At least she died as a woman. The weather outside is as beautiful as ever this time of the year, so it makes me all the more surprised that I found myself in the mood for some gloomy cyberpunk feels. Needless to say, I decided not to look for the most popular instances of the genre recommended on the internet, but instead I went for something more obscure. As a result, I ended up watching AD Police OVA from the year 1990.
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: ADポリス No. of eps: 3
Synopsis It’s the year 2027. The advancements in the field of cybernetics allow people to replace their organs with artificial substitutes. There are also fully automated androids known as Boomers. If Boomer goes haywire and commits a crime, they are chased by the special mad criminal investigation unit known as AD Police.
Blade Running It should be noted that AD Police is a spin-off series of the Bubblegum Crisis franchise. Actually, the title card at the beginning of each of the three OVA episodes says directly “Another Story of Bubblegum Crisis”. The events of the OVA take place before the first series of Bubblegum Crisis and indirectly focus on the cop character of Leon McNichol and his partner Gina Marceau.
With regard to AD Police,I have to say that I really like the traditional animation style because it’s really evocative of its late 80s/early 90s era. In terms of the visuals themselves and storyline themes, however, you can’t help but notice the overwhelming influence of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. AD Police grows out of the world crafted by Phillip K. Dick in which the uniqueness of human life is constantly questioned amidst hordes of androids who also have their fair share of desires, fears, and personal introspection.
That
being said, I kind of regret watching this OVA primarily because of its
NSFW content. With each episode, things get so adult-oriented and
explicit that by the end of it, I felt as if I was watching hentai.
Sure, the plot of each episode is engaging enough, but the way these are
handled leaves a lot to be desired.
Allegedly, there were supposed to be more episodes of the OVA, but the studios responsible for it fell into some sort of dispute. As a result, AD Police had its continuation years later in the form of another short-lived series and a reboot OVA. People responsible for the creation of AD Police were Tony Takezaki and Suzuki Toshimitsu, who also crafted a manga called AD Police: Shuuen Toshi.
Recommendations All things considered, AD Police Files is a product of its time when there was a huge boom on cyberpunk in the anime industry. Some franchises grew larger than life and lived to tell the tale through decades (see Akira and Ghost in the Shell) but many weren’t so lucky, including AD Police. If you want to get some entertainment value from this, I suggest you watch the whole OVA series at one go in the middle of the night and crank up the volume for the intro song and ending songs. It’s a fairly nice schlock anime experience for one time.
Overall score: 5/10
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Well, I realise I am really late to the party, but as they say, better late than never. Of course, I have been aware of the existence of Zeiram ever since a colleague recommended the film and its sequel after my enthusiastic response to Yukito Kishiro’s Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita. However, I was never in the right mood to sit down and watch (what seemed to be) yet another standard Tokusatsu production of the 1990s. Thankfully, I changed my sentiment and decided to give the movies a chance after reading a wonderful set of reviews penned by Rise from Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan. It is not my intention to rework the wheel and repeat what she did in the form of movie reviews, so allow me to share my perspective on the Zeiram franchise in this one concise editorial. At the same time, I wholeheartedly invite you to read her blog posts as well.
Now that we have the introduction part off the agenda, it is time for a brief summary of what the heck Zeiram is about for readers unfamiliar with the series. Basically, the titular Zeiram is a gruesome monster that can be best described as an amalgam of good-old Terminator and tongue-swirling Xenomorph. Don’t let its traditional appearance from the Edo period fool you, because Zeiram is a perfect biological weapon that can clone any organism it comes in contact with. The monster’s bloody trail paved with corpses is cautiously followed by Iria (Yuko Moriyama), an intergalactic bounty hunter. Iria and her cybernetic partner Bob (voiced by Masakazu Handa) await Zeiram’s arrival on Earth. In order to limit potential casualties, Iria creates an artificial dimension known the Zone in which she entraps Zeiram; however, two unsuspecting electricians, Teppei (Kunihiro Ida) and Kamiya (Yukijiro Hotaru), end up getting entangled in the otherworldly showdown, which causes further hassle for Iria. On the basis of the provided synopsis, one would think that Zeiram (1991) is an adaptation of pre-existing manga or anime, but the movie is a totally original creation by Tokusatsu enthusiast Keita Amemiya, who honed his filmmaking craft in terms of directing, writing, and designing on the sets of Chojin Sentai Jetman, Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, and Kamen Rider. Actually, a six-episode OVA was made on the wave of the film’s popularity, but more on that later.
The first Zeiram movie is like a crossover between survival horror and sci-fi adventure comedy. Many viewers out there describe it as a dark riff on Super Sentai/Power Rangers, but to me Zeiram has more in common with the classic Ultraman as well as the aforementioned Battle Angel Alita. My reasoning behind this stems from the film’s minimalist approach. You have to bear in mind that it was a passion project made on a tight budget; hence, we don’t get over-the-top CGI action done in generic Hollywood style. What we get, however, is a classic Toku spectacle with in-camera effects, rotoscope animation, and composite shots. This is a classic fun ride at its finest and a true labour of love made by Amemiya who had a clear vision of what he was going for.
What is more, I also have to praise the director because (unlike Shinya Tsukamoto or Koji Shiraishi) he never went full gore in terms of violent action. Zeiram, in spite of numerous mindblowing transformations of the titular creature, never veers off the P-13 territory, so the most demanding viewers may feel disappointed, but the film compensates that with thrilling stunts and loveable characters. Firstly, let’s talk about Iria the bounty hunter, brilliantly played by Yuko Moriyama. She is tough, she has the looks, but she is not kawaii. In fact, Iria is the antithesis of a typical Tokusatsu heroine who is frequently played by an idol and objectified on camera. With her eyes and reserved demeanour Iria oozes such confidence and equanimity that she effortlessly gives Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor a run for their money. Hideaki Anno and Shinji Huguchi, instead of drooling over Masami Nagasawa’s legs, should start taking notes on how to create a truly strong female character.
Secondly, we have sidekicks. Again, many modern-day viewers complain that the humour generated by Teppei and Kamiya does not work. Personally, I think that scared-to-death blue collar workers on the run from a walking biological warfare is exactly what the film needed. I can’t help but agree with a letterboxd remark that the two guys give off the vibe of Abbott and Costello meet the Thing. On top of this, they have insane teamwork chemistry with Iria in the film’s bombastic finale. Clearly, at this point of the editorial, you can tell that the Zeiram movie stole my heart. It is exactly the type of light entertainment I needed to kick off summertime, and I am very happy I got myself round to check it out. The same, however, cannot be said about the sequel: Zeiram 2 (1994).
The follow-up flick suffers from the same ailment that plagues many sequels out there. That is to say, it tries to be as awesome as the original, but also twice as loud, twice as explosive, twice as action-packed. Keita Amemiya evidently tried to “up the ante” for lack of a better term, but to me, Zeiram 2 is a major step down. Sure, it has great fights and outstanding special effects, but this time we get more bounty hunters, more jumping in and out of the Zone, more blood, and even animal cruelty, which is a major NO for me in such types of films. In this regard, Zeiram 2 has more in common with Mad Max 2: Road Warrior than with the original Zeiram. In addition, I appreciate the fact that all of the main actors reprise their roles in the sequel, but the way they act in the film leaves a lot to be desired. Kamiya collaborates with Bob (Kazuhiko Inoue) for a change, which is a nice touch; Teppei is basically lost in the Zone for the majority of the film, and Iria has to single-handedly save her favourite electricians while looking for an artefact straight out of Indiana Jones movie and being constantly interrupted by a rival bounty hunter Fujikuro (SABU) and (of course) upgraded Zeiram. It is not until the finale when the gang is reunited, but the feels are no longer as breathtaking as in the previous outing.
Ultimately, Zeiram 2 is an okay movie in my opinion. Amemiya tried to be more inventive this time while trying to repeat what worked in the first part. The sequel has clearly great production value because it was made on a bigger budget, but all the action, production design, and special effects did not make me love it. The overall violence should have been slightly ironed out, and the main heroes should have been given more agency in the story. Last but least, we arrive at the OVA, Iria: Zeiram the Animation, which was also released in 1994, but without Amemiya’s creative input. This show is often labelled as a prequel to what is presented in the movies, but I personally believe that OVA should not be regarded in such a way. At best, it is a remake that strives to retell the Zeiram shenanigans in a different medium and for a completely different target audience. The whole franchise has come full circle at this point and we finally see Iria as an anime heroine (who is more than kawaii, rest assured). However, her origin story is inextricably linked to Zeiram, which is fine in the context of the show because the creators wanted to feature the titular creature in every episode, but this kind of prequel-making in the style of Ridley Scott only ruins the awesomeness of live-action Iria who undoubtedly must have had many more bounty-hunting adventure apart from just fighting Zeiram all her life.
Consequently, it is best to treat OVA as a separate entity, and I am very glad that I saved it for the end of my Zeiram marathon because had I watched before the films, it would have ruined my perception of Iria for sure. Well, I suspect that this works the other way round and the movies ruin the OVA for anime enthusiasts, but this is the kind of vicious circle that has to be broken by your own preferences. Personally, I like the movies more, and specifically the first movie. Check out Zeiram if you can because it is totally worth it: for the story, for the awesome monster, for the kick-ass girl with a gun. My thanks again go to Rise for her blog posts that encouraged me to embark on this sci-fi journey. Peace out to you all and see you around in the Zone.
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Gundress; or, Mecha Charlie’s Angels I
lived according to your word. You were everything to me.Your eyes were
like those of… a stray dog who had lost a fight. You were scared, and
your isolation made you feel that no one loved you. I could understand
how the world looked to those eyes. That’s why I was with you. But I
misunderstood! My exploration of good old cyberpunk anime goes on.
This time I would like to discuss Gundress, an anime feature from 1999,
to which Masamune Shirow contributed as character and mecha designer.
Interestingly, the film generated a bit of controversy among anime fans.
Well, let’s take a closer look at it.
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: ガンドレス Runtime: 85 min
Synopsis Welcome to the
future, it’s the year 2100 in a newly-built Bayside City, an
international port. In order to fight off terrorism and smuggling
operations, private military organisations step into action. The Angel
Arms Company is one of them. It was founded by a former policewoman
Takako (Masako Katsuki), and she leads the group composed of six former
criminals who now enforce the law in special security suits. The team is
ordered to protect an arms-dealer called Hassan (Minoru Inaba) because
he might provide some vital information which will enable the
authorities to bring down the big crime ring. However, crime lords try
to strike back. They send Jean-Luc Skinner (Kenyuu Horiuchi) to kill
Hassan. It turns out that the assassin is a former lover of Angel Arms
pilot, Alissa (Rie Ishizuka).
At the Edge of Cybernet I have to
say that I checked out Gundress completely without having the knowledge
of its troubled production. I think it was for the best. At first
glance, Gundress seems to be a small-budget OVA from the late 1980s,
similar in production value to Shirow’s other anime project, Black Magic M-66 (1987). However, it appears that Gundress had large financial
resources and the backing of a major Japanese studio (Nikkatsu). What is
more, it was intended to be a theatrical(!) release. As a result, when
comparing Gundress to other sci-fi classics released in cinemas (Akira
(1988), Ghost in the Shell (1995)), one can clearly see that something
went horribly wrong in the making process.
It cannot confirm this
rumour, but (allegedly) moviegoers were given leaflets on the premiere
day saying that the film is unfinished and the studio will send them a
home video copy later on… I could not find out more about
behind-the-scenes drama of Gundress, but undeniably the animation studio
could not handle this project properly.
Putting these revelations
aside, I have to say that Gundress works well as an OVA played at home
on your DVD player. It tries to be as wacky as Dominion Tank Police
(1988) and as serious as Ghost in the Shell (1995). In addition, I
enjoyed the concept of Charlie’s Angels fighting the bad guys in mechas.
Masamune Shirow’s designs are always a pleasure to look at.
What is
more, Gundress features an ensemble cast of legendary voice actresses:
Masako Katsuki, Kumiko Watanabe, Akemi Okamura, Reiko Takagi, Rie
Ishizuka, and the late Tomoko Kawakami. It is worth watching this anime
feature, just to listen to their performances.
Recommendations All
things considered, Gundress is harmless fun, but not anything
exceptional. If you happen to find it on a cheap DVD, then go ahead and
grab it. Certainly, it is not worth the price of a cinema ticket. In my
opinion, the storyline would have worked better in the form of a short
series rather than a 90-minute picture.
Overall score: 6/10
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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 ShirowVoice 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: JapaneseOriginal 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.
No past means a clean slate for your soul, no memories to
haunt you.
With the approaching premiere of James Cameron’s dream
project Alita: Battle Angel (2019), I thought that it would be fun to review the
1993 OVA which stemmed from the original manga and served as the introduction
into the world of Gally for many fans. Release Info
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: 銃夢 GUNNM No of eps.: 2
Synopsis
Doctor Daisuke Ido, the cybernetics expert, is scavenging
the garbage heap which has been dumped from the city of Zalem. There, he finds
a female cyborg with an intact head and chest. Ido rebuilds the cyborg, but she
does not remember her past at all. She is given the name Gally and starts
living with Ido. Soon after, Gally discovers that her cybernetic body contains huge
reservoirs of power and knowledge of martial arts. She registers as a bounty
hunter and begins hunting down criminals in the dystopian Iron Scrap City, a place
below the unattainable Zalem.
Rusty Angel/Tears Sign
Due to the increasing talk about the movie over the last
year, I decided to check out the phenomenon of Battle Angel Alita. This is the
English title, actually. For clarity’s sake, I intend to refer to the main
protagonist by her original name, Gally. So at first, there was a 5-year-long manga which was originally released in 9 volumes. OVA came approximately
in the middle of the manga’s release process and its sole purpose was to boost
the comic book sales. As a result, there were no plans intended for a huge
story-arc beyond the two episodes which were made. Allegedly, Yukito Kishiro,
the main creator, did not really care about the OVA either.
It does not change the fact that Gunnm is a stellar instance
of animated science-fiction. Within the time span of a little over 50 minutes,
the viewers are presented with the image of a vast world in which there is
an ongoing conflict. The exposition is served quite effortlessly, as things are
only touched upon rather than properly developed. However, these are the basic things
we need to know: Gally is a cyborg without any past and she finds her way of
life in destroying the robotic bad guys. Ordinary people want to go to Zalem,
but in fact, Zalem is exploiting Iron Scrap City. The world of Gally is dense
and claustrophobic, but open and colourful at the same time. These are the primary
advantages of Gunnm.
Is there anything I didn’t particularly like? Well, the
romantic aspect felt a bit too rushed (I'm not going into spoilers). The character Gally falls in
love which comes off as bland, but nevertheless, the subplot furthers the
story and provides a change for Gally at the end of the second episode. When
the end credits roll in with the chilling “Cyborg Mermaid” song by Kaori Akima
in the background, I desperately wanted to see more of Gally’s adventures.
Perhaps that is the main disadvantage of Gunnm: it sets up things so well and
they don’t get picked up afterwards.
Recommendations
Generally, I very much enjoyed this animation for its
hand-drawn style, interesting story, and awesome main heroine. There was a lot
of action, which was aided by Kaoru Wada’s atmospheric music score. Taking
everything into consideration, it was an hour well spent and my only regret is
that it was just an hour. Gally deserves to be revived in a full season anime.
Check out this OVA if you can, even if you will happen to find the theatrical
movie disappointing. Now, I’m off to read the manga!
