# Patlabor: The Mobile Police (1988)

> In a near future Tokyo where giant industrial robots called Labors have spawned their own crimes, a new police unit led by Noa Izumi patrols with her Patlabor Alphonse.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/20030

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 7
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, science fiction, comedy
- Cast: Mina Tominaga, Ryusuke Ohbayashi, Michihiro Ikemizu, Osamu Saka, Toshio Furukawa, Issei Futamata
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160423/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, witty, wistful, earnest

## Synopsis

Patlabor: Early Days (1988-1989) is a Japanese animated science fiction series created by an unnamed team and produced by Studio Deen and Headgear as an original video animation. Set in a near future Tokyo, it follows Izumi Noa, a rookie police officer newly assigned to Special Vehicles Division 2, and her top of the line Patrol Labor named Alphonse. Their job is to police the giant industrial robots called Labors, whose misuse gives rise to a new category of crime. Across seven half hour episodes the engine is practical: the squad responds to crazed construction workers, eco terrorists and an unexpected sea monster, while the dull routines of patrol and the rough camaraderie of the division keep the mood grounded. The tone mixes light workplace comedy with earnest procedural stakes and a wistful sense of an ordinary city absorbing extraordinary machines. Its short, self contained cases make it an accessible entry point. Fans of RoboCop, Ghost in the Shell and Mobile Suit Gundam will find resonance in its blend of policing, machinery and near future unease.

## Shows like Patlabor: The Mobile Police

- [Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/76539)
- [Ergo Proxy (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/1030)
- [Bubblegum Crisis (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/39137)
- [Patlabor: The TV Series (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/20029)
- [Armitage III (1995)](https://ember.film/tv/61242)
- [Texhnolyze (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/8185)
- [Time of Eve (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/54358)
- [Dominion Tank Police (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/41003)
- [Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Alternative Architecture (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55256)
- [A.D. Police Files (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/59595)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt