Dominion Tank Police Anime Review

Dominion Tank Police
Manga Entertainment
Complete Collection - 1 disc
160 min. - 4 episodes
$9.95 (2003)
$34.99 (1999)
ISBN 719987177925
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Koichi Mashimo
Studio - Agent 21

Synopsis: In the future a dense bacteria cloud has engulfed the city of Newport and its citizens must wear gas masks to avoid dangerous levels of bacteria inhalation.  The cloud has been around for decades and is a fixture of living in Newport.  Life goes on underneath the cloud and the city is a futuristic urban sprawl with strangely organic-looking architecture.  Crime continues and has escalated to a point where the police department includes a tank battalion within the city limits.

People wear gas masks due to the dense bacteria cloud covering the city

The tank police are a rough bunch of para-military soldiers who often cause more destruction than the criminals they are supposed to catch.  Tanks are burly machines which tear up roads, smash through walls, and blow things up.  Regular citizens are up in arms about the wanton collateral damage caused by the tank police.

The tank police fight crime with these massive tanks!

Leona Ozaki is a new transfer to the 110th tank police division and their only female member.  The squad is led by a macho tank commander named Brenten who doesn't think a girl can pilot a tank.  Leona must prove him wrong and gets help from some of the other members.  Al Cu Ad Solte is a handsome, young police officer who takes a fancy for the attractive Leona.  Also on the team are Chaplain, who spouts sage advice, and Jim Lovelock, a science expert.

Buaku and the Puma Sisters are Newport's top criminals

Now Leona must prove her mettle with the tank police and stop the criminal menace of Buaku.  He's the premier criminal in Newport and works with two renegade former-catgirl-sex-dolls, the Puma Sisters.  Can Leona pilot one of the massive tanks when all her training comes from the motorcycle squad?  Who is the mysterious backer of Buaku's gang?  Can the tank police avoid destroying an entire building on every mission?  What is Leona's new secret weapon named Bonaparte?

The 110 Tank Police are the only ones who can stop Buaku!

Pros: Lots of comedy, interesting mecha designs for future tanks and aircraft, Leona and Al are cute together, the Puma sisters are pretty funny, music is okay

Leona pilots her scratch-built mini-tank with Al

Cons: Mediocre dub, dated animation (from 1989 and nothing like the beautiful cover images), plot is kinda dumb, Buaku appears to be a goofy criminal yet is somehow important?, weak ending

Now the criminals have tanks - it's a war zone!

Mike Tells It Straight: Dominion Tank Police is an anime based on a manga by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed).  He continues to explore the theme of urban combat, but with a heavy dose of comedy in this series. I thought Leona and Al were great and likable characters, but the villains were a little silly.  Buaku seems like a bumbling criminal, but somehow becomes significant in later episodes.  The missions the tank police went on were also really goofy.  I guess that's because they just utterly destroy stuff with their giant tanks and complete disregard for collateral damage.

A diabolical (and humiliating) new tank deterrent!

This show was all about laughs and comedy.  It veered into semi-serious territory a few times which seemed a bit out of place (the bio-ball and Buaku's origin).  The dub wasn't great and the animation is very dated (although I thought it was better than the animation in Appleseed).  I really liked the design of Bonaparte and Leona's plucky attitude!

The tank police run into the fearsome Red Commandos

This OVA series serves as a prequel to the Dominion Tank Police manga (from 1985) despite being released several years later.  I really liked the manga and recommend any fan of Shirow's work check it out.  A later OVA was released in 1994 called New Dominion Tank Police which is a sequel to the manga.  Then another manga was released in 1995 called Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise in a slightly alternate universe.  A new OVA was released in 2006 called Tank S.W.A.T. 01 which has yet to be released domestically.

Al ponders how he got assigned to a group of raving lunatics

Overall it's an amusing little series, but shows it's age and has low production values.  It's not a classic by any means and another nostalgic '80s anime title.  It's entertaining if somewhat unfocused and the ending was muddled.  The later storyline featuring Buaku's origin hinted at a grander plot which never materialized in this series.  I loved the manga and will review New Dominion Tank Police to see if it does it justice.  Cheers!

Group shot from the manga

TO BUY and Recommendations:
 

Appleseed Anime Movie Review

Appleseed
Manga Entertainment
Movie - 70 mins. - 1 disc
$14.98 (2007)
$19.95 (2001)
ISBN 660200407926
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kazuyoshi Katayama
Studio - Bandai Visual

Synopsis: In the aftermath of World War III the world has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland.  Rising from the ashes of the old world is a new society governed by the General Management Control Office and contained within the utopian city of Olympus.  It's the most advanced city known to humankind and seems like the perfect place to live, but many consider it a cage.  The city is highly automated by the super-computer Gaia (located in the Tartarus block) and genetically-engineered humans called bioroids make up a large percentage of the population.  Scientific advances in cybernetics make cyborgs a common sight.

A group of terrorists take some hostages

Bioroids were originally created to serve humankind, but they have risen to govern the city's bureaucracy.  Many humans are resentful of the bioroids and pockets of resistance have broken out all over the city.   The police force has formed an enhanced SWAT (ESWAT) team to deal with terrorism and they've been busy!  Two star members of the team are Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires.  They were both rescued from the wastelands by Hitomi, a beautiful and philanthropic bioroid.

Deunan and Briareos are called in with the ESWAT team

Briareos is a full-body cyborg after being horribly injured in battle while Deunan is completely human.  The two are partners and friends.  They owe their new lives to Hitomi, but are somewhat suspicious of the political climate in Olympus.  A new terrorist has surfaced called A. J. Sebastian and his goal is to take down Gaia in order to seize power from the bioroids.

A group of terrorists steal some construction Landmates (mecha suits)

There's a terrorist sympathizer on the police force and a new experimental weapon being tested.  What is Hitomi's secret connection with Gaia?  Now Deunan and Briareos are caught in the middle of a terrorist attack which could topple the perfectly manufactured society of Olympus.  Will they side with the humans or help proliferate the antiseptic world of the bioroids?

The terrorist A. J. Sebastian

Pros: Good original concept, cutting-edge mecha designs at the time, bloody violence and tons of swearing!, dub script is pretty funny with a bunch of one-liners, some comedic parts, decent soundtrack

Deunan and Briareos at a dinner to celebrate Hitomi hosted by
all of the human refugees she has rescued over the years

Cons: Dated and bland animation (nothing like the beautifully detailed cover images), terrible dub (the voice actor for Briareos makes him sound like he's from New Jersey), weak characterization and simplistic plot, not the same dub as the original VHS tapes, ending was a bit anti-climactic

There's just something about a woman cleaning a gun in her underwear...

Mike Tells It Straight: Appleseed is based on the classic manga by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Dominion Tank Police).  His artwork and story are mostly butchered in this animated adaptation.  The relationship between Deunan and Briareos is practically non-existent, the character/mecha design details are totally bland, and the plot is highly simplified.  Not much character development exists and I started rooting for the bad guys because they had more backstory (well, not Sebastian, but the crooked cop).

Sebastian in cybernetic armor

If you like old school cyberpunk anime then this show is a solid entry.  Lots of cyborgs and action.  Check out the manga for better art and story.  Appleseed was again adapted in 2004 with an all-CGI feature film.  It was successful enough to spawn a sequel called Appleseed Ex Machina and a 13 episode series called Appleseed XIII.  Animation technology has matured enough to handle the tech elements of the story, but I'm still a bit skeptical about CGI acting.  I'll post reviews about these shows sometime in the future and it's always nice to see more work based on Shirow's incredible art.

A classic cover image from the manga by Shirow

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Someday's Dreamers Anime Review

Someday's Dreamers
Mahotsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto trans. Things That Are Precious to a Mage
Sentai Filmworks
Complete Collection - 2 discs
300 mins. - 12 episodes
$49.98 (2012)
$29.98 (2003-2004) Vol. 1-3/ea.
$34.98 (2003) Vol. 1 w/Artbox
ISBN 814131019714
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Masami Shimoda
Studio - J.C. Staff

Synopsis: Yume Kikuchi travels to Tokyo from her home in the countryside to be an apprentice mage.  She possesses "special power" which allows her to perform magical feats.  In order to regulate the use of "special power" the Bureau of Magic was set up by the government and using magic without a license bears a penalty.  She apprentices under Masami Oyamada, a well-known mage with a mysterious "special power".  Masami runs a salsa club and lives in the apartments above the club.  Yume stays at an available room during her studies.  She gets very embarrassed because Mr. Oyamada is a good-looking man.

Yume comes from the countryside to study in Tokyo

Yume's mother is a powerful mage and Yume possesses above average skills.  She has a lot of potential, but controlling her power and knowing how to use it are very difficult.  Mr. Oyamada is a patient teacher and Yume meets other mage trainees like Angela Brooks, a young mage from England.  Mages work hard to help people, but are limited by the strength and type of special power they possess.  Some mages are weak and wash out of the trainee program.

Yume's first meeting with Mr. Oyamada and Smiley is a bit awkward
since they're not wearing any shirts (it was a hot day)

Each mage's power is different and they select a symbolic avatar when manifesting their special power.  Yume chooses a dolphin and her teach Mr. Oyamada manifests snowflakes.  Yume meets the famous mage, Master Chief Ginpun who admires her mother.  He takes an interest in her as she progresses in her training.  Yume befriends a local girl named Runa who plays hooky at the salsa club because she is unhappy at home.

Yume is paired up with trainee Angela Brooks from England

Two other people work at the salsa club - Smiley is Mr. Oyamada's friend and Melinda is his unofficial girlfriend (and a salsa DJ).  Yume is afraid she won't make it as a mage trainee and must find confidence in herself.  She gets to know Mr. Oyamada and all of the people around the club.  She uses her special power, but doesn't really understand it.  Can Yume succeed when she has so much self doubt and unanswered questions?  Will the shy country girl make it in the big bustling city?

The mysterious and wise Master Chief Ginpun (he's blind too)

Pros: Animation is solid with good character designs, opening theme song grows on you (nice and jazzy), story uses different accents for characters - like Yume hides a country accent which comes out when she gets nervous or talking to her family (this makes the original Japanese voice acting particularly good), nice ending

Yume watches as Angela summons her "special power" with
her tell-tale dog avatar

Cons: Yume has three hairs sticking up at the top of her head (called ahoge and defining her as a moe character), dub accents are pretty lame, they call using magic 'special power' which sounds dorky - "You're much better at using special power than me.", they say "special power" over and over again (and over and over...), simplistic and silly at times, very slow-paced and mellow

Yume befriends a young man who lost part of his leg and used to play soccer

Mike Tells It Straight: Someday's Dreamers is based on a manga by Norie Yamada and Kumichi Yoshizuki.  It occurs in a world where magic is called "special power" and accepted into the modern world through bureaucratic regulation.  Mages are gifted people, but not all are created equally and some have only a hint of power.  Our protagonist is a classic moe character (big eyes, hair strands coming off her head) who is shy and awkward in the big city.

Smiley, little Runa, and Melinda from the salsa club Pachanga

The story is about personal growth and emotional interaction with others.  Not a bad theme, but a bit simple and unrealistic at certain points.  It's a slice of life show after all and the pace is pretty slow.  I liked the music and the animation was good, but I got bored with the characters and story.  I recommend watching it in original Japanese with subtitles to see if you can discern the different dialects.  The dub attempted to mirror this change in accents, but I didn't really like the dub actors' performances as much.

Mr. Oyamada and Yume have breakfast together

It seems like this anime is the first in a franchise.  A follow up series with a different cast of characters was released domestically in 2012 called Someday's Dreamers II Sora.  The original creators Yamada and Yoshizuki continue to collaborate on stories in this universe they have created.  The first series is perfect if you're looking for something mellow and slightly interesting, but it was a bit bland for my taste.  I give it a fair recommendation, but with no imperative to track down a copy and watch it.

Yume uses her "special power"

TO BUY and Recommendations: