Mention Playgirl in the US, and the first thing most people think of is an out of print magazine that featured scantily clad men with lush, full chest hair — because it was all for the ladies (or so the publishers said).

The original Playgirl in Japan, apparently, is some sort of Asian Charlie’s Angels variant, though according to JapanSugoi, it predated the Aaron Spelling T-and-A schlockfest by five years — like Simba and the Lion King, and ninjas in general and the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles. A follow-on series, Playgirl Q, was the sequel to the series, not unlike what Galactica 1980 was to the original Battlestar Galactica (though presumably without the part about finding a post-disco Earth).

Also of note: the Playgirl Q series quite possibly features the only ’70s vintage Pontiac Firebird in Japan at the time. If you don’t believe me, I dare you to find another. Truly all heady, historic stuff.

JapanSugoi: Playgirl Q is the sequel to Playgirl (Japanese TV)

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