Synopses for Patlabor On Television

1   Ingram Activated
After Division 2 wrecks it's last Labor during an arrest, it's time for an upgrade. Captain Gotoh sends Asuma and Ota to the Shinohara Heavy Industries factory in Hachioji to send the old Labor back for repairs. They meet a young police cadet named Noa Izumi who is sitting a Patrol Labor aptitude test. That is if she can find the right building it's being held in. Meanwhile somebody steals the new Patlabor, the AV-98 Ingram and it's carrier. Noa certainly isn't going to let somebody steal her "pato-chan", and gives chase with Ota and Asuma following.

Quite a good opening episode. This episode is essentially an introduction to the Ingram Labor, the carrier, the support car, the Ingram's weapons, and the main characters. Noa seems a little too ditzy in this episode, and her character design is a little too cute when compared with the rest of the series. There is a colour error on Asuma's old control car, which in this episode is painted red and white instead of the usual black and white. Screenplay by Kazunori Ito. Originally broadcast 11 October 1989.

2   Kanuka Has Arrived
Division 2 are sent to the Police Academy for Ingram Labor training. A woman from the New York Police Department arrives, apparently to train on the labors with Division 2 for the next six months. Her name is Lieutenant Kanuka Clancy, a Japanese born American woman. The final day of training involves a Labor Combat Tournament that will determine who will pilot both Ingram Patlabors. Is Kanuka vying for a Labor pilot position? With Noa and Kanuka in the final round, will Noa lose her dream to pilot "Alphonse"?

Besides the introduction of Kanuka, Shinshi's overbearing and short tempered wife, Tamiko, makes her first appearance. Also for this first time we see the name Alphonse on the Unit 1 Labor, which is a mistake on the animator's part, as she doesn't mark the the Labor with that name until episode 3. Screenplay by Kazunori Ito. Originally broadcast 18 October 1989.

3   We're Special Vehicles Section 2
Noa is introduced to life at the SV2. Her initiation involves manually loading her Patlabor onto the carrier, which she almost fails to do. With the hanger for the SV2 being out on a vacant lot in the middle of a piece of reclaimed land virtually in the middle of nowhere, the SV2 has to improvise when dealing with food. When the crew is off duty they fish, raise chickens, grow tomatoes and do the odd spot of weeding. Unfortunately while fishing the mechanics run the police speedboat aground. Ota goes in to free it, but ends up sinking his Labor. It's up to Noa to pull both the Labor and speedboat out, but Sakaki, the head mechanic, is making an unscheduled trip back to the hanger and is sure to be quite angry at the mess that they've caused. It's up to Division 2 to create some diversions to stall Sakaki. Screenplay by Mamoru Oshii. Originally broadcast 1 November 1989.

4   Head to the Evil Mountain
A group of hitchhikers find a number of trees knocked over and a damaged Labor in the forest in the mountains. But then they see a large creature, which apparently was the cause of the damage. They report it to the police, but they are rather sceptical since the Labor has now vanished. That is until the mysterious beast returns. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police hand the case over to the SV2. But is it just a Labor in disguise or a real monster? The local police want Division 2 to capture the monster alive so it can be used as a tourist attraction. But with Ota itching to kill the creature they may have to settle for a stuffed monster.

I'm not sure if it is completely intentional or not, but the monster looks an awful lot like Mughi, Kei and Yuri's very large pet cat, from the 1985 TV series "Dirty Pair", only much larger. Sunrise who produced the Patlabor TV series also produced "Dirty Pair". There's also a couple more "Dirty Pair" references later in the series. Screenplay by Kazunori Ito. Originally broadcast 8 November 1989.

5   Rampaging Labor X-10
Division 2 are mysteriously called to the base of Mt Fuji by headquarters, but are given no orders. They are soon given instructions to stop a Labor. Despite the fact the the military try to disguise the Labor by throwing yellow paint on it, It becomes apparent that it is in fact an unmanned experimental military Labor. It's up to Division 2 to stop it as it's programmed to destroy the first city it comes across. But if the military failed to stop it, how can they?

This episode uses almost the same Labor design as the unmanned Labor from the first movie. In fact the sequence where it fights the military looks very similar as the opening scenes of the first film. Screenplay by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama. Originally broadcast 15 November 1989.

6   The Tower: SOS
A foreign minister is inspecting Tokyo's Tower City Project, a one kilometre tower under construction, when an explosion and fire breaks out. The SV2 rush to the scene to help out. Unfortunately as the fire department have accidentally had two of their Labors stuck in the only entrance a Labor could fit in, the only way in is to be lowered from a crane above. Not helping matters is Ota, who decides to use force and almost injures media and rescue crews below with falling debris as well as getting entangled in the wires that was supporting his Labor. If that isn't enough, Division 2 is being watched by the international media. Apparently the police chief thinks this might be good public relations if they manage to save the foreign minister. It's now up to Noa rescue the survivors.

In this episode, we meet Momoko Sakurayama, a reporter, for the first time. She'll make several appearances in the TV series. Screenplay by Naoto Kimura. Originally broadcast 22 November 1989.

7   Model 97's New Replacement
Division 1 are ready to take on a new prototype Patrol Labor, the SRX-70. Equipped with a 42mm gun, it outclasses the Ingram in every department and proves it's worthiness in patrols. Strangely, the company sends it's own team of mechanics to service the Labor rather than letting SV2's mechanics service it. Captain Gotoh smells a rat. Sure enough he finds out with the help of Asuma that the company providing the Labor, Toyohata,  is a front for Labor maker Schaft. They want to steal the labors pattern movements and data to help develop a military Labor. Captain Nagumo of Division 1 is forced to decide between using the old outdated '97 Patlabors, or the new prototype, which the data from it will most likely be used for miliary purposes.

In this episode, Schaft makes it's debut. Screenplay by Kazunori Ito. Originally broadcast 29 November 1989.

8   A Green Phantom
Asuma, Hiromi, and Noa are sent by Captain Gotoh to the village of Onifuri to investigate possible sabotage in the construction of a new highway. They soon discover that there is apparently a sacred tree in the way of the highway that will have to cut down. Villagers say that the demons are protecting the tree and they will be cursed if they move it, but Asuma suspects Labors are involved. Is it just a scam by the land owner to get the government to buy more land off him and forcing them to build the highway around the tree, or is there something more to this curse?

This episode highlights Hiromi's superstitions about traditional legends and spirits. Legends of this sort as shown in this episode are quite common in Japan. I am unsure if the legend here is based upon an real legend or not. Screenplay by Naoto Kimura. Originally broadcast 6 December 1989.

9   Red Labor Landing
Public Safety agents visit the SV2 and ask for help on a case. Itchoku Inubashiri, an ex-military Labor pilot turned terrorist of the militant anti-Babylon project group "Home of the Sea", has injured one of their agents, stolen his gun, and hijacked a taxi to Sakata. They tell Captain Gotoh that he is going to hijack the Soviet Attack Labor L99, code named Doshka, that will be secretly docking on a boat in Sakata en route back to Russia. Home of the Sea want to steal it to further their cause. The agents need the SV2's help as it involves Labors. Gotoh smells something fishy with Public Safety's story but lends Noa and Asuma, and tells them they're on a mission to buy Hatahata of all things. It soon becomes apparent that every spy in Japan is in Sakata, and they're not here to buy Hatahata. Is there more to this case than the Public Safety Agents are letting on?

I thought the old glass fuses in the Soviet Attack Labor L99 were rather a cute touch. Screenplay by Mamoru Oshii. Originally broadcast 13 December 1989.

10   Eve's Trap
It's Christmas Eve. Kanuka's grandmother has gone missing. She leaves a note to Kanuka saying she's looking for the Christmas of 50 years ago. Fearing the worst, Noa, Asuma and Kanuka search for her, but are called back to duty to the SV2. Detective Matsui has asked the SV2 to help him on a case. Vehicles have been going into the Tokyo Port Tunnel but none have come out, including patrol cars. Also some is trying to disrupt communications around the area. Matsui wants the SV2 to do something before the military get involved. But the military have already been mobilised. Division 1 enter the area but fail to make contact with Division 2 at the agreed time. Noa and Ota enter the tunnel only to find the remains of Division 1's Labors and not a trace of their crew. Suddenly Schaft Brocken Labors surround Division 2 and begin to attack...

This is the first episode we see Schaft's Kurosaki and Captain Fuwa of the Military Labor Squad. This is also the first time we see Schaft challenging Division 2. At the beginning of the episode there is a flashback sequence involving Kanuka's grandmother. In this sequence an old 1950's bomber that flies past, on the fuselage we see written "Lovely Angel". This is actually the name of Kei and Yuri's ship and their code name in the anime series "Dirty Pair". Kei and Yuri also make an appearance themselves in a early scene where Kurosaki is following Kanuka through a crowded street. Kei and Yuri are wearing the same civilian clothes they wore in the OVA "Dirty Pair: Conspiracy of Flight 005". Both the OVA and this episode of Patlabor were in production around the same time and produced at the same studio, Sunrise. Screenplay by Kazunori Ito. Originally broadcast 20 December 1989.

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