On their way home from school, Yukino's (Akie Yoshizawa) driver
accidently runs over Machiko. In the hospital, the first thing she wants
to do is to reunite with her lover, Takao, to leave Japan. Takao just
happens to be Yukino's ex whom she has never stopped to love, and still
she agrees to fetch Takao, as she feels responsible for Machiko's
disposition. But once she and Takao return to the hospital, Machiko is
gone, and they receive a phonecall from her kidnappers, who actually want
Takao's head. Takao comes clean and tells Yukino that after they split up
he joined a gang intent on taking over Japan by taking in only the best,
both physically and mentally, and this way creating a natural elite - with
very ruthless methods. Initially, Takao was just happy to be part of the
elite and gradually rose in rank - but eventually he was trained as a
hitman and ordered to kill Machiko, an gangmember but alleged traitor to
the cause. Instead, he fell in love with her. Yukino decides she has to
help Takao free Machiko, and soon her best friends, the yo-yo-armed
Sukeban Deka Saki (Yoko Minamino) and Okyo (Haruko Sagara), who uses
marbles as weapons, are by their side as well. Of course, the gang makes
attempts on Yukino, Saki and Okyo, but basically fail, and so when Takao
is to be executed to save Machiko, the three girls save Machiko himself
and allow Takao to make mince meat out of his would-be executioner. Then
they provide Takao and Machiko with passports and a plane to leave Japan
even, as though they might have won the battle, the gang is all but
defeated ... It sure is fun to see a rather run-of-the-mill Sukeban
Deka basic plot blended with of all movies Casablanca
(gender-swapped though) - with several very obvious references including a
rendition of As Times Go By playing time and again throughout. Now
admittedly, the blend is at times a bit jarring, but really, these jarring
moments are also the most fun ones. Other than that, this is your routine
episode, even if some of the attempts on the girls' lives, one involving
trying to hang Yukino and Okyo by their necks, are actually quite spirited
- all of which is making this one a fun watch.
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