You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle – Collection 1 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

“You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle” returns with a more action, more hijinks but also an interesting tease during the ending closing theme that shows that these two officers might be more than just partners?  If you enjoyed previous seasons of “You’re Under Arrest”, definitely give “Full Throttle” a try!

Image courtesy of © Kosuke Fujishima. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle Collection 1

DURATION: Episodes 1-12 (300 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Japanese 2.0, English subtitles

COMPANY: TBS Animation/Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV PG V

Released on March 9, 2010

Originally created by Kosuke Fujishima

Directed by oichi Ohata

Series Composition by Natsuko Takahashi

Music by Hideyuki Fukasawa, Masara Nishida

Art Director: Shigemi Murata

Character Design by Atsuko Nakajima

Mechanical Design: Shunji Murata

Anime Production by STUDIO DEEN

Featuring the following voice talent:

Akiko Hiramatsu as Miyuki Kobayakawa

Sakiko Tamagawa as Natsumi Tsujimoto

Ayako Saito as Megumi Honda

Bin Shimada as Ken Nakajima

Etsuko Kozakura as Yoriko Nikaido

Fumiko Orikasa as Sena Nakajima

Issei Masamune as Chief

Mayumi Iizuka as Saori Saga

Rica Matsumoto as Futaba Aoi

Tomokazu Seki as Shouji Toukarin

The ladies of Bokuto Police Station are back, but there have been some big changes! Miyuki’s been in the U.S., studying American police techniques, while Natsumi’s actually been serving in the military! So have these world-changing experiences had any effect on how everyone’s favorite girls in blue carry out their duties protecting the Japanese public? Have they gained a more “mature” perspective? Well, let’s just say that, if anything, they may be even wilder and less cautious than before! (Except for that blossoming “relationship” between Miyuki and Nakajima, where things are getting decidedly delicate.)

I can easily remember watching the early “You’re Under Arrest” (Taiho Shichauzo) OVA’s when they were released on LaserDisc back in 1994. It was a special time as fans gravitated towards the animated series which was created by Kosuke Fujishima, know for creating the anime series “Ah! My Goddess”. Because of the popularity of “Ah! My Goddess”, people were excited for his latest series which is based on a manga that he released earlier in his career.

The series has always been a humorous take on two police officers: The action-driven, very strong and easy to anger Natsumi Tsujimoto (short hair) and the very polite and very smart Miyuki Kobayakawa (long black hair) and their adventures of wanting to take on criminals on the roads and not just being female officers issuing tickets.

Throughout the last decade, “You’re Under Arrest” fans have been treated with several OVA’s, specials, a movie and television series, and watch as these two complete opposites become the best of friends through their teamwork.

In 2001, “You’re Under Arrest” was given a second season (the last season finished in 1997) titled “You’re Under Arrest: Fast & Furious” and was released in 2009/2010 in the U.S. by Sentai Filmworks and now the latest season titled “You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle” which aired in Japan in 2007/2008 gets its release in the US from Sentai Filmworks.

The first volume of “You’re Under Arrest: Fast & Furious” features the first 12-episodes and focuses on the officers who work at the traffic division of the Bokutou Police Department. The series is directed by Koichi Ohata  (“Burst Angel: Infinity”, “Genocyber”, “Ikkitousen”) and series composition by Natsuko Takahashi (“Aquarion”, “Bleach”, “Romeo x Juliet”).  Character designs are by Atsuko Nakajima (“Ranma 1/2″, “Ah! My Goddess”, “Fatal Fury”), art direction by Shigemi Ikeda (“Black Cat”, “El Hazard: The Wanderers”, “Inuyasha”, “Bubblegum Crisis”) and mechanical design by Shunji Murata (“You’re Under Arrest”, “Kimagure Orange Road”, “Mouse”).

In “You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle”, things have changed a little since the last series of “You’re Under Arrest”.  Miyuki has been undergoing profile training, Natsumi has been going through ranger training with the Self Defense Force, Saori has transferred to a new job and everyone else is doing fine at their job.  But with Miyuki returning back home after being gone after training, more adventures are in store for Miyuki, Natsumi and the police officers of the Bokuto Police Department.

The main characters of “You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle” are:

Natsumi Tsujimoto – The protagonist of the story. Natsumi is the vocal, athletic and outspoken person of the series. She always wants to become part of the action and at times this puts her in odds with her partner and friend Miyuki. When traffic is congested, she is known to take her moped, a Honda Motocompo out of Miyuki’s Honda Today squad car in order to catch the bad guys on the road.

Miyuki Kobayakawa - The protagonist of the story. Known for her brains and politeness, Miyuki is the driver of the Honda Today squad car. She likes fellow police officer Ken Nakajima but both have a problem communicating their feelings to each other.

Ken Nakajima – The motorcycle police officer station at Bokuto Police Department. A strong and determined police officer but when it comes to Miyuki, a woman that he really likes…he turns to mush and becomes very shy.

Yoriko Nikaido – Aoi’s partner and always wanting to have parties with her co-workers. Seen at times in the middle of Natsumi and Miyuki’s arguments.

Aoi Futaba – Aoi is the most beautiful of the female police officers at Bokuto, but in actuality Aoi is a “he”. Aoi’s job is to use the disguise to catch perverts but enjoyed being in disguise so much that he lives his life as a woman. Because Aoi gets all the attention of the men, it drives the female officers crazy at times.

The following 12-episodes are featured on two DVD’s. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode of “You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle”:

DISC 1:

• EPISODE 1 - “Reunion” - Miyuki befriends a young boy on the plane but when he screams for her help, Miyuki must protect the boy from danger.
• EPISODE 2 – “The Blue Eyed Samurai” – Continuing after the last episode, Miyuki has brought the boy to Bokutou Police Department and the boy wants to learn to become a samurai and learn from the chief.
• EPISODE 3 – “The Powerful No Parking Stranger” – Miyuki and Natsumi come across a wrestler who is known for illegal parking.
• EPISODE 4 – “Snake Panic at Bokutou Police Station” – A snake is loose in the station and Natsumi intends to catch it!
• EPISODE 5 – “There’s a Baby Locked in the Car” – A woman leaves her baby behind in her car while she shops and the car is stolen by a car thief.
• EPISODE 6 – “Aoi Becomes a Man” – A retired police officer has returned to the force and having discovered Aoi is actually a man, he aims to make sure he can make Aoi more manly.

DISC 2:

• EPISODE 7 – “The Taxi Robber” – Women are being robbed and assaulted by a taxi driver and an accomplice.
• EPISODE 8 – “Chief has an Illegitimate Child?! A Dangerous Picnic” – Does the chief have an illegitimate child?
• EPISODE 9 – “Yoriko Nikaidou, Bachelorette” – Yoriko has to attend a many weddings for friends but when will Yoriko find love?
• EPISODE 10 – “A Sudden Outbreak of Robots” – Natsumi and Miyuki must take on robots that have gone wild!
• EPISODE 11 – “To the Most Important Person in the World” – Miyuki gets invited to a date but how will officer Ken respond?
• EPISODE 12 – “Finally a Reality! A Dream Match” – Natsumi takes on her rival in a baseball match!

VIDEO:

If you have been following “You’re Under Arrest” for a long time, you’ll notice that “You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle” has gone through a little upgrade.  For the part, a new series featuring better and vibrant animation but most importantly, it appears Atsuko Nakajima’s character designs have changed to show how much Miyuki, Natsumi and the others have matured.  I am a big fan of Nakajima’s work but for “You’re Under Arrest”, her character designs are probably the best I have seen of this series.  Actually, the animation and artistic backgrounds for “Full Throttle” is better than any of the previous seasons.

The series is presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and for the most part, the series is vibrant with a lot of colors and like the previous seasons, a good amount of detail in the neighborhoods and areas where the ladies patrol.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

Audio is Japanese only and in stereo while subtitles are in English. So, it’s a front channel driven soundtrack but I preferred to watch the series with my receiver set with stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundscape. Voice acting is well done and it helps when you have seiyuu veterans Akiko Hiramatsu (she did the voice of Nene Romanova for “Bubblegum Crisis”, Miyabi in “Ai Yori Aoshi”, Haruko in “Slam Dunk”) and Sakiko Tamagawa (Sophia Belin in “Aquarion”, Tachikoma of “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” and Kazuma-Kun’s mother of “Crayon Shin Chan”).

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle – Collection 1″ comes with the clean opening and closing themes on disc 2.

“You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle” is a fun and enjoyable series.  For those who have watched the previous seasons, the first question that many will ask is if the series has changed or has anything progressed since the first OVA series over 15-years-ago and the answer is not much.  The main storyline is pretty much the ladies going after criminals and doesn’t really deviate from that storyline.

Since the last season which introduced more characters and involved storylines involving those characters, “Full Throttle” does the same in introducing storylines that revolve around Yoriko and Aoi.  Unfortunately, with Saori Saga now in the Cyber Crimes Division, she no longer has a presence in this series and it seems that the direction is to bring things back to storylines that focus on Miyuki and Natsumi and the two being partners.

I will say that I was a bit surprised by the closing theme  which was very “yuri-like” as if Miyuki and Natsumi featured as if they were much closer than partners.   Could it be a hint for the future for these two women?  Hmm…

Overall, “You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle” is a fun and enjoyable series.  There were some episodes that were quite serious in tone as Miyuki protecting a young boy to a storyline about a woman leaving her kid in the car (in Japan, there are constant news stories of young parents leaving their children inside the cars or leaving them alone at home while they went shopping, pachinko playing or Internet cafes).  But for the most part, the episodes were more of Miyuki and Natsumi taking on the criminals or rivals and the first 12-episodes remained faithful to the usual YUA storyline.

But I hope to see the second part of the season deviate and show a more serious tone.  Similar to “You’re Under Arrest: Fast & Furious” when Miyuki and Natsumi’s friendship were tested, one can only think what the writer has in store for these ladies (and again, if the ending theme is a hint… perhaps we will see these two protagonists because a loving couple or just partner) in future episodes.  A good start for the season and I look forward to the second and final part of “You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle”.

 

Selena Gomez at a signing session for her clothing line at C&A store in Paris

Selena Gomez attends a signing session for a clothing line at a C&A store on March 31, 2010 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images). Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

 

INNOVATIVE NEW FILM – EATRIP – EXPLORES HOW FOOD CONNECTS PEOPLE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS ALL HUMANS MAKE WITH EATING

Director And Culinary Provocateur Yuri Nomura To Host Dinner And Discussion;
Tickets Available To Attend A Unique Event Presented In Association With Owner Of
PEKO-PEKO

San Francisco, CA, March 31, 2010 – VIZ Cinema and NEW PEOPLE are honored to welcome creative culinary visionary and film director Yuri Nomura for the U.S. premiere of Eatrip, her acclaimed documentary about eating and the personal relationships that people form with food. Nomura will attend the U.S. premiere of Eatrip at VIZ Cinema on April 10th as part of the 43rd annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco’s Japantown.

Tickets are also available to attend a unique reception with food presentation and discussion to be hosted by Nomura the evening of the premiere. The event is presented in partnership with Sylvan Mishima Brackett, the owner of PEKO-PEKO and the former creative director of the world-renowned restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, CA. VIP tickets are $50.00 and include reception (April 10th, 7:00pm) and are now available for purchase online at the NEW PEOPLE / VIZ Cinema web site at: www.vizcinema.com .

Discover a variety of scrumptious dishes, prepared by Nomura and Beckett, and learn more about this innovative philosophy of food and how it shapes our culture and humanity.

To eat is more than a necessity – it’s a universal experience all human beings share. Eatrip embarks on a cinematic journey throughout Japan to examine the daily rituals of eating among people from a variety of walks of life. Actor Tadanobu Asano , singer UA, and fashion designer Jurgen Lehl are among those featured. From the Tsukiji fish market to a farm in Okinawa, the film offers poignant interviews with intriguing personalities including the head monk of a famous Buddhist temple; a distributor of Japanese soup stock (Bonito broth); an Okinawan man leading a self-sustainable lifestyle devoid of modern conveniences; a tea ceremony master, and a musician and writer who recites poems about food.

Trailers, screening times and more information available at: www.vizcinema.com .
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com .

 

“THE VIEW” RESUMES, LIVE, APRIL 5

New Shows, New Guests and Lots of Opinions!

Dear Co-hosts of “The View,”

So much has happened while you’ve been away on hiatus. Ricky Martin disclosed he’s gay, President Obama proposed more oil drilling in the Gulf and called for tougher sanctions on Iran, Jesse James is headed to rehab, “The Hills” got the axe, there were new details in the Moscow/Dagestan bombings, new cast-offs on “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars,” Sarah Palin hosted her first primetime special, Joe Jackson is allegedly suing Dr. Conrad Murray for the wrongful death of Michael Jackson, and Michael Lohan is reportedly determined to help his daughter, Lindsay. We eagerly anticipate your return, live, MONDAY, APRIL 5 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET) on the ABC Television Network, so you can weigh in on these trending topics and so much more.

PS: We’re looking forward to seeing pictures and hearing stories of Joy’s trip to Los Angeles and her stint on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” Sherri’s Disneyland adventure and visit to the set of “Dancing with the Stars,” Elisabeth’s family vacation, and how Barbara and Whoopi spent their week.

Sincerely,

A “VIEW”-er

“The View” features Daytime Emmy Award-winning hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. It’s the original forum in which real women discuss everyday issues, share their opinions and engage in colorful conversations. “The View” is broadcast in HDTV with 5.1-channel surround sound, and is now available to watch online daily at 4:00 p.m., ET/1:00 p.m., PT on the ABC Digital Full Episode Player at ABC.com. “The View” is produced by ABC Daytime and Ms. Walters’ Barwall Productions, with Ms. Walters serving as executive producer along with Bill Geddie, who also serves as executive producer for “The Barbara Walters Specials.” “The View” is directed by Mark Gentile. Musical performances produced and directed by Mark Gentile.

Scheduled guests for the week of April 5-9 are as follows (subject to change):

MONDAY, APRIL 5 – “The View” is back live with a full hour of sizzling “Hot Topics.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 6 – Joe Scarborough (host, “Morning Joe”); Trisha Yearwood (author, Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood).

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 – Jimmy Fallon (“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”); Jerry Weintraub, American film producer (author, When I Stop Talking You’ll Know I’m Dead) and former manager to John Denver, Frank Sinatra and The Carpenters.

THURSDAY, APRIL 8 – Edie Falco (“Nurse Jackie”); Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lisa Oz (authors, Us: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships That Matter Most).

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 – Benjamin Bratt (“La Mission”); Fashion Friday with Andre Leon Talley former American editor-at-large for Vogue, who’s currently a judge on “America’s Next Top Model”; Dave Annable (ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters”); self described “former spoiled city girl, now domestic country wife” Ree Drummond (“Pioneer Cooking”).

For breaking news and updated videos follow “The View” (@theviewtv) and hosts Barbara Walters (@BarbaraJWalters), Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar), Elisabeth Hasselbeck (@ehasselbeck) and Sherri Shepherd (@SherriEShepherd) on Twitter.(tm)

 

UPCOMING GUESTS ON THE “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN” ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Monday through Friday, 11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT

(*Denotes changes and/or additions to previous schedule

(n) Denotes new broadcast)

Wednesday, March 31 Actor Ricky Gervais; turkey callers; musical guests The Whigs (n)

Thursday, April 1 Actor Sam Worthington; sportscasters Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic; musical guest Patty Loveless (n)

Friday, April 2 Actor Nathan Lane; musical guests She & Him (n)

Monday, April 5 Animal expert Jack Hanna; musical guests The Swell Season

Tuesday, April 6 Actor Steve Carell; the latest contestant voted off “American Idol”; a performance from the Broadway musical “Addams Family” (n)

Wednesday, April 7 Actor Chris Rock; actress Jane Lynch (n)

*Thursday, April 8 Actor Bill Murray; musical guest Ludacris

*Friday, April 9 Actress Jennifer Aniston; marine pollution expert Capt. Charles Moore

RATING: TV-PG (Rating may change on day of broadcast due to specific subject matter.)

Official CBS Web site: http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

 

“ULTRASUEDE: IN SEARCH OF HALSTON” TO HAVE WORLD PREMIERE AT 2010 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL, NEW YORK

New York, NY – March 31, 2010 – ULTRASUEDE: IN SEARCH OF HALSTON, a new documentary by Whitney Sudler-Smith that takes viewers on a fabulous, fun-and-fact-filled journey through the life and times of the country’s first celebrity designer, will have its World Premiere on Friday, April 30th at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, it was announced today.

No one represents the 70’s quite like legendary designer Halston, and Sudler-Smith’s film, two years in the making, combines a prodigious amount of archival footage, (meticulously researched and sourced from every possible outlet), and stunning still photographs brought to thrilling life with imaginative 3D effects. Most importantly, there is a fabulous array of interviews with various cohorts, commentators, witnesses, and survivors of Halston’s empire: Andre Leon Talley of Vogue, his best friend, Liza Minnelli; two of his leading models, Anjelica Huston and Pat Cleveland; fellow designers Diane von Furstenberg, Stephen Burrows, Naeem Khan, and Ralph Rucci; musicians Billy Joel and Nile Rogers (both of whom used “Halston” as a lyric in hit songs); journalists Bob Colacello and Glenn O’Brien (of Andy Warhol’s Interview), Jim Moore of GQ, Cathy Horyn of the New York Times, and Amy Fine Collins of Vanity Fair, among others.

ULTRASUEDE: IN SEARCH OF HALSTON is produced by Adam Bardach, Anne Goursaud and Nicholas Simon; written by Anne Goursaud, and executive produced by Mark Urman and Shawn Simon. It will be presented as a gala special event under the festival’s “Tribeca Talks” rubric and will be followed by a panel including Talley, Smith, Cleveland, and Rucci, among others.

 

VIA Media’s KEKKAISHI to air on Adult Swim beginning on May 29th

What’s new on television?
The fun-filled supernatural action adventure KEKKAISHI!
 
VIZ Media has licensed 52 episodes of the popular Shonen Sunday KEKKAISHI anime series to Adult Swim for domestic broadcast. KEKKAISHI will begin airing on May 29th.

KEKKAISHI is based on the hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (published in North America by VIZ Media).
A story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night.

 

Mega Man 10 Launches for the Xbox 360

Attention all Xbox 360 fans!

The highly rated & anticipated Mega Man 10 launches today for the Xbox 360. Head-on over to Xbox Live Arcade and download it today as this new chapter in the Mega Man series is not to be missed!
There’s also exciting Mega Man 10 downloadable content coming soon in April.  Playable character Bass , the popular Endless Attack , and Special Stages 1, 2 & 3 will keep your thumbs busy for weeks to come!

North American Schedule/Pricing:
Bass (Playable Character) = $1.99 USD/200 Wii Points/ 160 Microsoft Points and
Special Stage 1 (includes Enker) = $$.99 USD /100 Wii Points/ 80 Microsoft Points.

4/5 – Wii
4/7 – Xbox 360
4/8 – Playstation 3

Endless Attack =$2.99 USD /300 Wii Points/ 240 Microsoft Points,
Special Stage 2 (Punk), Special Stage 3 (Ballade) = $.99 USD /100 Wii Points/ 80 Microsoft Points.
4/26 – Wii
4/28 – Xbox 360
4/29 – Playstation 3

About Mega Man£ 10

The year is 20XX and a suspicious outbreak of Roboenza, a Robot Flu, has broken out. It spreads through the world like wildfire bringing down robots everywhere. Infected robots are on a rampage and out of control as they destroy the city and hold everyone hostage! Who’s behind this mess? It’s up to Mega Man to take on this sinister threat and get to the bottom of this viral mystery.

Throughout Mega Man’s new adventure he’ll take on the malfunctioning-infected robots and classic-style bosses with the unique gameplay only found in a Mega Man® game. Each Robot Master has his own unique weapons and vulnerabilities. The creator of the original Mega Man, Keiji Inafune, is in charge of directing and supervising the boss character designs and has delivered the wildest villains the series has ever seen! Bosses like Sheep Man and Strike Man are sure to quickly become fan favorites!

Other exciting features in Mega Man 10 include the option to play as the amazingly cool Proto Man from the start, as well as an all new “Easy Mode” which will allow new fans to indulge in the challenges that make the series great. Additionally, “Mega Man Challenges” mode will allow players to practice their skills and prepare for the hair-raising adventures ahead of them.

Mega Man 10 is the must-have digital download for Capcom fans both young and old. The retro elements alone make this a delicious treat for those who long for the days of nail-biting platform experiences and the new “Easy Mode” will definitely allow more gamers to enjoy this incredible skill-based romp.

 

Oricon Top 10 CD Single Daily Charts (JAPAN): NEWS’s “Sakura Girl” takes the #1 spot (3.31.10)

On new release Wednesday. Which artist or band took the #1 spot for Japan’s Oricon CD Single Daily Charts?

Buy the #1 CD Single from CDJAPAN:

 

Oricon Top 10 Album Daily Charts (Japan): Aiko’s “BABY” takes the #1 spot (3.31.10)

On new release Wednesday. Which artist or band took the #1 spot for Japan’s Oricon Album Daily Charts?

Purchase the #1 album from CDJapan.com:

 

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