Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor: On Television

In a future where large, manually-operated robots are manufactured for the purposes of performing a heavy workload, from construction to military usage, Second Special Vehicles Division is responsible for ensuring that the operation of these large machines - also known as labors - remains safe and that citizens are secure in the event of misusage.

Primarily an episodic experience, the television series of Patlabor follows the (mis)adventures of the Second Special Vehicles Division. The show is a moderately formulaic experience, with predictable adversity occurring throughout, but there are interludes of character arcs and conflict arcs. Despite being episodic in nature, the experience is enriched by its ... cast of characters, all of them distinct in their traits and personalities. With its substantial number of episodes the show is able to explore and develop each of the characters in meaningful ways.

The animation is good for the majority of the show as is the writing. Each episode is engaging and while there is not an overarching plot or storyline, the interactions among the characters only compound with interest over time as they become more familiar with one another through their shared experiences and help one another to overcome their weaknesses or flaws. The themes are largely comedy, action, and slice-of-life. There are also touches of mythological and supernatural elements to the series.

If you are a fan of mecha or have thought about getting into the mecha genre at all for that matter, then I strongly recommend Patlabor: The Mobile Police television series. As a point of entering the genre, it is a grounded setting that operates on mostly rational principles and does not cross the boundary into being hard/high science fiction like Gundam. It is extremely accessible through its varied characters and charming setting.

(There might be light spoilers ahead)

Patlabor is one of those shows that I wish could be more popular among mecha fans but at the same time it doesn't encapsulate what you expect from a typical mecha show.

And.. it's not a bad thing, that's exactly why I love Patlabor. Although it regularly presents action-packed mecha glory throughout its episodes, but really it places its emphasis on the people, on the mundane but eventful everyday lives of everyone in Special Vehicles Section 2, a team filled with a ragtag group of police officers, each with very distinct personalities.

-Story-
Patlabor tells the story of Special Vehicles Section 2, ... a special police unit made to fight Labor (heavy duty machines made for construction) -related crimes equipped with Patlabors (Patrol.. Labors..) at their disposal.
Patlabor does have an overarching plot, which is interesting, but it isn’t really my main focus when I was watching the show. My interest and enjoyment lies more on the standalone episodes, which are hilarious... my god do they come up with the most ridiculous situations from seemingly normal premises. Like that one time they went down a sewer trying to find who stole their stuff only to find out that something else might be lurking in the water, or that one time they went off to train on an abandoned building which is supposedly “haunted” and so much more that I don’t want to spoil, it’s all over the place.. But that’s what makes it good.
Aside from the goofiness, the show perfectly portrays what a society with Labors would be like and it presents it subtly. The Labors felt like proper “tools” and felt believable and people’s interactions with them really adds so much to it.
What’s also nice was how well the story acts as a tool on exploring the characters. These seemingly very “out there” plots feel believable because of the main actors of the situation and so are the characters’ reactions to it. These situations help them grow as a person and as a team.

-Characters-
I just love them. I love them all.
They are all very comical and ridiculous, they’re all a mess but it works perfectly to make them feel relatable and likeable.
Our main character is Noa Izumi, a happy-go-lucky clumsy gal that loves Labors ...arguably a bit too much. She tends to be very over-protective of Alphonse (that’s the name she gave to her Ingram unit), actively stressing over the fact that she might dent it or get it dirty. She is the perfect main character for the show because she represents everything about it: its easy-going and optimistic nature. But also, her feelings on Labors contradicts how everyone in the group (or the show itself) treats Labors, as they treat them like mere machines. This creates an interesting dynamic and for me personally it adds a level of relatability towards her character
There’s also Asuma Shinohara, a seemingly hot-headed, short-tempered officer that suprisingly has a knack of solving problems. He's a commanding officer in the field and is very good at his job. He butts heads with Noa a lot (though they both care for each other) and they have a lot of good moments in the show.
Then we have the absolute girl-boss, Kanuka Clancy, an officer of the NYPD, competent in literally everything (except taming Ohta... she'll get there). A perfect cop with a softer side rarely shown to anyone. Her strict nature perfectly contradicts everyone in the group (especially Noa).
Isao Ohta. A gun-loving, gung-ho maniac that'll shoot anything that moves, he's loud and obnoxious and loves to act without thinking things through. He's surprisingly a really nice guy and has an awkward side to him behind his brashness in the field.
We also have Hiromi Yamazaki, the gentle giant of the group. He loves and tends to his chickens. Ain’t that cute.
There’s also Mikiyasu Shinshi. The token married man of the group ..with a very over-protective wife. He gets pushed around a lot because of his quiet personality but is actually a ticking time-bomb (don’t piss him off).
And probably my favorite of them all, Kiichi Goto, the captain of this ragtag group of people. On the surface he seems far too relaxed but is extremely good at working behind the scenes, manipulating people to do what he wants but often also to the person’s best interest. He’s the glue that holds them together.
There are plenty more that I haven’t mentioned here like Captain Nagumo, Shige, Takeo Kumagami, Chief Sakaki and many others. Each and every one of these characters truly make the show.

To conclude, I enjoyed Patlabor very much, it’s probably the best slice-of-life anime I’ve ever watched and I wish I could have more of it. If you’re looking for an old TV anime to watch or something relaxing to get into during your pastime, grab a popcorn, pour yourself a drink, relax and give Patlabor a shot.

P.S. this is my first time writing a review, I apologize if it feels all over the place lmao

I bought this on Blu-Ray in 2019 and I believe I started watching this show 2 or so years ago... and I'm just finishing it now.
I was excited for it considering the good things I heard, coming off of the original Gundam Trilogy. Maybe I had my expectations too high because I just didn't love this show like I thought I would have. I found myself watching a couple episodes then totally forgetting about it, probably due to the fact that there's no real story to pull you in or make you interested in what's coming up next.
If you're looking for an actual ... overarching story here, you will not find it. This is the one major problem I had with the show. While it is designed to be episodic, the episodes are such a mixed bag. There are definitely some good episodes and arcs sprinkled throughout the series but unfortunately, lots of episodes come across as kinda boring and have a filler feeling. You're basically just watching the daily lives of Division 2 and that's all. I would say the characters are decent enough and help to add a little humor to it all, but the main character Noa has to be one of the most whiny and uninteresting characters in the show. You will like the supporting characters 100% more than her. I felt that while the cast was decent, I wish there was some more backstory to them, even to just peek into their lives outside of work just a little bit. The art is great for its time. The cel shading with nice designs and usage of color make it feel alive most of the time. While it is your standard 80's art, it looks genuinely great. The animation is good too.
Overall, I can't say I hated it or absolutely loved it. It was fine for what it was. I was just hoping for a real story to be present to make it even better and to pull me into it more than it did. It definitely needed one to hold the series up. While that's the weakest link, there are good characters, some good humor here and there and great art/animation. If you're into a more slowed down mecha anime, definitely give it a try.