Anyone following the beeps and boops of the internet knows that Right Stuf was up to something this week. With their bevy of implanted clues (mostly in the form numbers), they teased about an upcoming release. Well, "upcoming" feels misleading, since the title was from over two decades ago. Yes, well, Right Stuf announced The Dirty Pair!
Plot: Follow the action-packed, sci-fi misadventures of Kei and Yuri, operatives dispatched by the for-profit World Welfare Works Association to resolve crises throughout the universe. Their preferred codename may be "Lovely Angels," but their on-the-job effectiveness - rivaled only by the path of destruction left in their wake - has earned them a very public, very unwanted nickname: the "Dirty Pair."
No dates announced, but this will be the TV series, divided into two parts. You know, a part of me "knows" that Dirty Pair is classic anime, though I couldn't honestly tell you why. I parsed the information and just moved on. Dirty Pair = classic. I guess this release will give us all a chance to figure out for ourselves.
I love Nozomi and will always be a die-hard proponent of theirs (because of Aria and Marimite) so as a self avowed cheerleader, you can take my opinion and immediately discount it. But this is a good pick-up for a 3rd tier localizer (one presumes they'll keep the dub tracks) and Dirty Pair is both nostalgic and not that bad. Dark Horse has the manga release (I hope it's not out of print) and I think anime fandom is mature enough to support re-releases of some older works. (Here's hoping Nozomi can also pick up Slayers -- that would Rock.)
Yes, Dirty Pair is a classic, admired by such luminaries as John Ledford (founder of Section 23/Sentai Filmworks/ADV whatever) and Rick Sternbach (Art Director for numerous Star Trek series). For fans of a certain generation this was one of the first anime they ever saw, and it is quite fondly remembered. It's also a lot of fun. Think Charley's Angels meets James Bond, in space.
Apparently it also paved the way for female lead characters. The sponsors weren't sure if they'd make money on a show with no male leads, but were quickly proven wrong.