Anime / Variable Geo

Goddesses, descend on the field of battle!

Variable Geo is a three-episode OVA series produced in 1996 by KSS; it is based on the Eroge series of the same name, though it loosely adapts the plot of Advanced V.G. instead and removes the hentai content, making it more of an ecchi series.

The story of the OVA centres around "Variable Geo" or "V.G.", a global mixed martial arts tournament specifically for combat waitresses. They compete in hopes of winning the ultimate prize: 10 million yen and a piece of prime real estate anywhere they choose. Their sponsor^note the diner, or restaurant that employs them gets a year's worth of free advertising. But V.G. is strictly an All or Nothing affair, meaning, the losers go home empty-handed and publicly humiliated, because they have to strip for the crowd. At a certain level of competition, they also have to... put on a show.

But the potential for public humiliation soon becomes the least of their concerns, as the unsuspecting vixens eventually learn that the competition is a front for something far more sinister. A nefarious plot that involves kidnappings, unsanctioned matches, and inhumane experiments unfolds behind the scenes of the tournament proceedings, and the ones behind it all are the very people sponsoring it: The Jyahana Group.

One of the tournament's competitors, Yuka Takeuichi, falls into the plot when her best friend and old sparring partner, Satomi Yajima, goes missing. Yuka fights against—and alongside—several other tournament competitors as they search for the truth behind V.G. At the same time, Reimi Jyahana becomes aware that her company is involved in the nasty goings-on behind V.G., which prompts her to investigate the matter personally. How do these pieces fit together, and what is The Jyahana Group's purpose?

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Variable Geo includes the following tropes:

• Action Girl: This is a series about an MMA competition for combat waitresses, Enough said.
  • World of Action Girls: The competition is open to women only, most of whom are trained martial artists who possess high-levels of spirit energy.
• Adaptation Amalgamation: The OVA is loosely based on the Advanced V.G. series, which removed the hentai content and introduced the core narrative aspect - which has Miranda Jahana manipulating Yuka and the other waitresses from behind-the-scenes. Though the OVA retains the "losing conditions" of the original H-Game series. Making it a combination of the two that's Lighter and Softer than the original, while still providing a fair amount of fanservice.
• Adaptation Induced Plothole: The opening cutscene of Advanced V.G. II's story mode suggests that it takes place sometime after the OVA—see the Continuity Nod entry—but this creates two problems:
  • First, Miranda is dead in the OVA; in the game series, she does not die until the conclusion of Advanced V.G. II.
  • Second, Tamao says she saw the match between Yuka and Jun on television, yet she does not know who Satomi was—despite Satomi being present at ringside and being the one who gave Yuka the will to win.
• Age Lift: In the Advanced V.G. series, Yuka and Satomi's official ages are listed as 18 and 17 years old respectively. Their character bios in the "Complete Visual Collection" list them as 17 and 16 instead.
• All or Nothing: In V.G., "second place" does not exist—you either become champion or leave empty-handed and publicly humiliated. The penalty for losing any match at Level-3 and above is to strip in the ring for the crowd's perverse pleasure.
• All There in the Manual: The "Complete Visual Collection" provides additional details on the characters and the OVA's universe.
• Almighty Janitor: The waitresses are individually and collectively the most powerful humans on the face of the planet. Which is why The Jyahana Group conspires to find the strongest among them to use as Miranda's new vessel. Their target? A 16-year-old girl with one of the highest latent fighting potentials on record: Satomi.
• The Anime of the Game: The OVA fleshes out Advanced V.G.s script. While the "losing conditions" return, they are downgraded in comparison to the games, and they either have blatant censoring or happen off-screen.
• Ascended Extra:
  • Satomi's role in the game series itself is tangential at best due to her friendship with Yuka. The OVA casts her as the deuteragonist by giving her an unexplained rapport with Yuka that allows them to sense one another's feelings. Their bond becomes the cornerstone of the plot once Satomi goes missing.
  • The OVA also makes Jun integral in helping Yuka find Satomi; she is also the one who frees Chiho from Siritahi's control by defeating her.
• Back-to-Back Badasses: Yuka and Satomi are depicted this way on the cover of the "Complete Visual Collection" artbook for the OVA.
• Battle Amongst the Flames: The series concludes with the long-awaited showdown between Yuka and Satomi, which takes place atop the Jyahana research facility as it burns down around them.
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Subverted when Satomi incinerates Yuuki, who is seen with faint singe marks afterward, and during Chiho's torture scene, where she is shown bruised and covered in welts.
• Big Bad: Miranda has Damian manipulate Satomi into entering the V.G. Tournament in order to steal Satomi's body.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Siritahi uses mind control serum to enslave Chiho during the last episode, and Miranda takes control of Satomi to fight Kaori and Reimi back-to-back.
• The Cake Is a Lie: Averted. The grand prize offered to the winner of V.G. is legit; The Jyahana Group uses it to their advantage because it is an effective way to lure unsuspecting entrants into signing up for the tournament.
• Canon Foreigner: Damian, Siritahi, Washio, the unnamed Old Master, and the mute girl with him were all exclusive to the OVA.
• Character Depth: Despite this being a three-part ecchi OVA, the show contains surprising amounts of this. Each of the characters' backgrounds and motivations for entering the tournament are explored to varying degrees; these are covered on the character sheet.
• Chaste Teens: As sexy as the V.G. entrants are, you would think guys would be chomping at the bit for the chance to be with them. Yet, aside from Yuuki's unrequited lust for Satomi, Reimi is the only one shown to be dating anyone. The rest seemingly have no interest in romance, as the subject is never mentioned once.
• Childhood Friends: Yuka and Satomi's friendship is the cornerstone of the OVA's plot. They've known each other since they were kids, but by the start of the series, they have drifted apart and mostly kept in contact through work.
• Clothing Damage: Justified both times that it happens:
  • Yuuki's hand fan has a concealed blade, which she used to shred Satomi's uniform during their match.
  • Kaori sheers the apron off her unnamed opponent with a lightning powered kick.
• Code Name: Damian is in charge of the "Black Goddess" project, which seeks to bring Miranda Jyahana back to life by finding a suitably powerful host for her disembodied spirit to inhabit.
• Continuity Nod:
  • When Yuka finally confronts Satomi near the end of the final episode, she senses another presence inside her and asks who they are. "Satomi" replies that there was no need to answer that, since they had already met. Yuka recognizes the voice immediately: Miranda Jyahana.
  • Advanced V.G. II begins with a flashback to Yuka's match with Jun, using the exact same footage from the OVA; making it a recursive example.
• Covers Always Spoil: If you look at the cover art, you will notice Yuka is powering up as her hair ribbon comes undone. That happens for a reason: Her ribbon is a Power Limiter.
• Cute Bruisers:
  • Applies to Yuka and Satomi, both of whom are tomboys and they're dedicated practicioners of Kyokushin Karate (full-contact). Making it two of several traits they share in common.
  • The same can be said of Erina, who uses a self-taught pugilistic style combined with fire based Ki attacks.
• Dark and Troubled Past: This applies to all but a few of the characters—most notably, Reimi and, to a lesser extent, Erina Goldsmith.
• Defeat Equals Friendship: Jun buddies up with Yuka, following her defeat. Erina and her team warm up to Yuka as well.
• Deuteragonist: Satomi is the OVA's next most plot relevant character, by fleshing out her rivalry with Yuka, her struggles to support herself and her kid brother, and ultimately has her become the target of the Jahana Group.
• invokedDude, Not Funny!: Suffice to say, Satomi did not appreciate Yuuki sexually harassing her^note noted in the Bullying a Dragon entry in Yuuki's section of the character sheet, though her response may have been... excessive.
• Ecchi: The show has plenty of D-cups, bouncing, and long beautiful legs for the average viewer to gawk at. The loser of each match also has to strip, though all the naughty bits are conveniently covered.
• Evasive Fight-Thread Episode: After all the buildup to the championship bout, the OVA ends on a cliff-hanger by abruptly cutting to the end credits as soon as the match begins. We never find out who wins the tournament.
• Fanservice with a Smile: Did we mention how this show is about a tournament for combat waitresses? Special mention, however, goes to Erina and her team of bunnies.
• Fighting Your Friend/"I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: This happens briefly between Yuka and Satomi near the climax of the final episode; it is covered in the related entry on the character sheet in Yuka's section.
• Foul Flower: The etymology of Miranda's surname gets taken to its literal extreme at the climax of the 2nd episode^note covered in the Meaningful Name entry, further down.
• Girly Bruisers: Reimi and Kaori are the most feminine two participants among waitresses, both exemplfying dignity and grace with their respective fighting styles. A stark contrast to Yuka and Satomi's more straightforward and brutal style.
• Grand Theft Me: The true purpose behind the V.G. tournament is finding a suitable body for Miranda Jyahana's deceased spirit to take over.
• Haunted Technology: The cyber drive contains Miranda's disembodied spirit, which allows her to gradually superimpose her consciousness over Satomi's. Once Satomi is freed from this control, Miranda's spirit remains trapped within the cyber drive—which leaves her utterly defenseless.
• Incredibly Obvious Bug: A listening device the size of a yoyo with a huge green light on it is affixed to the seat of the businesswoman in charge of the corporation behind the tournament around which the entire series revolves. This powerful, intelligent, hypercompetent woman never notices it.
• Ki Manipulation: Just about everyone has an attack of this nature, excluding Minami, who uses rocket-powered gloves instead.
  • Kame Hame Hadoken: The conclusion of Yuka's match with Jun ends with one of these; the attack is reminiscent of Terry Bogard's Power Geyser.
• Left Hanging:
  • We never find out who wins the tournament, as the series ends on the first exchange of blows in the deciding battle between Yuka and Satomi.
  • It's also unknown whether Daisuke recovers, since that hinges on whether Satomi won the tournament prize money to cover the cost of the procedure needed to treat his condition.
• Lighter and Softer: The OVA is this, when compared to the original H-Game series:
  • The original series has only one penalty for losing, which applied to all matches: The winner leaves the ring and the loser is publicly raped by members of the audience.
  • The OVA adaptation nixes that aspect altogether. In the anime, the loser must simply strip naked, which only applies to matches at Level-3 and above.^note Jun's match with Yuka was only Level-4—a preliminary fight—so Jun was not required to strip upon losing. Yuka even points this out. But Jun stripped naked anyway, claiming that not doing so "would be weak" Matches at Level-1 require the loser to strip and masturbate for the crowd.
• Male Gaze: Virtually guaranteed amongst a cast of red-hot waitresses. Expect frequent close-ups of their chests, legs, and feet during matches.
• Mythology Gag: The OVA makes several references to the Advanced V.G. series:
  • When Manami uses her Neko Rocket Punch against Erina's team of bunnies, the line snaps taut, causing it to hit Manami on the return trip. This is a nod to the fact that Manami takes damage from that same move in the game.
  • Satomi is Yuuki's first—and only—opponent in the anime, and she sexually harasses Satomi during the match. Yuuki's infatuation with her was carried over to Advanced V.G. II, where she tries hitting on her before the match begins.
  • Advanced V.G. II returned the favour by concludes with Miranda being killed by the waitresses' combined energy. This differs slightly from the way Yuka and Satomi finish her at the end of the OVA.
• Nebulous Evil Organization: The Jyahana Group^note the faction lead by Miranda, which should not be confused with The Jyahana Corporation, which is run by Miranda's daughter Reimi steers the events of the V.G. tournament from behind the scenes by luring unsuspecting entrants into becoming unwitting test subjects. They were also responsible for Daisuke's relapse and had Damian offer to cover the costs of his treatment, on the condition that Satomi enter the tournament. During the tournament, the group uses Satomi for the "Black Goddess" project and field test her abilities in unsanctioned matches all so they could create the ideal host body for Miranda.
• Not Just a Tournament: The prize money and real estate are legit, but they are also a way of luring in unsuspecting entrants. The purpose of the tournament itself is to gauge the power of individual entrants so The Jyahana Group can find the ideal host body for Miranda.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: A flashback of Yuka and Satomi's younger days shows how Yuka made a promise to Satomi that she would not allow herself to lose a fight until they had the chance to face each other in the tournament. This gives Yuka the push she needs to defeat Jun.
• Panty Fighter: Most of the characters who wear some kind of skirt are examples of this. This is especially so with Satomi during her fight with Yuuki as her clothing was damaged.
• The Protagonist: Yuka is the face of the series. In the OVA, she becomes aware of the Jahana Group's involvement in the tournament, once her childhood friend Satomi goes missing. Which causes Yuka to search for Satomi to save her from them.
• Psychic Link: Another key plot element of the OVA is the rapport between Yuka and Satomi, which allows Yuka to sense Satomi's feelings. No explanation is given for it, though it's implied it may be due to either Yuka's empathic ability, or the strength of their bond.
• Repeat Cut: Invoked when Kaori one-shots her unnamed opponent. You get to see it from three different angles.
• Rooftop Confrontation: Noted in the Battle Amongst the Flames entry.
• Ryu and Ken: Yuka and Satomi's rivalry is portrayed in similar fashion:
  • They were taught by Yuka's grandfather and grew up together as sparring partners at his dojo.
  • Likewise, once The Jyahana Group learns of their rivalry and Satomi's latent potential, they manipulate her into joining the tournament and subject her to the "Black Goddess" project to turn her against Yuka—similar to how Bison uses Ken to get to Ryu in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
• Scenery Censor: Invoked at various times during the OVA, but most noticeably during the scene where Jun strips. While the in-universe crowd sees everything, the ropes are positioned to cover the appropriate areas of Jun's body.
• Serious Business: Taken to literal extremes:
  • In addition to the prize money and real estate, the winner also earns a year's worth of free advertising for their place of employment.
  • Some of the participants have corporate sponsors, while multi-national conglomerates have market shares in the tournament. Even the Prime Minister puts his schedule on hold to watch V.G. matches. In Variable Geo, combat waitressing is exactly what it says: Serious. Business.
• Sex Sells: Invoked in-series, as the promise of public nudity is the main draw of the V.G. tournament. The audience gets to watch hot waitresses duke it out in the ring, then see a free strip show afterward. At Level-1, they even get to see the loser masturbate in the ring.
• Sexy Discretion Shot: Invoked when Kaori's opponent is forced to carry out the penalty for losing at Level-1. Kaori's face is in the foreground of the shot to prevent the viewer from seeing it. The scene changes just as she steps out of the way.
• Shameful Strip: A fighter who loses any match at Level-3 or above must do this. The penalty is first seen at the end of Jun's preliminary bout with Yuka; although the match was only a Level-4, Jun stripped naked anyway as she felt there was no place for mediocrity in V.G.
• Slow-Motion Pass-By: This happens when Reimi, driving a luxury car, passes Yuka and Jun on their motorcycle.
• Spiritual Successor: While hardly a carbon copy, Variable Geo does share several key plot points in common with Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.
  • Both centre around the rivalry between the protagonist and deuteragonist—old sparring partners who made a vow to settle their rivalry one day with one last decisive match.
  • The rival is soon noticed by the Nebulous Evil Organization, who learns of their competition with the protagonist and kidnaps them/manipulates them into becoming a test subject. Whereas Bison uses the Psycho Drive to enslave Ken in Street Fighter, V.G. has the "Black Goddess" project, which is used to enslave Satomi.
  • Both Street Fighter and V.G. climax with a confrontation between the friend/rival pair, with Ryu trying to get through to Ken and Yuka doing the same for Satomi. Both end with the rival coming back to their senses in time to unleash their combined might and defeat the Big Bad.
• Supernatural Martial Arts: Since the OVA is based on a fighting game, nearly all the characters use some form of ki blasts, ki enhanced attacks, and Elemental Powers.
• Sympathetic Sentient Weapon: The crux of the OVA's plot focuses on Satomi as she is manipulated by The Jyahana Group into joining the tournament. She accepts their offer to save her brother; in exchange, she unwittingly gives up her body and her free will.
• Thanks for the Mammary: Yuka and Satomi both wind up on the receiving end from Yuuki and Manami, respectively.
  • During the opening exchange of her first match, Yuuki restrains Satomi with an arm lock, then slips her hand down her vest and fondles her. Satomi shrugs free and tells her to knock it off, but Yuuki ignores her and shreds Satomi's uniform to expose her breasts and panties.
  • When Yuka gets a mysterious phone call telling her to come to Osaka, Manami startles Yuka by squeezing one of her breasts from behind—after which, Manami introduces herself and reveals she was the caller.
• There Can Be Only One: As previously noted, there are no runner-up positions, or conciliatory prizes in V.G. Only one can become the tournament's grand champion.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Yuka and Satomi are noted as two of the most skilled and powerful combatants in the V.G. tournament for a reason: Both of their ultimate attacks are capable of outright killing their opponents.
• Tomboy:
  • Yuka and Satomi are both naturally athletic as a result of years of competition in full-contact martial arts. Between the two, Satomi is the straighter example, due to her short hair and overall appearance.
  • Jun has a toned physique from years of amateur wrestling and weightlifting, and she spends her downtime biking and knocking back brewskies.
• Took a Level in Badass: This applies to the cast in general, as the OVA gives several of them a considerable increase in power:
  • Yuka's Kikou Dan looks more like her Kyuukyo Kikou Dan DM, whereas the Kyuukyo Kikou Dan itself is upgraded to a Wave-Motion Gun. Her Soryu Gekki becomes a One-Hit Kill.
  • Satomi gains an ultimate attack that is exclusive to the OVA. It is reminiscent of Kyo Kusanagi's "Ama no Murakumo" DM, which was lethal enough to nearly kill Yuuki.
  • Erina also gains an OVA-exclusive attack: Near the end of her match with Yuka, she unleashes a massive plume of flame from overhead that strikes with the explosive power of a satellite strike.
  • Reimi becomes a nigh-unbeatable adversary, to the point that Miranda had to cheat so Reimi would be eliminated from the tournament.
• Unwitting Pawns: None of the combatants know about V.G.'s true purpose, which is to determine which of them will become the vessel for Miranda Jyahana's disembodied spirit.

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