For every genre-defining work, there exist thousands of me-toos having variable quality. Since most of the derivatives aren't doing anything extraordinary, they are made or broken on skill of execution. Yasuomi Umetsu's Mezzo property lies squarely in the danger-for-hire genre, where motley crews take on work that would land an ordinary person in jail. It started as an OVA named Mezzo Forte (Italian, meaning "moderately loud") which pits the three member Danger Service Agency against the crazy daughter of a baseball-team owner, when they enter into a contract to kidnap said owner. The OVA is a straight-up action fest, filled with violence and openly-pornographic eye candy.

Mezzo DSA tones down the gratuity in order to be on television, and is better off for it. It's a "contract of the week" series, which brings back the main cast: Kurokawa, the noodle-crazed boss and founder; Harada, the tech whiz; and Mikura, the brawn of the operation. The boss is obsessed with his hair loss, and likes to put on Mikura's exercise gear when she's not around. Mikura spits out whatever's on her mind, and is a little bit more gun-happy than the others are comfortable with. Harada has a crush on Mikura, which of course he denies and she doesn't notice, and the boss gets in his digs whenever possible. The group itself is an amusement.

The series introduces a new character, Asami, a timid schoolgirl who admires Mikura's strength. (They meet when Mikura saves Asami from an explosion.) As one might expect, the two men do their best to discourage her from coming around, but she grows on them.

Each episode features a new contract, be it bodyguard work, transportation of dangerous items, or saving the planet from aliens. Kurokawa cracks bad jokes, Harada takes care of the intel, and Mikura beats up or shoots the bad guys — usually both. Asami hangs around and tries to help, with occasional success at being useful. This is the experience throughout most of the show. It takes care not to dip too deeply into the intrigue pot, and it doesn't waste time pondering life, the universe, or why the execs made it add a lolicon character.

The fact that the series doesn't dig very deep is both boon and bane. Harada's expertise at AI and computer machinery is glossed over, mostly, and featured only in the context of seeing the team out of harms way. An episode on his past is wasted with a romance gone wrong, and in the end, we know him only as the guy with the knowledge. A similar tragedy befalls Kurokawa, the chief. We get to know him as the guy who greases palms to ensure the DSA's continued existence, but learn little of his motive for starting the group in the first place. Mikura, by contrast, needs little explanation. Her big heart and sharp tongue leave the viewer with little doubt as to her character.

One point of confusion: Mikura is well endowed, but her assets are understated during the actual episodes. The opening sequence primes the viewer for a deluge of jugs and cheeks, and even throws in a few prime poses at the end, to sate the voyeur in all of us [males]. But instead of a mountain of recycled panty shots and jiggly things, the show treats us to well-choreographed action. The ogle-worthy angles are a garnish to the fight scenes rather than a cheap substitute — appreciated, no doubt, but the other scenes are stingy with the Mikura too! I call false advertising.

In a sense, the show experienced one regression from the OVA, with all its gritty violence, sex, and violent sex. Compared with its predecessor, the TV show is tame as a pussycat. With the exception of a two episode arc that extends the OVA story, no character is forced to give up something precious, or make difficult choices. Instead, the show sees comedy in danger, and aims for a familial presence — like the Three Musketeers, with little Asami as Musketeer in Training.

In fact, the ending arc might come across as awkward to viewers indoctrinated with the humorous escapades of previous episodes. While not quite a return to the grit and grime of works past, the show's finale does manage to inject a dose of seriousness and foreboding into the mix. One of the DSA members has a contract killer out for his head, and the customer sees to it that the DSA itself feels some squeeze. In the end, I find myself enjoying what the series did, lamenting its apparent loss of bravery in the face of censors, and satisfied that the Mezzo property received the chance to flesh itself out with more animations.