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{{Infobox animanga/Header
#REDIRECT [[Dominion (manga)]]
| name = Dominion: Tank Police
| image = [[File:Dominion manga issue 1.jpg|230px]]
| caption = Cover of ''Dominion'' issue one, localized by [[Dark Horse Comics]]
| ja_kanji = ドミニオン
| ja_romaji = Dominion
| genre = [[Comedy]], [[Science fiction]], [[Cyberpunk]]
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type = manga
| author = [[Masamune Shirow]]
| publisher = [[Hakusensha]]
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher
| NA = Dark Horse Comics
}}
| publisher_other = {{flagicon|France}} [[Editions Tonkam]] <br>{{flagicon|Germany}} Egmont Manga and Anime <br>{{flagicon|Netherlands}} Mana <br>{{flagicon|Spain}} Planeta de Agostini
| demographic = ''[[Seinen manga|Seinen]]''
| magazine = [[Young Animal Arashi]]
| published = 1986
| first =
| last =
| volumes = 1
| volume_list =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type = ova
| title = Dominion Tank Police
| director = [[Kōichi Mashimo]]
| producer =
| writer =
| music =
| studio = Agent 21
| licensee = {{English anime licensee
| AUS = [[Manga Entertainment]] (expired)
| NA = [[Central Park Media]] (expired)
| UK = Manga Entertainment (expired)
}}
| first = May 27, 1988
| last = August 11, 1989
| runtime =
| episodes = 4
| episode_list =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type = ova
| title = New Dominion Tank Police
| director = Norubu Furuse
| producer =
| writer =
| music =
| studio = [[J.C.Staff]]
| licensee = {{English anime licensee
| NA = [[Section23 Films#Maiden Japan|Maiden Japan]]
}}
| first = October 21, 1993
| last = October 21, 1994
| runtime =
| episodes = 6
| episode_list =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type = manga
| title = Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise
| author = [[Masamune Shirow]]
| publisher = [[Seishinsha]]
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher
| NA = [[Dark Horse Comics]]
}}
| demographic = ''[[Seinen manga|Seinen]]''
| magazine = [[Young Manga]]
| published = 1995
| first =
| last =
| volumes = 1
| volume_list =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type = ova
| title = TANK S.W.A.T. 01
| director = Romanov Higa
| licensee =
| producer =
| writer =
| music =
| studio = DOGA Productions
| released = 2006
| runtime =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

{{nihongo|'''''Dominion'''''|ドミニオン}} is a one-shot [[manga]] written and illustrated by [[Masamune Shirow]]. Set in the fictional city of Newport, Japan, in a future in which [[bacteria]] as well as [[air pollution]] have become so severe that people must wear [[gas mask]]s when outdoors, the series follows a police squadron that uses military-style [[tank]]s.

''Dominion'' has been adapted into three [[original video animation]] series: ''Dominion Tank Police'' in 1988, {{nihongo|''New Dominion Tank Police''|特捜戦車隊ドミニオン|Tokusō Sensha-tai Dominion}} in 1993 and {{nihongo|''TANK S.W.A.T. 01''|警察戦車隊 TANK S.W.A.T.|Keisatsu Sensha-tai TANK S.W.A.T.}} in 2006. ''Tank Police'' is four volumes long and animated by Agent 21, ''New Dominion'' is six volumes long and animated by [[J.C.Staff]] while ''TANK S.W.A.T'' is one volume long and animated by DOGA Productions.

The manga was published by [[Hakusensha]], [[Kodansha]] and later by [[Seishinsha]]. It has been published in English by [[Dark Horse Comics]]. The [[anime]] has been released in English translation in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Australia]] by [[Manga Entertainment]] and in the [[United States]] by [[Central Park Media]], under their U.S. Manga Corps division. The ''New Dominion Tank Police'' series was also distributed in the UK, Australia and United States by Manga Entertainment, but later expired. [[Section23 Films#Maiden Japan|Maiden Japan]] licensed the six-episode 1993 ''New Dominion Tank Police'' OVA series for distribution in North America in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maiden Japan Licenses New Dominion Tank Police Video Anime|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-04-23/maiden-japan-licenses-new-dominion-tank-police-video-anime|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|date=April 23, 2013|accessdate=January 30, 2014}}</ref>

== Characters ==

=== The Tank Police ===
; [[Leona Ozaki]] {{Voiced by|[[Hiromi Tsuru]] & [[Rei Sakuma]]|[[Toni Barry]]}} : A young female officer in the Tank Police. Extremely enthusiastic about her work, and obsessively protective of her tank, which she calls "Bonaparte." Originally an officer in the motorcycle division before requesting a transfer to the Tank Police. Her name, in conjunction with her tank, is likely a reference to [[Napoleon|Napoleon Bonaparte]].

; Al Cu Ad Solte {{Voiced by|[[Masaaki Ohkura]] & [[Hiroyuki Shibamoto]]|Steve Graf & [[Adam Henderson]]}} : A young male officer, Leona's much calmer partner and co-pilot of Bonaparte. He is very taken by Leona but is always second in her affections behind Bonaparte and a very good computer hacker (In the final episode of ''New Dominion Tank Police'', Al refers to himself as "Al Southwell").

; Charles Brenten {{Voiced by|[[Yuusaku Yara]]|[[Sean Barrett (actor)|Sean Barrett]]}} : Leona's squad leader. Very macho, with little regard for regulations or the health, safety and property of civilians. He also is the best shot in the force, preferring a large, old-fashioned revolver (which he lovingly refers to as "the [[Castigator]]") to the automatic weapons used by other members of his unit. He also has a lifetime subscription to "How to Kill" Magazine. According to Shirow, he is named after the [[Bren Ten]] 10&nbsp;mm handgun, as popularized by the then popular TV series, [[Miami Vice]]. In some translations he is known as "Britain", due to a mistranslation.

; Chaplain : An unofficial police [[chaplain]] and tank pilot. Once took pity on a criminal, who then shot and killed his partner and escaped.

; Jim E. Lovelock (Specs, Megane or Four-Eyes) : A scientific expert and tank commander. His knowledge and insights are often helpful on difficult cases and his calm and logical thinking are a blessing in crisis situations. He has a friendly rivalry with Chaplain.

; Chief : The chief of police. Prone to tearing out what little hair he has left... and what's left over turned white due to the stress of the job. He also has a chronic ulcer that always acts up whenever the Tank Police cause too much collateral damage. In arguments with the previous mayor, he comments in the introduction that tanks are insufficient for keeping the peace, and would prefer 'replacing our guns with tactical [[nuclear weapon]]s,' though it's unclear if he means this to be taken seriously.

; Charlie Nam : Charles Brenten's weapons officer in New Dominion.

; Sophie Tucker : The chief's pretty, bright-spirited aide in New Dominion, who is often looking for Brenten for the morning reports.

=== Criminals ===
; Buaku : The "super criminal" the Tank Police was formed to fight, specializing in bank robbery and general mayhem. He leads a gang, but appears to be backed by unknown individuals. Buaku's true origins are unclear between the OVA and the Manga itself. In the OVA, Buaku was apparently a "test dummy" for the Greenpeace Crolis project, who escaped destruction when government agents raided the lab and destroyed everything except for encoded data disguised as a nude portrait of himself. He ends up living on the streets and is eventually framed for a bank robbery by an unidentified woman and later arrested by police... which starts the chain of events that led him to become a criminal. In the Manga, it is said that Buaku started his criminal career over 80 years ago in Argentina.

:In part 1 of the first OVA his goal is to retrieve urine samples for a mysterious go-between for the unseen crime boss "Mr. Big." The Tank Police thwarted his plans, but are unable to arrest him.

:In part 2 of the first OVA he tried to retrieve the encoded data from the Greenpeace experiment, which is on display at a local auction house in Newport. In the Manga, his final criminal act is the theft of the Space Colony "Embryo", in which he succeeds and escapes to the stars with his gang, with the exception of the Puma Sisters, who were left on Earth to organize the final getaway.

;AnnaPuma and UniPuma
[[File:Puma Twins.jpg|thumb|Anna & Uni in the ''New Dominion'' anime]]
:Anna & Uni are a pair of tall, beautiful android [[catgirl]]s who were created as "[[love doll]]s" to be marketed for profit, but they developed beyond this superficial programming and became criminals, joining forces with '''Buaku'''. After Buaku disappears, they wander about aimlessly doing odd jobs for anyone who can pay them. Except for the occasional spat, they are inseparable and sisterly in the most extreme ways. They despise the series' heroine [[Leona Ozaki]], and the feeling is mutual.

:In the first anime series, they have blonde hair, but in the second anime&mdash;New Dominion Tank Police&mdash;they have red hair.

:In the Sequel 'No More Noise' the Puma Twins join the Tank Police. Understandably Leona objects, but the chief points out that, as androids, they're not responsible for their actions and therefore can't be held criminally liable (another recurring theme in Shirow's work: what constitutes a person? The puma twins have shown they are quite capable of making their own decisions, but are exempt from taking responsibility for their actions on a technicality).

:Interestingly, for all that they were created as sex dolls, they are vastly superior to humans in terms of strength, agility, speed and ability to take damage. They also have what seems to be the equivalent of military-grade targeting computers. The oddest trait of their construction is that much of their large size is optional. They have the ability to shrink to child-size by expelling large amounts of water (and returning to normal size by ingesting water). This is revealed when it's discovered their normal size is too big to effectively pilot the tanks. Many of these traits don't come into play much (or at all) in the OVA, but are all present in the manga.

:They also have a cameo in the Manga version of [[Ghost in the Shell]], where they are selling black market robotic mods and subsequently get robbed by a [[Fuchikoma]].

=== Others ===
; Greenpeace Crolis (or Chloris) : A mysterious green-skinned girl with wings, kidnapped from the Critical Science Development Agency by Buaku's Gang. She was originally developed to counteract the bacteria-laden smog that covers the Earth: a humanoid "air purifier." Although she's constantly in the company of Buaku and his gang, she couldn't really care less about their motives... as long as she's in a place with plenty of light. Annapuma and Unipuma are constantly left caring for her. As of the end of the first manga series, she is in outer space with the Buaku gang.

; Critical Science Development Agency : A scientific research institution and [[think tank]]. They first show up to try to recover Greenpeace Crolis from the police, with little success. Later, Specs joins them after they finally accept his [[application for employment]], only to return when he finds out they only wanted to steal his research and put their name on it.

; Citizens Against Destructive Police (CADP) : A group of citizen activists who oppose the Tank Police. They are led by a woman who is only known as the "District Prosecutor." She only shows up in Dominion Part 1 with the unveiling of the T4-F tank and in one of Leona's nightmares in "Phantom of the Audience."

== Media ==

=== Original manga ===
Masamune Shirow's original ''Dominion'' manga was serialized in 1986 under the [[Young Animal Arashi]] magazine, later released under a single [[tankōbon]] in the same year. The plot of the manga is set in the distant future on a highly-polluted Earth. Due to unbearable air quality, the people who inhabit the metropolis of New Port City are forced to wear oxygen masks outside.

The conflict is born when a bandit by the name of Buaku, accompanied by two android twins affectionately called the "Puma Sisters", makes an effort in capturing a top-secret government project that applies a plant's biology to a human's genome allowing for [[photosynthesis|self-oxygenation]]. In doing so he hopes to prevent the establishment from forcibly evolving the human race instead of solving the pollution issue. Captain Brenten and his comical squadron of Tank Police, composed of officers Leona Ozaki and Al Cu Ad Solte among others, set out to put a stop to Buaku using their brute military force.

=== Original video animations ===
The ''Dominion: Tank Police'' OVA (simply called ''Dominion'' in Japan) is a two-part prequel to the original ''Dominion'', leading up to Buaku's discovery of Greenpeace. ''New Dominion Tank Police'' appears to be a direct sequel to the original manga, right down to where Leona's Bonaparte is a different color, and minor differences to its body, showing when she had to rebuild it after the initial Bonaparte's destruction. This anime also shows the first animated incarnation of the Fuchikoma, which originally appeared in Masamune's 1989 ''[[Ghost in the Shell (manga)|Ghost in the Shell]]'' manga.

''Tank S.W.A.T.'' takes place near the events of the ''Conflict'' arc, the 'pumas begin as members of the police department. Unlike in the manga, however, it seems that they don't need to shrink down in order to fit into the driver's section of the tanks.

=== Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise ===
{{nihongo|''Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise''|ドミニオンC1コンフリクト|Dominion C1 Konfurikuto}} by [[Masamune Shirow]] was originally published in collected form February 1995 (Seishinsha) and published in North America March 1997 ([[Dark Horse Comics]]). It is not considered to be part of the same continuity as the original stories. As before, the story revolves around [[Leona Ozaki]] and the members of the Newport Tank Police; Conflict One contains some of the same elements of the original stories, but other aspects have been downplayed, altered, or completely removed. Originally planned for 4 Conflict series, Shirow has placed Dominion on hold while he worked on other projects, namely the various [[Ghost in the Shell]] anime and Man-Machine Interface. Conflict Two, originally planned for 1997, has yet to be published.

;New continuity
There are many things that set Conflict apart from the original Dominion story, and are the main reason Shirow himself has asked people to downplay some elements and think of Conflict as another time line.
* The pollution problem. Newport no longer suffers from the poison smog that kept the city in a haze. Many images in the manga feature skyline shots showing clear skies, and it is commented that aircraft are now much more common.
* Formalization of the Tank Police. No longer a rowdy mob operating under the whims of Lieutenant Brenten and answering directly to the Chief of Police, The Newport City Police Department is shown as a full station house. The chief is still in command, but there are now many other divisions (including traffic control, investigation, forensics, data processing, and internal affairs) making the unit much more realistic. The Tank Police themselves have also changed, becoming a much larger organization with a clearly defined role in police operations.
* Bonaparte. With a larger and more structured Tank Police, Bonaparte is no longer a unique vehicle created by Leona. Now the backbone of the Tank Police, the Kenbitsu Heavy Industries Bonaparte Mark 9 is a modular urban combat vehicle used by all Tank Police platoons.
* Characters. Despite a much larger cast, many old faces are absent from Conflict, most noticeably missing are Chaplain, Mohican, and the Mayor. Buaku and Greenpeace are also absent. The largest surprise is the disappearance of Al Cu Ad Solte, Leona's tank driver and possible love interest.

;Plot
Set in November 201X, Conflict One exists to introduce the new reality of Newport City. No longer plagued by the poison clouds that covered the city in the original Dominion, the story starts with Urushi-maru the "Skyscraper Pirate" and his partner attacking the Nankaiden department store while being pursued by the Osaka Air Police. Tank Police Sergeant Leona Ozaki gets involved when she fires on Urushi-maru's plane, causing the pirate to drop his stink bombs on Nankaiden's rival (and presumed backer of Urushi-maru's attack) Hokutenro, and a familiar face comes out of nowhere to take part of Urushi's plane.

From there, the story follows a number of plot lines. While searching for Urushi-maru, Leona must deal with the selection of the next generation of police tanks, relationship issues, public backlash against the Tank Police, personal rivalries with the current members of her old traffic division, and—to her greatest displeasure—the addition to her unit of the former criminal android Annapuna.

;Characters
* Charles Brenten. Tank Police Commander (T-30A). Head of the 3rd Platoon, Brenten has calmed down from the earlier story but is still firmly in control of his reduced unit. As Platoon Commander he oversees three Squads. He is also joined in this story by his brother Brady, a pro-wrestler.
* [[Leona Ozaki]]. Tank Police Sergeant (T-31-1). Once the rookie and mascot of the TP, Leona is now one of three squad leaders operating under Commander Brenten. A well-known figure in both the Newport Police and the Tank Police Battalion, Leona now commands a squad of three Bonaparte class tanks
* [[AnnaPuma]]. Tank Police Officer (T-31-2). Formerly a member of the Buaku Gang, found to be not criminally liable as she is an android. Assigned to Leona's squad, she becomes Leona's new driver and partner.
* Habana. Tank Police Corporal (T-32-1). Injured earlier in his career, Habana now uses a wheelchair. Leona's second in command.
* Shinozaki. Tank Police Officer (T-32-2). Member of Leona's squad.
* Asada. Tank Police Officer (T-33-1). Member of Leona's squad.
* Shimizu. Tank Police Officer (T-33-2). Member of Leona's squad. A One-Monther (a fast-track management candidate present only for form's sake.)
* Yon. Tank Police Sergeant (T-34-1). Leader of the 2nd squad. (In the original Dominion manga, this character was known as Jim E. "Specs" Lovelock.)
* Pak. Tank Police Sergeant (T-37-1). Leader of the 3rd squad.

===Role-playing game===
''[[The Dominion Tank Police Role-Playing Game]]'' was published by [[Guardians of Order]] in 1999.

== Reception ==
[[Helen McCarthy]] in ''500 Essential Anime Movies'' commented that 1988 OVA "has some serious themes - ecological disaster and the excessive power of state - but they're delivered lightly, wrapped in a shiny package of action, slapstick, and outrageous visual puns".<ref name="mccarthy">[[Helen McCarthy|McCarthy, Helen]]. ''500 Essential Anime Movies: The Ultimate Guide''. — Harper Design, 2009. — P. 58. — 528 p. — ISBN 978-0061474507</ref> She stated that ''Dominion Tank Police'' is "far superior" to ''New Dominion Tank Police'': "The second storyline is much darker, the character dynamics are different, and though the design and animation are good, it lacks the joyous, over-the-top silliness of the original."<ref name="mccarthy"/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{ann|manga|2413}}

{{J.C.Staff}}

[[Category:1985 manga]]
[[Category:1988 anime OVAs]]
[[Category:1993 anime OVAs]]
[[Category:1995 manga]]
[[Category:2006 anime OVAs]]
[[Category:Central Park Media]]
[[Category:Comedy anime and manga]]
[[Category:Police comedies]]
[[Category:Dark Horse Comics titles]]
[[Category:J.C.Staff]]
[[Category:Maiden Japan]]
[[Category:Masamune Shirow]]
[[Category:Science fiction anime and manga]]

Revision as of 12:30, 8 January 2015

Dominion: Tank Police
Cover of Dominion issue one, localized by Dark Horse Comics
ドミニオン
(Dominion)
GenreComedy, Science fiction, Cyberpunk
Manga
Written byMasamune Shirow
Published byHakusensha
English publisher
  • NA: Dark Horse Comics
MagazineYoung Animal Arashi
DemographicSeinen
Published1986
Volumes1
Original video animation
Dominion Tank Police
Directed byKōichi Mashimo
StudioAgent 21
Licensed by
Released May 27, 1988 – August 11, 1989
Episodes4
Original video animation
New Dominion Tank Police
Directed byNorubu Furuse
StudioJ.C.Staff
Licensed by
Released October 21, 1993 – October 21, 1994
Episodes6
Manga
Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise
Written byMasamune Shirow
Published bySeishinsha
English publisher
MagazineYoung Manga
DemographicSeinen
Published1995
Volumes1
Original video animation
TANK S.W.A.T. 01
Directed byRomanov Higa
StudioDOGA Productions
Released2006

Dominion (ドミニオン) is a one-shot manga written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. Set in the fictional city of Newport, Japan, in a future in which bacteria as well as air pollution have become so severe that people must wear gas masks when outdoors, the series follows a police squadron that uses military-style tanks.

Dominion has been adapted into three original video animation series: Dominion Tank Police in 1988, New Dominion Tank Police (特捜戦車隊ドミニオン, Tokusō Sensha-tai Dominion) in 1993 and TANK S.W.A.T. 01 (警察戦車隊 TANK S.W.A.T., Keisatsu Sensha-tai TANK S.W.A.T.) in 2006. Tank Police is four volumes long and animated by Agent 21, New Dominion is six volumes long and animated by J.C.Staff while TANK S.W.A.T is one volume long and animated by DOGA Productions.

The manga was published by Hakusensha, Kodansha and later by Seishinsha. It has been published in English by Dark Horse Comics. The anime has been released in English translation in the United Kingdom and Australia by Manga Entertainment and in the United States by Central Park Media, under their U.S. Manga Corps division. The New Dominion Tank Police series was also distributed in the UK, Australia and United States by Manga Entertainment, but later expired. Maiden Japan licensed the six-episode 1993 New Dominion Tank Police OVA series for distribution in North America in 2013.[1]

Characters

The Tank Police

Leona Ozaki Voiced by: Hiromi Tsuru & Rei Sakuma (Japanese); Toni Barry (English)
A young female officer in the Tank Police. Extremely enthusiastic about her work, and obsessively protective of her tank, which she calls "Bonaparte." Originally an officer in the motorcycle division before requesting a transfer to the Tank Police. Her name, in conjunction with her tank, is likely a reference to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Al Cu Ad Solte Voiced by: Masaaki Ohkura & Hiroyuki Shibamoto (Japanese); Steve Graf & Adam Henderson (English)
A young male officer, Leona's much calmer partner and co-pilot of Bonaparte. He is very taken by Leona but is always second in her affections behind Bonaparte and a very good computer hacker (In the final episode of New Dominion Tank Police, Al refers to himself as "Al Southwell").
Charles Brenten Voiced by: Yuusaku Yara (Japanese); Sean Barrett (English)
Leona's squad leader. Very macho, with little regard for regulations or the health, safety and property of civilians. He also is the best shot in the force, preferring a large, old-fashioned revolver (which he lovingly refers to as "the Castigator") to the automatic weapons used by other members of his unit. He also has a lifetime subscription to "How to Kill" Magazine. According to Shirow, he is named after the Bren Ten 10 mm handgun, as popularized by the then popular TV series, Miami Vice. In some translations he is known as "Britain", due to a mistranslation.
Chaplain
An unofficial police chaplain and tank pilot. Once took pity on a criminal, who then shot and killed his partner and escaped.
Jim E. Lovelock (Specs, Megane or Four-Eyes)
A scientific expert and tank commander. His knowledge and insights are often helpful on difficult cases and his calm and logical thinking are a blessing in crisis situations. He has a friendly rivalry with Chaplain.
Chief
The chief of police. Prone to tearing out what little hair he has left... and what's left over turned white due to the stress of the job. He also has a chronic ulcer that always acts up whenever the Tank Police cause too much collateral damage. In arguments with the previous mayor, he comments in the introduction that tanks are insufficient for keeping the peace, and would prefer 'replacing our guns with tactical nuclear weapons,' though it's unclear if he means this to be taken seriously.
Charlie Nam
Charles Brenten's weapons officer in New Dominion.
Sophie Tucker
The chief's pretty, bright-spirited aide in New Dominion, who is often looking for Brenten for the morning reports.

Criminals

Buaku
The "super criminal" the Tank Police was formed to fight, specializing in bank robbery and general mayhem. He leads a gang, but appears to be backed by unknown individuals. Buaku's true origins are unclear between the OVA and the Manga itself. In the OVA, Buaku was apparently a "test dummy" for the Greenpeace Crolis project, who escaped destruction when government agents raided the lab and destroyed everything except for encoded data disguised as a nude portrait of himself. He ends up living on the streets and is eventually framed for a bank robbery by an unidentified woman and later arrested by police... which starts the chain of events that led him to become a criminal. In the Manga, it is said that Buaku started his criminal career over 80 years ago in Argentina.
In part 1 of the first OVA his goal is to retrieve urine samples for a mysterious go-between for the unseen crime boss "Mr. Big." The Tank Police thwarted his plans, but are unable to arrest him.
In part 2 of the first OVA he tried to retrieve the encoded data from the Greenpeace experiment, which is on display at a local auction house in Newport. In the Manga, his final criminal act is the theft of the Space Colony "Embryo", in which he succeeds and escapes to the stars with his gang, with the exception of the Puma Sisters, who were left on Earth to organize the final getaway.
AnnaPuma and UniPuma
File:Puma Twins.jpg
Anna & Uni in the New Dominion anime
Anna & Uni are a pair of tall, beautiful android catgirls who were created as "love dolls" to be marketed for profit, but they developed beyond this superficial programming and became criminals, joining forces with Buaku. After Buaku disappears, they wander about aimlessly doing odd jobs for anyone who can pay them. Except for the occasional spat, they are inseparable and sisterly in the most extreme ways. They despise the series' heroine Leona Ozaki, and the feeling is mutual.
In the first anime series, they have blonde hair, but in the second anime—New Dominion Tank Police—they have red hair.
In the Sequel 'No More Noise' the Puma Twins join the Tank Police. Understandably Leona objects, but the chief points out that, as androids, they're not responsible for their actions and therefore can't be held criminally liable (another recurring theme in Shirow's work: what constitutes a person? The puma twins have shown they are quite capable of making their own decisions, but are exempt from taking responsibility for their actions on a technicality).
Interestingly, for all that they were created as sex dolls, they are vastly superior to humans in terms of strength, agility, speed and ability to take damage. They also have what seems to be the equivalent of military-grade targeting computers. The oddest trait of their construction is that much of their large size is optional. They have the ability to shrink to child-size by expelling large amounts of water (and returning to normal size by ingesting water). This is revealed when it's discovered their normal size is too big to effectively pilot the tanks. Many of these traits don't come into play much (or at all) in the OVA, but are all present in the manga.
They also have a cameo in the Manga version of Ghost in the Shell, where they are selling black market robotic mods and subsequently get robbed by a Fuchikoma.

Others

Greenpeace Crolis (or Chloris)
A mysterious green-skinned girl with wings, kidnapped from the Critical Science Development Agency by Buaku's Gang. She was originally developed to counteract the bacteria-laden smog that covers the Earth: a humanoid "air purifier." Although she's constantly in the company of Buaku and his gang, she couldn't really care less about their motives... as long as she's in a place with plenty of light. Annapuma and Unipuma are constantly left caring for her. As of the end of the first manga series, she is in outer space with the Buaku gang.
Critical Science Development Agency
A scientific research institution and think tank. They first show up to try to recover Greenpeace Crolis from the police, with little success. Later, Specs joins them after they finally accept his application for employment, only to return when he finds out they only wanted to steal his research and put their name on it.
Citizens Against Destructive Police (CADP)
A group of citizen activists who oppose the Tank Police. They are led by a woman who is only known as the "District Prosecutor." She only shows up in Dominion Part 1 with the unveiling of the T4-F tank and in one of Leona's nightmares in "Phantom of the Audience."

Media

Original manga

Masamune Shirow's original Dominion manga was serialized in 1986 under the Young Animal Arashi magazine, later released under a single tankōbon in the same year. The plot of the manga is set in the distant future on a highly-polluted Earth. Due to unbearable air quality, the people who inhabit the metropolis of New Port City are forced to wear oxygen masks outside.

The conflict is born when a bandit by the name of Buaku, accompanied by two android twins affectionately called the "Puma Sisters", makes an effort in capturing a top-secret government project that applies a plant's biology to a human's genome allowing for self-oxygenation. In doing so he hopes to prevent the establishment from forcibly evolving the human race instead of solving the pollution issue. Captain Brenten and his comical squadron of Tank Police, composed of officers Leona Ozaki and Al Cu Ad Solte among others, set out to put a stop to Buaku using their brute military force.

Original video animations

The Dominion: Tank Police OVA (simply called Dominion in Japan) is a two-part prequel to the original Dominion, leading up to Buaku's discovery of Greenpeace. New Dominion Tank Police appears to be a direct sequel to the original manga, right down to where Leona's Bonaparte is a different color, and minor differences to its body, showing when she had to rebuild it after the initial Bonaparte's destruction. This anime also shows the first animated incarnation of the Fuchikoma, which originally appeared in Masamune's 1989 Ghost in the Shell manga.

Tank S.W.A.T. takes place near the events of the Conflict arc, the 'pumas begin as members of the police department. Unlike in the manga, however, it seems that they don't need to shrink down in order to fit into the driver's section of the tanks.

Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise

Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise (ドミニオンC1コンフリクト, Dominion C1 Konfurikuto) by Masamune Shirow was originally published in collected form February 1995 (Seishinsha) and published in North America March 1997 (Dark Horse Comics). It is not considered to be part of the same continuity as the original stories. As before, the story revolves around Leona Ozaki and the members of the Newport Tank Police; Conflict One contains some of the same elements of the original stories, but other aspects have been downplayed, altered, or completely removed. Originally planned for 4 Conflict series, Shirow has placed Dominion on hold while he worked on other projects, namely the various Ghost in the Shell anime and Man-Machine Interface. Conflict Two, originally planned for 1997, has yet to be published.

New continuity

There are many things that set Conflict apart from the original Dominion story, and are the main reason Shirow himself has asked people to downplay some elements and think of Conflict as another time line.

  • The pollution problem. Newport no longer suffers from the poison smog that kept the city in a haze. Many images in the manga feature skyline shots showing clear skies, and it is commented that aircraft are now much more common.
  • Formalization of the Tank Police. No longer a rowdy mob operating under the whims of Lieutenant Brenten and answering directly to the Chief of Police, The Newport City Police Department is shown as a full station house. The chief is still in command, but there are now many other divisions (including traffic control, investigation, forensics, data processing, and internal affairs) making the unit much more realistic. The Tank Police themselves have also changed, becoming a much larger organization with a clearly defined role in police operations.
  • Bonaparte. With a larger and more structured Tank Police, Bonaparte is no longer a unique vehicle created by Leona. Now the backbone of the Tank Police, the Kenbitsu Heavy Industries Bonaparte Mark 9 is a modular urban combat vehicle used by all Tank Police platoons.
  • Characters. Despite a much larger cast, many old faces are absent from Conflict, most noticeably missing are Chaplain, Mohican, and the Mayor. Buaku and Greenpeace are also absent. The largest surprise is the disappearance of Al Cu Ad Solte, Leona's tank driver and possible love interest.
Plot

Set in November 201X, Conflict One exists to introduce the new reality of Newport City. No longer plagued by the poison clouds that covered the city in the original Dominion, the story starts with Urushi-maru the "Skyscraper Pirate" and his partner attacking the Nankaiden department store while being pursued by the Osaka Air Police. Tank Police Sergeant Leona Ozaki gets involved when she fires on Urushi-maru's plane, causing the pirate to drop his stink bombs on Nankaiden's rival (and presumed backer of Urushi-maru's attack) Hokutenro, and a familiar face comes out of nowhere to take part of Urushi's plane.

From there, the story follows a number of plot lines. While searching for Urushi-maru, Leona must deal with the selection of the next generation of police tanks, relationship issues, public backlash against the Tank Police, personal rivalries with the current members of her old traffic division, and—to her greatest displeasure—the addition to her unit of the former criminal android Annapuna.

Characters
  • Charles Brenten. Tank Police Commander (T-30A). Head of the 3rd Platoon, Brenten has calmed down from the earlier story but is still firmly in control of his reduced unit. As Platoon Commander he oversees three Squads. He is also joined in this story by his brother Brady, a pro-wrestler.
  • Leona Ozaki. Tank Police Sergeant (T-31-1). Once the rookie and mascot of the TP, Leona is now one of three squad leaders operating under Commander Brenten. A well-known figure in both the Newport Police and the Tank Police Battalion, Leona now commands a squad of three Bonaparte class tanks
  • AnnaPuma. Tank Police Officer (T-31-2). Formerly a member of the Buaku Gang, found to be not criminally liable as she is an android. Assigned to Leona's squad, she becomes Leona's new driver and partner.
  • Habana. Tank Police Corporal (T-32-1). Injured earlier in his career, Habana now uses a wheelchair. Leona's second in command.
  • Shinozaki. Tank Police Officer (T-32-2). Member of Leona's squad.
  • Asada. Tank Police Officer (T-33-1). Member of Leona's squad.
  • Shimizu. Tank Police Officer (T-33-2). Member of Leona's squad. A One-Monther (a fast-track management candidate present only for form's sake.)
  • Yon. Tank Police Sergeant (T-34-1). Leader of the 2nd squad. (In the original Dominion manga, this character was known as Jim E. "Specs" Lovelock.)
  • Pak. Tank Police Sergeant (T-37-1). Leader of the 3rd squad.

Role-playing game

The Dominion Tank Police Role-Playing Game was published by Guardians of Order in 1999.

Reception

Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies commented that 1988 OVA "has some serious themes - ecological disaster and the excessive power of state - but they're delivered lightly, wrapped in a shiny package of action, slapstick, and outrageous visual puns".[2] She stated that Dominion Tank Police is "far superior" to New Dominion Tank Police: "The second storyline is much darker, the character dynamics are different, and though the design and animation are good, it lacks the joyous, over-the-top silliness of the original."[2]

References

  1. ^ "Maiden Japan Licenses New Dominion Tank Police Video Anime". Anime News Network. April 23, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  2. ^ a b McCarthy, Helen. 500 Essential Anime Movies: The Ultimate Guide. — Harper Design, 2009. — P. 58. — 528 p. — ISBN 978-0061474507
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