Angel Cop

OK, this isn't exactly the thinking man's Manga, but a kickass, nonstop action romp nonetheless. A lot of people will criticise this movie for having a weak storyline, underdeveloped characters or whatever, but it has one thing in spades - violence! Head popping, limb wrenching, flesh burning violent action in all of it's glory. And isn't that the main reason why people watch these kind of Manga films? Also, the standard of the animation is very high, an essential requirement for any kind of animated feature in my book. An anime film could tell the greatest story since War and Peace, but, if it has the kind of animation that makes early Hanna Barbera cartoons look like masterpieces, I'll turn it off after about ten minutes. Anyway, the plot and storyline aren't as bad as many would have you believe, certainly not compared to the standard of most anime features. Maybe it wasn't surrealistic enough, perhaps some people would have been happier if it all turned out to be a metaphor, unveiling the mysteries of evolution and the spirituality of man. For me, this flick has it all - violent "cops on the edge", slowmo shootouts, vengeful cyborgs and psychotic superhuman killers. If there were a live action film that had all of this backed up with cutting edge effects, I'd go see it in a minute. Angel Cop is well worth watching for any fan of in-your-face, violent action anime.

This DVD is well worth your time only if you are a serious anime fan. This is not mindless violence and the overall character development throughout the series is solid. I must admit it's one of my favorites right up there with Berserk.

Angel is a female cop fighting terrorist with an unknown enemy behind the scenes called "Hunters"

Keywords: Hard Boiled Cop, Gun-Play, Female Gun-Play, Special Powers/Hero Powers, Japanese Manga, Shonen Jump, Shonen Sunday.

Anime quality is not top of the line but those who know Anime will certainly appreciate this type of 'drawing style' along with the eerie music. It's harder edge for a more mature male audience. Shonen "Sunday" demographic.

It's well worth it and throw it on your Netflix Que or pick it up at your local video store. The Japanese spoken word with English subtitle is always the best way to go.

Special Security Force…sign up! RGMitchell

I have to say, with all the many flaws this anime has, I really enjoyed it!

I found it looking for 80s/90s animes, I never seen this one before, and it took me by surprise from the first episode.

The character design and writing is quite interesting, it reminded me a lot of Vampire Hunter D, it doesn't seem to be the same creative team, but there are definitely strong influences, visually.

I loved the colour palette, it gives just the right vibe, and the characters are very detailed (you can like the style or not, since it doesn't try to make everyone look pretty, I actually appreciate that a lot!), with wrinkled coats and amazingly drawn hands, if you're into drawing you'll definitely appreciate these aspects.

The story is interesting, even if a bit aged over the top 80s/90s politically controversial stuff, I didn't mind it as I took it for what it is, nothing serious. It really kept me interested and curious as the story kept developing in a mysterious way, giving a few fun little twists which surprised me, since I hadn't see any trailers or anything (I recommend you do (don't) the same).

The action is very entertaining, and there's a lot of gore and destruction, lots of good moments in that aspect.

Special mention to the main villain, who looks exactly like Madonna in the late 80s. For sure no coincidence. I wonder who is Asura based on, I was wondering if it's Peter Steele, looks a lot like him in the 90s.. What bothered me the most was the last episode. The action was way too silly, stupid, even! The last scene between the three characters doesn't make sense and it could have been written WAY better.. I was about to lower the rating because of it, but in the ned, I have to say I enjoyed this too much to not giving it an 8 (maybe too generous, but I can deny the enjoyment), I'll definitely be recommending this series to my friends, I think it has a lot of value for a seemingly low budget production.

All you really need to know is Angel Cop boasts decent action scenes, gratuitous violence and a hilarious English dub with such gems as "If this is justice, then I'm a banana!" Starts with an anime Dirty Harry, throw in a cyberpunk element and psychic powers like so many anime of the time, and you have an admittedly interesting setup. Unfortunately, the plot is flimsy and silly, the protagonist is easy to hate and the villain masterminds are practically cardboard cutouts. The final fight with a nigh-invulnerable psychic is neat, but all importance is quickly diminished by our incredibly inept hero. I like the weapon concepts; Recoil so high it breaks your arm, or muzzle flash so bright it fries your retinas. Not surprisingly, there's excessive violence to go along with it. Anyway, watch it for the laughs.

*Angel Cop* is a gritty, ultra-violent cyberpunk OVA from the late '80s. It delivers intense action, a dark dystopian setting, and edgy political themes. While its animation and raw energy appeal to fans of retro anime, the story is rushed, the characters are thin, and some content is outdated or offensive.

A cult classic for hardcore fans, but not for everyone.