Tonight’s game is “Drink When You See a Gun.” The anime? Angel Cop, which began airing in 1989. Raise your street cred as an anime aficionado (and as a gun geek) as we pick through the dustiest of anime archives and sobriety tests. Angel Cop says, “Walk the line!”
The story begins after communist terrorists threaten Japan’s economic dominance on the world stage. In response, the government sanctions the Special Security Force to operate above the law, for the law. Yōu “Angel” Mikawa is the Special Security Force’s top bitch (her words, not mine), and she’s here to give the baddies a 45-caliber lobotomy (her again). Respect the badge! Especially since she’s dressed in tight biker leathers.
G.I. Joe Envies Angel Cop’s Guns!
Terrorists. Dudes stacked with muscle. Missiles. Guns. Are we watching a Japanese take on G.I. Joe? I say yes, and I love Angel Cop for its die-hard nationalistic bent.
For our readers of culture from the USA, please forgive me for laying out a view of G.I. Joe you might not have considered before. G.I. Joe cartoons and toys were — for many kids who lived far from America, like me — a staple diet of American propaganda we happily ingested because of all the cool guns, vehicles, and characters. It never bothered us that we weren’t American. Joes were heroes even if you lived in the wrong hemisphere.
Angel Cop tastes like the Cold War and fighting cartoons inspired by that strange time of unease. Just like G.I. Joe! These animated works made it easy to disconnect from the dreadful implications of the era and play at war. And the bizarro costumes and explosive gunfights kept it fun.
US fans don’t have the luxury of ignorance. If you care too much, Angel Cop would not be for you.
Angel Cop Let the Banana Slip, And It Stuck
What’s your favorite anime line? I love how much work the phrase “nice boat” does.
Here’s a contender, thanks to Angel Cop:
If this is justice, then I’m a banana.
– Yōu “Angel” Mikawa
And More Guns! Thanks, Angel Cop!
If you can look past over-ripe lines and the thick-as-canned-spam nationalism, Angel Cop is a fun watch. The animation’s weird quirks are easily forgivable because Angel Cop is, overall, a masterwork of cell animation.
Ichirō Itano created and directed Angel Cop for studio DAST. And no, JAST and DAST are not related. Shō Aikawa assisted Itano with writing the script.
You can find Angel Cop on the internet if you’re still interested in watching it, including the Internet Archive, Tubi TV, and Crunchyroll. Angel Cop earns a “No way those are real, even if they’re soft and squishy” Chibi Megumi rating of 3.
And that’s a wrap! Do you enjoy nostalgia binging? Are older anime better than new shows? Shake your old-man fists at the internet clouds in the comments. Or tell us how many times Angel Cop made you drink.
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