A Blast from the Not-so-innocent Anime Past

AD Police

Files 1-3

I sometimes hear how far the boundaries are pushed in anime these days in terms of sex and violence. If you feel mainstream anime crosses too many boundaries I dare you to make it through the first episode of 1990s AD Police Files. This prequel OVA to the madly popular series Bubblegum Crisis is very different from its PG roots. Here we are introduced to the "darkside" of MegaTokyo set in the year 2027.

The AD Police are an almost military faction of the Tokyo Police Department assigned to take care of stray Boomers. These Boomers are cyborg servants to man that every so often go a little nuts. Rookie Leon McNichol gets a harsh introduction to the AD Police job in the first episode.

Interestingly enough, this is a series based more in philosophy than it is in linear story-telling. The social ethics behind cybernetic slaves and the line between human and Boomer is explored rather heavily in all three episodes of this DVD. Where is the line between human and machine?

Blade Runner, Robocop, The Terminator, all clear influences on this very 80s style animation. Although the stories ask for some suspension of belief from the viewer, watching CG-free anime does have a certain soul-cleansing quality about it. Sure in 2027 people have Pat Benetar hair-dos and listen to synthesizer music, but that only adds to the fun. (Actually the music adds a sinister element to the dark stories, a bit like the synth soundtracks to The Warriors or low-budget horror from the same era.)

Gratuitous blood, violence and robot boobies abound, AD Police Files is not for kids, both because of the content and because they won't have the patience for the rougher hand-drawn style. But adults with a little hankering for some nostalgic anime from almost 20 years ago will be sure to get a campy kick out of this disc. For this one the cover art says it all. If it looks like 80s cheese to you, then you might not get into it, but if it appeals to you in a strangely nostalgic way, then by all means, give it a shot.