AD Police gets a 4K release date after 36 years
The 1990 cyberpunk OVA returns in a 4K UHD and Blu-ray set with a January 12, 2027 release date.
AD Police is getting a fresh 4K release, giving the cult cyberpunk anime a firm date for its return to physical media. The AD Police 4K UHD and Blu-ray set is listed for January 12, 2027, through MediaOCD, the distributor's retail store.1
The release covers the three-part OVA originally released in 1990. It is a prequel to Bubblegum Crisis, following rookie Advanced Police officer Leon McNichol in a Mega Tokyo overrun by violent Boomers — humanoid robots that have pushed the city towards collapse.1 The set's product description names the three stories as The Phantom Woman, The Ripper and The Man Who Bites His Tongue.
This is a restoration rather than a new adaptation. MediaOCD says the upgrade was made from the original camera negative, with the UHD disc presented in HDR-10. The release includes both a 4K UHD disc and a standard Blu-ray, plus the original music videos, original promotional material, a design gallery and a new interview with singer Lou Bonnevie.1
The package also keeps the release unusually accessible for an older anime. MediaOCD lists the original Japanese audio with English, Spanish, French and German subtitles, alongside US and UK English dubs, Spanish, French and Russian dubs. It is listed as region-free on both formats, with a total runtime of 90 minutes.1
Amazon's listing also identifies the title as AD Police 4K UHD + Blu-ray and lists the January 12 date, adding a second retail confirmation for the release window.2 CBR's report on the announcement places the project in the wider Bubblegum Crisis franchise and notes that the restoration was announced by AnimEigo.3
Our opinion
A proper 4K restoration is a better fit for AD Police than a franchise revival built around new material. Its grimy industrial backgrounds, hard-edged mechanical designs and compact OVA structure are exactly the sort of strengths that can benefit from a careful scan without needing the story to be expanded. The important question is whether the restoration preserves that rough cyberpunk texture rather than polishing away what made the original distinctive. The listed source-negative restoration is encouraging, while the region-free disc and broad subtitle and dub support make this a meaningful reissue for collectors outside Japan.
The AD Police 4K UHD and Blu-ray release arrives on January 12, 2027. MediaOCD lists it at $39.95, with an optional store-exclusive slipcover.1