The new anime Mobile Police Patlabor EZY, based on the popular Mobile Police Patlabor anime, is being talked about as consisting of 3 chapters and 8 episodes. Episodes 1 to 6 are an anthology format with each episode being a self-contained story, while episodes 7 and 8 will be a continuous story. It seems that many fans were reminded of Mobile Police Patlabor Early Days. But what exactly is Early Days?
◇ Masterpiece "Second Division's Longest Day"
"Early Days" is an early OVA (original video animation) consisting of seven episodes that aired from April 1988 to June 1989. It was created by the creative group "Headgear," consisting of manga artist Masami Yuki, scriptwriter Kazunori Ito, mechanic designer Yutaka Izubuchi, character designer Akemi Takada, and director Mamoru Oshii.
Episodes 1 to 4 are self-contained anthologies, depicting a variety of stories from comedy and horror to sharp social drama about the daily lives and incidents of the Special Vehicle Section 2. Episodes 5 and 6, a two-parter called "Section 2's Longest Day," are a masterpiece that is said to have inspired the second animated feature film, "Mobile Police Patlabor 2: The Movie," released in 1993.
"Early Days" was a huge hit and determined the subsequent popularity of "Patlabor."
◇ A series of extra chapters
The new "EZY" series will have its first chapter, "The Trend is #SecondPlatoon," "Delusions in Leisure," and "The Real Thing is the Best," released on May 15th, its second chapter, "Wine and Bullets," "Asaki Yumemishi," and "Survival of Love," on August 14th, and its third chapter, "Toy Land: Part 1" and "Toy Land: Part 2," in March 2027. "EZY" appears to be an attempt to revive the "traditional style" established by "Early Days" in the Reiwa era.
At the "Early Days" screening of the 1st Aichi-Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF), an international anime film festival held in Nagoya last December, Izubuchi, the director of "Ezy," said, "I feel like the essence of 'Patlabor' is a series of spin-offs. Each episode is self-contained, and rather than following the standard path, I'm aiming for a series of 'Patlabor' spin-offs. That's what makes it a work that won't disappoint those who think it's 'Patlabor'."
Izubuchi also commented, "I wondered how Patlabor would be received in this day and age, but with this work I went back to the roots and made each episode self-contained, aiming for Patlabor to be a series of spin-off episodes rather than a standard one."
"EZY" may be the perfect way to convey the essence of "Patlabor" in the Reiwa era. What will the new "Patlabor" be like as it returns to its roots? Anticipation is building. (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
