Patlabor: The Movie 2
Encyclopedia
is a 1993 Japanese anime film directed by Mamoru Oshii
, who also directed Patlabor: The Movie. The movie has taken some liberties from being a mecha-themed movie in theme to a political-themed one with domestic and international issues that the Japanese government had faced during the 20th century. The main theme of the movie is mainly based on the status of Japan
, which had been economically, politically and technologically progressing under prosperous years without being involved in another war after the nation's defeat and occupation by the Allied Forces
after the end of World War II.
It was shown originally in Japanese theaters on August 7, 1993. Later in 1998, the movie was released again with Dolby Digital 5.1 channel remix and additional music. Patlabor 2: The Movie was dubbed and released in 1995 in Australia and the UK by Manga Entertainment
and by Manga Entertainment in the USA in 1996. In the mid '00s, Manga Entertainment lost the licenses to Patlabor 1 and 2 in the UK and the USA, but retained the license in Australia, where Manga Entertainment properties are distributed by Madman Entertainment
. Honneamise was the DVD label of Bandai Visual for handling North American sales in 2005.
Suspicious events begin to materialize with the face of a military takeover of Tokyo
by JGSDF
forces and declared Martial law
after the Yokohama Bay Bridge
was destroyed by a missile, with belief that the JASDF
was the culprit. Protests in various JSDF
bases took place as a means of conveying their denial of the Yokohama Bay Bridge
attack. Before long, public panic came with the attack on several bridges in Tokyo Bay
and various communication centers with SV2 headquarters, supposedly by JGSDF-marked gunships with the release of a supposed deadly gas after Special Assault Team
snipers shot an auto-piloted blimp that was responsible for jamming all electronics in the Greater Tokyo Area.
Goto and Nagumo once more assembles the original Section 2 members in a hidden subway passage as they embarked on a secret operation to apprehend Yukihito Tsuge, the mastermind of the terrorist attacks in the Greater Tokyo Area
and a JGSDF
officer who had gone AWOL after the disastrous UN
Peacekeeping
operation in Cambodia
back in 1999. When the JSDF
and the police couldn't see that Tsuge was the culprit for bringing confusion into Tokyo
, Goto and Nagumo authorized an operation to capture Tsuge after seeking assistance of a JGSDF intelligence agent named Shigeki Arakawa and the ex-officers of SV2 without backing from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
. Tsuge was eventually arrested by Nagumo herself after she and the other original Section 2 members were able to storm an artificial island
used as his hideout.
(Japanese), Blair Fairman (English, Manga Entertainment dub), Kim Strauss
(English, Bandai Visual dub)
Voiced by: Jinpachi Nezu
(Japanese), Robert Clotworthy (English, Bandai Visual dub)
told Kazunori Ito that maybe the scope of terrorists causing havoc under the cover of a coup would be a better movie idea.
Ito soon met with other members of HEADGEAR
to create some ideas that can be used for the movie, based on the theory that Patlabor 2 will be their last work on the Patlabor franchise. Soon after realizing that he couldn't take most of their suggestions, Ito had told them that he would end his consultation with them and announced that he would brainstorm the movie's script alone and isolated himself from the rest of HEADGEAR to give him some space to work on the movie's script with Oshii
working on the storyboard.
A reference placed in the move based on pre-World War II
Japanese history is the SSN news broadcast of the Yokohama Bay Bridge
attack was at 2:26. The time shown on the amateur footage in national television is a reference of the February 26 Incident
, where Kōdō-ha
fanatics of the Imperial Japanese Army
tried to occupy central Tokyo
as part of a coup d'état attempt
.
In Japan, Bandai Visual/Emotion has released Patlabor 2 on DVD, Blu-ray and on UMD. Only the double disc DVD/Blu-ray and DVD/HD DVD sets as well as the single disc Blu-ray release has the remade English dub and subtitles.
Most of the prevailing theme in the movie has been cast on the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and on their legality as Japan's military force since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
, created on May 3, 1947 by the Allied Forces, meant that the JSDF is only allowed to defend Japanese territory from hostile invasion and not to be deployed in any manner on foreign soil. On June 15, 1992, Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa
had pledged to contribute JSDF personnel to head to Cambodia and participate in UNTAC, which called for 2,000 Japanese personnel to be deployed including various JSDF personnel from the JGSDF, JMSDF and JASDF, police officers and election observers with the condition that most of them would not see any combat operations due to Article 9 regulations, though this deployment was seen as a testing ground for potential future peacekeeping operations in foreign soil in order to obtain a seat in the UN Security Council.
There was some opposition from this after the Diet of Japan
had passed the UN Peacekeeping Cooperation Law, allowing the JSDF to be in UN peacekeeping operations. with a low approval rating of 20% when it became law. In a public poll taken, 70% percent of the public had been against sending JSDF personnel to Cambodia due to memories of World War II
with an SDF public relations group polling the first 600 troops deployed to Cambodia with a poll of 19% saying that they would refuse any order to be deployed in other UN Peacekeeping operations due to their confusion as the JSDF has not been engaged in any hostile activity after World War II
. Among those who had opposed this deployment were Kazunori Ito and Mamoru Oshii themselves from the public level. Further opposition became noted in Japan
when Atsuhito Nakata, a civilian election observer and Haruyuki Takada, a police officer with the rank of Superintendent were killed during a gunfight in Cambodia
, resulting in protests calling for remaining Japanese UN volunteers to go home before Takada's father went on national television and told the protesting crowd that he was proud of his son's sacrifice in order to let Cambodia have peace. In addition, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
representatives have issued a press statement that their deaths were regrettable, but have insisted that the JSDF's participation in UNTAC
would continue and said that their deaths "were very regrettable for Japan, also indicated that world peace and security are sometimes only achieved at the sacrifices of precious lives."
But after the UNTAC mission was complete, 50% of the polls taken now suggested that they actively supported JSDF personnel that were sent off to Cambodia and were hailed as heroes upon returning home.
said that the opening scene of the movie was inspired by the local Cambodian scene, especially with the appearance of what seems to be Angkor Thom
since Miyazaki said that it is the case. He also mentions with Mamoru Oshii
on the nature of the limitations that JSDF personnel faced in Cambodia
, since the JSDF was formed originally not as a sort of military body of the post-WWII Japanese government.
Several real-life incidents were also mentioned or used for the movie. For instance, references to Viktor Belenko
's defection to Japan in 1976 were mentioned by Arakawa himself when he spoke to Goto and Nagumo. Another incident with the nearly fatal dogfight over Tokyo
was supposedly based on an accident in a computer simulation that forced the US military to go onto DEFCON 3 and almost went to nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
A comparison used here was with the JGSDF intervention in declaring martial law
with planned intervention of United States Forces Japan
military units over the crisis in Tokyo
shadows the last days of Japan
's defeat in World War II
when rogue Imperial Japanese Army
units planned to stage a revolt against the Emperor after he declared the country's surrender to the Allied forces
.
novel. Anime World states that while the sequel is better than the first in terms of action and drama, some viewers may not understand the political aspects of the film, though its philosophical themes may be easier to understand, especially with the concept of just war and unjust peace. Japan Hero's review of the movie commented well on the side story that the movie showcased the main characters who had to let go of their past and to move on and grow up, with the fact that they had to get back together and face a threat that could make a country ruled by civilian authority or one ruled by fear and paranoia. Anime News Network has noted the background music used in the movie "favors heavy, pulsing techno beats backed by airy, haunting vocals for the intense scenes and soaring synthesized scores in other places."
The re-released version of the film by Image Entertainment and Bandai Visual is considered superior to the earlier one by Manga Entertainment, according to a couple of near-anonymous posters on Amazon.com. Although at least one reviewer dislikes the new sound mix, which was done in 1999, and definitely prefers the old one.
In 1994, the film won the Mainichi Film Concours award in the category for Best Animated Film.
Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2...
, who also directed Patlabor: The Movie. The movie has taken some liberties from being a mecha-themed movie in theme to a political-themed one with domestic and international issues that the Japanese government had faced during the 20th century. The main theme of the movie is mainly based on the status of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, which had been economically, politically and technologically progressing under prosperous years without being involved in another war after the nation's defeat and occupation by the Allied Forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
after the end of World War II.
It was shown originally in Japanese theaters on August 7, 1993. Later in 1998, the movie was released again with Dolby Digital 5.1 channel remix and additional music. Patlabor 2: The Movie was dubbed and released in 1995 in Australia and the UK by Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
and by Manga Entertainment in the USA in 1996. In the mid '00s, Manga Entertainment lost the licenses to Patlabor 1 and 2 in the UK and the USA, but retained the license in Australia, where Manga Entertainment properties are distributed by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
. Honneamise was the DVD label of Bandai Visual for handling North American sales in 2005.
Plot
The movie is set three years after the events of the first movie. Noa Izumi and Asuma Shinohara are now testing new Labors at a testing facility run by the Metropolitan Police. Isao Ota is a police academy Labor instructor. Mikiyasu Shinshi had been reassigned as the Tokyo Metropolitan Police's head of General Affairs. Seitaro Sakaki retired with Shigeo Shiba taking over his position as head of the labor maintenance team with Hiromo Yamazaki, Kiichi Goto and Shinobu Nagumo remaining with the unit as Kanuka Clancy had permanently returned to New York. Most of them had been replaced by fresh labor pilots.Suspicious events begin to materialize with the face of a military takeover of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
by JGSDF
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
forces and declared Martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
after the Yokohama Bay Bridge
Yokohama Bay Bridge
The is a 860-metre-long cable stayed bridge in Yokohama, Japan. Opened September 27, 1989, it crosses Tokyo Bay with a span of 460 metres . The toll is ¥600. The bridge is part of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway....
was destroyed by a missile, with belief that the JASDF
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems...
was the culprit. Protests in various JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
bases took place as a means of conveying their denial of the Yokohama Bay Bridge
Yokohama Bay Bridge
The is a 860-metre-long cable stayed bridge in Yokohama, Japan. Opened September 27, 1989, it crosses Tokyo Bay with a span of 460 metres . The toll is ¥600. The bridge is part of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway....
attack. Before long, public panic came with the attack on several bridges in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
and various communication centers with SV2 headquarters, supposedly by JGSDF-marked gunships with the release of a supposed deadly gas after Special Assault Team
Special Assault Team
The is a paramilitary counter terrorism unit under the Japanese National Police Agency. The SAT is mandated, along with the Anti-Firearms Squad and the Counter-NBC Terrorism Squad, for counterterrorism missions and incidents involving firearms or criminals which require an armed response beyond...
snipers shot an auto-piloted blimp that was responsible for jamming all electronics in the Greater Tokyo Area.
Goto and Nagumo once more assembles the original Section 2 members in a hidden subway passage as they embarked on a secret operation to apprehend Yukihito Tsuge, the mastermind of the terrorist attacks in the Greater Tokyo Area
Greater Tokyo Area
The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Kantō region, Japan, consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , and others....
and a JGSDF
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
officer who had gone AWOL after the disastrous UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
operation in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
back in 1999. When the JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
and the police couldn't see that Tsuge was the culprit for bringing confusion into Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Goto and Nagumo authorized an operation to capture Tsuge after seeking assistance of a JGSDF intelligence agent named Shigeki Arakawa and the ex-officers of SV2 without backing from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department serves as the police force for the entire Tokyo metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is headed by a superintendent general, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission and approved by the prime minister.The Metropolitan Police, with a staff of more...
. Tsuge was eventually arrested by Nagumo herself after she and the other original Section 2 members were able to storm an artificial island
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
used as his hideout.
Characters
Voiced by: Naoto TakenakaNaoto Takenaka
is a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director from Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture affiliated with From First Production. He is married to idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi.-Director:*Munō no Hito *119...
(Japanese), Blair Fairman (English, Manga Entertainment dub), Kim Strauss
Kim Strauss
Kim Strauss is an American singer, songwriter, actor, voiceover artist, and Amazon.com Bestselling author with his children's book Kalan the Mighty Warrior: Book One - Braxus the Owl: Guardian of the Forest.-History:...
(English, Bandai Visual dub)
- A supposed intelligence officer assigned with the JGSDFJapan Ground Self-Defense ForceThe , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
chief of staff's office assisting Goto and Nagumo in locating and apprehending Tsuge into custody, it was discovered that he is also a member of the National Defense Family, who had gone renegade after disagreeing with Tsuge's plans and used the SV2 unit to his advantage in order to arrest Tsuge himself.
- In the course of the movie, Arakawa assists the SV2 by providing pictures of Tsuge's assets via American military spy satellites and secretly meeting up with Goto to pass on him intelligence obtained on Tsuge, earning Nagumo's ire due to her suspicions about him and his intentions.
Jinpachi Nezu
is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in 56 films and television shows since 1974. He starred in the 1982 film Farewell to the Land, which was entered into the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* Kagemusha...
(Japanese), Robert Clotworthy (English, Bandai Visual dub)
- An ex-JGSDFJapan Ground Self-Defense ForceThe , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
lieutenant colonel who went missing after his UN Labor platoon was attacked by armed guerrillas in the Southeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n forests, Tsuge changed his brown hair to white and plotted terrorist activities in the Greater Tokyo AreaGreater Tokyo AreaThe Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Kantō region, Japan, consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , and others....
under the assumption of a revolt from the ranks of the Self-Defense Forces. His main motive was for the people to see the reality that he had gone through during his UN peacekeeping tour. He had founded the Tsuge School to study the possible use of labors in armed forces service.
- He was once got himself involved in an affair with Nagumo during his Tsuge School days, resulting in a scandal that reached the ears of high-ranking officers of the Tokyo Metropolitan PoliceTokyo Metropolitan Police DepartmentThe Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department serves as the police force for the entire Tokyo metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is headed by a superintendent general, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission and approved by the prime minister.The Metropolitan Police, with a staff of more...
, which was gossip for a short time. The fallout from the scandal would force Nagumo to accept a position with the SV2 instead of a senior position with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Public Security BureauTokyo Metropolitan Police Department Public Security BureauThe is a bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in charge of public security with jurisdiction over Tokyo metropolis. It has a force of more than 2,000 officers....
.
Production
Production of Patlabor the Movie 2 started after Kazunori Ito was appointed as the scriptwriter for the upcoming movie back in the early 1990s. The original plan called for the same plot used in the original OVA series episode "The SV2's Longest Day," which showed renegade JGSDF soldiers and officers conspiring to undermine and overthrow the Japanese government. However, it was soon abandoned when Mamoru OshiiMamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2...
told Kazunori Ito that maybe the scope of terrorists causing havoc under the cover of a coup would be a better movie idea.
Ito soon met with other members of HEADGEAR
Headgear (artist group)
Headgear is a group consisting of 5 writers and artists who work in the Japanese anime/manga field. The group was set up so that all the creators could retain full copyright to their work, achieve greater publicity for their work and sell their manga to anime sponsors for film production. The...
to create some ideas that can be used for the movie, based on the theory that Patlabor 2 will be their last work on the Patlabor franchise. Soon after realizing that he couldn't take most of their suggestions, Ito had told them that he would end his consultation with them and announced that he would brainstorm the movie's script alone and isolated himself from the rest of HEADGEAR to give him some space to work on the movie's script with Oshii
Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2...
working on the storyboard.
A reference placed in the move based on pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Japanese history is the SSN news broadcast of the Yokohama Bay Bridge
Yokohama Bay Bridge
The is a 860-metre-long cable stayed bridge in Yokohama, Japan. Opened September 27, 1989, it crosses Tokyo Bay with a span of 460 metres . The toll is ¥600. The bridge is part of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway....
attack was at 2:26. The time shown on the amateur footage in national television is a reference of the February 26 Incident
February 26 Incident
The was an attempted coup d'état in Japan, from February 26 to 29, 1936 carried out by 1,483 troops of the Imperial Japanese Army. Several leading politicians were killed and the center of Tokyo was briefly occupied by the rebelling troops...
, where Kōdō-ha
Imperial Way Faction
The was a political faction in the Imperial Japanese Army, active in the 1920s and 1930s and largely supported by junior officers aiming to establish a military government, that promoted totalitarian, militarist, and expansionist ideals...
fanatics of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
tried to occupy central Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
as part of a coup d'état attempt
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
.
License
Aside from Bandai Visual having the license to North American and the UK, Panorama owns the license for Patlabor 2 to Hong Kong with a Cantonese dub and subtitles aside from the original Japanese dub. In Oceania, Madman Entertainment has the license to market Patlabor 2 in the region.In Japan, Bandai Visual/Emotion has released Patlabor 2 on DVD, Blu-ray and on UMD. Only the double disc DVD/Blu-ray and DVD/HD DVD sets as well as the single disc Blu-ray release has the remade English dub and subtitles.
Theme background
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is a clause in the National Constitution of Japan that prohibits an act of war by the state. The Constitution came into effect on May 3, 1947, immediately following World War II. In its text, the state formally renounces war as a sovereign right and bans...
, created on May 3, 1947 by the Allied Forces, meant that the JSDF is only allowed to defend Japanese territory from hostile invasion and not to be deployed in any manner on foreign soil. On June 15, 1992, Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa
Kiichi Miyazawa
was a Japanese politician and the 78th Prime Minister from November 5, 1991 to August 9, 1993.-Early life and career:Miyazawa was born in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in law. In 1942 he joined the Ministry of Finance...
had pledged to contribute JSDF personnel to head to Cambodia and participate in UNTAC, which called for 2,000 Japanese personnel to be deployed including various JSDF personnel from the JGSDF, JMSDF and JASDF, police officers and election observers with the condition that most of them would not see any combat operations due to Article 9 regulations, though this deployment was seen as a testing ground for potential future peacekeeping operations in foreign soil in order to obtain a seat in the UN Security Council.
There was some opposition from this after the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
had passed the UN Peacekeeping Cooperation Law, allowing the JSDF to be in UN peacekeeping operations. with a low approval rating of 20% when it became law. In a public poll taken, 70% percent of the public had been against sending JSDF personnel to Cambodia due to memories of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with an SDF public relations group polling the first 600 troops deployed to Cambodia with a poll of 19% saying that they would refuse any order to be deployed in other UN Peacekeeping operations due to their confusion as the JSDF has not been engaged in any hostile activity after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Among those who had opposed this deployment were Kazunori Ito and Mamoru Oshii themselves from the public level. Further opposition became noted in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
when Atsuhito Nakata, a civilian election observer and Haruyuki Takada, a police officer with the rank of Superintendent were killed during a gunfight in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, resulting in protests calling for remaining Japanese UN volunteers to go home before Takada's father went on national television and told the protesting crowd that he was proud of his son's sacrifice in order to let Cambodia have peace. In addition, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The of Japan is the Cabinet member responsible for Japanese foreign policy and the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Since the end of the American occupation of Japan, the position has been one of the most powerful in the Cabinet, as Japan's economic interests have long relied on...
representatives have issued a press statement that their deaths were regrettable, but have insisted that the JSDF's participation in UNTAC
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Cambodia in 1992–93. It was also the first occasion on which the UN had taken over the administration of an independent state, organized and run an election , had its own radio station and jail,...
would continue and said that their deaths "were very regrettable for Japan, also indicated that world peace and security are sometimes only achieved at the sacrifices of precious lives."
But after the UNTAC mission was complete, 50% of the polls taken now suggested that they actively supported JSDF personnel that were sent off to Cambodia and were hailed as heroes upon returning home.
Basis
At the time of Patlabor 2s release in 1993, a lot of issues had faced the Japanese government in both the domestic and international level. Most of the issues include the end of the Soviet Union, Japan's economic prosperity in the 1980s and the 1990s, and outbreak of the Gulf War with the 1990 market crash that left many Japanese devastated. In an interview with Animage magazine on October 1993, Hayao MiyazakiHayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
said that the opening scene of the movie was inspired by the local Cambodian scene, especially with the appearance of what seems to be Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom , located in present day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by king Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those...
since Miyazaki said that it is the case. He also mentions with Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2...
on the nature of the limitations that JSDF personnel faced in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, since the JSDF was formed originally not as a sort of military body of the post-WWII Japanese government.
Several real-life incidents were also mentioned or used for the movie. For instance, references to Viktor Belenko
Viktor Belenko
Viktor Ivanovich Belenko is Soviet defector and aerospace engineer and lecturer. Belenko was sentenced to death in the Soviet Union for state treason. He was born in Nalchik, Russian SFSR in a Ukrainian family...
's defection to Japan in 1976 were mentioned by Arakawa himself when he spoke to Goto and Nagumo. Another incident with the nearly fatal dogfight over Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
was supposedly based on an accident in a computer simulation that forced the US military to go onto DEFCON 3 and almost went to nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
A comparison used here was with the JGSDF intervention in declaring martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
with planned intervention of United States Forces Japan
United States Forces Japan
The refers to the various divisions of the United States Armed Forces that are stationed in Japan. Under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, the United States is obliged to defend Japan in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces for...
military units over the crisis in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
shadows the last days of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's defeat in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when rogue Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
units planned to stage a revolt against the Emperor after he declared the country's surrender to the Allied forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
.
Reception
Views on Patlabor the Movie 2 have been very positive. One review from the Anime Cafe states that Patlabor the Movie 2 is an "intellectually stimulating anime", combining the movie's mecha concept with the plot similar to a Tom ClancyTom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
novel. Anime World states that while the sequel is better than the first in terms of action and drama, some viewers may not understand the political aspects of the film, though its philosophical themes may be easier to understand, especially with the concept of just war and unjust peace. Japan Hero's review of the movie commented well on the side story that the movie showcased the main characters who had to let go of their past and to move on and grow up, with the fact that they had to get back together and face a threat that could make a country ruled by civilian authority or one ruled by fear and paranoia. Anime News Network has noted the background music used in the movie "favors heavy, pulsing techno beats backed by airy, haunting vocals for the intense scenes and soaring synthesized scores in other places."
The re-released version of the film by Image Entertainment and Bandai Visual is considered superior to the earlier one by Manga Entertainment, according to a couple of near-anonymous posters on Amazon.com. Although at least one reviewer dislikes the new sound mix, which was done in 1999, and definitely prefers the old one.
In 1994, the film won the Mainichi Film Concours award in the category for Best Animated Film.