The gang is back, again directed by Mamoru Oshii. The
animation and artwork is excellent, although the hue is much paler, making everything
grittier-looking. This time, there's lots more political maneuvering and detective
work involved, and captain Goto gets the most screentime.Patlabor 2 is
not nearly as funny as Patlabor 1, although there is the occasional hilarious
moment, and Goto's wit puts a smile on my face. It's unfortunate that, while Oshii
uses pretty imagery, the pacing and buildup is too slow for the payoff at the
end when we finally see a mech in action. You can appreciate it much more if you're
familiar with the whole Patlabor world, as you won't be able to connect
to most characters (or even know who they are or what they do).
