"Bad-Girl Cop!" Fast-action crime thriller with Deadly Yo-Yo!

It's a hilarious blend of action/drama/silliness and a clever spoof of oh-too-cool anime. Character designs are by Nobuteru Yuuki (Gunnm, a.k.a. Battle Angel), although reminiscent of the Area 88 and Desert Rose designs.

Saki's a street-smart bad girl who gets pulled out of prison to help break up a crime ring at her old high school. She's deadly! She's got pink hair! Her yo-yo will stop criminals at a single thwack! And no one pushes her around! This two-part OAV series has a lot of great fight scenes, bad guys you love to hate, and quite a few unconventional twists. Pointed social commentary on crime in today's high schools? Perhaps. Predictably, I just like the bad-ass leading lady.

There are also some parts that make you groan in embarrassment, including the insertion of somewhat cheesy drama and also (yes, this is anime) wholly gratuitous nudity. Adding to the cheese is a device which is used in almost every action anime I can think of: Saki gets the classic heroic silhouette -- walking out of a conflagration which no non-main character could possibly survive.

Nonetheless, the shock value of a pink-haired cop with yo-yo far outweighs the cheeziness! This anime is highly recommended!