NoaIzumiManga Review: You're Under Arrest
December 2nd 2008 03:06
Continuing on a light tone for the holiday.
If you’ve seen the popular anime You’re Under Arrest, then you’ll really want to see the manga that started it all. Tokyo policewomen Miyuki and Natsumi have to deal with celebrities who think they’re above the law, exploding Christmas trees, a rogue traffic cop, and Strike Man!
The manga version of You’re Under Arrest is very much in the vein of the anime. It has the same light-hearted comedy, the same multi-dimensional characterization, and the same mecha-otakuness. Most of the stories in the American releases have been adapted for the anime, but some, such as "Trick or Treat" and "Defeat of the Paintball Army", are manga-only (so far as I know; maybe they made it to the anime in the second or third seasons), and others, such as "Lights and Siren" and "Nice Shot, Aoi!", are very altered from the anime versions.
The artwork is worth seeing, too. The artist, Kosuke Fujishima, also draw the manga series, Ah my Goddess, and the similarity is evident.
There are seven volumes of the manga, but so far, only two have been released (in the US, at least, although I suspect the same is true in other countries). Apparently, this was at the artist’s request, but it does result in some confusion for first-time readers, since the American version starts in the middle of the series, so it skips the character introductions. If you’ve seen the anime already, this isn’t a big deal, since all the characters are introduced by episode 5. If you’re reading the manga without having seeing the series, it’s still fun, but you’ll miss a few of the jokes at first.
However, a lot of the stories that were in the original manga have been animated, so even though they’re missing in the American release, they can be seen in the episodes and the mini-specials.
Unfortunately for otaku, the American version is in the flipped form (left to right), and in You’re Under Arrest, it’s pretty apparent, since it features so many cars. So if that kind of thing bothers you, it will probably bother you here.
Great moments: The story arc with Nakajima’s dad (plays out just like in the anime) and the story "Lights and Siren" (same basic story as in the anime, but with different execution)
Summary: Light-hearted, character driven fun, just like the anime. Grade: A minus.
Age rating: 13 and up
You're Under Arrest: The Wid Ones
If you’ve seen the popular anime You’re Under Arrest, then you’ll really want to see the manga that started it all. Tokyo policewomen Miyuki and Natsumi have to deal with celebrities who think they’re above the law, exploding Christmas trees, a rogue traffic cop, and Strike Man!
The manga version of You’re Under Arrest is very much in the vein of the anime. It has the same light-hearted comedy, the same multi-dimensional characterization, and the same mecha-otakuness. Most of the stories in the American releases have been adapted for the anime, but some, such as "Trick or Treat" and "Defeat of the Paintball Army", are manga-only (so far as I know; maybe they made it to the anime in the second or third seasons), and others, such as "Lights and Siren" and "Nice Shot, Aoi!", are very altered from the anime versions.
The artwork is worth seeing, too. The artist, Kosuke Fujishima, also draw the manga series, Ah my Goddess, and the similarity is evident.
There are seven volumes of the manga, but so far, only two have been released (in the US, at least, although I suspect the same is true in other countries). Apparently, this was at the artist’s request, but it does result in some confusion for first-time readers, since the American version starts in the middle of the series, so it skips the character introductions. If you’ve seen the anime already, this isn’t a big deal, since all the characters are introduced by episode 5. If you’re reading the manga without having seeing the series, it’s still fun, but you’ll miss a few of the jokes at first.
However, a lot of the stories that were in the original manga have been animated, so even though they’re missing in the American release, they can be seen in the episodes and the mini-specials.
Unfortunately for otaku, the American version is in the flipped form (left to right), and in You’re Under Arrest, it’s pretty apparent, since it features so many cars. So if that kind of thing bothers you, it will probably bother you here.
Great moments: The story arc with Nakajima’s dad (plays out just like in the anime) and the story "Lights and Siren" (same basic story as in the anime, but with different execution)
Summary: Light-hearted, character driven fun, just like the anime. Grade: A minus.
Age rating: 13 and up
You're Under Arrest: Lights and Siren!
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Comment by The Rusty Can
Everything
Good post.
Rusty.