Pat's Labor 08: Patlabor: The Movie
Biblical allegories and autonomous Patlabor's abound in the series first feature outing.
Patlabor places a high value on life. In a genre that often focuses on the cool or terrible violence giant mecha can cause, it's a notable element of the first OVA. This theme is even more clear after watching Patlabor: The Movie, where this tension is at the heart of it's drama.
There's still plenty of Labor-on-Labor battle, in both comically and terrifyingly animated ways: the bigger movie budget is put to stunning use here. But it remains restrained in the ways that makes Patlabor special, with quiet, thoughtful moments and the trademark skewering of bureaucratic and corporate politics. There's even a helping of Biblical allegories to give the cinematic length and plot's central mystery more grandeur, but it's Noa's very human story that really shines.
Suffice it to say, we liked the movie. We also tease our next bonus episode for subscribers: here's a hint, it's about a non-mecha movie that's also the closest thing any of us could think of to Patlabor's overall vibe.
Song: Heavy Armor by Kenji Kawai, from the Patlabor: The Movie OST.
Show notes:
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