You're Under Arrest #1 AnimEigo 100 minutes English/Japanese English Subtitles 11/04/2002

Back To Y Listings

Fucking AnimEigo! Fuck fuck FUCKING fuck. I'm sorry to be so profane, and I really have been making an effort to cut back on the swearing in the reviews so it doesn't lose all of its luster too soon, but this is really important. I never realized this before, but I absolutely HATE AnimEigo. I mean, I'm sure they're good guys and all but the quality of the discs they're putting out is absolutely atrocious. Unbearably long startup times, no scene selections, horrible menus, don't even get me started about the fact that they don't put the freaking -credits- on the Macross discs. I imagine the only reason I ever liked these guys is because they put out so many of the shows I really enjoy...it sure as hell isn't based on the technicals of their DVDs. Though You're Under Arrest wouldn't do very much to sway me in a positive direction. I remember watching (what I think) was a fansub of this a very long time ago...and liking it. Now, maybe I was just more impressionable back then, and maybe it was because I wasn't as worldy in the pursuit of anime knowledge as I am now...but I did not enjoy it nearly as much during this second time around.

I mean, sure, it's still got it's good points. I've never heard the dub before and it's pretty agreeable for something so old...I don't particularly like Tamara Mercer as Nastumi, but Juliet Cesario does what I think is an absolute bang-up job as the straight-girl Miyuki.** I am not neessarily against Ms. Mercer, but I don't know what to say. I've hated voice jobs before, and I don't hate hers here...it just doesn't feel right to me. I know a lot of anime fans hold this up as one of the "best dubs ever" and it even went so far as the DIRECTOR OF THE SHOW proclaiming it as better than the Japanese language...but I just don't get it. The thing doesn't even have the loveable camp of something put out by our favorite, Streamline. But...I guess as long as you've never seen the subbed version before you'll be fine with Nastumi's copycatting "Shaaaw, whatever!" and all the others that may be thrown at you. Hey, I like Ken...at least. And to their credit, the creators did a good job of not putting the two girls, new partners at a local police station, into "wild and whacky!" lesbian-esque situations to pull in whatever loser viewers haven't wanked their birds to some cartoon chickies yet. Friendship seems to be about as far as the two girls go and that's perfectly alright with me.

But like I always say, less time needs to be spent on finding out why the characters care about each other and more needs to be spent on things that go really fast. Which isn't to say I'm totally anti-plot, I just like it a lot when things happen that I have to think about less. It's something about me having the worst attention span ever...and if fast things don't go across the screen eventually I just start pretending like they are so I can move my eyes once in awhile besides having to read the subtitles, which by the way sucks, because you end up missing key animation and I'm a crappy reader anyway so I end up forgetting what they've said two lines later, thus defeating the point of having a story at all. But from what I can remember, it goes something like this. I already told you Nastumi and Miyuko are cops, traffic cops to be specific. They, their buddy Ken of the motorcycle patrol, and Yoriko...who doesn't really do anything, go around having aventures with good humored drivers and nobody really gets hurt beyond needing a ride to the ambulance...though motor vehicles do get blown up from time to time and I'm not gonna say I'm ungrateful for that little nod in my direction.

All the same, my life wouldn't have been lost without seeing this show. The animation quality's above par, and there's enough technical jargon to drown an elephant. Of course I don't understand any of it...but it's still nice to know the good people tried their hardest to give me something to hold onto. As far as shows go...it could be worse but it could be a hell of a lot better. I'm just glad that the drivers are of legal age, though likely only barely. Nothing like watching yet ANOTHER show about sixteen year olds. I'm sure you're surprised that I'm not giving this thing an amazing review, seeing as how I love very much when "the cars go fast" in my own words. However, I just can't do it. It's too hard to make a car chase appear impressive in an animated show through conventional means. Fast cuts just don't work like they should in things like this. While I like it better than, say, ex-Driver that isn't to say it's some holy grail of speed thrills show. It's an OVA from the mid 90's and I think you all know what that means. However, it doesn't end with -much- of a cliffhanger...much to my surprise. All that's pretty much moot now anyway since they got a TV show that follows up where the fourth episode leaves off. I'll be glad to give you my opinion of that too...but I'm not sure how well it's gonna be recieved.

**I mean straight, like she's the calm one. Not like, she likes boys...which she does, mind you.