Patlabor - The Mobile Police The TV Series (Vol.1)
In the not-too-distant future, heavy construction work is performed by giant robots called "Labors"; the robots also get involved in accidents and crimes, so the Tokyo police force needs "Patlabors" (an elision of "Patrol Labors") to keep them in check. Masami Yuuki'sMobile Police Patlaborbegan as a serial in theShounen Sunday Comicsand was adapted to a seven-part OVA in 1988. The subsequent 47-episode broadcast series proved so popular, additional OVAs and two features followed. The television program has a more upbeat tone than moody features, and despite a slower pace, it retains the freshness and good humor that won it so many fans. Although the heroine of the show is perky Noa Izumi, a young officer determined to succeed as a robot pilot, the stories focus on the interactions of the crew of oddballs who make up Special Vehicles Division 2. Noa's partners include the thoughtful Asuma Shinohara, no-nonsense New York police officer Clancy Kanuka, bigmouth Isao Ota, and understated Captain Goto. This ensemble playing suggests a sci-fi version ofHill Street Blues. Unlike their counterparts in other mecha series, the Patlabor pilots are not always seen as heroic. Captain Goto observes that the robots "have been called everything from jokes to money pits to piles of useless waste," but when a military experiment runs amok or a mutant monster gets loose in a forest, Division 2 is there to save the day. Unrated; suitable for ages 8 and up; robot versus robot violence. This collection contains the first five episodes: 1. "Ingram Animated," 2. "Kanuka Appears," 3. "Speed Vehicles Department 2," 4. "Goto Demon Mountain!" 5. "Labor X-10, Out of Control!"--Charles Solomon