Mezzo DSA is a 13-episode anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 series created by Yasuomi Umetsu

Yasuomi Umetsu

Yasuomi Umetsu, also credited by his alternate name Yasuomi Umezu, is known for his directorial debut for the anime cult classic A Kite.-Filmography:*Megazone 23 Part II character designer/animation director...

. It is a follow up to the 1998 OVA Mezzo Forte.

Synopsis

Mikura, Kurokawa, and Harada are the 3 members of the Danger Service Agency (DSA). Mikura is the brawn of the group, Harada is the brains, and Kurokawa is just a bitter ex-cop who likes to think he's in charge. They'll take on any job as long as it involves lots of danger and, of course, money. Their biggest case, however, could prove to be finding out why someone wants Kurokawa assassinated.

Major characters

The series concerns three characters who comprise the Danger Service Agency (D.S.A.), as well as a young acquaintance of theirs. The main characters include:

The team's combat specialist who enjoys shooting first and asking questions later. Mikura is strong, highly proficient at fighting and using firearms, her preferred weapon being the Colt M1911A1 semi-automatic pistol. She also has a limited yet uncontrollable precognitive ability which enables her to see brief glimpses of the future. She is determined, strong willed and can be a cold blooded killer if the situation requires her to be one. She is very competitive and unsociable, but she has a kind soul deep down. She also has a love of karaoke.

The team's leader who is an ex-cop and loves eating noodles of any kind. He is partners with Mikura and Harada in the DSA, or Danger Service Agency (often referred to as the "Risk Their Lives Trio" in the press). He drives a pink Volkswagen Beetle, howls at hot women and always cracks lame puns. Mikura and Harada refer to Kurokawa as "Pops" for short. He likes to think that he is in charge, and more often than not, he arranges jobs for the DSA. His knowledge in underworld dealings is valuable to the team. He is also blackmailing his old chief for ammunition for Mikura by holding a DVD showing the chief in a compromising situation with an underaged pop star, and Kurokawa is now hunted by an assassin sent by Black Scissors.

Member of the Danger Service Agency, he's a pointy-haired young man who is infatuated with Mikura, but won't admit it to himself or others. He is an expert on androids and all things technical.

A schoolgirl who is rescued by Mikura in the first episode and becomes part of the D.S.A. She is often picked on by her classmates who bully her for money. When she doesn't have as much money as they would like, they say very hurtful comments to her and push her around. Therefore she is shy and quiet. She wants to one day become a strong woman like Mikura. She witnesses Mikura at work and begins hanging around the DSA's headquarters (much to Kurokawa's dismay).

He is a barber. He seems sadistic, and likes to give people 'the trim' if something goes wrong. He is often the source of information for the D.S.A.. However, he is also the leader of Black Scissors, a mercenary black market group who has been contracted by Kurokawa's old police captain to kill Kurokawa (mostly because Kurokawa is holding a DVD with embarrassing pictures about the captain in order to obtain ammunition).

Note: The DSA's headquarters is an old British double-decker bus that has been converted into living quarters for the three main characters. It has been placed on the rooftop of a multi-story building, which also contains Mugiyama's barber shop.

Minor characters

There is also a selection of minor characters in the series, some of which even have major significance with the major ones.

She was at one time Mikura's best friend, was a child of the streets. She and Mikura would survive by stealing for their food, until they got separated when Mikura ran interference against then-detective Kurokawa. Sakura's life afterward went on a downward spiral, trying to achieve the same. Then one night as she was about to be raped by three men, she was rescued by -a character introduced in the original OVA as the psychotic daughter of antagonist - who singlehandedly killed the rapists.

Since then, Sakura and Momomi became lesbian lovers, and Momomi had taught Sakura how to fight and defend herself. Sakura often described Momomi as beautiful as she is terrifying. Sakura was deeply in love with Momomi, so when she found out that Momomi was killed by Mikura, she set out to get revenge by killing Mikura. However, many of her early attempts were unsuccessful because Kurokawa and Harada, who were on an unrelated case, interfered. When she finally did make an attempt on Mikura's life, she ended up accidentally stabbing herself. As Sakura was dying, she had told Mikura that she found out that Momomi and Mikura were actually half-sisters (this was hinted at in Mezzo Forte). As she was about to die, an android (who was about to self-destruct, again from Kurokawa and Harada's case) came crashing out of a window. Hallucinating from her wounds, Sakura thought it was Momomi coming to embrace her. Sakura died when the android blew up.

She was an old classmate of Harada's. Harada had a crush on her, but since she was a daughter of Asakura Industries, he saw little chance of even saying hello to her. There was a time, however, when Manon talked to him, though she always insisted that they leave at a specific time. One day, Manon insisted upon staying with Harada longer. They spent the day on a Ferris wheel

Ferris wheel

A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...

, but after they got off, Manon collapsed and gave instructions to be returned to her father's company.

When Harada complied, he learned the horrifying truth that the "Manon" he went out with was actually an android, which was constructed by Manon and her father to test new theories in artificial intelligence interactions with normal humans. In a combination of grief and rage, Harada destroyed the lab and was later arrested by Kurokawa (who was still a police detective at the time). But Harada kept the program chip with the android Manon's programming. Years later, the true Manon inherited her father's company, and in a chance encounter was reunited with Harada and asked him if he would join the company, hoping he would be a help in their AI division. He kindly refused.

(aka "Fish-eye Kazuto")

He is a young assassin assigned by Mugiyama to kill Kurokawa. However, he hadn't had any luck, either by circumstance, or Mikura's interference. He is fascinated by Mikura, however, and often thinks about her.

Episodes

1. "Shell of Love"
2. "Shell of Stars"
3. "Shell of Fear"
4. "Shell of Lies, Posi"
5. "Shell of Lies, Nega"
6. "Shell of Memories" (Title given on the English DVDs, also known as "Shell of a Hundred Billion")
7. "Shell of Sorrow" (Title given on the English DVDs, also known as "Shell of Misery")
8. "Shell of Thoughts"
9. "Shell of Dreams"
10. "Shell of The Cursed" (Title given on the English DVDs, also known as "Shell of Curses")
11. "Shell of Illusions"
12. "Shell of Origin" (Title given on the English DVDs, also known as "Shell of Layers")
13. "Shell of Destruction" (Title given on the English DVDs, also known as "Shell of Fears")

Manga Adaptation

A manga adaptation (which had the full title, Mezzo Danger Service Agency) which covered all 13 episodes in 1 tankobõn volume, was released in April 2004, a month after the anime ended. It has currently not been licensed or translated by any American company.

Trivia

• Mikura has pigtails in this adaptation, and blue eyes instead of yellow, though Mikura is occasionally shown without pigtails in some episodes. She is seen with same pigtails at end of Mezzo Forte.

• "Shell of Lies" is shown in two character perspectives. Part 'Posi' being Harada and Kurokawa, and part 'Nega' being Mikura.

• "Shell of Memories" depicts Harada (in a flashback) with black hair.

• In episode one "Shell of Love", a flashback shows two doctors discussing the autopsy of a famous musician. The name shown is Paul Lenon, most likely a reference to The Beatles
  The Beatles
  The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
  
  , namely Paul McCartney
  Paul McCartney
  Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
  
   and John Lennon
  John Lennon
  John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
  
  .

• The opening credits begin with a heart transition, with Mikura dressed as an old woman, pulling off her mask and looking at the camera. This is based on a scene in the Majokko Megu-chan
  Majokko Megu-chan
  is a magical girl anime series. The manga was created by Tomo Inoue and Akio Narita, while the 72-episode anime series was produced by Toei Animation between 1974 and 1975. This series is considered an important forerunner of the present day magical girl genre, as the series' characterization and...
  
  opening in which Megu appears as an old witch, removes her mask, and winks to the camera.

External links

• Mezzo Forte DSA Information at Arms Company Website
• ADV website
• Madman website
• Mezzo DSA fansite