It should come as no surprise that we’re big Patlabor fans around here and have been thrilled to see the series getting the recent high definition release brought out in North America by Maiden Japan. We’ve seen the show a few times over the years and are definitely enjoying it, but it’s also a bit daunting since the TV season has over forty episodes. Maiden Japan is now making it a bit more accessible for sampling and trying out as, as of this writing, the first eighteen episodes are available in subtitled form via Hulu. The series is mostly episodic with some character growth over it, so it’s easy to settle in for one or a few at a time and check out. Similar to other recent additions by Maiden Japan on Hulu, it’s also available for Hulu Plus members to stream beyond the computer.
Plot concept: Heavy robots called labors are used for construction, fire-fighting, military, and more. The robots are machines and their operators are only human! To combat the illegal use of labors, the police use advanced patrol labor units called patlabors. Join the Second Special Vehicles Division on their crime fighting mission!