Angel Cop

Angel Cop
エンゼルコップ (Enzeru Koppu)
Genre	Action, Cyberpunk, Detective
Original video animation
Directed by	Ichirō Itano
Produced by	Kazufumi Nomura
Written by	Shō Aikawa Ichirō Itano
Music by	Hiroshi Ogasawara
Studio	Soei Shinsha
Licensed by	NA: Manga Entertainment
Released	1989 – 1994
Episodes	6
Manga
Written by	Taku Kitazaki
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Magazine	Newtype
Published	April 1990
Volumes	1

Angel Cop (エンゼルコップ, Enzeru Koppu) is a six-part original video animation created and directed by Ichirō Itano. A manga adaptation written and illustrated by Taku Kitazaki was serialized in Newtype and reprinted as a Newtype 100% collection in 1990.

Plot

The story initially starts by dealing with terrorism at the end of the 20th century, where Japan is the largest economy in the world. The communist radical group, the Red May, are trying to bring down Japan's economy and take over the government.

In response, a government agency, the Special Security Force, is formed with the ability to act outside the law. However, when the Red May suddenly find themselves being wiped out, the force discovers that something else is hunting the terrorists.

Characters

Angel (Yō Mikawa)

Voiced by: Mika Doi (Japanese); Sharon Holm (English)

The main protagonist and title character. A member of the Special Security Force, she initially believes in just getting the job accomplished and not caring who dies. In the end, however, she shows dismay after being forced to kill Raiden. Her story differs in the manga; she becomes cybernetic after being injured in an explosion, in contrast to her anime counterpart who remains human throughout.

Raiden (Isamu Sakata)

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara (Japanese); John Hunter (English)

Angel's assigned partner in the Special Security Force. Injured during a pursuit of the Red May terrorists, he voluntarily allows himself to receive cybernetic enhancements in the anime. His new powers allow him to fight Lucifer to standstill. Afterward, he forces Angel to kill him by causing his suit to detonate, destroying Lucifer in the process. Raiden's story differs in the manga, where Angel becomes cybernetic instead of him.

Hacker (Yūji Fuse)

Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); John Bull (English)

One of the Special Security agents. As his name implies, he handles hacking duties, but also participates in firefights. He is killed when Lucifer takes control of his body and causes him to detonate a grenade in the anime. In the manga, he is killed by Freya.

Peace (Reika Yogawa)

Voiced by: Rei Sakuma (Japanese); Barbara Barnes (English)

The only other female Special Security agent, Peace handles explosives and is generally paired with Hacker. It is later revealed that she is in love with him. Peace dies when Lucifer drains her mind in the anime. As with Hacker, she is killed by Freya in the manga.

Kuwata (Masumi Hirakawa)

Voiced by: Mikio Terashima (Japanese); Garrick Hagon (English)

Taki's right-hand man, Kuwata appears to be second in command of the Special Security Agency. He is killed by Lucifer for allowing Tachihara to leave the Special Security's building. Ironically, he wanted an alliance with the hunters shortly before his death.

Kaishō Taki

Voiced by: Kenji Utsumi (Japanese); Bob Sessions (English)

The head of the Special Security Force, he is responsible for giving his subordinates their orders. In the final episode, he arrives at the main police office to kill Maisaka, but is wounded in the attempt and left to bleed to death; however, he manages to plant a bomb in a tape recorder and escape the building.

Ichihara

Voiced by: Kôichi Kitamura (Japanese); Peter Marinker (English)

A scientist for the Ministry of Defense who developed cybernetic technology for the police force. Taki, however, refused to allow Ichihara to test his works on the Special Security agents; nevertheless, Ichihara was able to give Raiden a cybernetic exoskeleton. During the final battle, he was killed when his laboratory exploded.

Lucifer

Voiced by: Kumiko Hironaka (Japanese); Lorelei King (English)

The main antagonist, Lucifer is a Hunter, psychic beings sent to destroy anyone unjust in the world. Of the three Hunters, Lucifer is the most powerful and the most fanatical, causing a mass pile-up just to catch Tachihara and killing anyone who attempts to aide the Red May terrorists, the Special Service agents included. She is finally killed when Raiden's suit detonates in front of her. In the manga, she is killed by a cybernetic Angel.

Asura

Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki (Japanese); Jay Benedict (English)

The first Hunter encountered, Asura possesses psychic powers similar to Lucifer's, but not on the same level as hers. He decides to join up with the Special Security agents after realizing Lucifer went too far in her methods. Asura soon becomes targeted by her, but survives the final encounter. In the manga, Asura never allies himself with the Special Security agents and is shot in the head by Angel.

Freya

Voiced by: Yuko Mizutani (Japanese); Barbara Barnes (English)

A young girl Hunter. She possesses pyrokinetic powers. Asura and Freya appear to be very close. She is killed by Lucifer in the anime and Angel in the manga.

Maisaka

Voiced by: Osamu Saka (Japanese); Jesse Vogel (English)

The main villain, Maisaka is the Governor of Tokyo, and he is in command of all the police forces. He is responsible for Red May, awakening the hunters, and attempting to wipe out the Special Security Force. He was killed when a bomb Taki planted inside his tape recorder detonated.

Togawa

Voiced by: Tesshō Genda (Japanese); William Roberts (English)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau Third Public Security Division Chief and Maisaka's second in command. Togawa was seemingly killed by Angel during an attack on Ichihara's building, but the man killed was revealed to be a decoy. The real Togawa perishes in the explosion that also kills Maisaka.

Tachihara

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese); Danny Flynn (English)

The new head of the Red May, Tachihara initially manages to escape from the Special Security Force, but is eventually captured and tortured. He was also a pawn of Maisaka. Hacker and Peace attempt to bring him to Ichihara's laboratory for safety, but the three are killed by Lucifer on the highway.

Releases

Some politically sensitive content present within the original Japanese dialogue was censored from the English releases.

External links

• Angel Cop (OVA) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia