[#CreativeAwardReview] Even Police Officers Are Human!

For my fifth review today, I will be writing about Yayoi Yagami's "Cherry Blossom Gate: Police Academy Story".

Whenever I hear the words 'police academy,' I am always reminded of the drama 'Kyojo.' Even though it has been years since it aired, that show left a strong impression. It was about an instructor played by Kimura Takuya who would root out the rot from within and put the students through various trials to mold them into proper police officers.

I was terrified. It was a mystery, so it couldn't be helped, but some of the trials Kimura Takuya put them through made me think, 'Isn't that a bit much?' The students who gathered there were also quite eccentric. That is exactly why it was interesting to watch, but ever since that drama, whenever I pass by a police box,

I find myself wondering if this police officer also went through such a hard time.

I spend my days silently sympathizing with the young police officers who greet me with a smile, thinking, 'Thank you for serving without becoming cynical!' The drama 'Kyojo' successfully ingrained the idea that police academies are scary places.

Because of that, I was nervous before reading Yagami-san's 'Cherry Blossom Gate.' I braced myself for difficult students and a terrifying instructor trying to keep them in line. The opening scene with Daimon was written in a way that brought that to mind. But, this was a trick by Yagami-san, wasn't it?

This work corrected my distorted knowledge. Unlike regular schools, they are paid, and the discipline is strict. Because of this, there are dropouts. The young police officers who pass the exams and enroll spend their school life seriously, and Yagami-san carefully depicts that they are also flesh-and-blood human beings.

It is only natural that their response to justice is different from that of ordinary people. Especially while attending the police academy, they are restricted and cannot respond even if an incident occurs. I was surprised by this. There are likely people on social media who would criticize them without knowing this. I told myself that I must be careful when posting.

Although police officers are in such a difficult environment, they are no different from ordinary people in that they live by supporting each other. In the unique environment of the police academy, the way young people in their teens and twenties live like young people is expressed in detail in the work. Every character was shining. Not only the students but also the teachers are depicted with rich emotions. You can even feel their breathing.

I was moved by the fact that police personnel, who are often seen as special, are depicted as human beings through their interactions at events and competitions.

My eyes grew hot at the encounter between the protagonist and a nostalgic figure at the end. From now on, when I pass by a police box, I will whisper in my heart, 'How nice, youth!'