| Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody | |
| Ja Kanji: | プロジェクトA子3 シンデレララプソディ |
| Ja Romaji: | Purojekuto A-ko 3 - Shinderera Rapusodi |
| Genre: | Action, comedy, science fiction[1] |
| Type: | ova |
| Director: | Yuji Moriyama |
| Music: | Hiromoto Tobisawa |
| Studio: | Studio Fantasia |
| Released: | June 20, 1988 |
| Runtime: | 46 minutes |
is a 1988 Japanese anime OVA release directed by Yuji Moriyama. It is the third installment of the Project A-ko series.
Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody opens with a fluidly-animated dream sequence of A-ko, B-ko, and C-ko engaged in a game of pool, but this has nothing to do with the rest of the storyline.
It's Spring Break for the students of Graviton High. While B-ko plots to whisk C-ko away to some secluded location, C-ko dreams only of spending time with A-ko, having fun as usual. A-ko, however, has other plans. She decides that it's time to "stop hanging around" with C-ko and find a boyfriend.
Unsatisfied with her wardrobe, she gets a job at a local fast food restaurant to earn money to buy new clothes. This leaves C-Ko feeling quite lonely, so she spends most of her days waiting for A-ko to get off of work.
One day, A-ko runs into Kei Yuki, a handsome biker. To her great delight, Kei returns to the restaurant where she works and seems to hang about. B-ko also notices Kei and decides to "steal" him from A-ko. Later, C-ko sees A-ko and Kei arriving on Kei's motorcycle. She runs up to A-ko and snarls and hisses at Kei like a feral cat, angry that he is robbing her of A-ko's affections.
A-ko and B-ko's battle for the habitually silent Kei culminates in a disastrous "date" at the Alpha Cygnans' Space Hotel. During the posh event, A-ko realizes that she removed her magic armbands which keep her powers under control. Without them, her strength is so great that it obliterates everything she touches. The destruction spurs Graviton City's overenthusiastic Public Works Defense Force into action. This colorful all-volunteer force (of which Miss Ayumi is a proud member) assemble from all corners of the city, clad in superhero outfits and piloting a small army of various mecha.
Just when it seems that all hell is going to break loose, A-ko and B-ko's melee comes to an abrupt halt when Kei reveals his love for C-ko, but C-ko utterly rejects him.
A-ko and B-ko are both crushed and disappointed, but A-ko does find joy in being with her best friend again.
| Character | Japanese voice actor | English dubbing actor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiko "A-ko" Magami | Teryl Rothery | ||
| Biko "B-ko" Daitokuji | Venus Terzo | ||
| Shiko "C-ko" Kotobuki | Cathy Weseluck | ||
| Kei Yūki | Scott McNeil | ||
| Hikari Daitokuji | Ian James Corlett | ||
| Miss Ayumi | Asami Mukaidono | Lynda Boyd | |
| Captain Napolipolita | Scott McNeil | ||
| Spy D | Tesshō Genda | Robert O. Smith | |
| Mari | Daisuke Gōri Sayuri Ikemoto | Scott McNeil | |
| Asa | Lynda Boyd | ||
| Ine | Venus Terzo | ||
| Ume | Cathy Weseluck |
Central Park Media released Project A-ko 3, along with and on the DVD compilation Project A-ko: Love & Robots on August 6, 2002.[2] Discotek Media reissued Project A-ko 3 on DVD on September 26, 2017,[3] and later on Blu-ray on December 27, 2022.[4]