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lb:patlabor [2026-01-19 15:30:40] – [Terminology] ninjasrlb:patlabor [2026-01-23 16:22:54] (current) – [Terminology] ninjasr
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 The franchise takes place 10 years into the future (from the 1980s) in Japan. The development of hyper-technology allowed the creation of the labors – mechas used in construction work. Labors quickly expanded into other industries, becoming an important tool in day-to-day life. Unfortunately, as the number of labors increased, the amount of crime committed with labors also increased. This forced the police to adopt their own labors to fight crime - and thus came the Patrol-Labors...Patlabors.\\ The franchise takes place 10 years into the future (from the 1980s) in Japan. The development of hyper-technology allowed the creation of the labors – mechas used in construction work. Labors quickly expanded into other industries, becoming an important tool in day-to-day life. Unfortunately, as the number of labors increased, the amount of crime committed with labors also increased. This forced the police to adopt their own labors to fight crime - and thus came the Patrol-Labors...Patlabors.\\
 Ever since I read the manga, Patlabor proudly stands as one of my personal favorites. Ever since I read the manga, Patlabor proudly stands as one of my personal favorites.
-<WRAP centeralign>+<div center-text>
 [[lb:patlabor:gotou]] • [[lb:patlabor:kanuka]] • [[lb:patlabor:kumagami]]\\ [[lb:patlabor:gotou]] • [[lb:patlabor:kanuka]] • [[lb:patlabor:kumagami]]\\
 [[lb:patlabor:vocal]] [[lb:patlabor:vocal]]
-</WRAP>+</div>
 {{tag>anime manga otaku speculah}} {{tag>anime manga otaku speculah}}
 ===== Notes ===== ===== Notes =====
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 This explains a number of terms that are unique to the Patlabor series. This explains a number of terms that are unique to the Patlabor series.
   ? Labor   ? Labor
-  : Labor is used to refer to mecha, humanoid or otherwise, in the Patlabor series.+  : <span notion>Labor</span> is used to refer to mecha, humanoid or otherwise, in the Patlabor series.
  
   ? Patlabor   ? Patlabor
-  : <span idea visual>Patrol Labor</span>+  : <span notion>Patrol Labor</span>
   : Patlabors are labors used by the police.   : Patlabors are labors used by the police.
  
   ? SV2   ? SV2
-  : **S**pecial **V**ehicles Section **2**.+  : <span notion>**S**pecial **V**ehicles Section **2**.</span>
   : It is the Tokyo Police's main patlabor unit. Divisions 1 & 2 belong to it.   : It is the Tokyo Police's main patlabor unit. Divisions 1 & 2 belong to it.
   : Not to be confused with <span idea>Division 2</span>, which is a //division// of the SV2. This is a mistake that I made in the past.   : Not to be confused with <span idea>Division 2</span>, which is a //division// of the SV2. This is a mistake that I made in the past.
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 This film takes place a few years after the first one and portrays the Division 2 cast having moved on from the SV2, now working in different jobs. The first major mistake! and one that would negatively affect the rest of the film continuity. Here though, as a standalone, it's alright.\\ This film takes place a few years after the first one and portrays the Division 2 cast having moved on from the SV2, now working in different jobs. The first major mistake! and one that would negatively affect the rest of the film continuity. Here though, as a standalone, it's alright.\\
 Shinohara and Izumi are portrayed as working for Shinohara Heavy Industries: Izumi as a test pilot. Ota still works in the police, but now helps train new recruits for Patlabor piloting. Shinshi works in a bureaucratic position in the police. Yamazaki, Goto, Nagumo all still work for the SV2. Kanuka left permanently. Shigeo is now the head mechanic.\\ Shinohara and Izumi are portrayed as working for Shinohara Heavy Industries: Izumi as a test pilot. Ota still works in the police, but now helps train new recruits for Patlabor piloting. Shinshi works in a bureaucratic position in the police. Yamazaki, Goto, Nagumo all still work for the SV2. Kanuka left permanently. Shigeo is now the head mechanic.\\
-The motivations of the antagonist are poorly presented to the audience, making it difficult to figure out what the hell he's trying to do. It took me a re-watch and a lot of thinking to figure it out. My initial thinking was that he was aiming to <wrap spoiler>place Japan in the same position he ended up in: essentially, behind enemy lines, no permission to retreat and no help coming</wrap>. I'd guess the audience would naturally gravitate towards this conclusion, considering the opening scene. However, the reality is <span wrap_spoiler>that his goal was to create a “state of illusion”</span>. More specifically <wrap spoiler>the antagonist probably got PTSD or something similar from the situation depicted in the opening scene. The evidence in favor of this is what he says later in the movie: when he came back to Japan, it felt ‘unreal’ to him, which is a symptom of PTSD. He decided then that he wanted Japan to experience the same thing, which is why he does what he does in the movie.</wrap>\\ +The motivations of the antagonist are poorly presented to the audience, making it difficult to figure out what the hell he's trying to do. It took me a re-watch and a lot of thinking to figure it out. My initial thinking was that he was aiming to <mark spoiler>place Japan in the same position he ended up in: essentially, behind enemy lines, no permission to retreat and no help coming</mark>. I'd guess the audience would naturally gravitate towards this conclusion, considering the opening scene. However, the reality is <span wrap_spoiler>that his goal was to create a “state of illusion”</span>. More specifically <mark spoiler>the antagonist probably got PTSD or something similar from the situation depicted in the opening scene. The evidence in favor of this is what he says later in the movie: when he came back to Japan, it felt ‘unreal’ to him, which is a symptom of PTSD. He decided then that he wanted Japan to experience the same thing, which is why he does what he does in the movie.</mark>\\ 
-Now, the film isn't intentionally constructed to make it difficult to figure this out...it's just constructed poorly. All the needed information is in the film (I mean, I was able to figure it out), but what makes it difficult to figure out is that the audience gets zero hints as to this motivation until it's revealed. If the film had included a scene of him in Japan, shortly after he returned, that would have been enough. He doesn't even need to speak, because the film is capable of depicting <wrap spoiler>the state of illusion, considering that they did it perfectly when they showed the JSDF in Tokyo</wrap>. The audience would then be able to connect this scene of him in Japan with the scene of the <wrap spoiler>soldiers in Tokyo</wrap>.\\+Now, the film isn't intentionally constructed to make it difficult to figure this out...it's just constructed poorly. All the needed information is in the film (I mean, I was able to figure it out), but what makes it difficult to figure out is that the audience gets zero hints as to this motivation until it's revealed. If the film had included a scene of him in Japan, shortly after he returned, that would have been enough. He doesn't even need to speak, because the film is capable of depicting <mark spoiler>the state of illusion, considering that they did it perfectly when they showed the JSDF in Tokyo</mark>. The audience would then be able to connect this scene of him in Japan with the scene of the <mark spoiler>soldiers in Tokyo</mark>.\\
 I don't think there are any serious storytelling issues outside of this failure to communicate properly and the film is well-constructed. If it weren't for that, the film would have a solid story.\\ I don't think there are any serious storytelling issues outside of this failure to communicate properly and the film is well-constructed. If it weren't for that, the film would have a solid story.\\
 It should also be made clear that the characters thinking that his goal was a civil war or coup is not a film flaw: characters are allowed to be wrong. The flaw is specifically that the film makes understanding the antagonist needlessly difficult.\\ It should also be made clear that the characters thinking that his goal was a civil war or coup is not a film flaw: characters are allowed to be wrong. The flaw is specifically that the film makes understanding the antagonist needlessly difficult.\\
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 Unlike every other continuity, Kanuka isn't a member of Division 2 in the beginning((:fn:>Or, in fact, at all.)). Instead, Kumagami takes her place from the beginning and Kanuka only appears near the end of the Griffon arc. Unlike every other continuity, Kanuka isn't a member of Division 2 in the beginning((:fn:>Or, in fact, at all.)). Instead, Kumagami takes her place from the beginning and Kanuka only appears near the end of the Griffon arc.
 I don't have much else to say, except a comparison to Xerox PARC((:fn:>I noticed that Schaft's/Utsumi's plan was to create a crack team of labor-designers, which is similar to Xerox PARC's goal of creating a crack team of developers. That's all there is to it.)), apparently.\\ I don't have much else to say, except a comparison to Xerox PARC((:fn:>I noticed that Schaft's/Utsumi's plan was to create a crack team of labor-designers, which is similar to Xerox PARC's goal of creating a crack team of developers. That's all there is to it.)), apparently.\\
-Following a recent re-read, I do have one thing to add: the ending is somewhat abrupt. Although I wouldn't call it unsatisfying, it does just kinda...end. Here I'm referring to the end of the manga and the end of the Griffon arc. The Griffon arc ends with <wrap spoiler>Utsumi getting stabbed and, presumably, dying</wrap> while the manga's ending shows that they continue doing their police work. I'd rank this ending as second-best in the series, after the ending of the New OVA.+Following a recent re-read, I do have one thing to add: the ending is somewhat abrupt. Although I wouldn't call it unsatisfying, it does just kinda...end. Here I'm referring to the end of the manga and the end of the Griffon arc. The Griffon arc ends with <mark spoiler>Utsumi getting stabbed and, presumably, dying</mark> while the manga's ending shows that they continue doing their police work. I'd rank this ending as second-best in the series, after the ending of the New OVA.
 ==== MiniPato (2002) ==== ==== MiniPato (2002) ====
 A set of three absurd animations, each narrated by a different character and each 10 minutes in length. They were released the same time as WXIII, shown just before screenings of that film. Kind of a bizarre choice, considering the tonal difference between this and that.\\ A set of three absurd animations, each narrated by a different character and each 10 minutes in length. They were released the same time as WXIII, shown just before screenings of that film. Kind of a bizarre choice, considering the tonal difference between this and that.\\
lb/patlabor.1768836640.txt.gz · Last modified: 2026-01-19 15:30:40 by ninjasr
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