Ask John: Are the Project A-ko Girls Gay?

Question:
I recently had a chance to watch Project A-ko 1-3 and A-ko vs Battle 1 & 2. Am I imagining things, or are A-ko & B-ko bisexual & C-ko is a lesbian?

Answer:
There’s probably some exaggeration in your perception of Project A-ko, but you’re not entirely off the mark either. Project A-ko director Yuji Moriyama has confirmed that Project A-ko was originally intended to be an episode of the Cream Lemon hentai anime video series. But as production on the original film got underway, it became clear that Project A-ko had a greater potential as a mainstream anime than as a hentai anime. The sex that would have been included had Project A-ko been an adults only film was never created, but traces of the adult nature of the film do still exist.

C-ko’s devotion to A-ko is purely childish friendship and possessiveness. And A-ko cares for C-ko in a big-sister fashion rather than out of any romantic interest. The fact that A-ko falls for Kei in Project A-ko 3 also provides evidence that A-ko is heterosexual. However, B-ko’s bath scene in the original movie does clearly suggest that her interest in C-ko is sexual in nature.