" Mobile Police Patlabor EZY," a new anime in the popular " Mobile Police Patlabor " series, is finally getting a theatrical release, approximately nine years after its initial announcement in 2017 and the release of its pilot film in 2022. The film is directed by Yutaka Izubuchi of "HEADGEAR," the legendary creative group that has supported the series for so long. With Kazunori Ito handling series composition and scriptwriting, the new "EZY" is produced with a solid team. We spoke with Director Izubuchi about his thoughts on the new film, which aims to be the "next generation of Patlabor" while staying true to the "essence of Patlabor."
◇The core is "what remains unchanged"
" Mobile Police Patlabor" is a multimedia project set in a world where general-purpose humanoid work machines called Labors have been put into practical use, depicting the daily lives of the members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Special Vehicles Division 2 as they confront Labor-related crimes. The project was created by "HEADGEAR," a unit formed by five creators: Masami Yuki, Izubuchi, Ito, Akemi Takada, and Mamoru Oshii. It began in 1988 with six OVAs (Original Video Animations) called "Early Days," and has since expanded into manga by Yuki, television anime, theatrical anime, novels, audio dramas, games, and more.
While the first series was ahead of its time, set in the late 1990s, the new series is set in the 2030s, a time of steadily declining working population, and depicts the activities of the next generation of Special Vehicles Division 2. The title "EZY" signifies that it is the next generation of "Patlabor."
"It's a title that Mr. Ito came up with. There were several title ideas, and we almost went with a different title, but Mr. Maki (producer Taro Maki) suggested 'EZY.' It's an acronym for Exa, Zetta, and Yotta, signifying the next generation of Patlabor after Mega, Giga, Tera, and Peta. Some people say it's an abbreviation for 'Yutaka Izubuchi,' but if that were the case, it would be 'IZY' (laughs). That's a misunderstanding."
In delivering the next generation of "Patlabor" in the Reiwa era, we felt that the core principle should be "what remains unchanged." Technology may advance, but perhaps humanity itself has not.
"I think the fundamentals of human activity haven't changed. When 'Patlabor' first started, mobile phones weren't widespread, but now smartphones are commonplace, and AI has become integrated into our lives. Gadgets and tools are rapidly advancing, and the way we interact with them is changing, but I think the fundamental aspects of human activity might not change all that much."
Special Vehicles Division 2 is treated as a "burden" within the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and has been relegated to a remote location on reclaimed land (waterfront) in Tokyo Bay. In "EZY," which is set in the 2030s, they are still treated as a "burden."
"There's a feeling of being left behind. The old Special Vehicles Division 2 was like a burden, banished from headquarters. Even though the surroundings have changed, Special Vehicles Division 2 hasn't. It was old even back then, but it's still left behind. That area has been redeveloped and changed, but time has stopped for Special Vehicles Division 2. There's a picture book called 'The Little House,' right? That image might be close. The surroundings are being developed and changing, but the little house is left all alone. If we maintain that feeling of being a burden, it becomes 'Patlabor.' If we make Special Vehicles Division 2 futuristic and cool and introduce new mechs, it won't be 'Patlabor.' So, that's something we cherish."
I can also sense a love for those who are considered "burden." That hasn't changed, then or now.
"I haven't changed that either. If I changed it, I think half of their appeal would be lost. They're a minority within the organization, you could say they're mavericks who haven't followed the mainstream path. They're not mainstream, but they're okay with it and have become accustomed to it. They're comfortable there. I don't think everyone in the world follows the mainstream path. I myself, doing this kind of work, am not mainstream either (laughs). In the world of anime and film, it might be considered mainstream, but in the eyes of the general public, it's completely different, and they enjoy being a minority. I think that's important. It's not like when the enemy comes, they defeat them, and everyone applauds. I think the good thing about 'Patlabor' is that they keep going even though they feel ashamed of being called 'tax thieves'."
◇"It's uncertain what will happen in 10 years," but...
"This program is a work of fiction. However, the situation in 10 years is uncertain..." This is the familiar caption that appears in "Patlabor." Even 10 years after the "Early Days," Labors had not become widespread.
"Back then, I never imagined that Labors would become widespread 10 years later, and I never thought it would be such a long-running series when I was making it. The future 10 years from then is now the past, and Labors never existed. So, I had no choice but to accept that it's a world where Labors exist. To make a world where work Labors exist plausible, I came up with the Babylon Project. It's a clever idea. The Babylon Project should be finished in 30 years. It would be terrible if it wasn't finished, and if the massive land reclamation project had been completed, it would have caused terrible environmental damage. I think it must have been abandoned midway, and I try not to dwell on that too much because it's dangerous. I don't say, 'There was such a plan, but it was completed.' Mr. Ito handles that part very well."
Numerous "Patlabor" works have been produced so far, sharing the same setting and characters, but unfolding as parallel worlds with different storylines. "EZY" is connected to "ON TELEVISION" and "NEW OVA".
"Even though it's said that the first and second theatrical films are connected, that's not really the case, and with 'Patlabor,' you can come up with ideas freely. In 'EZY,' Mr. Ito created a setting where there's a plan to put the entire communication network underground, and the Labors are still operational."
◇The ability to deviate from the norm is what makes "Patlabor" unique.
"EZY" consists of three chapters and eight episodes in total. "File 1 (Chapter 1)" will be screened in theaters from May 15th. It has also been announced that "File 2 (Chapter 2)" will be released in theaters on August 14th, and "File 3 (Chapter 3)" will be released in March 2027. Episodes 1-6 are self-contained omnibus stories, while episodes 7 and 8 form a continuous storyline.
Many fans will likely recall the structure of "Early Days." Director Izubuchi has also stated in the past that he is "returning to the basics."
"We came to the conclusion that we should restart with a structure similar to 'Early Days,' but the content might be closer to 'NEW OVA.' As a result, there are episodes that are similar to 'Seven Days of Fire,' 'Rondo of Snow,' and 'Two People in Karuizawa.' The great thing about 'Patlabor' is that it can take various approaches in an anthology style, and it can be political fiction, slapstick, horror, or fantasy. I think that being able to do so many different things is what makes 'Patlabor' unique. There aren't many things like that these days, so maybe it's good that we're doing it now."
Things that seem pointless at first glance are not pointless. This is the essence of "Patlabor," and perhaps the very existence of Special Vehicles Division 2 is also a part of it.
"Waste is important. Creative things are born from waste. I think the strength of 'Patlabor' lies in its ability to deviate from fixed common sense and other such things. Special Vehicles Division 2 and the Ingram act as a glue, connecting and expanding various genres. In that sense, it may be a rare work."
◇The story behind the introduction of Type-0
While inheriting the universal appeal of "Patlabor," it has also evolved technologically, making full use of 3DCG. It attempts to expand the world of "Patlabor" with the latest technology of the Reiwa era.
"We can now do things that were difficult to animate with hand-drawn animation. Labors are essentially machines with arms and legs, an extension of vehicles. The 'AV' in 'AV-98' stands for 'Advanced Vehicle,' and in terms of mechanical movement, it has a high affinity with CG. Both the slapstick movements in the TV series and the serious, precise movements in the theatrical films can be done with CG. With hand-drawn animation, there are only a limited number of animators who can draw such intricate movements, but with CG, we don't have to hold back on the expression. We've also created a 3D layout of the Special Vehicles Division 2 building. 'Patlabor' has stories like 'Two People in Karuizawa' and 'VS (Versus)', but basically, the inside of Special Vehicles Division 2 is featured, so drawing the complex interior takes a lot of time. Being able to complete it with a 3D layout was a big advantage. However, once you start getting particular about it, it becomes a lot of work. I believe that if you don't get particular, you're not a director, so I'm being very particular about it."
The AV-98Plus Ingram (Ingram Plus) featured in "EZY" is an improved version of the Type 98 AV Ingram, which was rolled out in 1998. In addition to performance improvements through tuning, its basic performance has been significantly enhanced through updates to its control system software. It has been in active service for approximately 40 years, undergoing repeated improvements and refurbishments. Its design has also been updated to keep up with the times.
"Looking back now, the Yagi antenna on the collar isn't found on current cars, and it was prone to breaking when made into a model, so I removed it. The bumper is an extension of the car's design, but it incorporates elements of modern car design. The rotating lights on the shoulders are based on current police cars. It's a robot, but there are aspects that connect it to the real world. I've changed the shoulders as well, but at first glance, the design is unmistakably Ingram."
The appearance of the AV-X0 Zero in the trailer for "File 1" has also become a hot topic. This popular mecha fought a fierce battle with the Ingram in the first theatrical film, "Mobile Police Patlabor the Movie," and many fans are surely thrilled by the Zero's reappearance. Furthermore, it seems that the ARL-99 Helldiver will also make an appearance.
"During the scriptwriting stage, we decided to include a powerful Labor, and we thought, 'Let's just make it the Zero!' I have a special attachment to the Zero, you see. If I do say so myself, it's a beautiful villain. In some shots, we've completely copied the first theatrical film (laughs). It was different in the storyboards, but if we were going to include the Zero, we might as well just go for it without being embarrassed. I was in fan mode myself."
◇ "Patlabor" is what fuels me today
It's rare to find a creator with as many "representative works" as Director Izubuchi. While "Patlabor" is one of his representative works, he is also known as the director of "RahXephon" and "Space Battleship Yamato 2199," and has worked on designs for "Gundam," "Super Sentai," and "Kamen Rider." What does "Patlabor" mean to Director Izubuchi?
"HEADGEAR was a small group of five, but it was the first time in my career that I was able to own the rights to my own work. Instead of being asked to design things, we were able to create and share our own work. It was a huge experience. I was in my late twenties at the time. I've recently come to believe that the work you do from your late twenties to early thirties determines what happens next. What I was able to do back then has become a valuable asset and has helped me a lot. Thankfully, the model kits and figures of robots I designed are being re-released, and they're mostly from that period. I'm glad I worked hard and did what I wanted back then. It's led me to where I am today. So, I want all the young people out there to do what they can now without any regrets."
Director Izubuchi made his debut as a mechanical designer in 1978 with "Tōshō Daimos." In his twenties, he participated in numerous works such as "Space Battleship Yamato III," "Combat Mecha Xabungle," "Aura Battler Dunbine," and "Armored Trooper Gallian."
"There weren't many people who could do that kind of thing. Before us, there was Kunio Okawara and Mitsuki Nakamura at Tatsunoko Production, and Kazutaka Miyatake and the others at Studio Nue, and that's when the title of 'mecha design' first came into existence. When ' Space Battleship Yamato' became a movement, there was a need for people to draw mecha, but there were few who could. Until then, robots and monsters were drawn by animators, and things like spaceships and bases were drawn by the art department, but when realistic robots were in demand, there were few people who could draw them. The work went to SF fans who drew illustrations and people who did design work for toys. I think that was because there was a shortage of talent at the time."
Director Izubuchi has drawn on the passion he had in his twenties to tackle "Patlabor" once again. We hope you will witness the unchanging essence of "Patlabor" in theaters, even as times change. (Mitsuru Anima/MANTANWEB)
