"2100 AD: Urban terrorism in Japan is out of control. Newport City and its law enforcement agencies begin to surrender to inner city crime. The Tank Police are assigned to restore order, but their ruthless methods in combating crime only create more destruction and chaos."
Original Story: Masamune Shirow
Director: Noboru Furuse
Screenplay: Act 5 - Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Acts 6-10 - Mitsuo Mutsuki & Nemuruanzu
Copyright: Shirow Masamune/Seishinsha/Plex
Language Format: English Language
Running time: 30/30/30/26/28/30 mins
Certificate: 12/12/PG/PG/PG/12
Catalogue no: MANV 1075/MANV 1078/MANV 1085/MANV 1088/MANV 1094/MANV 1095
Label: Manga Video
Price: £5.99 each
Release Date: 3rd Apr/1st May/Jun/3rd Jul/7th Aug/4th Sep 1995
This is the first part of the new series that was released in Japan last year. Masume Shirow oversaw the production of these new episodes to ensure faithfulness to his original work, and Shirow fans should find this an improvement over acts 1-4. As with the first series, the premise of employing an urban tank force to combat crime takes centre stage, and much humour is derived from the resulting collateral damage.
In this episode the tank police are put under surveillance in an attempt to curtail their activities, but naturally they break the rules and take on a mysterious spider-like mecha that is terrorising the city. All the familiar members of the tank police from the first series are here, and we are promised the return of the Puma Twins in episode two.
The only disappointment with this release is the English dubbing. The acting is good, but the sound mixing is flat, spoiling the presence of the voices. Nevertheless, this is highly recommended for Shirow fans everywhere. [Jonathan Weeks]
A continuation of the series previously issued by Manga Video as two 70-min tapes. The new series is being issued, Japanese fashion, as six short 28-minute single-episode tapes, at a pocket money price. It is set in a future where the police have to use tanks to contain criminality and terrorism (a splendid idea, just the thing to deal with a Newcastle underclass riot). The first episode involves police girl Leona in a mix of comedy, general destruction and ineffective gunfire. Alas, the character vignettes, comic panache and the ecological subtext that distinguished the earlier series are all lacking. It's not that bad, but fans of the best-selling earlier series may suffer disappointment, and those tempted to buy it as a low-cost introduction to anime may wonder what all the fuss was about. [Geoff Cowie]
David Geeves: The animation is certainly better than in the original Dominion, but as a matter of personal taste, I prefer the original character designs than the ones in Crusher Dominion (New Dominion is some dumb name that Mangle Video (May they burn in hades) made up). Crusher Dominion is set after the manga (Buaku's on his way to the stars, so you won't see him). The puma twins seem to be just plain dumb, which is a disappointment. Shirow had a bigger hand in this from what I've heard/read, so it's what he wants, so you'd better like it. *grin* If possible, avoid the dub (but you all know that anyway, ne) and either go for a sub, or original unsubbed (but that's my opinion, I won't hate you for liking dubs). :) Matt Barber: I like the new designs. OK, there's some seriously dodgy hairdos, but most of the characters look quite good. It's impressed me enough to lash together a home page for it, anyway. The dub isn't too bad. It's mostly the same voice actors as the first series, but doing things a lot better. Seeing as Manga Video aren't going to release a subbed version in the UK, I suppose it's a good job. Anyway, at £5.99 a tape, I won't be grumbling too much. Edward Seehwan Kwon: Actually I like the second Dominion series better than the first. I guess you liked the first one for the humor, which it had. The first series was definitely more goofy but the second series I felt was a much more faithful interpretation of Masmune Shirow's manga and with this darker edge to it, the series just feels much more cool.