Dirty Pair
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| Dirty Pair | |
|---|---|
 |
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| ダーティペ (Dāti Pea) |
|
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Mecha, Science Fiction, Shōnen |
| Novel | |
| Authored by | Haruka Takachiho |
| Artist | Yoshikazu Yasuhiko |
| Publisher | |
| Publish date | |
| No. of volumes | |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Norio Kashima Toshifumi Takizawa |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Network |  Nippon TV |
| Original run | 15 July 1985 – 26 December 1985 |
| No. of episodes | 24 (+ 2 released later on video) |
| OVA: Affair of Nolandia | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Released | December 1985 |
| OVA | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Released | 1988-89 |
| OVA: Flight 005 Conspiracy | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Released | January 1990 |
| Movie: Project Eden | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | March 1987 |
| Runtime | |
Dirty Pair (ダーティペア Dāti Pea?) is a humorous science fiction anime and manga franchise based on the light novel series by Haruka Takachiho.
The stories take place in the years 2138-43, by which time humanity has spread across some few thousand star systems. A corporation called the World Welfare Works Association (also WWWA or 3WA) helps member systems of the United Galactica (UG) federation deal with various planetary-scale problems, for profit, by sending agents called "trouble consultants". Probably the most high-profile arm of the organization is the Criminal Investigations section, which works to solve crimes or mysteries. The series focuses on a team of trouble consultants in that section, named Kei and Yuri, who have a reputation for leaving a trail of destruction behind them, for which they are known publicly as the "Dirty Pair".
The franchise has bounced across multiple formats and production companies, resulting in (so far), seven novels and a few shorter stories, a television series, two OVA series, two OVA features, a feature film, and a number of graphic novels.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
[edit] The Lovely Angels
Kei and Yuri are the two members of Trouble Consultant team 234, code named "Lovely Angels". Almost every mission they are involved with ends up in disaster, but not failure (they'll catch the crook, but a city may be destroyed in the process), and thus they are more generally known as the "Dirty Pair", a nickname they hate. They are always cleared of any wrongdoing by the 3WA's Central Computer because the extreme damage is never actually their fault (though their mere presence has been known to make things worse). In some but not all continuities, they have joint ESP powers, usually limited to precognition. This talent was the reason they were recruited in the first place.
- Kei: a hot-headed redhead tomboy who wears a white or silver uniform. Favors large weaponry and to "shoot first, ask questions later". The more aggressive of the two, she is attracted to manly, muscular men. She has been voiced by Kyouko Tonguu (Japanese), Lara Cody (English, Streamline Pictures dub), Pamela Lauer (English, ADV Films dub), Pilar Escandon (Spanish)
- Yuri: Japanese in ethnicity, wears a yellow or golden uniform. Often uses non-gun weaponry such as energy whips. While the more feminine of the two, she is known to become very violent when crossed. She is also a coy flirt and prefers cultured, refined men. Her most recognized weapon is the Bloody Card, a technologically-enhanced throwing card that can be used to take down several people at once. (While Yuri uses it often enough in the novels, it only appears in the anime a few times, once in Affair of Nolandia and in Flight 005 Conspiracy.) She has been voiced by Saeko Shimazu (Japanese), Wendee Lee (English, Streamline Pictures dub), Jessica Calvello (English, original ADV Films dub), Allison Sumrall (English, replacement ADV Films dub), Rocío Prado (Spanish)
[edit] Other characters
- Mughi: a Coeurl, a large cat-like creature(in the OAV series, he is shown to be genetically engineered, though not to what the designers intended) who sometimes accompanies the Dirty Pair on their missions. He has some proficiency with electronic devices, but prefers to lay down and sleep. In the books Mughi is depicted with tentacles, resembling a displacer beast. His tentacles are seen in the comics, but are missing from most anime incarnations. The exceptions being the Dirty Pair Flash series, where Mughi appears closer to his book incarnation (although the size of a normal cat), and the first episode of the Dirty Pair TV series when he tries to stop the Pair from being sucked down a water pipe. It can be assumed that they simply disappear into the bulk of this more bear-like version.
- Nammo: a small robot owned by the Dirty Pair in the TV series. Usually referred to as a "she", Nammo communicates through beeps and whistles and has one known arm, as well as the ability to fly in space, operate and repair vehicles, and use hand weapons. She has been rebuilt at least once, when she hinted for the weaponless Pair to rig her body to self-destruct by handing over her memory disk. They sent her chassis into the bowels of the machine that trapped them, leaving only her memory disk and her tennis shoe-like feet behind.
- Gooley Andrew Frances: Kei & Yuri's immediate supervisor. He has the unenviable task with assigning the Lovely Angels assignments, as well as writing the paperwork on the damage they cause. While they cause him much grief (and stomach pains), he still cares for them greatly and is confident in their abilities. They, in turn, are fiercely loyal to him, even disobeying orders in order to rescue him.
- Calico: Gooley's right hand man in the TV series. A former TroCon himself (capacity unknown, Trouble Consultants can also be accountants and lawyers), he has at least one episode to show he still has what it takes, though he proves to be more trigger happy than Kei.
- Madame Beryl: Appearing in the OVA series, she is a retired TroCon of legendary status. Only one of her cases was never solved until the Lovely Angels stumble across the missing clue. In another appearance, she proves she is still able to hold her own with the Bloody Card. She appears in the series as a classic grandmotherly type wearing a cheongsam.
- Dr. Q: Appearing in the OVA series, Dr. Q is the scientist responsible for the creation of Muhgi, as well as some of the high-tech devices and weaponry the Lovely Angels use. However, his genuis is questionable, since his brilliant devices have a tendency either malfuntion... or blow-up in the Angels' faces.
[edit] Origin of Names
The instigation of "the DP Concept" was a visit to Japan by the British Australian SF author A. Bertram Chandler, probably in 1978. On his itinerary was a stop at the young Studio Nue, which Takachiho co-founded. As something to entertain their guest, two of the staffers there, Tanaka Yuri and Otoguro Keiko, hit upon the idea with Takachiho of taking Chandler to a tournament of the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling organization, which was a member of the World Women's Wrestling Association (WWWA). The card included the highly-popular wrestling (and singing!) team, the Beauty Pair. Something that passed among the foursome during that match lead Chandler to remark to Takachiho something to the effect that "the two women in the ring may be the Beauty Pair, but those two with you ought to be called 'the Dirty Pair'."
This became the germ of an idea for a little novella Takachiho decided to write, transplanting the rough-housing of pro-wrestling to the realm of space-opera mystery stories, with which he already had experience in his already successful Crusher Joe series. The team code-name "Lovely Angels" is also play on the names of certain of the women's teams of the time, such as the Queen Angels.
[edit] Anime
[edit] Television Series
The TV series Dirty Pair was the most popular (in Japan) of the Dirty Pair's incarnations. It ran 24 episodes during July through December of 1985. For complicated reasons, two remaining episodes were produced during 1986 and released as OVAs on 1 January 1987. The TV series has not been released in North America; it remains the only portion of all the Dirty Pair anime releases which has not be licensed and translated into English (as of March 2007).
[edit] OVAs
- Affair of Nolandia 1985
- Dirty Pair 10 episodes, 1987-1988
- Flight 005 Conspiracy 1990
- Dirty Pair Flash 16 Episodes, 1994-1996
- This series starred alternate versions of Kei and Yuri, and the story premise and character designs are very different from any of the other versions.
[edit] Film
- Project Eden 1987
[edit] Comics
The American comic company and manga translator Studio Proteus acquired rights to create comic versions of The Dirty Pair in 1989; the first two graphic novels were published by the since-defunct Eclipse Comics. Later the rights were transferred to Dark Horse Comics. The first 3 series were written by Toren Smith and Adam Warren and drawn by Warren - after that Smith left the project and Warren took over writing completely. These stories have a much more cyberpunk style than the other versions; the later stories, starting with "Fatal but not Serious", move into the transhuman subgenre.
- Biohazards - 4 issues, December 1988 - April 1989 (trade paperback [TPB], 1989; 1998, reissue)
- Dangerous Acquaintances - 5 issues, June 1989 - March 1990 (TPB, 1991; 1997, reissue)
- A Plague of Angels - 5 issues, August 1990 - November 1991 (TPB, 1994)
- Sim Hell - 4 issues, May - August 1993; colorized reissue, May - August 2001 (TPB, 1994; 1996, 2nd edition; 2002, colorized reissue)
- I Honestly Hate You - eight-page short story originally published in August 1994 in the (annual) San Diego ComicCon Comics, #3 (reprinted in 1998 Dark Horse Comics reprinted TPB of Biohazards)
- Fatal but not Serious - 5 issues, July - November 1995 (TPB, 1996)
- Start the Violence - one-shot, May - July 1998 (TPB, 1999; also included in Run from the Future TPB)
- Run from the Future - 4 issues, January - April 2000 (TPB, 2002)
- A Big 'Merci Beaucoup'. - 6 single pages orignally published May - August 2001 in the back of each colorized reissue of "Sim Hell", also in the back of the colorized "Sim Hell" TPB reissue (2002).
[edit] Light Novels
The light novels are written by Haruka Takachiho with illustrations by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. The first four books were originally serialized in the Japanese publication SF Magajin. The light novels have not been released in North America, however the first novel has been licensed by DH Press (Dark Horse) and is currently scheduled for release at the end of June 2007. English translations exist for the first story (published in a series of short books for Japanese students of English) and the fifth book, which was originally released in Japanese and English translation on the Microsoft Network during 1997-99.
- ダーティペアの大冒険 (Daatipea no Daibouken <The Dirty Pair's Great Adventures>, 1979; book: 1980)
- ダーティペアの大逆転 (Daatipea no Daigyakuten <The Dirty Pair Strike Again>, 1985; book: 1985)
- ダーティペアの大乱戦 (Daatipea no Dairansen <DP's Rough and Tumble>, 1985-87; book: 1987)
- ダーティペアの大脱走 (Daatipea no Daidassou <DP's Great Escape>, 1991-92; book: 1993)
- ダーティペア外伝 独裁者の遺産 (Dokusaisha no Isan <Legacy of the Dictator> -- Dirty Pair Side Story #1, 1997; book: 1998)
- ダーティペアの大復活 (Daatipea no Daifukkatsu <DP's Great Resurrection>, 2004)
- ダーティペアの大征服 (Daatipea no Daiseifuku <DP's Great Conquest>, 2006)
[edit] Radio Series
A fifth version of the "DP Concept" made its debut on 1 October 2006 in a 26-week radio series on FM Osaka, entitled "Lovely Angel: Kei & Yuri". A streaming Internet broadcast of successive episodes became available beginning 15 October. [1] The story involves a case in which the Lovely Angels assist the FBI on a case which takes them along the route of the old Route 66. The series features Horie Yui as Yuri and Minagawa Junko as Kei. While Takachiho participated in the selection of the voice artists, he was not involved in the writing for this series. (Additional information on the series, in Japanese, can be found at Nihon Sunrise's site: [2].)
[edit] External links
- Open Directory page for Dirty Pair
- Tea Time in Elenore City - comprehensive unofficial page
- Dirty Pair at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
