The first chapter of " Mobile Police Patlabor Mobile Police Patlabor " series, began its theatrical run on May 15th. This is the first new anime in approximately 10 years, since the short film " Mobile Police Patlabor REBOOT" was released in 2016. As a series that has been loved for so long, the film is filled with surprises that will bring a smile to the faces of fans. The most notable of these is the "appearance" of characters created by Masami Yuki throughout the series' history.
◇A vast stock of material, from "Ultimate Superman R" to "Shinkuro, Run!"
"Mobile Police Patlabor" is a multimedia project created by the legendary creative group "HEADGEAR," consisting of Yuki, Yutaka Izubuchi, Kazunori 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 films, novels, audio dramas, games, and live-action films.
Yuki is a popular manga artist known for works other than "Mobile Police Patlabor," such as "Ultimate Superhuman R," "Birdy the Mighty," and "Jajiuma Grooming★UP!". He is currently serializing "Shinkuro, Run!", which features Hojo Soun, also known as Ise Shinkuro, as the main character, in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" (Shogakukan). It is still fresh in our memories that he surprised longtime fans by announcing a new manga version of "Mobile Police Patlabor," the first in about 32 years since the end of the original series.
The new characters appearing in the new series "EZY" were designed by Masami Yuki. In addition to designing the main characters, a "casting audition" method was used for various supporting roles, utilizing visuals of characters that Yuki had drawn in the past. In other words, characters from "Ultimate Superman R" and "Shinkuro, Run!" will appear as different characters in "EZY".
At the stage greeting for the first chapter held on May 15, Yuuki revealed, "The basic outlines for the main characters Towa, Kippei, and Saeki were created during 'REBOOT.' I drew the other team members. Following Director Yutaka Izubuchi's policy, the supporting characters and extras are taken from my previous manga."
Director Izubuchi explained the process, saying, "It would be difficult to have everyone draw all the characters. We have a huge stock of material from 'Ultimate Superman R' to 'Shinkuro, Run!', so the setting production team selected candidates from that, and we cast them like actors who applied for auditions. We think of them as actors. It might be similar to Osamu Tezuka's star system."
Director Izubuchi also spoke about the appeal of Yuuki's characters, saying, "They have a lot of variety, are easy to animate, and are well-suited for animation."
I won't mention which characters appear to avoid spoilers, but you'll discover something new each time you watch it—you'll find them in unexpected places. Many fans will surely be thrilled by the appearance of beloved characters.
◇A mechanism that will impress long-time fans
"EZY" has also garnered attention for featuring Isao Ota and Mikiyasu Shinji. Ota was the forward (pilot) of Ingram Unit 2 in the Special Vehicles Division 2 of "Mobile Police Patlabor," while Shinji was the carrier of Unit 2. Michihiro Ikemizu plays Ota and Kazunari Futamata plays Shinji, with Toshio Furukawa, who played Yuma Shinohara, providing the opening narration. Furthermore, Shigeo Shiba, also known as "Shige-san," appears, with Shigeru Chiba, who plays the role, making an appearance.
The appearance of other former members of Special Vehicles Division 2 is also something to look forward to, and Director Izubuchi said, "We'll bring them in as guest appearances. I've talked to Ito-san about it, and we've decided not to bring them in too much. The old members are all quite eccentric, so we'll bring them in little by little in a way that's just right. Sadly, some of the cast members have passed away, but their characters live on in this world. There are hints, and you can make connections when you look at the pictures," revealing his deep love for the work and its characters.
Chapter 1 is filled with these "hints," but they are so subtly placed that you might easily miss them at first glance. "EZY" broadens the appeal to new fans experiencing Patlabor for the first time, while never forgetting to include features that will impress long-time fans. This is surely a major reason why you'll want to go back to the theater again and again.
"EZY" will consist of three chapters and eight episodes in total, with the second chapter being released in theaters on August 14th and the third chapter in March 2027. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
