The past two years have been nothing short of electric for the cast and crew behind the 12-episode roll-out of Oshii Mamoru’s live-action series, The Next Generation: Patlabor. Episodes are currently streaming online via various Otaku sites, and next month, the feature film culminating the show following its announcement in 2013 will finally release in the form of The Next Generation: Patlabor – Tokyo War.
At the end of the 20th century, there was a rise in crime due to the illegal use of Labors, humanoid robots specifically designed for heavy industrial work. To combat these new Labor crimes, the Metropolitan Police Department created the Special Vehicle Section 2 Patrol Labor unit.
But by the early 21st century, the decline in Labor crimes has many thinking the so-called “Patlabor” program is no longer necessary and should be discontinued due to its high cost and maintenance. As Special Vehicle Section 2 faces demobilization, a state-of-the-art combat helicopter is stolen from the Self-Defense Forces by terrorists who now threatens Tokyo and the city’s 10 million inhabitants!
Lurking 500 meters above the city and fully armed with cannons, air-to-surface rockets, missiles and the latest thermo-optical camouflage, the “Invisible Helicopter” Gray Ghost launches an attack on the Rainbow Bridge. Special Vehicle Section 2 becomes the police’s last line of defense, but will they be able to stop the violence or discover the true goal of the terrorists?
The battle between the old-fashioned police Robos and the most advanced combat helicopter begins!
