Patlabor: How many episodes are there?

[Godzilla]

Ok, I just went thru Patlabor The Original Series and the TV series up to Volume 8 but I see more but that is the last of the boxset (I assume no but..) So how many show was in the TV series?

[Mechamaniac]

Let's see, there was a Manga, a 7 Episode OVA, a 47 Episode TV Series, and 3 movies.

http://members.austarmetro.com.au/~mwhitley/index.htm

[the white drew carey]

...and the 16 part OVA after the TV series.

[promethuem5]

Mecha- was the Manga released in English by any chance? I would kill for it if it was.

[Godzilla]

...and the 16 part OVA after the TV series.

Crap. You mean to tell me there are more?

[Fortress_Maximus]

There were two OVA series, one that came before the TV series and another that reinterpreted the TV series. Both are great IMO and after watching both and the TV series you get a greater understanding of the characters and their plight. When you finally work up to watching the first and then the second movies, it all comes together nicely!

I love Patlabor, fantastic voice acting, character development, humor, and stories that really were ahead of its time. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves good dramas, humor, cop shows and chess.

[wolfx]

Is Patlabor finished and done with as in ended with closure, or does one forsee more episodes coming out?

[the white drew carey]

AFAIK, there is no more Patlabor planned, althought he website Mechamaniac linked to does mention that there is a possibility of a series focusing on the two detectives from WXIII.

The Patlabor Manga was only translated up to the second volume.

[Warmaker]

Patlabor, as I knew it from the OVA, TV series, and 1st two movies, is done. It's been years since the second movie has come out.

The 3rd one was Patlabor but wasn't Patlabor at the same time. Heck, the main characters that I knew and loved before were mere puppets for a few minutes.

I'm betting that there could be new Patlabor material, but I doubt it would involve the old characters/cast anymore.

It was a great, fun ride with Capt.Goto's group while it lasted!

[Major Johnathan]

Yes, Patlabor is one of the great anime series, and often over looked it seems. Sadly, WXIII (movie 3) wasn't really even Patlabor, it was a story within the Patlabor world. Movie 2 was really it's swan song.

Also, Kanuka Clancy's voice actress, You Inoue, died a couple years ago(My favorite character, tied with Cpt. Goto was Kanuka. ). They could write around that, but I remember the creators/writers didn't really feel there was much more to do.

I have to say I respect that, they made the 47 episode series, the 2 OAV's and 2 great movies. The 3rd wasn't terrible, but it just wasn't Patlabor. That's a hell of a run for any show.

I think the (Japanese) voice acting in Patlabor really is outstanding, the whole cast.

As for endings, the point they make in the movies, particularly in the 2nd is simple. Life goes on, they age and start to grow apart. Noa let's go of her Alphonse fixation, Ohta is off training recruits, I think Shinshi goes off to a private firm job, the others are either at SV2 or are in Labor research jobs. It really makes the cast seem like real people.

I'd love more, but I'm not holding my breath, and I'd hate them to mess it up.

[Mechamaniac]

Mecha- was the Manga released in English by any chance? I would kill for it if it was.

The author of the site explains the fate of the Manga...

http://members.austarmetro.com.au/~mwhitley/manga.htm

The manga version of Patlabor was published about the same time the first direct to video episode was released (1988). It was first published in Shonen Sunday Monthly Magazine, then compiled into graphic novels. The manga ran from 1988 to 1994 with a total of 22 volumes being published. A latter print run compiled the manga into larger B6 editions with a total of 11 volumes. Both editions are now out of print.

In 1998, US company Viz began releasing the Patlabor manga in English. UnfortunatelyTakeo Kumagami joins the SV2 after 12 single issues (2 graphic novels), the company decided that it was no longer profitable to publish it any further.

So, it appears that unless you read Japanese, you won't get much of the Manga.

[Godzilla]

I love the Special Vehicles Division 2 guys. Kanuka is one of the my favorite characters. She is the only one that can control Ota. As much he is a pycho cop as Kanuka said about him, he has his moments. Of all the characters, Noa is my least favorite for some reason or another till the episodes 31-34. Sad to see the voice actress of Kanuka died.

Anyways, so I need to wait for the 3rd boxset? Great...

[Lynx7725]

The manga version of Patlabor was published about the same time the first direct to video episode was released (1988). It was first published in Shonen Sunday Monthly Magazine, then compiled into graphic novels. The manga ran from 1988 to 1994 with a total of 22 volumes being published. A latter print run compiled the manga into larger B6 editions with a total of 11 volumes. Both editions are now out of print.

In 1998, US company Viz began releasing the Patlabor manga in English. UnfortunatelyTakeo Kumagami joins the SV2 after 12 single issues (2 graphic novels), the company decided that it was no longer profitable to publish it any further.

So, it appears that unless you read Japanese, you won't get much of the Manga.

Actually not so true. I'm not sure of the page size, but I have a 28-volumne (IIRC) Patlabour manga, translated into Chinese. It's hard to get nowadays but I believe still possible -- if you can read Chinese, if you can find a chinese manga store in your area.

[Mercurial Morpheus]

Patlabors a great show. It's one of my absolute favorites. I agree that it seems rather underappreciated. I've never seen a show that can handle such a wide veriety of genres like it can. I too was saddened by You Inoue's passing(two years as of tomorrow). Kanuka and Goto are my favorites, though the entire cast is great. Thanks for pointing out the cool website, Mechamaniac.

Edited February 28, 2005 by Mercurial Morpheus

[Jolly Rogers]

There were two OVA series, one that came before the TV series and another that reinterpreted the TV series.

The newer OVA did not "reinterpret" the TV series. They were continuations of the TV series, included on the home video release of the TV series as bonus episodes. Some of them continued the Griffon story line while others were mostly stand-alone episodes.

[ComicKaze]

The first Patlabor OAV series was 7 episodes I believe but the events in those OAVs didn't really occur according to the TV series because events happen a little differently (like the manner in which they recieve the Ingrams), but still, the rest of the eps could fit into the story and are among my favorite Patlabor episodes.

Then came the 40 some episode television series which is among my favorite anime series ever. Then come the 16 episodes that are the 2nd series of OAVs. You combine the TV series and the 2nd OAVs to be called the "P-Series" and this is the main brunt of the Patlabor story and continuity line. These OAVs continue and finish some of the TV series' arc.

The first movie occurs somewhere between the TV series and the second OAV series as evidenced by the Peacemaker and Zero Labors. The 2nd movie comes afterwards and as it goes, you don't get closure, just the feeling that life goes on and nothing lasts forever. It's a little sad but Patlabor was always wonderful with pushing emotional themes with subtlety. Nothing was ever said outright and in the open between character relationships, you just have to inference most of it.

This was one of my favorite series of all time. I don't know if my memory is wrong, but is Patlabor the show with the episode about the red balloon and the girl in red? Or is that Your Under Arrest?

[Major Johnathan]

The 2nd movie comes afterwards and as it goes, you don't get closure, just the feeling that life goes on and nothing lasts forever. It's a little sad but Patlabor was always wonderful with pushing emotional themes with subtlety. Nothing was ever said outright and in the open between character relationships, you just have to inference most of it.

That's what I really appreciated about the 2nd movie. They knew that was going to pretty much be the last word on Patlabor, so instead of making a big show of how each character ends up, they simply show them all a little older and some growing a bit distant, but still good freinds. Very much like real life.

The biggest demonstration of that is where Noa mentions it wouldn't be right to take Alphonse for a spin, that she essentially out grew her need to obsess over him. So she may be maturing, Ohta and Shinshi are working outside of SV2, but Goto is still very much Goto, showing how some things change and some thing stay the same.

As much as I like the 2nd movie, I think the 1st movie is maybe Patlabor at it's best. It really deserves more praise, particularly outside Japan. It's too bad the cartoon network doesn't pick it up, but I think a lot is lost in the English dubbing, and they'd never air a series with sub-titles.

[Godzilla]

The 2nd movie comes afterwards and as it goes, you don't get closure, just the feeling that life goes on and nothing lasts forever. It's a little sad but Patlabor was always wonderful with pushing emotional themes with subtlety. Nothing was ever said outright and in the open between character relationships, you just have to inference most of it.

That's what I really appreciated about the 2nd movie. They knew that was going to pretty much be the last word on Patlabor, so instead of making a big show of how each character ends up, they simply show them all a little older and some growing a bit distant, but still good freinds. Very much like real life.

The biggest demonstration of that is where Noa mentions it wouldn't be right to take Alphonse for a spin, that she essentially out grew her need to obsess over him. So she may be maturing, Ohta and Shinshi are working outside of SV2, but Goto is still very much Goto, showing how some things change and some thing stay the same.

As much as I like the 2nd movie, I think the 1st movie is maybe Patlabor at it's best. It really deserves more praise, particularly outside Japan. It's too bad the cartoon network doesn't pick it up, but I think a lot is lost in the English dubbing, and they'd never air a series with sub-titles.

In the 2nd movie, I liked it as well how everyone is older and little mature. Ota is still the psycho but toned down. His accuracy though is pretty good when he was teaching the cadets. I assume Asuma and Noa relationship was more than friends since in the TV show, it was beginning to grow into something more. If you remember in the 2nd movie, Goto says that this will be Special Vehicles Division 2's final mission. It seems that Hiromi and Goto never changed though.

I like Movie 3 or Wasted 13. It isnt bad, just a different perspective in the Patlabor world. Yes, SV2 only make some cameo but still it was interesting.

[JELEINEN]

There were two OVA series, one that came before the TV series and another that reinterpreted the TV series. Both are great IMO and after watching both and the TV series you get a greater understanding of the characters and their plight. When you finally work up to watching the first and then the second movies, it all comes together nicely!

I love Patlabor, fantastic voice acting, character development, humor, and stories that really were ahead of its time. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves good dramas, humor, cop shows and chess.

The second doesn't reinterpret the TV series, but is technically part of it. In Japan the LDs were released with four TV episodes plus a bonus episode. These bonus episodes were bundled together and released in the US as the second OVA series. It's unfortunate because the Griffin story arc works much better broken up through the TV series than all back to back.

[olivers]

I brought a load of the japanese single volume and dual volume manga off ebay a few months ago. Can't read kanji but you can get a rough idea of whats happening.