Taiho Shichau zo in America

This is a funny parody of over the top American cop tv shows and movies. Interestingly they don't make it an alternate universe and instead everyone just has an American counterpart while Miyuki and Natsumi do a bit of work at the LAPD. Guns first and don't ask questions! But nobody really gets hurt.

The story isn't anything special, but makes sense and gives the characters something to do. The real fun is to see the alternate versions - the normally calm chief exploding and begging to blow away suspects. And of course to see Nakajima finally stop holding back (even if it's just his look-a-like) after soooooo many episodes is great fun.

It has some fun wacked out Americanisms. Of course the absolutely required wearing of something that says USA on it is here..in America! But also apparently there is a bar themed after Friday the 13th complete with Jason waiter! All that was missing was Col Sanders!

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Does Japan really think Americans are re-skinned buffoons who covet material wealth over all and are quick to the gun? They must, cause thats the impression this offensive special gives off. One second, allow me to clarify. It wasn't the overblown American stereotypes that offended me, oh no. It was the absolute shamelessness of this twenty-three minute dreck that offended me.

Guns, explosions and bikinis! Those idiot Americans will love it!

No, we won't. This was god awful. The best part about it was hearing a Japanese voice actor shout out the American phrase "Oh Jesus!". There was a story, if you could call it that, but it was so poorly presented that it was hard to tell if it even mattered. Nothing seemed to flow smoothly and only half of everything seemed to pertain to what was supposed to be going on.

Natsumi and Miyuki are, for whatever unknown reason, doing their traffic patrol now in downtown Los Angeles instead of quiet town Japan. Joining them are thinly veiled clones of the usual supporting cast that have overblown personalities...Aoi is a full blown homosexual, Nakaji- I mean, Cain, is a male pig slut, Rico is a gun toting miser, and Sally? Well, shes supposed to be Saori, but they're absolutely nothing alike.

The team is investigating a string of speeding illegally modified cars off route 404 ( I wished a 404 had popped up in the middle of this special). Naturally, their initial reaction is to go out for drinks! Unfortunately, that plan doesn't seem to work out too well as Miyukis new Mustang is stolen from the parking lot. The team gives chase, but ultimately fail.

As any reasonable police force would, they decide it best to stock up on guns and go to the beach! After a day of carefree fun and games, the team relaxes knowing everything will come their way...and how convenient, they're right! They spot the section chief getting chummy with the prime suspect in the case. They follow and assault without thinking, blowing their oh-so-clever undercover operation.

"Oh Jesus!"

No worries, they have a ton of guns! So, logically, they start blowing the nonsense out of whatever is unfortunate enough to be breathing in their line of sight. One criminal manages to escape in a stolen vehicle, but after a short chase from Natsumi and Miyuki...and a little help from a sniper rifle, they catch the rotten jerk and blow his brains out.

Okay, so they don't kill him, but that would have been on par with everything preceding.

In a nutshell, this is one of the worst specials I have ever had the displeasure to sit through. I'd rather have watched an episode of Sesame Street, or maybe even an entire hour of The View with Whoopi Goldberg. ANYTHING would have been a better choice than this...

Okay, well, maybe not better than the Lupin: Return of Pycal special but..pretty darn close.

The art is fine (minus the lazy re-skinning of the supporting cast) the music is bad, and as a package deal you're better off ripping all your toenails in half with rusty pliers.

Stay away. There is no reason to watch this abortion, especially if you're a fan of the franchise.

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This is a silly action romp, redeemed by the fact that it knows it's a silly action romp.

If you're not familiar with "You're Under Arrest", all you really need to know is that it's a light-hearted police show, in the vein of "Patlabor" crossed with "Gunsmith Cats". This OVA is from 2002, but it very much carries the feel of anime of the 1990s, with their ecchi sense of risqué, otaku fascination with guns and cars, and marginally more adult narratives.

In this OVA, most of the cast of "You're Under Arrest" are (completely inexplicably) working in Los Angeles, where they get caught up in a car theft ring that boosts Miyaki's 1973 Ford Mustang. After a quick trip to the beach, the gang stumbles upon the solution with a stroke of serendipity that would make Scooby-Doo blush, and then catch the crooks after a brief (what else?) car chase.

Nothing about this is a work of High Art, but it's all good fun, from the empty flirting to the employment of shotguns and bazookas. The understanding of American culture is roughly as sophisticated as "Time Crisis", but the two-dimensional stereotyping is part of the fun, so long as American viewers can take a joke.

It's not the best animation or acting - I can't really recommend it to anyone except those craving more Taiho Shichau zo - but for what it is, it's fine.

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