 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Patlabor" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Mobile Police Patlabor | |
 Manga volume 1 cover, featuring Noa Izumi | |
| 機動警察パトレイバー (Kidō Keisatsu Patoreibā) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action,police comedy,[1]science fiction[2] |
| Created by | Headgear |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Masami Yuki |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Shōnen Sunday Comics |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Sunday |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | March 23, 1988 –May 11, 1994 |
| Volumes | 22 |
| Original video animation | |
| The Early Days | |
| Directed by | Mamoru Oshii |
| Written by | Kazunori Ito |
| Music by | Kenji Kawai |
| Studio | Studio Deen |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | April 25, 1988 – June 25, 1989 |
| Episodes | 7(List of episodes) |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Michiko Yokote |
| Published by | Fujimi Shobō |
| Imprint | Fujimi Fantasia Bunko |
| Demographic | Male |
| Original run | October 1990 –October 1993 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Light novel | |
| Tokyo War | |
| Written by | Mamoru Oshii |
| Published by | Fujimi Shobō |
| Imprint | Fujimi Fantasia Bunko |
| Demographic | Male |
| Original run | April 1994 –May 1994 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Original video animation | |
| Patlabor Minimum | |
| Directed by | Kenji Kamiyama |
| Written by | Mamoru Oshii |
| Music by | Kenji Kawai |
| Studio | Production I.G |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | March 30, 2002 |
| Runtime |
|
| Original net animation | |
| Patlabor Reboot | |
| Directed by | Yasuhiro Yoshiura |
| Written by | Yasuhiro YoshiuraKazunori Ito |
| Music by | Kenji Kawai |
| Studio |
|
| Released | October 15, 2016 |
| Runtime | 7 minutes |
| Movie timeline | |
| |
| TV timeline | |
Mobile Police Patlabor (Japanese:機動警察パトレイバー,Hepburn:Kidō Keisatsu Patoreibā), also known asPatlabor (aportmanteau of "patrol" and "labor"),[3] is a Japanesescience fictionmedia franchise created by Headgear, a group consisting of manga artistMasami Yūki, directorMamoru Oshii, screenwriterKazunori Itō, mecha designerYutaka Izubuchi, and character designerAkemi Takada.
The popular franchise includes a manga, a TV series, twoOVA series, three feature-length movies, twolight novel series, and a short film compilation, namedMinipato (ミニパト) because of itssuper deformed (chibi) drawing style.[4] The series has been adapted into video games and licensed products fromOST to toys.Patlabor is known for usingmecha – designed byYutaka Izubuchi – not just for police or military purposes, but also for industrial and municipal jobs.
The story takes place in what was, at the time of release, the near future of 1998–2002. Robots called "Labors" are employed in heavy construction work. TheTokyo Metropolitan Police has its own fleet of Patrol Labors ("Patlabors"; as opposed to patrol cars) to combat crimes/terrorism and deal with accidents involving Labors. Thestory arcs usually revolve around Tokyo Metropolitan Police Special Vehicle Section 2, Division 2. Noa Izumi is the main protagonist of the series, but all of Division 2 play roles. Hata and Kusumi are the main protagonists of the thirdPatlabor film.
The Next Generation takes place in 2013, with an entirely new cast with the exception of Shige and Buchiyama in maintenance, but the new members of SV2 have similar names and personalities to the old ones.
The feature films follow a separate continuity, referred to as the "movie timeline", as opposed to the "TV timeline", with theEarly Days OVA following the "movie timeline", and theNew Files OVA following the "TV timeline".[citation needed] In addition, the manga follows its own continuity.
The Next Generation features episodes that directly reference the TV series, while its final episode and movie are a direct sequel to the second movie.
Released by Shogakukan throughShonen Sunday magazine from 1988 to 1994, the 22-volume series takes place in a separate timeline.
Original release:
Bunkoban release:
Viz released first two volumes of the manga as individual comics in 1997 and 1998, then released them as volumes:
As of August 26, 2024, a crossover manga between Patlabor and Zoids is scheduled for 2025, written by Kazunori Ito.[5]
Originally known in Japan asMobile Police Patlabor. Details the origins of the Tokyo MPD's 2nd Special Vehicles Section, otherwise known as SV2.
A series of random labor incidents across theGreater Tokyo Area puts the SV2 on the case. The incidents turn out to be part of a dead programmer's diabolical plot to create a much bigger rampage.
A secret group of terrorists engineer a crisis in Tokyo in the winter of 2001–2002. The members of SV2's Section 2, who have been reassigned to other duties since the events ofWXIII, reunite one more time to stop the threat.
Taking place a year afterPatlabor: The Movie, the film features two MPD detectives who investigate the case of missing scientists working on agenetic engineering project that runs amok in Tokyo Bay. SV2's Section 2 is later called in to help rein in the danger.
Taking place in a different continuity, the series features more adventures of SV2 Section 2, which includes an arc involving their efforts to combat an advanced Schaft Enterprises Labor called the Type J9 Griffon.
Also referred to asPatlabor 2, the series contains episodes that took place at several points between certain episodes in the TV series and after the latter's final episode. The OVA also features the conclusion of the Griffon story arc.
A three-part series of short films known as "Mobile Police Patlabor Minimum: Minipato" were shown before screenings ofWXIII in 2002,Minipato uses paper puppets, CGI, and claymation to explain the rationale behind the whole concept of the series, especially how the Labors functioned in a realistichard science fiction setting.
Kidō Keisatsu Patlabor REBOOT is a short animated film released as part ofJapan Animator Expo 2016 featuring a modernised version ofPatlabor with new characters and utilising CG for the Labors,[6] animated byStudio Khara and Studio Rikka.[7]
On November 24, 2016, it was announced that a newPatlabor project had started.[8]Patlabor EZY was announced atAnnecy International Animated Film Festival in 2017.[9] Kazunori Ito said on his Twitter account in June 2017 that he is involved in the project.[10] In August 2018, GENCO opened social media accounts to promotePatlabor EZY.[11]
A pilot was reported to have debuted in August 2022.[12] During the "Mobile Police Patlabor Bucchake Talk!" event at Wonder Festival 2022, Yutaka Izubuchi said thatEZY is set to debut in 2024.[13]
In October 2023, MOVeLOT revealed that they're working on an Ingram-type mech in relation toEZY.[14] They invited anyone to follow their social media accounts for updates on the progress.[15] They reported in June 2024 that a working Ingram will be publicly unveiled in August with a ceremony held in mid-September.[16]
On September 12, 2024, the two-minute pilot was shown at theater screenings for the firstPatlabor movie in Japan.[17]
The show's staff announced on September 20, 2024 that it will be produced byJ.C.Staff and will air in 2026.[18]
At the 2013Tokyo Anime Fair,Tohokushinsha Film Corporation announced a live-actionPatlabor project to be launched in 2014.[19] On July 4, 2013, Mamoru Oshii announced that he would be involved in the project, in an unspecified capacity.[20]
On September 25, 2013, it was announced that Japanese actorsErina Mano would star as pilot Akira Izumino, Seiji Fukushi as Yūma Shiobara, Rina Oota as Ekaterina Krachevna Kankaeva ("Kasha"),Shigeru Chiba reprising his anime role as chief Shigeo Shiba and Toshio Kakei as Captain Keiji Gotōda.[21]
CalledThe Next Generation: Patlabor, the project consisted of a drama series and movie. The drama series is divided into 14 "short story" episodes released to blu-ray and DVD and exclusively aired on BS Digital and Star Channel airing from 2014 and 2015, with limited advanced theatrical screenings dividing the series into 7 "chapters", each comprising two episodes. The movieTHE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Shuto Kessen ("Showdown in the Capital City") (THE NEXT GENERATION パトレイバー 首都決戦) released in theaters on May 1, 2015, and a director's cut version of the movie was released on October 10, 2015.[22]
The Next Generation takes place in thePatlabor world's version of 2013 Tokyo, and is a sequel to the TV series, the OVA series and the second movie. The completion of the Babylon Project led to disuse of Labors, and Japan is in the midst of a recession. Labors falling into disuse also means there is also no place for the patrol labor squads, which have been shrunk to only one division.[22]
The drama series follows the new members of SV2 as they solve cases and get into trouble like their predecessors did.
In the movie, followers ofYukihito Tsuge carry out terrorist attacks on Tokyo, re-enacting Tsuge's coup, and SV2 has to stop them.
Novels taking place in the same universe as theEarly Days OVA and first movie.
Novelization of the second movie.
A hardcover edition combining the two older volumes.
Novels taking place in the world ofThe Next Generation.
The fourth novel by Yamamura is not numbered.
Novelization of the live action movieShuto Kessen, which is also a sequel to theTOKYO WAR novels.
A sequel to Patlabor taking place in the present day with a new generation of SV2 members, later used as inspiration forThe Next Generation.
Not a novel but short story included in the anthologyTag: Watashi no Aibou (2015) taking place in thePatlabor world.
AllPatlabor video games were released exclusively in Japan.
All of the mainPatlabor anime productions have been released overseas in some form. All the movies have been translated into English and are available in Region 1, 2 & 4 DVD format. Most of the manga is not available in North America in English, and the video games, novels and live action series have also not been released outside of Japan.
The TV series and OVAs were released in the U.S. byCentral Park Media. The first two movies were released byManga Entertainment, but later remastered and re-released in 2006 byBandai Visual. The third movie (along with "Mini-Pato") was released byGeneon Entertainment (formerly Pioneer). Twelve sections of themanga have been translated and published byViz Communications as single issues and in two trade paperbacks, but later dropped the manga before completing it.
Mini-Pato is available on DVD in regions 1, 2, and 4 in the Limited EditionPatlabor WXIII DVD packages.
In 2006,Bandai Visual'sHonneamise label re-released the first two movies on DVD in North America with extensive bonus features and an alternate English track, andBeez Entertainment handled distribution in the UK.
Madman has the distribution rights for the movies in Australia and New Zealand in association withManga Entertainment UK &TFC, Madman have been refused the rights to the Bandai Visual dubs of the films. In 2011, Madman Entertainment announced that they had secured the rights to the Early Days OVA series and the TV series fromTFC, but announced on April 13, 2012, that due to unforeseen circumstances, Madman had indefinitely delayed their release into Australia and did not elaborate on the reasons.[23] However, Madman has since rescheduled the first OVA for DVD and Blu-ray release on June 19, 2013. In July 2013,MVM Films has licensed the first OVA & TV series for distribution in the UK and will release them on Blu-ray and DVD.
In 2013,Maiden Japan (in conjunction withSection23 Films) acquired the licence to thePatlabor OAV series, and released it onBlu-ray and DVD on April 30, 2013.[24] They subsequently licensed and released the TV series on July 16, 2013;[25] the second OVA series on February 17, 2015;[26] and all of the films, with the first film released on May 5, 2015.[27]
Headgear (ヘッドギア,Heddogia) is a group consisting of five main writers and artists who work in the Japaneseanime/manga field. The group was set up so that all the creators could retain full copyright to their work, achieve greater publicity for their work and sell their manga to anime sponsors for film production. The members areMasami Yuki,Yutaka Izubuchi,Kazunori Itō,Akemi Takada, andMamoru Oshii. Together they worked on the anime seriesPatlabor and the two episodeOVATwilight Q.
Other staff involved with Headgear includeKenji Kawai, Naoyuki Yoshinaga, Takayama Fumihiko,Kenji Kamiyama, andMiki Tori.[28]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) |
The manga received the 36thShogakukan Manga Award forshōnen in 1991.[29]Guillermo del Toro has cited the series as an influence forPacific Rim.[30] In 2018, the Japan Anniversary Association recognized August 10 as "Patlabor Day".[2]
Maiden Japan today announced its acquisition of the classic police action-comedyPatlabor.
