Yutaka Izubuchi, the director of the new anime "Mobile Police Patlabor EZY," a sequel to the popular anime series "Mobile Police Patlabor ," has provided a comment. Director Izubuchi commented, "With EZY, I wanted to try out Patlabor again as a format that is bright like the TV series and allows for a variety of stories. I want to cherish the fun of these 30-minute self-contained stories, and as I'm working on it, I'm rediscovering myself that it's really fun, and that it will be fun."
"In that sense, Patlabor is a very broad project. You can try all sorts of things with it. From serious stories to lighthearted ones, from gags to comedies to robot action. And it's also a social drama about work. You can depict the youth of young people, you can do a bit of fantasy or fantastical stories, and if you want to, you can even do horror. In that sense, I've come to realize again how versatile this project is," he said.
The released images include shots of the Second Platoon members visiting a nursery school to introduce the work of the Labor Corps to the children, a group shot of the members getting along well at the station between missions, a scene of them neatly lined up and saluting, and shots of them standing by a patrol car on standby.
"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, while Ito Kazunori, also from "HEADGEAR," will handle the script and series composition. JCSTAFF will produce the animation.
Sumire Uesaka will play Towa Kuga, the pilot of Ingram Unit 1, and Kikunosuke Toya will play Kippei Amatori, the commander of Ingram Unit 1. Ami Koshimizu, Chikahiro Kobayashi, Setsuji Sato, Yume Matsumura, and Megumi Hayashibara will also appear in the cast. The series will consist of three chapters and eight episodes in total, with Chapter 1 released in theaters on May 15th, Chapter 2 on August 14th, and Chapter 3 in March 2027.
