A stage greeting event celebrating the completion of the first chapter of " Mobile Police Patlabor Mobile Police Patlabor " franchise, was held on April 23rd at Shinjuku Piccadilly (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), with director Yutaka Izubuchi in attendance. " Mobile Police Patlabor EZY" was announced in 2017, and after approximately nine years since the announcement, the first chapter has finally been unveiled.
Director Izubuchi addressed the fans gathered at the venue, saying, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. I think it's a fun film because it took so long, what do you think?" A huge round of applause erupted, and he continued, "We aimed to create a film that remains true to the Patlabor franchise. I'm overwhelmed to see a full house. I'm so glad we were able to do this. I had thought the series was finished, so I'm happy that it was able to take flight once more."
The fact that the Zero Type and Helldiver appeared in the trailer for Chapter 1 has also become a topic of discussion, and director Izubuchi hinted, "The Zero Type and Helldiver have appeared, and everyone is speculating, but I think we'll pleasantly surprise you."
He said, "I want everyone to stay in their seats until the very end of the ending. I asked Shinji Higuchi to do the storyboards," and revealed that Mamoru Oshii of the legendary creative group "HEADGEAR" is also credited, saying, "I wanted to include the names of all the members of HEADGEAR. With Oshii-san included, all five of them are now in the credits."
Director Izubuchi said, "Patlabor can be approached in many ways. It's fun even without the Labors. Many recent works have a continuity, and there are few that feel like self-contained stories. I would be happy if young people could receive it as something fresh."
At the stage greeting, in addition to director Sumire Uesaka Izubuchi, Sumire Kikunosuke Toya(who plays Towa Kuga), and Kikunosuke Totani (who plays Kippei Amatori), it was announced that the popular character "Shige-san," or Shigeo Shiba, would make a surprise appearance, and Shigeru Chiba, who plays the role, took to the stage.
"Mobile Police Patlabor" is set in the near future where walking work machines called Labors have been put into practical use, and depicts the activities of the Special Vehicles Division 2 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department as they confront Labor-related crimes, as well as the daily lives of the members, including Izumi Noa. The manga by Masami Yuki was serialized in the manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Sunday" (Shogakukan) from 1988 to 1994. An anime television series was broadcast from 1989 to 1990, and the animated film directed by Mamoru Oshii also gained popularity. The production of a live-action version also became a topic of discussion.
"Mobile Police Patlabor EZY" is set in Japan in the 2030s, a time when the working population is declining and automation through AI technology is advancing. Labors, once cutting-edge technology, have become an established part of supporting the social infrastructure. Standalone Labors piloted by humans are being replaced by autonomous robots and are becoming obsolete. No matter how times change, the work of Special Vehicles Division 2 remains the same: protecting people and the city. The Second Platoon, along with the AV-98Plus Ingram, a tuned-up version of the old Type 98 AV Ingram, confronts new technological crimes with their wit and courage.
Izubuchi, a member of the legendary creative group "HEADGEAR" who worked on "Mobile Police Patlabor" and was in charge of mechanical design, will direct the series, with Kazunori Ito, also from "HEADGEAR," handling the script and series composition. JCSTAFF will produce the animation. The series will consist of three chapters and eight episodes in total, with the first chapter released in theaters on May 15th, the second chapter on August 14th, and the third chapter in March 2027.
