Patlabor 2 Remains a Prescient Political Thriller 33 Years Later

Mecha anime comes in many styles. A grounded franchise like Mobile Suit Gundam explores the consequences of mass-produced military hardware in a war-torn civilization. A coming-of-age story like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann takes a stylized and over-the-top approach to a shonen adventure. Some shows blend fighter-jet mechs with pop music, while others filter the adolescent experience through an existential gaze.

Then there is Mobile Police Patlabor. Masami Yūki created this iconic mecha franchise, which has spawned a beloved anime, two OVAs, three memorable films, and a dedicated line of merchandise over the years. The franchise is currently experiencing a resurgence thanks to the Patlabor EZY trilogy. The first installment, titled Patlabor EZY: File 1, hit Japanese theaters on May 15.

The pinnacle of the franchise traces back to Mamoru Oshii’s Patlabor 2: The Movie, which released in theaters on Aug. 7, 1993. The film is largely unavailable to stream or rent on mainstream platforms. Fans can legally access it only through physical Blu-ray copies.

The events of Patlabor 2 follow the Oshii-helmed Patlabor: The Movie from 1989. The first film is set in 1999 during a major Tokyo redevelopment program anchored by a massive man-made island called the Ark. Mecha units serve multiple purposes in this world, including heavy construction work where they are known as Labors.

Thousands of Labors activate due to defective software during a fast-approaching typhoon. Officers of Special Vehicles Section 2 race against time to avert a catastrophe. Characters like Noa Izumi and Asuma Shinohara use patrol mechs, or Patlabors, to help save the city.

Patlabor 2 opens in 2002 amid sociopolitical instability and a sudden military takeover of Tokyo. Protests erupt across the city. Factions like the Japan Air Self-Defense Force are blamed after a missile destroys the Yokohama Bay Bridge. Section 2 members Kiichi Goto and Shinobu Nagumo assemble a squad to stop the terrorist threats.

Mecha anime routinely grapple with political themes to ground fantastical elements in everyday reality. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion examines the cruelties of a tyrannical empire and shows how revolutions begin in unexpected places.

Patlabor 2 exposes the illusory nature of peace in a nation fighting proxy wars and nudging its populace toward global conflict. Oshii focuses on bureaucratic corruption and the friction between the police and the military instead of centering the powerful Patlabors. The film dissects Japan’s post-war anxiety and criticizes a Cold War pseudo-peace that ignores foreign violence.

Oshii brought distinct aesthetics to Ghost in the Shell in 1995 and Angel’s Egg in 1985. He delivers Patlabor 2 with a dreamlike quality and a muted color palette. The visuals convey moral decay in Tokyo while maintaining dense cityscapes and intricate backdrops. The film balances mecha action with oppressive command-room environments.

Mobile Police Patlabor has evolved since Oshii’s story about state surveillance. Patlabor EZY: File 1 is set in the 2030s when AI automation renders Labors and Patlabors obsolete. The Special Vehicles Section 2 unit still protects a city where technology acts as a double-edged sword.

Technological warfare evolves into a subtle tool that devalues human labor and causes sociopolitical instability. State surveillance weaves into everyday life. The anxieties of a post-AI world differ from an era where automation meant pure efficiency.

Patlabor 2: The Movie remains a timeless addition to the franchise. It is a visually striking work of art that addresses how technology reduces the devastation of war into impersonal statistics on a digital screen.

Source: Polygon