Project A-ko
1986 film by Katsuhiko Nishijima
Project A-ko (Japanese: プロジェクトA子, Hepburn: Purojekuto Ēko) is a 1986 Japanese animated science fiction action comedy film. The film focuses on 16-year-old Japanese schoolgirl A-ko, who defends her best friend C-ko, as they face off against their classmate and rival B-ko while the Earth faces the threat of an alien invasion. Both Katsuhiko Nishijima and Yuji Moriyama directed it, though the latter also did character design. The film project initially started as part of the Cream Lemon series of original video animation, but later became its own film. The film staff was motivated to produce a fun and exciting film in contrast to the more serious anime films being produced at the time. Additionally, the film includes a variety of references and parodies a number of other works of anime from the 1970s and 1980s.
The film was largely well received by critics who praised the humor and action and considered it an anime classic. Outside of Japan, the film was seen by many fans of anime which served as an introduction to the medium. The film was followed up by several sequels and a spin-off, starting with Project A-Ko 2 in 1987. The original 35mm film negatives were once thought lost until they were recovered in 2021.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Project A-ko” is 1986 film by Katsuhiko Nishijima. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Project, A-ko and film, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1986 film by Katsuhiko Nishijima” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4316. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1986, 1987 and 2021.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Project A-ko”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Project A-ko primary sources, Project A-ko archive and Project research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Project A-ko”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Project A-ko” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.