Agent Aika Anime Review

Every era of anime has that one title that perfectly captures its spirit and for the late ’90s, Agent Aika might just be it. Released in 1997 as a six-part OVA, this action-packed spy adventure delivers everything you’d expect from the decade: bold animation, jazzy energy, and fanservice that breaks every scale imaginable.

It’s flashy, ridiculous, and somehow still kind of iconic.

Set in a near-future world partially submerged by a catastrophic flood, Agent Aika follows Aika Sumeragi, a salvage specialist who dives into sunken ruins to recover lost technology. When she takes a job to locate a mysterious energy source known as “Laguna,” she ends up neck-deep in corporate conspiracies, gunfights, and more than a few eccentric enemies.

What makes Aika stand out isn’t just her looks but her competence. She’s a smart, resourceful woman in a sea of chaos, a professional who somehow keeps her cool no matter how absurd things get.

If you love retro anime, this is a visual feast. The hand-drawn cel animation glows with bright colors, dynamic action, and that slick futuristic flair that defined the decade. Everything from Aika’s gadget-laden missions to the jazzy soundtrack screams vintage cool.

There’s never a dull moment. Agent Aika knows it’s over-the-top, and it leans into that energy completely, from underwater dogfights to explosive chase scenes. It feels like a B-movie with a big budget, and that’s part of the charm.

Let’s give credit where it’s due: Aika is an awesome protagonist. She’s capable, unflappable, and actually good at her job. Even when surrounded by absurdity, she manages to stay grounded something that makes her a surprisingly enduring character in the sea of 90s heroines.

Agent Aika is infamous for its extreme fanservice. And I mean legendary levels of it. The camera seems to have one mission: to show as many panty shots as humanly possible.

Depending on your sense of humor (and tolerance), this can either feel comically overblown or downright exhausting. It’s part of the show’s identity, but it often overshadows the genuinely fun story and action sequences underneath.

The core story is more of a backdrop than a driving narrative. It’s mostly an excuse to move from one wild set piece to the next.

Agent Aika can’t quite decide whether it wants to be a serious sci-fi thriller or a parody of one. It plays both sides, and while that can be fun, it also leads to some uneven moments.

Even if you’re nostalgic for 90s anime, some scenes don’t age gracefully. It’s best watched with the understanding that this was made in a very different cultural moment.

Agent Aika is messy, flashy, and unapologetically 90s and that’s exactly why it’s still talked about today. It’s part spy adventure, part campy comedy, and part softcore parody, all wrapped in some genuinely fun action and retro flair.

If you’re looking for something that captures the chaotic creativity of 90s OVAs, this is worth diving into. Don’t expect too much subtlety.