Agent Aika, known in Japan as simply , is an adventure

Adventure film

Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....

 anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 OVA

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

 series. Aika Sumeragi is a Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

 woman (voiced by Rei Sakuma

Rei Sakuma

is a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. She is best known in Japan for her voice work in the long running children's series Soreike! Anpanman; her most famous role in the English-speaking world, however, is probably as the Chinese Amazon Shampoo in Ranma ½.-Notable voice roles:*Akabon...

) who works as a salvager for hire, but gets caught up in a plot for world domination

Hegemony

Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...

. The series was available in North America from Central Park Media

Central Park Media

Central Park Media was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York, that was active in the distribution of East Asian cinema, television series, anime, manga and manhwa titles in North America prior to its bankruptcy in 2009...

, but now it has been licensed by Bandai Entertainment.

The series is well known for copious amounts of fan service

Fan service

, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...

, specifically "creative" camera angles that focused on the undergarments of the many female characters that populate the show.

On April 25, 2007 the first volume of the three-part prequel OVA AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission

AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission

AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission is an anime OVA series by Studio Fantasia. It is the prequel to the Agent Aika OVA series, also by Studio Fantasia. The series takes place 10 years before the events in Agent Aika...

, detailing Aika's time as a 16 years-old teenager, was released in Japan. A remastered version of the original series was released also, along with a special Live Action edition of Agent Aika.

In 2009 the three-part sequel to prequel OVA AIKa ZERO with 19 year-old Aika was released.

Plot

Tokyo has sunk into the ocean, along with most of the world, during a large-scale land subsidence

Subsidence

Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...

. Aika Sumeragi is a salvager who works for a small company run by a father and daughter tandem. Alas, the company isn't exactly successful, and money is needed desperately. Thus, Aika accepts the very dangerous job of acquiring an artifact called Lagu for a hefty sum. The boss' daughter Aida Rion joins Aika on this particular mission, and the two set off.

Later on, Aika and Rion are captured by Rudolf Hargen—an effeminate but over-sexed man who wants Lagu and Aika (and just about every pretty girl) for himself. Hargen commands a huge battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

 manned exclusively by droves of cute girls in mini-skirts (an example of what is often called "fan service

Fan service

, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...

"). Alongside Hargen is his obsessive sister Neena, who is jealous of Aika, as well as another salvager named Gusto, who's also after Lagu and has a crush on Aika as well. When Aika's special bustier

Bustier

A bustier is a form-fitting garment for women, which is traditionally worn as lingerie. Its primary purpose is to push up the bust by tightening against the upper midriff and forcing the breasts up, while gently shaping the waist. Nowadays, it might also be worn as a push-up bra under a low-backed...

 is activated, she becomes a superhuman who can take on whole armies by herself.

Aika and company

• Aika Sumeragi (皇藍華), 26

She is considered to be one of the best in the business. She was raised as a test subject by her scientist parents who died in the catastrophic earthquake. She was protected by the bustier

Bustier

A bustier is a form-fitting garment for women, which is traditionally worn as lingerie. Its primary purpose is to push up the bust by tightening against the upper midriff and forcing the breasts up, while gently shaping the waist. Nowadays, it might also be worn as a push-up bra under a low-backed...

 made by her parents and thus survived. She was then picked up by Aida Gozo, who raised her, and later on she works in Gozo's office as a Salvager.

Aika possesses a unique battle suit made out of "ultranate" (or more accurately just "alternate metal" from the katakana オルタネートメタル), shaped into a golden bustier that transforms her into a dark-skinned and blue-haired woman with supernatural strength and resilience. But she dislikes the perfection attained by the transformation and tries not to rely on it. Although not used in the anime, in this form she is called Shivie Aika.

She is constantly fighting with Gust, who either tries to steal her bounty or hits on her. Aika will do anything to get the job done, even if it means sacrificing her morals.

• Rion Aida (相田りおん), 18

She is Aika's salvaging partner and her Boss' daughter. Her mother divorced him after she was born. She wants to run the business better, but her father keeps to his policies. She does not like being left out of transactions nor having Aika do the work herself. Rion looks upon Aika as her real sister and yearns to become like Aika.

• Gozo Aida (相田郷造), 51

He was an active industrial spy, but rode on the chance of the catastrophic earthquake and entered the salvaging business, setting up K2 Corporation, a Salvaging operation. He is Rion's father. He prefers to hold onto the old ways (cheapest price for the best service) and principles of doing business, which does little good to the business. His past with Aika goes far back.

• Michikusa Shuntaro (道草旬太郎), 21

Graduated from the Salvager training school with barely passing grades, he joins K2 Corporation through a relative. His father is the president of a major salvaging company. He is a new character introduced in the second series.

Cute-looking but totally air-headed, Michikusa is prone to dressing cutely as well (including donning Delmo staff uniforms on several occasions), and using a kappa doll and squeaky voice to try cheering up Rion when her mood is down, which earns him frequent beatings by Rion because he only succeeds in annoying her.

• Maypia Alexymetalia (メイピア・アルキメタリア)

She is a "Class A" spy (who carries suitable business cards) employed by the government to retrieve information on Lagu by infiltrating Hagen's army dressed as a black Delmo. She runs into Rion and ends up following her.

After having been abandoned by her employers and her subsequent rescue by Aika and her friends, she went freelance. She reappears in episode 7, where she joins Rion and company in their assault on the Delmo base.

• Gust Turbulence (ガスト・タービュランス), 24

He is the son of a company's president. Although he is well-off, he prefers to be independent and became a Salvager to earn his own name.

At first look he may be a brash person, but is skillful. He'd like to have Aika to go out with him, but she refuses. He seems to end up in the right place to get the bounty.

• B.A. Bandora (バ・バンドラ)

Gust's cyberpunk

Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...

-styled partner, a veteran Salvager. May not always agree with him but helps him out anyway.

The Hagens

• Rudolf Hagen (ルドルフ・ハーゲン), 31

Hagen was born as a genetically altered test tube baby, in the process he received superior genes. Because of that he yearns for superior women to impart the genes to his next generation.

Hagen is the evil mastermind who, even though contracted by the military to find the Lagu, wants it for his own ends. He believes that Lagu is something the Earth produced to destroy the humanity that polluted it. He enjoys commanding his army, especially the bridge, and is passive but calculating. He plans to repopulate the Earth with his own progeny conceived with his Delmo staff.

• Neena Hagen (ネーナ・ハーゲン), 28

She is a test tube baby like Rudolf. It is unknown if she is the blood sister of Rudolf. Nevertheless she respects and loves Rudolf dearly to a level beyond siblings, and dislikes Aika for "seducing" her brother Rudolf. A sadistic character and unstable mood, she walks around in her bare essentials and makes sure the black Delmos are punished for failure.

She later receives from Rudolf an Alternate Metal panty which allows her to transform to a powered-up form. However, the device fusing into her soon runs out of control, and she becomes a hideous monster. In this form she embraces and kills her brother and flees into space cradling his corpse. Her ultimate fate is unknown.

, Suzy Prue (English, episodes 3–4)

Delmo Corps

The Delmo Corps, also referred as the Delmogeny (デルモゲニイ), is an army of pretty ladies assembled by Professor Hagen for the purpose of propagating his genes; they also function as Hagen's private army. Some of them work ordinary jobs like guides and waitresses, but on top of that they are also involved in espionage activities.

Even after Hagen's defeat, the Delmo Corps still functions. With its aim to capture Aika to avenge Hagen and to study the alternate metal, they become the main antagonist in the second series.

• White Delmo: Officer class and Hagen's personal bodyguards. They are responsible for the smooth operations of the ship.

• Captain/Commander (艦長/司令)

The unnamed chief commanding officer of the Delmo is a beautiful green-haired woman highly accomplished in military and reconnaissance work. After Hagen's demise she took command of the Delmogeny and continues to seek revenge on Aika and her entourage.

She distinguishes herself from her subordinate commanders by wearing two patches with a white H on her uniform's collar. She is a responsible officer who is very concerned with the welfare of her troops, and has a love relationship with her (also unnamed) second-in-command.

• Adjutant (副官)

The second-in-command in the Delmo Corps. She is very loyal and cares very much for the Captain, with whom she has a lover's relationship.

• Nina Esuko (ニナ エスコ)

She participated in Operation "Silver Wild Grapevine", where she played the role of the head of the air base.

• Golden Delmo: Special operations task force. They carry out special missions.
• Bianca (ビアンカ)

The operative in charge of Operation "Golden Apple". She wanted revenge for one of the Delmo (a personal friend) who died during the events in series one. She plans to humiliate Aika by using a woman disguised as a man to toy with Aika's feelings, then capture Aika alive. She uses a retractable sleeve-blade in melee combat and has a hidden flame thrower on her right arm.

• Rie Petoriyacowa (リエ ペトリヤコワ)

The child-like operative in charge of Operation "Silver Wild Grapevine". She had been studying Aika and had learnt how Aika fights. Aika was tricked into a pilot adaptibility physical examination, whereby Rie gathers physical data on Aika (which apparently included a scene where she stripped Aika of her clothes, much to Aika's chagrin). After her connections to Delmos were revealed, rather than escaping, Rie proceeded to continue gathering Aika's battle data by sending her underlings against her and then taping the entire battle. She became one of the most popular characters in the show.

• Sania (サニア)

One of the two operatives that destroyed the K2 Corporation building. Her preferred weapon is a grenade pistol.

• Tonia (トニア)

One of the two operatives that destroyed the K2 Corporation building. Uses claws on both hands in melee combat.

• Blue Delmo: Elite infantry class. They carry weapons and perform duties such as piloting or defending the ship against intruders.

• Leader (リーダ)

The unnamed Blue Delmo leader. She has short reddish bruenette hair.

• Valarie/Pierre Valimore (ヴァレリー/ピエール)

A bishōnen

Bishonen

is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth ". The equivalent English concept is a "pretty boy".The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man whose beauty transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation...

 woman who took part in Operation "Golden Apple". She volunteered to be the one to disguise herself as a man.

• Catherine (キャサリン)

She was taking care of Rion during her captivity in Rudolph's space ship. However, Rion easily defeated her and took her uniform. She has short wavy blonde hair.

• Black Delmo: Infantry class, in charge of carrying out simple missions, mass-attacking in melee, and the administration of the ship.

• Leader (リーダ)

The unnamed Black Delmo leader. She has short purple hair with curled ends.

• Kana (かな)

A girl with pixie cut black hair who took part in Operation "Golden Apple". She drove Bianca's car.

• Misaki (みさき)

A girl with short bruenette hair who took part in Operation "Golden Apple". She helped in kidnapping Rion.

• Yuki (ゆき)

A girl with shoulder-length crimson hair who took part in Operation "Golden Apple". She helped in kidnapping Shuntaro.

• Sae (さえ)

A girl with short dark blue hair who took part in Operation "Golden Apple". She helped in kidnapping Shuntaro.

• Pink Delmo: Mechanics and engineers also seen operating heavy weapons, from tanks to battleship guns.

• Leader Suzie (スージ)

The Pink Delmo leader. She has short bruenette hair with fliped ends. In the first episode she posed as a tour guide. She was in charge of shooting missiles in the final battle against Rudolph. She also drove a tank for Bianca in the "Golden Apple" operation.

• Vivian (ビビアン)

She took part in Operation "Golden Apple" by making sure the tanks were sent to Bianca. She has short bruenette hair.

• Liz (リズ)

She took part in Operation "Golden Apple" by attacking Aika with a tank along with Betty. She has shoulder-length olive hair.

• Betty (ベティ)

She took part in Operation "Golden Apple" by attacking Aika with a tank along with Liz. She has pixie cut bruenette hair.

Episodes

The first series consist of the episodes one to four, and because of its popularity a second series was made.

• "TRIAL.1 Beautiful Agent"
• "TRIAL.2 Naked Mission"
• "TRIAL.3 Takeoff Position"
• "TRIAL.4 A Flower Blooming in Space"
• "Special TRIAL"
• "TRIAL.5 The Golden Delmo Operation"
• "TRIAL.6 Delmo Operation: White Silver"
• "TRIAL.7 Break the Decisive Battle! Delmo Base!"

Music

Opening themes

"Silent City" by Mari Sasaki (episodes 1–4)

by Kishi Kyouko ("Special Trial")

by Mink

Mink

There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...

 (episodes 5–7)

Ending themes

"More Natural" by Hiroko Konishi

Hiroko Konishi

is a Japanese voice actress. She is currently not affiliated with any production, and has largely retired from voice acting.- Notable voice roles :* Aida Rion in Agent Aika* Nene Romanova in Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040...

 (episodes 1–4)

by Rei Sakuma

Rei Sakuma

is a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. She is best known in Japan for her voice work in the long running children's series Soreike! Anpanman; her most famous role in the English-speaking world, however, is probably as the Chinese Amazon Shampoo in Ranma ½.-Notable voice roles:*Akabon...

 and Akio Ōtsuka ("Special Trial")

"Dance With Me Tonight" by PUNKY FRUITES! (episodes 5–7)

External links

• Official site of the AIKa Remaster Box
• ANN review
• THEM Anime Reviews
• Mania 1
• Mania 2
• DVD talk
• The Anime Critic