Even before he became a director legend, James Cameron exchanged thoughts with Guillermo del Toro about his favorite animes and mangas. Now it becomes clear where the inspiration for the robots in Avatar comes from.
What did the directors talk about? In an interview that you can watch on YouTube, director Guillermo del Toro revealed how he and James Cameron exchanged ideas about their favorite animes and mangas.
The director recounts that he showed Cameron Battle Angel Alita back then. In return, he got to see the anime Patlabor from James Cameron. Both were equally impressed by the imagination of these works.
What kind of anime is this? Patlabor is a legendary science-fiction franchise that originated in the late 1980s. It can be best described as a mix between a police sitcom and mecha action.
Set in the near future of the late 1990s, Patlabor depicts a world where robots have not become magical superheroes or weapons of war, but heavy construction machines. They are called “labors” and are primarily used in construction.
The problem is: there are criminals who misuse these construction machines. Therefore, the police must upgrade to police robots to combat the criminals. However, when these robots fight, they have to be careful not to crush cars or damage buildings.
The pilots often get stuck in traffic and have to wait for the robots’ batteries to recharge. In addition, there are the everyday problems of the officers: they often struggle with budget cuts, maintenance, paperwork, and boredom.
Anime as inspiration for many more films
What impact did the anime have? That Patlabor is James Cameron’s favorite anime is evident in many places. Just think of the mechs in Avatar, with which the humans fight on Pandora. The Terminator series also shows some similarities with Patlabor.
Director del Toro raves about Patlabor in the video linked above. For him, it is a fortunate coincidence that Cameron showed him his favorite anime. The two directors were also connected through their love for mecha-anime.
The Patlabor films have had a strong influence on the creation of Pacific Rim. Especially the technology of the robots and the war scene was a great inspiration.
Unfortunately, MeinMMO editor Jasmin cannot relate much to mechs. So far, she could only give Code Geass a chance. In all other animes, the huge robots have deterred her so far. Why, she reveals in the following article: I tolerate many crazy things in animes, but I draw a clear line at one thing
