On September 11th, 1992, "Joker's Favor", the 22nd episode of the landmark TV show Batman: The Animated Series, introduced viewers to psychiatrist turned costumed criminal Harley Quinn, changing the lives of everyone in Gotham City (no matter the media representation) forever. A year later, the 56th episode "Harley and Ivy" saw the clown princess of crime meet Batman's greenest foe Poison Ivy, and this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship (much to the chagrin of Gotham, Batman, and the Joker himself). Harley's star has risen ever since, and all the while her and Ivy's friendship over the years has evolved into something a little more. The two of them are pretty much Gotham City's second Dynamic Duo, though one that straddles between being on the side of the angels and, well, the opposite. PLUS, and fitting for today's subject, the two recently got in on the crossover game when they crossed paths with the twin teen queens of Riverdale in the miniseries Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_%26_Ivy_Meet_Betty_%26_Veronica
Inspired by that match-up, I decided to bring them in for another 'East-Meets-West'-type crossover, one that pairs them with another famous female twosome, a duo who are probably one of the most famous in manga and anime: the title heroines of Haruka Takachiho and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's Dirty Pair.
Originating as a series of light novels, the stories take place "in the years 2138–43, by which time humanity has spread across some few thousand star systems. A corporation called the World Welfare Works Association (WWWA or 3WA) helps member systems of the United Galactica (UG) federation deal with various planetary-scale problems, for profit, by sending agents called "trouble consultants". The series focuses on a team of trouble consultants in that section, named Kei and Yuri (codenamed the "Lovely Angels"), who have a reputation for leaving a trail of destruction behind them, for which they are known publicly as the "Dirty Pair". In addition to the eight novels published between 1980 and 2007, the series was adapted into a number of mediums, from a Dark Horse-published comic book (illustrated by Adam Warren), to two Japanese radio shows, both Japanese and English graphic novels, and that which will inform the most of this fancast depiction, the 1985 Animage Anime Grand Prix prize-winning TV series and its OVA and feature film follow-ups.
So hang tight and buckle up for a wild ride in the future, in an anime movie idea simply titled:
#DVD cover art: An original piece by Marcus To (https://comicvine.gamespot.com/marcus-to/4040-41773/).
#Plot
Harley and Ivy, on the run from both the Gotham police and Batman, use a desperate measure in the form of a pocket watch Harley 'borrowed' from the Clock King, revealed to be an experimental portable time machine. Intending to use it to jump four minutes into the future, a startled Harley accidentally sets the parameters to four centuries, landing the two in the 25th century timeline [as a cross between actual D.C. Comics depictions and the setting of The Dirty Pair]. Unfortunately, the time machine's power source is sucked dry in the process, meaning unless the two find a way to refuel it, they're stuck in the future. Ivy gets a brainstorm and suggests she and Harl take it to a guy she happens to know from this time period: her one-time fellow member of the Secret Society of Supervillains, Eobard Thawne, aka Professor Zoom the Reverse Flash. Leaving it with him for the time being, the two set out and explore the future metropolis they're in. It's not too long before they unintentionally grab the attention of local law enforcement, who wind up befuddled by Harley and Ivy's usual brand of mischief, forcing the cops to call up World Welfare Work Association (3WA) chief Andrew Gooley. Gooley reluctantly decides to call in his best 'trouble consultants' Kei and Yuri, codenamed the 'Lovely Angels' (though nicknamed the 'Dirty Pair' by the press), to capture the two, leading to a long and hilarious chase. Though the Pair manage to eventually catch Harley and Ivy, while transporting them to 3WA HQ for debriefing they're immediately dispatched to handle a crisis-in-the-making stemming from an ultimatum issued by the supervillainous Kobra cult. Overhearing playback of the cult's ultimatum, Ivy instantly realizes what they're doing--they plan to unleash a bio-weapon she herself unintentionally developed for them back in the past, meaning she's the only one who knows how to beat it. Kei and Yuri reluctantly decide to team up with Harley and Ivy in order to stop Kobra's leader Lady Naja from making good on her threat.
+Some notable bits of parody and satire present throughout the film:
1. The way Harley and Ivy travel through time riffs on the time-warp sequences from Mr. Peabody and Sherman, with cameos from time travelers such as the hero of H.G. Wells' novel; Marty McFly and Doc Brown; Tony Newman and Doug Phillips from the TV series The Time Tunnel; Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap; an expy of Marvel's Cable; and of course D.C. stalwarts Rip Hunter, Booster Gold, and the Legion of Super-Heroes.
2. We get introduced to Kei and Yuri while the former picks up the latter from the airport; while driving in their car, the two engage in a spoof of the 'royale with cheese' conversation from Pulp Fiction.
3. While poking around a clothing boutique in the city, in a riff on Pretty Woman (1990), Harley tries on different outfits based on famous female sci-fi characters, all of which Ivy shakes her head at: the title heroine of Barbarella, both Rachel and Pris from Blade Runner, Leeloo from The Fifth Element, and Seven-of-Nine from Star Trek: Voyager.
4. While running from the future police, part of the chase is a homage to the opening title sequence of The Jetsons, with Harley dropping bombs from hers and Ivy's stolen car instead of the Jetson family.
5. When confronted by Kei and Yuri for the first time, Harley asks a bazooka-wielding Kei "Waitaminute--aren't you gonna tell me to 'say hullo to your leetle friend?'. [Kei: Really? MAN I hate that cliche.]
6. During a sequence where Kei and Yuri nearly have Harley and Ivy in custody, Yuri and an assisting officer (modeled and named after Leona Onzaki from the manga/anime Dominion Tank Police) frisk the two for weapons in a pastiche of a similar scene from The Mask:
The items dug out of Harley's pockets consist of:
Yuri: Giant foam cowboy hat.
Onzaki: Cowbell.
Yuri: Big Mouth Billy Bass. [Kei: They still make those things?]
Onzaki: Bagpipes.
Yuri: [*SNAP*] YIPE! Mousetrap. [*I had to leave that bit in, it's just too funny.*]
Onzaki: Boxing nun puppet. [Harley: A lil' to the right...]
Yuri: Furby.
Onzaki: Cartoonishly giant-size mallet. [Harley: That was a gift.]
Yuri: Novelty X-ray specs. [Harley: Total waste of money.]
Onzaki: Flamethrower. [Harley: I DO have a license for that.]
Yuri: Picture of Kei's boyfriend. [Harley: Oopsie.]
Kei: WHAT?!? [Grabs the picture.] CHARLIE! [Glares angrily at Harley.] You b*%&#!
Harley: What? Ya looked like you could take a joke. After all--YOU'RE datin' the lug.
Kei [a la Homer Simpson]: Why you little--!
Harley [after hyper-slapping Kei and Yuri silly]: Ooh, DAT'S gonna leave a mark. Bye! [Runs off, Ivy in-hand.]
Kei [shaking off her daze]: After them! [Points forward, revealing Harley snuck handcuffs on her and Yuri, much to their chagrin.] Grrr....
Yuri: Okay, THAT does it--I OFFICIALLY hate clowns.
7. Harley and Ivy, upon hearing of Kobra's ultimatum:
Ivy: Kobra? They're still around in this century?
Harley: Wait, are we talkin' about the blue-clad ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world?
Ivy [a la Hello Nurse from Animaniacs]: No no no, the green, scaly, fanatical cult-like organization determined to rule the world. (Also, they spell it with a K.)
Harley: Seriously? Who runs the show, a 4th-grader?
8. In Harley and Ivy and Kei and Yuri's reluctant team-up, numerous nods to the classic buddy-cop film 48 Hrs. can be found.
9. When Harley confronts a skeptical Lady Naja to prove she's the real deal, she quotes Truman Capote in the Neil Simon film Murder By Death: "I know wat'cha thinkin'--'How do I look so young?' Quite simple--a complete vegetable diet, 12 hours sleep a night, and LOTS and LOTS of makeup."
#Voice Cast
+Melissa Rauch as the voice of Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1851981/?ref_=nv_sr_2
Now to be honest, I actually did like Rauch's voice for the character in the not-so-much-liked Batman and Harley Quinn. It's my thinking (and a paraphrasing of that old saying) that while the spirit was willing, the material was weak. I think Rauch should have another shot at the character (which I hope will be the case for the upcoming animated Harley Quinn series), so with some stronger material she might win more fans over. This hypothetical crossover I feel would make such stronger material, as here she can really take the character to greater comedic lengths instead of adhering to the style of a quasi-DC Animated Universe. I'd like to see her tackle Harley as if she were Bugs Bunny in attitude--like what was on display in another recent comic crossover (and my favorite of the second wave of DC/Looney Tunes one-shots), Harley Quinn/Gossamer.
+Mayim Bialik as the voice of Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080524/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Bialik occurred to me because she and Rauch worked well together on The Big Bang Theory, and I felt it could extend well to a story told behind the mic instead of the camera. If anything, Bialik's Poison Ivy would serve as the perfect sardonic straight gal to Rauch's wild, wacky n' witty Harley, almost like the Dean Martin to Harley's Jerry Lewis, the Shirley to her Laverne--the Veronica to her Betty. ;)
+Emily Bett Rickards as the voice of Kei
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4703025/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Kei is the tomboyish and more outgoing of the Lovely Angels. Her fierce red hair matches her temper and woe betide the person whom faces her wrath. She is highly motivated and will often move forward, sometimes regardless of the consequences. Kei is an expert shot and is highly skilled in unarmed combat. She favors large weaponry and has a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude. Kei apparently dates a number of men; however, despite her evident charms, she has not managed to gain a steady relationship.
After years of seeing her as courageous computer whiz Felicity Smoak in the Arrowverse, I felt that I wanted to see (or hear) Rickards in a role that was the total opposite of her: brash, brassy, and triggerhappy. Plus, I think she could also manage the comic timing that comes with Dirty Pair territory.
+Kat Dennings as the voice of Yuri
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0993507/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Yuri, while the more feminine of the two, is known to become very violent when crossed. Yuri displays a more cultured and sophisticated attitude than Kei. Yuri is also crack shot and also quite skilled in unarmed combat, though she frequently uses melee or non-firing ranged weaponry, like energy whips and throwing cards. Yuri is not seen dating as much as Kei, though she did have a childhood sweetheart named Billy Galet. Yuri frequently reads gossip magazines, and shares a different taste in music than Kei.
Dennings is another who I think shouldn't be pigeon-holed into one archetype, namely her Two Broke Girls character, so with Yuri, I picture her giving a 'Frasier'-type a try. With a characterization like Yuri's, I think she and Rickards' Kei would have pretty good comedic chemistry together.
+Dee Baker as the voice of Mughi
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Dee-Bradley-Baker/
Mughi is a large cat/bear-like creature who sometimes accompanies the Dirty Pair on their missions. He has some proficiency with electronic devices, Kei and Yuri usually relying on his help as co-pilot or gun-runner while their spaceship the Lovely Angel orbits the planet they're on, but typically takes a passive role in the Dirty Pair's adventures. In the anime series, Mughi is depicted as more like a cat or small furry pet than the somewhat threatening creature seen in the novels. Mughi's name has been said to be an acronym for "Military Unit of Genetic Higher Intelligence", according to the character designer. When Harley and Ivy prove to be too uncooperative when cornered, Kei and Yuri go drastic and have Mughi (appearing behind Harley and Ivy, much to their surprise) simply lay down on top of them, pinning the two down and allowing Kei and Yuri to apprehend them at last.
Baker, being just as much a virtuoso with creature noises as the likes of Frank Welker, is a great bet for voicing the Dirty Pair's combination answer to both Chewbacca and Scooby-Doo.
+Janice Kawaye as the voice of Nanmo
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Janice-Kawaye/
Nanmo is a small robot owned by the Dirty Pair. Usually referred to as a "she", Nammo communicates sometimes through beeps and whistles and has one known arm, as well as the ability to fly in space, operate and repair vehicles, and use hand weapons. She's first met by Harley and Ivy while the two are in Kei and Yuri's custody en route to 3WA HQ for debriefing, assigned to keep an eye on them while in-transit. When Harley asks if she's related to R2D2, Nanmo, not pleased, calls her 'machine-ist', and tells them to behave themselves during the ride--with the added incentive of showing them her entire hidden arsenal, scaring the wisecracks out of both.
Kawaye definitely sprung to mind when it came to sweet-voiced robots, if her time as XJ-9 (aka Jenny) on My Life as a Teenage Robot is any indicator.
+Christopher McDonald as the voice of Chief Andrew Francis Gooley
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001520/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Andrew Francis Gooley is Kei & Yuri's immediate supervisor. He has the unenviable task with assigning the Lovely Angels assignments, as well as writing the paperwork on the damage they cause. While they cause him much grief (and stomach pains), he still cares for them greatly and is confident in their abilities. They, in turn, are fiercely loyal to him, even disobeying orders in order to rescue him. Throughout the story, even he is still a bit skeptical when it comes to hearing that long-believed missing wanted crooks like Harley and Ivy are back and running amok.
I've always liked McDonald's voice for authority-type figures, going back to his role in The Iron Giant. So he was my definite pick for Gooley's latest VA. Were I directing him, I'd suggest he take a page from the unlikely combo of Herbert Lom's Inspector Dreyfuss from the Pink Panther movies and Harrison Page's beleaguered Captain Trunk in the cult-classic cop-spoofer Sledge Hammer!.
+Christopher Corey Smith as the voice of the Reverse Flash/Eobard Thawne
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Christopher-Corey-Smith/
Arch-foe to the Flash, scientist Eobard Thawne gets an unexpected visit from his one-time SSoSV comrade Poison Ivy when she and Harley Quinn wind up in the 25th century. When presented with their dilemma and the pocket watch at the heart of it all, he decides to help them out as a favor to Ivy, calling them even for when he asked her to whip up a special cologne for him. He also does it out of scientific curiosity over how a pedestrian intellect like William Tockman was able to build a working time machine in the first place.
For this particular take on Professor Zoom (who at best serves a minor role in this whole picture), I felt Smith's Slayde from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia would be a good fit for Thawne, minus the toady-ness from that character.
+Strike Force Kobra
Originally a team of supervillains formed by Kobra to fight the Batman-led team the Outsiders, in the 25th century Strike Force Kobra is the quartet of elite female meta-agents acting as the personal guard to the cult's leader Lady Naja.
-Tia Carrere as the voice of Lady Naja
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000119/?ref_=nv_sr_1
A descendant of Jeffery Burr (the original Kobra) and his right-hand woman/paramour Lady Eve, Lady Naja is the over-the-top, treacherous, self-serving current head of Kobra in the 25th century who's also a deadly fighter herself. She spearheads their latest scheme involving a bio-weapon Lady Eve--posing as an aspiring eco-terrorist--hired Poison Ivy to develop back in the 21st century. Having grown up idolizing supervillainesses of the past, she winds up unintentionally revealing her fangirl side when Harley and Ivy prove themselves to be the real things when they 'audition' to join the group. Immediate betrayal sets in when it's revealed that it's all part of a plan the two worked out with the Dirty Pair, causing her to send the rest of her Strike Force in to attack in a rage.
I can thank @ILoveStargirl for this wonderful casting idea--combining her memorable portrayal of Queen Tyr'ahnee of Mars from Duck Dodgers with the campy grandiosity of a Batman '66 villain would allow her to give us one unforgettable performance.
-Christina Valenzuela as the voice of Dervish (alt-choice: Sumalee Montano)
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Cristina-Valenzuela/
A Queraci woman named Nema subject to a process that turned her into a speedster.
-Misty Lee as the voice of Fauna
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Misty-Lee/
Daughter of villainous sorceror Felix Faust, she possesses mystical abilities that enable her to link with 'The Red', which gives her oneness with all animal life. She can communicate with and control any sort of animal or insect. Fauna can also also use them as familiars, allowing her to see and hear through them. She and her girlfriend/teammate Syonide prove to be quite a match for Harley and Ivy, especially the latter considering what she sees as a great fight between the Red (fauna) and the Green (flora).
Considering her husband Paul Dini co-created Harley Quinn in the first place, ILoveStargirl hit the mark with bringing Lee into this picture.
-Lauren Landa as the voice of Syonide (alt-choice: Nicole Sullivan)
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Lauren-Landa/
A woman named Nikki who's the girlfriend of Fauna and a toxicology expert that uses an electric whip and a dart gun as weapons. During the fight that ensues between the two and Harley and Ivy, Syonide mentions that it's a shame that she and fellow toxin-jock Ivy are enemies, as they could've made quite a threesome [it's unknown whether she was serious or not].
-Cindy Robinson as the voice of Spectra (alt-choice: Virginia Madsen)
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Cindy-Robinson/
#Post-Credits Scene:
A short while after Harley and Ivy have returned to their own time, Kei and Yuri are back at 3WA HQ for the debriefing of their mission...along with yet another lecture from Gooley over the property damage left in their wake. They're interrupted when Gooley's assistant drops in with a big wrapped present for Kei and Yuri, saying it was left at the front desk for them. Kei looks at a tag attached:
"Kei and Yuri--
Thanks for showing us a good time. It was fun while it lasted. Thought we'd get you a little something as a token of our appreciation. Toodles!
--H & I"
Kei [confused]: Huh--well, that was nice of them.
Yuri [skeptical]: Why do I get the feeling there's a catch...?
Gooley: Well, go ahead--what're you waiting for? Open it.
[Kei cuts the ribbon while Yuri carefully lifts the lid, with Gooley peeking from under his desk and the assistant ducking behind the door. Once the lid's off....Nothing happens.]
Yuri [leaning in to look in the box]: Well, that was anticlimactic.
Kei [doing the same]: Yeah, what's the big deal anywa--
[A couple of spring-loaded cream pies pop out of the box, right into Kei and Yuri's faces. ] *SPROING!* *SPLAT!* [Gooley and the assistant, trying to stifle their chuckles at first, break out into laughter. Kei and Yuri are clearly not amused.]
Yuri [tasting a bit of the pie on her face]:....Coconut cream and custard? I never mix my pies.
[*Paraphrasing Jack Lemmon in The Great Race (1965).*]
Kei: Ah, shut yer pie hole.
Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for the one and only Ms. NANCY SINATRA: