DOMINION TANK POLICE
The war on crime just got some heavy ordinance
Review by: Craig "I'm Still Black Seventeen" Norris
Length: 4 episode OAV
Genre: Action, sci-fi
Watched: 1-4, subbed
Every once in a while, as I take a look at the new frontiers that anime is forging, I like to return to those well-worn paths that brought it here. One of those paths contained lots of tread marks, and seemed like the perfect breather from the newer, more emotionally involved series I had been watching as of late. I decided to see this OAV in the hopes that I would be entertained in a frivolous manner, with no great emotion, philosophy, or complexity to taint it.
...
Okay, so it was really because I heard there were hot catgirls in it.
Plot synopsis: In the wake of a biological disaster that has left most of the world covered in a cloud of bacteria, lawlessness has increased to heretofore unheard of levels. In order to combat the rampant crime problem, Newport City has formed the Tank Police, a group of officers that use heavy weaponry to combat the more large-scale crimes. The story begins with the arrival of the Tank Police's newest member, Leona Ozaki. She is scorned at first by the previously all-male division, but she's out to prove that she's just one of the guys. And she'll need to, if she ever hopes to catch the dangerous criminal Buaku and his accomplices, the Puma Sisters.
Artwork: Typical late 80s style pervades all the visuals. The artwork has a roughness to it that is sometimes repellent, but at other times nostalgic. Backgrounds aren't masterpieces by any means, but they do enough to set the stage: a dark, polluted city. Character designs aren't all that innovative, but since none of the characters are flashy or exceptional, the simple uniforms and styles seem to work. The vehicle designs are nothing extraordinary, either. To say I enjoyed the animation would be an overstatement, but taking into account the year of its release makes me a bit more lenient in my judgment.
Music: If you like 80s pop and rock melodies that get stuck in your head and refuse to leave for days on end, this soundtrack has your name all over it! The opening is power rock, and is for the most part well done and meshes well with the tone of the OAV. The end theme is a mellow ballad that is a nice wind-down from the fast-paced action. The other tracks are kind of a mixed bag and are sometimes improperly used, with the volume on some getting cranked up when they shouldn't, and others that fade into the background when the scene could use a musical pick-me-up. The music is typical of the genre and time period, and presents nothing that hasn't been done before, but it's not bad.
Characters: The Tank Police division is filled with very animated personalities. The newest member, Leona, begins her stay there as a meek girl who takes tremendous pride in the idea of helping others. But once she gets a taste of tank-induced destruction, she becomes another tank-obsessed officer and gains the respect of her peers. Al, who was the new guy before Leona showed up, seems to be the one who is most uncomfortable with the Tank Police's various unorthodox methods. However, he grins and bears it, and focuses a lot of his help and attention on Leona. Lieutenant Britain is the leader of the Tank Police, and is more obsessed with tanks than Leona could ever hope to be. He has tremendous pride and truly believes in the Tank Police as a valuable tool to help the city, often expressing the sentiment in a very vocal manner. Not to be outdone, the villains also possess personalities more suited for a Broadway comedy than a life of crime. Buaku is a dangerous, though sometimes bungling, career criminal that constantly seems to evade the grasp of the Tank Police. Though he is a thief, he adhered to a strict code of honor, and often lets sentiment get in the way of his judgment. He is aided by The Puma Sisters, Anna and Uni: two cybernetic catgirls and former strip-club dancers who always pack serious firepower. They clearly enjoy what they do, and are very loyal to Buaku since, without him, it's back to stripping for lousy tips. The personalities of all the characters are clearly defined, and some actually change over time, which adds a very nice element to an OAV that seems content to get by on action alone.
Plot: The OAV is split into two main plots, though some elements overlap. The first two episodes deal with Leona's rocky start with the Tank Police, and the ensuing efforts to stop Buaku's assault on a hospital. The last two have Leona taken hostage by Buaku as he attempts to steal a priceless painting. Both plots are wrapped up nicely in the hour allotted to each. The last episode, however, ends on a rather confusing note, in that it calls into question the nature of the existence of one of the characters. In my opinion, doing so was rather needless, and injected needless complexity into an OAV that seemed to be about big guns and explosions. Aside from that discrepancy, the plot as a whole is very entertaining and not extremely thought provoking, which means you can just sit back with some popcorn and watch.
CHICKS!: So, you thought all catgirls were cute and cuddly and liked to play with yarn? Well, the Puma Sisters are here to tell you just how wrong you are. These sultry sisters sport long manes of blonde hair and curves that are every bit as dangerous as the machine guns they carry. If you want to gain their favor, you better be willing and able to steal, destroy, and possibly kill. But, if you can put your morals aside, you'll be in the company of two of the hottest criminals ever to make the wanted list. Even those on the opposite side of the law can be charmed by these two, as their favorite diversionary tactic is... a striptease! That's right, in the first episode Anna and Uni take it all off before they take off, much to the surprise and delight of their pursuers (and me). Not to be left out (though it's hard not to be with the Puma Sisters around) is Leona. She's strong of will and adapts quickly to those around her, and can be quite nice if you respect her. She has a fairly shapely figure and short hair, and, depending on what she's wearing, can look either cute or tomboyish. And if you scratch her tank, you're dead, no questions asked. Even though Leona is a decent chick in her own right, when stacked up next to Anna and Uni she just can't compare, and in the end it is the hot catgirls who are the main eye-candy attraction. As if there was ever a doubt.
Overall: At the end of this OAV, I felt that my spirit had been cleansed by watching big tanks blow stuff up. And my clean spirit was complemented perfectly by my dirty thoughts about the Puma Sisters. In the end, this OAV did exactly what I was hoping it would: keep me entertained for two hours. It proves that an anime does not necessarily have to be a work of art to hold my attention. Especially if it has hot catgirls.
IN A NUTSHELL:
+ Anna and Uni
+ Thinking-free fun
+ Anna and Uni
+ Entertaining characters
+ Did I mention Anna and Uni?
- Rough artwork
- Some mood inconsistencies
Rating: 7.5/10
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