Mezzo DSA

How do you feel about solving crimes, making sense of mysteries, and arresting bad guys? Meanwhile, have you ever considered something that shouldn't exist or be a certain way? Yet, we've all wished to be a hero who arrives to save the day at least once in our lives. At the end of the day, we all just appreciate good action!

Studio Arms is the creator of the original Japanese animated series "Mezzo DSA." Takao Yoshioka wrote the script, Yasuomi Umetsu directed it, and Fumika Yasuda performed the music. The show was made by Pierrot, Shochiku, Memory-Tech, Happinet Productions, and ADV Films, and it was licensed by Sentai Filmworks. It debuted in the winter of 2004 and aired from January 4 until March 28 of that same year. Media Blasters, a distributor in North America, bought the TV show Mezzo DSA but then lost it. ADV Films eventually acquired the film and began distribution.

This original animation was divided into 13 episodes, each of which lasted 25 minutes. The series was classified under action, adventure, comedy, mystery, and sci-fi, and was rated R+ for its minor nudity. A manga adaptation titled “Mezzo Danger Service Agency” was released in April 2004, a month after the anime concluded. This covered all 13 episodes in one tankobõn volume. On another note, no US corporation has licensed or translated it as of now.

Mikura, Kurokawa, and Harada are the Danger Service Agency's (DSA) three members. Mikura is the group's muscle, Harada is the brains, and Kurokawa is merely a resentful ex-cop who thinks he's in command. They'll take on any job that entails a lot of danger and, of course, plenty of money. You should not cross them if you want to survive long enough to eat supper. Their most important case, though, may be determining why someone wants Kurokawa killed.

Mikura Suzuki is the team's fighting specialist, who prefers to fire first and ask questions later. She is a powerful fighter who is also skilled with guns and who also possesses a limited but uncontrollable precognitive talent that allows her to see glimpses of the future. She is resolute, strong-willed, and capable of being a cold-blooded killer if the occasion demands it. To sum it all up, she is competitive and unsociable yet has a loving heart. On the other hand, she is a gal who simply enjoys singing karaoke.

Kenichi Kurokawa, the team's captain and an ex-cop, enjoys eating distinct kinds of noodles. He is a member of the DSA together with Mikura and Harada and is dubbed the "Risk Their Lives Three" in the press. He has a tendency to always yell at gorgeous ladies and even make bad jokes. As such, he is referred to as "Pops" by Mikura and Harada. He loves to assume he's in control and frequently organizes work for the DSA. His expertise in underground connections, however, benefits the squad immensely. As for ancestry, he boasts a half-Japanese and half-American lineage.

Asami is a quiet wallflower in her class who frequently receives bullying from other girls. One day, she wants to be as brave as Mikura. Towards the end, it's alluded to that she tries to mimic Mikura so that she can impress Tomohisa, who she has a sappy crush on.

It's a little dubious, but eh. Her character is the only one to develop throughout the course of the show, despite the problematic undertones of her role. That much I will grant her! Asami is without a doubt one of the highlights of the entire show, who we already know from the OVA as a victim of bullying, and who wants to join the tough group here to learn from her idol Mikura, after saving her ass in an impressive manner previously.

Although there is very little character development in the anime, I can imagine some viewers loving the dynamic characters. Mikura is quite adept at dealing out worlds of pain with the effective use of firearms and martial arts. The other two characters hold their own admirably too and are not easily dominated. The plot is basically what you'd expect from an action program; it is nice in the sense that it didn't do anything overly silly or insane. The action is also commendable, but not as much as I was hoping for. There are a couple of more aesthetically pleasing moments with brightly colored backdrops that act as plusses for the show.

The artwork is par for the course for its time. Some of the designs and backdrops were extremely appealing to me. At times, the colors were flat, and the figures appeared overly glossy or had odd facial proportions. But this does not rob this anime of its visual beauty. The opening theme is "Suki Mami Mai Tai” by Barnabys, which is performed by Shoko, Ai, and Miyo, and the closing theme is "Mitsu, lit. Honey" also by Barnabys.

In contrast to the violent and intense Mezzo Forte OVAs, this series is calm and subtle. Though there isn't a ton of bloody violence, sex, or nudity, I'm happy to report that the anime doesn't completely ignore the events of the OVAs and even acknowledges them by showing flashbacks and keeping the same graphic style. Oh, the director's cut contains highly explicit stuff, by the way; you can check it out if you so wish!

In conclusion, Mezzo DSA was both action-packed and hilarious in many ways. I've seen my fair share of manga adaptations, but why should something that was initially supposed to be a hentai receive its own spin-off series? The episodes were truly episodic, yet they built upon each other to reveal a solid and unified storyline.

It gave me what I needed, but I wanted a lot more from it. This is mostly because the ending was so abrupt, which I understand was necessary to keep people interested for a second season, but some of the secondary characters just felt forgotten here. It's challenging to enthusiastically recommend this anime given how full on it started. Maybe it's not for everyone, but if you like what you've heard so far, you might find it enjoyable. So yeah, give it a spin and you be the judge!