Mezzo...
Sometime in 2001, I came across a preview for Mezzo on the Green Bunny web site...
Sometime in 2001, I came across a preview for Mezzo on the Green Bunny web site. So, when Mezzo came to the U.S., I was looking forward to seeing it. The preview did not disappoint. Violence, gore, and gratuitous naughty bits abound in this fast-paced tale from the creator of Kite. Sawa even makes an appearance. I gave Mezzo a 5 out of 5.
John, a contributor to the AnimeNation blog, describes the differences between the two releases of the Mezzo anime...OVA
Mezzo Forte
For Mikura, danger is routine and killing is as easy as breathing. Sleek and sexy, she was born with a gun in each hand and a grin on her face. Even though she specializes in taking risks, things get a little too hot when her company takes a kidnapping job. The target is a baseball team owner named Momokichi, but he turns out to be a powerful underworld boss! Mikura and her team are beset by countless heavily armed bodyguards, along with Momokichi's vicious daughter, Momomi. She's used to getting what she wants, and her lethal skills make her the perfect match for Mikura! Take time off to clean the guns, because this year's action masterpiece is waiting. Mezzo Forte is from the acclaimed writer, director and animator, Yasuorni Umetsu, creator of the best selling Kite.
TV Series
Shell One
Her name is Mikura and she's all about service with a smile.
So what if that service is cracking skulls and the smile happens to be on the other end of a loaded gun? With a killer body, vicious skills, and an attitude to match - Mikura gets away with murder (literally). It's a good thing, too - because in the world of Mezzo, staying alive is never easy!
Meet the Danger Service Agency (DSA), a high-risk trio that pays the bills by putting their asses on the line. Ducking bullets, and dodging punches, the trio find themselves working for a friendly ghost and a foxy weathergirl - helping old friends and hunting down an extraterrestrial. Whether you're looking to run recon on a cheating spouse or smuggle a deadly virus, if the job reeks of danger, there's only one team to call. With Mikura and friends on the case, danger has never looked so good.
Shell Two
For the best-looking team in the ass-kicking game, high-stakes action with low-life criminals is just another day at the office. It was hard enough already to wake up alive every day, but for Mikura, Harada, and Kurokawa it just keeps getting harder. Along with their squeaky killer-in-training, Asami, the DSA team is learning just how deceiving appearances can be.
Is it a video game or a torture chamber? A clown or a bloodthirsty maniac? For the DSA, the cost of the answers may cost them their lives!
Shell Three
Stay alive long enough in the danger business, and you'll get a reputation. The funny thing about that - the better your reputation gets, the more people want you dead. The DSA know this all too well.
Every body blow, fireball, and ricochet lets Mikura, Harada, and Kurokawa know that they're doing something right. And, it must be something very, very right - because the line separating them from a closed-casket funeral keeps getting thinner. From the undead to the Black Scissors gang, from trained assassins to the boys in blue - with so many enemies, even the tiniest friend can mean the difference between life and death.
Mezzo Forte, the stylistic sequel to Kite, is available on American DVD in two different versions. The censored version (DVD SKU number AWDVD-0120) removes both of the sex scenes, resulting in five minutes of missing footage. The uncut version, also known as the "director’s cut" (DVD SKU number KVDVD-0131) is fully unedited and uncensored.
Sometime in 2001, I came across a preview for Mezzo on the Green Bunny web site. So, when Mezzo came to the U.S., I was looking forward to seeing it. The preview did not disappoint. Violence, gore, and gratuitous naughty bits abound in this fast-paced tale from the creator of Kite. Sawa even makes an appearance. I gave Mezzo a 5 out of 5.
