Dirty Pair is a classic series of Japanese light novels written by Haruka Takachiho, that were later adapted into anime and manga versions. The franchise has been published in multiple formats and adapted into various other media, which resulted in eight novels and several shorter stories, a television series, two OVAs, a feature film, a number of graphic novels, and two short Japanese radio series.
The Dirty Pair franchise may be decades old now, but this popular cyberpunk series absolutely remains worth checking out. Here's what the story is all about and how newcomers can get started with the novels, anime and manga.
The Plot of Dirty Pair
The Dirty Pair stories take place in the years 2138–43, by which time humanity has spread across some few thousand star systems. A corporation called the World Welfare Works Association (WWWA) helps member systems of the United Galactica (UG) federation deal with various planetary-scale problems, for profit, by sending agents called "trouble consultants."
Dirty Pair follows the many disastrous escapades of Kei and Yuri, who are the two members of Trouble Consultant Team 234, codenamed "Lovely Angels." Though not failures, almost every mission they undertake results in calamity. They typically capture their target fugitive but end up destroying a city in the process, earning the nickname the "Dirty Pair" -- a moniker they openly hate being called.
Kei and Yuri are always cleared of any wrongdoing by the WWWA's central computer because the extreme collateral damage is never actually determined to be their fault, although their mere presence tends to worsen situations. In some (but not all) continuities, they have joint extrasensory perception powers, usually limited to precognition -- a claimed psychic ability to see events in the future. This talent was the reason they were recruited in the first place.
Where to Read the Dirty Pair Manga/Light Novels
Between 1980-2007, eight light novels were published by Haruka Takachiho. The Great Adventure of the Dirty Pair, the first edition, can be found at most local comic and graphic novel retailers or purchased on Amazon. The Dirty Pair Strike Again, the second edition, is a highly sought-after collectible and is therefore harder to find, but can be purchased on Amazon for the hefty price of $124.47. Unfortunately, the remaining six novels are near-impossible to find outside of Japan, since the English publications of those later volumes were discontinued.
The American comic company and manga translator Studio Proteus acquired rights to create comic versions of The Dirty Pair in 1989; the first two graphic novels were published by the since-defunct Eclipse Comics. Later on, the rights were transferred to Dark Horse Comics. The first three series were written by Toren Smith and Adam Warren and drawn by Warren. After that, Smith left the project and Warren took over writing completely.
Warren's stories have a much more cyberpunk style than the other versions. The later stories, starting with Fatal But Not Serious, move into the transhuman subgenre. These comics are considered valuable literature -- therefore, they are infinitely more expensive. Amazon prices range from $57.92 to as high as $220.16.
Where to Watch the Dirty Pair Anime
An anime TV series based on the novels, simply titled Dirty Pair, ran for 24 episodes that aired on Nippon Television affiliates from July to December 1985. For complicated reasons, two remaining episodes were produced during 1986 and released as OVAs (Original Video Animations) on 1 January 1987. The TV series has been licensed by Nozomi Entertainment.
Dirty Pair's 26 episodes can be streamed on Crunchyroll for free with ads or purchased on DVD from Amazon in two parts. Dirty Pair Part One is currently $32.00 while Part Two is $37.69. A three-disc DVD called Dirty Girls Features includes the three feature films Flight 005 Conspiracy, Project Eden (known as simply "Dirty Pair" in Japan) and Affair on Nolandia. For a cheap alternative to purchasing all the films separately, this boxset is currently available for $40.31 on Amazon.
Dirty Pair Flash, three series totaling 16 episodes, stars alternate versions of Kei and Yuri, and the story premise and character designs are very different from any of the other versions. Unfortunately, Dirty Pair Flash is not available to stream, but there are some DVD copies selling on eBay or any local Walmart for $23.99.
