OAV Synopsis
The Adventures of Kotetsu OAV spans only two twenty-five minute episodes, despite the fact that it is based on a much longer manga series. It is likely that more episodes were planned, even if they weren't ever produced, based on the fact that there are a lot of characters in the opening credits who never appear in either of the first two episodes.
This page only contains minor spoilers.
Episode One
The episode opens with Mikado Tatsuya, a nerdy priest/puppet master, sitting alone in some dark creepy place, staring at video monitors. He happens to be using an itty-bitty little spy camera, mounted on an itty-bitty little robot, to trail one lovely Kuon Miho as she walks down a crowded sidewalk in Tokyo. Of course, Tatsuya seems to be most excited about the particular *angle* of footage that his low-rolling little camera allows him to record (panty shots, ahoy!). This is the viewer's first introduction to Tatsuya's character.
Suddenly, Tatsuya's video screen is filled with a gigantic pair of blue, blinking, curious eyes. They belong to Suzuki Linn, a young girl who actually noticed the tiny little robot skittering along on the sidewalk and decided to take a closer look.
A few moments later, Linn is set upon by a group of scary-looking thugs. The criminals think that they can take advantage of the girl, who looks small and frail, and is obviously traveling alone. One attempts to grab her, but she humiliates him by whipping his belt right out from around his pants and causing his pants to fall down. This REALLY makes the thugs mad, and they attack Linn. Fortunately, Miho, who is passing by at the moment, steps in and proceeds to beat up on the bad guys. A moment later, Miho and Linn are surrounded by bruised and battered thugs lying still and unmoving all over the sidewalk.
Tatsuya, who has been watching the spectacle via video, decides to "test" Miho's true combat abilities. He chants an incantation, and scrolls suddenly appear on the foreheads of the defeated thugs. They arise again, like zombies, and attack.
Linn takes this opportunity to quickly introduce herself to Miho, and then unsheathes the sword that she has been carrying. Linn immediately notices the scrolls on the thugs' foreheads, and cuts them off. The thugs collapse to the ground, harmless once again.
Tatsuya chants another incantation, and suddenly, a nearby statue of a stone dog comes to life and attacks Linn. Linn tries to defend herself with her sword, but the dog strikes her, and bites off a sizable chunk of her hair. Linn strikes back, and slices through the scroll attached to the dog. The stone dog breaks and falls to the ground.
Miho watches the fight in disbelief. Her curiousity aroused, she decides to drag Linn back to her work office (her own self-run detective agency) to see what else she can find out about this strange new girl.
In her office, Miho fixes Linn's mangled hair into a cute braid. Linn reveals that she has left her martial arts training school in Kyoto to search for her missing brother, Tetsujin, in Tokyo. Miho is surprised when she realizes that Suzuki Tetsujin used to be one of her assistants at her detective agency. However, Tetsujin mysteriously vanished a while ago. Miho promptly gives Linn the nickname "Kotetsu," which means "little Tetsu," after her brother.
After the scene in Miho's office finishes, we see Tatsuya sitting in on a shadowy meeting with several shady-looking old businessmen. The leader of these men, Minagawa Taizo, has hired Tatsuya (a member of an organization at this point only referred to as "The Syndicate") to murder Kuon Miho. Miho's agency has been investigating Taizo and has found out that he has been accepting bribes. Tatsuya reveals his secret weapon - a perfect puppet clone of Miho - and warns Taizo not to double-cross or betray him. He promises to kill Miho that night, and then he and his puppet leave.
After Tatsuya is gone, Taizo summons his secret weapon to his side - a beautiful female ninja, Kagari, the deadly spirit of an olive tree. Taizo orders Kagari to kill Tatsuya after he finishes off Miho.
Thus we have the set-up for the rest of episode one! Linn and Miho on one side, Tatsuya and his evil puppet Miho on the other, and Kagari out to ice them all - plus a few scenes involving, ah, a bathtub, and one final mostly-nude martial-arts showdown (in the middle of a very wet rainstorm) at the end. If you want to find out what happens next, then go rent, borrow, or buy the anime.
Episode Two
The second episode begins on a cheerful note as Linn and Miho drive to a relaxing weekend vacation at a hot springs out in the country. (If you think that the whole "hot springs" setting is just a shameless excuse to show more scenes of the two wet and naked, then you're right.)
Meanwhile, back at the Kuon Detective Agency, Miho's assistant Mukai is approached by a beautiful woman wearing a kimono and carrying a parasol. Her name is Oni, and she has her own sinister agenda to pursue regarding poor, innocent Mukai.
Next we see Tatsuya, relaxing in some hot springs (which hot springs, you may wonder) and stewing about his personal problems. He seems to have gotten in trouble with the Syndicate because of his failure on his last job, and what's worse, he just can't get Suzuki Linn off his mind. Suddenly, Tatsuya's thoughts are interrupted by the nearby (familiar) laughter of a young girl. "No," he thinks, "it can't be..."
Deep within a dark forest, Kagari hides within a tree, nursing her wounds and plotting her revenge. A male voice speaks to her, and tells her not to fight with Linn again. (The OAV never does reveal who exactly this voice belongs to, although we do know that it does NOT belong to Taizo.) Despite this warning, Kagari tells herself that if she cannot defeat Linn, her "Master" will not want her services anymore. With her heart set on revenge, Kagari leaves to seek out Linn.
And that's the set-up for episode two! Just when it looks like Linn and Tatsuya are clumsily starting to get to know each other, Kagari strikes, and ruins their vacation. When Oni appears at the most inopportune time later on, things only get worse.
