Battle Athletes

Did You Know?

• The franchise began as a public radio drama in early 1996 on 'Orikasa Ai's Moonlight Cafe'.
• A video game of the same name was released for the Sega Saturn system at the end of 1996.
• Two more games were released: 'Alternative' in 1998 for the Saturn and 'GTO' in 1999 for the PlayStation.

Plot

After a long war with an alien species, humanity secured peace when its champion won a one-on-one contest of physical strength, despite the extraterrestrials’ natural superiority. In its wake, a University Satellite was built to train the finest athletes, with women vying for the title of Cosmo Beauty. Akari Kanzaki, the daughter of a former Cosmo Beauty, arrives at the satellite full of excitement. Her confidence wavers when she sees the defending champion, Lahrri, sprinting effortlessly under increased artificial gravity, revealing the gap Akari must close. Her roommates and teammates are Kris Christopher, a moon-born trainee priestess, and Anna Respighi, a quiet girl carrying a secret so deep even she does not know it. Kris proves to be a standout, competing near Lahrri’s level, which draws the hostility of another top contender, Mylandah, onto their team as the final competition approaches. The television series is not a follow-up but a fresh retelling of the same story. While Akari still pursues the Cosmo Beauty title, the plot and characterizations shift dramatically, often becoming more exaggerated. This version opens in the year 4999, with Akari at an Antarctic school. A series of tests determines which students will earn a spot at the University Satellite. Living in the shadow of her mother, the legendary Cosmo Beauty Tomoe Midou, Akari is emotionally fragile and ranks as the worst athlete at the school. With the support of her best friend Ichan, she eventually makes it to the satellite, where she trains for the Cosmo Beauty tournament and prepares for a mission that will decide humanity’s future. By the year 5100, elite athletes from across the Solar System are competing for the Cosmo Beauty crown.

Characters

Akari Kanzaki, born in Hokkaido, Japan on March 23, 4983, is 16 years old. She is the daughter of former Cosmo Beauty Tomoe Midou and is determined to follow in her mother's footsteps, though she is usually ditzy, clumsy, and sometimes a crybaby. In the TV series, when embarrassed she hides in a cardboard box labeled 'Akari House'. She starts as one of the worst students, but it is later revealed she lacked confidence and could not cope with her mother's death. After being demoralized by top student Jessie, she retreats home, but Ichino visits her and she returns with new determination, rapidly improving and even defeating Jessie in the final exam race. By the end she becomes stronger and confident, reaching the final race alongside Kris. In the OVAs, she cuts her hair short as she grows stronger; her hobby is reading. Ichino Yanigida, born December 31, 4982 in Osaka, Japan, is Akari's best friend and also wants to become Cosmo Beauty. She cares for Akari deeply and helps her when she struggles, but when Akari rapidly improves, Ichino feels threatened. In their last race against each other, Ichino fractures her right ankle, losing her chance to enter the University Satellite. Akari goes on with Ichino's blessings. After recovery, Ichino later helps Akari defeat the Nerillians. Her feelings for Akari are ambiguous until near the end, where she confesses her feelings. She likes playing Shogi and is a fan of the Osaka Tigers; she does not appear in the OVAs. Tarnya Natdhipytadd also appears.

Media

A manga adaptation exists with a story very different from the anime series. It involves Akari as a new candidate at the Antarctica Academy, where she meets her male instructor who helps her improve. Akari meets some athletes who become friends and some who become rivals. Several characters differ between the anime and manga. In the anime, Akari hardly believes she should be an athlete like her mother and thinks she should quit; in the manga, she wants to improve to see if she is worthy of being a true athlete like her mom. Ichino and Akari have been friends since age twelve in the anime, with Ichino helping Akari keep going; in the manga, they meet when Akari enrolls and become friends right away, with Ichino still hot-headed sometimes. In the anime, Jessie acts kind to everyone except Akari because Akari is Tomoe Midou's daughter, as Jessie wants to become the next Cosmo Beauty Queen and surpass Tomoe; in the manga, Jessie is more cheerful and nice to all athletes, not seeing Akari as a rival but a friend, and sees all sports as fun hobbies. In the anime, Tarnya has darker skin, acts funny, looks like a cat, and is childish; in the manga, she resembles her OVA appearance, has a less childlike personality, and likes fun stuff. In the anime, Ling Pha is a selfish princess of China who would cheat to become Cosmo Beauty; in the manga, she is kind to friends, has a ponytail, does not cheat, and her father is a rich merchant selling special medicine that she gives to friends, though it backfires with side effects she does not understand; she is close friends with Tarnya. In the anime, Ayla has pigtails and a calm personality; in the manga, she has a well-groomed pouf hairstyle and a dark personality, gathering data on athletes to take them out.

Reception

According to reviews of the two series, the 1997-1998 OVA and the TV series Battle Athletes Victory are quite different. The OVA was criticized for having a recycled art style and a plot that was no winner, but its animation and characters made it worth watching. Though hardly revolutionary, it was described as fun, sweet, and full of eye candy. The TV series, Battle Athletes Victory, has a more lighthearted feel and a different cast. It includes various stereotypes and characters of all races, with humor like a female character having a crush on her female superior. While the animation is beautiful and there are many cute girl characters, the storyline is seemingly inconsequential, and the show reminded one reviewer of Gunbuster.