The second Patlabor movie is a direct sequel to the first movie, being famous for its mechanical animation and the participation of the legendary Satoshi Kon as a layout artist. And, unlike its prequel, the plot and character development is nearly at the same level than the incredible visual direction and cinematography.
Due to sudden logistical changes brought by the completion of the Babylon Project, the Second Division practically undergoes restructuring and most of the characters start going their own ways. We encounter a slightly somber Izumi Noa, giving surprising hints of maturity stating her loss of enthusiasm for piloting Patlabors again. The current situation of the Second Unit, its members and the state of events in the police force is properly introduced, providing necessary setting for the events to occur. The two senior members of the Second Unit Gotoh and Nagumo take the spotlight in Patlabor 2, teaming up once again to unravel a conspiracy deep within the layers of the police, government and army and even their own unit. The themes presented in Patlabor 2 are fairly evident, commentary on the nature of war and peace, the military complex and their manipulation of governmental institutions and media and other concepts clearly inspired by Japan´s political situation after World War II and the geopolitical stage at the time are frequently discussed.
The plot, although very similar to the one presented on two episodes of the prequel OVA , is intriguing enough to keep the viewer at the edge of their seat and encourages thinking alongside the characters. After roughly two thirds of the the movie spent on investigations and occasional commentary, the final act brings the Second Unit back to action, showcasing thrilling action sequences and a tense final confrontation. Since the movie has a tense tone from the beginning, the brazen antics and personalities of the other characters of the Second Unit slightly meddle with the atmosphere during this final act. Even so, said characters do receive much needed character development during this movie and show it through their actions and dialogues.
On the visual department, Patlabor 2 is practically flawless. The incredibly detailed mechanical animation is a feast for the eyes of mecha fans, the clever usage of muted color palettes juxtaposed with beautifully drawn rich backgrounds makes the movie worth a watch just for its cinematography. The Japanese VA performances and the usage of the atmospheric soundtrack compliments the visual perfectly. Another highlight of this movie being the incredible performance given by the talented Yoshiko Sakakibara as Shinobu Nagumo, being one of the best of her VA career.
Patlabor 2 is a definite improvement from its prequels, a wonderful movie made possible by a legendary staff ensemble that can certainly be regarded as a must watch for fans of anime as a medium. I would especially recommend this work to fans of political intrigue and mecha fans, it´s definitely worth the watch.
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