Patlabor's strongest point for me is its realism. Not just from the point of mecha, but also in all other topics. From personalities of the characters to bureaucracy in police and politics. Corrupt figures, greedy corporations.
The realism of the show was what drew me to Patlabor as I did not like mecha shows in general. The social, political and environmental context is all very relevant today, and the characters were so well written that I was drawn into the world completely. Great show that's still missed.
Even when I was a kid, renting TAPES, I remember Alphonse FEELING heavy when it was moving. Like the creator somehow made the drawings have weight. Got it’s hooks in early!
To be honest, that is probably more the Movie 2 and 3 which are perfect in everyway and the best of the Patlabor universe even if Patlabor 3 kinda feels... Off? Change my mind. The rest feels a bit more cartoony but still amazing as they make something that should be boring, fun to watch.
"battling giant monsters, looking for lost cats, parodying other genres of science fiction, and other slapstick comedy scenarios" you say this as a reason the tv series is inferior but this is exactly what makes it so special and is an important, fundamental part of what patlabor is. you say it like those parts of the tv series are just some meaningless side content but it's a vast majority of the animated content in the franchise, and from what i've seen of it, the manga tends to be the same. i can absolutely understand preferring the movies, the first two are incredible, but they don't define the series as a whole. especially not the second one, as good as it may be. either way, it's good to see patlabor getting some recognition. makes me glad to know nearly 60,000 people have at least heard its name thanks to this video. good job
I was one of the staff of the patlabor tv series. and wrote the scenarios of #6, maybe #8 and 13. Enjoyed and remembered more than 20 yrs ago. thank u.
I lived in Japan for several years. I was an avid anime collector and, among other series, I had every Japanese Patlabor box set on laserdisc. Recently I sold them to a friend who was very excited. Patlabor is a hidden gem everyone should watch. One of a kind.
I made the mistake of watching Patlabor 2 without watching the anime series, sure it's a solid political thriller but above all it's the ending of the entire Patlabor anime series, it's nice watching the main protagonists move up in the world, particularly with how Noa has matured and all
I honestly found the TV series more compelling than the complicated mess that is the OVA and movie continuity. I for the life of me could not understand where I was suppose to start with the "movie universe" and how it retcons a lot of the TV series. I generally found the TV series more iconic tbh due to its unique take to the mecha genre of being a slice of life, comedy, and drama.
I prefer the TV series tbh. Understandably more fleshed out than a movie or an OVA series because its 47 episodes long but it's just that good imo. The movies are a bit harder to get into especially patlabor 2. Rewatches are mandatory.
I also believe the TV Series and New OVA universe is the best. It's because of the character development and world-building, which made canon everything we see in Patabor 2 and 3. It's also a more enjoyable experience as the movies and original OVA tended towards political themes and military coups, which wasn't actually what got me into the show in the first place. For me, Patlabor is one of the best shows -not just animated - of all time, and that's because of the characters and the fully realized world they inhabited. Now only if the Patlabor EZY series will ever be green-lit by the powers that be, we can have more of that cohesive and realistic world again!
For the longest time, I've been calling it "Pat la bor" as I'm English and don't spell it as "labor" but spell it as "Labour". I had no clue Americans spelled it this way till now.
The Patlabor TV series is an oustanding slice of life show with excellent writing and humor - among the best anime has to offer. Preferring the excellent but tonally different movies (the first 2 anyway) over the TV series is understandable; but I think you did the TV series a MAJOR disservice. Excellent video in any event.
indeed patlabor TV series has more mecha love with slice of life humor... on the other hand they also have serious moment that give suspense to the series...
Any episode involving food was awesome: the first ep. of Early days, the TV one where Section 2 was stuffed by their regular food delivery guy. I cannot remember that scene when, for some reason, the maintenance section got totally nuts and basically hijacked the local 24/7, was it Early Days, the TV of in a movie?
Patlabor is an amazing franchise. The incredible storytelling of the movies that reflect the politics of the time, amazing designs and animation and perhaps the best music in an 80's anime. Oshii was one of the best anime directors of his time, truly a shame that he is wasting his talent at something he is not even good at.
8:13 I am surprised that Patlabor 2 was made in 1993, it looks like it was made around 1996 to 1999 because of the high quality animation and its fluidity. Sometimes it can be mistaken for CGI in some scenes.
It hasn't been forgotten, it's just bidding its time. The TV series is fun and quirky, it's a giant mix of different genres, it can get serious or light hearted when appropriate, it has probably the best character development out of all the medias because of the long running format (the manga too). I don't think it's inferior to the movies, in fact i think it's an excellent entry to the franchise, the movies are masterpieces but it's not friendly to viewers that aren't familiar with the universe or characters. And lets not forget its roots in the original OVA, which is pretty much like a condensed version of the TV series with its quirky episodes. Sidenote, WXIII is based on one of the story arcs in the manga but altered to focus on the detectives than SV2.
I watched the movies when I was little. I remember being disappointed for the "lack of action" after watching other animes such as Robotech, Gundam and Dominion Tank Police. But Patlabor kinda grew on me over the years.
Yeah if you go into Patlabor expecting mecha action you're going to be disappointed. It's about the characters and the robots are just a thing that's part of their every day lives.
Sorry “Robotech” is not exactly anime! Don’t get me wrong, I love the series but it is a Americanised cartoon series. Let’s not further confuse the new generation of anime viewers who already think “Patlabor” is a forgotten franchise! Original Macross and the related DYRL movie and series’s are anime. (Sorry got a bit upset as this is the first actual anime I watched, after I figured out Robotech is the cartoon version of Macross so not technically anime)
When I met it whaen I was a teenager. The police politics, the slice of life, the versatility (sci-fi, comedy ans drama) and particularly the characters made me fall in love with the TV show .
Patlabor 2 is one of the most gorgeous feats of animation ever set to film. I mean, the whole thing is glorious and my favorite anime ever made, but P2 just floors me with how amazing it is.
Been a fan of this franchise since the 90s. The TV anime was essentially a slice of life series before the genre was really a thing, but the second movie really drew me in. The pure depth of the story and the animation,... It made me recognize that Japanese animation could rival and best Hollywood in a feature film.
The movies in the early 90's is what got me hard into patlabor. I remember looking up headgear work after but now I know they never made anything else. The labor designs, the open badass shots, the dialogue. It drew me in hard af. I still watch the movies to this day. If guillermo were to have revived a franchise. I would totally have picked this over battle angel. He made pacific rim. If mamoru decided to team up with the other writers and Guillermo. I think they'd have a his live action adaptation
Underrated? Forgotten? Maybe in your country! Patlabor was a success. Scale models are still produced and loved. There is also a tv show with actors. It's not forgotten at all.
Indeed, i watch the movies first then i wach the series, the first movie was amaizing and i love it, the serie i love it, the second and third movie didnt love it a lost. But patlabor is amaizing
@khryshna Because you did it wrong: first early oav, then manga, then 3rd movie, then tv serie, then 1st movie, then oav and finally Patlabor 2. That is how Mobile Police Patlabor must be seen. @koutetsoujeeg hell yeah !
I know, i know, but what i wanted to said is that, underrated and forgotten i watch patlabor the tv serie at least when i was younger atleastminimum two times, and two times complete i dont know how many timesi watch it incomplete. Also i love the labor design they feel realistick, i know it is totaly umpractical in real life, but i prefer labors before gundams or evas any day of the week
Truly an underappreciated gem! I stumbled onto this show in ...1993? It was at a small general Sci-Fi/Fantasy convention somewhere in Dallas. They had one crowded room running anime, which I had recently re-discovered. (Starblazers and Robotech were obsessions of my childhood and adolescence.) By chance, I happened to catch an episode of the Patlabor TV series. It was a fan-subbed bootleg, as in those days, very little anime could be found in the US market. Anyway, now it's all available on Blu-Ray, so I'll be revisiting this great series, perhaps in the order you recommend. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dust off my old Patlabor soundtrack CD!
I just want to point out that there is actually a complete series of Patlabor now that comes with all of the TV episodes, OVA episodes, and the first 2 movies that is available to buy off of Amazon right now.
This video takes too much from personal opinion and not from hard fact, what a video showcasing a franchise should be. Calling the SOL and slapstick episodes of the TV series inferior is entirely your opinion, and in fact I feel like much of the Patlabor fanbase actually LOVES these episodes, and BTW Oshii himself wrote many of the funniest episodes of the TV series canon. What makes Patlabor great are these kinda stuff too. Comedic/SOL Patlabor and serious Patlabor are both sides of the same coin that work together to strengthen each other. I mean, 1st movie has many comedic parts and awesome srsbsns scenes and it all is an epic.
Any channel, skillfully giving props to classic anime series gets a subscribe from me. I grew up watching the classics, like Patlabor, Iczelion, Project A-Ko, etc. The 80s was an insanely awesome decade for anime series.
It was my favorite anime while growing up in Malaysia back in the 90's. I've literally bought it's series collections & OVA in VHS/LD/VCD/DVD, official Patlabor books,original posters & action figures for years now.
Patlabor 1 and 2 are not just great anime but great films. The style and music are top tier. And the realistic setting makes it feel like you’re not watching sci-fi at all.
My first encounter with the series was when I found a single dvd copy of Patlabor2 in a dvd bin at a DollarTree. I bought it out of curiosity. I wasn't expecting much because I had never heard of the series, despite spending some time around anime related YT channels. I am so glad I found that video.
The Patlabor TV series was aired in Brazil back in the late 90's by a now defunct Television Network called "TV Manchete". They even aired the two OVAS back in the day during some special event. Good times... Also great channel, liked your in-depth analysis. you have earned a subscriber
Patlabor has some of the best writing of modern anime. Most of west have not seen this gem unless they go to Japan. They had so much excitement when each movie came through the theaters. You want regret watching these. They had rows of dvds these in the late 80’s in the rental stores. I really loved watching them.!
every 90's kid I knew in Indonesia love patlabor, well from the tv series at least, now I have a job and spending money like crazy on my childhood memory
>The TV series cheapens what makes Patlabor so great >Proceeds to name everything that makes Patlabor so great Patlabor was never meant to be a super serious political thriller. It was always first and foremost a slice of life show with comedic elements. It's a quasi parody of the mecha genre with a focus on the personal relationships of the main cast and how their work affects their relationships.
Originally I suppose, but the series had enough flexibility and creativity to branch itself into other types of narratives as well. Confining a series of any kind to only one type of story eventually causes it to stagnate, so I'm very glad that they decided to change it up for the movies; I and many others absolutely loved the serious, political thriller aspect of Patlabor 2.
YES BABY!!!! That Patlabor Movie 2 intro gets me everytime! I still have it on my playlist. Pat movie 1 & 2 was a masterpiece, and yeh I'v always found it strange how the Movie and the TV series were basically completely different targeted audiences. I'm soo happy that the franchise is still alive.
I love the fact that Patlabor, is sci-fi, but modern, and for most part grounded in realism. Usually the mechanics move slower, aren't some kind of "savior" group of robots... it's just equipment/tools for the job. I also liked the fact that, some things are scaled up, to fit the mechs. Like the body armor. Visually, the movies are stunning, with everything usually having "weight" to the actions. Special place in my heart for Patlabor. :)
What always struck me was the mechanical love they had with these designs, I'm a big fan of mecha but you just don't get the internals like GiTS and patlabour But the most remarkable thing is that they had to do it by stencil and hand rather than digitally and cgi like now. It truly was a labour of love production that can hold the test of time.
Forgotten ? NEVER ! Come come - fans of Mecha rate Patlabor very highly indeed. Its realistic, very grownup in terms of plot (though there are episodes of the TV series which are pure comedy too) and each of the films are high water marks of animation. Patlabor 2, for instance, is a companion piece to the first 'Ghost in the Shell' movie, and WXIII : Wasted 13 is one of the most jaw-dropping SF Horror anime ever made, where SV2 are incidental to the core story, but enjoyed when they appear. Forgotten anime - come on !
As an anime fan of 15 years or so, over my life, I just never got around to it but your video finally got me off my ass and tackle the series, discover the OVAs, and rewatch the movies. Oh it was a great experience.
Kinda late on this, but Patlabor was used in Kyoei Toshi game for PS4 in 2017. It's a title done in the same vein as the Disaster Report/Zettai Zetsumei Toshi series (being a civilian trying to escape a city that's being destroyed due to a disaster) but with a twist being that it's in the kaiju tokusatsu genre. Patlabor is just one of the franchises to take part and they are featured as the metro police aiding the evacuation, saving peoples lives and fighting other kaiju until bigger help arrives, in the form of Ultramen, Evangelions and even Godzilla himself.
I'm going to have to strongly disagree with you about the TV universe paling in comparison to the movie universe because it wasted so much time with comedy. I had watched the movies years before I ever got to see the TV series, and honestly, the TV series made me fall in love with the franchise all over again because it was such a funny combination and it worked. To this day, when I have to explain to people what exactly Patlabor is, I just tell them, "imagine Gundam and Police Academy had a love child".
Patlabor 2 is literally mamoru oshii's best film. It's a crime that it's so underrated. Don't get me wrong, ghost in the shell is God tier, but patlabor 2 might just be a little bit better.
i dont really think the TV series are inferior to the movies and OVAs, the TV series are fun, and really shows the SV2 as a human being and member of the society
I grew up reading the manga way way before I was exposed to Gundam series, and man this left a great memory and feeling, it should have a reboot to a newer audience
The movie somewhat predicted the events of 9/11. The bridge scene when theyre both talking on the boat looking at the wreckage and the city. Really deep scene.
IIRC, Hajime Katoki, one of the famous mechanical designers for Gundam(Sentinel, Stardust Memory, Wing/Endless Waltz, Unicorn, The Origin, Thunderbolt), also worked on Patlabor 2.
Was brought up on patlabor just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who worked on it you made my childhood great and loved every min of all the patlabor films and TV series too.
God, I just lost it when I heard the intro song. Ahh, the nostalgia. Thank you for creating this video! I don't have to convince my friends, I'll just show them this video and your channel from now on. GREAT WORK! KEEP IT UP!
Thank you so much for making this video. I loved this series as a kid in the late '90s, and I haven't revisited it since. It's coming back to me...can't wait to rewatch the movies.
At least it made a small comeback with all the patlabor anime on blu-ray.... Heck it's even getting a re-release because a lot of people bought up the Patlabor Ultimate Sets.
I will never forget Pat labor it was one of the very first mech shows I watched alongside Gundam Wing I will never forget it deserves more recognition for being realistic
I have extremely vague memories of watching patlabor at some point of my life, like, when I was 10 years old. Glad after all this time I finally found out what it was! Thanks!
I don't see how this is a forgotten franchise all the anime sights I frequent have this and treat it like a first run anime with all the links being maintained and working with the best resolution available for this series . I have been a fan of this series since 1999 and it is still in my yearly rotation of must watch anime. I have been watching anime for 18 years and still love this anime some of the old ones are the best.
If Patlabor gets a reboot, like what they did with the 2016 short, it would probably run at least 17 to 20 episodes. It would be like the "TV Universe", lighter and softer than the "Movie Universe".
I just got back from Japan. In Akihabara I dropped some big coin on a nice illustrated big 2 book set. One focuses on the mechas and the other on the characters.
I'm so happy that more more anime fans will discover this anime. I never knew about the history of it until now and I believe I only watched one single film (I vaguely remember that there was a scene where a Labor fought another Labor on top of this tower/oil platform thing and another scene with a kettle overheating or something). I watched this when I was 5 or 8 I believe (At that point, I was in the dying age of VHS tape and players), when I was at my Grandparents' place. I didn't understand it but I know I absolutely loved the hell out of it and watched it so much I couldn't even keep count. This video made my day. Thank you for making it. Edit: I think it may be the second film since I recognize the opening scene from the second film. Edit 2: Okay no wait it is mostly likely (definetely) the first film. I just watched the trailer and holy shit I got massive nostalgia.
i was born in 2000. i vividly remember unwinding a tape and my grandma being real pissed off at me. also remember watching robocop and spirited away on VHS. i kind of miss those fat ass tapes (even though i was barely old enough to remember) as i DO remember the clunk of the VHS and those big boxes they cam,e in lol. ah well, things got better and yet we still complain because we yearn for the past.
@@cannedpiss5178 me and my dumbass thought that the tape inside the VHS cartridge was one of those Japanese seaweed snacks... but luckily I never ate one because I realised it was made of plastic.
PATLABOR is awesome. I watched the OVA on Hulu and bought the DVDs of the movies a few years ago. I wish they'd make blu-ray releases of all the great 80s and early 90s anime. I like some of the new digitally colored series, but there's nothing like the old-fashioned ink and paint to push all my nostalgia buttons.
This series is far more than an anime production. It reflects how Japanese of the era had their vision for the future and what were they felt and worried for their society. Well, the reality is a collapsed bubble economy brought decline rather than struggling yet advancing development. I got complicate feelings when I watch it again now! Our actual world is going to be like or much similar to Ghost in the Shell that China is to be the next Super Power! Due to her status and only if her status that make Japanese make such fine works. The U.S., China and the rest of the world cannot because they are "normal" states, which lacks sensitive awareness to details.
1 - The franchise started with the manga, yes, but the manga, tv and movie universes are separate from each other(save for the premise, which is the same) 2 - The tv series and OVAs are great 3 - Patlabor is a slice of life with cops and robots as its main focus. its not Gundam or something like it.
Wow. This is why UA-cam exists!! Best video on the Patlabor genre I have ever seen. I have most of the films on DVD but didn't know about the Live Actions or TV series. Thanks. Also, I either forgot that Oshi was direct of PatLabor. No wonder I love PatLabor because I love Stand Alone Complex. Thanks you. Awesome Job.
UA-cam recommended me some patlabor 2 scenes and i liked those, reminded me of ghost in the shell so i became intrigued. Then youtube recommends me your video detailing the patlabor franchise. I'm a bit terrified by the good algorythm but i found some good movies and a good channel so its alright
3:37 when I heard the opening, I had goosebumps. I'm French and that's true that Patlabor isn't that know over here. Even if it was shown on TV. Very sad.
Dude Both the TV and Movie are both great in their own right. In fact when Patlabor was created, it was meant to be a super serious as the films made it be. Your really undervaluing the Television anime....
I have watched de movie patlabor 2 yesterday and DAMN, thats a great piece of philosophy and arte. The best anime movie i have seen in a while, totally recommended
I love Patlabor and I try to get as many people to watch it as I can, usually settling for the OVA and/or the movies since I understand knowing where to start can seem daunting to first timers. Unfortunately I'm a well known mecha-fanatic in my circles and I get the impression some don't believe me when I say you don't have to be one to enjoy this series. lol I watched the first and second Patlabor movies a few years ago and I was just blown away at how deeply relevant and complex a movie it and its themes are, even compared to other Japanese animated films. The mecha is amazing but it truly is just a set piece to the larger themes of this thing. It really is one of the best the mecha subgenre's produced, as well as the most sensible and relevant. And for the record btw, I do agree with a lot of comments here that the treatment the TV series gets here isn't completely fair. I know that I said the serious, political and socio-economic themes of the movies are incredibly done...but I think the lighter slice of life tone of the TV series has its place too, because it doesn't completely shy away from aforementioned darker themes, but the more lighthearted tone better rounds the overall cast when taken in context to the more serious installments of the overall franchise. The TV series imo still maintained what I've always thought was Patlabor's greatest strength, that being that its a show more about the overall ensemble cast of Section 2, rather than just focus on one main character, but the at times humoristic day to day plots allowed the goofy aspects of their lives just make them more human to me. For me at least, it made it so when you watch the movies (even though I know they're technically in another continuity yada yada.), the stark contrast in tone that these same characters are put through makes things feel heavier. Like, these guys' lives have good times, funny times, and then really serious or even down times and it all feels legit. Especially in the second movie, when seeing how Noa's slowly changed as a person as the cast prepares to move on with their lives after Section 2. All and all I can see why the TV series might be divisive for some, but I've always found it to be a welcome part of the overall meta-setting of Patlabor.
Patlabor's strongest point for me is its realism. Not just from the point of mecha, but also in all other topics. From personalities of the characters to bureaucracy in police and politics. Corrupt figures, greedy corporations.
The realism of the show was what drew me to Patlabor as I did not like mecha shows in general. The social, political and environmental context is all very relevant today, and the characters were so well written that I was drawn into the world completely. Great show that's still missed.
agree
wrong.. their stong point is the how they show everyday life of robot cop without being boring...
Even when I was a kid, renting TAPES, I remember Alphonse FEELING heavy when it was moving. Like the creator somehow made the drawings have weight. Got it’s hooks in early!
To be honest, that is probably more the Movie 2 and 3 which are perfect in everyway and the best of the Patlabor universe even if Patlabor 3 kinda feels... Off? Change my mind.
The rest feels a bit more cartoony but still amazing as they make something that should be boring, fun to watch.
"battling giant monsters, looking for lost cats, parodying other genres of science fiction, and other slapstick comedy scenarios"
you say this as a reason the tv series is inferior but this is exactly what makes it so special and is an important, fundamental part of what patlabor is. you say it like those parts of the tv series are just some meaningless side content but it's a vast majority of the animated content in the franchise, and from what i've seen of it, the manga tends to be the same. i can absolutely understand preferring the movies, the first two are incredible, but they don't define the series as a whole. especially not the second one, as good as it may be.
either way, it's good to see patlabor getting some recognition. makes me glad to know nearly 60,000 people have at least heard its name thanks to this video. good job
Well said.
I was one of the staff of the patlabor tv series. and wrote the scenarios of #6, maybe #8 and 13.
Enjoyed and remembered more than 20 yrs ago. thank u.
ON BEHALF OF THE WORLD WE THANK YOU!! HAVE A AWESOME AND HAPPY 202K!!
seriously? what's your name? isn't the script of one episode wrote by one person?
Any proof?
Thanks
BONZO1564 love PL then and still! ❤️❤️❤️
I lived in Japan for several years. I was an avid anime collector and, among other series, I had every Japanese Patlabor box set on laserdisc. Recently I sold them to a friend who was very excited. Patlabor is a hidden gem everyone should watch. One of a kind.
I’ve never watched it and I have been watching mech style animations since I was a little kid
@@aoclive6710 If you like mech then you are missing out, watch it.
Patlabor 2 is just amazing. Even to those not interested in the franchise, I would _highly_ suggest to check it out.
I watched the coup part on youtube. it's incredible
Watched it, absolutely stunned by the wyvern scene, shxt that was intense
I made the mistake of watching Patlabor 2 without watching the anime series, sure it's a solid political thriller but above all it's the ending of the entire Patlabor anime series, it's nice watching the main protagonists move up in the world, particularly with how Noa has matured and all
I watched these on VHS tapes and own them
@@onslought2 I recorded Patlabor 2 on VHS off the sci-fi channel in the 2000s
This is one of those series that's always great to go back and watch. It has likable, realistic characters instead of annoying, sexualized children.
In the 7ep ova they actualy dissed the "autistic child pilot" trope of so many mecha anime
I love that part! Makes me laugh everytime!
I remember Patlabor fondly from the VHS days. The TV show was cute but the movies were definitely on another level. Really top-level anime.
When I lived in Japan in 91 it was one of my fav anime.
Me too
I honestly found the TV series more compelling than the complicated mess that is the OVA and movie continuity. I for the life of me could not understand where I was suppose to start with the "movie universe" and how it retcons a lot of the TV series. I generally found the TV series more iconic tbh due to its unique take to the mecha genre of being a slice of life, comedy, and drama.
The movies take from the Early Days continuity. The TV show segues into the OVA.
They are set on totally different timelines
I prefer the TV series tbh. Understandably more fleshed out than a movie or an OVA series because its 47 episodes long but it's just that good imo. The movies are a bit harder to get into especially patlabor 2. Rewatches are mandatory.
I also believe the TV Series and New OVA universe is the best. It's because of the character development and world-building, which made canon everything we see in Patabor 2 and 3. It's also a more enjoyable experience as the movies and original OVA tended towards political themes and military coups, which wasn't actually what got me into the show in the first place. For me, Patlabor is one of the best shows -not just animated - of all time, and that's because of the characters and the fully realized world they inhabited. Now only if the Patlabor EZY series will ever be green-lit by the powers that be, we can have more of that cohesive and realistic world again!
For the longest time, I've been calling it "Pat la bor" as I'm English and don't spell it as "labor" but spell it as "Labour". I had no clue Americans spelled it this way till now.
"Pat la bor"
is the way iv always heard it pronounced as well
Sames!
lol thats how I read it mentally as well, but im from the states.
That's ok I'm American and I've pronounced it that way for years until recently
We dropped the u in a lot of words.
Ex:
Colour -> Color
Honour -> Honor
Favourite -> Favorite
Flavour -> Flavor
The Patlabor TV series is an oustanding slice of life show with excellent writing and humor - among the best anime has to offer. Preferring the excellent but tonally different movies (the first 2 anyway) over the TV series is understandable; but I think you did the TV series a MAJOR disservice. Excellent video in any event.
indeed patlabor TV series has more mecha love with slice of life humor... on the other hand they also have serious moment that give suspense to the series...
My favourite episode is the one where the whole Maintenance crew got 'wipe out' by the food delivery guy.
Any episode involving food was awesome: the first ep. of Early days, the TV one where Section 2 was stuffed by their regular food delivery guy. I cannot remember that scene when, for some reason, the maintenance section got totally nuts and basically hijacked the local 24/7, was it Early Days, the TV of in a movie?
Tuning3434
The one where they raid the 24/7 convenience store was from the 2nd movie.
Mine was the bit where the Maintenance Crew lost their minds over porn.
Patlabor is an amazing franchise. The incredible storytelling of the movies that reflect the politics of the time, amazing designs and animation and perhaps the best music in an 80's anime. Oshii was one of the best anime directors of his time, truly a shame that he is wasting his talent at something he is not even good at.
keremcantarhan fuck commies.
How so? Really curious by this.
8:13 I am surprised that Patlabor 2 was made in 1993, it looks like it was made around 1996 to 1999 because of the high quality animation and its fluidity. Sometimes it can be mistaken for CGI in some scenes.
Not gonna lie, those aircraft scenes were amazing. Must have been a ton of work XD
You, totally forgot SPT-LAZNER
It hasn't been forgotten, it's just bidding its time. The TV series is fun and quirky, it's a giant mix of different genres, it can get serious or light hearted when appropriate, it has probably the best character development out of all the medias because of the long running format (the manga too). I don't think it's inferior to the movies, in fact i think it's an excellent entry to the franchise, the movies are masterpieces but it's not friendly to viewers that aren't familiar with the universe or characters. And lets not forget its roots in the original OVA, which is pretty much like a condensed version of the TV series with its quirky episodes. Sidenote, WXIII is based on one of the story arcs in the manga but altered to focus on the detectives than SV2.
I watched the movies when I was little. I remember being disappointed for the "lack of action" after watching other animes such as Robotech, Gundam and Dominion Tank Police.
But Patlabor kinda grew on me over the years.
Yeah if you go into Patlabor expecting mecha action you're going to be disappointed. It's about the characters and the robots are just a thing that's part of their every day lives.
Sorry “Robotech” is not exactly anime!
Don’t get me wrong, I love the series but it is a Americanised cartoon series.
Let’s not further confuse the new generation of anime viewers who already think “Patlabor” is a forgotten franchise!
Original Macross and the related DYRL movie and series’s are anime.
(Sorry got a bit upset as this is the first actual anime I watched, after I figured out Robotech is the cartoon version of Macross so not technically anime)
@@AshrakAhmed robotech is just three other animes out into one. Still an anime just like voltron.
When I met it whaen I was a teenager. The police politics, the slice of life, the versatility (sci-fi, comedy ans drama) and particularly the characters made me fall in love with the TV show .
Patlabor 2 is one of the most gorgeous feats of animation ever set to film. I mean, the whole thing is glorious and my favorite anime ever made, but P2 just floors me with how amazing it is.
Been a fan of this franchise since the 90s. The TV anime was essentially a slice of life series before the genre was really a thing, but the second movie really drew me in. The pure depth of the story and the animation,... It made me recognize that Japanese animation could rival and best Hollywood in a feature film.
The movies in the early 90's is what got me hard into patlabor. I remember looking up headgear work after but now I know they never made anything else. The labor designs, the open badass shots, the dialogue. It drew me in hard af. I still watch the movies to this day. If guillermo were to have revived a franchise. I would totally have picked this over battle angel. He made pacific rim. If mamoru decided to team up with the other writers and Guillermo. I think they'd have a his live action adaptation
Underrated? Forgotten? Maybe in your country! Patlabor was a success. Scale models are still produced and loved. There is also a tv show with actors. It's not forgotten at all.
tv shows and movie
Video games (PSX, SNES, Genesis).
Indeed, i watch the movies first then i wach the series, the first movie was amaizing and i love it, the serie i love it, the second and third movie didnt love it a lost.
But patlabor is amaizing
@khryshna Because you did it wrong: first early oav, then manga, then 3rd movie, then tv serie, then 1st movie, then oav and finally Patlabor 2. That is how Mobile Police Patlabor must be seen.
@koutetsoujeeg hell yeah !
I know, i know, but what i wanted to said is that, underrated and forgotten i watch patlabor the tv serie at least when i was younger atleastminimum two times, and two times complete i dont know how many timesi watch it incomplete.
Also i love the labor design they feel realistick, i know it is totaly umpractical in real life, but i prefer labors before gundams or evas any day of the week
The anime released in the late 80's to the late 90's will always be the best to me. The art style is simply amazing. Way better than anime of today.
Truly an underappreciated gem! I stumbled onto this show in ...1993? It was at a small general Sci-Fi/Fantasy convention somewhere in Dallas. They had one crowded room running anime, which I had recently re-discovered. (Starblazers and Robotech were obsessions of my childhood and adolescence.) By chance, I happened to catch an episode of the Patlabor TV series. It was a fan-subbed bootleg, as in those days, very little anime could be found in the US market.
Anyway, now it's all available on Blu-Ray, so I'll be revisiting this great series, perhaps in the order you recommend. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dust off my old Patlabor soundtrack CD!
I just want to point out that there is actually a complete series of Patlabor now that comes with all of the TV episodes, OVA episodes, and the first 2 movies that is available to buy off of Amazon right now.
Patlabor is one of my favorite "mecha" series. Can be light and funny, can be serious, and Gota is the best character, prove me wrong
The whole Patlabor universe is awesome. So many fucking vibes from the OG OVAs, the tv series, and the movies. New Files too
This video takes too much from personal opinion and not from hard fact, what a video showcasing a franchise should be. Calling the SOL and slapstick episodes of the TV series inferior is entirely your opinion, and in fact I feel like much of the Patlabor fanbase actually LOVES these episodes, and BTW Oshii himself wrote many of the funniest episodes of the TV series canon. What makes Patlabor great are these kinda stuff too. Comedic/SOL Patlabor and serious Patlabor are both sides of the same coin that work together to strengthen each other. I mean, 1st movie has many comedic parts and awesome srsbsns scenes and it all is an epic.
Thank god someone gets it :)
Sounds like you should make your own video.
I concur...I had to stop midway through the video cause I couldn't really understand that why the speaker didn't get it.
Yep I loved the tv series as well as the more serious tones of the 2nd movie
Patlabor should take the NGE route and put itself on streaming services to gain an audience again.
Any channel, skillfully giving props to classic anime series gets a subscribe from me. I grew up watching the classics, like Patlabor, Iczelion, Project A-Ko, etc. The 80s was an insanely awesome decade for anime series.
It was my favorite anime while growing up in Malaysia back in the 90's. I've literally bought it's series collections & OVA in VHS/LD/VCD/DVD, official Patlabor books,original posters & action figures for years now.
I really have to give credit to RTM back in the days for bringing in some animes :) It's where i saw Patlabor too.
Patlabor 1 and 2 are not just great anime but great films. The style and music are top tier. And the realistic setting makes it feel like you’re not watching sci-fi at all.
I remember renting the VHS at the Rogers video when I was 12 or 13 I will never forget it.
Thank you for such a great video.Patlabor was the first mecha anime i ever watched.It's really hard to find a patlabor fan like me nowaday.
My first encounter with the series was when I found a single dvd copy of Patlabor2 in a dvd bin at a DollarTree. I bought it out of curiosity. I wasn't expecting much because I had never heard of the series, despite spending some time around anime related YT channels. I am so glad I found that video.
The Patlabor TV series was aired in Brazil back in the late 90's by a now defunct Television Network called "TV Manchete". They even aired the two OVAS back in the day during some special event. Good times...
Also great channel, liked your in-depth analysis. you have earned a subscriber
Luis Fernando fox kids also gave us patlabor and their ovas
Yep, I thought it was a new show back then. I only found out it was an old show recently.
... in depth analysis? he literally just listed the various iterations of the franchise for 17 minutes, there was little to no analysis here
Assisti MUITO e gostava MUITOOO!!!
Motivo nº1 do porquê da TV Manchete não deveria ter acabado.
Patlabor has some of the best writing of modern anime.
Most of west have not seen this gem unless they go to Japan. They had so much excitement when each movie came through the theaters.
You want regret watching these. They had rows of dvds these in the late 80’s in the rental stores.
I really loved watching them.!
every 90's kid I knew in Indonesia love patlabor, well from the tv series at least, now I have a job and spending money like crazy on my childhood memory
>The TV series cheapens what makes Patlabor so great
>Proceeds to name everything that makes Patlabor so great
Patlabor was never meant to be a super serious political thriller. It was always first and foremost a slice of life show with comedic elements. It's a quasi parody of the mecha genre with a focus on the personal relationships of the main cast and how their work affects their relationships.
Yuuki did say the manga initially started off as a Gundam parody
They have live action couple year ago.
What like Full Metal Panic? Cuz that shit was way too popular for romantic comedy but with gundam lol.
Originally I suppose, but the series had enough flexibility and creativity to branch itself into other types of narratives as well. Confining a series of any kind to only one type of story eventually causes it to stagnate, so I'm very glad that they decided to change it up for the movies; I and many others absolutely loved the serious, political thriller aspect of Patlabor 2.
@@benpratt1204 yeah and I live on Planet Mars
YES BABY!!!!
That Patlabor Movie 2 intro gets me everytime! I still have it on my playlist.
Pat movie 1 & 2 was a masterpiece, and yeh I'v always found it strange how the Movie and the TV series were basically completely different targeted audiences.
I'm soo happy that the franchise is still alive.
She ain't forgotten no more! So much Patlabor merch this and last year!
This year, ThreeZero will be releasing an Ingram equipped with reactive armor from Patlabor 2.
@user-lv3uf7qk4k yeah i can't wait! The ThreeZero figures are amazing.
Patlabor means so much to my childhood, and it will always be one of the best.
I love the fact that Patlabor, is sci-fi, but modern, and for most part grounded in realism. Usually the mechanics move slower, aren't some kind of "savior" group of robots... it's just equipment/tools for the job. I also liked the fact that, some things are scaled up, to fit the mechs. Like the body armor. Visually, the movies are stunning, with everything usually having "weight" to the actions. Special place in my heart for Patlabor. :)
What always struck me was the mechanical love they had with these designs, I'm a big fan of mecha but you just don't get the internals like GiTS and patlabour But the most remarkable thing is that they had to do it by stencil and hand rather than digitally and cgi like now.
It truly was a labour of love production that can hold the test of time.
Just finished the whole series. I've got to admit that it's now one of my favorite mecha series of all time.
Forgotten ? NEVER ! Come come - fans of Mecha rate Patlabor very highly indeed. Its realistic, very grownup in terms of plot (though there are episodes of the TV series which are pure comedy too) and each of the films are high water marks of animation. Patlabor 2, for instance, is a companion piece to the first 'Ghost in the Shell' movie, and WXIII : Wasted 13 is one of the most jaw-dropping SF Horror anime ever made, where SV2 are incidental to the core story, but enjoyed when they appear. Forgotten anime - come on !
Im so glad i bought the sound tracks back in the late 90s.
They’re true gems also
As an anime fan of 15 years or so, over my life, I just never got around to it but your video finally got me off my ass and tackle the series, discover the OVAs, and rewatch the movies. Oh it was a great experience.
I still remember patlabor. Definitely not forgotten.
Kinda late on this, but Patlabor was used in Kyoei Toshi game for PS4 in 2017. It's a title done in the same vein as the Disaster Report/Zettai Zetsumei Toshi series (being a civilian trying to escape a city that's being destroyed due to a disaster) but with a twist being that it's in the kaiju tokusatsu genre. Patlabor is just one of the franchises to take part and they are featured as the metro police aiding the evacuation, saving peoples lives and fighting other kaiju until bigger help arrives, in the form of Ultramen, Evangelions and even Godzilla himself.
I'm going to have to strongly disagree with you about the TV universe paling in comparison to the movie universe because it wasted so much time with comedy. I had watched the movies years before I ever got to see the TV series, and honestly, the TV series made me fall in love with the franchise all over again because it was such a funny combination and it worked. To this day, when I have to explain to people what exactly Patlabor is, I just tell them, "imagine Gundam and Police Academy had a love child".
The Dee exactly hahahaha the child of gundam and police academy
same
Patlabor 2 is literally mamoru oshii's best film. It's a crime that it's so underrated. Don't get me wrong, ghost in the shell is God tier, but patlabor 2 might just be a little bit better.
i dont really think the TV series are inferior to the movies and OVAs, the TV series are fun, and really shows the SV2 as a human being and member of the society
I grew up reading the manga way way before I was exposed to Gundam series, and man this left a great memory and feeling, it should have a reboot to a newer audience
The movie somewhat predicted the events of 9/11. The bridge scene when theyre both talking on the boat looking at the wreckage and the city. Really deep scene.
IIRC, Hajime Katoki, one of the famous mechanical designers for Gundam(Sentinel, Stardust Memory, Wing/Endless Waltz, Unicorn, The Origin, Thunderbolt), also worked on Patlabor 2.
Was brought up on patlabor just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who worked on it you made my childhood great and loved every min of all the patlabor films and TV series too.
I see robots in the thumbnail, i click. thanks for introducing me to this series!
Can I just say, the production value of this video and your actual review is spot on. You just earned a subscription, bro. :)
God, I just lost it when I heard the intro song. Ahh, the nostalgia. Thank you for creating this video! I don't have to convince my friends, I'll just show them this video and your channel from now on. GREAT WORK! KEEP IT UP!
one of my top anime franchises along with LOGH and U.C Gundam
Many thanks for the update.
Man this bring back Memories
i always love mecha that use large sized IRL guns for their mechs, unironically a truck sized spas-12 is so sick.
I had some of these episodes on VHS. I loved it!
Amazon has the complete franchise of the movies, OVAs, and TV in a blue ray box set
Thank you so much for making this video. I loved this series as a kid in the late '90s, and I haven't revisited it since. It's coming back to me...can't wait to rewatch the movies.
At least it made a small comeback with all the patlabor anime on blu-ray.... Heck it's even getting a re-release because a lot of people bought up the Patlabor Ultimate Sets.
This video is done really well unlike most anime UA-camrs. You and alex enterprises are one of the few real anime fans on UA-cam.
Patlabor 2 is my second favourite Anime Movie of all time. Alone the Wyvern Scene sold the movie for me.
Love Ohta’s trigger happy rage. 🤣
I will never forget Pat labor it was one of the very first mech shows I watched alongside Gundam Wing I will never forget it deserves more recognition for being realistic
I have extremely vague memories of watching patlabor at some point of my life, like, when I was 10 years old. Glad after all this time I finally found out what it was! Thanks!
I don't see how this is a forgotten franchise all the anime sights I frequent have this and treat it like a first run anime with all the links being maintained and working with the best resolution available for this series . I have been a fan of this series since 1999 and it is still in my yearly rotation of must watch anime. I have been watching anime for 18 years and still love this anime some of the old ones are the best.
I still watch these. So much depth intrigue actual story telling. Love it
If Patlabor gets a reboot, like what they did with the 2016 short, it would probably run at least 17 to 20 episodes. It would be like the "TV Universe", lighter and softer than the "Movie Universe".
I just got back from Japan. In Akihabara I dropped some big coin on a nice illustrated big 2 book set. One focuses on the mechas and the other on the characters.
Patlabor was one of the first anime I ever watched and fueled my love for hard sci-fi mecha.
AMAZON had THE NEXT GENERATION Series and Movie in the US !Watched them yesterday !!!
Great editing dude! I like the way your present your ideas and break down the facts. Keep it up, man. Consider me a fan.
I'm so happy that more more anime fans will discover this anime.
I never knew about the history of it until now and I believe I only watched one single film (I vaguely remember that there was a scene where a Labor fought another Labor on top of this tower/oil platform thing and another scene with a kettle overheating or something).
I watched this when I was 5 or 8 I believe (At that point, I was in the dying age of VHS tape and players), when I was at my Grandparents' place. I didn't understand it but I know I absolutely loved the hell out of it and watched it so much I couldn't even keep count.
This video made my day. Thank you for making it.
Edit: I think it may be the second film since I recognize the opening scene from the second film.
Edit 2: Okay no wait it is mostly likely (definetely) the first film. I just watched the trailer and holy shit I got massive nostalgia.
i was born in 2000. i vividly remember unwinding a tape and my grandma being real pissed off at me. also remember watching robocop and spirited away on VHS. i kind of miss those fat ass tapes (even though i was barely old enough to remember) as i DO remember the clunk of the VHS and those big boxes they cam,e in lol. ah well, things got better and yet we still complain because we yearn for the past.
@@cannedpiss5178 me and my dumbass thought that the tape inside the VHS cartridge was one of those Japanese seaweed snacks... but luckily I never ate one because I realised it was made of plastic.
My fave anime by a country mile. Love Patlabor!
This is a great guide! I watched the first episode of Early Days a year ago; I should definitely continue it along with watching the movies.
Just found this.. So fucking awesome and you do Patlabor justice. Thank you. Please do one on the Guyver franchise if you could.
Great video! The most comprehensive Patlabor video i've seen!
PATLABOR is awesome. I watched the OVA on Hulu and bought the DVDs of the movies a few years ago.
I wish they'd make blu-ray releases of all the great 80s and early 90s anime. I like some of the new digitally colored series, but there's nothing like the old-fashioned ink and paint to push all my nostalgia buttons.
This series is far more than an anime production. It reflects how Japanese of the era had their vision for the future and what were they felt and worried for their society.
Well, the reality is a collapsed bubble economy brought decline rather than struggling yet advancing development. I got complicate feelings when I watch it again now! Our actual world is going to be like or much similar to Ghost in the Shell that China is to be the next Super Power!
Due to her status and only if her status that make Japanese make such fine works. The U.S., China and the rest of the world cannot because they are "normal" states, which lacks sensitive awareness to details.
1 - The franchise started with the manga, yes, but the manga, tv and movie universes are separate from each other(save for the premise, which is the same)
2 - The tv series and OVAs are great
3 - Patlabor is a slice of life with cops and robots as its main focus. its not Gundam or something like it.
Buuut... Some relevant elements do carry out from one medium to another.
This video got me into patlabor so thanks for getting me into it
Wow. This is why UA-cam exists!! Best video on the Patlabor genre I have ever seen. I have most of the films on DVD but didn't know about the Live Actions or TV series. Thanks. Also, I either forgot that Oshi was direct of PatLabor. No wonder I love PatLabor because I love Stand Alone Complex. Thanks you. Awesome Job.
Stand Alone Complex wasn't directed by Oshii..
One of my all-time favourites. The first film was what introduced me to anime more than twenty years ago.
UA-cam recommended me some patlabor 2 scenes and i liked those, reminded me of ghost in the shell so i became intrigued. Then youtube recommends me your video detailing the patlabor franchise. I'm a bit terrified by the good algorythm but i found some good movies and a good channel so its alright
3:37 when I heard the opening, I had goosebumps. I'm French and that's true that Patlabor isn't that know over here. Even if it was shown on TV. Very sad.
Patlabor is just pure Nostalgia trip for me
Dude Both the TV and Movie are both great in their own right. In fact when Patlabor was created, it was meant to be a super serious as the films made it be. Your really undervaluing the Television anime....
The KMFDM music video featuring the first film was awesome.
Goosebumps!! I remember the ex of my mum showing me the movie when I was a kid. Until now my favorite of all time ❤️
I have watched de movie patlabor 2 yesterday and DAMN, thats a great piece of philosophy and arte. The best anime movie i have seen in a while, totally recommended
forgotten?
certainly not by me. 2021.
love this series
I love Patlabor and I try to get as many people to watch it as I can, usually settling for the OVA and/or the movies since I understand knowing where to start can seem daunting to first timers. Unfortunately I'm a well known mecha-fanatic in my circles and I get the impression some don't believe me when I say you don't have to be one to enjoy this series. lol
I watched the first and second Patlabor movies a few years ago and I was just blown away at how deeply relevant and complex a movie it and its themes are, even compared to other Japanese animated films. The mecha is amazing but it truly is just a set piece to the larger themes of this thing. It really is one of the best the mecha subgenre's produced, as well as the most sensible and relevant.
And for the record btw, I do agree with a lot of comments here that the treatment the TV series gets here isn't completely fair. I know that I said the serious, political and socio-economic themes of the movies are incredibly done...but I think the lighter slice of life tone of the TV series has its place too, because it doesn't completely shy away from aforementioned darker themes, but the more lighthearted tone better rounds the overall cast when taken in context to the more serious installments of the overall franchise. The TV series imo still maintained what I've always thought was Patlabor's greatest strength, that being that its a show more about the overall ensemble cast of Section 2, rather than just focus on one main character, but the at times humoristic day to day plots allowed the goofy aspects of their lives just make them more human to me. For me at least, it made it so when you watch the movies (even though I know they're technically in another continuity yada yada.), the stark contrast in tone that these same characters are put through makes things feel heavier. Like, these guys' lives have good times, funny times, and then really serious or even down times and it all feels legit. Especially in the second movie, when seeing how Noa's slowly changed as a person as the cast prepares to move on with their lives after Section 2.
All and all I can see why the TV series might be divisive for some, but I've always found it to be a welcome part of the overall meta-setting of Patlabor.
Totally not forgotten by some, such a great series.
One of my favourites. Never forgotten here. I have a nice collection of the figurines.