"Buddy-cop is a loose genre that is characterized for featuring two or more members of the police force (or law enforcement in general) who bond together as they solve a mystery or hunt down criminals. One defining trope is that they tend to have clashing personalities, with contrasting ages, background and demeanors as they both slowly learn to trust in each other.
This niche genre can be traced back to 1949, when Japanese director Akira Kurosawa released Stray Dogs, a postwar noir set in Tokyo's underworld, in what is considered to be the stepping stone in the genre. It was further popularized in the West around the late 80's thanks to classics like Lethal Weapon and 48 Hours, gaining a lot of traction in the following decades. Ever since, it has become a staple in action cinema, and it is as recurrent today as it has ever been."
