Though lesser-known than the Neon Genesis Evangelion, which obviously owes a debt to this earlier work.

Equally as impressive as the strong characterizations is the way Patlabor a truly remarkable work.

The series was produced on a modest budget way back in 1989, and it shows. While there are some dynamic scenes of the Labors in action, more frequently Patlabor is characterized by static or herky-jerky animation....however it should be noted this was the norm for an 80's anime TV show. The art design is pretty generic; the Labors could easily fit into any other mech show, but this may have been intentional given the show's aim for realism. The character designs are also pretty bland, ironic since the characters themselves are anything but. Important players like NOA, Asuma, or the Japanese-American Clancy Kanuka look like background characters from a more strikingly designed anime. Again it must be said this may have been the artist's goal all along, as these are supposed to be ordinary working joes like you and me and not superheroes out to save the world. Anyway, the characters' personalities are so vivid they overcome their forgettable designs, as well as the series' other technical faults.

Also typical of the era is the musical score. Performed almost exclusively on synthesizers, it lacks the punch of the orchestral scores that would make a comeback in mid-90s anime productions. But dub was recorded very recently one would think it's a holdover from 10 years ago. Exceptions include Captain Goto and Kanuka, whose American voices bring their respectively blasé ¡nd no-nonsense attitudes to life, but the all-important main character of NOA is voiced so flat and lifelessly it seriously detracts from the enjoyment of the show. The rest of the cast is mediocre at best. This is a big disappointment in today's anime market, where high-quality English dubs are becoming more and more predominant.

Much better than the English vocal track is the video presentation. Though the art design and animation belies it's age Patlabor releases M will provide a menu that's easier to navigate.

Volume 2 of Patlabor is a refreshing change of pace.