Forum - View topicPolice in a Pod (TV).
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Police in a Pod (TV) Genres: Themes: police Plot Summary: Female police officer Kawai had enough of a career she wasn't even that into and was about to hand in her registration, when the unthinkable happened — she met the new, female director of her station. And after spending a little time with this gorgeous role model, Kawai realizes that maybe she isn't quite done being an officer after all. (from manga) Jan. 5, 2022 (Wednesdays; FUNimation) |
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ACｘS
 Posts: 961 |
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1:
Loving this show already. Ngl what grabbed me from the onset is the art style: very josei-esque with more emphasis on the eyes. But what eventually appealed to me about the show is everything else. Very down-to-earth topics about being a police officer (at least in Japan) and the expectations that come with it. No sugarcoating needed, yet not too cynical that it makes being a police officer such a bummer. Perfect balance of optimism and realism. Also, props to the show for the occasional insightful observations e.g. burglarizing places where rules are already broken, crimes cropping up only after becoming a police officer, etc. Couple that with deadpan humor that somewhat works. I credit that to the characters, especially Fuji. Ice queen (or the devil) who has her own ditzy moments. She's quickly becoming a favorite character of mine. At first, I thought this show was going to be something like You're Under Arrest (really nostalgic, thinking about it) but it's not. It's a lot more grounded and charming in its own way. I went into this show only because it's produced by Madhouse, and it proved to a wise move. A good start to the new season / year. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I was a bit confused reading the preview guide, as it looked like most of the reception from the reviewers was rather cold, but I actually enjoyed the first episode much more than I expected. I was wondering if some part is how people from certain parts of the world don't have super positive ideas of the police as an institution, while my own is rather more positive experience that doesn't have the same level of intimidation and fear of violence as I have heard of elsewhere.
I thought the episode was funny, showing these officers as still just people, and probably still not perfect. Could possibly have not been intentional, but there was a bit about some sexism problems in the police, such that assumed women would be a better fit talking to kids, and also an economics element, where some people probably are less able to take a fine than others. It feels like another working person's show, just with its own theme, kind of like Uramichi Onii-san was last year. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4158 |
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I like it but I'm not in love with it though the tone of the key meeting caught my attention... present day Mai gushing over Fuji's beauty while all knowing narrator Mai says this was the worst thing that ever happened to her.
The show itself reminds of Servant x Service from its nitty gritty details of public service to the great big detail that their greatest service is there to be yelled at by the public. Two Police in a Pod... screw it, I'm calling the show that because the saying as I know it is "2 peas in a pod" and the full complete pun's right there in the premise; I'm shocked that it isn't the English title... that it is far too realistic to be as funny a SxS. But there are some things at play here as the other work I'm reminded of is Hot Fuzz where a hypercompetent city cop gets relegated to country for being too on. Fuji's like that but she's wary of being, well, switched "off" I think. I don't know how else to put it, it's only been one episode. And I don't trust Mai as a narrator. She said she just wanted to become a public servant, any public servant but the only test she passed was for the police... yet cut to a flashback later in the episodes and she's a young girl crying because she thinks her daddy's a bad guy just because he got fined. |
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Piglet the Grate
 Posts: 767 Location: North America |
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Hard to like Police in a Pod without being a general slice of life (SOL) fan, and while some ANN reviewers do appreciate slower paced SOL the ones doing the reviews are apparently not among them. If Episode 1 is typical, I will watch the full cour, but then I like/liked shows such as Let's Make a Mug Too, Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House, and of course Super Cub (the latter desperately needs a Season 2). The difficult part will be adjusting to Sgt. Fuji turning into Mikasa Ackerman on Sundays, then transforming back on the following Wednesday. 
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Probably off topic, but Hot Fuzz is one of my all time favourite movies. When they asked the kids if they had any questions about being a police officer I said: "Is it true that there is a place in a man's head that if you shoot it, it will blow up?" |
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durask
Posts: 19 |
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So far I liked the first episode. I think the reviewers were way, way too harsh on it. I am not a general "slice of life" fan at all. I think to appreciate this show you have to relate to the protagonists. If you were ever in a job that you did not really like but the pay was ok so you stayed anyway, you will definitely appreciate the show.
Never heard of Servant x Service, looks interesting, I'll check it out. Also, interesting how reviewers mentioned that it is not funny. I personally thought that many situations were not gut busting funny but definitely amusing. Frustrations of dealing with daily bullshit, so to speak. [EDIT: Put your double-posts together for coherency's sake. -TK] |
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09jcg
Posts: 536 |
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Episode 2 got real dark real fast. I like how they show how a crime can start off as one thing, but when you peel back the layers it can be something else entirely different. A very good second episode.
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ACｘS
Posts: 961 |
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2:
It's official: I love this show. In particular, I love how the second episode is specially dedicated to cases related to women, both from the victim's POV and inside the police force. DV cases are particularly sticky to deal with, even for female police officers, so it requires a lot of special training and experience to spot a victim. Whether it's observing how a victim behaves in the presence of the aggressor, or seeing something unusual like walking with a missing shoe, it requires a discerning eye. The show knows what it's talking about. It can be a pretty dark topic, but the show deals it in a more light-hearted way without compromising on the seriousness of the issue. The second half of the episode... now that's hilarious. I can't help but feel that the show is based on experiences by RL police officers; the material is way too self-aware to be made up. And tbh I'm also interested to know how women perceive men in a male-dominant work setting: are men seen as brutes because men portray themselves that way, or because of preconceived notions and stereotyping? Interesting to ask since this show is josei genre, so this is seen from a femake's POV. I don't understand the lukewarm reviews surrounding this show (apparently there exists some). Then again, I don't care about other people's reviews. This show is amazing. P.S. I cracked up at Fuji's "Hooray" exclamation, specifically because it felt out of character. I am really looking forward to more Fuji moments; I know there's bound to be at least one in every episode. |
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Piglet the Grate
Posts: 767 Location: North America |
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One of the best moments is the way Sgt. Fuji handles the request for her phone number from the guys trying to flirt with her.
The mangaka is both female and a former police officer.
For reviews, which are inherently subjective, to be useful, one has to know the preferences/biases of the reviewer, and read the review through a "filter" developed from that information. With one exception, when ANN reviewers call a SOL show boring, I expect I may find it interesting. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 961 |
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I saw that coming from a mile away, I swear. It's literally the guys' fault for being surprised.
Hence, it begs me to wonder: does the disclaimer at the start of the show mean anything? I know it's for liability purposes, but when it's pretty clear that the mangaka is writing according to personal experience, you have to question how "coincidental" any resemblance to somebody in RL is. It's the "no offense but (insert offense)" trick. "I'm not mocking you (whoever you are), but I am". /hilarious though, don't stop.
After much thinking, the show kinda feels like an updated, *much* more realistic version of You're Under Arrest (nostalgic). Not a homage, but a correction or sorts of what being a female police officer is *really* like. YuA is probably more fun to watch, but clearly it's over the top a number of times. See, this is why I always believe in Madhouse. They don't always churn out winners, but they can surprise you with something unexpectedly brilliant. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Yeah, episode 2 really did get serious rather quickly. I was thinking that it was being rather guts to have an upfront underaged sex worker, that she is doing something she shouldn't but other people are the criminals. And then the step-father was acting weird, after she had an almost non-reaction to him being mentioned earlier, which gave an 'oh, that is what's happening' moment.
I might have thought I was jumping the gun in the first episode, but by the second it does look like this show is very aware of gendered issues, especially relating to women/girls, with its women's eye view of police work. But is also being aware at least some statements that it is not just a men vs women sort of thing, which does make me wonder if there might be some planned subversions later on. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4158 |
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Episode 2 was really good even if the comedy was predictable- that number joke was so obvious I knew it would come with a subtitle explanation. I saw the thank you letter one as well. So what's good? The human drama... and as an American, I have to say it's nice to see a police force that's not armed to the teeth.
"That deescalated quickly"- What is never said when US police get involved. It kind of goes without saying but I may as well say it- it's also nice to see a society that's also not armed to the teeth. Maybe one day but it won't be within my lifetime. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 961 |
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3:
This show just keeps getting better. I have to admire Minamoto's character. He's the kind of person who knows what makes people tick; clearly he knows that the old lady (a regular case for him) won't listen to other women (ironic, but her explanation is disconcertingly valid). You might say that people like him may be the manipulative kind, but then that's because manipulative people are good at understanding them in the first place. It's just a matter of whether such people have a good heart or not, and Minamoto is one of the good guys. You have to admit, getting the lady's grandson as his trump card is a little sneaky. The old lady's case? I'm pretty sure the show's disclaimer of characters resembling people in RL is not a disclaimer; clearly, the author wrote this based on personal experience by a real person. But it is true, a lot of fairy tales is ridden with stereotypes pegged against women. I find her circumstances interesting, nevertheless. The second half of the episode... wow, this is heavy stuff. I didn't think this show would tackle this topic in particular because 1) handling dead bodies is pretty much a taboo in society, and 2) I thought it's something unrelated to police work (as opposed to detective work). The last time I watched something related to this was the movie Departures, so it felt very nostalgic. Personally, my mom took care of her father on his deathbed, and it wasn't pretty at all. Not to mention, it's a *lot* of thankless hard work. A lot of people would say that taking care of the elderly is just a given that people must do, but the efforts are often neglected. More so in a rapidly ageing society like Japan where this is a common phenomenon, yet nobody talks about it openly. I have a lot of respect for this show; it knows when to be real yet light-hearted at the same time. Last edited by ACｘS on Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I would say at that I am pretty confident in calling this show pretty feminist. This episode veerying away from criminals, and onto older women, one feeling abandoned and lonely with her family, bringing up the idea of older women often portrayed as villainous, saying something about insecurities. And the other a woman having cared for her father in law, having taken a lot of her energy to do it well, while her son acts delinquent from probably feeling a lack of attention on himself, and how her work may be thankless up to police having to check nothing suss was done in his eventual death.
I know that this is meant to be a comedy, but it is actually managing to be pretty effective emotionally. Certainly raising my ranks for a show of the season. |
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