The artifact reveals Kawamata had a secret discretionary fund in South America that controlled the guerillas who killed Yamanobe.

[6][7] Under the title of Magistrate of Darkness: Judge (闇の司法官 ジャッジ, Yami no Shihosha Jajji), an original video animation (OVA) adapted the first chapter of the first volume of the manga.

[9] Central Park Media (CPM) licensed it for a North American audience, and first released a VHS on October 8, 1996 in subtitled and dubbed versions.

[13][14] Michael Toole of Anime News Network said he "just love[d] Judge", although he considered it "a particularly low-budget OVA catering to bored salarymen".

Toole called it a "crude albeit satisfying revenge fantasy" that "fits in nicely with a viewing of Harvey Birdman episodes".

[15] A reviewer for Video Watchdog declared: "Highly competent animation and an engrossing story by Fujihiko Hosono make JUDGE a very worthwhile entertainment.

[10] On the other hand, Carlos Ross of THEM Anime Reviews dubbed it "an unmemorable OAV"; he wrote, "Judge should have been an interesting, if strange trip through a suspenseful world of intrigue.