Patlabor EZY Director Says New Generation Was Born From a Sense of Mission
The interview reveals the creative team's deliberate strategy of aging the franchise with its audience by introducing an entirely new generation of characters rather than forcing the original cast to return.
Key Facts
- Director Yutaka Izubuchi said he never imagined creating a world set nearly 30 years after the original 'Patlabor' series.
- Scriptwriter Kazunori Ito admitted he was bluffing when he said the team could make the new work, and the team described the process as driven by a sense of mission.
- Ito expressed frustration that with only eight episodes, the story feels cut off and the highlights do not expand enough.
Reporting from 2 sources: Magmix, Anime Anime.
Director Yutaka Izubuchi, scriptwriter Kazunori Ito, and original character designer Masami Yuuki discuss the creation of 'Mobile Police Patlabor EZY.' The team says the high bar set by the original series made them think the project was impossible, but a sense of mission drove them forward. The new generation of characters was created by shifting roles from the original cast rather than directly copying them.
Director Yutaka Izubuchi said he never imagined creating a world set nearly 30 years after the original 'Patlabor' series. Original character designer Masami Yuuki agreed, noting the entire team thought the project was impossible. Scriptwriter and series composer Kazunori Ito admitted he was bluffing when he said they could do it. The team described the process as driven by a sense of mission, believing no one else could make the new work. Ito explained that the new characters were created by gradually shifting roles from the original cast, such as placing the Ota slot into protagonist Towa and putting Hiromi's position into Yakuma, but avoiding direct copies. Ito expressed frustration that with only eight episodes, the story feels cut off and the highlights do not expand enough.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.