Mezzo Forte

The Danger Service Agency is a small-time group of mercenary con-artists, operating in Japan in the not so distant future. The DSA consists of three members: Action Girl and weapons specialist Mikura, the tech-savvy Harada, and the balding ex-cop and nominal group leader, Kurokawa. Together, the trio will take on just about any job as long as the pay is right. And (at least for Mikura) the more reckless the request is, the better.

The DSA get in over their heads, however, when they are hired to kidnap Momokichi Momoi, the owner of the Peach Twisters baseball team. Unbeknown to the DSA, Momoi just so happens to also be one of the city's most powerful mob bosses… a useful bit of information that they unfortunately do not learn about until after they grab him. Panicked, the group decides that they should cut their losses by returning the mob boss and leaving the country. This plan has two major problems, however: they were identified by the target's bodyguards during the kidnapping, and apparently Momoi didn't make it out alive.

Now with the mob hot on their tail, Mikura and crew must find a way to get out of the situation with their lives intact. A task made all the more difficult by the involvement of their mysterious client, a pair of vengeful street thugs, and Momoi's Cute and Psycho daughter Momomi. What exactly did their client hope to gain from all of this? And what is the nature of the mysterious connection felt between Momomi and Mikura?

Mezzo Forte is a Hentai Anime written and directed Yasuomi Umetsu, the director of Kite. As with Kite, Mezzo Forte was released in two versions: an abridged version with the explicit scenes removed, and an uncensored Directors Cut. The OVA was originally released in 2000 by studio Green Bunny, and was later licensed for release in North America by Anime Works and Kitty Media. A television series that followed from the events of Mezzo Forte called Mezzo DSA was later released in 2003.

Not to be confused with the Icelandic musical group, "Mezzoforte".

Tropes used in Mezzo Forte include:

Anime Hair: Harada, sort of. While his hair style is pretty wild (Think Pinhead and you're halfway there), it's hardly impossible.
Batter Up: When the pitcher of the Peach Twisters costs the team the game, the owner responds by beating him nearly to death with a baseball bat. After Momomi finishes him off, they then bury him underneath the pitcher's mound.
Call Back: There are a couple of direct references to the events of Mezzo Forte in the anime
The Can Kicked Him: The DSA sedate and abduct mob boss Momoi through a false panel in the ceiling above his bathroom stall. He does not survive the ensuing battle between his kidnappers and bodyguards.
Cannot Spit It Out: Harada, towards Mikura.
Dirty Cop: Kurokawa's old police department, as well as the old guy himself. After taking the fall for a big foul-up, Kurokawa made a killing with his tell-all book.
Drives Like Crazy: Kurokawa's driving isn't just crazy, it's insane. Across bowling alleys, in canals, up small staircases, the car on its freaking side...
Evil Redhead: Momomi.
Explicit Content: As with director Umetsu's other work, Kite, Mezzo Forte has a perfectly serviceable plot with or without the explicit scenes.
Extraordinarily Empowered Girl: Mikura, who along with her natural fighting and weapons skills possesses a bit of ESP that allows her to see glimpses of the future. Momomi seems to have similar precognative abilities
Fingore: Kurokawa gets a fingernail pried off by mobsters attempting to find out where their boss is being held.
Gadgeteer Genius: Harada's primary function within the group
Girls with Guns
Gorn: While the action scenes aren't quite as gory as those seen in Kite, this series doesn't pull any punches.
Gratuitous Italian: It's all there in the title. And seemingly bears no significance to the story, setting, or characters at all.
Groin Attack: Mikura delivers a particularly wince-worthy one to one of Momoi's goons, and just to emphasize it, he drops a bowling ball on his own head immediately after.
- In the first episode of the anime, Mikura nails a Black Scissors stooge in the jewels. Cut away to a scene of two crystalline spheres being shattered. Yikes.
Hero Worshipper: Asami in the anime, to Mikura
Hey, It's That Voice!: Dub Mikura is played by Melissa Fahn (movie, credited as Tina Dixon) and Luci Christian (tv series), and you're likely to notice right away.
Literal Surveillance Bug: A tiny robotic ladybug is used by Harada to drug Momoi's drink. That said, Harada could see his target just fine, since they were at the same bowling alley - the ladybug's POV on his watch was just for convenience.
Long-Lost Relative: It's suggested that Mikura and Momomi might be half-sisters
- This is actually confirmed in the sequel series, Mezzo DSA.
Mafia Princess: Momomi, who even goes so far as to kill any of her father's employees who she feels are underperforming.
Mission Control: Kurokawa
More Dakka: Averted, if not inverted. Mikura's Weapon of Choice is a single semiauto handgun. Not even the decency to run around Guns Akimbo! Sometimes you just need less dakka, evidently.
Neck Snap: Mikura does this to one of Momokichi's goons at the bowling alley. It doesn't kill him and he's seen again later with his neck stuck at an unnatural angle.
Non-Action Guy: Kurokawa. Harada, too, sort of - he can keep up with Mikura if he really needs to, but it's not really his "thing."
Rape as Drama: When Momomi captures Mikura, she locks her in a room with a pair of street thugs, leaving them with the advice: "You have four hours. Use your time effeciently!" Subverted in that it was actually a Sex Bot, the real Mikura had already escaped.
- Mikura also has a nightmare about being raped by Kurokawa and Harada at one point. Interestingly, she only classified it as a nightmare (or a rape, for that matter) when Harada came into the equation; before that she was actually quite happy with the situation.
Rose-Haired Girl: Mikura.
Sex Bot: Harada uses his skills to build fully functional sex bots that are virtually indistinguishable for real people. Most of the ones we see in the series are also rigged to explode. This was the true identity of the Mikura the thugs had sex with, as well as the replacement for Momokichi Momoi.
Theme Naming: Momokichi and Momomi Momoi, and the Peach Twisters - "momo" is Japanese for "peach".
- Bennett the Sage points out that this is the English equivalent of naming them "Peach Peacherson and his daughter Peachy Peachman."
Those Two Bad Guys: The buyers for Harada's sex bot, who just keep coming back for more punishment.
Trademark Favorite Food: Kurokawa has this thing with noodles. They're practically all he eats -- and since Mikura and Harada don't cook, all they get to eat, too.
Wham! Line: "Unfortunately, I can not pay you the rest of the money. [...] Because Momoi is dead." Cue the dropping of some cans.
What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: Momomi's bowling game with her father.