This mecha classic is getting a classy celebration.
On November 6, it was announced that a 30th anniversary celebration for the Patlabor franchise will be held in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro ward. The celebration, titled “Mobile Police Patlabor 30th Anniversary Exhibition ~ 30th HEADGEAR Exhibition ~”, will be held from December 13 – 24, at the Ikebukuro Marui.
The exhibition will feature drawings and production materials that have never previously been revealed to the public.
A series of 1/150 scale model of the Patlabor world will also be displayed, with one appearing at the exhibit, and others being shown at events througout the year. The first confirmed appearances include a summer 2019 presentation at the Diantama Shimbashi Station, as well as the Tokyo Anime Center’s “Animation and Railway Exhibition” venue.
Other displays will include 1/1 reproductions of the Revolver Cannon, reproductions of the title’s iconic uniforms and headgear, and a full-scale recreation of the Ingram’s cockpit.
Patlabor is an original anime and manga franchise from Headgear, a five-member group composed of Masami Yuki, Yutaka Izubuchi, Kazunori Itō, Akemi Takada, and Mamoru Oshii. The series includes a 22-volume manga series, several OVAs and theatrical films, and a TV anime series.
A live-action project, titled The Next Generation: Patlabor included a 13-episode TV drama series, which premiered in 2014, and theatrical film in 2015.
Patlabor was an influential series, which is seen as a formative title in the “Real Robot” sci-fi genre. Guillermo del Toro cites the series as a major influence in Pacific Rim.
Sources: Comic Natalie, PR Times
Patlabor Gets 30th Anniversary Event in Ikebukuro – Samantha Ferreira
