10 Best Anime Films Of The '80s

The Patlabor franchise is a rather curious example of a completely creator-owned manga, developed under the group name of "Headgear". The group consists of several members, most notably author and artist Masami Yūki and the previously mentioned Mamoru Oshii.

So it should have come as no surprise that when Patlabor was to be adapted into a feature-length film, both Yūki and Oshii were at the forefront of its production, acting as screenwriter and director.

Patlabor: The Movie is definitely meant to be a more grounded take on the mecha genre - especially when compared to its contemporary franchise Gundam - far more interested in exploring the real-world implications of a country that's only recently assimilated into a life working alongside giant robots. In classic Oshii style, the film starts off quite slow and reserved, only to ramp up quite suddenly towards its end.

The fights featured in the film's second half are maybe some of the most stunning and intrinsically animated mecha fights in the history of anime, rivaled only by Gundam itself - albeit several years later. It's also, maybe somewhat surprisingly, quite funny, and unafraid to relish in quiet moments of humour and introspective, deep thought.