Aika R-16: Virgin Mission

The mini-series follows 16-year-old Aika Sumeragi, who recently got her C-class license to be a salvager, a person who searches for treasure among the ruins of the Earth's cities which have been submerged following worldwide earthquakes. However, at high school, she is regularly late for class and then her posters advertising her salvaging services are taken down. However, one afternoon, she is invited by Eri Shinkai, the class president, to join her Treasure Hunting Club where they look for the coordinates hidden away in a tattoo on classmate Karen Minamino. Aika gladly accepts, but during the trip some of her schoolmates and even their club advisor attack them in an effort to try to capture Karen. Aika defeats the girls and discovers they are being controlled by some devices implanted in their bodies. As they approach the destination, Karen starts acting strangely as if she remembers being there before. At the underwater base, Aika, Eri, and Karen make their way to a locked lab, and discover Karen's true identity.

In Aika Zero, 19-year-old Aika Sumeragi is called to investigate the goings on at a private Catholic school that is run by a council group called the White Knights. In the school, the students have been mysteriously disappearing and those who have returned have no memory of the event. They discover that there are aliens who use rope-like tendrils to probe the girls, knocking them out and harvesting their energy, or possessing them to do their bidding.

From left to right: Karen Minamino, Aika Sumeragi and Eri Shinkai

Aika Sumeragi (皇 藍華, Sumeragi Aika)[3][4]

Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu (Japanese); Cristina Vee (English)[5][1]

The title character, she enjoys piloting vehicles and works her first case as a newly licensed C-class salvager at age 16. She has short hair and usually wears red clothes. She is adept at martial arts and firearms. However, her involvement in such outside activities makes her sleep in and habitually late for school despite living in the on-campus dorms across the field.[5] She reacts negatively to and is embarrassed by the broad displays of sexuality that she observes from her peers.[6][7][8] According to her character profile, she lost her parents in the worldwide earthquake catastrophe and was raised by Gozo Aida. Her body harbors a secret.[4] E.T.A.I. refers to her as Zero. Aika does not submit to the alien probing like the other girls, and it is revealed that she has some form of alien presence inside her body that allows her to defeat the yellow tendrils and turn them back on her opponent.[9] In a supplementary manga installment Aika Zero Cute, she is a university student.[2]

Eri Shinkai (真海 エリ, Shinkai Eri)[3][10]

Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese); Kira Buckland (English)[5][1]

She is the class president as well as the founder and club president of the school's Treasure Hunting Club. She has long brown hair that she styles in twin tails. She is a mystery fanatic who comes from a very wealthy family.[5] She likes to narrate her adventures out loud and often argues with Aika, although they become friends.[6][7] She is described as curious and sometimes selfish. In Aika Zero, she is a university student who reunites with Aika.[10] She dabbles in financial transactions such as stock trades for her family's company.[8] In contrast to Aika, she does not feel embarrassed when naked.[11]

Karen Minamino (美波野 カレン, Minamino Karen)[3][12]

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese); Erika Weinstein (English)[5][1]

A quiet and mysterious girl with long dark-blue hair. She seldom shows any facial expression, and talks only when necessary. She has a butterfly insignia on her left breast which is revealed to carry the number-encoded message "the gate of the truth will be opened by the sleeping butterfly" and a map coordinate, which is where the group heads to. Eri says that she lives in a luxury apartment by herself and buys expensive things. She later reveals that she has amnesia, but begins to recall things are they approach their destination.[6] In the third episode, it is revealed that Karen was a clone from a genetic experiment, possessing high intelligence and youth.[7] In Aika Zero, she has short hair, and works at a maid cafe. She helps Aika and Eri on their investigation of St. Aero school. When Aika and Eri mention they are 19 years old, she proclaims her age as "eternally 17 years old".[8][12]

Risako Nagisa (凪紗 りさこ, Nagisa Risako)[3][13][14]

Voiced by: Naoko Suzuki (Japanese); Tara Platt (English)[5]

Aika's teacher who punishes Aika for being consistently late for school for over a month. As the advisor of the Treasure Hunting Club, she wears incredibly sexy clothes that make the guys swoon, and the main girls extremely jealous. In the story, she reveals herself to be working for the enemy as she forces students to attack Aika and Eri and kidnap Karen using remote-controlled body implants. She is eventually defeated by Karen during the beach-side fight with Aika,[6] but appears in the epilogue where she scolds Aika for being late again.[7] In Aika Zero, she serves as Karen's guardian,[13] and participates in the St. Aero mission, rescuing Aika when the latter is first disabled by the enemy,[8] and helping Karen and the gang in the follow-up investigations.[9][11]

Gozo Aida (相田 郷造, Aida Gōzo)[3][15]

Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); Russell Thor (English)[5]

A salvager who watches over Aika and has trained her in the craft.[5][7] He is the founder of the KK Corporation, which spawned much of the salvaging industry. Some of his remarks bother Aika, but he tries to help out whenever she is in danger. His hobby is karaoke.[15] In Aika Zero he continues to watch over Aika, and also maintains the plane that she flies.

Gusto (ガスト, Gasuto)[3]

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese); Sam Regal (English)[5]

Although he is from a rich family, he works as a servant for Eri's private cruiser.[6] He appears in the Aika R-16 series but not the Aika Zero one.[9]

Captain (船長, Senchō)[14]

Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda (Japanese); David Vincent (English)[5]

The captain of the Regina Eri cruiser which takes the gang to the island. He has orders to ensure that Eri returns safely. He uses an M21 sniper rifle.[5] He is also involved in Aika Zero to help Eri in her operations.

Miyu Shiratori (白鳥 美由, Shiratori Miyu)[16]

Voiced by: Yuko Goto[16]

She has long purple hair and appears in Aika Zero. She leads the White Knights, and is the student council president at St. Aero. She is described as beautiful, mysterious, and calm, even in the midst of the investigations.[16] The prologue shows that she is the first of the girls who encounter the alien presence while exploring a cave below the school a year prior. She has a symbiotic relationship with the aliens as exhibited by the tendrils from her back.[8] Following her defeat, she is acquired by the Hagens for their research.[9]

Rin Shirakiku (白菊 凛, Shirakiku Rin)[17]

Voiced by: Mikako Takahashi[17]

She has short green hair and appears in Aika Zero. She is a member of the White Knights that serve Miyu. She is described as having a friendly personality.[17] She is originally jealous that Miyu overtook her academically, but after being probed by the aliens, she serves Miyu and becomes the treasurer of the student council.[11]

Kana Shiraishi (白石 香奈, Shiraishi Kana)[18]

Voiced by: Asami Shimoda[18]

She has light brown hair styled in short but broad bunches and appears in Aika Zero. She is a member of the White Knights and has a provocative attitude.[18] She became the vice-president of the student council when Miyu took over.[11] She is shot down by Aika after her and Rin's shields fail to hold up against Aika's attack.[9]

E.T.A.I.[19]

Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro[19]

She is very tall and has long dark-brown hair. She is described as mysterious and operates in the background.[19] She acts as Miyu's bodyguard. Her name is an acronym for Extra Terrestrial Artificial Intelligence. She emits the alien tendrils that knock out the other girls.[11] She later reveals that Aika is an organism much like her but has evolved to be different. She is defeated by Aika after her tendril spear attack is repelled and thrown back at her as she sacrifices herself to protect Miyu, but appears in the epilogue to work with the Hagens.[9]

Nina Hagen (ネーナ・ハーゲン, Nēna Hāgen)

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima[14]

She has pink hair styled in twin drills. She appears in Aika Zero as a student at St. Aero where she notices some of Aika and the student council actions.[11] At the end of Aika Zero she and Rudolf take in E.T.A.I. and Miyu for further research.[9]

Rudolf Hagen (ルドルフ・ハーゲン, Rudorufu Hāgen)

Voiced by: Kousuke Okano[14]

The future antagonist appears in the Aika Zero prequel. He has short blue hair. He is working as a commander in the military.[9]

The Aika R-16: Virgin Mission opening theme is "Sailing to the Future", while the ending theme is "Rise." Both songs were performed by Ami Koshimizu.

The Aika Zero opening theme is "Flying Kid", while the ending theme is "Dream Hunter". Both were also performed by Koshimizu. Accompanying the second OVA series is a set of one-shot manga called Aika Zero Cutie, which features other adventures of when 19-year-old Aika is in college. The first installment was released on July 1, 2009 and the second was released on August 3.[2]

• Agent Aika
• Najica Blitz Tactics

• Beveridge, Chris (2008-06-11). "Aika R-16 Virgin Mission". Mania. Demand Media. Archived from the original on 2013-08-04.
• Douglass, Todd Jr. (2008-06-03). "Aika R-16 Virgin Mission". DVD Talk.
• Ferreira, Mike (2014-03-07). "Your Bad Anime Night Needs: AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission". Anime Herald.
• Kimlinger, Carl (2008-07-13). "AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission DVD". Anime News Network.

Aika R-16

• Official website (old Studio Fantasia entry) (in Japanese)
• AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission (OVA) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

Aika Zero

• Official website (in Japanese)