Ai City (アイ・シティ, Ai Shiti, trans. Love City) is a Japanese science fiction manga created by Syufo (real name Shūhō Itahashi (板橋 しゅうほう, Itahashi Shūhō)). The story was later adapted into an anime film directed by Kōichi Mashimo and released on July 26, 1986.
Ai City | |
アイ・シティ (Ai Shiti) | |
---|---|
Genre | Science Fiction |
Manga | |
Written by | Syufo |
Published by | Futabasha |
Magazine | Super Action |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | June 1983 – July 1984 |
Volumes | 2 |
Anime film | |
Directed by | Kōichi Mashimo |
Produced by | Masaru Umehara (Executive) Hiroshi Katō Hideo Kawano (Assistant) Tsuneo Tamura (Assistant) |
Written by | Hideki Sonoda |
Music by | Shirō Sagisu |
Studio | Ashi Productions AIC |
Licensed by | The Right Stuf International |
Released | July 26, 1986 |
Runtime | 86 minutes |
In 1983, off-duty policeman Reiden picks up a suspicious couple, Kei and Ai, who claim to be father and daughter but appear to be close in age. Reiden thus becomes involved in a fight between them and the female fighter K2 who is chasing them. Kei draws out his latent ability to the maximum by a Legendary "Trigger" and Ai blows away K2. The night sky splits and strange space is shown. Their enemy is the secret society "Fraud" of para-psionics, which is commanded by Kuu Ragua Lee. Kei, Ai and Reiden meet the assassins whom Fraud sends out one after another.
An eponymous OVA was produced in 1986 and was shown at movie theaters affiliated with Toho on July 26, 1986. The anime starts off sometime in the future, with Kei and Ai running for their lives. Ai is a girl who holds a terrible secret which could destroy the current world. The world is now populated by Headmeters, people who have psychic powers and whose strength is shown on their forehead when they fight. Kei was an experimental Headmeter subject, whose strength never went above level 5. In desperate moments, though, when Ai is in trouble, Kei can increase his ability to infinity. The one who is after her has a deep secret and is aided by a small dwarflike man who lives in a robotic suit. Eventually Ai is captured and Kei, a detective and another Headmeter who was converted to the good side when Kei unleashed his horrible powers must go and rescue her. Together they must save Ai and the secret she holds.
Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies praises anime film for having "one of the best endings in anime".[1]