Taiho Shichau zo (TV)

Hokey smokes, that was awesome. Only in the world of anime can policewomen beat out goddesses

You're Under Arrest! Its been one anime that I've been meaning to watch for years and years and have simply ignored for one reason or another. I knew all about it being the first child of Kosuke Fujishima (who also fathered another of my favorite all time franchises, Ah! My Goddess), and I had heard good things, but I just never ever bothered.

For the past week, I bothered.

Fourty-seven episodes never went by so quick. I was simply blown away at the sheer "goodness" of this series. From amazingly well ... developed characters to the quirk 90s fusion jazz soundtrack, there wasn't a single bad thing I could find here. Granted, there were leaps of logic at times, and a few episodes were just way too corny, but none of that really detracted from what proved to be a truly enjoyable series.

Onto the synopsis.

If you've never heard of the basic story, then you're either young or living under a rock. Tsujimoto Natsumi, on her way to her first day at work, is flagged down for violating several traffic laws by a beautiful policewoman named Kobayawa Miyuki. She then discovers that Miyuki is her new patrol partner at the Bokuto Station; Traffic section. The two start out rocky, but develop into one of the most impressive crime fighting duos ever seen.

Sorry Batman & Robin, but you need to step aside.

They unlikely pair are surrounded by a bevy of personalities including a timid mountain man (Nakajima Ken), a happy, gossipy, busybody (Nikaidou, Yoriko), and a stoic enigma of a section chief (Kachou). Throw in a draq queen and an archetype detective and you got yourself a decent supportive cast.

But it doesn't end there! Through their misadventures, Natsumi and Miyuki constantly encounter one of the most bizzare "superheroes" in anime history. Strike Man, the masked vigilante, while proving to be ultimately harmless, bungles his way through the series as a friendly pseudo-antagonist while providing some hilarious JUSTICE monologues. His deadly mega-ultimate-meteor-fireball-crusher-strike-ball-of-justice is a thing of deadly beauty...though Natsumi has never once failed to hit it out of the proverbial park and send him packing.

Another interesting character is one of the least seen but most explored. Tokairin Shoji makes his first appearance, unannounced and unheralded, late into the series but slowly develops as something very special. For someone like me who has never once touched this franchise, it was incredibly awesome to watch this guy interact with the existing characters, so I won't spoil anything, but I can guarantee you that his presence "makes" the series.

Of course the cast doesn't end there, but I got to cut it off at some point right? Shout outs go to the old man/young girl couple, the intense teenage policewoman wanna be, the kindergarten kids, and Beach Volley Ball Man.

Yes, Beach Volley Ball Man.

With all these interesting characters, its easy to think only a few of them matter. That simply isn't the case. While everyone does have their part to play, their path to that part is well explained and shown. It seemed as though for each character, even the most minor of them, the viewer is given a history and a reason to not only care for them, but also grow attached.

In other words, the characters are the story. Their actions, their relationships with one another, and the blossoming romances and admiration are the selling points, and with as uplifting as they prove to be, I'd be hard pressed not to buy!

Love, Friendship, and ACTION! Simple, heartwarming, and honest. Everything about this series gave off those feelings, and the soundtrack champions those themes.

Now, jazz certainly isn't the most popular music genres, and even less so is fusion jazz, but considering the setting and date of the series (1996 Japan), the music fits perfectly and adds a little something extra to every scene...smooth when it needs to be and fast paced fusion-action during the more volatile scenarios. The two opening songs were excellent and addictive while the endings did a nice job wrapping things up. As always, music is a matter of personal taste, so perhaps being a fan of jazz AND fusion jazz jades me, but I would think most anyone would agree that this was a decent OST.

Ultimately You're Under Arrest! was one of the most entertaining anime I have ever seen. I full expect to immerse myself in the franchise as a result, and I have to say, I'd expect the same from anyone else who gives this a try. There is a prequel four episode OVA, but they don't pack the same punch. If you're interested in the franchise, THIS is the installment you'll want to use as your barometer.

I HIGHLY recommend this. It doesn't matter whether you prefer new school or old school, action or romance, policewomen or goddess...this is something you'll want to check out for sure.

Here I find myself writing a review for a underrated show that from what I noticed doesn't get the love and attention that it needs. Well let's get on with it!

You're under arrest is a blast from the 90's providing everything that I wanted from this kind of show: Characters who steal your heart with their personality and charisma, jazzy ost during each episode and catchy op and ed song that makes you dance, unique animation style used during the 90's(glittering water animation is one my favorites) and finally a solid story that gives you a nostalgic feeling if you were a kid of the ... 90's.
The sound of the car engine running on the highway, the jazzy ost that accompanies it, a monologue filled with substance and depth told into the sunset, a dialogue line that emphasize the characters traits, a one second decision that changes everything during a car chase, this is what You're under arrest offer to it's viewers.

You're under arrest is a show that focuses on the daily life of its characters but also on their job as policemen/policewomen. It aims on the both sides of the coin and it does a great job at doing so, the result is a action packed slice of life with great female characters who steal you're heart with their personality and charisma, and capable male characters who despite their lazy and funny personality when they're is no room for mistake they are the ones who you can rely on them.

The characters are what makes this kind of show great! They have their own moments and spotlight during the show were they manage to shine. A single glance to their partner is enough to make both of them understand the next course of action is, one dialogue line filled with substance that changes everything, a flashback used at the right moment, well done collaboration to solve a case, these are the things which You're under arrest uses for the development of its characters.

You can easily distinguish the characters from their course of action and unique personality traits. We have Miyuki( best grill of course) a mechanical freak who loves to make adjustments on cars and motorcycles but she also has a sweet side and a crush on one of her colleagues, Natsumi who relies on brute force and her competitive spirit to manage everything, Nakajima a professional bike rider who has a crush on one of her female colleagues but he is to shy to confess, the Chief who is always lazy but serious and does his job perfect when it counts, Aoi who is one of the best traps that I have seen, her character and reasons are so well handled that you can relate to why he dresses as a women and finally Fujiko who looks like a hopeless policewomen at first glance who likes to gossip but when you get to know her she is really suited for her job. What I am trying to say is that the characters have depth, substance and solid reasons of choosing these line of career.

As many shows with a length of 50 episodes you will find some so called "filler episodes" that are only for the comic relief or to take a break from the serious episodes. Don't worry this show has some serious and dark arcs that portray the pride and stake of what means to be a police officer and how the public perceives this institution. You will see sweat on the face of the characters, you will see them putting everything they have at stake to protect their pride and honor as police officers during those arcs so you won't be disappointed at all.


The music is one of my favorites aspects from this show, the opening song is so catchy that I almost find myself dancing on it, the ending song is so 90's and has a nostalgic vibe and the jazzy ost during each episode makes me raise the volume higher. While the animation quality is not as great as the one from the ova(you will be amazed how each detail was so well crafted despite it's 24 years age) the visuals still manage to capture my attention and during the the action scenes the animation is top notch for its time.

I gave this show a 9 because I want others to try it out especially for the slice of life lovers who want something different you will not be disappointed, contrary you will be surprised like I was about how good the sol moments were handled. It's the magic of Studio Deen that manages each time to create something enjoyable and solid for its audience. Well then thank you for your time and patience reading this and I hope you will have a blast watching this anime!

逮捕しちゃうぞ - Taiho Shichauzo is as captivating as an unusual and nice slice of life anime based on a popular novel of the same name. The review covers both the four episodes OVA (1994-1995) and the later adapted television series (1996-1997). Old but worth to sneak a peek!

Story: Simple but profound way to portray human warmth and values (7/10)
A police comedy drama about the two patrol officers Tsujimoto, Natsumi and Kobayakawa, Miyuki and their daily adventures in the traffic department of the Bokutou police station in Tokyo. The little adventures that you might find too fluffy, but the characters are brought into some slightly thrilling ... situations and the way in which the little everyday disasters are solved is credible and provides a lot of fun on the other hand. One can criticize that a police officer should not show up at work with a hangover and that the overall tone is a little too breezy for a series about policemen, high-speed hunts and natural disasters. There are no shootings, no deaths of any kind. Instead, villains are arrested, people rescued and dates enjoyed. Maybe that's why I like the show so much, because everything is solved in a human and understandable way.

Characters: cute and well portrayed, therefore sympathetic & interesting (8/10)
The characterization is well done and focuses on how the two very different women become friends and how their partnership helps them to become better at their job. This is also the summary of the OVA. If you asked me for a recommendation, it would be like this, watch the first four episodes (OVA) and if you don't like it, skip the series.
Tsujimoto Natsumi:
She is open-minded, funny and has a certain inclination to see everything as a competition that has to be won. She's the type: female buddy, which sometimes leads to very funny scenes. However, she is friendly and kindhearted, very credible and adorable in her own way, a true friend.
Kobayakawa Miyuki:
She's the perfect counterpart, she's serious, patient and a hell of a mechanic. Call me old-fashioned and typically male, but a woman with whom you can spend a whole day in the garage repairing a motorcycle or a car, and she also has a very good taste in terms of classical cars, drives in private life a Toyota GT 2000, I'm in love ;)
The supporting characters may be stereotypical, but they are well-structured and fulfill their roles. On the other hand, the diversity of different characters keeps the story interesting and remains exciting until the very end.
Kachou (Captain):
At first glance, a strict but loyal superior, to whom all others show great respect and trust. He fulfills his role well and the more the series progresses, the more human he appears. His character is gradually revealed, which is done very well.
Fox Oshou (temple priest):
My personal favorite among the secondary character. I don't want to reveal too much at this point, except that I`m sure if you watch the show (esp. the OVA), you will understand why I think the priest is pretty cool.
Nakajima, Ken:
I know that he is 100% stereotypical, but his character is so brilliantly described that fits perfectly. He respects the law, is decent person and just a little naive and so wonderfully clumsy about women (esp. Miyuki) that you can only laugh about it. Nevertheless, his character gets a development, which is very slow but steady, you almost don't notice it, only in the end you think, Oh! What happened?
Nikaidou, Yoriko:
She's kind of cute but she's also the worst kind of gossip-monger, what often causes misunderstandings and additional problems.
Aoi, Futaba:
Beside Natsumi and Miyuki one of the most interesting characters of the series. The way the character is introduced may be a little embarrassing at first, but the rest of the series shows an excellent character portrayal. Even this extraordinary personality meets all human facets and the character as well as his motives are comprehensibly developed out of the situation.

Visuals: Art and animation are handled very well (8/10)
Art shows a great deal of skill and ambition, not only for the time in which the anime was created. It is a well-known fact that Fujishima-san is a fan of cars and motorcycles and therefore the drawings of the vehicles are very detailed. But also the character sketches, for which Nakajima, Atsuko (OVA) and for the TV-series again Nakajima, Atsuko and Matsutake, Tokuyuki were responsible, are very well done and make the individual characters very lively. For a time when computer animation was still in its infancy, the colours may not be as varied, but beautiful in their entirety. Furthermore wonderful shadings and successful transitions were created. In addition, the animation especially of the pursuits drives are awesome. A really great example are the multiple chases in bad weather, these passages are simply gorgeous.

Sounds: sound effects, voices and BGM match the series well (8/10)
The BGM by Ōtani Kō is very well done (Ep. 1-4 OVA), accompanies the plot well and in particular is not used continuously. If you think of City Hunter and Gundam Wing, you are already familiar with his works. A very positive aspect of his arrangements is that the characters obtain the opportunity to show a development based solely on their facial expressions and actions that are not influenced by background music. I like this signs of professionalism and creativity very much, which offers the characters space to unfold a great deal of complexity and leave it to the audience to interpret it unaffected by the BGM. Iwasaki Yasunori joined the team for the musical design of the following TV series (Ep. 5-51).
The OP for the OVA is „100mph no Yuuki" by Hiramatsu, Akiko & Tamagawa, Sakiko. It`s a cheerful title sung by the Seiyū of Natsumi and Miyuki and sounds like a typical idol song but lyrics and melody convey the right mood.
The ED is again sung by Tamagawa-san & Hiramatsu-san and is called "Arittake no Jōnetsu de" a gentle, soft ending sequence. Both OP and ED impress with very good art and animation, especially considering the fact that they were created around the mid 90s. The two similar sequences that revolve around the two policewomen are very pleasant to watch. The movements of the characters are natural, there aren't a lot of still frames used and as mentioned above, the sketches of the characters are pretty well done, with lots of details and a grandiose play of light and shadow.
The TV series starts from Ep. 5 to 25 with the title "Boku de Aru Tame ni" by Flying Kids, a real catchy tune from the 90s. You can listen to it or dance Fox Trot, if you like.
The ED for Ep. 5-25 is "Thank You, Love", sung by Terada, Keiko a really wonderful song, a favorite of mine. A good musical arrangement and the tender singing Terada-san is a pleasure to listen.
The opening of Ep. 26 to the end is "Love Somebody" by Fukui, Mariko, also beautiful, but the Japanese pop singer sings a bit faster and more lively. The title was also her debut.
The ED from episode 26 is "Sora o Miagete" sung by Shirai, Takako. It is a beautiful song, a really great melody and a gorgeous voice. Maybe the ED animation is a bit simple, but the character images are incredibly beautiful.
The voice acting and dialogue directing in Japanese were done very neatly, of course not without clichés, but also many scenes that are quite funny with typical Japanese puns and cultural jokes. A little sad is that the the lip-sync was not done correctly. Sometimes there is a sound without mouth movement, but that`s just a minor mistake. For those looking for an English dub, before you get your knickers in a twist, a little warning that Natsumi sounds like a West Coast beach beauty. Also, AnimEigo's English dubbing is not faithful to the original, but surprisingly the English subtitles have been done much better in this regard, so I would recommend the original with subtitles.
This leads us directly to the voice actors, a very good overall picture of the character roles. I particularly liked the voice of Kobayakawa Miyuki, spoken by Hiramatsu, Akiko. She added a very feminine and caring softness to the character role, which fit well.
Also, the voice actress Kozakura, Etsuko as the voice of Nikaidou, Yoriko has shown a very good performance and Yoriko`s character as the gossip of the police station is vividly presented.
And last but not least, Matsumoto, Rica as voice of Aoi, Futaba was a very good choice, a pleasant sound, warm and mellow.

Taiho Shichauzo focuses on it`s characters and their personalities and doesn't seek to entertain the audience with excessive bloodshed, shootings and cruelty. A series that is really worth seeing, charming and enjoyable, at a good pace. All in all nice entertainment, recommended to fans who like a cop story a little easier and humorous.


Thanks for reading and have fun watching.