Looking for a mecha anime that’s more about awkward office shenanigans and less about saving the world from alien invaders? Patlabor is your answer!
Created by the legendary artist collective Headgear (Masami Yuki, Yutaka Izubuchi, Kazunari Ito, Akemi Takada and Mamoru Oshii), this series is a delightful blend of giant robots and, well, a lot of paperwork.
Set in a not-so-far-off future where mechas, or Labors, are used for everything from construction to law enforcement, Patlabor follows the quirky members of the Special Vehicles Section 2.
They spend their days dealing with malfunctioning robots, traffic jams, and the occasional rogue machine – all while juggling office politics and personal drama.
It’s a hilarious mix of comedy, action, and mecha nostalgia, with enough heart to keep you rooting for these loveable goofballs.
1. Mobile Police Patlabor (1988)
| Title | Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor |
| Episodes | 7 |
| Aired | Spring 1988 |
This 7 episode OVA is a sort of introduction to the Patlabor series.
Rapidly advancing technology gives birth to giant robots known as “Labors,” so named for their usefulness in heavy industry.
However, this also gives rise to “Labor crimes,” resulting the need for a new branch of law enforcement equipped with and dedicated to the policing of Labors.
When Izumi Noa, a female police officer, becomes the newest recruit of Special Vehicles Division 2, she and her top of the line “Patrol Labor” (or “Patlabor”) Alphonse are swept into a series of adventures featuring crazed construction workers, eco-terrorists, and sea monsters.
2. Patlabor: The Movie (1989)
| Title | Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor: The Movie |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Summer 1989 |
The year is 1999 and Tokyo’s Mobile Police have a new weapon in the war on crime – advanced robots called Labors are used to combat criminals who would use the new technology for illegal means.
The suicide of a mysterious man on the massive Babylon Project construction site sets off a cascade of events that may signal the destruction of Tokyo.
3. Patlabor the Mobile Police (1989-1990)
| Title | Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor ON TELEVISION |
| Episodes | 47 |
| Aired | Fall 1989-Summer 1990 |
Due to the success of the OVA and previous film, an anime series was developed based on the manga in 1988.
This is the story of the Second Special Vehicles Division, a motley crew of patlabor policemen and -women doing their best to fight crime and live a normal life.
4. Mobile Police Patlabor: The New Files (1990-1992)
| Title | Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor: NEW OVA |
| Episodes | 16 |
| Aired | Fall 1990-Winter 1992 |
Special Vehicles Division 2 is back on duty, along with their Ingram Patrol Labor (Patlabor) robots.
Using their courage as well as the Ingrams, Captain Goto’s motley crew of officers battle crime in Tokyo city. They also deal with their personal lives, as well as the supernatural.
5. Mobile Police Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993)
| Title | Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2: the Movie |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Summer 1993 |
The date is 2002, three years after the events of PATLABOR 1 – Mobile Police.
The destruction of a United Nations Labor team in South East Asia begins the build-up to a deadly terrorist plan that threatens to send shockwaves throughout Japan’s military.
With evidence of an impending military takeover, the scattered members of the original SVD (Special Vehicle Division) must gather to defend the city against danger.
To make matters worse, the mastermind behind the operation is none other than Nagumo’s former teacher and ex-lover Tsuge.
6. Mobile Police Patlabor: WXIII (2002)
| Title | WXIII Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Spring 2002 |
When the level of Labor accidents begin to escalate around Tokyo Bay, police detectives Kusumi and Hata are assigned to investigate.
What they discover leads to a series of government cover-ups, conspiracy concerning a new biological weapon entitled WXIII-Wasted Thirteen and a tragic, personal connection to Hata.
The only hope to stop this threat is to cooperate with the military and lead WXIII into a showdown with the Labors of Special Vehicle Division 2.
7. PATLABOR EZY
| Title | PATLABOR EZY |
| Episodes | TBA |
| Aired | TBA |
Patlabor‘s next project, whose release date is unknown.
In conclusion, Patlabor isn’t your typical mecha anime—it’s a show that takes the massive, metal titans and grounds them in everyday absurdity.
Whether you’re in it for the unexpected laughs, or just the nostalgic joy of watching clunky robots trip over themselves, Patlabor has something for everyone.
So, sit back, and let the Special Vehicles Section 2 take you on a ride filled with malfunctioning mechas, office pranks, and the occasional heroic moment.
