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{{work}}
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[[File:DirtyPair.jpg|frame|You ''will'' remember to call them "Lovely Angels", won't you?]]
{{quote|''"It's not our fault!"''}}
Humanity has abandoned Earth and spread across the galaxy, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems any more. In fact, there are quite a lot of them, and some of them are worse than people could have dreamed of before going into space. An agency of the galactic government called the Worlds Welfare Work Association ("3WA") has its own special way of dealing with these problems: it dispatches teams of highly-trained, well-equipped troubleshooters, called "Trouble Consultants", to find the trouble and, well, shoot it.
One of the most successful teams of Trouble Consultants is the "[[Lovely Angels]]", two teenaged girls who have a near-perfect success record. However, they also have a reputation of blowing up everything they touch (which isn't fair: only about a third of their missions end with something being destroyed, and it's (almost) ''never their fault''), which has led to their unofficial and hated nickname of the "Dirty Pair". On the other side of matters, the things they have accidentally blown up have on occasion been ''inhabited planets'', so it's not as if their reputations are undeserved.
Haruka Takachiho created the Pair in a set of stories published as [[Light Novels]] (which continue to be published), set in the same continuity as his other series ''[[Crusher Joe]]'' (which debuted 2 years earlier). The production studio [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]] adapted the stories into a successful action/comedy TV series in 1985, which continued into a movie, an [[OVA]] series and two feature-length [[OVA]]s. In 1994, the franchise was rebooted as ''Dirty Pair Flash''. Meanwhile, Adam Warren (future author of ''[[Empowered]]'') and [[Garfunkel|Toren Smith]] (of translation house Studio Proteus, who left after the first three miniseries) obtained the rights to create an English-original [[Animesque|manga-styled]] ''Dirty Pair'' comic miniseries for [[Dark Horse Comics]], technically based on the original novels instead of the anime.
The ''Dirty Pair'' anime was originally translated in the US by [[Streamline Pictures]] in [[The Nineties|the 90s]], with the release of the movie and feature-length [[OVA]]s. Later, [[ADV Films]] released ''Dirty Pair Flash'', the [[OVA]] series, the feature-length [[OVA]]s and the movie. They had plans to release the original TV series, which fell through due to poor sales. However, the TV series was finally [https://web.archive.org/web/20121228173141/http://dirty-pair.rightstuf.com/ licensed] and released by [[Nozomi Entertainment]]. Nozomi also re-released the movies, the original [[OVA]]s and ''Dirty Pair Flash'' in 2012. The TV series is currently{{when}} available on [[YouTube]] and DVD.
[[Dark Horse Comics]] is currently{{when}} publishing translations of the first two light novels. They also published the comics by Adam Warren (after the original publisher [[Eclipse Comics]] went out of business), but those are out of print now.
Also, starting in March 2010, the [[Seinen]] manga magazine ''Monthly Comic Ryu'' started publishing an adaptation of the first light novel, ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20100325211610/http://www.tokuma.co.jp/ryu/manga/m_dp.html The Great Adventures of the Dirty Pair]''. The artist for this version is Hisao Tamaki, who is most famous for the manga adaptation of ''[[Star Wars]]: [[A New Hope]]''.
More information about the Dirty Pair, in all of their incarnations, is available at the website [http://www.elenorecity.com/home.html Tea Time in Elenore City].
(Original entry text written by [[User:robkelk|Rob Kelk]] for [http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/primer/ The Anime Primer], and used with permission of the author.)
----
{{tropenamer}}
* [[Lovely Angels]]
{{tropelist}}
* [[Action Prologue]]/[[Cold Open]]: [[The Movie]] has one, not too surprising since it (and especially the opening credits) is very much a ''[[James Bond (film)|James Bond]]'' [[Homage/pastiche|pastiche]].
* [[Action Survivor]]: Cory Emerson, the [[Intrepid Reporter]] from the "Plague of Angels" miniseries, becomes one of these when she's drawn into one of the Angels' cases.
* [[Allergic to Love]]: In both the TV series and ''Dirty Pair Flash''
* [[Alternate Continuity]]: ''Dirty Pair Flash'', Adam Warren's [[Animesque|Amerimanga]], the classic anime
* [[Always Someone Better]]: Shasti from the American comics; Lady Flare from ''Dirty Pair Flash''.
* [[Angels Pose]]: Probably one of the best (and first) examples in anime.
* [[Bath Kick]]: Yuri kicks Carson for falling into her bubble bath.
* [[Battle Butler]]: Bruno from
* [[Berserk Button]]: Do ''not'' call Kei and Yuri the "Dirty Pair" to their faces.
* [[Body Surf]]: Carvalho from ''A Plague of Angels'', an A.I. terrorist who hijacks his victims' bodies by swapping the thumb drive containing him onto their [[Brain-Computer Interface]] ports.
* [[Bolivian Army Ending]]: One ''Dirty Pair Flash'' episode ends with the pair charging who knows how many robots. Then subverts when they are shown after the credits wearing twin [[Slasher Smile]]s.
* [[Bond One-Liner]]: Warren's version took a course in this: "Combat Quips".
* [[Girl of the Week|Boy of the Week]]
* [[Brain Uploading]]
* [[Bruce Lee Clone]]: One of these shows up in an episode of the classic anime [[OVA
* [[Calling Card]]: An episode of the TV anime has the Angels as bait for a [[Serial Killer]], posing as a door-to-door salesman, who specializes in killing attractive young women in their apartments and carving one of the letters "B, K, P, Q, R" on their foreheads. {{spoiler|The reveal is that there were two serial killers... playing chess with each other, using the letters and the victims' room numbers to represent their moves}}.
* [[The Cameo]]: In episode 14, when Kei was watching TV, we briefly see one TV channel showing something featuring [[Crusher Joe]]. The ''Crusher Joe'' movie itself featured a longer [[Show Within a Show|show-within-the-show]] cameo appearance of Kei, Yuri and Mugi. Since the original light novel versions of ''Crusher Joe'' and ''Dirty Pair'' are part of the same continuity, these qualify as [[Continuity Nod|continuity nods]] or [[Mythology Gag|mythology gags]]. Joe and Company also pop up on Mughi's screen (as do the Yaz versions of the pair) right before the big fight in ''Project EDEN''.
* [[Canon Foreigner]]: Several in each of the several adaptations:
** The "classic" anime: [[Robot Buddy|Nammo]], [[Da Chief|Goulet]].
** Adam Warren's version: [[Dark Action Girl|Shasti]], [[Intrepid Reporter|Cory Emerson]], [[Smug Snake|Kevin J. Sleet]].
** ''Dirty Pair Flash'': [[Dark Action Girl|Lady Flare]].
* [[Casual Interstellar Travel]]: It's about as easy as air travel is today.
* [[Chainmail Bikini]]: [[Hand Wave|Hand waved]] in the novels with a "transparent polymer sheath" worn over the bikinis for protection. The author had based the design of the uniforms on female [[Pro Wrestling]] outfits.
* [[Childhood Marriage Promise]]: Yuri got a message from someone who made one to her in the TV series.
* [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder]]: Shasti goes out of her way to backstab anyone she no longer needs for her plans.
* [[Classy Cat Burglar]]: Carson D. Carson, the [[Girl of the Week|Boy of the Week]] who works with the Pair in ''Project EDEN'' while trying to steal a wine bottle from the [[Big Bad]].
* [[Close-Call Haircut]]: Lady Flare from ''Flash''; doubles as an [[Important Haircut]] {{spoiler|for her [[Heel Face Turn]]}}.
* [[
* [[The Con]]: One TV episode has the Angels agreeing to help a handsome [[Con Man]] with his latest job: talking a drug kingpin into agreeing to buy a worthless planet by way of the [[Violin Scam]]. The con man tries to betray the Angels so he can flee with the money, but he doesn't get away with it.
* [[Cool Ship]]: The ''Lovely Angel''. Even though its appearance is different for every series, OVA and movie.
* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: Waldess from the first series/Mission - CEO of the GCN [[Mega Corp|Mega-Corp]], a member of the Lucifer crime syndicate, and the [[Big Bad]] of the storyline.
* [[Cyberpunk]]: Adam Warren's version, drifting towards full-scale Transhumanism as time passed. Both the classic anime version and ''Dirty Pair Flash'' also flirted with this.
* [[Da Chief]]: Chief Gooley is like [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]]'s M, only more ill-tempered. Also Garner and Poporo from ''Dirty Pair Flash''.
* [[Dark-Skinned Redhead]]: Kei is the [[Ur Example]] of this trope.
* [[Death Dealer]]: Yuri and the Bloody Card.
* [[Designer Babies]]: The Adam Warren versions are both genetically enhanced, as are many others in their universe.
* [[Destructive Saviour]]: Not all the time, but enough.
* [[Diabolus Ex Machina]]: The Dirty Pair's absurdly destructive luck constantly triggers ways for their missions to end in disaster.
* [[Die Hard on an X]]: The ''Dirty Pair Flash'' episode "The Grey Avenger".
* [[Ditch the Bodyguards]]
* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: The movie features a struggle between two political powers constantly on the verge of war. When you see those powers' ''flags'', it becomes all too obvious that it's a Cold War thing.
* [[Dying Dream]]: In "Sim Hell", Kei's nightmare of dying in a crash and being sent to hell is hinted to be real for a moment near the end.
* [[Earthshattering Kaboom]]: Literally, at least twice ({{spoiler|episode 9 of the TV series, and ''Project EDEN''}}). But it's never their fault.
* [[Effortless Amazonian Lift]]: As the "muscle" of the pair, [[Tomboy|Kei]] can carry around men far heavier than she is.
* [[Evil Counterpart]]: Lady Flare from ''Dirty Pair Flash''; Shasti from Adam Warren's comics.
* [[Evilutionary Biologist]]: Professor Wattsman from ''Project EDEN''.
* [[Extraordinarily Empowered Girl]]: Varies from version to version, but Kei and Yuri are ''always'' elite members of a peacekeeping agency, with some add-ons like top-of-the-line gear or being genetically engineered.
* [[Fan Service]]: They don't call'em "[[Battle Bikini|battle bikinis]]" for ''nothing'', you know.
* [[Fashionable Asymmetry]]: Both Kei and Yuri wear slightly different-length boots on their animated versions.
* [[Fashion Dissonance]]: It's obvious the anime versions were made during [[The Eighties]] just by looking at Kei's and Yuri's character designs.
* [[Finagle's Law]]: The reason for the titular nickname and everybody fearing it: the Lovely Angels are so destructive by pure bad luck that people expect apocalyptic destruction (and them being casualties) every time they are around.
* [[Furo Scene]]
* [[Future Spandex]]: Worn by the heroines.
* [[Gender Blender Name]]:
** The name "Kei" ''is'' Unisex, but is traditionally more used for males.
** Yuri is somewhat of a mixed example, as it's a female name in Japan, and a male name in Eastern Europe.
* [[Genius Ditz]]: Both of the Angels tend to act like some variety of the [[Brainless Beauty]] until it's time to [[Let's Get Dangerous|get dangerous]]. And sometimes, even then...
* [[Girls
* [[Godzilla Threshold]]: The Lovely Angels are the absolute last resort.
* [[The Graduate Homage Shot]]: Used in one of the episodes of the OAVs.
* [[Grand Theft Me]]: One TV episode has the Angels hired by a space travel magnate to deliver a ransom to a woman who'd kidnapped his young heir; the [[Action Prologue]] for the episode had the "kidnapper" rescue him from an arranged marriage. The pair seemed to be in love through most of the episode, but as soon as the [[Briefcase Full of Money]] is in her hands, she delivers a speech to her lover about how [[Was It All a Lie?|It Was All A Lie]]... until the briefcase gets knocked out of her hands. The briefcase also carried a device that let the magnate's secretary(
* [[Hair Colors]]: Kei's is supposed to be red, but it usually looks ''pink''.
* [[Hate Plague]]: In "Fatal, but Not Serious", a group of terrorists engineer one of these to turn a convention of fans of the Lovely Angels into [[Laser Guided Tykebomb
* [[Heroes
* [[Hero Insurance]]: ''Definitely'' parodied by the Angels' record.
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: The trope was started by editors trying to figure out where to place Kei and Yuri's partnership. Sometimes extrapolated by fans to [[Girls Love]].
* [[Homage Shot]]
* [[Humongous Mecha]]
* [[Implausible Fencing Powers]]: ''Dirty Pair Flash''!Yuri is very good with a [[Laser Blade|beam sword]].
* [[Impossibly Cool Clothes]]: Those "battle bikinis" again.
* [[Kawaiiko]]: Yuri. ''Dirty Pair Flash''!Yuri was Flanderized into an extreme example, but went through [[Character Development]] down to tolerable levels.
* [[Kill All Humans]]: ''BRIAN''', the [[Master Computer]] controlling the arcology where the Angels live in the first episode of the TV anime.
* [[Landing in
* [[Laser Blade]]: ''Dirty Pair Flash''!Yuri's beam sword. Kei also gets to use one in ''Project EDEN''.
* [[Leaning
* [[Light Novels]]: The original source material of the franchise. ''Dirty Pair Flash'' also spawned a separate [[Light Novel]] series, which didn't last as long as the originals.
* [[Lingerie Scene]]: One episode of the anime series has Kei running around in a bra and panties.
* [[Locked in
* [[Logic Bomb]]: Kei manages to pull this on the supercomputer BRIAN in the first episode of the TV series, by double-dog-daring it to calculate whether she or Yuri is more attractive
* [[Lotus Eater Machine]]: Most of the plot of "Sim Hell"; Yuri has to free a scientist from one of these in ''Dirty Pair Flash''.
* [[Lovable Rogue]]: Carson D. Carson, small-time thief and smuggler in ''Project EDEN''.
* [[Mad Scientist]]: Professor Wattsman. By the end of the movie, he's still convinced that he's just shy of total control of the universe.
* [[Master Computer]]: The 3WA Central Computer, which assigns the Pair's cases and clears them of guilt.
* [[Mega Neko]]: Mughi
* [[Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds]]: [[Apocalypse How|Buildings, worlds
* [[Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot]]: A frequent occurrence. For example:
** ''Project EDEN'': mysterious industrial sabotage -> [[Evilutionary Biologist]] making monsters from [[Green Rocks]].
* [[Monowheel Mayhem]]: In the OVA series ''Dirty Pair Flash Mission 3'', a young female assassin called Monica drives a Red Futuristic Monowheel.
* [[Ms. Fanservice]]: Kei and Yuri are a pair of young, beautiful, sexy women who leave very little to the imagination. And, naturally, they use their good looks to attract male onlookers.
* [[Mythology Gag]]: Several in various versions:
** Adam Warren's version used the novels' version of the 3WA Battle Bikini in flashbacks, while also using their fiercer version of Mughi. ''Run from the Future'' also introduced the shapechanging uniforms from ''Dirty Pair Flash''.
** ''Dirty Pair Flash'''s Iris, part of a [[Generation Xerox]] of Kei and Yuri, used the same uniform that the Pair wore in the classic anime version, and was clearly an [[Expy]] of that version of Kei. Her history as an agent turned mercenary might also be a nod to Shasti from the Adam Warren version.
** Later in the same series, Yuri wears her classic counterpart's uniform as part of a series of cosplay outfits for a [[The White Prince|White Prince]]
* [[Nanomachines]]: Adam Warren's version is set [[After the End|after the Earth was destroyed]] in a "grey goo" disaster known as the Nanoclysm; nanomachines are strictly regulated afterwards
* [[Nebulous Evil Organisation]]: "Lucifer", which mainly plays a role in the novels. The organization is responsible for the events of ''Flight 005 Conspiracy'', and the [[Big Bad]] of ''Dirty Pair Flash'' is a member.
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: Pretty much the point of the series.
* [[Non-Human Sidekick]]: Mughi.
* [[Noodle Incident]]: The Kuraretta trinary star incident, among others.
* [[No Periods, Period]]: Played with in one episode:
{{quote|"Head over to the biogenetics lab right away!"
"I can't make it today."
"Why not?"
"I have that monthly, um... you know..."
"
"I've got a date!"}}
* [[No Transhumanism Allowed]]: Averted in the Warren comics: ''Run from the Future'' plays with this, having the pair infiltrate a space colony established for those too transhuman for normal society... while using more transhumanist toys than ever before.
* [[Odd Couple]]
* [[Panty Fighter]]: Are there, perhaps, too many versions of the Battle Bikini? As a topic name, anyway
* [[Persona Non Grata]]: Usually happens in the aftermath of their cases, assuming [[Earthshattering Kaboom|there's a place left to ban anything]]...
* [[Pre
* [[Prophetic Names]]: You just know Lily in ''Dirty Pair Flash'' is there to teach Yuri a lesson, since her name is a translation of Yuri's.
* [[Protagonist
* [[Psychic Powers]]: Kei and Yuri have [[Wonder Twin Powers]] Clairvoyance in the [[Light Novels]]. Adam Warren's version [[Doing
* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]]
* [[Restraining Bolt]]: Subverted in the TV series
* [[Robot Buddy]]: Nammo, an original character for the anime.
* [[Rule of Cool]]: In one episode, they reached the bad guys' base via orbital-insertion paradrop, followed by sky-surfing on the updraft ''from an active volcano'' followed by ''surfing on the lava
* [[Science Fiction]]
* [[Secret Public Identity]]: Throughout the series, the girls do nothing to hide their identities. On the other hand, virtually no-one realizes just who they are until they check computer records
* [[The Seven Mysteries]]: ''Dirty Pair Flash'' squeezes this in to a [[High School AU]] [[A Day
* [[Shout
** The computer screens often contain blatant shout outs, starting in the first episode where one screen flashes the names of the entire cast of ''[[Star Trek:
*** Continuing the Trek theme, one episode of ''Flash'' makes a reference to "Mudd's Passion Planet".
** Another interesting example: a list of people who have a grudge against Kei and Yuri apparently includes Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins
** The series is also one giant shout out to [[Professional Wrestling]], more specifically the joshi promotion [[All Japan
** Episode 12 of the TV series is about the [[Flowers for Algernon|Algernon]] security system.
* [[Show Some Leg]]:
** Kei actually flashes some guards as a distraction in one episode of the TV series.
** In an earlier episode ''Yuri'' plays it exactly as the name says (this qualifies as [[Let's Get Dangerous]] for Yuri).
* [[Skunk Stripe]]: The ''Flash'' incarnation of Kei.
* [[Small Girl, Big Gun]]: Kei, most prominently. As an example, Yuri's personal sidearm is more manageable, but Kei's is described [[In-Universe]] to be quite the [[Hand Cannon]].
* [[Space Elevator]]: In ''Flash'', complete with an orbital ring at the top for all of them to connect to.
* [[Space Western]]: One TV episode has the girls working for rival gangs on a desert planet. Kei goes for the classic look, Yuri goes for a [[A
* [[Spanner in
* [[Split Personality]]: Shasti, from the Adam Warren comics, was an [[Artificial Human]] [[Super Soldier]] designed with four personalities to handle varying situations effectively.
* [[Spy Catsuit]]: The girl's alternate uniform during the TV series (in purple/black).
* [[Stripperiffic]]: Just look at the picture at the top of this page.
* [[Stuff Blowing Up]]: At least once a story and in one case no less than five solar systems.
* [[Team Pet]]: Mughi
* [[Tele Frag]]: The Angels destroy a rogue A.I. in the first episode of the TV series by having a spaceship [[FTL Travel|warp]] into its core.
* [[Time Dilation]]: Episode 7 of the TV series had a space travel magnate trying to separate his son from a lover he disapproved of<ref>because she was a male-to-female transsexual</ref> by launching her on the prototype of a slower-than-light "Time Dilation Tour" ship he had handy; the plan was that she'd only return after the son had aged the fifty years of the trip, so would he still love her ''then'', [[Evil Laugh|bwa-ha-ha]]. The Lovely Angels can't stop the launch, but free the son in time for him to follow his love on another of the ships. The father finally gets on the final ship because he can't live without his son.
* [[Title Confusion]]: [[The Movie]] was originally called ''Dirty Pair The Movie'', but virtually everyone -- including [[ADV Films]] -- calls it ''Project EDEN'', after the [[Mad Scientist]] villain's master plan. It's understandable since the [[Battle Butler]] [[Lampshade Hanging|literally bangs a gong]] after Professor Wattsman says the magic words.
* [[Unreliable Narrator]]: Takachiho's original stories are (depending on whom you ask) either annoyingly marred or significantly enlivened by being narrated by Kei. Her accounts of the Angels' adventures include [[Lemony Narrator|bizarre, tangential, and frequently titillating details]]; occasional putdowns of Yuri, who's depicted as slightly vain and constantly on the make for potential paramours, especially if she can steal them from Kei; and what can only be described as ploys for the reader's sympathy. Everything suddenly becomes more comprehensible when one realizes that Kei is ''trying to '''flirt''' with the audience''.
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: Most versions display this trope to one degree or another. Warren wrote a short story showing Kei and Yuri constantly resuming old arguments through most of their history together.
* [[Walking Disaster Area]]: Hence the "Dirty Pair" nickname.
* [[Whack a Mole]]: Episode 17 of the anime has the Angels follwing a tip that a wanted assassin will be aboard a spaceliner in disguise. After introducing our suspects, the ship's captain sabotages everything, sets course toward a black hole, locks the controls, and kills himself. The assassin -- and genius cryptoanalyst -- is the only one aboard who can save the ship. But who'll be alive by then?
* [[Xanatos Roulette]]: In the second Adam Warren miniseries, Shasti pulls a multi-layer roulette to pull off [[The Caper]]. The Angels only get on her trail when Kei sees her in a crowd at random and goes on a [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]].
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