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A Doomed Purloiner
Jan 4, 2006

Labor: The common name for robots designed for heavy industrial use. The rise of labors sparked a revolution in construction and civil engineering, but labor-related crime skyrocketed as well. To combat this new threat, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police created a patrol labor unit, the Special Vehicles Unit Second Section. This was the origin of



Patlabor is a franchise created by a small creative team called Headgear, a group consisting of director Mamoru Oshii, writer Kazunori Itô, mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi, character designer Akemi Takada, and manga artist Masami Yûki. A six part OVA directed by Oshii (Who had previously worked on the excellent Urusei Yatsura and in 1995 would direct Ghost in the Shell) was released in 1988, followed by a movie and television series in 1989 and a second movie in 1993. A third movie "WXIII" was released in 2002 and a live action series and movies are currently being released/in production.

It should be noted that the orginal OVA and movies form one timeline, whereas the TV series (and the OVAs that were released with it on video) form a separate, independant timeline. Regardless, in both timelines the story revolves around the day to day duties of the Special Vehicles Unit Second Section (SV2), Division 2.


In the 1990's two disasters befell Tokyo; a devastating earthquake in 1995, and the world's polar icecaps melted due to global warming, causing oceans to rise and threatening to flood costal cites. In the early 1990's barriers were constructed to stop the sea from taking the land (it is not discussed in specifics in Patlabor on how or if governments tried to stop global warming). Tokyo also developed the "Babylon Project" which was designed to reclaim land and eventually fill Tokyo Bay. The rubble from the earthquake disaster helped to provide the landfill needed for the project. In the real world there are several reclaimed land projects in Tokyo Bay which cover over 249 km², however none are quite as ambitious as the Babylon Project.

An "Advanced Robot" project began in the early 1980's, which brought about a development in what was called "Hyper Technology". By the end of the decade the first prototype Labor was born. A great need for this type of equipment was generated for construction work due to the Tokyo earthquake in 1995 and other major projects. This led to the mass production in the mid 1990's of Labors, which are large scale humanoid robots which averaging about eight metres in height. They were used mostly in the construction industry during the late 1990's on large scale construction projects such as the Babylon Project where they made the work a whole lot easier. Various non-construction types were also developed including military versions, undersea and amphibious types. Approximately 45% of Japan's Labors, around 3,600 units, work in or around the Babylon Project. Though the real world still doesn't have any commercial bipedal robots yet (though there have been many advancements over the last ten years), computers and software play a big role in Patlabor, just like the current world today.

Tokyo still has it's problems. The major one is the critics of the Babylon Project. A protest movement sprung up against the project and several Militant environmental groups such as the Beach House, Home of the Sea, and the Earth Defence Family constantly use protest and sabotage to try and halt the progress of the project. And with the increase of Labors through out the city, Labor crime rose as well, such as Labor theft, robbery and even driving Labors under the influence and fights amongst construction workers. One of the most surprising and accurate predictions of Patalbor's future world was terrorism (though it was from religious fanatics in our time and not militant environmentalists). But even more surprising was the prediction of computer viruses contained in commercial software products, as seen in the first Patlabor movie.

To combat Labor related criminal activities, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD for short) formed of the Special Vehicles Unit Section 2 (SV2 for short). This section used Patrol Labors (or Patlabors for short) to combat Labor crime. While they have had some success, the problem is that most inside the police force, and the public seem to treat the SV2 as a joke and think they are a money pit. The SV2 hanger is stuck upon on a lot of reclaimed land in the middle of nowhere, and the first division's Labors aren't up to scratch. Division 2 does have better labors, but the personnel isn't what you would call officer material. The higher-up of the TMPD unofficially sometimes consider the SV2 as a dumping ground for problematic officers. Because of this and the nature of their work (Labors can be rather destructive) most of the time disaster and bad press seem to follow the SV2, despite the fact they usually get the job done and take on cases that other sections of the TMPD and even the military find too difficult to handle.

The SV2 is made up of two units. Each has two Labors headed by one captain. Both Labors have Forwards (the Labor pilot), a Backup (the person who drives the command car and gives instructions to the pilot), and a Labor Carrier (as it sounds, the person who drives the truck that caries the Ingram Labor). Division 1 is mostly made up of former SWAT team members from TMPD, while the beloved Division 2 is mostly regular officers who have transferred in from other sections, hence the two vastly different ways both divisions go about their work.



Noa Izumi
Born in Tomakomai, Hokkaido in 1978, she is the pilot of the first Ingram in Unit 2 (first forward of Division 2). She loves Labors (to the point of obsession) and nicknames her Ingram "Alphonse" after her deceased pet dog and cat. A dedicated police officer, very easy going and cheerful, she never loses her cool. That is unless somebody damages her beloved Alphonse. Character designer Akemi Takada says she named Noa after a sales woman from a securities company who visited her. Noa appears in all the anime versions of Patlabor. She is voiced by Miina Tominaga.


Asuma Shinohara
Asuma was born in Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture and is 21 years old at the start of the series. Asuma is the son of the owner of Shinohara Heavy Industries, the makers of the Ingram. So why is he a public servant? Apparently his father forced him into being one. A member of Unit 2, he provides backup for Noa's Ingram and is her partner. He can be quite short tempered and sometimes gives the impression he would rather be somewhere else. Still he is quite a competent police officer. Character designer Akemi Takada says she got the inspiration for the character's name Asuma after seeing the name on a patent card for an old man in a hospital. Asuma appears in all the anime versions of Patlabor. He is voiced by Toshio Furukawa.


Kiichi Gotoh
Gotoh is the Captain of Unit 2 and was born in the Taito Ward in Tokyo. Although he may seem very laidback and even apathetic, but is quite a strategist, and knows how to get the best out of his team even if it means tricking them. He has gained the reputation of being very sharp and rumour has it he was purposely sent out to the SV2 so he wouldn't cause any trouble. He still manages to do so anyway. Gotoh has a crush on Shinobu, which is completely unrequited (poor Gotoh...). Gotoh is a heavy smoker, has athlete's foot and can often be seen wearing traditional Japanese wooden sandals around the office. Character designer Akemi Takada based Gotoh's appearance on Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakagai's physical appearance in the Akira Kurosawa film "High and Low". Gotoh appears in all versions of the anime. He is voiced by Ryunosuke Ohbayashi.


Isao Ota
Ota is the 2nd forward of Division 2. He was born in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture and is 26 at the beginning of the series. He is a complete gun maniac and will almost always try to use force over all other options when solving a dispute. Though he is reckless and violent, he is an integral part of the team, and actually manages to end situations quicker than Noa. Kazunori Ito said in an interview that he named the character after a scuba diving instructor he once knew. Ota appears in all versions of the anime. He is voiced by Michihiro Ikemizu.


Kanuka Clancy
Kanuka is a Police Officer on loan from the New York Police Department and was born in Oahu, Hawaii. She is 21 at the beginning of the series. She is half Japanese-American, and yes it has been noted by western fans that she is the most Asian looking of the cast. She is a competent officer who does everything by the book and is often disgusted by the tactics used by the SV2. In Division 2 she acts as Ota's backup. Though among the SV2 there is a rumour that the NYPD sent her to them because she was a problem officer. According to her profile in the booklet accompanying the 2004 Japanese Limited Edition movie sets, she is the daughter of a millionaire. It has been said that Kanuka Clancy after novelist Tom Clancy, but in an interview Kazunori Ito said that he took the name Kanuka from the name of a girl in a TV drama he once saw. Kanuka appears in all versions of the anime except the second and third movies. She is voiced by You Inoue.


Shinobu Nagumo
Shinobu is the Captain of Division 1 and was born in in Setagaya Ward in Tokyo. She is a professional, competent police officer. Basically the exact opposite of Captain Gotoh. She always keeps her mind on the job and never loses her cool. Often she talks back to her superiors when she disagrees with an order, and this is probably why she remains at the SV2 rather being promoted to another job more worthy of her skills. She is often slightly jealous of Division 2's successes and the equipment they get, but she never really lets on. She appears in all of the anime except the third movie. She is voiced by Yoshiko Sakakibara.


Takeo Kumagami
Kumagami is Ota's backup. She is Kanuka's replacement after she returns to New York. She was top of her class, and is an exceptional police officer. She was courted by several police agencies, but eventually chose the SV2 because of the challenge. Kumagami seems to be very level headed and nothing seems to faze her, though the antics of her workmates sometimes annoys her. Kumagami has an irrational fear of the supernatural, especially ghosts as her father was interested in the topic and she heard many ghost stories when she was a child. She appears in the TV series and New OVA Series and is voiced by Keiko Yokozawa.


Mikiyasu Shinshi
Shinshi is the driver for the second carrier. He was born Fujieda, Shizuoka Prefecture and is 29 at the start of the series. He was originally Ota's backup in the TV series and original OVA series until Kanuka replaced him. He is a quite introverted man, but can become surprisingly violent if provoked enough. He is also the rather henpecked husband of Tamiko, who is rather possessive of him. Shinshi is the only married member of the team. Kazunori Ito said in an interview he named the character after a friend he goes scuba diving with. He appears in all versions of the anime and is played by Issei Futamata.


Hiromi Yamazaki
Hiromi is the quite giant amongst the members of the SV2, in fact the tallest member of the team, at two metres tall. He was born on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture and is 23 at the start of the series. Even though he looks rather intimidating, he is quite gentle and hardly ever speaks. He tends the tomatoes in the greenhouse and looks after the henhouse at the SV2 in his spare time. These duties actually provide a substantial amount food for the officers. His main duty in Division 2 is driving the first Labor carrier. Hiromi appears in all versions of the anime. He is voiced by Daisuke Gohri.


Seitaroh Sakaki
Sakaki is the head mechanic of the SV2. His training was was in mechanics, and he doesn't really understand the electronics and computers in the Labors. Even though he's only the head mechanic he only seems to order a lot of the other staff around, including members of Division 2, and not do any of the 'grunt' work. A very respected member of the SV2 (though some would say feared rather than respected). Sasaki appears in all versions of the anime except the third movie. He is voiced by Osamu Saka.

Shigeo Shiba
Shigeo or just plain Shige, is second in command of the mechanics at the SV2. He is a man that is truly dedicated to his work, though sometimes he can go overboard. He is a proud member of the SV2, and makes sure the Labors work perfectly. He will most likely take over from Sakaki when he retires. Shige appears in all version of the anime except the third movie. Shige is voiced by Shigeru Chiba.


AV-98 Ingram
The Ingram AV-98 (AV stands for "Advanced Vehicle") was developed specially for the police force to combat Labor crime. It is styled in a way to look menacing. The main unit comes with two weapons; an electric baton (or stun stick, a weapon that can stop Labors with high powered electric currents) which is stored under it's shield in it's left arm, and a 37mm revolver cannon, stored in it's left leg. A 90mm riot gun was also developed by the mechanics at the SV2 for the Ingram. The Second Division of the SV2 use these Labors. Ota's AV-98 (Unit 2) has a customised head which is very different to the standard issue. Unit 3 (the spare Labor) also has a customised head. In "Patlabor 2 the movie", Unit 3 was developed as an experimental anti-electronic warfare Labor by Shinohara Heavy Industries, and it's head is equipped with ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) jamming pod.


Let's discuss Patlabor!
Now that Zorak is gone it feels like we might be allowed to actually discuss anime (but with XylowJW and Ralp on the prowl, we'll have to see if that holds).

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Ghosts n Gopniks
Nov 2, 2004

Imagine how much more sad and lonely we would be if not for the hard work of lowtax. Here's $12.95 to his aid.
Hey, my fave mechsuits of all time :unsmith:

I've mainly seen buzz and on-site picture tweets from filming of some live-action New-Generation Patlabor, would like to hear impressions of what's been released from those who have seen it. OAV films 1/2 are what I prefer, would make sense if the budget made more of that style.

Endorph
Jul 22, 2009
this show looks cool but there's so many variations and spinoffs that i dont know what to watch

Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan
Patlabor is the raddest mecha franchise. Hands down.



But to actually get discussion kicked off:

The Movie 1 or The Movie 2?

Endorph posted:

this show looks cool but there's so many variations and spinoffs that i dont know what to watch

It's pretty easy to break down the continuities. The original OVA and the three movies comprise their own continuity and the TV series and the second OVA (sometimes referred to as the P-Series or the New Files) is its own separate continuity. But the characters and setting are all mostly the same, so outside of their respective "origin story" episodes, the franchise as a whole is pretty consistent. You won't be lost watching the movies if you've only seen the TV series, for example.

Mecha Gojira fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Jan 8, 2015

Ghosts n Gopniks
Nov 2, 2004

Imagine how much more sad and lonely we would be if not for the hard work of lowtax. Here's $12.95 to his aid.

Mecha Gojira posted:

The Movie 1 or The Movie 2?

1 then 2, blu-ray if they exist on it because beautiful. Very similar to each other, not tied to each other, can easily be watched separately, both have their super-memorable times and stand out on their own. It's the sort of feature-length anime my old parents could enjoy watching. (Movie 2 stands out a good bit though, yeah)

Patlabor movie 3 is basically Robocop 3, something that never was made, just an illusion.

Ghosts n Gopniks fucked around with this message at 02:11 on Jan 8, 2015

A Doomed Purloiner
Jan 4, 2006

Endorph posted:

this show looks cool but there's so many variations and spinoffs that i dont know what to watch

Start with the original OVA (sometimes called Early Days) and the first 2 movies.


Mecha Gojira posted:

The Movie 1 or The Movie 2?

Patlabor 2, hands down. The first movie is great, but the second movie is Oshii's peak and, in my opinion, the best anime film of all time.

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

I prefer Movie 2 since it's some of Oshii's best, and I'm just a sucker for Gotoh. And stuff like this is just cool as all hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmlwhaEEgE

Of the few anime that have tackled terrorism I feel like Patlabor 2 did it perfectly. Anyone disappointed with Terror in Resonance should absolutely check it out.

Movie 1 is still good though, just feels like a movie-length tv episode. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, since the cast is excellent.

Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan
For a while I would have said 1 over 2, but as time went on and kept rewatching them, I'd have to give the edge to 2 myself. It's a better standalone film. But part of the reason I love the franchise so much is because I love the whole cast of Division 2, which is why 1 held the edge for me for the longest time. Movie 2 is definitely a Gotoh movie first and foremost.

Both films are masterpieces in my opinion, though.

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

Mecha Gojira posted:

For a while I would have said 1 over 2, but as time went on and kept rewatching them, I'd have to give the edge to 2 myself. It's a better standalone film. But part of the reason I love the franchise so much is because I love the whole cast of Division 2, which is why 1 held the edge for me for the longest time. Movie 2 is definitely a Gotoh movie first and foremost.

Both films are masterpieces in my opinion, though.

Yeah just going from the original OVA to the two movies is solid gold and the best way to jump into the show.

I dig the tv series too even though it's not quite as amazing as those, but that's a high bar and there are still plenty of fun episodes. The cast really carries it and some of my favorite episodes are more about the non-criminal problems, like when everyone is arguing with each other so Gotoh takes them out drinking in an attempt to make them get along.

Yes_Cantaloupe
Feb 28, 2005
If I want to watch this, have I reasonable sources aside from torrenting?

A Doomed Purloiner
Jan 4, 2006

A Doomed Purloiner
Jan 4, 2006

Yes_Cantaloupe posted:

If I want to watch this, have I reasonable sources aside from torrenting?

The TV series and first OVA are available on blu-ray in the US. The OVA is on blu-ray in Australia and the series is on DVD.

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

Yes_Cantaloupe posted:

If I want to watch this, have I reasonable sources aside from torrenting?

Hulu has the original OVA and the TV series.

Nate RFB
Jan 17, 2005

Clapping Larry

Endorph posted:

this show looks cool but there's so many variations and spinoffs that i dont know what to watch
All of them are worth watching except maybe the third movie. The TV series is a little more goofy and I guess episodic but it's still quite fun in that 90s sci-fi anime way.

Nuebot
Feb 18, 2013

The developer of Brigador is a secret chud, don't give him money
The last few minutes of Patlabor 2 was one of the earlier mech anime I've seen and I think I can blame that for my love of giant robots even though I haven't since watched any of the Patlabor things. I do like the designs though.

Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan

Nuebot posted:

The last few minutes of Patlabor 2 was one of the earlier mech anime I've seen and I think I can blame that for my love of giant robots even though I haven't since watched any of the Patlabor things. I do like the designs though.

Yutaka Izubuchi is one of my all-time favorite mecha designers. Not only are his Patlabor designs great, the stuff he did for Gundam is some of the best in the franchise.

You should really give the rest of the series a shot, though. Like everyone's been saying, go ahead and start with the original OVA's and the movies. The TV series is way more goofy and lighthearted than the films (though only marginally more goofy than the OVA), but it has its own charms as well. I personally love the TV series, but I also remember it being one of the less popular simul watches years back. Though that may have had a lot to do from a combination of scheduling and the fact it was paired with another 50 episode mecha series.

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

Mecha Gojira posted:

Yutaka Izubuchi is one of my all-time favorite mecha designers. Not only are his Patlabor designs great, the stuff he did for Gundam is some of the best in the franchise.

You should really give the rest of the series a shot, though. Like everyone's been saying, go ahead and start with the original OVA's and the movies. The TV series is way more goofy and lighthearted than the films (though only marginally more goofy than the OVA), but it has its own charms as well. I personally love the TV series, but I also remember it being one of the less popular simul watches years back. Though that may have had a lot to do from a combination of scheduling and the fact it was paired with another 50 episode mecha series.

And not to mention that they were both 80s mecha shows. Not a whole lot of variety there. I think the most successful simulwatches would usually be the ones that paired two wildly different shows, and for a good reason (It especially helped when an old show and a new show were both part, I think).

Butt Frosted Cake
Dec 27, 2010

Who the hell are those guys in the op? Here's the real cast

Yes_Cantaloupe
Feb 28, 2005

A Doomed Purloiner posted:

The TV series and first OVA are available on blu-ray in the US. The OVA is on blu-ray in Australia and the series is on DVD.

Good.

Srice posted:

Hulu has the original OVA and the TV series.

Better.

Or, at least, freer and more immediate. The OVAs seem like a fine way to spend an evening, then.

A Doomed Purloiner
Jan 4, 2006

Butt Frosted Cake posted:

Who the hell are those guys in the op? Here's the real cast



Sakurazuka
Jan 24, 2004

NANI?


Oshii was so good at these type of sequences that somewhere along the way he decided his films should be nothing but them.

Mango Polo
Aug 4, 2007
Patlabor owns. Griffon owns. First time I thought, "I actually want a plastic toy of that robot".

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

Sakurazuka posted:

Oshii was so good at these type of sequences that somewhere along the way he decided his films should be nothing but them.

Yeaaaah.

People mainly know him by that reputation these days so it's fun to blow someone's mind by showing that he used to be a very good comedy director.

Sakurazuka
Jan 24, 2004

NANI?

He's always being pretty weird though, at the same time as he was doing stuff like Urusai Yatsura and Patlabor he directed Angel's Egg, which is probably one of the most impenetrably surreal films I've ever seen.

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

Yeah. He used to get a nice balance with that stuff though!

I guess maybe the live action Patlabor he's directing probably has some comedy in it, shame that the episode 00 was the only one that got fansubbed though the guy said he'd eventually sub it all if nobody else does.

Iserlohn
Nov 3, 2011

Watch out!

Here comes the third tactic.
Lipstick Apathy
I watched Patlabor earlier last year, and it really is one of my favorite things ever. I think a testament to how great the characters are is that they can be a bunch of goofballs in a (pretty much) all-comedy setting like the TV series and can also function really well in a realistic setting like Patlabor 2. It's one of the few shows in general that I was sad to see end, and while I don't think its send-off was appropriately great I was satisfied with just watching the cast do dumb random stuff anyway.

Mango Polo posted:

Patlabor owns. Griffon owns. First time I thought, "I actually want a plastic toy of that robot".



While the characters are definitely the stars of Patlabor, the mech designs are just gorgeous and nothing today really matches their combined sleekness and functionality. Rewatching Gundam 0080 over the holidays really made me miss Patlabor's style. Griffon absolutely owns, and the entire arc it had both in the TV series and the second OVA were my favorite. Izubuchi's designs and the animators somehow made the robots look even cooler beat up than normal and they weren't afraid to have fighting delve down to crude fisticuffs and reverse backdrops on multiple occasions. Really wish Izubuchi still had ties with Gundam or worked on other projects.

Iserlohn fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Jan 9, 2015

Great Rumbler
Jan 30, 2013

For I am a dog, you see.

Nate RFB posted:

All of them are worth watching except maybe the third movie.

I still like the third movie, but it's really not Patlabor at all. It's a detective drama crossed with a kaiju movie that the cast of Patlabor makes a minor cameo in.

Kenji Kawai's OST for it is so good, though, one of my all time favorites.

gimme the GOD DAMN candy
Jul 1, 2007
The fact that the trailers for the third movie tell the entire goddamn plot to a detective story including the conclusion has always bewildered me.

psyer
Mar 26, 2013
Has anyone tried the live action ver. of this?

Srice
Sep 11, 2011

psyer posted:

Has anyone tried the live action ver. of this?

The only part of the live action series that has been fansubbed is the episode 00 and it's more of a fanservice-y episode than anything else. You just see Shige as an old man (played by the guy who voiced him!) and he talks about continuity stuffs and what happened to the original cast and etc etc etc. Nothing that would help judge the quality of the full product.

The guy who fansubbed it said he might sub the rest if nobody else does, but that was like half a year ago.

Butt Frosted Cake
Dec 27, 2010

Sakurazuka posted:

He's always being pretty weird though, at the same time as he was doing stuff like Urusai Yatsura and Patlabor he directed Angel's Egg, which is probably one of the most impenetrably surreal films I've ever seen.

I didn't find Angel's Egg that impeterable as long as your atleast somewhat familiar with Noah's Ark. A guy wandering around carrying a cross is pretty easy to figure out, as well as the egg being a metaphor for Oshii's personal faith (if you break the egg to find out whats inside you ruin it). And the common reading for fish symbolism seemed to fit, dreaming dissolution and death. I don't know that's like 80% of the Oshii impentrable bullshit in the movie.

track day bro!
Feb 17, 2005

#essereFerrari
Grimey Drawer
I dont like the 3rd movie.

Also I grew up watching the dub and hell, I like the dub.

Honest Ray
Feb 10, 2007

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious.
I just picked up the Ingram-98 model that dropped the other day and a, really looking forward to putting it together. I absolutely loved the OVAs and movies but still need to get into the other series. I have the Griffin Revoltech but don't actually know anything about it, haha

Iserlohn
Nov 3, 2011

Watch out!

Here comes the third tactic.
Lipstick Apathy
Griffon kicks rear end and has a kickass theme.

Sakurazuka
Jan 24, 2004

NANI?

Butt Frosted Cake posted:

I didn't find Angel's Egg that impeterable as long as your atleast somewhat familiar with Noah's Ark. A guy wandering around carrying a cross is pretty easy to figure out, as well as the egg being a metaphor for Oshii's personal faith (if you break the egg to find out whats inside you ruin it). And the common reading for fish symbolism seemed to fit, dreaming dissolution and death. I don't know that's like 80% of the Oshii impentrable bullshit in the movie.

Yeah, I didn't mean to suggest that it was literally impenetrable (I got some of that and and I'm rubbish at that sort of thing) it just that I can't really think of another film that goes so all in on the symbolism that it barely even has a conventional narrative, the closest I think of is Eraserhead and maybe Cronenberg's Naked Lunch.

DookieSandwich
Nov 14, 2012
Bandai really needs to update their master grade Ingrams. Would also like a Helldiver.

Lily Catts
Oct 17, 2012

Show me the way to you
(Heavy Metal)

Endorph posted:

this show looks cool but there's so many variations and spinoffs that i dont know what to watch

Some people have explained that already in this thread, but I'd like to add my own.

COMBAT (from the first movie) is one of my favorite anime scenes ever.

I really recommend the TV series, it's a really strong show throughout. Most 40+ episode series have sagging points, but I never felt that while watching Patlabor TV (even when Kanuka "left").

NotALizardman
Jun 5, 2011

Patlabor is my favorite giant robot series, alongside Dai-Guard and I wish the two series would show up in a SRW together.

Workplace comedy giant robots are the best giant robots.

Mango Polo
Aug 4, 2007

Iserlohn posted:

While the characters are definitely the stars of Patlabor, the mech designs are just gorgeous and nothing today really matches their combined sleekness and functionality. Rewatching Gundam 0080 over the holidays really made me miss Patlabor's style. Griffon absolutely owns, and the entire arc it had both in the TV series and the second OVA were my favorite. Izubuchi's designs and the animators somehow made the robots look even cooler beat up than normal and they weren't afraid to have fighting delve down to crude fisticuffs and reverse backdrops on multiple occasions. Really wish Izubuchi still had ties with Gundam or worked on other projects.

Definitely. It always felt like the robots had proper weight and dynamism that made watching any kind of interaction super fun (anything by Ohta in particular). Plus it means whenever the Griffon or Type 0 are around, they are genuinely scary because of their agility and ability to wreck poo poo, instead of gimmicks. gently caress, guess I should rewatch the whole thing soon again.



How's Mini Pato, actually? I think it's the only thing I never saw.

Mango Polo fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Jan 10, 2015

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Mecha Gojira
Jun 23, 2006

Jack Nissan
Mini Pato is just a collection of goofy shorts that go over different aspects of the franchise from technical details about giant robot gun calibers to how SV2 feeds itself. They're fun, and you can kill them in like thirty minutes.

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