Hyper Police
If cops were this cute, I’d be speeding a lot more
Review by: Craig "Catgirl Lovin'" Norris
Length: 25 episodes
Genre: Action, comedy, drama
Watched: 1-25, subbed
Like any show that offers up a catgirl as a main character, my expectations were very high going into Hyper Police. The aforementioned catgirl more than lived up to my expectations, but the show had some other good stuff, too. There was a mix of comedy, drama, and action, all of which blended together into an enjoyable final product. For those of you whose image of bounty hunters is indelibly connected to Cowboy Bebop, prepare to have your world rocked.
Plot synopsis: In the future, a dimensional rift has caused the human world and the monster world to become one. While some of these monsters desire only to coexist peacefully with humans, some lead a life of crime and pose a great threat to the world. Enter the Hyper Police, a bounty hunting company that employs both humans and monsters alike. Each member of the company has unique abilities they use to help subdue criminals. But one member, a half human, half cat-beast named Natsuki, is beginning to discover that her abilities have a deeper implication than she first thought.
Artwork: Technically, it’s average. The action sequences are pretty good, even though there are very few close-in fighting sequences. The backgrounds all mostly look the same, namely partially or totally destroyed stone buildings, so there is little color variety to be had in the background most of the time. The 
real centerpieces of the artwork are the character designs. Some of the creatures are very uniquely conceived, and no two monsters are ever alike. Some are clearly based off real world creatures, but others are just plain bizarre, and obviously took a lot of creativity to think up. While the animation quality is nothing that hasn’t been seen before, its character designs certainly are, and overall it isn’t a disappointment.
Music: Hardly noticeable during the episodes, meaning it’s fairly generic. The opening and closing themes are decent, with a snappy beat and crisp vocals. J-pop is the rule here, so any fans of that genre will be pleased with the soundtrack. As for me, I could take it or leave it, but I think I’ve been spoiled in terms of soundtracks since Cowboy Bebop and Hellsing.
Characters: The whole lot is very enjoyable. Natsuki is one of the cattiest of catgirls, stopping everything for a scratch of the chin and to play with wiggling objects. She’s kind of clumsy, but her overabundance of power and 
enthusiasm always finds a way to trump her inexperience. Batanen is just a cool guy. Normally very open with women, he seizes up around Natsuki because of his strong feelings towards her. He’s the most skilled of the bounty hunters, and being an immortal werewolf he can take a bullet to the head and be perfectly fine. See, I told you he was cool. Sakura is a kitsune who is intent on consuming Natsuki in order to obtain her power and finish growing her ninth tail, a crucial component of attaining her own ability to shapeshift. She’s greedy and kind of selfish, and has a short temper. When she’s partnered with Natsuki, a chemistry develops that hasn’t been seen since the glory days of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Tommy, a dog beast, is often Batanen’s partner, but is less skilled than his counterpart. Nevertheless, he helps tremendously on more than one occasion. He also starts lusting after Peau, a woman who controls water spirits and works for the city police force. Peau often puts up a facade of stoicism, and tries her best to do her job while rebuffing Tommy’s romantic advances. Kondo is a human who works for the Hyper Police. She is built like a football linebacker, and is very weapons conscious.
However, her work with Natsuki cultivates a very warm personality. Fonne works for a rival police company, and often teases Natsuki and Sakura when they cross paths. Then, there’s Natsuki’s legal guardian, Bob. He’s a cat. A big factor that makes this series a success is the development of the relationships between the characters, and how the characters mature as the series progresses.
Plot: There are several self-contained episodes, and some plots that take two or three episodes, but really nothing that connects them all. There’s the underlying character development that progresses in a linear fashion, though, so watching the episodes in order would probably alleviate some confusion from that end. After all, the Sakura at the beginning of the series and the Sakura at the end are like two different people. However, the show does contain one small problem, and without going into too much detail, I will simply state that it goes all End of Eva on us at the end. But don’t worry, it’s nowhere near as painful, so put down the bottle of pills.
CHICKS!: There’s some yumminess here, my friends! First of all, Natsuki is one of the best catgirls ever. Even for those who aren’t tremendous fans of catgirls, her innate cuteness gives her universal appeal. She’s at her cutest when she’s distracted, which happens a lot more often than the people around her want. She has a slight build, which makes her look very snuggly. For those who like their ladies more buxom, Sakura fits the bill. She is unbelievably curvaceous, and is more inclined to use her womanly assets to her advantage. In more ways than one, she is a very foxy lady. Konnai is interesting, in that she’s very sweet, but has a physique roughly equivalent to a Russian shotputter. If you like a girl who will hug you, then bench-press you, Konnai’s your ideal match. Peau seems very concerned with her self image, and it seems to be very hard to get on her good side. Once there, however, she is very protective. Plus, she’s hot. Fonne has an overbearing personality, and can be a bit of a bitch sometimes. She’s a good choice if you like the domineering type. Plus, she is also hot. There is a diverse array of chicks to be had here, and there is little doubt that everyone can find a favorite.
Overall: This show tries to do a lot. It tries slapstick comedy, intense action, romance, and social drama, and pulls off all of them with at least some degree of success. Because of its diversity, this would be a good choice to watch if you are just getting in to anime. But really, it’s a solid choice for anyone who wants to watch an entertaining series. There is added incentive to 
watch for fans of anthropomorphs, as most of the main cast is just that. There have been better dramas, there have been better comedies, and there have been better action series, but I have come across very few that infuse them all with this degree of success.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Diverse
+ Unique character designs
- Artwork drab in spots
- Disjointed plot
Rating: 7.5/10
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