Interview] Captain Goto is now the father of a sushi restaurant! HEADGEAR's Kazunori Ito talks about the secret story of "PATLABOR" and the latest work "Goto at the Sushi Restaurant" which depicts the world 30 years after "the incident"!

The "Mobile Police Patlabor" was born from the creator group "HEADGEAR" (original idea and manga: Masami Yuki, mechanical design: Yutaka Izubuchi, character design: Akemi Takada, screenplay: Kazunori Ito, director: Mamoru Oshii).

The "Patlabor" series has been developed in various forms, including two OVA series, three movie versions, a TV series, a manga series by Masami Yuki, the creator of the series, and a live-action movie directed by Mamoru Oshii. In recent years, the series has continued to meet the long-standing desires of its many fans, including the short film "Mobile Police Patlabor Reboot" in 2016 and the new project "PATLABOR EZY" in 2017.

Of course, the novel platform has also been used by Kazunori Ito, director Mamoru Oshii, and Michiko Yokote, who wrote the scripts for the OVA and TV series, to expand the fascinating world of the series, and now a new chapter will be added to the story. That is exactly what Kazunori Ito, one of the creators of PATLABOR, has spun in the eponymous "Goto at the Sushi Restaurant. This work is being shown exclusively on the members-only fan site "Special Vehicle Section 2, Annex.

When we visited Mr. Ito, the writer of this work, about which the latest two episodes have just been released, he told us about Kiichi Goto, a popular character in this work, about the work "Patlabor," and many other interesting topics for fans.

The motif of a "sushi restaurant" that came out of the blue

--First of all, could you tell us how you came to write a spin-off of Captain Goto?

ITOH: When I was struggling with "PATLABOR EZY," I was talking with Jenco producer Taro Maki, and he told me about a restaurant called "Sushi-ya Goto" near where Jenco had relocated. From there, the idea of a story about an aging Goto running a sushi restaurant after quitting the police force came up, and Mr. Maki found it very interesting. That's when I decided to try writing one myself. I once heard a quote, "The manuscript you want to write is the one you are not writing right now. What a person wants to write is not the manuscript that is in front of him, but the one he has not started working on yet. That's why I wanted to escape from "EZY" in the first place (laughs).

--(laughs) - So you didn't have the idea before that.

Ito: No, I didn't. I had no idea. I didn't have a desire to write Goto. But when you think of "PATLABOR," you think of Captain Goto, don't you?　（It is not Yuma (Shinohara) or Noaki (Izumi). I had the feeling that it would be Goto.

--Ito: So you felt it was "fate" that the plot of the sushi restaurant landed on you?

Ito: It may sound a bit exaggerated, but that is part of it. However, the most likely scenario would be to depict Goto as a hard-boiled private detective or researcher, but that is not the way I like to play it, as I like to change things up. The father of the soba noodle shop would be a good match, but it would still be too common, wouldn't it?　I thought a sushi restaurant would be a good choice.

--How much have you decided on the concept of the work?

ITOH: In my mind, I intend to make a series of short stories, one a month for a year. There will be 12 or 3 in total, so it will be like a one-cour TV series. I hope to write a full-length story after that, but I haven't figured out how to write a full-length story with "Goto the Sushi Shop" yet.

-Are there any restrictions on your writing?　Like not having Goto come out of the sushi restaurant?

Ito: Basically, I intend for the story to take place only inside the sushi restaurant, but I haven't set any restrictions. I mean, I feel like I have to let him out about once every four times or so to make it last (laughs). Goto basically doesn't move. And since he is a sushi chef, he doesn't have to solve cases. In fact, after writing the two episodes, my current feeling is that "this is surprisingly tough" (laughs).

--The guest in the first episode was an ordinary person, but in the second episode, Yuma made an appearance.

Ito: The first episode was intended to be a sample of what we would do, so it is a standard story. It would be strange to have a character from an old work in every episode. It's just a conversational drama at a sushi restaurant.

--Do you have any intention to include any tricks or games that would betray the readers?

ITOH: No, at the moment, I'm trying to keep the short story series varied. If I were to try something, it would be a full-length work.

--How do you think about sharing the world view with other "PATLABOR" works?

Ito: I think of it as a world line that is based on the flow from the initial OVA ("Early Days" series) to the movie version, not the world line of the TV series or the new OVA. Patlabor" is a parallel world to begin with. I'm sure everyone has some interest in "Goto after that," but I've decided to go with the sushi restaurant. If other Goto's come to mind, I'll let someone else at HEADGEAR do what they want.

--Ito: You didn't pay any attention to the setting of the comic book version by Masami Yuki?

Ito: The comic is completely Yuuki's world, and the TV series was supposed to end as a prequel to the Gryphon Arc. The TV series was supposed to end as a prequel to the Griffon Arc. We had a rough outline of the story from the arrival of Kankan Hana (Clancy) to her return. However, I lost heart when the story was extended from the original two-cour plan to a four-cour plan (laughs). From there, it became impossible to construct a scenario. So I had to borrow the griffon version from the comic. Yuki-san said to me, "I'm doing a story (in the anime) that I know.

--In a way, it was like a parallel world merged there.

Ito: We didn't even plan to include Takeo Kumamimi. To put it another way, the first anime adaptation was in the format of an OVA, so it was aimed at older friends, but when it became a TV series, I was a little more conscious of the younger age group. So, the TV series was a re-start, with the first episode beginning with the arrival of Noaki at his new post. At that point, we were in a parallel world. But "Goto at the Sushi Restaurant" is a story that is in the world line of the first movie "Mobile Police Patlabor the Movie" and the second movie "Mobile Police Patlabor 2 the Movie. Because at the time of "Geki-Pat 2," only Captain Goto and Yamazaki are in the 2nd Platoon of the 2nd Special Vehicle Section. Yuma, Nomyo and the others are no longer in the 2nd Platoon. Goto and Nagumo can't even stay in the police force after what they did. So, I have a sense of the world and the characters after they left the police force. I think what readers are most interested in is what happened to Captain Goto after "Gekipatou 2" and why he is running a sushi restaurant, so I touched on those 30 years in episode 2, but since it's Goto, well, he doesn't say it properly (laughs).

--(laughs) - Do you have a backstory for the 30 years that you "don't say properly"?

ITOH: That part was left rather to chance.

--So it's not just that it doesn't appear in the novel?

ITOH: I haven't decided.

--By the way, didn't you make the initial OVA and the movie version as well?

Ito: Because there was no time to do so (laugh). As for Mr. Oshii, Nagumo went abroad after "Geki-Pat 2", which I think led to "THE NEXT GENERATION PATLABOR", but there is no such setting in my mind.

Yuuma and I are very similar in our stuffiness.

--Did you have any particular part of Captain Goto that you wanted to write about or that you had left out before in writing the novel?

ITOH: No (laughs). Because Goto is not the type to take action on his own. When the people around him do something, it acts as a catalyst for Goto to do something.

--So you are not the type who tries to write something by moving things around.

Ito: Also, in "Mobile Police Patlabor: New OVA" (Episode 12) "Futari no Karuizawa" (Two Karuizawa), I did most of the work.

--What kind of person do you think Captain Goto is?

ITOH: As is often said, he is an "ideal adult. When I was young, I wanted to act like Goto, but I couldn't help but be like Yuma. It was exactly the same when I was working on "Patlabor". Mr. Oshii once said to me, "Yuuma is like Ito-kun, isn't he? That certainly comes to mind.

--What is it that you feel is similar to Yuma?

Ito: The lack of finesse (laughs).

(laugh) -- Can I ask you to elaborate a little more? (laughs).

Ito: Sometimes I get into the habit of running away.

--like the reason why you started writing "Goto the Sushi Shop"?

ITOH: Yes, yes. In the first movie version, Yuma is told by Goto, "You are young, but you are so indifferent, aren't you?　That is the point like that. In that sense, Mr. Oshii is Goto. Because he says good words and makes me work with his good mood.

--Is there anything else that Mr. Oshii has in common with Captain Goto?

Ito: No, if I say there is no such thing (laugh). (laugh) However, there is a point like Mr. Oshii who is trying hard to be Goto.

--Is it a part of being a captain and a director, both of which are in a higher position, that you are trying hard?

Ito: Yes, that is the point. Because a director is a captain and a section chief or a manager is a producer or a sponsor. Therefore, when Mr. Oshii joined "PATLABOR", the first thing he did was to separate the personnel room and the captain's room. In other words, the captain's room is a staff room, and the place where the members are is a classroom. However, Mr. Oshii said, "I had to become a teacher" because Yuma, that is, I was in the classroom. When I heard that, I thought "Oh, I see. I guess it is better to draw a line between the two.

--By the way, was there anyone else in HEADGEAR who resembled the members of the 2nd Platoon?

Ito: No, there were none. I was the one who first decided on the regular characters, and I had a general model, but Ota (Isao) was an instructor at the diving school I was attending at the time, and Shinji (Mikiyasu) was my buddy at that diving school.

--So the person who became Ota's model was a bit crass like that?

Ito: Yes. Of course, he was deformed for the anime. The person who modeled for Shinji also never lost his temper like that (laughs).

(laughs) -- As for Captain Goto, who do you think is the most important creator of Captain Goto?

Ito: It is a well-known story that the model of Captain Goto is Tatsuya Nakadai of "Murderous Madness," so I would say that Yuki-san is the creator and Oshii-san is the foster parent. However, what I thought "Ah! I heard Mr. Ryusuke Obayashi's voice in the recording of the first episode of the initial OVA series. I think that's when the character of Goto became clear to me.

--What kind of feeling did you get?

Ito: It's hard to explain. ...... I think that voice actors are in the business of giving flesh and blood to the characters they portray. But in the case of Mr. Obayashi, he gave even more soul. I thought to myself, "Goto speaks like that. He had a sense of humor and a sharpness, and even though his feet smelled bad, I thought, "This guy can't be underestimated.

--Do you find it easier to move Captain Goto around when you have Obayashi-san's voice speaking for him?

Ito: Yes, I do. I think Mr. Obayashi's voice made it easier for me to imagine him in concrete terms.

--Did the character of Captain Goto change in any way because of Mr. Obayashi's voice?

Ito: I don't think so. His range may have broadened a little. However, I think the joke in episode 17 of the TV series, "My target is Captain Goto," was made possible by Obayashi's voice.

--I think it is true that the deepness of Captain Goto's heart is due in large part to Obayashi's voice. It seems like he would forgive you for the episode, "My target is Captain Goto.

Ito: Yes, yes. I was so frustrated with the TV series that I felt like I should do whatever I wanted with the new OVA. I'm not sure who came up with the idea now, but someone came up with the idea of Goto-san and Nagumo-san going to a love hotel. （I think it was either Hibari Arisu (co-writer) or possibly Naoko Asanashi (recording director). But I had a feeling that I wanted to do something like that.

An opportunity to dispel my dislike of novels

--I want to remind you of what you used to do. Is there a character that you liked, or a character that was easy to move around?

ITOH: Actually, surprisingly, I like Koukan Hana. I feel like I can't leave her alone, despite the fact that she is a female version of Ota. Just as Ota has a side like the one in "Ota, Afternoon of Confusion" (Mobile Police Patlabor TV series episode 12), Kankan Hana has a side like a grandma's daughter. That's what's good about her, and you wouldn't want to drink with Goto, would you?　She seems like a pain in the ass (laughs).

(laughs) --Kankanuka has a strong image of being a sharp man.

Ito: A sharp man is a sharp man. Of course, it would be a misnomer to say that he is smarter than Ota (laughs). (laughs) But there is something broken about him, isn't there?　He is like, "Are you okay? Like, "Are you okay? She is making the wrong assumptions in the first place. In a way, she is like a screwed-up girl. But Kumamimi (Takeo) doesn't have that at all. She is too perfect with her only weakness being her fear of psychic phenomena.

-In the comics, his nickname used to be "Jackknife," you know.

Ito: That's why I'm rather uncomfortable with the bear ears because they are too proper.

--I'm not sure if there are any memorable lines or scenes in your works.

ITOH: That's difficult. But the dialogue between Goto and Arakawa in "Gekipato 2," I thought, "Mr. Obayashi, you are very good. Actually, I did not write that part. Mr. Oshii said, "I want to put in a narration, so can you make the part where it enters? I said, "Okay," and wrote only a scene outline. Well, I don't know if the scriptwriter would approve of such a thing (laughs). (laughs) But because it was a scene of a river cruise, it was possible to adjust the length of the scene as much as possible. Naoto Takenaka is the one who makes it work as a conversation, and Mr. Obayashi is on par with him. I think it's amazing. Goto also likes to say things like, "My head itches," or "I wonder what's wrong with me," but he also likes to say things that have a sense of omission.

--Is it difficult to come up with dialogue for Goto?　I think he is a very well-defined character.

Ito: But Goto has a wide range, and he can say any kind of words. Conversation is a catch-all, isn't it?　You say something to the other person, the other person responds, and then the other person responds again (......), and so on, and so on. In the exchange of words, I think Goto can make you talk about a wide range of topics.

--He is always aloof, but he can also get riled up by his superiors.

Ito: Yes. That scene in "Gekipatou 2. It was like he was on the edge of his seat when he said, "I told you it was too late! I think he was on the edge of his seat. I think it was a bit too much.

--Was that dialogue written by Mr. Ito?

Ito I think it was also written by Mr. Oshii. As I said, I would not have written that much.

--Finally, I would like to ask you about the last part. What kind of existence does "PATLABOR" have for you?

Ito: Well, I wonder what it is. ...... Property?　I mean, basically, we do more work with original works, but "PATLABOR" is our own original work, and it has been a success and has been in demand for such a long time. I think that is really rare, so I am just grateful for that. That is why it is an asset.

--Ito: Does that also mean that you made it with all of your colleagues?

Ito: No, it's not that we all did this together as much as you might say. As I said before, the comic version is in the category of Mr. Yuki, and I and Mr. Oshii had nothing to do with it while we were working on it for a long time. Then, I think that "unexpectedly, Takada's work was significant". There was a blank period during which no new work was produced, but he continued to draw "PATLABOR" during that time. That was a good thing, and I was able to get away with it.

--I am grateful to him for continuing to work on it.

ITOH: It 's not like being a torchbearer, but there was a time when I was running alone. I guess that's why we have "EZY" and "Goto at the Sushi Restaurant" now.

--By the way, did you have any desire to write "PATLABOR" during that blank period?

ITOH: No. Because writing "Gamera" was more interesting (laughs).

-- (laughs). Having said that, you started "Goto at the Sushi Restaurant" with great ambition. What message would you like to send to those who are looking forward to your novel?

ITOH: Actually, I always had a kind of aversion to novels. One time, I let Yokote (Michiko) read a novel that I had written only the beginning of and failed at, and she said, "It's too hard" and "I feel like I have to sit on my knees to read it. I told Yokote that I knew that, and that my shoulders were too tense, and she said that I should write it as if I were writing a scenario. He told me, "Your to write a novel as if you were writing a scenario. That is why "Sushi-ya no Goto" is a practice of writing a novel like a scenario. I'm a little sorry for making you all follow my practice work (laugh), but once I gain confidence, I will write another great full-length work.

I hope you will wait a year. Thank you very much!


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(Reporting and writing by Koji Shimizu)