Dominion Tank Police (1988-2006) [OVA Review]

Dominion Tank Police; or, Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain

     Well, I wouldn't mind sending the guys out with atomic bombs instead of guns. If A-bombs can deter wars, they can deter crimes. Of course, we'll never completely deter crime in this world. You people gave us the tanks to fight the bad guys. We've known that the law creating the Tank Police was a bad one. But a law is a law! The Tank Police must stay on the front lines of this fight! I'm not asking you to find a cure for society. But if you want law and order, give us more tanks! Don't you understand?! We're already in the middle of a war!

Having suffered from the recent lack of Patlabor, I decided to look for some anime similar in tone and style to the unforgettable mecha series. Many sites, including MAL, named Dominion Tank Police as the go-to substitute. Needless to say, I became interested in the recommendation and ended up watching this old-ish OVA about over-the-top police officers in tanks.
Release Info

Created by: Masamune Shirow Voice actors: Hiromi Tsuru, Rei Sakuma, Yuusaku Yara, Ookura Masaaki, Yuuko Mita, Michie Tomizawa, Shigeru Chiba, Ichiro Nagai, Aya Hisakawa, Nina Kumagaya, Hiroyuki Shibamoto, Satsuki Yukino

Language: Japanese Original Title: ドミニオン No. of eps: 11

Synopsis

Welcome to the futuristic city of Newport. The pollution and intensification of bacteria in the air has become so severe that people have to wear gas masks whenever they are going outside. The crime rate also increased significantly. In order to protect the city, the police department has been equipped with large, military-style tanks. Leona Ozaki is a young and determined officer transferred from the motorcycle division. She accidentally crashes her tank during the first patrol, but she does not give up. From the collected scrap, she and her partner Al build a mini-tank which she fondly calls “Bonaparte”. Leona rushes to the streets of Newport in order to face off against gangs of thieves as well as corporate villains.

 

Extreme Problems Require Extreme Solutions

At the beginning of this review, it should be noted that the anime was adapted from a manga, simply entitled Dominion, created by none other than Masamune Shirow. The manga was serialised and published in 1986. Another manga called Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise was released in 1995. To be honest, I was surprised how much Dominion Tank Police has in common with Patlabor: The Mobile Police, both of which premiered the same year. Apart from the two shows’ light-hearted feels, the main heroine, Leona Ozaki, has a very similar attitude to Noa Izumi. What is more, they both give names to the machines they love. In addition, the great Shigeru Chiba gave his voice to the supporting characters in both shows.

 

However, Dominion Tank Police also has a great deal of differences. It feels like a satirical take on the what-if scenario about the world that is ruled by extremists. Members of the law enforcement are not knights in shining armour and they are not bothered by political correctness. In the first episode, we see the Squad Leader, Charles Benten, reading a guide How To Kill, and two other officers harassing the suspect by playing golf with grenades instead of balls. That’s the irreplaceable atmosphere of the 1980s!

 

The anime, in fact, has three different series that were made over the course of 20 years. So, if you are keen on checking out the OVAs, but you don’t know where to start, here’s the quick guide:

• Dominion Tank Police (1988): The four-part OVA which serves as the prequel to the events presented in the manga. We see the beginnings of Leona and how she chases after the Buaku Gang which is composed of an android and two Puma Twins, Annapuma and Unipuma. The gang is on the service of a higher authority and the small time crooks unknowingly contribute to a scheme that aims to wipe out Newport City.
• New Dominion Tank Police (1993-1994). The second OVA which lasts for six episodes. This time, it takes place after the events from the manga. Leona and her fellow police officers, together the Mayor of Newport City, are trying to combat a series of high-tech terrorist attacks. Even though the police does more damage than the actual progress, Leona uncovers a conspiracy of business sharks who want to get rich by developing the weapons industry.
• Tank S.W.A.T. 01 (2006): One episode made entirely in CGI. It feels more like a reboot or an adaptation of the second manga series. Leona was promoted to the Squad Leader and the Puma Twins are now members of the police force. They work on rescuing a fellow officer who has been taken hostage by an unknown android.

In total, the anime has 11 episodes which range in runtime from 30 to 45 minutes. The three OVAs were produced by different companies so the style differs from show to show. I safely recommend Dominion Tank Police (1988) as well as New Dominion Tank Police (1993-1994). Tank S.W.A.T. Police 01 (2006)… not really. The story is interesting and it’s a good comeback after the years, but the CGI is really off in some places.

 

I enjoyed Dominion Tank Police for the unusual setting (city after some sort of ecological disaster), colourful characters (Leona, Al, Benten, the Puma Twins), and City Pop/Rock soundtrack provided by Yoichiro Yoshikawa (first OVA) and Ayako Udagawa (second OVA). The animation level was also quite stylish and very 90-ish.

 

Recommendations

I recommend this anime to anyone who seeks funny, fast-paced, and action-packed series. 11 episodes will probably fly by quick, but the experience will certainly be worthwhile. I wish we could get more Dominion Tank Police nowadays. This franchise together with Appleseed are such underrated gems from the hands of Masamune Shirow and it is quite a shame that they were overshadowed by the ever-lasting Ghost in the Shell. Good old stuff.

Overall score: 8/10