Koiko no Mainichi

Koiko no Mainichi (Koiko's Days) is a two episode OVA, released in 1989 and 1990. It is based on a 32-volume manga by George Akiyama; the manga has not been translated into English. The manga is described as a "slice-of-life romance," and that pretty much sums up the anime too - except the leads are a yakuza soldier, Sabu, and his wife, Koiko. So the life being sliced is hardly mundane.

Koiko is the pretty and curvaceous wife of Sabu, a young solider in the Menso yakuza group. They've been married six months and live in an inexpensive walk-up apartment. Koiko's daily routine consists of cooking, cleaning, exercising, and enjoying the benefits of married life. Sabu's routine consists of twisting arms, roughing up rowdies, and likewise enjoying married life.

In the first episode, their happy existence is interrupted by various events. Sabu's boss, Hoshinaga, meets and is apparently smitten by Koiko. He gives Sabu a gun to safeguard, warning that Sabu may have to go to prison for possessing it. Is Hoshinaga scheming to get Sabu out of the way so he can "comfort" the stricken Koiko? Sabu in turn entrusts it to his underling, Matsu, who has gotten his sex-worker girlfriend, Kayo, pregnant. When some hoods from the rival Tengenji group beat up Matsu and insult Kayo, Matsu uses the gun on them, threatening to start a fatal gang war. Sabu has to make this right, without getting Matsu (or anyone else) killed.

In the second episode, Koiko unknowingly helps the elderly boss of the Menso group when he's out for a stroll. He's also rather smitten and tries to "run into" her again. The next time, though, the boss is the target of an assassination attempt by the rival Tengenji group.

The intergang rivalries escalate quickly, putting both Sabu and Koiko in danger. But both are up to the challenge.

Despite the heavy-sounding plot, Koiko no Mainichi is actually as much a comedy as anything else. Koiko is a well-intentioned naif, who doesn't initially grasp what a yakuza really does. Sabu is a loving if exasperated husband, loyal to his friends and his gang but always seeking to find a peaceful way forward. Hoshinaga [spoiler alert] is not a devious lech but a stand-up guy. And Matsu is basically a doofus, clearly in the wrong kind of job and unsure how to escape.

Some cultural notes: 

• Hoshinaga makes a big deal of the fact that Koiko is blood type B. This is based on a pseudo-scientific Japanese theory called ketsueki-gata. It claims that blood type shapes one’s temperament. A type B person is supposed to be empathetic, passionate, erratic, and bit selfish. That fits Koiko pretty well. The theory itself is complete bunkum.
• When Hoshinaga offers Koiko the position of "mama-san" in a snack bar, Sabu protests that she isn't cut out for the entertainment business. He uses the term mizu shoubai​ (water trade). That's the traditional euphemism for the night-time entertainment business in Japan, provided by hostess or snack bars, bars, and cabarets. This is in contrast with the sex industry (soaplands, pink salons, massage parlors, and image clubs), where Kayo works.
  

The principal voice cast includes:

• Hirano Fumi (Koiko) starred as Lum in the Urusei Yatsura franchise and Princess Kahm in Outlanders. She also played the title role in Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99,  La Midin Dimida in Tobira o Akete, Lihua in the two Sangokushi TV specials, and Tsugumi in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, all Orphan releases.
• Ishimaru Hiroya (Sabu) gave a bravura performance as the "interpreter" dog Allegro in Bremen 4, an Orphan release. He also played Rodimus Prime in the various Transformer TV shows, Sengoku Shunsuke in Cyber City Oedo 808, and Kabuto Kouji in the Mazinger Z franchise.
• Gouri Daisuke (Hoshinaga) played Yamazaki Hiromi in Patlabor. He had numerous featured roles. He appeared in Condition Green, Bavi Stock I, Hashire Melos, Rain Boy, all three Sangokushi movies, Submarine 707R, Tokimeki Tonight, Wolf Guy, Hi-Speed Jecy, Hidamari no Ki, Okama Hakusho, and Kage, all Orphan releases.
• Yamadera Kouichi (Matsu) played many leading roles, including Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, Sukeroku in Shouwa Ginroku Rakugo Shinju, Ryouga in all the Ranma 1/2 properties, and the nameless hero of Otaku no Seiza. He played the title role in Hashire! Melos, Benten in Oedo ga Nemurenai!, Almarick Aswaer in Nana Toshi Monogatari, Happyaku in Wild 7, Chiryuu in Bakuen Campus Guardress, and Ryouan in Hidamari no Ki, all Orphan releases.
• Katsuki Masako (Kayo) played Maroko in Gosenzosama Banbanzai and its movie version, Maroko, Mira in Ginga Tansa 2100-nen: Border Planet, Queen Bee in Golgo 13: Queen Bee, and Tsunade (Fifth Hokage) in the Naruto franchise. She also played Arianna Wyszynska in Apfelland Monogatari, Kenbishi Yuuri in Yuukan Club, Hojo's lover in Sanctuary, Itchan's mother in Sensou Douwa: Tako ni Natta Okaasan, Kubo in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka, Yamimama in Megami Paradise, busty PE teacher Utako in Mellow, and Yamazaki's maintenance engineer Kiriko in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance Call, all Orphan releases.
• Ogata Kenichi (a bit part as the "MHK" TV license collector) played the put-upon father in Maroko, Suzuki in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance call, the crooked casino boss in Okane ga Nai!, the Hong Kong chef in Yuukan Club, Chichi's father in Chiisana Koi no Monogatari, the business chief in Okama Hakusho, Tadinori Tachimi, the Terayama family lawyer, in Asatte Dance, and the Narrator/Lord of Kaga in Oedo wa Nemurenai!, all Orphan releases. He also played Smee in Peter Pan no Bouken and Gran Torino in Boku no Hero Academia. However, he's best known to me as the voice of Ranma 1/2's Sataome Gemna, whose alter ego - the grumpy panda - is my avatar on most anime forums.
• Tatekabe Kazuya (Menso boss) played Gouda Takeshi in most of the Doraemon franchise and Tonzura in the Yatterman franchise, and more recently, Roxander in Ozma.
• Wakamoto Norio (underboss of the rival Tengenji gang) played the title role in The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas, Vicious in Cowboy Bebop, Cell in the Dragonball franchise, Katakuriko in the Gintama franchise, Oda Nobunaga in the Sengoku Basara franchise, Guren in Ushio to Tora TV, Shining Saotome in the Uta no Prince-sama franchise, and Oskar von Reuenthal in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. He also appeared as Sakakibara in Sanada 10, Noa in Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, York Denman in Apfelland Monogatari, Major Thrauza in Yamato 2520, Denon in Amon Saga, and the Narrator in Joker: Marginal City, all Orphan releases.

The director, Ishiguro Noboru, has many distinguished credits, including Legend of the Galactic Heroes and its two sequel series, Tytania, Hoshi Neko Full House, Aoki Honoo, and Meisou-ou Border. The last three are Orphan releases. The ED, a cool, cynical, compact jazz lyric, was written and composed by George Akiyama himself and fits the show's mood perfectly.

The VHS raws have been floating around for some time, but the project lay fallow until Perevodildo picked it up. He translated and timed both episodes. I edited and typeset. Topper3000 and ImAWasteOfHair QCed. An anonymous staffer encoded the VHS tapes at 60 fps to alleviate the incessant frame blending and interlace effects. WOWmd found a laserdisc for episode 1. He ripped and encoded it a normal frame rate. As a result, episode 1 is sharper and has more typesetting than episode 2; 60 fps plays havoc with motion capture typesetting. Episode 2 also has some tape wear artifacts in the closing credits. It was never released on laserdisc.

Koiko no Mainichi is a lot of fun. Koiko is an engaging heroine and far from a helpless damsel in distress. Sabu is her knight in shining armor, no matter how tarnishing the work he does. I'd like to know how it all turns out, but that's always a problem with OVAs that are teasers for a long manga. You can download a glimpse into Koiko's world from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha at channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.