Video Girl Ai, Vol. 1: Preproduction [Paperback]

Masakazu Katsura (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2000 | Series: Video Girl AI (Book 1)

When Moemi tells Yota Moteuchi that she's in love with his friend Takashi, Yota's heart is broken. But when a dream girl steps out of his TV, Yota's crush becomes a love triangle. He'll never trust video-box hype again!

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (January 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569314314
• ISBN-13: 978-1569314319
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,579,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's so nice to see a story where the guys have emotions too, February 3, 2000

By 

Jayzee (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Video Girl Ai, Vol. 1: Preproduction (Paperback)

Video Girl Ai is a school romance story that everyone can relate to. You remember what it was like when the sight of your loved one made your mouth dry, and your palms wet? When the most intelligent thing you could say in their presence was "N..nnn...urgle"?

Yota (known generally in the school as "The Dateless") just can't manage to tell Moemi about his feelings for her. He always chickens out, freezes up, or just ends up standing on his own tongue. School pin-up Takashi, Yota's longtime buddy does his best to help, unaware of the leading role that he's been playing in Moemi's fantasies.

With his lack-of-a-love-life getting more complicated by the moment, Yota seeks escape by hiring a video. Simple silicon, no feelings to hurt. "I'll cheer you up" is the message on the front of Video Girl Ai's box.

Unfortunately Yota's VCR fries a circuit, and catapults Ai out of her world and through the screen into Yota's bedroom.

Ai does her best to cheer Yota up, as helpmeet and advisor, but it looks more and more like she has a few loose circuits of her own...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Not-so-standard Love Triangle, December 4, 2000

By 

James Lowry (Sunnyvale, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Video Girl Ai, Vol. 1: Preproduction (Paperback)

Takashi, the popular boy at school, has little interest in all the attention that surrounds him. Moemi is a cute and intelligent girl who has fallen for him nevertheless. Our hero, Yota ("Motenai" - "Dateless") Moteuchi, has been attracted to Moemi for some time now, but just before he can get the courage to confess his feelings, she confesses hers for Takashi, Yota's best friend.

Yota nobly supports her, and encourages her not to give up in the face of Takashi's indifference. Making his way home, he spots a strange and magical video store, Gokoraku, and things get surreal. He rents a video named "I'll Cheer You Up" from the adult section staring Ai Amano. This is the "video girl" of the title, for the girl on the tape has been made for the purpose of cheering up someone suffering from heartbreak, in person if need be.

Yota is shocked when Ai comes out of his TV, and dismayed as he finds that his damaged VCR has turned the cute Ai, into a brash, no-nonsence, flat-chested girl. But he slowly realizes that this Ai is a lot more fun to be around. For as long as her tape lasts.... One month.

Preproduction is the first volume of the series which ran... uh... I believe 11 volumes in Japan (14 including Video Girl Len). There is an anime based on the series, also out from Viz, that covers the first three volumes, and brings the story to a nice conclusion.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars must read for teenage boys of all ages, October 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Video Girl Ai, Vol. 1: Preproduction (Paperback)

Some of us never quite get it out of our system. Even at age 40, I fell for AI as much as I would have at 13.

To give you an idea, I loved everything Rumiko Takahashi ever did (especially Ranma and Maison Ikkoku), so that's my standard. AI is as good, and as romantic as Maison Ikkoku.

Some of the artwork is sexy, and very well executed. I'm sure this influences my response (it would be interesting to do a gender comparison...). But there's nothing explicit. I have a low tolerance for gratuitous sex. For example, after the first Crying Freeman, it just got too stupid for me.

AI is a similar concept to Oh My Goddess, but a lot more intelligent. Plus AI doesn't come to the rescue with magic at the end of every episode (like Belldandy). In AI, people have to work out things for themselves.

Another one I liked a lot was Silent Mobius. This is harder to compare because Mobius is more of an action story, while this is romance. But so far I like AI better. In the end, people are more interesting than monsters.

So if you're in the market for manga in this category, Video Girl AI an excellent choice.