Patlabor Fans (Thoughts on the anime)

Gundamium Alloy · Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:56 pm

I've recently stumbled upon this series and knew nothing about it but I've seen the first two movies. I enjoyed the politics and realism that the movies discussed. I haven't seen the series or OVAs. What are some other's thoughts on Patlabor.

MrMarch · Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:13 pm

The television series and OVAs are VERY different from the first two Patlabor films. The Patlabor films are very adult dramatic films that deal with serious political and even existential subject matter. By contrast, the Patlabor television series and OVA's are much lighter, with a lot of comedy and action. Both are good, but be prepared to accept the striking difference in style and format between the films and the series/OVAs.

I love Patlabor, particularly the films. The mecha of Patlabor are classic and I really enjoy the realism used in both the design and execution of the real robots of this franchise. The reason for Patlabors, to combat labor related crime, is the most realistically plausible concept for the justification of big giant robots that I've ever seen in an anime. Naturalistic science fiction at it's best. I also really like the characters. Often times it can be difficult to create an ensemble cast that feels real with individual personalities that are plausible given the type of jobs they do and the setting for the story. Patlabor achieves this with ease and really plays each character off the other in believable ways. And of course, most of them are absolutely hilarious

Mark064 · Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:22 pm

I actually just bought the series yesterday, I saw it all many years ago and it was great. It was one of those series that you just wanted to see the next episode and couldn't wait. Patlabor had a good mix of comedy and action. I found Movie 2 really interesting as well just the whole way it played out. However I was disapointed by Movie 3 so I'll pass on buying that.

flamingtroll · Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:16 pm

It's a very entertaining series. The depiction of mecha is one of the more realistic ones you will ever see from any anime. It's definitely worth a watch.

Koshernova · Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:33 am

I have never seen the OVAs, and unlike 99% people I know who have seen them, I actually really dislike the films. But that's probably because I dislike the fact that Mamoru Oshii cannot tell a story if it isn't about government conspiracies and told... very... slowly... I also have a bone with them because, after watching the lighter TV series, the films seemed mediocre to me. As in, it seemed as if Oshii was just putting his concerns as a storyteller before the concerns of the original story, which was conceived as a comedy from the get-go. But I digress.

I watched most of the Patlabor TV show, around 40 episodes of the 47 if memory serves. It's enjoyable, the cast is varied, stories are fun, and the mecha are very realistically presented (moreover, the animation quality is top-notch).

My only problem, without delving into spoilerdom, is the narrative structure. For most of the first half of the show, there are subtle hints at a larger plot, and some episodes that deal with it, but mostly episodes are self-contained with little story progression. That's fine because they're very fun to watch, or at least interesting (they're incredibly mundane yet great watching, with stories featuring big rescues from massive fires, etcetera). However, after a while a plot arc reveals itself and runs for a good few episodes, seven or eight I believe. And then... the story arc is left dangling, and we're back to self-contained episodes.

This really bugged me because it was so few episodes before the finale, and I stopped watching. I didn't care for a regular episode after so much had occurred and so many plot threads were presented. That is my big bone with the Patlabor TV series (in fairness I should've finished watching it anyway). Otherwise, it's a fantastic, unique mech anime.

Testament · Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:35 am

I personally think the first movie fits quite well in the series. It has its share of Labor scenes, and doesn't really go too deep into psychological stuff, at least not like the other two...

Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:26 am

Kosh wrote:My only problem, without delving into spoilerdom, is the narrative structure. For most of the first half of the show, there are subtle hints at a larger plot, and some episodes that deal with it, but mostly episodes are self-contained with little story progression. That's fine because they're very fun to watch, or at least interesting (they're incredibly mundane yet great watching, with stories featuring big rescues from massive fires, etcetera). However, after a while a plot arc reveals itself and runs for a good few episodes, seven or eight I believe. And then... the story arc is left dangling, and we're back to self-contained episodes.

I'm assuming you're referring to the Griffon storyline. Aside from finishing the TV series, you should watch the New Files OVA, because the Griffon storyline is continued and concluded in a 5-episode arc.

Koshernova · Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:57 am

I avoided names as I was trying not to spoil it, since the Griffon, iirc, is foreshadowed earlier on...

Then again I do have a standing policy of "if it's over 10 years old, spoilers be damned", but I digress.

AU_Gundam MK II · Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:25 am

The idea of exploring other uses for giant mecha is one reason why I don't brand this as plain.

Mark064 · Sat Nov 03, 2007 3:57 am

Ok since I finally recieved the series I noticed something... where is Condition Green? The second opening to the series that is, it seems to be missing. So that raises the next question what about both the OVAs are the rest of the openings and endings present?

Randall Miyashiro · Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:20 am

Chris wrote: I'm assuming you're referring to the Griffon storyline. Aside from finishing the TV series, you should watch the New Files OVA, because the Griffon storyline is continued and concluded in a 5-episode arc.

I actually really enjy the New Files episodes which blend fairly seamlessly from the television series. I also prefer this combined continuity over the original OVA series. The series is one of the more mature mecha series out there and feels aimed towards an older audience than most mecha shows. I would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the equally amazing Planetes.

You can buy all 14 DVDs (63 episodes I believe) for under $140 retail. I think I bought them on sale for a decent amount less.

Gundamium Alloy · Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:06 pm

Ok, I have finally gotten around to seeing the first volume of the TV series of Patlabor and I'm not sure yet what to think of this series thus far. The 2 films in my opinion were incredible. They for one were beautifully animated, had great music and the story was intelligent. The TV series seems very lacking. Animation was decent for older TV animation but the show so far seems silly. Maybe that was the point. I was going to purchase the series since I loved the films but now after seeing just the first volume I'm not too sure.

Black Knight · Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:27 pm

Gundamium Alloy wrote:Ok, I have finally gotten around to seeing the first volume of the TV series of Patlabor and I'm not sure yet what to think of this series thus far. The 2 films in my opinion were incredible. They for one were beautifully animated, had great music and the story was intelligent. The TV series seems very lacking. Animation was decent for older TV animation but the show so far seems silly. Maybe that was the point. I was going to purchase the series since I loved the films but now after seeing just the first volume I'm not too sure.

There's a very large difference in tone between the Patlabor movies and most episodes of the TV series. The movies leave out most of the humor, and focus almost entirely on characters not actually piloting the labors; the Oshii movies follow Goto and Matsui more than anyone else, while WXIII introduces a new pair of cops to follow, with the regular Patlabor cast in even more minor roles than they were in the Oshii movies (on the up side, Ohta is allowed to hit what he shoots at).

This is not to say that the TV series is entirely played for laughs; far from it. Rather, the TV show tends to emphasize the humor, but with a strong undercurrent of seriousness. What it doesn't have is Mamoru Oshii's sermonizing, since he wasn't involved in too many of the TV episodes.

It pains me to say this (I think Patlabor is the best Mecha show ever made) but if you're not digging the TV show by the end of Episode 10, I'd stop watching; you'll have already seen just about the full range of topics and styles the show uses, and if it's not your cup of tea, then there's not point continuing; but at least you'll have seen the Helldiver.

Mark064 wrote:Ok since I finally recieved the series I noticed something... where is Condition Green? The second opening to the series that is, it seems to be missing. So that raises the next question what about both the OVAs are the rest of the openings and endings present?

New Files episodes 1 & 2 use the TV Series "Condition Green" opening (as they do on my old fansubs), then a couple episodes use "Mamorutai No", back to "Condition Green" for a few episodes, then several more of "Mamorutai No", then "You are the One" for three episodes, and ending with three episodes of "Idling for You".

Mark064 · Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:39 am

Well that sounds about right then. Which just makes it weirder why Condition Green is gone from the series...

Black Knight · Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:35 am

Mark064 wrote:Well that sounds about right then. Which just makes it weirder why Condition Green is gone from the series...

I never understood it, either. But then, I never had a high opinion of CPM, and was happy enough that they actually finished releasing the DVDs (it took them something like three years), and then were nice enough to give us the New Files, too, especially after they decided to stop dubbing the 2nd OAV.

G-Slayer · Sun Nov 18, 2007 11:18 pm

Watching the TV series on the Imaginasian TV channel, I really got into it, especially the Griffon arc (also, the Griffon is the very first mecha I've ever drawn). I've also got a sneak peak of the movie in a Japanese-themed testival in New York. The problem is that with so many self-contained episodes, and with the New Files airing at around the same time (I think), I wasn't sure whether I was watching the series or the OVA's.

I'll have to look into that one day.