As with previous Patlabor works, the strength of this OVA is mainly in how the characters are so enjoyable, the bizarre and often surreal direction of Mamoru Oshii, and the wonderful OST by Kenji Kawai. If you have seen and enjoyed anything Patlabor related, it is likely you will enjoy this. However, it should be noted that this OVA is particularly ridiculous even for Patlabor standards. Aside from the first half that deals with more Schaft attacks, this is mostly pure comedy and weirdness. The series has never really sold itself on loads of mecha action, but for better or for worse, there is almost none here. The OVA is still rather enjoyable regardless though, and makes for a solid view after completing the TV series.
Oshii's very deliberate and slow direction is in full effect. The comedy is reminiscent of his 1989 comedy OVA Gosenzosama Banbanzai, but perhaps not quite that level of full blown surrealism and absurdity. As previously mentioned, much of the enjoyment can come from how well developed the cast is. So it isn't a very good idea to watch this unless you are already rather familiar with Patlabor through the previous works. That isn't to say you can't enjoy this if you are not, but you will get more out of it if you already know the characters and have become attached to them. Much of the humor is derived from the awkward situations they are placed in and must deal with, and that will be lost if the viewer is not familiar with their personalities and the tone of the series. I would go as far to say that this was pretty much made to be a direct extension of the TV series, and it does in fact deal with specific events from it that will require prior knowledge to understand.
Production values aren't as high as they are with Early Days and the movies, but they are right up to par with the TV series. Kawai's music is as awesome and fitting as ever. I love how much he utilizes bass and that shines through here left and right. It's not his best work ever, but it's still great. The artwork isn't as impressive as it is in Early Days and the movies, but it's right up there with the TV series. So, sadly there doesn't seem to have been a budget increase despite it being an OVA, but it still looks great for the most part. The mechs always look incredible, but you don't see them much here.
Overall, definitely worth a watch if you are into Patlabor. Not the strongest entry of the series, but it delivers, especially if you are into weird Oshii works. The bulk of the episodes rely on off the wall humor and out there stuff, so if that sounds like your cup of tea you should enjoy it. Once the Schaft episodes are over it is pretty much a free for all of bizarre occurrences the Division 2 team members are forced to deal with, most of them ranging from fantastical to eerie or impossible. I would have liked to see something more in line with the movies and with more Labor action, but I can't say I was really displeased either, and I would watch it again. It gets bonus points for the Red Spectacles reference.
