AD Police

Publisher
Manga Entertainment
Director
Takamasa Ikegami
Production
Bandai, Artmic
Country of origin
Japan
Format
OVA
Running time
81 mins
Year
1990

AD Police VHS

By John Huxley
26th Apr 04

AD Police, as the introduction reveals, is a spin-off from the Bubblegum universe, another famous anime series set in a dystopian future with an unstable economy (a paradigm of modern Japan, hence 'bubble'). This particular spin-off shows us the 'Advanced Police' in more detail, a special branch of the police force who's mission is to keep the android workforce (called 'Voomers') under control. In a similar vein to the famous Blade Runner film and the book it was based upon, these Voomers have a limited life-span and have been known to go haywire and wreck the place, killing their owners and anyone who gets in their way. That's sci-fi for you, huh?

This anime takes place over three episodes, tracing the same path of the original manga. If you've seen Bubblegum Crisis/Crash then get ready for a much more serious affair - no happy-go-lucky girls or pink battle suits here. Many of the same themes and topics are covered, but the plot(s) don't feel quite as solid as the Bubblegum films and the protagonists aren't half as entertaining. The most interesting addition is the critically injured officer Billy Farnwood, who receives a Robocop style make over, but is unable to cope with the rigor of being more machine than man. This guy gives this anime real promise, as he goes nutzoid in Advanced Police headquarters, unable to quench his thirst for human feelings and being abused by his creator, a twisted woman obsessed with her creation. So, all ready for a description of a cool battle scene? Forget it, AD Police wusses out on us with still pictures (roughly) describing the action which is no thrill at all. The Voomers are supposed to turn into ruthless killing machines, but from the action on show here you'd think they were no more harmless than a talking Barbie doll.

The art is OK, but nothing to write home about, and the animation was alright before we got into the action scenes. It's nice, dark and moody though, so it does score some points for atmosphere (especially the second episode, set around an abandoned subway loop). I had high hopes for AD Police considering it's background and pedigree, but it appears to be the disadvantaged member of the family, although the thing is horrendously popular in Japan (including a new series in 1999). Perhaps I'm missing out on something here, maybe there are more episodes I never knew existed. Even so, they'd have to be a vast improvement on these three. If you're a big fan of the Bubblegum series, sure, go for it, but everyone else has been warned - this is average stuff.

-- John Huxley 26th Apr 04

AD Police Images