Mecha as a genre is generally not considered to be grounded or realistic, mostly due to most mecha anime being influenced by imaginative sci-fi and the kaiju genre. Patlabor is an exception to this norm, an extremely grounded anime where the robots, named Labors, are not fighting in some epic war but serving in plenty of tasks to the general public.

In this OVA, the spotlight in set onto the formation of the SV2 Unit, a small patrolling unit entrusted with preventing and stopping any malicious or irregular use of the Labor units. The setting is clearly inspired by Japan during the 80s, rampant bureaucracy and rapid technological advancements leaving space for inefficiency and corruption. The SV2 team is formed by a mismatch of younger and inexperienced personnel and seasoned yet jaded veterans, facing the challenge of using the unfamiliar Patrol Labors (or Patlabors) to fulfill their rather unpredictable duties. Noa Izumi, a rookie fascinated by Labors, is tasked with most of the piloting of the Patlabor and is arguably the protagonist of this OVA.

The first few episodes are spent introducing Noa and her SV2 coworkers, having them deal with threats of local terrorism and investigation. Humor is always present during these first episodes, cartoony expressions and witty conversations are used to establish the group´s dynamics and sets a slightly lighthearted tone for the majority of the series. Even though these episodes serve their purpose of building character dynamics, the excessive use of humor somehow overshadows the worldbuilding and critique of bureaucratic organizations, feeling more like satire than a series of its own.

After properly introducing the SV2 Unit, the anime takes a much serious tone and deals with stronger threats and themes such as insurrection and internal covers up. The political commentary is very present in these episodes being deeply intertwined with the plot developments. The group finally acts like a serious unit during these arcs, facing an important conspiracy and unveiling the truth behind it.

In the animation department, the OVA has detailed 80s style animation, having varied and expressive character designs. The Labors and other mechanical vehicles are well animated, the titular Patlabor itself having a very distinct and appealing mechanical design with fluid human-like movements. Even though not many action scenes are present in the series, the action animation is very dynamic and visually engaging. Tokyo and other locations are accurately represented with rich backgrounds and detailed street signs, a visual feast for fans of the late Showa era aesthetics.

In general, this Patlabor OVA is a decent introduction to the Patlabor franchise. The early introduction episodes can feel like a drag even for a short series but later episodes are good enough to make up for it, especially for fans of political intrigue. I can only recommend this series to fans looking for something grounded and realistic with political commentary, this anime is more akin to a police drama than to a regular war setting mecha.