Police in a Pod Vol. 1 [Manga Review]

1. Slice of Life Indeed

As we follow Kawai and her director as they go about their daily routines, we see things through a police officer’s lens, albeit fictionally. Since the series doesn’t have any fixed plot, we have no idea what the next chapter holds. However, every chapter doesn’t fail to make us smile at least once or twice. Typical to slice of life series, Police in a Pod has a very relaxed tone and the gravest dilemmas are nothing but mundane. Be it a confrontation with a professional criminal or perhaps a heated encounter between one’s relative, everything hits somewhere close to home.

2. Sitback, Relax, and Read

With such a calm set up, we rarely get annoyed or frustrated. Of course, those scenes still exist, especially when Kawai gets taunted and shouted at. However, those scenes don’t really pan out, so we can’t really get angry even if we tried to. Even though it’s a series about cops, we don’t really see any action from them. Perhaps that’s because they’re just cops on the streets, which mostly means enforcing traffic rules. That being said, it’s a good title to pick up to pair your casual morning coffee or a short read before a good night sleep.

1. Not Really Too Convincing

The lack of tension is good and all, but it somehow costs the series depth. In order to finish the arc quickly and calmly, the series creates an unrealistic thought process and rationale. For instance, the serial burglar that acted as a sacrifice in order to highlight Fuji’s badassery just somewhat decides to spill everything out without the slightest resistance. What’s more, he’s amicable enough to teach Kawai a thing or two. That guy definitely doesn’t act like a criminal. Of course, it doesn’t always turn out like this, but when it does, it’s too glaring not to notice.

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If you’re looking for something light and relaxing to read, do give Police in a Pod a try. It’s definitely not the best within the genre, but it still delivers a chill read. But if you’re looking for an action-packed series or something that provides depth, then this isn’t the series for you.

I am a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. I love watching anime, reading manga, and writing my own stories. Watch out in the future as you may see one of my works one day. Manga and anime were big parts of my childhood. I grew up watching Yu Yu Hakusho, Slam Dunk, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. Those were probably one of the happiest and most carefree days of my life. In fact, most of my values are probably molded by manga. No, that’s not an exaggeration.

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