Angel is a tough, beautiful cop in the Special Security Force, assigned to protect a future version of Tokyo against terrorists, especially Communist terrorists. When she and her partner Raiden are assigned to take out the Red May organization, mysterious beings appear who quickly reduce the would-be provocateurs to so many burned and mutilated bodies. The assignment grows even more complicated when Raiden disappears after he’s badly injured in a motorcycle accident. While the Special Security agents are fighting the commies, a cadre of corrupt politicians schemes to have them all murdered before they uncover who’s really behind the actions of the Red May and other radicals. Cyborgs, nuclear-waste dumping, psychic mutants, superweapons, and economic terrorism figure heavily in this rambling and exceedingly violent adventure, perhaps to compensate for the lack of credible character development and dialogue. Characters are routinely mutilated, tortured, shot, dismembered, and burned with sadistic glee. Although it’s not unusual to find differences between the subtitled and dubbed versions on many anime DVDs, the gap between the two versions is striking on Angel Cop. The subtitles tell a story that is much more chauvinistic and anti-American, though no better written or structured. Contains these episodes: 1. “Special Security Force,” 2. “The Disfigured City,” 3. “The Death Warrant,” 4. “Pain,” 5. “Wrath of the Empire,” 6. “Doomsday.” Not rated: Parental discretion strongly advised for nudity, nonstop profanity, and graphic violence, including torture and violence against women. –Charles Solomon
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May 11, 2010
#1
If you want R-rated action, go with “Ninja Scroll”. If you want PG-rated action, go with “Dragon Ball Z – Tree of Might”. The animation look dated and cheap. The characters are card-board cutouts with no charisma. The story lacks originality. I stopped watching after 10 minutes. There are tons of better anime to be had, so skip this one.
May 11, 2010
#2
Dull, violent garbage that epitomizes the worst in anime without any of its redeeming qualities. An antiterrorism division of the Tokyo Police gets a lot more than it bargained for when it tangles with a group of psychic vigilantes. The whole thing then turns into a gross “RoboCop” ripoff, without the sly irony or humor of that movie. Pallid characters and a thoroughly awful dubbing job make this one a candidate for being taped over with “Simpsons” episodes. Get “I Love Maria” instead.
May 11, 2010
#3
I ordered this tape to test a theory… that I like my anime fairly light and humourous. I’m not sure if this was the right one to test that theory with, as “Angel Cop,” while dark, gritty and bloody, is also a pretty standard tale from the cyberpunk genre. (The characters are morally questionable, they are working for bosses who are corrupt and getting ready to screw everyone, and in the end, pretty much everyone dies.)
I do like the fact that this single tape contains a complete story, but I was still left feeling as though I wanted something a bit more original. Maybe “Angel Cop” just isn’t a tale that holds up well because of the passage of time?
May 12, 2010
#4
Angel Cop is a typical action flick. Lots of violence and just enough plot to justify all the blood and gore. That can be interesting if done right, which is not the case here. Everything is just repetitive, to the point that mindless violence does indeed become mindless violence. Take the final fight sequence for example. It takes nearly 2 episodes out of total 6 to kill the final boss. During which, the boss comes back from the dead number of times only to delay what is inevitably a predictable ending.
May 12, 2010
#5
Angel Cop is a good movie to see if you’re looking for a lot of violence coupled with some rather cool animated effects. On the criteria of animation alone, Angel Cop is worthy of any anime fan’s attention. The animation is detailed and fast-paced. However, if you’re looking for an involved character-oriented storyline, look elsewhere. The characters in Angel Cop are little more than small parts of the overall storyline, which is surprisingly simplistic. Based on the high quality of animation and the sheer length of it, it might be worthy of purchase if you can’t find a rental copy.