Reviews of Dominion Tank Police (1986) and related work

Dominion Tank Police (1986Sequential art with text)

Shirō Masamune (writer-artist).

sequential art text Japanese production fiction

Dominion Tank Police (1988Moving picture, 70 minutes)

Review applies to the dub.

Cops in tanks battle mushroom architecture.

Dystopian comedy about abuse of force. Not a satire, simply a comedy, with ultraviolent catgirls, slapstick and everything, set in a dystopia.

This OVA series is an essentially faithful filming of Dominion in terms of slapstick factor, but it adds giant cock mines for reasons that are not entirely clear. It has the usual Shirō high-tech battles and philosophically inclined backdrop. Thankfully, T&A levels in Dominion are low by modern standards. The anime devotes a lot of time to giving the villain a background, but that’s the best thing about it.

moving picture adaptation animation Japanese production fiction series

‣‣ “New Dominion Tank Police” (1993Moving picture, 30 minutes)

A megacorporate conspiracy threatens Newport City. It involves a revolutionary spider-shaped tank à la Shirō’s The Ghost in the Shell (1989).

OVA series. Significantly more realistic in design and a bit more serious in tone, but still close to farce. Bad music. Occasional diversity in skin colour, albeit poorly drawn, as usual. The plot subtracts Buaku, and thereby the philosophical underpinnings of the comic, in favour of a secretary.

moving picture sequel animation Japanese production fiction