- Angel Cop is a six-episode OVA anime series released between 1989 and 1994, set in an alternate reality where Japan is a superpower facing terrorism, despite the economic struggles of the actual 1990s.
- The series follows the elite Special Security Force, led by the determined officer Angel, as they combat terrorist threats, with a plot twist involving multiple layers of villains and a controversial dub that has gained notoriety.
- Angel Cop features graphic violence and minimal fanservice, utilizing spartan animation typical of 80s anime, with a poorly received English dub that has become infamous for its lackluster quality and memorable lines.
After I was all caught up with Invincibleand Reacher on Amazon Prime, I found myself looking for something new to watch. The service has a lot of anime and typically, it’s not where I go for anime in the first place, but the new Ghost in the Shellis really good, so why not give it a shot? The first anime suggested for me was Angel Cop. I had heard for years how bad the series became after the first few episodes. Figured this was a good time to experience it and judge for myself. That was a mistake.
Angel Cop Was Outdated The Moment It Aired
Angel Cop is an OVA (original video animation), which means it’s not an adaptation of an existing manga. Instead, it’s a six-episode series released piecemeal over the course of five years, starting in 1989 and ending in 1994. Which is unfortunate timing given the anime’s setting. In the world of Angel Cop, Japan’s economic boom of the 1980s never stopped and turned the country into the world’s superpower. The result is a rise in terrorism that only the elite Special Security Force can contain. In reality, the 1990 stock market crash devalued the Yen to the point that the 90s are referred to as “The Lost Decade.” Which adds a layer of irony to Angel Cop’s national pride.
The series starts off with the Special Security Force trying to shut down the terrorist group, Red May. Angel is one of the top officers on the force thanks to her hardline determination to get the job done no matter who dies. She’s joined in the field by Raiden, and then as support, Hacker and Peace, whom specialize in, respectively, hacking and explosives. Halfway through, the real villain is revealed, and then later, the real real villain is revealed, but the true villain of the Japanese anime isn’t actually shown. Partly because in the American version, the villain was changed to be “Americans” because even in the early 90s, making the villain “the Jews” was going too far.
Angel Cop And The Gag Dub
Angel Cop has a lot of the same appeal as most of the 80s anime, including Golgo 13 and City Hunter, by making the most of its spartan animation. Gunshots result in heads exploding, blood and guts go everywhere, and yet, there’s zero fanservice in the series to the point that Angel could be swapped out with say, John Rambo, and nothing would change. That part is honestly a little refreshing, though it does also speak to the quality of the writing.
If you decide to run through Angel Cop, prepare yourself for one of the worst dubs to leave Japan. There’s one line at the end that you’ve heard before. As a meme. It’s that bad: “If this is justice, then I’m a banana.” Reading it doesn’t do it justice. It’s worse than you think.
When Angel is first introduced she sounds like a gas station attendant who spent the last 20 years smoking a pack a day. That settles down, and the voice acting cast do their best with the material, but if you’re used to anime dubs post-Akira, Angel Cop is going to sound like no one bothered reading the script before hitting record. Given the state of the anime industry in 1989 on American soil, that might actually be true.
Angel Cop is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video in case you’ve run out of literally any other anime to watch.
