While I can agree with some of your criticisms of both movies, I also think that you might be forgetting that Patlabor isn't really just a big actiony mech series. It's not really the draw of the series even for fans. It's the characters, modern issues (for the time though some are relevant today), and how the series looks at Japanese through a near future sci-fi setting that really makes it both interesting and endearing. The movies present a deeper look at some of the issues while the TV series and OVAs look at it in a more fun way. I do agree that Ito does that monologue dissertation a bit too much though.
@@ramonandrajo6348 it's a logical plot point that's both in character and appropriate for the themes of the larger series. That being the importance of practical, mundane professions.
@@ramonandrajo6348 i think that's a point of divergent for us. To me, that was important characterization and demonstrated a point about the rush to move forward without consideration that's part of the film's themes. Theming and characterization are not plot though, so I can see why someone would dislike them, especially in a film format. Given film is medium that benefits more from concise story telling than others.
The montage in Patlabor2 where the snow begins to fall - backed with that score; is one of the most beautiful sequences in anime for me. Mamoru Oshii/Kenji Kawai pairing always have 1 great montage in every film ^^
@@ramonandrajo6348So? That's about as brain dead a response as watching a Stanley Kubrick film that is amazingly shot and crafted and going "it's no better than a J.J Abrams film". Scenes like that one in Patlabor 2 help craft the story and give the viewer a way to absorb and contemplate the themes and ideas of that film. It's a style that Oshii has always used. Start out with some action,then story,then reflect on what's happened,then story then end with action and a coda. It's one of the reasons why he's one of the greatest anime directors of all time. But you can stick with your Abrams slop if you want.
@@Dim4323 Island is so close to being a genuinely good movie. Then that third act happens. I knew shenanigans were afoot when I saw the hoverbikes on the flatbed
After watching the last rebuild movie, I kind of want to see Bennet do an episode of the rebuild series, especially his reaction to Shinji's showdown with Gendo
I love the Patlabor series, for one simple reason they use mechas as not only one niche purpose like instruments of war, they use the giant robots as everyday tools , that is making the world the anime exists in a quite a bit amore substantial than other mecha series. Just as a person can go on a Killdozer rampage in our world in theirs a person can steal a labor and go on a rampage, they eve have Ferrari labors. I even buy the Arc, as we have seen in our world we have the Osaka airport that is in its sinking glory they decided to go for Tokyo bay with something akin to Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid.
The Goto-centric episodes of the original OVA series (specifically the 2 parter) significantly lacked any mech action and explored characters or sociopolitical themes. The way I see it, the movies are an extension of that, and I do appreciate it for the fact.
I'm not saying they are perfect but talking about the patlabour movies and not stressing the brilliance of scenes like the occupation sequence is just horrendous. They have a cult following for a reason, and they do deserve it.
yep, my problem with this review. it's fine if it's not for you and you have your issues with it, but not taking the time to dwell on all of the masterwork behind these films makes it seem like just another "spicy take on beloved property" that he said early in the video this is not...
I've had a sense that Bennett lost his way as a more objective reviewer with better clarity a long time ago, kind of getting a little too elitist in his own right then remaining on point and seeing a subject first for what it IS, then what he WANTS, then bring in his own feelings as a side-thought.
But it does make sense. The aspect and equipment of the pat lablors is made to distance them from the militari combat model. Public perception is important for police in japan
Congrats, again, Sage, on your upcoming wedding. Please give us your next installment of the Bubblegum Crisis retrospective. I sincerely hope you are not waiting until 2040 itself to make the timing feel appropriate.
... patlabor only applies to the police mechs they are called labors in general.... why yes I am a massive patlabor fanboy and yes hearing this mistake being made is making me grind my teeth.
As am I. I've got the 2 Manga release on DVD, The TV Series, The first OVA and I still need to get around to the second OVA. Sometime we should stat the mechs in Patlabor and play Battletech
In the criminal justice system, Humongous Mecha-based offenses are considered especially heinous. The elite squad who deal with these crimes are known as the Special Vehicles Unit. These are their stories.
I already knew the reviews would negative; The only thing you can do to these two movies in 15 minutes combined is dismiss them. I first saw the movies, which I love, then the two OVAs, which I like and then HALF of the TV series which I loathe. I liken Patlabor 2 to Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, little plot for its run time but plenty and I mean plenty of Sound and Vision. Is it an acquired taste or "nostalgia goggles"? No, I loved both the Oshii movie and Leone one right from my first viewing decades ago to the last time I saw them. I love having a tile I can gush about, it's so damn rare these days. Where to begin... Mesmerizing hypnotic boredom.... yet stylish shot and extremely well composited. And then there's the symbolism, damn I could be here all day with the symbolism; Why is it that Labors are earthbound yet both movies are fascinated by thoughts of flight?
Mamoru Oshii is one of the best,for my money the best,anime director of all time. His films challenge the viewer and are a unique, personal,and even more relevant meditation on identity in the 21st century. His films never provided reductive answers. His characters seek a sense of meaning that is just out of reach. Patlabor 1 is a fun, interesting film. But the second film is nearly perfect and possibly the best anime of the last 30 years. The subject of the film is the post war history of Japan and the sham of democracy. As Arakawa says "Our peace comes from ignoring the misery of the world." The entire tone of the film is of a disillusionment that any kind of meaningful change will ever take place. Oshii makes Tsuge one of the most realistic 'villains' ever seen in any anime. His disastrous mission at the beginning was based off a real life mess up in Cambodia. Tsuge,being the only one to survive,would of course,seek to make others question why things like that happen. He wants revenge but he also wants to wake people up from their ideas of just wars. In fact the entire film is Oshii's clearest,most poetic story about the relationship with our past and our future and how ambiguous this relationship is. But it's not the political stuff that helps make it so good, although that is well written and far more adult than 90% of all anime. It's Oshii's eerie mood and the zen like atmosphere of the whole film. It's actually closer to Angel's Egg than Ghost In The Shell is. I wish that live action films now had more of this. A story doesn't require constant action. It can be contemplative without shoving the answers in your face. Along with Kenji Kawai's amazing score,my number one anime composer,he created a world that was meditative and not dumbed down. Patlabor 2 isn't quite perfect but it's damm close.
@@ramonandrajo6348 The movies are great and only get better the more they are watched. Anime like the second Patlabor film almost never get made , especially now,and it's thanks to movies such as those that anime archives the potential of animation that Western films can only dream of.
It's a cult classic. I introduced a couple of friends to the franchise recently and they really enjoyed it, so much so that they bought my DVDs off me and binged the whole thing when I upgraded to Blu-Ray.
I've waited a decade for Sage to showcase Patlabor for his audience but Holy Shit these are bad takes. The art is beautiful. The pace is thoughtful. The plots are intriguing. And the judicious use of mechs is the point of the series which always focused on the characters in a very grounded reality. Watch these movies, all of you.
I was gonna say. I got the same thing from Sentai a few months ago, since those folks have a lot of sales. But the only problem is, the list of anime I own but haven't watched that Bennett has reviewed is getting longer and longer. I still need to watch Wolf's Rain, Outlaw Star, Paranoia Agent and then all the Patlabor stuff. I still to this day haven't watched any of those videos because of spoilers, even though I do want to
@@blackoutcity123 I was thinking about getting the series too cause after watching Urusei Yatsura Beautiful dreamer Im on a Mamoru Oshii binge and discovered this show I still listen to the theme song almost every day on repeat.
@@nicklundy9965 I want to get into urusei yatsura specifically cause I want to watch beautiful dreamer (and I guess that's because I like oshii). I wonder is sage will do an urusei yatsura video eventually
@@blackoutcity123 I've been waiting cause he did one on Ranma and Inuyasha. But if you want and in- depth analysis on Urusei Yatsura and Oshii I recommend Kyoto Video's (video) on the first movie Only you. But you can full episodes of UY (subbed) on RUclips. it's a very charming show. Still hard to believe the author Rumiko Takahashi created so many well know titles and I'm so addicted to them and I was only familiar with Inuyasha growing up.
I can definitely understand what you think about the first film, considering that even I found the pacing to be really tedious. However I don't agree with your assessment of the second film, except in that the labors aren't very present. I think that's mostly done to show that they're becoming obsolete with the dawn of the information age though, as we see even the military getting thrown off by computer trickery.
Hey, Sage. You ever thought about reviewing Kodocha? Maybe for your birthday seeing how it’s one of your favorite anime TV series? Also, because you got married, I figured you would’ve reviewed Wedding Peach at some point.
I love the whole Patlabor franchise especially the second movie. You didnt really give these movies a very ringing endorsement but I would beg to differ. I quite like both of these movies.
Reading between the lines Bennet seems to have wanted a more Mecha oriented film. He is complaining that the Labors themselves take a back seat for most of both films and seems happiest when he gets that sweet sweet mecha crunching action. For those of us who love the films we like them precisely because the Mecha take a back seat and the films are about issues bigger than just the mecha themselves. Both films are much more contemplative and slower paced. Pretty much just a different strokes kinda thing.
Bennett: "Oh boy! Cops using construction robots to fight bank robbers with construction robots! This is going to be a fun romp!" Patlabor 2: "For the next 8 minutes I'm going to monologue so bare with me. Does Japan really deserve praise for being pacifist for a few decades? Are we making the world a better place? Do we deserve peace? Notice that our economic prosperity is due to trade with the United States, whose wealth is gained by imperialist wars of resource exploitation. By trading with the US, are Japan's hands not stained red with the blood of Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East? It's just as Lenin stated, imperialism is merely the natural highest form of global capitalism" Bennet: "You can't be serious with this shit!" Patlabor 2: "Oh I'm VERY serious! Did you think giant robots are a game?"
First off: congratulations on your wedding and may you and yours have many happy blessed days to come. Secondly: the abridged version of Pat1 is while just parodying the plot at least makes it palatable and funny.
Bennett, Goto was not officially ordered to scuttle the Ark. He knew they would let him when he suggested "if the Typhoon destroyed the Ark..." Shinohara Heavy Industries doesnt have to admit they knew HOS was a problem, and everyone would have plausible deniability. Thats why security system was still on, only a handful of people knew what SV2 was goinv to do.
Yup. It was a face saving way to get out of the problem. Indeed it is one of the few movies where everyone both win and lose at the same time. E Hoba didn't get the massive anti progress apocalypse he planned but he still sabotaged the Babylon project. Gotoh and the SVD 2 do succeed in stopping the Tokyo wide destruction that was coming but have to do it in such a way they can't directly be credited for their work and they also don't stop it in time to prevent the Babylon project being ruined.
Thank God for that. Oshii was always more interested in characters and the way they interact on a spiritual/political/philosophical level. There's enough giant robot shows as it is. Patlabor needed to stand out and do something different.
@@frankjaeger2565 True but that doesn't mean he doesn't spend time on the characters. Goto gets quite a bit of development and their personalities still help drive the story. He also focused a lot on character in Beautiful Dreamer and Avalon is mainly about character. So that is a common misconception. Besides,his themes and stories are so good it never bothered me. He gives you just enough character to make it work. It's why I've always preferred his stuff over things like Cowboy Beebob ECT.
3:43 Crispin Freeman at an Otakon Q&A one year said that Balmung was supposed to say something that sounded accidentally corny, so he came up with that line, himself, as it fit the lip flaps pretty well. :-D
The crew flailing around only to discover they were on a wild goose chase all along is a recurring theme in the franchise, as is Goto being a chessmaster type always a few moves ahead of his own subordinates. I just rolled with it.
it's odd, i actually had a hard time trying to track this series down here in canada. at the time it wasn't on any streaming services, and i couldn't find much on less than legal sites either. then, out of nowhere, i happened to come across a DVD at a sketchy convenience store that still had a movie rental shelf. sunbleached box, inch thick dust, 5$ well spent lol
Maybe there are flaws when you look closely, but I still love the first two films. The OVA series is basically The Keystone cops but with mechs; really refreshing to see Oshii actually do light comedy where as most of his famous work like Ghost in the Shell, Skycrawlers and Jin Roh are rather bleak visions of the future. Patlabor 1 and 2 do have a couple of talky philosophical moments but at least they don't distract from the action like with Ghost in the Shell: Innocence. The films have comparatively more sombre themes; like the way technological development causing the world to feel ephemeral or how there may be such a thing as an unjust peace. However the films never lost sight of the happier aspects of the series, especially in regards to the oddballs who make up the cast. Watching these characters win the day at the end of the first film will never stop being an uplifting Anime experience for me.
I have seen both these movies back on cable in the 90s, but I'm not sure I ever saw either in one sitting and I remember only scraps here and there. Also the title always makes me think it should be a story about Irish workers....
Well, I will say that I wasn’t super impressed by the first Patlabor movie, Patlabor 2 is literally my favorite anime film of all time. I love the politics of the film. I love the characters I especially love Tsuge, the main villain. It took me a long time to really understand what the movie was talking about since I’m not Japanese and I’m actually American. But now that I understand what Oshii was going for in numerous rewatches I cannot deny the truth. It is my favorite, anime film, and more importantly is in my top 10 movies of all time. And its message is actually pretty timeless and universal. Many of the things Oshii was critiquing about Japan in the 1990s I feel similarly about my country today.
Congrats on your weeding! Recent subscriber and fellow oldtaku here. I gotta say I really appreciate your content in that not only does it come from a highly educated perspective but also from a person from my generation of otaku as well 💙 Thanks for what you do and making people like myself feel welcome
haha, you are not the only one, Bennet has been keeping himself true to form for years of Anime Abandon, Bennet and Spoony where the guys to go to, but, well, Sponny just stooped being Spoony looong ago >.>'''
The guys behind Mobile Suit Gundam Abridged did an abridgement of the Patlabor movie and did a joke about the coincidence of Noa's name with Asuma saying, "Looks like Noa will have to sink the Ark." 😏 Shinshi just responds with a deadpan and drawn out, "Yeeeah".
While watching this, I was trying to think through why the self-important philosophical debates work in Ghost in Shell, but not in so many of his other works. I think it is this point around character. The Major is established as someone not at ease with their self, and Batou is established as someone who cares enough for their friend to be willing to listen to their ramblings. Even the setting makes more sense, with them both being on a fishing boat.
Finally. Somebody who understands my frustrations with these movies. It really feels like Oshii & Itō resent there being giant robots in their giant robot movies. Totally burying Noa, making her a bit character in her own franchise, also not ideal. Goto's cool, but oof. These are proto-Ghost in the Shell films, which is great if you're looking for GitS, not so hot if you're here for Patlabor.
this better be good. sharpens pitchfork 7:00 sharpening intensifies. 16:22 aw hell no 17:10 Hell no. the entire plot is perfect. Punch by punch. Faint moving ones that carry a lot of weight. 20:07 The dubs are attrocious hack work. No wonder you couldnt follow the plot and logic. 21:11 Having spent my time in the army and intelligence thats exactly how it is though. The atmosphere this movie built up hasnt been replicated by any other movie out there. The series generation kill is of the same stuff. Its really moving to see how close we stand from this actualy happening. Yea the pitchfork has been justified. BRING OUT YER PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES!
Though I love these films, I'd say some of his criticisms are valid, especially when it comes to characters sometimes being there merely to spout exposition, even in the subtitled version and the newer, more faithfully translated dub. That said, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
I loved Patlabour 1; one of my favourites from back in the day. However watching you pick the plot apart is hard to argue with, though I loved it at the time.
I never understood why people are so butthurt over Shirow Masamune drawing hentai. Who gives a fuck? he can draw whatever he wants. That doesn't make everything else a creator makes retroactively worse just because you say so.
These movies are a prime example of the the importance who's producing the dubs. One company adds dialogue and makes some script changes to try and plug the holes of the original story. The other tries to be as true to the original script as possible. Same movie, but the differences are night and day.
I was with you until the end there. "OVAs and TV anime are more memorable than the movies"? Seems like a bad advice. Slapstick, action, mecha anime are a dime a dozen. However, there aren't many anime with realistic socio-political and geopolitical themes projected at the fore front. The movies are what make Patlabor memorable.
Going from Patlabor's first OVA series to Patlabor 2 the movie is some of the most MASSIVE tonal whiplash I've ever experienced. Gone are all the Police Academy-style shenanigans and in comes all the dry, humorless sociopolitical commentary.
Yeah, as much as I do disagree about how he feels/rates the 2 movies, I do agree in how he does come up with how he felt, but despite those gripes, I still enjoyed both films. For me, I enjoyed 1 more than 2 since that still had the feel of the series as a whole. 2 definitely felt more like an Oshii film ala Ghost in the Shell ( which would come out a few years later after this) which wasn't bad, but definitely a major change in tone and feel for our beloved SV2 crew. Plus, I LOVED the performances of the dub cast from Manga UK where they did bring their A-game for having that balance between drama and comedy. There's a newer dub that was done by Bandai (I think before they went under), so I can't really compare between the two dubs.
I would be lying if said that I didn't want an anime abandoned plus video on Evangelion. Now Bennett has hinted that he still doesn't like it but given the reassurance of the series since the netflix release and all rebuild movies being out and the fact that talking about mental health has changed, I'd like to see a mature take on that even if still ends up negative (and oh boy, is there a lot).
The key takeaway of all this is they didn't want to use the Patlabors in any of "Patlabor" films. Credit for being more character driven stories but they get lost in the plot. I liked Patlabor: WXIII, as sort of a weird blend of 80s Japanese detective drama and a monster film. Labors are present in the film, and they're being attacked by the monster, even so far as to see the monster exhibit intelligence by using a Labor's armor as a shell to protect itself. Then the movie finally remembers it's a PATLABOR film and the Special Vehicle Division is called in to take it out. The problem is none of the cast from the original TV series/OVA/First Two Films get to show any of their personality. They're relegated to almost out of character cameo appearances in their own title. The irony of all this to me personally is I watched this movie the first time with my father, and he liked the detective-monster film but then he didn't understand what was the reason for when the Patlabors show up.
@@_GeneralMechanics_ Yes. But I can deal with less giant robot action, Patlabor 2 being my favourite movie and all. I just dont get the appeal for the third one as the special vehicle division 2 took on a seamonster like three times now. Not counting the sewer bits.
@@FortuneZer0 I said in my initial remark that this movie starts out like it's a hard-boiled detective drama investigating a creature on the loose, like "Split Second" meets "The Host." The only time that this movie seemed like a "Patlabor" film was when they're trying to incorporate the Babylon Project, or investigating the monster attacks as possible espionage between Labor manufacturers that turned out to be dead ends. With exception to Captain Goto being there to provide some technical exposition, the rest of the special vehicles unit are just guest stars in what people expected to be their own movie, and even then their personalities are just muted.
Yeah, I don't hate you for your opinion, as that's what opinions are for. I still like these movies, despite the janky parts and sometimes bad dialogue choices etc. I was majorly disappointed in the lack of Noa in the second movie, since by the time the second movie came out on VHS in Australia I had found out who the main character actually was. And don't get me started on how much I was disappointed by the third movie...anyway, thanks for the video and your opinions! And your wedding - may you enjoy your lives together! ^_~
Just a few thoughts since I just finished the Patlabor blue ray box set a few weeks ago. First, the blue rays of the movies are stunning, and I couldn't imagine watching the movies at any lower quality . I would go so far to say the improved visuals make up for the slow plot because the extra fedility of the visuals act as another way to convey the story that is lost at 480p. Second, I don't think any of the movies are "good" unless you are all ready a fan of the TV series. The fist movie is at best a single episode plot arc on par with the episode where they need to disarm bombs in the Babylon tower, the second is just the final OVA plot arc tweaked a bit, and the third is just a TV series episode extended out and the Patlabor team replaced with normal police until they need to fight the kaiju. Third , what's most disappointing is the strongest, most well developed plot arc of the series, the Griffon plot arc with Bud and the rogue Schaft designer, never got a movie or OVA adaption. Lastly, I'd say the best part of the first movie is they actually explain exactly what the Bablyon project is - draining the Tokyo Bay to reclaim land - instead of the TV series just mentioning the tower with an unexplained purpose.
I love both of these movies, though the second definitely takes at least two viewings to understand fully. Having seen both dubs, I prefer the older Manga UK dub. It does go off-translation a couple of times but the voice cast just feels right.
Manga UK gets a lot of shit (sometimes rightfully so) but their dubs really do offer this unconventional realism, they provide that grit. Their VAs don’t sound like people you’d hear in the anime scene but I think it benefits certain works like Patlabor 2 or any of Kawajiri’s films.
@@Dougie-Jones oh yeah, stuff like their dub for Orguss 02 was terrible. But I do miss that US-UK combo they had for their cast, gave some great variety to the accents you'd hear in their dubs. While dubbing is a lot more faithful now and features mostly "better" voice acting, a lot of modern dubs feel overly sanitized and Texas-centric. I miss when dubbing was done in multiple different places, not just Texas.
I really love your revives. You still have the same style that you had in 2011 when you made your first episode of AA (psychic wars). It really takes me back.
Dry is a very good way to describe the movies. Coming off the series and OVAs it's hard not to be disappointed in them. It's a huge mood whiplash coming from the more lighthearted take on the series to one that is more philosophical.
Aw theses two films are great I'm sorry we don't see eye to eye on this one. First Yes its a show about Mecha but the movies give us a gimps of whats going on past the mecha and more glimpse at the emmatic leader of section 2 and how he deals with the political situations. Second the music and shots used especially in the second film are top tier. The attack on Bay bridge and city lockdown scenes still give me goose bumps. But this was still a nice critical look at the films and I respect that
I don't agree with all of Sage's criticisms about these films, but I can't deny they have problems. For me, the biggest issue with Patlabor 2 was Noa's character. Out of nowhere, she suddenly announces to Asuma that she no longer wants to be known as the girl who's obsessed with labors. Putting aside that this is inconsistent with everything we've ever seen of Noa to that point, TV or OVA, it left me wondering why. Why doesn't she want to have that reputation? Why is it a bad thing for Noa to be obsessed with labors? Wasn't her interest in labors key to her becoming a better pilot? What problems did it create, and what does she want to be known as now? These questions aren't answered in the film. Worse than that, if the scenes of Noa, who wasn't the focus for P2, were taken out, the film wouldn't have lost anything (it'd be better). Still, I do like both films for their music and atmosphere. I agree tho that the TV series and OVAs are better than both movies. If you can get them at a good price, check them out.
Noa saying she doesn't want to pilot robots anymore is just a vehicle for Oshii to - directly- tell the audience HE doesn't want to make robot movies anymore.
Patlabor 1 had a plot that kinda vanished when looking at it when tilting your head (and grinds to a halt halfway through) but its intro and finale action scenes are REALLY well animated, and save the movie. Plus it's one of the first anime films I watched as a kid, so its odd mix of giant robots and police procedural left an impression. Patlabor 2 is good, even great, and while a slow burn, there's this sense of tension and extreme unease building up in the background of everything. Soundtrack is very memorable and adds to the strange ambiance.
*Clears throat* I disagree. Personally, I think the first two Patlabor movies are brilliant, and some of the best storytelling and theme-driving forces in anime history. The second movie especially largely eclipses anything Oshii did later on, including Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell is a nice, pat story about transhumanism, but told somewhat well with good visuals. Patlabor 2 has much more to say and says it better than GitS, themes about war and peace, society's relationship with media and panic, the state of the militarization of Japan (or possibility), the contrast between everyday life and real danger living right next to each other. It's fantastically woven into a tapestry that hits all the right cords intellectually and emotionally. Better characters than GitS, too. As far as the first movie being "terribly written" just because the mecha are pushed to the side for the sake of theme and atmosphere, that's laughable. It's not like their being able to use their Labors would have helped them discover how to fix the OS problem to begin with, nevermind that Patlabor has NEVER been mainly about the mecha themselves. Did we watch the same movie? And there's no more exposition in this than in Ghost in the Shell. And the mystery is in discovering what Hoba was really up to and how to resolve it. The Rock is written better? Sage, have you taken leave of your senses? Patlabor 1 is about cynicism over whether or not new things replacing old things are better or not, and what that means. It's all over Patlabor. The religion stuff is just dressing and you know it. In Patlabor 2, Tsuge had the help of the organization Arakawa and several other embedded politicians and military personell to plan his project. Arakawa only broke with Tsuge just before the project began because he was more militant. It was a major part of the main story, that Arakawa had been part of Tsuge's group before this all started. All the planning Tsuge did over years needed the help of the organization Arakawa mentioned during the night car ride scene. It's how he was able to pull everything off. Patlabor 2 has its roots in episodes 5 and 6 of the original OVA, which has a military and police standoff in Tokyo orchestrated by a guy named Kai that Goto knew from his school days. In Patlabor 2, the premise is grandly expanded on and the relationship is switched from Goto knowing the mastermind to Shinobu Nagumo having had an affair with him in her college days. What makes the movie so engaging is that it takes the simpler concepts of the original work and expands them, and the character comes from Oshii's trademark visual style and the maturity of the approach. Plus Goto and Nagumo are especially fascinating as the leaders of their respective divisions, very close to each other in intelligence and sharpness, but fundamentally different in action and perspective. They're genius movies.
I feel like he expected something the movies (and the series) were never really about, that is, giant robots. This is not supposed to be Gundam or Macross.
@Otaku Evolution episodes 5 and 6 of the OVA are some of the best anime episodes I’ve ever seen. And I gave the first move a 9/10 it was great. Agreed with. Never got around to watching the second movie though, unfortunately.
Oh my god, this reminds me of about 4 years ago when me and my friend tried watching this, we ended up waking up to the sound of the other falling asleep every 15 mins, ultimately ending up in us watching completely different halves of the same thing.
![Run Away - Tzuyu(TWICE) ツウィ 쯔위 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 240906](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KnHNNyAYiu0/mqdefault.jpg)
While I can agree with some of your criticisms of both movies, I also think that you might be forgetting that Patlabor isn't really just a big actiony mech series. It's not really the draw of the series even for fans. It's the characters, modern issues (for the time though some are relevant today), and how the series looks at Japanese through a near future sci-fi setting that really makes it both interesting and endearing. The movies present a deeper look at some of the issues while the TV series and OVAs look at it in a more fun way.
I do agree that Ito does that monologue dissertation a bit too much though.
And the movies still sucks in general.
@@ramonandrajo6348like ur mom
@@ramonandrajo6348If you mean by they suck that they are amazing then yes they are.
If by amazing you mean amazingly boring I'd agree
The twist that the engineer never installed the software was one of my favorite parts though. It's the exact thing I'd expect from the IT guy.
anyone whos knows thing one about computers never trust the new os
And?
@@ramonandrajo6348 it's a logical plot point that's both in character and appropriate for the themes of the larger series. That being the importance of practical, mundane professions.
@@IronicCliche Does stretching the plot more than necessary for no good reason seem like a good excuse for that movie?
@@ramonandrajo6348 i think that's a point of divergent for us. To me, that was important characterization and demonstrated a point about the rush to move forward without consideration that's part of the film's themes. Theming and characterization are not plot though, so I can see why someone would dislike them, especially in a film format. Given film is medium that benefits more from concise story telling than others.
The montage in Patlabor2 where the snow begins to fall - backed with that score; is one of the most beautiful sequences in anime for me. Mamoru Oshii/Kenji Kawai pairing always have 1 great montage in every film ^^
So?
@@ramonandrajo6348So? That's about as brain dead a response as watching a Stanley Kubrick film that is amazingly shot and crafted and going "it's no better than a J.J Abrams film". Scenes like that one in Patlabor 2 help craft the story and give the viewer a way to absorb and contemplate the themes and ideas of that film. It's a style that Oshii has always used. Start out with some action,then story,then reflect on what's happened,then story then end with action and a coda. It's one of the reasons why he's one of the greatest anime directors of all time. But you can stick with your Abrams slop if you want.
To be fair, The Rock is one of Bay's best movies.
And one of Hans Zimmer best soundtracks.
I like Pain and Gain as well nice throwback and his over the topness fits in that movie
Yeah, plus his foray into the world of giant robots produced similar results
The island is one of his intresting films
@@Dim4323 Island is so close to being a genuinely good movie. Then that third act happens. I knew shenanigans were afoot when I saw the hoverbikes on the flatbed
I think Palabor 2 is a underrated masterpiece.
No.
@@ramonandrajo6348 Yes!
@@trevinsingh9390 No.
@@ramonandrajo6348 Yes!
@@trevinsingh9390 Whatever, dude. XD
Patlabor is a series watched by alot of people who dont usually watch mecha
After watching the last rebuild movie, I kind of want to see Bennet do an episode of the rebuild series,
especially his reaction to Shinji's showdown with Gendo
I love the Patlabor series, for one simple reason they use mechas as not only one niche purpose like instruments of war, they use the giant robots as everyday tools , that is making the world the anime exists in a quite a bit amore substantial than other mecha series. Just as a person can go on a Killdozer rampage in our world in theirs a person can steal a labor and go on a rampage, they eve have Ferrari labors.
I even buy the Arc, as we have seen in our world we have the Osaka airport that is in its sinking glory they decided to go for Tokyo bay with something akin to Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid.
The Goto-centric episodes of the original OVA series (specifically the 2 parter) significantly lacked any mech action and explored characters or sociopolitical themes. The way I see it, the movies are an extension of that, and I do appreciate it for the fact.
I'm not saying they are perfect but talking about the patlabour movies and not stressing the brilliance of scenes like the occupation sequence is just horrendous. They have a cult following for a reason, and they do deserve it.
yep, my problem with this review. it's fine if it's not for you and you have your issues with it, but not taking the time to dwell on all of the masterwork behind these films makes it seem like just another "spicy take on beloved property" that he said early in the video this is not...
You only have to look at Under the Scope’s video to get that there’s more than just talk in those scenes.
I've had a sense that Bennett lost his way as a more objective reviewer with better clarity a long time ago, kind of getting a little too elitist in his own right then remaining on point and seeing a subject first for what it IS, then what he WANTS, then bring in his own feelings as a side-thought.
@@linkeffect82 you're objectively wrong but ok
No.
giant robots wielding revolvers look kickass despite not making sense in real life.
But it does make sense. The aspect and equipment of the pat lablors is made to distance them from the militari combat model. Public perception is important for police in japan
Congrats, again, Sage, on your upcoming wedding.
Please give us your next installment of the Bubblegum Crisis retrospective.
I sincerely hope you are not waiting until 2040 itself to make the timing feel appropriate.
no sage, if you tried to clickbait us, this would be a violence jack video
... patlabor only applies to the police mechs
they are called labors in general....
why yes I am a massive patlabor fanboy
and yes hearing this mistake being made is making me grind my teeth.
Robitz
As am I. I've got the 2 Manga release on DVD, The TV Series, The first OVA and I still need to get around to the second OVA. Sometime we should stat the mechs in Patlabor and play Battletech
In the criminal justice system, Humongous Mecha-based offenses are considered especially heinous. The elite squad who deal with these crimes are known as the Special Vehicles Unit. These are their stories.
All in all, i missed when Sage was sitting on the left.
People often move to the right as they age.
I miss the old wall. It is was a much better colour.
I already knew the reviews would negative; The only thing you can do to these two movies in 15 minutes combined is dismiss them. I first saw the movies, which I love, then the two OVAs, which I like and then HALF of the TV series which I loathe. I liken Patlabor 2 to Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, little plot for its run time but plenty and I mean plenty of Sound and Vision. Is it an acquired taste or "nostalgia goggles"? No, I loved both the Oshii movie and Leone one right from my first viewing decades ago to the last time I saw them. I love having a tile I can gush about, it's so damn rare these days. Where to begin...
Mesmerizing hypnotic boredom.... yet stylish shot and extremely well composited. And then there's the symbolism, damn I could be here all day with the symbolism; Why is it that Labors are earthbound yet both movies are fascinated by thoughts of flight?
Mamoru Oshii is one of the best,for my money the best,anime director of all time. His films challenge the viewer and are a unique, personal,and even more relevant meditation on identity in the 21st century.
His films never provided reductive answers. His characters seek a sense of meaning that is just out of reach. Patlabor 1 is a fun, interesting film. But the second film is nearly perfect and possibly the best anime of the last 30 years. The subject of the film is the post war history of Japan and the sham of democracy. As Arakawa says "Our peace comes from ignoring the misery of the world."
The entire tone of the film is of a disillusionment that any kind of meaningful change will ever take place. Oshii makes Tsuge one of the most realistic 'villains' ever seen in any anime. His disastrous mission at the beginning was based off a real life mess up in Cambodia. Tsuge,being the only one to survive,would of course,seek to make others question why things like that happen. He wants revenge but he also wants to wake people up from their ideas of just wars.
In fact the entire film is Oshii's clearest,most poetic story about the relationship with our past and our future and how ambiguous this relationship is. But it's not the political stuff that helps make it so good, although that is well written and far more adult than 90% of all anime. It's Oshii's eerie mood and the zen like atmosphere of the whole film. It's actually closer to Angel's Egg than Ghost In The Shell is.
I wish that live action films now had more of this. A story doesn't require constant action. It can be contemplative without shoving the answers in your face. Along with Kenji Kawai's amazing score,my number one anime composer,he created a world that was meditative and not dumbed down. Patlabor 2 isn't quite perfect but it's damm close.
And the movies still sucks in general.
@@ramonandrajo6348are you a bot?
@@ramonandrajo6348 The movies are great and only get better the more they are watched. Anime like the second Patlabor film almost never get made , especially now,and it's thanks to movies such as those that anime archives the potential of animation that Western films can only dream of.
Yo! Good to see you again Sage!
Good to see you too! *finger guns*
Patlabor is weird. It's pretty important for the time, but none of my friends ever heard of it.
It's a cult classic. I introduced a couple of friends to the franchise recently and they really enjoyed it, so much so that they bought my DVDs off me and binged the whole thing when I upgraded to Blu-Ray.
I've waited a decade for Sage to showcase Patlabor for his audience but Holy Shit these are bad takes. The art is beautiful. The pace is thoughtful. The plots are intriguing. And the judicious use of mechs is the point of the series which always focused on the characters in a very grounded reality. Watch these movies, all of you.
Bennett known for his shit takes. If he says an ova or anime is shit it’s a ringing endorsement to me that it’s kino.
@@elijahguest1885 You know what you're right. Junk Boy is awesome - There I said it.
This timing is kinda crazy since I picked up Patlabor the complete collection on sale the other day
I was gonna say. I got the same thing from Sentai a few months ago, since those folks have a lot of sales. But the only problem is, the list of anime I own but haven't watched that Bennett has reviewed is getting longer and longer. I still need to watch Wolf's Rain, Outlaw Star, Paranoia Agent and then all the Patlabor stuff. I still to this day haven't watched any of those videos because of spoilers, even though I do want to
@@blackoutcity123 I was thinking about getting the series too cause after watching Urusei Yatsura Beautiful dreamer Im on a Mamoru Oshii binge and discovered this show I still listen to the theme song almost every day on repeat.
@@nicklundy9965 I want to get into urusei yatsura specifically cause I want to watch beautiful dreamer (and I guess that's because I like oshii). I wonder is sage will do an urusei yatsura video eventually
@@blackoutcity123 I've been waiting cause he did one on Ranma and Inuyasha. But if you want and in- depth analysis on Urusei Yatsura and Oshii I recommend Kyoto Video's (video) on the first movie Only you. But you can full episodes of UY (subbed) on RUclips. it's a very charming show. Still hard to believe the author Rumiko Takahashi created so many well know titles and I'm so addicted to them and I was only familiar with Inuyasha growing up.
I can definitely understand what you think about the first film, considering that even I found the pacing to be really tedious.
However I don't agree with your assessment of the second film, except in that the labors aren't very present. I think that's mostly done to show that they're becoming obsolete with the dawn of the information age though, as we see even the military getting thrown off by computer trickery.
I'm not a big anime' guy in general, but the two Patlabor films were beautifully animated and I'm a sucker for giant fighting robots.
And the movies still sucks in general.
@@ramonandrajo6348 philistine.
@@joshpotter9261 ?
Hey, Sage. You ever thought about reviewing Kodocha? Maybe for your birthday seeing how it’s one of your favorite anime TV series? Also, because you got married, I figured you would’ve reviewed Wedding Peach at some point.
I love the whole Patlabor franchise especially the second movie. You didnt really give these movies a very ringing endorsement but I would beg to differ. I quite like both of these movies.
Reading between the lines Bennet seems to have wanted a more Mecha oriented film. He is complaining that the Labors themselves take a back seat for most of both films and seems happiest when he gets that sweet sweet mecha crunching action.
For those of us who love the films we like them precisely because the Mecha take a back seat and the films are about issues bigger than just the mecha themselves. Both films are much more contemplative and slower paced. Pretty much just a different strokes kinda thing.
Bennett: "Oh boy! Cops using construction robots to fight bank robbers with construction robots! This is going to be a fun romp!"
Patlabor 2: "For the next 8 minutes I'm going to monologue so bare with me. Does Japan really deserve praise for being pacifist for a few decades? Are we making the world a better place? Do we deserve peace? Notice that our economic prosperity is due to trade with the United States, whose wealth is gained by imperialist wars of resource exploitation. By trading with the US, are Japan's hands not stained red with the blood of Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East? It's just as Lenin stated, imperialism is merely the natural highest form of global capitalism"
Bennet: "You can't be serious with this shit!"
Patlabor 2: "Oh I'm VERY serious! Did you think giant robots are a game?"
Made me chuckle and it's true. Love the movies for that.
i love patlabor 2, some scenes are definitely mesmerizing
First off: congratulations on your wedding and may you and yours have many happy blessed days to come.
Secondly: the abridged version of Pat1 is while just parodying the plot at least makes it palatable and funny.
Bennett, Goto was not officially ordered to scuttle the Ark. He knew they would let him when he suggested "if the Typhoon destroyed the Ark..." Shinohara Heavy Industries doesnt have to admit they knew HOS was a problem, and everyone would have plausible deniability. Thats why security system was still on, only a handful of people knew what SV2 was goinv to do.
Yup. It was a face saving way to get out of the problem. Indeed it is one of the few movies where everyone both win and lose at the same time. E Hoba didn't get the massive anti progress apocalypse he planned but he still sabotaged the Babylon project. Gotoh and the SVD 2 do succeed in stopping the Tokyo wide destruction that was coming but have to do it in such a way they can't directly be credited for their work and they also don't stop it in time to prevent the Babylon project being ruined.
Even with all those spot on critiques, I still like these movies.
"You shouldn't write my opinion off as in bad faith," said the guy who took a shot at Loki five seconds ago. :P
There was not nearly enough giant robots in these films, my heart is distraught
There's barley any robots in the show either.
Thank God for that. Oshii was always more interested in characters and the way they interact on a spiritual/political/philosophical level. There's enough giant robot shows as it is. Patlabor needed to stand out and do something different.
@@kellinwinslow1988 Oshii cares mostly about the world and themes of their story, the characters are the least important aspect for him
@@frankjaeger2565 True but that doesn't mean he doesn't spend time on the characters. Goto gets quite a bit of development and their personalities still help drive the story. He also focused a lot on character in Beautiful Dreamer and Avalon is mainly about character. So that is a common misconception. Besides,his themes and stories are so good it never bothered me. He gives you just enough character to make it work. It's why I've always preferred his stuff over things like Cowboy Beebob ECT.
3:43
Crispin Freeman at an Otakon Q&A one year said that Balmung was supposed to say something that sounded accidentally corny, so he came up with that line, himself, as it fit the lip flaps pretty well. :-D
What a treat to get an upload today! Will savor this when I'm done with classes today.
It’s always a good day when Bennet uploads a new video!
Patlabor is one of my favorite anime movies.
Patlabor 2 is one of my favorite movies period.
The crew flailing around only to discover they were on a wild goose chase all along is a recurring theme in the franchise, as is Goto being a chessmaster type always a few moves ahead of his own subordinates. I just rolled with it.
it's odd, i actually had a hard time trying to track this series down here in canada. at the time it wasn't on any streaming services, and i couldn't find much on less than legal sites either. then, out of nowhere, i happened to come across a DVD at a sketchy convenience store that still had a movie rental shelf. sunbleached box, inch thick dust, 5$ well spent lol
I hope learning Italian is going well my guy. Always great to see an upload from you!
The soundtrack by Kenji Kawai is so good, it basically saved the movies from total obscurity, real MVP
yes and he didn't mention it ... kawaii is a killer in those films
Maybe there are flaws when you look closely, but I still love the first two films.
The OVA series is basically The Keystone cops but with mechs; really refreshing to see Oshii actually do light comedy where as most of his famous work like Ghost in the Shell, Skycrawlers and Jin Roh are rather bleak visions of the future.
Patlabor 1 and 2 do have a couple of talky philosophical moments but at least they don't distract from the action like with Ghost in the Shell: Innocence.
The films have comparatively more sombre themes; like the way technological development causing the world to feel ephemeral or how there may be such a thing as an unjust peace. However the films never lost sight of the happier aspects of the series, especially in regards to the oddballs who make up the cast. Watching these characters win the day at the end of the first film will never stop being an uplifting Anime experience for me.
I have seen both these movies back on cable in the 90s, but I'm not sure I ever saw either in one sitting and I remember only scraps here and there. Also the title always makes me think it should be a story about Irish workers....
Well, I will say that I wasn’t super impressed by the first Patlabor movie, Patlabor 2 is literally my favorite anime film of all time. I love the politics of the film. I love the characters I especially love Tsuge, the main villain.
It took me a long time to really understand what the movie was talking about since I’m not Japanese and I’m actually American. But now that I understand what Oshii was going for in numerous rewatches I cannot deny the truth. It is my favorite, anime film, and more importantly is in my top 10 movies of all time. And its message is actually pretty timeless and universal. Many of the things Oshii was critiquing about Japan in the 1990s I feel similarly about my country today.
Congrats on your weeding! Recent subscriber and fellow oldtaku here. I gotta say I really appreciate your content in that not only does it come from a highly educated perspective but also from a person from my generation of otaku as well 💙 Thanks for what you do and making people like myself feel welcome
A Patlabor review and Frank Zappa shirt... Awesome!
Bennet is legit the only ex channel awesome member I still follow
haha, you are not the only one, Bennet has been keeping himself true to form for years of Anime Abandon, Bennet and Spoony where the guys to go to, but, well, Sponny just stooped being Spoony looong ago >.>'''
As The Grand Archpriest of The Church of the Algorithm, I bless this video with a comment.
I love that MST3k bit!
"Have you seen the mouse for my Amiga?"
When I hear anime comedy, I think of konosuba
The guys behind Mobile Suit Gundam Abridged did an abridgement of the Patlabor movie and did a joke about the coincidence of Noa's name with Asuma saying, "Looks like Noa will have to sink the Ark." 😏
Shinshi just responds with a deadpan and drawn out, "Yeeeah".
YES Assemble Insert,Happy Wedding.
While watching this, I was trying to think through why the self-important philosophical debates work in Ghost in Shell, but not in so many of his other works. I think it is this point around character. The Major is established as someone not at ease with their self, and Batou is established as someone who cares enough for their friend to be willing to listen to their ramblings. Even the setting makes more sense, with them both being on a fishing boat.
Finally. Somebody who understands my frustrations with these movies. It really feels like Oshii & Itō resent there being giant robots in their giant robot movies. Totally burying Noa, making her a bit character in her own franchise, also not ideal. Goto's cool, but oof.
These are proto-Ghost in the Shell films, which is great if you're looking for GitS, not so hot if you're here for Patlabor.
@8:18 dude sounds like morty lol 😂
this better be good. sharpens pitchfork
7:00 sharpening intensifies.
16:22 aw hell no
17:10 Hell no. the entire plot is perfect. Punch by punch. Faint moving ones that carry a lot of weight.
20:07 The dubs are attrocious hack work. No wonder you couldnt follow the plot and logic.
21:11 Having spent my time in the army and intelligence thats exactly how it is though. The atmosphere this movie built up hasnt been replicated by any other movie out there. The series generation kill is of the same stuff. Its really moving to see how close we stand from this actualy happening.
Yea the pitchfork has been justified. BRING OUT YER PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES!
Though I love these films, I'd say some of his criticisms are valid, especially when it comes to characters sometimes being there merely to spout exposition, even in the subtitled version and the newer, more faithfully translated dub. That said, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
A Round Peg will fit into a square hole just fine.
You mean a square peg into a round hole :P
I loved Patlabour 1; one of my favourites from back in the day.
However watching you pick the plot apart is hard to argue with, though I loved it at the time.
Patlabor is one of the old great anime IPs..
That Halloween wreath is delightful.
I never understood why people are so butthurt over Shirow Masamune drawing hentai. Who gives a fuck? he can draw whatever he wants.
That doesn't make everything else a creator makes retroactively worse just because you say so.
I suppose hey wish he was making more Manga.
@@revolverswitch eh, wouldn't be the first one
These movies are a prime example of the the importance who's producing the dubs. One company adds dialogue and makes some script changes to try and plug the holes of the original story. The other tries to be as true to the original script as possible. Same movie, but the differences are night and day.
I was with you until the end there. "OVAs and TV anime are more memorable than the movies"? Seems like a bad advice.
Slapstick, action, mecha anime are a dime a dozen. However, there aren't many anime with realistic socio-political and geopolitical themes projected at the fore front.
The movies are what make Patlabor memorable.
I was just thinking I hadn't heard from you in a while.
I agree with the first film.
Going from Patlabor's first OVA series to Patlabor 2 the movie is some of the most MASSIVE tonal whiplash I've ever experienced. Gone are all the Police Academy-style shenanigans and in comes all the dry, humorless sociopolitical commentary.
Yeah, as much as I do disagree about how he feels/rates the 2 movies, I do agree in how he does come up with how he felt, but despite those gripes, I still enjoyed both films.
For me, I enjoyed 1 more than 2 since that still had the feel of the series as a whole. 2 definitely felt more like an Oshii film ala Ghost in the Shell ( which would come out a few years later after this) which wasn't bad, but definitely a major change in tone and feel for our beloved SV2 crew. Plus, I LOVED the performances of the dub cast from Manga UK where they did bring their A-game for having that balance between drama and comedy. There's a newer dub that was done by Bandai (I think before they went under), so I can't really compare between the two dubs.
Good start to monday thanks man keep up the great work
Patlabor - "From March of 1988 to October of 1989 (...)"
BG Crisis- "Wat?"
Patlabor 2 is one of my favourite movies lol
I would be lying if said that I didn't want an anime abandoned plus video on Evangelion. Now Bennett has hinted that he still doesn't like it but given the reassurance of the series since the netflix release and all rebuild movies being out and the fact that talking about mental health has changed, I'd like to see a mature take on that even if still ends up negative (and oh boy, is there a lot).
That may take some time, if Sage does plan on reviewing those movies.
The key takeaway of all this is they didn't want to use the Patlabors in any of "Patlabor" films. Credit for being more character driven stories but they get lost in the plot. I liked Patlabor: WXIII, as sort of a weird blend of 80s Japanese detective drama and a monster film. Labors are present in the film, and they're being attacked by the monster, even so far as to see the monster exhibit intelligence by using a Labor's armor as a shell to protect itself. Then the movie finally remembers it's a PATLABOR film and the Special Vehicle Division is called in to take it out. The problem is none of the cast from the original TV series/OVA/First Two Films get to show any of their personality. They're relegated to almost out of character cameo appearances in their own title. The irony of all this to me personally is I watched this movie the first time with my father, and he liked the detective-monster film but then he didn't understand what was the reason for when the Patlabors show up.
" I liked Patlabor: WXIII" Now thats a phrase I never thought possible but you do you. Patlabor has a wide array of appeal.
@@FortuneZer0 Like I said, don't go into the movie expecting Patlabor action.
@@_GeneralMechanics_ Yes. But I can deal with less giant robot action, Patlabor 2 being my favourite movie and all. I just dont get the appeal for the third one as the special vehicle division 2 took on a seamonster like three times now. Not counting the sewer bits.
@@FortuneZer0 I said in my initial remark that this movie starts out like it's a hard-boiled detective drama investigating a creature on the loose, like "Split Second" meets "The Host." The only time that this movie seemed like a "Patlabor" film was when they're trying to incorporate the Babylon Project, or investigating the monster attacks as possible espionage between Labor manufacturers that turned out to be dead ends. With exception to Captain Goto being there to provide some technical exposition, the rest of the special vehicles unit are just guest stars in what people expected to be their own movie, and even then their personalities are just muted.
Yeah, I don't hate you for your opinion, as that's what opinions are for. I still like these movies, despite the janky parts and sometimes bad dialogue choices etc. I was majorly disappointed in the lack of Noa in the second movie, since by the time the second movie came out on VHS in Australia I had found out who the main character actually was. And don't get me started on how much I was disappointed by the third movie...anyway, thanks for the video and your opinions! And your wedding - may you enjoy your lives together! ^_~
Congratulations on the wedding and great review
Just a few thoughts since I just finished the Patlabor blue ray box set a few weeks ago.
First, the blue rays of the movies are stunning, and I couldn't imagine watching the movies at any lower quality . I would go so far to say the improved visuals make up for the slow plot because the extra fedility of the visuals act as another way to convey the story that is lost at 480p.
Second, I don't think any of the movies are "good" unless you are all ready a fan of the TV series. The fist movie is at best a single episode plot arc on par with the episode where they need to disarm bombs in the Babylon tower, the second is just the final OVA plot arc tweaked a bit, and the third is just a TV series episode extended out and the Patlabor team replaced with normal police until they need to fight the kaiju.
Third , what's most disappointing is the strongest, most well developed plot arc of the series, the Griffon plot arc with Bud and the rogue Schaft designer, never got a movie or OVA adaption.
Lastly, I'd say the best part of the first movie is they actually explain exactly what the Bablyon project is - draining the Tokyo Bay to reclaim land - instead of the TV series just mentioning the tower with an unexplained purpose.
Have you considered reviewing anime yourself?
Given pegs and holes are the same size, a round peg will go through a square hole, but a square peg will not go through a round hole.
WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 was one of my favorite movies
I love both of these movies, though the second definitely takes at least two viewings to understand fully. Having seen both dubs, I prefer the older Manga UK dub. It does go off-translation a couple of times but the voice cast just feels right.
Manga UK gets a lot of shit (sometimes rightfully so) but their dubs really do offer this unconventional realism, they provide that grit. Their VAs don’t sound like people you’d hear in the anime scene but I think it benefits certain works like Patlabor 2 or any of Kawajiri’s films.
Completely agree that the manga uk dub is way better for these movies. I love them
@@Dougie-Jones oh yeah, stuff like their dub for Orguss 02 was terrible. But I do miss that US-UK combo they had for their cast, gave some great variety to the accents you'd hear in their dubs. While dubbing is a lot more faithful now and features mostly "better" voice acting, a lot of modern dubs feel overly sanitized and Texas-centric. I miss when dubbing was done in multiple different places, not just Texas.
@@channelwithout and Los Angeles
i gawked at the screen when you said "Rahxephon" :P
I really love your revives. You still have the same style that you had in 2011 when you made your first episode of AA (psychic wars). It really takes me back.
Dry is a very good way to describe the movies. Coming off the series and OVAs it's hard not to be disappointed in them. It's a huge mood whiplash coming from the more lighthearted take on the series to one that is more philosophical.
You know it cool I do enjoy these movies as well so
I love your Zappa shirt! Very cool. So are your videos
Aw theses two films are great I'm sorry we don't see eye to eye on this one.
First Yes its a show about Mecha but the movies give us a gimps of whats going on past the mecha and more glimpse at the emmatic leader of section 2 and how he deals with the political situations.
Second the music and shots used especially in the second film are top tier.
The attack on Bay bridge and city lockdown scenes still give me goose bumps.
But this was still a nice critical look at the films and I respect that
Maybe tower of druaga. And for your wedding there is a wedding themed magical girl anime called wedding peach.
I don't agree with all of Sage's criticisms about these films, but I can't deny they have problems. For me, the biggest issue with Patlabor 2 was Noa's character. Out of nowhere, she suddenly announces to Asuma that she no longer wants to be known as the girl who's obsessed with labors.
Putting aside that this is inconsistent with everything we've ever seen of Noa to that point, TV or OVA, it left me wondering why. Why doesn't she want to have that reputation? Why is it a bad thing for Noa to be obsessed with labors? Wasn't her interest in labors key to her becoming a better pilot? What problems did it create, and what does she want to be known as now?
These questions aren't answered in the film. Worse than that, if the scenes of Noa, who wasn't the focus for P2, were taken out, the film wouldn't have lost anything (it'd be better). Still, I do like both films for their music and atmosphere. I agree tho that the TV series and OVAs are better than both movies. If you can get them at a good price, check them out.
Noa saying she doesn't want to pilot robots anymore is just a vehicle for Oshii to - directly- tell the audience HE doesn't want to make robot movies anymore.
Patlabor or “Boring Appleseed” as my friends and I called it at the time.
This shindig was indeed the bomb-digetty
Congrats on the upcoming wedding!
Patlabor 1 had a plot that kinda vanished when looking at it when tilting your head (and grinds to a halt halfway through) but its intro and finale action scenes are REALLY well animated, and save the movie. Plus it's one of the first anime films I watched as a kid, so its odd mix of giant robots and police procedural left an impression.
Patlabor 2 is good, even great, and while a slow burn, there's this sense of tension and extreme unease building up in the background of everything. Soundtrack is very memorable and adds to the strange ambiance.
Can I suggest Ninja Scroll for an AA+?
*Clears throat* I disagree.
Personally, I think the first two Patlabor movies are brilliant, and some of the best storytelling and theme-driving forces in anime history. The second movie especially largely eclipses anything Oshii did later on, including Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell is a nice, pat story about transhumanism, but told somewhat well with good visuals. Patlabor 2 has much more to say and says it better than GitS, themes about war and peace, society's relationship with media and panic, the state of the militarization of Japan (or possibility), the contrast between everyday life and real danger living right next to each other. It's fantastically woven into a tapestry that hits all the right cords intellectually and emotionally. Better characters than GitS, too.
As far as the first movie being "terribly written" just because the mecha are pushed to the side for the sake of theme and atmosphere, that's laughable. It's not like their being able to use their Labors would have helped them discover how to fix the OS problem to begin with, nevermind that Patlabor has NEVER been mainly about the mecha themselves. Did we watch the same movie? And there's no more exposition in this than in Ghost in the Shell. And the mystery is in discovering what Hoba was really up to and how to resolve it. The Rock is written better? Sage, have you taken leave of your senses? Patlabor 1 is about cynicism over whether or not new things replacing old things are better or not, and what that means. It's all over Patlabor. The religion stuff is just dressing and you know it.
In Patlabor 2, Tsuge had the help of the organization Arakawa and several other embedded politicians and military personell to plan his project. Arakawa only broke with Tsuge just before the project began because he was more militant. It was a major part of the main story, that Arakawa had been part of Tsuge's group before this all started. All the planning Tsuge did over years needed the help of the organization Arakawa mentioned during the night car ride scene. It's how he was able to pull everything off.
Patlabor 2 has its roots in episodes 5 and 6 of the original OVA, which has a military and police standoff in Tokyo orchestrated by a guy named Kai that Goto knew from his school days. In Patlabor 2, the premise is grandly expanded on and the relationship is switched from Goto knowing the mastermind to Shinobu Nagumo having had an affair with him in her college days.
What makes the movie so engaging is that it takes the simpler concepts of the original work and expands them, and the character comes from Oshii's trademark visual style and the maturity of the approach. Plus Goto and Nagumo are especially fascinating as the leaders of their respective divisions, very close to each other in intelligence and sharpness, but fundamentally different in action and perspective.
They're genius movies.
I feel like he expected something the movies (and the series) were never really about, that is, giant robots. This is not supposed to be Gundam or Macross.
@Otaku Evolution episodes 5 and 6 of the OVA are some of the best anime episodes I’ve ever seen. And I gave the first move a 9/10 it was great. Agreed with. Never got around to watching the second movie though, unfortunately.
Now I remember why I cancel my subscription
Congrats for the wedding!
Thanks for posting this, I needed more patlabor analysis
From a collaboration group that Masami Yuki was in (Headgear) to a standalone Masami Yuki project? What a smooth transition!
I'm commenting for the Al Gore Rhythm.
Living in the UK we got the movies but not the OVA or TV show so while I loved the filmed and read some of the manga. I never saw more.
Oh my god, this reminds me of about 4 years ago when me and my friend tried watching this, we ended up waking up to the sound of the other falling asleep every 15 mins, ultimately ending up in us watching completely different halves of the same thing.
It's great to see you again, Sage! And congratulations!
.Hack// is a winner, you just lack appreciation for the shindig.
Congrats on your upcoming wedding!