Dirty Pair OVA Vol - 4: Flight 005 Conspiracy (1990)
Animation Production: Sunrise
Released by: ADV Films
Official Website: ADV's Dirty Pair Ova Vol -4 Page
Episodes: 1
By Keith "JC" Hayward

Introduction

In a distant universe not too dissimilar from this, anime was a rarity. Only the weird and the curious watched it as it often carried the stigma of all anime being “adult contented”, and considering what was available to us at the time, that was not too far off the mark. This universe I refer to was called the early 90’s. I was one of the weird people who never gave up cartoons and the such while growing up and constantly thirsted for more and better stuff. Memories of cartoons (that I didn’t know where Japanese animated at the time), such as Grandizer, Starzingers, and Mazinger Z remained strong in my mind and my local Blockbuster had a very sparse selection of anime. Being a snickering teenager I, along with my cohort Max “Overdrive”, saw an anime with scantly clad hot chicks on it with an eyebrow raising name, “The Dirty Pair”.

We scooped it up immediately and once we were sure that his parents where nowhere in site, we popped the video into the VCR and were in for quite a disappointment as what we ended up with was not really “dirty” at all, and it took us until the rousing action packed climax came about to fully wrap our minds around the fact that we’d ended up renting a pretty awesome anime full of excellent mecha designs, fun and sexy lead characters and an intriguing, almost Law & Order-like mystery, punctuated with futuristic gun fights and space battles. After some thought we were pretty happy that we’d rented it and it fueled our imaginations that we carried over into our “gaming nights” and fan fiction.

Don’t let it’s slightly vintage look fool you, that is if you’re someone who considers ’90 animation vintage. The Dirty Pair is a fun anime fix that will require you not to blink, continue to listen and hold on to your seat through the high tech super spy-like action to the bitter missile barrage filled ending.

Story

"It’s Chief Gooley’s worst nightmare come true. The Lovely Angels are back on the job, but this time the 3WA’s Central Computer has assigned them two cases at the same time: investigate a space liner explosion in which three hundred people died, but no one’s come forward to claim any insurance money; and find a missing scientist and his family. Could the two cases be connected? Only the Central Computer knows and it’s not talking. So it’s up the Dirty Pair to get down and dirty and solve the puzzle before time runs out for a grieving grandfather, his family and the universe!"-- ADV's Dirty Pair Webpage

Review

The Dirty Pair: 005 Conspiracy is a super spy action mystery…. in Space! And it’s a damned good one at that. Popping the DVD into my player I have to say I wasn’t expecting much due to, like many of us, having been spoiled by all the digital voodoo we’re so used to lately in anime. I'm glad to find that it took practically little to no effort on my part to acclimate myself to this 1990 OVA. From the outset the characters were very fun, smirk inducingly sexy, and very accessible. The world, character and mecha designs are also well done if somewhat generic and gaudy by today’s standards. All in all though, you get a decently packaged story, full of enough spills, twists, sensical plot turns and intrigue to keep you glued ‘until the final mystery of what happened to Flight 005 is revealed in the trademark “Shoot ‘em all and let God will sort them out!” style the infamous Dirty Pair is known for.

The story plays itself out, like I said before, your typical “Law & Order” episode, but in space! The story opens up with a mysterious crime, a scream, dead bodies falling and an explosion and where we’d usually see the detectives come in on the case, we get to see the Divas of Destruction, the Trouble Shooting Agents of 3WA, Kei and Yuri, called on to the scene by the Central Computer, much to the dismay of everyone they come in contact with. From there it’s planet and space station hopping time, as the travel to collect clues, ask the necessary questions of witnesses and then falling deeper into confusion as more mysteries arise. Every so often they come across other super agents and thugs that attempt to throw a monkey wrench or missile launcher into their investigation. Thankfully it all comes together in the end and sewed up in a plausible and believable manner. No “Scooby Doo” type ending here where “it’s the last person you expect” for reasons that become apparent and forced by the end. This is tight police detective storytelling drama you get here, injected with super spy action… in space!

The animation stands the test of time, being a couple steps above what you’d see in say, Ronin Warriors or being about on the level of what you’d see in Yu Yu Hakasho, so if you’re already used to and happy with that kind of animation, then you’ll have no problem with this OVA. Weapon and mech design are noticeable 90’s, and I find it fun that such a style is in fact very noticeable now days in comparison to the sleek, stylishly simple and sometimes 70’s retro designs that are now prevalent in today’s anime. Space ships, vehicles, guns, rocket launchers, robots and power suits are all tricked out with dizzying detail, tech-lines, teeny-tiny glowy buttons, switches and whatever else could be squeezed onto a ship hull or cockpit dashboard. Hairstyles stand out as being pretty 80’s with big hair for both men and women. Costumes, ya gotta love the barely there almost Austin Powers absurdly small “uniforms” that the Dirty Pair sport when one the case. As for everyone else, they seem to have gotten their various costumes, uniforms, and equipment from the same place the generic henchmen of Capcom's classic action video games got their assorted armament of jet packs, jet cycles and powersuits. You don’t get much more “anime” than this folks and boy is it sweet. ^_^

Final Thoughts

Dirty Pair is anime distilled fill to the brim with all the glorious clichés we know and love in anime, but presented in an excellently well paced and very engaging spy action adventure mystery…. in space! The action is fast, furious, fun as hell and just over the top enough to keep things from getting grounded in boring reality. Surprises come and they come out of nowhere, so don’t blink and every clue is a hint toward the end. Flight 005 Conspiracy keeps and holds your attention. The DVD is worth snagging and showing your local anime club if you wanna have a retro 90’s night and make sure that it’s a good one.

Keith "JC" Hayward