely because she feels A-ko is ignoring her.
15	* ''FINAL'' is, as the name suggests, the GrandFinale of the movie series. As the Alpha Cygnan fleet comes to Earth in full force to recover their princess and their lost ships, the girls' teacher, Miss Ayumi, is tired of being an OldMaid and is entering an ArrangedMarriage with Kei, set up by Hikaru Daitokuji. A-ko and B-ko, still infatuated with Kei, make plans to [[WeddingSmashers sabotage the wedding]] and win Kei back, while still fighting amongst themselves. C-ko, meanwhile, just wants A-ko to stop ignoring her.
16	* ''A-ko: The VS Grey Side/Blue Side'' (released in America as ''A-ko: Uncivil Wars'') takes place in an AlternateUniverse where A-ko and B-ko are bounty-hunting partners who capture giant sand turtles in a desert planet. C-ko is the daughter of a wealthy executive who runs the Kotobuki Financial Group, a galactic conglomerate. She gets kidnapped by a duo of SpacePirates in service of Gail, a medium and cult leader who desires to use her as a vessel for the cult's founder Lady Xena, but C-ko escapes and winds up with the bounty hunters. When the pirates invade their home and abduct her again, A-ko and B-ko team up with Galactic Policeman Maruten, a tiny alien who wants to avenge his fallen comrades who died fighting the cult, to rescue C-ko.
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18	Together with ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' and ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis'', ''A-Ko'' was part of the initial wave of anime in the West that started the 90s anime boom. In spite of that, ''Project A-ko'' (''プロジェクトA子'') is a relatively obscure film series to later generations of anime fans, but it was and continues to be an influential work in regards to action-comedy anime with a female-heavy cast--including ''Anime/MyHime'' and ''Anime/KillLaKill'', the latter of which could be considered a SpiritualSuccessor to ''A-ko'' in its own right due to similarities in tone and shared elements of both aesthetic and character.
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20	Creator/DiscotekMedia currently holds the license in North America. Due to the original 35mm master print being believed to have been lost, they planned on instead using a promising AI-upscaling technology called [=AstroRes=] to restore the film for release on Blu-Ray... and then announced they were [[TrollingCreator cancelling it]] [[BaitAndSwitch because they had found the original masters, and were going to use that instead!]] This much-anticipated Blu-Ray, which includes the newly-restored version of the film and a ''ridiculous'' number of bonus features, ultimately released on December 21, 2021. In addition, remasters of the second and third films, also made using new scans of the original master films, have currently been confirmed, with the second film set for release in August 2022 and the third for later in the year. The [=AstroRes=] technology was used to upscale many of the vast number of bonus features. The Series is hosted for streaming by Platform/RetroCrush.
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22	Not to be confused with ''Film/ProjectA''.
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24	Please go to [[Characters/ProjectAko the character sheet]] for all character-specific trope examples.
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26	----
27	!!''Project A-ko'', its direct sequels, and ''A-ko: The VS'' include the following tropes:
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29	* ActionDressRip: One of the DVD covers for the original film depicted A-ko with one of these. In the film, it happens during her showdown with D: A-ko narrowly avoids one of D's sword swipes, which cuts A-ko's fuku [[ClothingDamage right down the middle]].
30	* AdaptationalFriendship: A-ko and B-ko are enemies in the movie continuity. In the Uncivil Wars [=OVAs=], they work together as VitriolicBestBuds bounty hunters.
31	* AffectionateParody: The series was a send-up of just about everything in Japanese pop culture up until the 80s.
32	* AfterSchoolCleaningDuty: A-ko is assigned to clean the classroom as a punishment [[LateForSchool for being late again.]] It was going well until B-ko staged a run-in between C-ko and Mari. A-ko thus [[SuperSpeed tore across campus in a hurry]]--and [[DestructiveSavior demolished the classroom in her wake.]] That earned her a harsh reprimand and an even stiffer punishment the next day.
33	* AlienPrincess: C-ko Kotobuki (Shiiko), though ignorant of the fact at first, is the lost princess of the Lepton Kingdom of Alpha Cygni, a seemingly OneGenderRace of women warriors (though it can be hard to tell with some of them at first). C-ko eventually turns down all efforts to be returned to her home kingdom, electing instead to remain on Earth with her close friend, A-ko.
34	* AliensSpeakingEnglish: The Alpha Cygnans are amazingly fluent in Japanese, though no one ever comments on it in-series.
35	* AllForNothing: The endings of ''Cinderella Rhapsody'' and ''Final'' render all of A-ko and B-ko's fights over Kei pointless: He only has eyes for C-ko.
36	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Maruten laments this fact in ''The VS'', but considering he is [[BitchInSheepsClothing not that nice of a guy himself]], it is a bit hypocritical.
37	* AllLoveIsUnrequited: A-ko, B-ko, and their homeroom teacher Ms. Ayumi are all in love with Kei; they all squabble over him, too. His heart, however, is set on C-ko--who hates him [[ClingyJealousGirl for taking A-ko's attention away from her.]]
38	* AllThereInTheManual: Some info about A-ko, B-Ko, and C-Ko is only mentioned in art books.
39	* AlphabeticalThemeNaming: The names of the three leads can be taken to mean "girl A", "girl B", and "girl C". We also have "D" and "Kei".
40	* AlternateContinuity: ''The VS'' takes place in a distant future, on a dune-covered alien planet, where A-ko and B-ko work and live together as bounty hunters.
41	* AndTheAdventureContinues: ''Uncivil Wars'' ends with A-ko and B-ko, having returned C-ko to her father and saved the multiverse, going off to confront Maruten for [[FakeUltimateHero taking all the credit]].
42	* BattleBikini: Akagiyama-23 is a power suit, designed specifically to enhance B-ko's speed and reflexes [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame to match A-ko's.]] It resembles an armored bikini that includes a matching pair of boots and gauntlets and is usually worn beneath her clothing.
43	* BerserkButton: Each of the girls has one:
44	** For A-ko, it is having to constantly deal with B-ko's gadgets, since it usually makes her late for class. She also takes pride in her appearance, so even a minor cut on her cheek or ripping her skirt will set her off.
45	** B-ko cannot stand A-ko for monopolizing C-ko's time and hates seeing A-ko defeat another of her mecha.
46	** C-ko does not like anyone taking A-ko's attention away from her. She definitely hates Kei--and flatly tells him so both times he tries to confess his love for her. She also starts to grow concerned when it seems A-ko has begun to enjoy her rivalry with B-ko a little ''[[FoeRomanceSubtext too much]]''.
47	** And for Captain Napolipolita, it is sobriety.
48	* BigBad:
49	** Original film: [[AcademicAlphaBitch B-ko Daitokuji]] becomes [[TheRival A-ko Magami]]'s rival and is the antagonist for most of the film, scheming to defeat A-ko so she can take her best friend, C-ko Kotobuki, for herself. Around two-thirds in, [[DiscOneFinalBoss she gets overshadowed]] by Captain Napolipolita, leader of the battleship of Alpha Cygnans who wants to take [[spoiler:C-ko]], actually their long-lost princess, back to their home planet by force.
50	** ''Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Hikaru Daitokuji]] is the head of the titular Daitokuji Financial Group who plots to steal the Alpha Cygnan mothership from them and get its advanced technology for himself.
51	** ''Cinderella Rhapsody'': [[ReturningBigBad B-ko becomes the antagonist once again]], this time fighting with A-ko over the affections of Kei (who is in love with C-ko) and making plans to steal him for herself.
52	** ''FINAL'': [[BigBadEnsemble B-ko and Hikaru are the antagonists]], as Hikaru personally oversees the preparations for Kei's ArrangedMarriage with Miss Ayumi, while B-ko plans to crash the wedding in a last-ditch effort to steal Kei for herself and continues to fight A-ko over him.
53	** ''Uncivil Wars'' aka ''The VS: Grey Side/Blue Side'': [[EvilSorceress Lady Xena]] is the ancient sorceress who founded the cult of SpacePirates that kidnapped C-ko, who they intend to use as a vessel for her spirit to possess, and she desires to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy all universes]] to create a perfect new one.
54	* {{BFS}}: D wields one during her fight with A-ko. Except in D's hands, her sword appears normal length. But when A-ko takes it from her, the blade is nearly 1.5 times her body length; excluding the hilt.
55	* BookedFullOfMooks: Played with in the second film. All of the guests at the "hotel" built from the wrecked spaceship turn out to be members of one foreign intelligence agency or another, all intending to get their hands on C-ko and force the Leptons to hand over the secrets of their technology. Fortunately for A-ko, B-ko, and C-ko, it becomes a case of WeAreStrugglingTogether, as each agency wants to be the one to take the girl, and they're not willing to share.
56	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Played with in the [=OVA=]s. In ''Cinderella Rhapsody'', A-ko is looking at "the camera" when she admits she lied. In ''Vs. Blue Side'', A-ko is talking directly to the viewer. Even some of the promos break the fourth wall.
57	* TheCameo:
58	** [[Manga/YawaraAFashionableJudoGirl Yawara Inokuma and her grandpa Jigoro]] appear as customers in the burger joint A-ko works at in the third movie.
59	** [[Manga/{{Akira}} Kaneda, Kei, Yamagata]] and his girlfriend are seen with their backs turned, watching the broadcast of the alien invasion in ''Final''. [[FreezeFrameBonus Blink and you'll miss it.]]
60	*** Pausing the shot seems to reveal not only the main three, but the Colonel, and others of the Capsule biker gang with their girlfriends. They didn't mess around with this one.
61	%%* CloudCuckooLander: C-ko and Miss Ayumi.
62	* CulturalCrossReference: Halfway into the first film, A-ko and C-ko watch a horror flick starring [[UsefulNotes/KentuckyFriedChicken Colonel Sanders]] as its villain.
63	* CurbStompBattle: The Earth space forces are completely trashed by the Alpha Cygni aliens. They barely even make a scratch on their battleship.
64	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: In ''Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group'' the newspapers the spies use as their "disguises" are titled "Mainichi Daily News". ''Mainichi'' is Japanese for "everyday", making the paper the ''Daily'' Daily News. For a time, this was actually the name of the website of the English version of the ''Mainichi Shimbun''.
65	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Mr. Daitokuji gets one at the end of ''Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group''. He attempts to catch an entire spaceship with his bare hands. He was wearing PoweredArmor, true, but even he should know even that it couldn't hold up the weight of a space fortress the size of a small island!
66	* DidTheyOrDidntThey: At the end of ''The VS'', A-ko asks B-ko [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre "how far"]] did [[TheDragon Gail]] manage to [[DatingCatwoman get with her]]. B-ko tells her nothing happened, then smiles vaguely over her shoulder and adds, [[TwoFacedAside "nothing at all"]].
67	* DistractedByTheSexy: Happens to one of the fighter pilots during the dogfight in the first film. A-ko lands on the canopy of his jet, with her legs spread eagle, which gives the pilot and the audience a close-up view up her skirt. The arrows of his HUD are even positioned at both points of entry at A-ko's privates. The pilot smiles goofily [[AllMenArePerverts as he enjoys the view]], until he gets shot down moments later due to not paying attention to the ongoing battle.
68	* TheDitz: C-ko (though she does seem to have moments of insight) and Miss Ayumi.
69	* DoppelgangerSpin: An InformedAbility of B-ko's Max 5000 mecha is the ability to replicate itself five times.
70	* DramaticSpineInjury: Played for laughs in "Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group". B-ko's father, sporting a copy of his daughter's [[ChainmailBikini Akagiyama 23 power suit]] that hasn't been altered for [[FanDisservice a male physique]], attempts to catch a falling alien battleship using only the power suit. An X-ray of Daitokuji Sr.'s vertebrae snapping like kindling shows up; he gives a pained, wide-eyed expression, and drops the battleship. [[UnexplainedRecovery He's fine by the next OAV, though.]]
71	%%* EvilKnockoff
72	* FanDisservice: We can safely assume ''no one'' wants to [[{{Gonk}} see D]] in a BattleBikini, or Mr. Daitokuji wearing a copy of B-ko's battle armor.
73	* {{Fanservice}}:
74	** Most of it comes from A-ko. Her opening scene has sunlight filtering through her nightshirt, revealing she isn't wearing a bra underneath; moments later, she removes it and rummages through her closet in nothing but panties, with nothing obscuring her chest. She's often subject to upskirt {{panty shot}}s, including one instance where a lucky fighter pilot gets an extended look at her undies while she's seated on the canopy of his plane with the arrows of his HeadsUpDisplay positioned directly at A-ko's groin and her ass.
75	** B-ko is naked--and her bare chest is shown--during her bath scene in the first film.
76	*** And her form-fitting battle armor leaves little to the imagination.
77	** In ''Cinderella Rhapsody'', a yuri scene at a movie theater is preempted by a city-wide evacuation order.
78	** In ''The VS'', A-ko spends the entire first fight against Liza in nothing but her underwear.
79	*** And near the beginning of the second episode of ''The VS'', we get an extended [[MaleGaze close-up of A-ko's panties]] while her legs are spread open, due to the cramped space of a spaceship cockpit. That view is seen [[FirstPersonPerspective from the pilot's point of view.]]
80	** Although A-ko has the most panty shots, other girls in the series have their moments as well.
81	** C-ko's [[spoiler:princess]] outfits are both more revealing than her usual attire. Her [[spoiler:pink dress]] in the first movie is designed so it is split down the middle from the waist down, revealing her legs. It also shows off some of her back. The other outfit is seen in ''Final''--it is initially [[spoiler:covered by a cape]], but later revealed to be [[spoiler:a tight, high-cut leotard that exposes her legs and shows some hip]].
82	* FashionShopFashionShow: Late in the third film, A-ko tries on a bunch of different dresses, since B-ko bought the one she had been saving for and [[spoiler:gave it to Mari]].
83	* {{Fiction 500}}: The Daitokuji Family is renowned for their wealth and influence. The second film onwards makes a point of showing B-ko's father bankrolling Graviton City's defense force and providing them with new aircraft and mecha designs.
84	* FlungClothing: Which is how B-ko first reveals her Akagiyama-23 battle suit.
85	* FollowYourHeart: The theme of C-ko's character song from the original film ''"Follow Your Dreams"''.
86	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
87	** Midway into the first film, B-ko vows to take A-ko on herself, even if it means revealing [[NotSoHarmlessVillain her "true power"]]. She does not show it off until ''Cinderella Rhapsody'', when she briefly matches A-ko ''without'' her battle armor[[note]]A-ko runs into B-ko and her friends aboard Napolitalita's ship resort. A fight escalates once A-ko realizes B-ko was spying on her and was trying to steal what she thought would be her date with Kei[[/note]].
88	** Subverted for laughs in ''Final''. The prophecy foretelling the end of the world was just a coincidence when the aliens arrived. And Ms. Ayumi wasn't possessed by her charm; [[spoiler:she only did the incantations because she was told it would bring her luck]].
89	* FreezeFrameBonus: The first film includes some very close panty shots and some fired missiles actually being soda pop cans (as a ShoutOut to the ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' film).
90	* FunbagAirbag: Played as an OhCrap moment in addition to a gag, as it's A-ko running into Liza after having kicked her through a wall. [[https://imgur.com/gallery/BI7Bq]]
91	* FunnyBackgroundEvent:
92	** When B-ko's flunkies interrupt her first fight with A-ko, B-ko can be seen in the background signalling them with a pair of paper fans before quickly putting them away.
93	** In ''Final'', one sequence involves rumors about Ms. Ayumi's marriage meeting spreading around the school; in a scene set in the girl's restroom during this sequence, an unnamed brunette is seen using one of the urinals (yes, really).
94	** In ''The VS'', when A-ko finally catches up to B-ko at Gail's lair, Grash is semi-conscious on B-ko's back. This causes A-ko to assume they are together, sparking an argument between the two ladies. Grash realizes his hands are on B-ko's boobs and sees she is distracted, [[ThanksForTheMammary so he starts groping her]] [[AllMenArePerverts as much as he can.]]
95	* GoGoEnslavement: In ''The VS'', Maruten promises A-ko that he will bring B-ko back to life...for a price. A-ko assumes he wants her body and [[ImagineSpot imagines being doomed]] to a life of [[SexSlave sexual slavery]]--an idea that Maruten flat-out denies.
96	* GoodMorningCrono: The first movie begins with a morning radio broadcast as A-ko prepares for school.
97	* HammerSpace: A rare instance where a pair of males use hammers out of nowhere on another male happens in ''Final''.
98	* HumongousMecha:
99	** In the film, B-ko uses numerous mechs in her plans to crush A-ko. When they all fail, B-ko designs the Akagiyama-23 battle armor.
100	** Graviton City's defense force has many of their own mechas thanks to B-ko's father--only theirs are used to protect the city from the destruction caused by her and A-ko.
101	* IconicOutfit: A-ko's Transfer Student Uniform is this. When Creator/CentralParkMedia published [[OELManga comic adaptations]] of the series, they changed her outfit in their version of ''The VS''[[note]]re-titled as ''Project A-ko Versus the Universe''[[/note]] to the sailor suit as a way of increasing sales.
102	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: In ''The VS'', A-ko and B-ko realize that [[spoiler:C-ko]] is FightingFromTheInside of [[spoiler:Xena's DemonicPossession]], so they attempt this--only to descend into ''enthusiastic'' bickering. [[spoiler:As C-ko watches the two become UnstuckInTime shifting between alternate versions of themselves (including their classic incarnations) as they fight, she awakens because of her IntrinsicVow: she does not like it when A-ko and B-ko fight.]]
103	* ImpossiblyCoolClothes:
104	** B-ko's Akagiyama-23 battle armor is a sleek armored bikini.
105	** A-ko and B-ko receive redesigned outfits in ''The VS'' that consist of leotards, boots, and knee pads.
106	* InTheirOwnImage: In ''The VS'', Xena and Gail want the Dragon God to destroy the current "degenerate" universes so they can create a new one where everyone is pure.
107	* {{Jerkass}}:
108	** B-ko is initially the antagonist to A-ko, who recounts how she used to bully C-ko when all three of them were young children. Most of the students at Graviton High share A-ko's opinion, which makes her their hero for standing up to B-ko.
109	** ''The VS'' reverses this: A-ko is the selfish one who is [[OnlyInItForTheMoney only motivated by greed]] and [[ItsAllAboutMe personal gain.]]
110	%%* {{Joshikousei}}
111	* LadyLooksLikeADude: Despite what Captain Napolipolita and D would make you think, there are no male Alpha Cygnians.
112	* LargeHam: Xena's monologues in ''The VS'' become increasingly melodramatic, especially once she [[spoiler:reaches the Talhoe Sector]].
113	* LateForSchool: This is used as a running gag throughout the film, with A-ko always being late for class due to either oversleeping or B-ko picking fights with her. It continues to happen in the sequel [=OVAs=], though not to the same extent.
114	* LawyerFriendlyCameo: By [[spoiler:Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/WonderWoman]], and it is not at all subtle. The graphic novelization even gives them the first names of [[spoiler:"Clark" and "Diana"]].
115	* {{Leitmotif}}: In the first film, A-ko has "Dance Away" (which plays in full when she and C-ko skip school), B-ko has "In Your Eyes" (which plays in full when she bathes), and C-ko has "Follow Your Dreams" (which plays in full over the closing credits).
116	* LeotardOfPower: A-ko and B-ko both wear leotards in ''The VS''; A-ko's includes a removable skirt.
117	* LoveDodecahedron: A-ko, B-ko and Ms. Ayumi all fancy Kei, who turns out to only have eyes for C-ko (although the affection is not returned). Not counting the subtext with A-ko, B-ko and C-ko themselves.
118	* MacrossMissileMassacre: B-ko pulls this off with the Akagiyama Missiles. Several spaceships in the series also do this.
119	* MadeOfExplodium: Most of the mecha that A-ko fights--notably B-ko's mecha--are afflicted with this. (Or maybe A-ko has tactile thermokinesis.)
120	* MadeOfIndestructium: By ''Final'', the desks in classroom 2-E are made of this. Good thing, too: The students have learned to use them as cover during A-ko and B-ko's fights. Too bad the rest of Graviton High did not get that upgrade.
121	* MageSpecies: Gail and Xena in ''The VS'' are part of a species of witches.
122	* MileLongShip: The initial shots of the alien ship in the film are blocked to make it appear to be about the size of ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' or the ''[[Anime/CaptainHarlock Arcadia]]'' (which it resembles [[ShoutOut on purpose]]). [[spoiler:When the whole ship is shown later on, the "Yamato" part is revealed as ''the figurehead,'' though the blocking wasn't perfect: in the space scene with the Earth fighter jets, one of the long spires of the ship is seen against the distant figurehead portion, and when the [[WaveMotionGun main gun is fired]] the beam is clearly seen coming from above and behind the fore portion of the ship.]]
123	* NewspaperThinDisguise: The second OVA has an entire flock of spies in identical trenchcoats reading newspapers while observing everyone and waiting for a signal.
124	* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Near the end of ''"Final"'', B-ko's battle armor loses power, which sends both her and A-ko plummeting back into Earth's atmosphere. Both girls survive re-entry--and they are not even fazed by it; B-ko [[CasualDangerDialogue calmly quips about it]] being [[TogetherInDeath "a lovers' suicide"]] [[SarcasmMode with A-ko]], mere moments before they slam into the surface. After a brief cutaway scene, A-ko is shown back at home, where she collapses on her bed, with no sign of injury other than her slightly tattered uniform. B-ko is shown staring wistfully at the night sky from her veranda, in her nightgown...and none the worse for wear.
125	* PantyShot: As mentioned elsewhere on this page, A-Ko gets a lot of these. Many of them come from her skirt waving in the breeze, making them easy to overlook if you don't realize it.
126	* PimpedOutDress: In ''The VS'', B-ko wears one as a disguise. A-ko comments on how odd that is, since they are trying to break into the villain's lair, not attend a party.
127	* PlayboyBunny: The waitresses in ''Love and Robots'', and B-ko in an alternate universe in ''The VS''.
128	* PleaseWakeUp: A-ko does this to B-ko after Gail blasts her near the end of the first half of ''The VS''
129	* PoorCommunicationKills: Had the aliens communicated that they weren't heading to Earth to invade, Earth wouldn't have made an unprovoked attack on them. Unfortunately (for Earth) they were in too big a hurry and thought us too primitive to bother.
130	* PoweredArmor: B-ko's Akagiyama-23 battle armor is more like a powered bikini. [[FanDisservice Her father has a similar suit]].
131	* PowerLimiter: A-ko's bracers are revealed to be these in ''Cinderella Rhapsody''.
132	* PsychicLink: In ''The VS'', A-ko and B-ko seem to have one, as A-ko knows something has happened to B-ko after [[spoiler:Gail shoots an energy beam through B-ko's chest.]]
133	* RecycledSoundtrack: "Get A Chance!" (the ending theme for Project A-Ko 3) was originally the first ending of the live-action TV adaptation of ''Manga/HanaNoAsukaGumi''
134	* RedHerring: PlayedForLaughs. The climax of ''Final'', the GrandFinale, shows that [[spoiler:all the supposedly ominous signs predicting an apocalypse of all existence, apparently connected by the hexagram symbols, which we were led to believe was connected to the Alpha Cygnan fleet and would lead to an epic final battle for the fate of the universe... was all just a big coincidence]].
135	* RedshirtArmy: The Graviton Defense Force serves mainly to get nearly annihilated by the Alpha Cygnans.
136	* ReferenceOverdosed
137	* RequiredSecondaryPowers: The whole series plays with this trope. A-ko is shown several times to be hurt by fairly mundane things... before she kicks a giant robot without hurting her leg. The RuleOfFunny fully applies here.
138	** ''Project A-ko'': She hits her thumb with a hammer with full cartoonish reactions, which are just as easily forgotten, and she trips on an ordinary piece of flawed sidewalk.
139	** ''Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group'': She tires out after failing to get a piece of the Alpha Cygnian ship back in place. The pool incident does not count as "mundane".
140	** ''The VS'': She gets a cartoonish injury from being bonked by B-ko's hammer.
141	* RunningGag: A-ko constantly runs over D on the way to school. C-ko even begins greeting her each morning starting with the second movie.
142	* SandIsWater: In ''The VS'', A-ko and B-ko live on a desert planet. B-ko has to build a sand-ship from the ruins of their destroyed home once the plot begins.
143	* SelfCensoredRelease: The series began life as part of the ''Cream Lemon'' series of {{hentai}} before becoming a full-fledged feature film; the InUniverse hentai short that appears in ''Cinderella Rhapsody'' is actually recycled from the first film's initial storyboards.
144	* SheIsAllGrownUp: The first film has a non-romantic version (and possibly an [[InvertedTrope inversion]], as it involves a childhood enemy rather than a ForgottenChildhoodFriend): according to A-ko's flashback to their childhood, she and C-ko used to look more or less like chibi-versions of their present day forms. B-ko, on the other hand, was described--accurately--as having a "basin haircut, piggy eyes and dumpy legs" but grew up into easily the most beautiful of the three girls. (A-ko is an AmazonianBeauty and C-ko is TheCutie, but B-ko is more classically gorgeous.) No wonder A-ko failed to recognise her at first.
145	* ShoutOut: More than can easily be counted...
146	** A-ko's parents are apparently [[spoiler:Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/WonderWoman]].
147	** B-ko's father bears some resemblance to [[Comicbook/IronMan Tony Stark]].
148	** Captain Napolipolita is an obvious parody of ''Anime/CaptainHarlock'', in the same way that the bow of the Lepton mothership looks like the ''Arcadia''. Alternately, Napolipolita is Leader Dessler dressed like Captain Okita, flying [[Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato the Yamato]].
149	** D is a parody of ''Literature/VampireHunterD'''s title character both in name and looks.
150	** The lead heroine from ''Manga/YawaraAFashionableJudoGirl'' briefly appears in the third movie.
151	** The title itself is a reference to the Creator/JackieChan movie ''Project A''.
152	** The design of teacher Ms. Ayumi is a Shout Out[=/=]{{Homage}} to magical girl series ''Anime/CreamyMamiTheMagicAngel''.
153	** Mari, B-ko's underling, looks--and fights--like [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Kenshiro]] with pigtails.
154	** The plot of the first film is a [[BroadStrokes rough]] re-hash of ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross''.
155	** The weaponry in the film includes transforming mecha, a WaveMotionGun, and [[MacrossMissileMassacre Macross Missiles]].
156	** [[Film/GhidorahTheThreeHeadedMonster King Ghidorah]] is first referenced in ''Cinderella Rhapsody'' in one of the outfits A-ko tries, whereas the Three-Headed Dragon God in ''The VS'' is a much more obvious reference.
157	** The movie that A-ko and C-ko watch, in which [[UsefulNotes/KentuckyFriedChicken Colonel Sanders]] ominously walks out of the shadows, is a parody of the 1983 movie version of ''Anime/GenmaWars'', known in the West as "Harmageddon".
158	** The comic opens with the narrator referencing a few well-known sci-fi works:
159	-->[[Franchise/StarWars A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR]]-- no, wait... [[Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy SPACE IS BIG, REALLY BIG! YOU JUST WON’T BELIEVE HOW]]-- no, that's not it... [[Franchise/StarTrek SPACE. THE FINAL FRONTIER. THESE ARE THE VOYAGES]]-- no, no...
160	* ShownTheirWork: The homeworld of the aliens, Alpha Cygni (more commonly known as Deneb), is a real star. The estimated distance from Earth, with a 10% margin of error, is 1,550 light years, so it is reasonable that they could arrive here in a short time.
161	%%* SmallGirlBigGun
162	* SpaceOpera: ''The Vs.'' leans towards this, with its tale of a cult seeking to summon a dragon god that will wipe out all civilizations in order to cleanse the universe of sin, and the SpacePolice trying to stop them.
163	* SpacePolice: The Space Patrol from ''The VS'' were presumably this. They were nearly wiped out by Xena and her followers; Maruten is the only one left.
164	* SpoiledBrat: C-ko shows shades of this in ''The VS''
165	-->'''C-Ko:''' I'M BORED, I WANNA PLAY A GAME '''NOW!!!'''
166	* StrandedInvader: Capt. Napolipolita and Agent D, of the Leptons of Alpha Cygni, are stranded on Earth, along with the surviving members of the warship's crew, after A-ko and B-ko smash up the ship rescuing C-ko. They try their hand at running a hotel with posh restaurant, and later a theme park using the remnants of the ship, but all their ventures are destroyed in the crossfire between A-ko and B-ko over whatever petty argument the two are engaged in at that particular moment.
167	* SupernaturalGoldEyes: A-ko's gold-amber eyes are a sign that she is not exactly a normal human.
168	%%* SuperHero
169	* TechnicolorEyes: Liza's eyes are silver, indicating she is not a regular human.
170	* ThemeNaming: The three main characters are named in a way that is indicative of extras instead of main characters.
171	* TheThreeFacesOfEve: C-ko is the "child" (the innocent and childlike figure), A-ko is the "wife" (she is the protective big sister figure looking after C-ko), and B-ko is the "seductress" (she has a curvy figure with penchant for wearing a revealing power suit and [[PsychoLesbian has a certain obsession with C-ko]]).
172	* TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: The radio show in the opening of the film refers to Graviton City as the high-tech capital of the world because of the captured alien vessel that serves as its central landmark. The city also becomes the target of both invasions by the Alpha Cygnans.
173	* TormentedTeacher: Ayumi-sensei has it rough. The school is frequently being demolished by the spat between A-ko and B-ko. What's more, B-ko, a TeenGenius, and with the money to back it up by actually ''building'' the machines she can dream up, frequently makes backhanded remarks about Ayumi not keeping the class busy enough. And on top of all that, the final movie reveals that she's worried about becoming an OldMaid and is trying to hold an ArrangedMarriage with Kei to avoid that fate, only to learn that Kei is the object of lust to A-ko and B-ko, and that Kei is obsessed with the childish C-ko. Her marriage is crashed by A-ko and B-ko trying to steal Kei, and by C-ko's alien family showing up to collect her. Poor, poor Ayumi-sensei.
174	* TransferStudentUniforms: A-ko and C-ko wear these throughout the film; they switch over to the proper uniforms at the end of the film, then wear them regularly in the sequel [=OVAs=], though A-ko does switch back to her IconicOutfit for the climatic battle in ''Final'', apparently just for the express purpose of irritating B-ko (which she does).
175	* TransformingMecha: One of B-ko's mechas is this--only B-ko failed to plan out how the cockpit would work in both forms.
176	* TronLines: In the film, the elevator in the alien ship has these.
177	* TwoLinesNoWaiting: The original film starts with the MilitaryScienceFiction plotline of Earth sending a space probe out after Graviton City is built from the ruins where an alien spaceship crashed. The film occasionally returns to this plot with {{Coincidental Broadcast}}s while A-Ko's story goes on, with the only direct link being D broadcasting to the Alpha Cygni [[TheDreadedDreadnought dreadnought]]. The space plot returns to the forefront literally as soon as A-ko and B-ko start fighting in earnest; the first alien attack sequence lasts for several minutes before the fight at school literally continues where it left off. The plots finally join once A-ko and B-ko wander into the battlefield between the invaders and Earth's defense forces, and the Alpha Cygni capture their goal -- their lost princess, C-ko.
178	* UnknownRival: B-ko starts out as this to A-ko, with her attempt to win C-ko's attention foiled without A-ko knowing it was involved. Even after B-ko starts trying to settle their old score from kindergarten, A-ko is mostly annoyed until she tries to go to school early to avoid everything -- and still finds B-ko waiting. That's when things get serious.
179	* WardrobeMalfunction: A-ko suffers from these, and often. When she is particularly embarrassed, one of her bra straps will slip down her shoulder, often with some of the shirt accompanying it. She also often gets into situations that become an innocent panty shot, not that she takes it that way.
180	* WaveMotionGun: After Earth tries and fails to intercept the Alpha Cygni mothership in space, Captain Napolipolita destroys the space station home base
181	* WholeCostumeReference: B-ko's father dresses like Elvis when he pilots a mecha.
182	* WingdingEyes: In ''The VS'', Maruten tries to convince A-ko to help him defeat Gail, Xena, and the Dragon God, but he is unable to sway her. When he finally mentions the reward, A-ko gets dollar and yen signs for pupils and says, quite deadpan, [[OnlyInItForTheMoney "It is my duty."]]
183	* XRayOfPain: In ''Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group'', [[spoiler:B-ko's father dons a [[FanDisservice copy of his daughter's Akagiyama battle suit]] and attempts to catch the falling alien battleship]]. The audience is treated to an x-ray of his spine snapping like kindling.

Context Anime / ProjectAKo