History Anime / Patlabor

** This is also the case where Bado/Bud is concerned, since his name alternates between both spellings, as seen in the subtitles of different episodes of the anime. This is also the case of [[http://www.mangahere.com/manga/patlabor/c007/20.html the manga version]], which initially referred to him as "Baddo" (with two d's, rather than one), but eventually settled on calling him "Bud".

* UltramanCopy: The series has a dream episode where Noa homages Ultraman and transforms into a giant hero with a similar color scheme, to fight a [[Characters/UltramanTVSeries Zetton]]-like monster as a recreation of the famous [[Recap/UltramanEp39FarewellUltrama final episode]] of the original series.

Patlabor was created in 1988 by "Headgear" -- a group of creators including Mamoru Oshii (who pretty much kickstarted the OVA boom of the 80s and would later earn international recogition with ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell''), Masami Yuuki (of ''Manga/BirdyTheMighty'' fame), Akemi Takada (character designer of ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'', ''Manga/MaisonIkkoku'', ''Anime/KimagureOrangeRoad'') and others. ''Patlabor'' was planned from the start as both a manga and {{OVA}}, and a theatrical movie and ongoing TV series followed not long after. By turns a CopShow, PoliceProcedural, slice of life comedy, political thriller, and of course, a MechaShow, ''Patlabor'' had no trouble switching between genres from one episode to the next. (For the most part, though, the TV series and {{OVA}}s tended more towards comedy and light drama, whereas the movies were much more adult and sophisticated.)

Patlabor was created in 1988 by "Headgear" -- a group of creators including Mamoru Oshii of ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' fame and Masami Yuuki of ''Manga/BirdyTheMighty'' fame. ''Patlabor'' was planned from the start as both a manga and {{OVA}}, and a theatrical movie and ongoing TV series followed not long after. By turns a CopShow, PoliceProcedural, slice of life comedy, political thriller, and of course, a MechaShow, ''Patlabor'' had no trouble switching between genres from one episode to the next. (For the most part, though, the TV series and {{OVA}}s tended more towards comedy and light drama, whereas the movies were much more adult and sophisticated.)

* AnimeThemeSong
* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: Noa was ''apparently'' expecting this from Asuma in the ninth episode: "Red Labor Landing", as they end up having to share a hotel room while on assignment. Noa waits until she thinks he's asleep before cautiously entering the room to turn in. When Asuma suddenly "awakes" and creeps toward her futon, she's clearly expecting to be groped and braces herself for the inevitable... except he completely ignores her and goes for her snack bag. Noa becomes outraged and clocks him.
-->'''Noa: (indignant)''' "I'm disappointed in you Asuma!"

* VillainTeamUp: Episode 42 of the TV series, titled appropriately Enough "The Men Who Returned" features 3 previous villains teaming up--and forming a PowerTrio.

* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: [=SV2's=] most powerful weapon is a riot shotgun scaled up for use by an Ingram. Thanks to the fact that shotguns are not precision weapons, and the collateral damage from a shotgun pellet that big would be huge, it gets used precisely once in the TV series - against the Griffon, and once in each OVA series - once in the second Griffon fight and once against a Kaiju.

* EasyLogistics: Subverted. The logistics woes affecting [=SV2=] are so bad, Ingram Unit 3 is rarely deployed, because most of the time it's being cannibalised for spare parts. And due to where Special Vehicles 2 is located, there are severe difficulties with feeding the maintenance staff. [[spoiler:Gotoh apparently came up with a solution, that frankly ''worries'' Nagumo about what he'd do if he didn't happen to be one of the good guys.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Richard Wong isn't exactly ''evil'' per se, but he otherwise adheres to this. (If he'd been a bit more ruthless, for example, there would have been no need to throw so many Schaft Labors at the Ingrams, given that security at Special Vehicles 2 is practically nil. [[spoiler:And in the manga, they take advantage of this.]])

* RedShirtReporter: Momoko Sakurayama won't let a little thing like danger get in the way of a good story--or being made into unknowing hostages by a criminal labor pilot. Her anatonistic relationship with Section 2 just makes all the more fun to see Otah stuff them back in their news van by hand.

* ScoobyDooHoax: An episode featuring a "sea monster."

* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: [=SV2's=] most powerful weapon is a riot shotgun scaled up for use by an Ingram. Thanks to the fact that shotguns are not precision weapons, and the collateral damage from a shotgun pellet that big would be huge, it gets used precisely once in the TV series - against the Griffon.

* ZombieApocalypse: The big battle in the first movie is a HoldTheLine action to prevent civilization from being destroyed against an onslaught of slow moving, dumb, but relentless horde of opponents that are afflicted with a highly contageous virus that infects one of the good guys and turns it against his friends. Only instead of living dead humans, it affects ''construction mecha'', the kind that were meant to ''easily demolish buildings'' and are used throughout the Tokyo Bay area.

** A large point of praise for the series is how it takes great pains to not depict just a realistic robot in the Labors themselves, but in how it incorporates Labor and technological development into something coherent and unique. Just about every element of the series is accounted for in some way, be it the Labors being extremely fragile so they can support their own weight, or the fact that the Patlabors are usually supported by multiple small vehicles to relay orders and intel on-the-fly thanks to Labors having shielded cockpits and thus limited ability to see.

* DrunkDriving: The first Labor criminal shown in the anime is some random idiot piloting his Labor while drunk.

* RealityEnsues: A large point of praise for the series is how it takes great pains to not depict just a realistic robot in the Labors themselves, but in how it incorporates Labor and technological development into something coherent and unique. Just about every element of the series is accounted for in some way, be it the Labors being extremely fragile so they can support their own weight, or the fact that the Patlabors are usually supported by multiple small vehicles to relay orders and intel on-the-fly thanks to Labors having shielded cockpits and thus limited ability to see.

* BrokeEpisode: On a number of fronts, as [=SV2=] is on reclaimed land in the middle of nowhere, and simply getting food to feed the on-duty officers and maintenance crew justifies some spotlight time.

** FallingIntoTheCockpit is impossible as they're complicated as hell. Noa teaching her mech to tie a shoelace knot is considered proof of her being a genius pilot. Most people can't do much with even a SuperPrototype robot even if they find themselves piloting one.

** The manga contains a different {{Kaiju}} story that involves an airline crash that accidentally releases a genetic experiment that rapidly grows into an amphibious monster that Division 2 (among others) get called out to deal with.

** Subverted in episode 3 of the first OVA series, where [[spoiler:the monster walks off into the sea immediately after it appears]]. It has an appearance similar to Garia from ''Film/WarOfTheGargantuas'' ...and Hiromi Yamizaki.

[[folder:Game]]

Several mecha from the franchise, such as the AV-98 Ingram, Type-5G/1C Grau-Bear and the CRL-98 Pyro-Buster, will make an appearance in the 2017 SurvivalHorror game ''VideoGame/CityShroudedInShadow''.

** Captains Gotoh and Shinobu, it is Played Straight, with [[HopelessSuitor Gotoh]] nursing unrequited feelings for Shinobu, who strictly enforces a professional relationship between them.
** Played straight by Noa and Asuma in the {{OVA}} continuity. However, near the end of the ''Mobile Police/New Files'' continuity, their relationship [[MaybeEverAfter shows signs of becoming]] [[RelationshipUpgrade "more than friends"]].

* ShoutOut: The whole Griffon plotline, from Brocken fighting Ingram to collect its data to the Griffon itself, is HUGE shout out to [[Anime/{{Gigantor}} Tetsujin No. 28]]. Simply replace Brocken and Griffon with Baccus and Black Ox and the whole thing should be clearer.
** The Helldiver paratrooper Labor is essentially Yutaka Izubuchi's take on the Anime/HeavyMetalLGaim. Both are humanoid mechs with black visors that feature flaps on the sides of their lower leg armor that open when they're in the air (the L Gaim's to reveal concealed jump thrusters, the Helldiver's as part of an air-braking system to control its descent when parachuting) and a detachable ArmCannon with an additional power cord that plugs into the power supply in the mech's torso.

* IDontKnowMortalKombat: Izumi did badly on a ''Patlabor'' arcade game largely because she was too used to piloting a real HumongousMecha. The trope is very apt, amusingly, as the difference between the game (depicted only in the anime, as a 'hunt-and-kill' simulator) and Noa's job is about as big as the ''MortalKombat'' series and a UFC event.

* BadassGrandpa: Sakaki. Even the labor pilots fear Sakaki. Considering he's in charge of the mechanics that maintain their machines, their fear is somewhat justified.