Patlabor Ep. 32: Reunion

Heavy rain pours down on the SV2 station house as Shige and the mechanics assess the damage to Unit 2. Sakaki concludes that the damage is so extensive that it’ll have to be sent back to the factory. Sakaki complains to Goto about having to put in so much overtime since Division 2 formed, and Goto apologizes. Goto says he’s more worried about the human damage with Asuma and Kumagami in the hospital. Goto comments on the Griffon‘s flight ability, and Sakaki thinks a flying labor is useless. Shinshi and Ota argue about the Griffon’s abilities, and Goto comments that Ota must be missing Asuma. Goto comments that their fighting power has been reduced 50 percent, and Ota proclaims that he’ll work as hard as Asuma and Kumagami combined, but Goto deflates him by pointing out that Unit 2 is being sent to the factory. Goto then tells Noa to not worry too much about Asuma and relax a bit. Shinshi asks Noa to take a look at the TV, where Kana’s music video is playing. An emergency flash then appears about a mysterious flying object crashing in the mountains of Chiba, which may be connected to the labor battle at Harumi. In the mountainside, a Schaft crew works in the rain to recover the crashed Griffon. They leave behind the damaged wings and load the Griffon onto a truck, which is covered with the outer body of a construction labor as camouflage. The trucks then drive cautiously through the rain until a police car pulls them over. The officer asks the driver if he saw the plane crash, and the driver gives him a fake story and direction of where the crash occurred. The officer lets them go, and Bud tells the driver it should be smooth sailing for them from now on. At a hotel, Kurosaki informs Utsumi that the Griffon has been recovered. To Kurosaki’s surprise, Utsumi wants to take another crack at stealing the Ingram’s movement disk. Noa finds herself unable to sleep, and Goto gets good news from Shinobu at the hospital. She tells him the silver lining from the incident is that the Economy has proved to not be good enough for Patlabor duty. Goto finds Noa eavesdropping, and she tells him that she can’t rest. Goto gives her the news that Kumagami’s operation was a success and that Asuma can leave the hospital. The next morning, Shinshi wakes Noa up to show her a TV news story about the Griffon’s crash. Noa sees one of the wing fragments and is sure that it came from the Griffon, and Shinshi thinks it self-destructed. Goto watches the same report and says something isn’t right.

At the hospital, Asuma is scolded by a nurse for walking around in his uniform and worrying patients. In her room, Kumagami gives a detailed description of Utsumi to Matsui and Kataoka, and Kataoka creates a startlingly accurate sketch of Utsumi. Asuma drops in to visit, and Matsui tells him he doesn’t look so bad. Kumagami asks Asuma if he’s ok, and he tells her she should worry about her own condition. Asuma looks at Kataoka’s sketch, which Matsui says is of Richard Won. Asuma says it looks like Utsumi, and Matsui wants to know more. Later, Matsui and Kataoka visit Schaft Enterprises Japan and ask to speak to Utsumi. A division manager asks Matsui what they want, and the receptionist tells Matsui that Utsumi is in Tsuchiura for the entire week. Matsui tells the manager that someone who looks like Utsumi was spotted at a crime scene, which the manager thinks is preposterous because Utsumi was out of town. Matsui concludes that it must be a case of mistaken identity. The manager calls Utsumi and tells him the project is suspended because the police somehow know who he is. The manager tells him to stay out of Tokyo and visit South America or somewhere. Asuma returns to the station house and tells Shinshi and Hiromi that he got away with a few cracked ribs. He adds that Kumagami will be out for a month, and Shinshi worries that Ota will be out of control. Shinshi tells Asuma that Noa hasn’t slept at all out of worry for Asuma, and she’s been distracting herself by practicing martial arts with Ota. After losing her breath for a moment, she charges at Ota and tries to flip him over her shoulder, but instead lets him fall on her. Noa says that she’s useless and couldn’t help anyone yesterday. Ota says he didn’t ask for her help and blames the entire mess on Asuma. Ota decides to take a lunch break and asks Noa to cry on Asuma’s shoulder because it makes him uncomfortable. Noa then looks up and is relieved to see Asuma. Utsumi tells one of his men to break the Griffon down and load it onto containers. Kurosaki informs Utsumi that the division manager is calling in Schaft Security Systems, which he says is to cover his bases. Bud storms in and is angry about not being able to keep fighting. Utsumi decides that it isn’t over yet if they still have the Griffon. A Schaft plane lands at the airport carrying men and Abraham military labors. After putting away the mats, Noa is surprised to see Kanuka. Kanuka tells Goto and Shinobu that Schaft Security Systems is in town, and while they’re ostensibly a private security agency, they’re more like a mercenary army. She says she’s been watching them for a while and would like to ride with the team for a few days. Goto opens the door and causes everyone to fall inside the office because they were eavesdropping. Goto officially assigns Kanuka to be in command of Unit 1.