"Dirty Pair - Original" (Anime)

[pkristen]

10 Episode OVA. Originally reviewed January 11, 2002

Summary
As Trouble Consultants for the WWWA, it’s Kei and Yuri’s job to deal with various intergalactic jobs, from missing combat androids, to kids who take over a military base, or handling stray WWWA agents.

Review
After finally getting the latest DVD release of the OVA set, I forced myself to watch these, given that I wasn’t inspired or enthused otherwise. And my apprehension seemed pretty much confirmed that this is a series for het guys all the way through.

The animation (as well as fashion sense) shows its age a bit. Plus the stories were okay at best and mediocre at worse in terms of originality, flow and execution. Of course, if I had watched this series at its premier, instead of being biased with current standards, I might have rated it higher.

Still, the bottom line is that in order to like this series, you really have to like Kei and Yuri, and what they represent/offer. On the last point, I am NOT talking about intergalactic detective/police agents; I’m talking about marginally competent, bimboesque women in sci-fi action settings. The “banter” between the two characters was neither interesting nor amusing to a viewer who wants her female characters to talk about things other than looks comparison and guy competition.

Oh sure, they’re supposed to be intelligent and do their job, if they don’t do a byproduct of huge destruction. And the series ends with an “amusing” bicker scene of them pointing fingers of who made the latest mistake. I have a hard time thinking the series would be as popular and acceptable if the leads who were two guys showing this level of marginal competence.

Lesbian Analysis
Kei - Dub vs. Sub Differences I watched the series with the English dub combined with subtitles and found significant differences in dialogue. The most intriguing pattern was around Kei (the more “butch” of the duo) and her constant references to “handsome men” in the subtitles were changed to neutral references in the English dialogue.

# At first I wondered if the intent was for the English speaking audiences to think Kei was more lesbian of the duo, but that didn’t feel right since a lot of actions and important male attraction references were kept intact. However, I eventually came to the conclusion that the intent was actually more elementary: by making Kei less “guy obsessed” (while still maintaining her heterosexuality) results in making her a more respectable, serious female character. And for that, I applaud the changes.

# Admittedly I didn’t keep quite a close watch on similar changes for Yuri but I would support a similar effort if that had happened. Otherwise, they’re both completely straight.

Sandra - Former Trouble Consultant trainee who was the top of the graduating class but had serious personality problems.
# She shows up for one episode, which is devoted to an illegal steroid that she obviously consumes on a regular basis, making her more solid than the Hulk. (No, I didn’t mean She-Hulk. The Hulk.)

# Now, it’s easy to classify her as a butch woman because of this, but is there anything in the episode that denotes what her actual orientation is? I label it inconclusive, and I wouldn’t even add “Suspiciously.” True she doesn’t cozy up to guys, but she’s in an environment full of them. If she had any preference for female company, at least one would show up here or there. And her hate thing for Kei and Yuri doesn’t qualify as lesbian affection either.

Beryl – Top Agent in the WWWA underneath a grandmotherly exterior.
# Nothing to indicate one way or the other what her actual orientation was as far as what I saw, although I will admit I didn’t pay too much attention to all of her dub/sub dialogue. But wouldn’t it be great if she was lesbian?