Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor: On Television

(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

*Potential Spoilers

Patlabor follows the misadventures of the Division 2 squad as they struggle to prove their worth as a police force to Japan and its citizens as they fight terrorism with robots called labors.

Despite the straight forward premise Patlabor plays out quite differently than most mecha. In fact Patlabor is closer to Ghost in the Shell (minus the serious tone and techno babble) being more of a police and procedural drama than actual mecha. Probably the biggest difference is that most of the episodes in Patlabor revolve around small scale issues like a drunk ... guy stealing a labor or what the team should order from the local Chinese restaurant. While there is a fair amount of robot action it is refreshingly restrained and grounded compared to almost any other mecha. Instead, the show is very character driven with a lighthearted tone which is complimented by these quiet and often silly episodes giving it a levity and a uniqueness that is not often seen.

Patlabor’s scaled back plot is equally complimented by its decision to follow Division 2. Rather than follow some elite and infallible team, Patlabor puts the spotlight on the eternal underachievers and lovable misfits of the Division 2 squad. Not only are they tasked with stopping crime but they also have to look good while doing it to justify their existence to the public and government. This is harder than it seems, because for every bad guy caught there is another piece of property destroyed in collateral damage and yet another insurance claim against them. Division 2 can never quite catch a break, and even when they don't outright fail their success is never simple and clean. While they may not be the most competent, they have a lot of heart and are more relatable for most people than the typical anime cast.

It’s hard to explain exactly how these two seemingly small things make Patlabor so special. To put it simply, they create moments and a tone that would difficult for the average mecha story to maintain. A highlight of this is an episode where two characters on the team are fighting. To solve this the commander takes the whole team out for drinks. In their inebriated states both characters confess their insecurities to one another and they are finally able to see eye to eye. The episode ends on the message “We can only trust others when we see their weaknesses.”. It’s a simple thing, but it’s portrayed very elegantly as much of the series is. Not only does Patlabor focus on these smaller moments but it does so in a very relaxed and almost slice of life manner.

If I had one criticism of Patlabor it would be that one of the major overarching plot points goes unfinished, at least in this particular series. There is an overarching plot about a mysterious group developing new labors for unknown purposes and testing them against Division 2. Late in the series there is a big battle but they simply retreat and are never mentioned again. More closure or any at all would have been nice here. Luckily, the other overarching plot point about Division 2 struggling to stay afloat has a conclusion which softens the blow a bit.

Patlabor is one of the most unconventional and charming mecha I’ve seen. The optimistic and wholesome nature of the show stands in direct opposition of the angst-ridden characters and overblown drama mecha has become synonymous with. In a genre where it’s easy to get caught up in all the flash and spectacle Patlabor shows great and thoughtful restraint, and when so many stories are focusing on the grand sometimes the best thing you can do to stand out is to stay grounded.

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.