Wandering thoughts in a Beautiful World.

  While i madly eagerly await the release of the Raw/subbed version of YUA: Full throttle’s 3rd Episode, i think i’ll go back in time a while to cover on the entire series.

  You’re Under Arrest, or YUA as it is more affectionately called, is the first work for Kosuke Fujishima, who has also brought us hit series manga like Ah! Megami Sama!!(Ah! My Goddess!), and éX-Driver.  It’s also the lesser known sister of Ah! My Goddess!, since the character design for one of the main characters in YUA went to the creation of Belldandy, the main heroine of Ah! My Goddess fame.

YUA actually is one of the few series of it’s time where the it incorporates the genres of romance, action,comedy and slice-of-life into it’s concept and portrayal.  Coupled with good storyline and plot, as well as beautiful character designs, this is truely a cult favourite among the fans of Kosuke-sama. At a whopping 52 episodes( inclusive of OVAs) for just the first season alone,this is truely a heavyweight.

The story revolves around the adventures of Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa, two female members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, stationed at the fictional Bokuto Police Precinct located at Sumida-ku( or Ward), Tokyo. The series is largely episodic, with minor arcs throughout the series.  Natsumi and Miyuki have a tendency to help solve difficult cases, on top of their regular duties in the Traffic Division.  However, both of them have rather conflicting personalities, which both understood that they might not make a good team in the first episode. However, through a little pushing by a mysterious driver, the combination of both their skills shows that they are a good pairing, and they both start working together well.

  The first series itself is pretty much true to the original manga, with changes made to arc positioning and minor changes in details.  Although the series might get a little repetitive with numerous car chases, it doesn’t let up on other action scenes, such as armed and unarmed close combat, as well as using weapons ranging from handguns to a airsoft model sniper rifle.

The first series also boasts a large character cast, ranging the gamut from comic relief to romantic interest. And while certain jokes might become stale after being repeated, diversifying each joke actually allows it to be re-used after several episodes.

The series itself has spawned several other versions, ranging from a second season, mini-specials and a animated movie, to a live action drama, while a third season is currently being aired in Japan.