Biblical allegories and autonomous Patlabor's abound in the series first feature outing. We discover that while a bigger budget lets the animators shine even more brightly, the film doesn't lose sight of what makes Patlabor special: the way it values both human life and the inevitability of bureaucratic politics.

Song: Heavy Armor by Kenji Kawai, from the Patlabor: The Movie OST.

Show Notes:

Ultraman's Catholic Connections

Going into this episode we were all wondering, how would Patlabor follow up it's 2-part thrill ride and cap off the OVA with it's seventh and final episode. Do we found out the aftermath of the nearly successful nuclear-armed military coup mentioned? Nope! Could this episode have conceivably taken place all most any time after the first season? Probably! But we do get to go out on a perfectly executed tag-team clothesline. WRESTLING MENTIONED.

Show notes:

WWE and Organize Labor - https://grantland.com/features/wwe-hell-cell-john-cena-history-wrestling-real-scripted-labor-movement/

Working Stiff: Extending the Statutory Labor Dispute Exemption to WWE Wrestlers - https://jipel.law.nyu.edu/working-stiff-extending-the-statutory-labor-dispute-exemption-to-wwe-wrestlers/

After the previous episodes simmering political tensions and noir tone, it was really an open question if Patlabor could top itself. Well guess what!? It did! The SV2's Longest Day (Part 2) is Patlabor at it's very, very best, mixing together the series trademark obsession with bureaucracy and logistics, the rag-tag nature of SV2's crew, and the beguiling history of their leader Goto.

Show notes:

Wildcat Strikes

"Strike Authorization" example

What’s a coup look like? For better or worse, we’ve had a number of answers to that question. In the world of 1989’s original Patlabor OVA, Mamoru Oshii imagined the long tail of American empire leaving Japan’s capitol wide open for a Christmas-time coup. SV2’s Longest Day (Part 1) is a tightly wound geopolitical thriller, full of shady g-men and conversations of few words and dire implications. And it’s just part one!

Song: "Miraiha Lovers" performed by Hiroko Kasahara from Patlabor: The Early Days

Show notes:

The Gangster's of Capitalism

The MacArthur's

The Bonus Army

Business plot

After a brief Kaiju pivot, Patlabor is back to real police work, like using firearms irresponsibly and solving ghost mysteries. The ghosts of the labor movement are also discussed.

Song: "Miraiha Lovers" performed by Hiroko Kasahara from Patlabor: The Early Days

Show notes.

Joe Hill by Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson's Wikipedia

The Haunted House of Labor

Just when we're starting to get a handle on what Patlabor is, we reach the 3rd episode of The Early Days and are treated to a loving tribute to... Kaiju movies? And speaking of, is the guy in the Godzilla suit a union man?

Show Notes:

What caused the Cambrian Explosion?

Panspermia: Could life be delivered to a planet?

The Man in the Godzilla Suit - Haruo Nakajima

Magic United

On the second episode of Pat's Labor, Toussaint, Clayton and Pat talk about the intersection of unions and environmentalism as The Early Days starts exploring how climate change leads to a giant robot police force in distant future of 1998.

Show notes:

The Story of "WacDonalds" [FastCompany]

The Starship Troopers OVA (give it a search on YouTube)

The common ground between labor and climate justice is the key to a livable future [EHN]

Welcome to episode 1 of Pat's Labor, a podcast about the anime Patlabor and Pat (Gill's) labor to bring his cohost Toussaint Egan and Clayton Ashley a related labor issue to talk about. On our inaugural episode, we discuss Patlabor: The Early Days episode 1, "Second Unit, Move Out!" and the midcentury politics of Japan that led to the creation of Headgear, the artist collective that owns Patlabor.