Police in a Pod

Mareep Mar 11, 2022

6

It is really just a dumb show about policemen work with a low budget. Everything about this show is average. The jokes and funny situations aren't extra funny, but I find them funny sometimes. Especially if the characters grow on you a little you start to enjoy it more. But I wanted to highlight something else. The show doesn't forget to remind us of the harsh reality, that world is a cruel place and people die sometimes. And imo portrays it very well and in just right ratio to the funny situations. If this show was just a plain comedy I probably would've give it lower score and not even write this review, since it's not really that interesting, unless you have a personal interest in how police works in Japan/ police overall. But thanks to those not so funny stuff that ocassionally popped here and there, the show got somewhat deeper and more meaningful. I'm not saying this a good show, but it was a FINE show which you could probably give a shot, if it interests you just a little (like it did me).

AustinDR Feb 16, 2022

7

Pros  I like how the show presents some of the criminals as people with different issues like an aging single parent having to care for her sick father-in-law whilst simultaneously dealing with a delinquent. Or an old woman threatening to rob stores because she was lonely. Several of these episodes balance out the comedy with genuine heart. I also liked how the police agency is depicted. Really interesting facts to learn. Officer Fuji is the best character. She is smart; beautiful, and passionate about her profession. She can also be trolling, playful, and downright scary with her skillful observation. The animation is fine, nothing visually thrilling.  The voicework is serviceable.  And the opening and ending themes are also great bops to listen to. Cons Kawai whines a lot. While she does her job to obtain a stable income, and her wanting to quit is understandable, can she complain less? But she does get slightly better over time.  Most other characters are underdeveloped and flat. One, Minamoto,  does have an interesting rivalry with Fuji but is nevertheless not that developed.

megumeda Feb 18, 2022

8.5

Honestly, give this one a shot. I think it deserves more than the 3.5 stars it has right now! Writing this episode after episode 7.  Story: This is a largely episodic, slice of life workplace comedy. It certainly has heavy moments, dealing with a variety of criminal justice issues while simultaneously humanizing criminals and showing a side of policing that we don't tend to see in the West - the public service and bureaucracy, which I personally like to see. The way it approaches domestic violence and drug use, in particular, are heavy but really important.  Characters: The main character, Kawai, falls flat to me especially in comparison to the other three main characters. Two of which, Minamoto and Fuji, are quite well developed thus far and provide most of the comedy with the support of Kawai and Yamada (who I thought was going to be a much different kind of character when he was introduced). Overall, Minamoto is my favourite character right now considering how heavily he's made to fall into that machismo dumbass-type often (see 2nd half of episode six).  Animation: I really like the art style and how the characters are drawn. The main characters are all uniquely shaped and designed, with other incidental characters in the criminal affairs division and narcotics division being made to play up stereotypes comedically. This definitely isn't your same-face-slightly-different-hair kind of anime. Beyond that, it's relatively simple animation but I like it. Sound: the opening is a definite bop. Again, this review is written after episode 7. If anything wild happens I'll update my review when the season finishes. If you're into some (usually) easy and light slice of life, give it a shot.