Original Dirty Pair - Affair of Nolandia Vol. 5 2003 Horror Movie Review

Keep in mind that the 4 and 5 star reviews for this were written by fans of the series nostalgic to see them return in DVD format.  Also realize they’re describing an animation that is now approaching its third decade, and fully looks and sounds like it.  Not having seen them before recently, I am VERY aware of all the shortcomings; but rather than fault this for a lack of technology that simply didn’t exist at the time it was made, I’d rather talk about its merit as a work of “art”.


The script is VERY lame, providing NO clue as to what or who ANY of the characters are.  Even our eponymous heroines, Kei and Yuri ( THERE’S an appropriate name! ), just appear in their usual off-hand fashion with no real introduction.  The box art claims, “The Dirty Pair’s FIRST Mission!”; but that can’t be the case, because we’re obviously supposed to already know all about them, their reputation for causing mayhem, their “pet” Mughi, and the organization they represent.  If you don’t already know any of this, though you can probably figure most of it out, it’ll take a while.  Their reputation DOES proceed them however, to the antagonistic Chief of Security with whom they must deal while trying to find their “client”, a missing child with mysterious powers.


Without delving too far into such “plot” as there is, one must note the sloppy way it unfolds as the duo searches for her out in the wilderness of Nolandia.  There are plenty of opportunities for the usual “gratutious fanservice” this series is noted for; but it’s all very tame nudity, even with the suggestion of the ever-popular hentai “tentacle rape”, mostly occurring in Kei’s hacullination.  Probably needless to say, there are holes in the plot big enough to fly the Lovely Angel through; from exactly HOW this little girl is living in the jungle alone by herself, to just how many and what kind of hits does it take to down a demented android?  ( And just what IS Mughi, anyway? )


If you are nostalgic for a “blast from the past” ( or a LOT of them, eventually unsurprisingly destroying the entire planet! ), go for it - just be prepared for what this IS; and that there are much better shows to pick from.