Taiho Shichau zo (TV)

Surpassed my expectation!!! This is a good anime by itself and even better for classic TV standard. So If you are feeling nostalgic and want to sit down and enjoy a slow burn 90's TV anime, this could be the one on your list.

At first I thought this is just a motor fun's wet dream type of anime that I don't really care about, and the classic old TV cartoon format with self contained episodes really didn't help. And since the protagonists are two female buddy cops but set in Japan* this is probably going to be a stay true to the reality boring generic ... slice of life or an unrealistic over the top boring slice of life anime , so I have thought...
But in fact this is a slow burn character driven show, each characters have their own quirks and they are likable, believable, and relatable, and everyone severed a purpose even for those who only showed up a few episodes that are interesting and still contribute to progress the story, and be honest they are the one who break the normal formula and stirring the water to keep the story going. The downside of focusing the story on female traffic police in Japan is there aren't many big cases but when there is one it feels really matter, and again this is a character driven show although the development is slow but it is there, and it paid off when it is matter.

*Japan female "cops" weren't real cops (not sure if it is still the same today but back then there were no female cops), only female served in frontline were traffic police who served primarily as a hospitality role which can be shown by their not action ready uniform... good old sexism... which also explained how the back story of the character Futaba Aoi came to be before she joined the traffic police department.

逮捕しちゃうぞ - Taiho Shichauzo is an excellent slice-of-life comedy series about two female traffic cops, based on the popular manga series of the same name by Kōsuke Fujishima. This review covers both the four-episode OVA (1994 - 1995) and the later adapted television series (1996 - 1997). In my humble opinion, the series is definitely worth watching!

Story: A simple but profound portrayal of human warmth and values (7/10).
A police comedy about the everyday life of two police officers, Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa, in the traffic division of the fictional Bokutou police station in Tokyo's Sumida district. The everyday cases may seem unspectacular, but they ... put the actors in exciting situations. Moreover, it is both believable and entertaining to see how the small everyday disasters are solved. One could argue that a policeman shouldn't come to work with a hangover, and that the tone is generally a little too light-hearted. But overall the series is a coherent whole, with fast-paced car chases, natural disasters, but no shoot-outs. Instead, bad guys are caught, people are saved and dates are enjoyed. Everything is resolved in a humane and understandable way, and maybe that's why I like the show so much.

Characters: Amusing and well portrayed, therefore likeable and interesting (8/10).
The characterisation is well done, focusing on how the two very different women become friends and how working together helps them grow personally and professionally. This is also the summary of the OVA. If you were to ask me for a recommendation, I would say watch the first four episodes (OVA) and if you don't like them, skip the series.
Tsujimoto Natsumi:
She's outgoing, fun and tends to see everything as a competition to win. She's the kind of woman who's a sidekick, which sometimes leads to some very funny scenes. She is straightforward and kind-hearted, very believable and endearing in her own way, a true friend.
Kobayakawa Miyuki:
Serious, patient and a damn good mechanic, she is the perfect counterpart to Natsumi. Call me old-fashioned and typically male, but a woman with whom you can spend a whole day in the workshop repairing a motorcycle or a car, and who also has a great taste in classic cars and privately drives a 1968 Toyota Sports 800, you just have to fall in love with her ;)
The secondary characters, although clichéd, are well-structured and fulfil their roles well. In addition, the variety of characters keeps the story interesting and exciting until the very end.
Kachou (Captain):
At first glance, he appears to be a stern and distant superior whom everyone respects and trusts, but who is also feared. He fulfils his role very well and over the course of the series, which by the way is very well done, his character is gradually revealed and his nature becomes more and more tangible to the viewer.
Fox Oshou (Temple Priest):
Of the supporting characters, he is my personal favourite. I don't want to give too much away. But if you watch the series (especially the OVA), you'll understand why I think the priest is super cool.
Nakajima, Ken:
He is 100% a cliché, but his character is so brilliantly described that it fits perfectly. He is a decent man who respects the law. A bit naive and so delightfully awkward with women (especially Miyuki) that you can laugh heartily about it. Nevertheless, his character develops slowly but steadily. You don't notice it at first, and in the end you think: Oh! What happened?
Nikaidou, Yoriko:
She's kind of cute, but she's also the worst gossip. She's often the cause of misunderstandings and additional problems.
Aoi, Futaba:
Next to Natsumi and Miyuki, one of the most interesting characters in the series. The way she is introduced may be a bit awkward at first. However, as the series progresses, her character development is excellent. Her extraordinary personality has all the human facets, the character and motivations are very well developed from the situation.

Visuals: The art and animation are very well done (8/10).
The artistic design of the anime still shows a lot of skill, time and dedication. Fujishima-san is a fan of cars and motorbikes, so the vehicles have a very high level of detail and recognition. The same goes for the character drawings of Atsuko Nakajima in the OVA and Atsuko Nakajima and Tokuyuki Matsutake in the TV series, which are also very well done and bring the characters to life, making it easy for the viewer to identify with them. The colour palette is not very extensive, but for a cel-animated series it is very even and without any colour defects. There are also some nice shadings and the colour transitions are well done. The animation, especially of the chases, is brilliant for a time when computer animation was in its infancy. Great examples of this are the many chases in bad weather, these passages are simply brilliant.

Sounds: BGM, voices and sound effects are well suited to the series (8/10).
The BGM for OVA episodes 1 to 4 was composed by Kō Ōtani and provides an excellent background to the action. His arrangements do not push themselves into the foreground. They allow the characters to develop through their facial expressions and actions alone. It is a sign of professional creativity to give the characters room for complexity and let the audience interpret what they see without the influence of the background music.Yasunori Iwasaki joined the team for the musical design of the following TV series (Ep. 5-51).
OVA theme songs (Ep. 1-4)
OP: "100 mph no Yuuki", a happy song performed by Seiyū Hiramatsu, Akiko [Miyuki] & Tamagawa, Sakiko [Natsumi]. The melody is a bit like an idol song, but the lyrics and music do a great job of conveying the happy mood.
ED: "Arittake no Jōnetsu de" is also sung by Seiyū Tamagawa-san & Hiramatsu-san. It is a nice, soft closing sequence. The graphics and animation of the two theme songs are impressive, considering they were made in the mid-90s. The two very similar sequences revolve around the two policewomen and impress with their natural-looking movements, great use of light and shadow, and beautiful character design.
Theme songs of the series (episodes 5 to 25)
OP: "Boku de Aru Tame ni" by Flying Kids, the title is a really catchy tune.
ED: "Thank You, Love", sung by Terada and Keiko. The beautiful musical arrangement with Terada-san's delicate singing is one of my favourite songs.
The theme song from episode 26
OP: "Love Somebody" by Fukui, Mariko. A beautiful and lively title and the singer's debut song.
ED: "Sora o Miagete" sung by Shirai, Takako. It's a beautiful song with a great melody and a very charming voice. The animation is somewhat basic. But the character art is incredibly beautiful.
The Japanese voice actors are generally very good. There are many amusing scenes with typical Japanese puns and culture jokes. Given the show's age, the occasional lack of lip-synching is a minor gripe. However, I particularly enjoyed the voice of Kobayakawa Miyuki, voiced by Hiramatsu, Akiko. She brought a very feminine and caring softness to the character that fitted well. Matsumoto, Rica as the voice of Aoi, Futaba was also a very good choice with its pleasantly soft sound. Also impressive is the performance of Kozakura, Etsuko, as the voice of Nikaidou, Yoriko, giving the character such a fitting timbre. The English dubbing [AnimEigo] is not faithful to the original, but surprisingly the English subtitles are, so I would recommend the original with English subtitles.

Taiho Shichauzo focuses on its characters and their personalities rather than entertaining audiences with excessive bloodshed and gunfights. Charming and entertaining at a good pace, this series is well worth watching.

Thank you for reading and have fun watching.

There comes a point where you just have to sit up straight and think to yourself if what you are watching is worth it. Taiho Shichau zo is one of those shows. Unfortunately.

Coming from the OVA's, I was extremely optimistic. The 4 episodes it offered were very effective at creating a wholesome series of episodes focused on the police and their work. Take the second episode, as an example, how it captured the sincere and kind personalities of the protagonists and how qualified as people they are to be in public service. Going into the TV series, I had hoped that the OVA's potential was ... to be fulfilled in the upcoming series. However, I have had to drop it due to such disappointment.

The TV series is fun. Created because it is fun. Adapted from it's source material because it is (presumably) a fun manga. However, I feel that this show has too many aspects that I consider to be unfulfilling or just plain unfunny. I have dropped it at episode 27.

I can only recommend the OVA's. Then view the first two episodes to see if these satisfy you. Take note that these two episodes may be the weakest episodes but they should be judged even with that in mind. The disappointing nature I found these episodes to be had foreshadowed the feeling for later episodes. Only did I not realise this until later.

To elaborate, a lot of the show is downright trite and predictable. To describe the second episode, an inspector comes and everyone is panicking because they aren't prepared and so the inspector discovers this and isn't impressed. Until suddenly (!) an emergency that will prove the honesty and wholesome nature of the cast is presented and he says with satisfaction that "they are good officers". Are predictable episodes like this worth it? Haven't I seen things like this in media dozens of times already? Is this the result of the potential I saw from the OVA's? I am not shaming it's age, but I question the incentive to watch the series for those who want to watch this.

The relationship of Ken and Miyuki is unnecessarily stubborn. It is almost insulting how the OVA can advance such a great relationship organically in just one episode than in the TV series where that progress just seems to have been thrown out of the window. For a reason that is shallow and unauthentic I can only assume. These repeated scenarios that make Miyuki get upset because there is doubt to Ken's faith or where it isn't her getting affection from Ken is so poorly done and is just childish and terrible. Additionally, the process of the protagonist putting Ken into a position where he can confess and then ultimately failing is frustrating on many levels as well. It is such a destructive technique that hurts to watch and I do not look forward to how the direction goes no matter the result.

However, their relationship is only a small portion of what I didn't like from the show. The show puts effort into the use of motor vehicles and the engineering behind them which is fine. In fact, it really helps the show have more of an identity.

On the other hand, in cases where the protagonists are maneuvering in impossible ways to find a bomb to defuse or scaling a collapsing building... there are many situations where it just isn't realistic ans is absurd. Although, in the very first few minutes of the OVA this is demonstrated that impractical things will happen just for the sake of it. In this case, could you just chalk it up to being 'anime'? What are my expectations in these cases? Is it ok for impossible realities to exist for the sake of the episode?

It isn't just driving where things can get nonsensical. Things like people conveniently being in the right (or wrong) place at the right time is a big one. Movement and actions performed is another. Even the backstories of characters can be unbelievably stupid. For example, a narcissistic police officer has a grudge for another officer because she supposedly went through life getting top grades and achieving things like a perfect score at the shooting range because of... could you guess... luck! All of it. Just luck. So she tries to out do her for the whole episode and she thinks she wins but then the other person gets commended in a more wholesome way. It does show how you can be a successful police officer in both ways so it isn't all bad. Is it okay to use these impossible situations to make a slightly wholesome point at the end? I don't know. All I know is, I don't know what I want from this show so I think maybe I have just been watching the wrong show for me.

To sum it up. Specific episodes are fun but there is too much here that, in my opinion is disappointing or just offensively not worthwhile. It's hard to describe but I hope people can look past my criticisms of the show and enjoy it for what it is. I would have loved the show 7 years ago when I were a lot more naive and easy-going. Not that you would have to be naive to enjoy the show. However, the direction taken after the OVA's is what disappoints me the most and I can only recommend this show if you want something older but with flair and if you don't mind anime and it's familiar tropes and triteness.