Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor: New OVA

I already watched the TV series (47eps) so I'll do a brief comparative of what can you find in these OVAs.

The first episodes are the direct sequel of something serious that happened in the TV series. It would be the most important arc that this animated series has had. However, the rest of the episodes are simply isolated chapters that were removed from the main series as a sort of innocent fanservice. So this part is like a gift for fans that wanted to continue their lives, somehow. There's practically no more mecha action with Alphonse or any other Ingrams so don't be dissapointed ... for this.

So, what to know about Patlabor is that it is a very atypical show. It is labeled as a mecha show but you won't get much action, it's rather a comedic "slice-of-life" thing, more of a chronicle of a bunch of cops. It's episodes go into diverse genres but the main interest is still to see how it's cast of "wacky" characters functions. But you won't get ultra complex or "deep" character development, or any troubled past. The show focuses on the very humain dimension of it's characters, and each episode is a new occasion to discover a new side of them. What it lost ... from Oshii's cerebral long and time-consuming monologues, it gains in subtlety and humanity, and it is reinforced by the animation. If it is compared to the first "Early Days" OAV series or the movie as being inferior, it would be unfair to ignore that a lot of care is put on the character expressions : they are not as exagerated as the previous OAVs, it went for something more low-key.

This second OAV series is an extension of the 47 episodes TV series, and should be watched after it. In the TV series, a lot more focus were put into the mecha, there were (a few) more action scenes ; more plotline about the development of new models of Labors, and about the SV2's missions with their Labors. All these plot elements were concluded in the last episode, without anything spectacular but still satisfying. Of course if you expect Patlabor to be a heavy political/action show, you will be disappointed. From the begining, the Patalabor animated series was about policemen being blocked in the godforesaken hole of Tokyo, wainting for some mission that ended up to be "arresting drunk guy that seized a Labor to do something stupid". The TV series already exploited that to the end, so here you'll get Patlabor mostly without mechas. The more this OVA series progresses, the less there is mecha action. The writers just wrapped up quickly the action arc known as "Griffon arc", still leaving some unresolved elements (a way to say that, even after the end of the series, the SV2 will continue their job and there will still have criminals to arrest) to go for the core of Patlabor : the bunch of various young misfits that compose the Special Vehicules Unit 2. It will go from completely comedic episodes (I found them hilarious), then, when you expect it the least, BANG! A serious episode about some members of the squad that gets awesomely intimist. Yeah, because Patlabor gets very intimistic when it wants, getting really into the character's life and all. But even in simple comedic episodes, there is still a way to show the character's personnallity, they always stays appealing despite their flaws. Those guys are average guys, which is rare in japanesse animation! They don't suddenly have specific abilities, what they can do comes from past experiences. If one is good with computer, it's because he was in informatics beforehand, for example, and never any of their character traits feels exagerated or forced, even when it is used for comedy. This is what makes them seem more humain.

This was the writers last show before the end, so they ensured to have fun, but they never forgot to let their characters shine. Some of them doesn't feel like they were exploited enough and that's a shame, but they still had at least one moment during the whole series, whether it would be during the TV part or this part. It has it's flaws of course, but I can't put the finger on it, beside the fact that I felt a lot more could have being done. But at one point, it has to end. After that, the Patabor franchise would "end" on Patlabor 2, which didn't gave enough time to show a glipse of the charactes some years laters... Well, in an another continuity (the third movie being a spin-off, and even taking place before the second movie, can't count as an "end"). This extension of the TV series is a goodbye, to those idiots working more efficiently than they seem, sometimes immature, sometimes desctructive, but full of wisdom and courage. Personnally, I'll miss them.

As a continuation of the TV series and as done with the original OVA, Patlabor is about a mech police force in Division 2 going about their daily lives.

The first four episodes serve as a conclusion to the TV series in a final bout with the black labor. This reason alone, if having seen the TV series, will be enough to justify watching New Files. However, the rest of the OVA series is random episodes in true Patlabor fashion as it follows the division 2 team on various adventures, work related or not. That is what makes up Patlabor The New Files.

Director Oshi (previous Patlabor) ... creates a slow paced environment and well developed characters to invent any situation imaginable ranging from getting lost in the sewer system, fighting in a bath house, or even to getting hammered (drunk) on vacation.

When it came to the animation, nothing is new here. Unlike the TV series and the original OVA, New Files does not do anything to impress. It is still good, but the music is lacking along with almost zero action. This really is just another OVA series to give the viewer more of the team and their hijinks they get into. After those four initial episodes, the series falls flat in wanting more Patlabor action.

Patlabor New Files is a fun watch if having already watched the previous iterations, and just want more. Otherwise, this is the weakest of the anime series, but still remains pretty enjoyable at the same time.