(Originally written for Anime-now! in 2016)
Sequels, reboots, remakes and side stories are everywhere today. But many times, the key to success—and longevity—is in the assurance that no matter how many incarnations an intellectual property goes through, the core ideas remain constant and relevant, if perhaps in a different guise.
Sometimes, the people who understand this best are the people who have been impassioned by those very elements. The story behind 2016’s Patlabor Reboot is just such a tale. Behind the scenes, the production itself is almost an allegorical narrative about a master bequeathing an heirloom to a young successor who has proven his worth.