Noa Izumi is one of the main protagonists of Patlabor: The Early Days, the Patlabor manga, Mobile Police Patlabor: On Television, and Patlabor: The Movie. She is a supporting character in Patlabor 2: The Movie and WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3.
Personality[]
She has a cheerful personality and is good with people. She also has a strong sense of justice and does not hesitate to take on dangerous missions ordered by Kiichi Goto. She is a pacifist who tries to minimize the use of force on duty, but depending on the situation, she can also show belligerence. Noa is somewhat impulsive, albeit not nearly as much as Isao Ohta. Aside from her excessive affection for Ingram Unit 1, she is a relatively common-sense person among the members of the 2nd Division. She has a close relationship with her partner, Asuma Shinohara, but she doesn't seem to be aware of his romantic feelings. Noa is arguably the best pilot in Division 2, although both Kanuka Clancy and Takeo Kumagami have shown extreme talent as well but seldom pilot. She has a natural affinity for labors like pets and named her personal Ingram unit "Alphonse", a name previously held by a pet dog and a pet cat. As the main character of the franchise, she gets 110% out of the labors much to the amazement of her colleagues.
Biography[]
Noa Izumi was born on December 17, 1978, 20 years old (as of 1998) to her mother and father. Her family runs the liquor store "Izumi Liquor Store". She was an average girl with an interest in machines, and sports. When she was in middle school she was fairly good at softball before she joined women's basketball club in High School, and despite wanting to be an athlete, her plans fell through and she quit altogether. Soon after she'd switch to table tennis instead. Growing up she would also have a pet dog named "Alphonse" that she greatly cherished, though the animal would pass away causing Noa tremendous grief. She would then have a pat cat that she'd also name Alphonse, though the fate of Alphonse the cat is unknown.
After graduating High School, she joined the Waseda Police Academy, while also working part time at a National Security Company to pay for the school. She would be commended for excellent judgement yet also received three warnings for arguing with superiors. Eventually she was recruited to join the "Mobile Police Forces" (renamed to the Special Vehicles Unit), and was able to pass the exam required due to her strong tolerance to motion sickness.
Original OVA Timeline[]
Around the fall of 2001, she transferred to the equipment development section of the headquarters with Asuma, and was seconded to Shinohara Heavy Industries, where she served as a test pilot for the new machine. At this time, she was wearing piercings in her ears, and when she responded to Goto's convocation, she expressed to Asuma that she didn't want to be spoiled just because she liked Labors.
On Television Timeline[]
Mid to late fall[]
Noa would begin her career in Special Vehicles Section 2 Division 2 where she'd be running late for the labor aptitude test being held at Shinohara Heavy Industries' Hachioji factory, meeting existing members Asuma Shinohara and Isao Ohta on the way. Soon she'd learn of the theft of the Ingram and volunteers to recover it herself, managing to chase down the stolen labor carrier and board Ingram Unit 1 in secret. Once inside she inputs a new password into the machine's computer, it being the same name as her dog "Alphonse." She makes contact with Asuma and Ohta through the radio, who tell her to wait for the criminals to stop before apprehending them. Once the thief makes a stop she has the Ingram deck up, only to be ambushed by several Tyrants, though she pulls through and destroys all of them after Asuma tells her to just fight. After the incident Goto would introduce her to Division 2's current members.
Soon she and the other members of Section 2 would be training at the Okutama Branch Police Academy, where they'd soon meet a new member Kanuka Clancy, who would temporarily be joining Division 2 for the next six months. The teams are decided via labor combat tournament and she wins every bout except for the final round against Kanuka, though she is still given the position of Machine 1's pilot as Kanuka's stay isn't permanent. Afterwards Noa would go through an "Initiation" where she loads the Ingram onto the carrier without using autopilot, just barely being able to load the machine onto it's carrier. Asuma would tell her about how the Ingram works and Kanuka would criticize her attachment to the machine, fueling Noa's already growing rivalry with the officer. Asuma would then inform her of everyday life at the Station House and how the team operates, though soon she'd be tasked with retrieving machine 3 from the waters near the docks after Ohta fails to retrieve the mechanic's fishing boat in the same labor. She and Kanuka would successfully retrieve the Ingram and then the boat, everyone working to clean up the incident before the Chief mechanic Seitaroh Sakaki returns.
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Noa apprehending Ichoku Inubashiri
From this point on Noa would continue her work in Division 2, where she'd aid in the capture of an escaped creature from a medical lab, stomping an out of control experimental military labor from the JSDF known as the HAL-X10 before it could reach and destroy the nearest city, and assist the fire department by ascending Tower City Project building by saving their Pyro Busters and freeing trapped VIPS and news crews. She also grew suspicious of Division 1's new patrol labor and upgrade from the Python, which then would turn out to be a plot to collect movement data from the police. Noa would then go on to assist in the relocation of a sacred tree in Onifuri village after her team finds out that it's own villagers were attacking development teams, all to prevent them from finding hidden buried treasure. Soon Noa and Asuma would be sent to Sakata with Public Security's Takahata to intercept a weapons trade deal and uncover a terrorist plot, apprehending Takahata for his attempts at using the police as a scapegoat. She'd also arrest Ichoku Inubashiri, a Home of the Sea sympathizer who fought off Ivan Ivanovich Ivanokovsky while they both were in Doshkas.
Tokyo Teleport Incident[]
On Christmas Eve Noa would be celebrating with her team before she and Asuma meet with Kanuka to see her grandmother off, though they learn she went missing and could be looking for "The Christmas of 50 years ago." After Division 2 hears word that strange happenings have been occurring in Tokyo Teleport, with all communication from the location ceasing and all cars going in not coming out, Division 2 is mobilized to investigate. During their trek they find the remains of Division 1's Pythons before being ambushed on all sides by Brockens, Noa struggling to fight them all off with Ohta, though Machine 2 is heavily damaged by beam attacks and EMP tampering from a mysterious labor known as the Phantom. Noa is forced to separate from the team and ends up encountering two Helldivers, one piloted by Tamaki Fuwa. She's told not to let her Captains know her presence and they all part ways.
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The Phantom restraining Noa in Unit 1
Noa returns to the group and has the Ingram recharge on the carrier, joining up with Asuma to check on how the rest of the team is doing. Afterwards she'd return to the Ingram and assist with Fuwa's withdrawal from the battlefield, Fuwa in exchange informing her of the Phantom's whereabouts. She encounters the machine and is unable to do meaningful damage to it, but she was about to land a hit on it's internals and then it's jamming unit, which restores communication to Tokyo Teleport. The Phantom in a last ditch effort restrains Unit 1 and blinds Noa with a flash bang attack, then going on to charge up it's twin beam cannons. Then, Kanuka, in Ohta's damaged Unit 2, rescues her by destroying the Phantom's shield binder and jamming the stun baton into it's body. Seeing an opening Noa shoulder bashes the labor into the water, and Kanuka stops her machine from falling in with it.
Mid Winter[]
Eventually Noa would continue her duties as normal, assisting her teammate Ohta as they rescue his would be fiance's true lover. The two would descend into a collapse bullet train subway, where Ohta acts as support and she helps free the pilot from his labor. Later Noa and Section 2 would be task of keeping guard of Prince Uru, who came to Japan from his country to observe how they use labors; and to potentially establish a labor section at home. He would be targeted by assassins using Brockens who attempt to kill his stand in, who was his cousin that pretended to be him to protect his identity. He and the rest of Division 2 would head to the scene and fight off the assassins, Noa and Uru piloting the Ingram together to take down their opponent and save Uru's cousin.
Some time later Noa and Kanuka's incompatibility as a team would be made apparent to Goto, with Noa disregarding Kanuka's commands when she takes up Asuma's back up position. He decides to take them and the rest of the team out for drinks, where Noa and Kanuka would end up in a competition to see who could stomach alcohol better. The topic of Kanuka's home and family comes up, to where Kanuka admits she wishes she could go home and see her grandmother again. Noa, seeing this vulnerable side to Kanuka, starts to see her past the infallible nature.
Later a whale would be spotted in Tokyo Bay which causes a public uproar, everyone wanting to save the whale since the bay isn't a good environment for it. A Tokyo Bay Whale Rescue Committee is formed with Section 2 taking part in it, though for time being Noa and the others are simply tasked with managing the crowds, traffic, and parking at the location of the operation. Noa would also be a little disappointed that the whale and the Coast Guard's operation takes attention away from the Ingram. Everyone would learn that the plan to lead the whale from the bay fell through, Hiromi and Noa wondering what they could do to help the whale without hurting it. Hiromi then proposes the idea of using sound to lure the whale, the Coast Guard using a Seaview and speakers to draw the whale's attention. This too would fail, and the public would start growing agitated at these failed attempts, leading to the diet dissolving the rescue committee. Section 2 is handed the job due to their track record making the idea of failing unsurprising, where then they'd notice the whale gave birth. Hiromi would pull through using a speaker equipped Frogman fixed up my the mechanics team, him helping the whale and it's child unite with it's escort.
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Unit 1 and 2 get into another mess
Division 2 would eventually be sent up to Sapporo, Hokkaido to participate in a Winter Festival, mostly to improve their image. Noa would be helping the public out build snow sculptures, reuniting with her old senior on the basketball team, Kiyama. From her she'd learn that she's now a student teacher, and of a boy in her class, Satoru, who's grown to hate labors due to them destroying his home and making him relocate to Hokkaido. She grows conscious of her own appreciation for labors and doesn't think they're bad, but her time of introspection is cut short due to Asuma informing her of terrorists placing a bomb in one of the snow sculptures. The real reason they were sent to Hokkaido was to bust a terrorist plot, and the next morning Division 2 works to find the bomb planted the previous night. Goto deduces it's in the "L" of the Babylon sculpture, Satoru pointing it out to Noa who digs it from the ice, tosses it in the air, and having Ohta fire it out of the sky.
After she and the rest of Division 2 try to investigate Goto and his supposed arch enemy, an Idol by the name of Kana Matsumoto arrives to the station. Kana is supposed to be participating in a labor safety parade and Division 2 must train her in an Ingram to prepare her for the event, though Noa doesn't like the idea of her using Alphonse and gets agitated when she wrecks it. Goto appoints Noa and Asuma as her teachers and the team are left to train her for the big day, Kana then growing infatuated with Noa after she finally agrees to train her. When the two are out late at night on a jog Noa gets kidnapped due to being mistaken for Kana, the criminals wanting to use Kana as a bargaining tool for the Ingram. The team works together to save Noa without the Captain knowing, and Kana assists by piloting the Ingram and surprisingly being somewhat competent at the job. Everyone sneaks back to the station and Kana says she'd let Noa free, stating she knows Asuma is crazy for her.
At some point Division 2 is sent to deal with terrorism taking place at the Tokyo Geo City, Noa being paired up with Kanuka to locate and disarm bombs placed around the complex. In the middle of the operation they'd encounter a large monster-like creature that was lurking in one of the caverns near the city, having to avoid it while continuing to disarm the bombs. The situation grows dire as one of the last bombs was placed in a tunnel connecting the city to an operations tower, and if it detonated it'd flood the city, resulting in the project needing to be restarted. Noa helps Kanuka while she's in Unit 2 with a damaged foot, and they ascend the operations tower with the last bomb in tow. The monster then appears before them and Noa tries to fight it off, her attacks unsuccessful. Noa would shove the bomb in the creature's mouth and Kanuka would escape from the damaged Unit 2, using a nearby crane to swat the monster off the side of the tower. There the bomb would detonate as it fell into the waters below.
Oshima Incident[]
Division 2 would be sending in Ingram Unit 3 for upgrades, and as Asuma sees it off with Jitsuyama the topic of his father comes up. Noa takes notice of Asuma's dislike for his father, and wants him to be more understanding of him. Jitsuyama quickly tells her the situation between the two is more delicate than she thinks, but later she still tries to get Asuma to open up about him. Asuma brashly shuts her down, causing a rift between the two in their relationship. Everyone else on the team notices they're behaving strangely, often getting into quarrels, but Kanuka asserts that it's up to them to solve their problems. Soon Goto relays and order from Fukushima to mobilize to Oshima, the reason being the appearance of a mysterious labor and they'll take over for the coast guard. Division 2 would begin to board a ferry and Noa notices Asuma isn't present, Kanuka informing her that he was sent to Hachioji. Hearing this, despite all the fighting they had before, Noa is left distraught as she sees him speed off in the command car.
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Noa getting restrained by the Phantom again
Everyone would be resting before they officially deploy to the island, Kanuka having to suggest Noa take advantage of the downtime after being kept up from thinking of Asuma. The team officially makes landfall and Noa asks who'll be commanding her, Goto taking up the position in Asuma's place. They're ordered to chase the labor into the grounds but Kanuka and her team decided to pursue it independently, where they'd inform Goto and Noa that the labor is the Phantom from the Tokyo Teleport incident. Soon the Phantom would try to lure out Noa by shooting beams at Unit 1, narrowly missing it and hitting the carrier. Despite orders from Goto she leaves her position to assist Fuwa and her Helldiver team, who dropped on the Island earlier to take down the Phantom. Noa manages to land critical hits on the Phantom causing it to retreat, getting into another altercation with the labor on one of the mountains. It tries to use the same flash bang attack but Noa's headgear has a built in eye protector, though despite her preparedness, the machine locks her into the same hold during the first incident.
Then, the Saturn from Holly Security Services arrives, but not to assist Noa, aiming it's autocannon at her. Before it could take a shot, Asuma arrives in Unit 3 and punches the Saturn before crushing it's head. He then throws Noa his stun baton and she lands the final blow of the Phantom, Asuma tackling her to the ground telling her to take cover as the machine detonates. As their Ingrams lay atop each other, their quarreling finally comes to an end.
Late Winter/Early spring[]
Division 2 would be participating in a springtime traffic safety campaign, where Noa would demonstrate how to carry objects using the Ingram. This would gain the interest of a mobster who has an interest in collecting labors, requesting she and Division 2 assist him in his piloting training. She and the team are weary at first but go along with it, though as the mobster begins a streak of vigilantism, Noa would begin to regret ever helping him. Eventually she and Division 2 would have to break up a gang war at one of the compounds, Noa using the Ingram to beat the mobster and his rival into submission to get them to stop fighting. They then give up in shame and hand in all their movement disks.
Eventually Kanuka's six month stay would be up and everyone would be preparing a surprise going away party, Noa being tasked with keeping an eye on her as Kanuka traverses the city. Afterwards she'd hear from Asuma that everyone has begun to read out Kanuka's reports on all the members, Noa rushing back just in time for her own. Noa is confused by a line that says "There's a fine line between her hobby and her work and between whether she's happy or miserable." not knowing if it's praise or an insult, but Ohta says it's because she's a slipshod officer. After Ohta is outraged by the contents of his report, he smashes the computer and the entire room is thrown into chaos. The team try to sneak off but Kanuka catches them suspecting them to be terrorists, demanding they leave immediately.
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Everyone seeing Kanuka's plane off, only for it to not take off.
At Haneda Airport Noa would be the only one to personally see off Kanuka before she boards her terminal, everyone else too shy after the incident from the party. When the plane begins to depart it suddenly stops, catching the team off guard, and they'd learn that a hijacking was taking place. Kanuka would manage to communicate to the team from the cockpit without the hijacker, Ginji Nekowatari, realizing. He demands the release of Ichoku Inubashiri, not due to any terrorist connections but likely a personal one. She uses code words that elicit Goto to have Noa and Asuma conduct the rescue operation from the ground. Asuma would use a vehicle to transport Noa and an on sight Bulldog to the plane while Noa quickly red up on it's manual. Kanuka would manage to push Neko out of the plane and Noa catches him using the Bulldog's manipulator, exchanging gazes at Kanuka before the two finally say their goodbyes.
Later during a mobilization, the team's poor synergy after Kanuka's departure is made evident, with Ohta damaging Noa's Unit 1 in the process of apprehending a labor. Shinshi would be concerned about his ability to command Ohta, which would further be emphasized by a training match involving him and Ohta vs Asuma and Noa. He would then start to reconsider changing jobs, but upon seeing the incompetence of the riot squad at a later deployment, his tone completely changes and he demands Ohta to shoot after he distracts the labor. Noa and Asuma are ordered to follow just in case, and when Ohta is successfully able to place a shot, Noa finishes the labor off with a stun baton.
Eventually a new member by the name of Takeo Kumagami arrives to the station, her incredibly fast ability to learn and adjust to the team greatly concerns Asuma. At first Noa believes Asuma to be worrying too much, but he would insist that if she doesn't do her best her position as forward could be at stake. Later Noa would ask Kumagami why she would join Section 2 if she's so esteemed, to which then Kumagami would ask if she had any pride in her work. She states she's there to improve herself and Noa will never improve with her current attitude. This pushes Noa to try and improve herself, then going on to tell Asuma she doesn't compare to Kumagami. Asuma would then show her that despite Ohta's faster reaction speed, greater accuracy, and higher power output, Noa still is more efficient than him, suggesting she still has her own strength.
That same day before Noa could bring up the talk she had with Kumagami the other day, there's a mobilization to the sewers where Division 2 must stop two labors with a hostage. Kumagami is given the position of commanding Ohta and she'd tell him their plan to catch the criminals. Meanwhile Asuma would command Noa to lure out the criminals, failing to catch them the first time but Kumagami tells her not to pursue. Instead She has Ohta chase them down with Noa waiting at the end of the tunnel they duck into, aiming the revolver cannon at demanding they cease. They reveal their hostage and the man points an object at his head, but Noa catches the bluff and makes the criminal drop the weapon with a blank. Kumagami commends Noa for her judgement and says she can learn a lot from her.
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Noa sees the mysterious boy had disappeared
At some point Division 2 would be occupying an abandoned mansion due for demolition to collect data for urban combat, disaster relief, and general experience in condemned buildings. They hear rumors of strange happenings surrounding the building, but they don't pay them any mind. Though as they continue their stay in the location, each member would experience paranormal activity throughout the building. They'd see people that aren't supposed to be there, Ingrams Unit 1 and 2 don't respond accurately, objects would move on their own. Shinshi would mention that many tragedies happened at the location, such as a lord going mad and slaughtering his followers, as well as a bombing that killed many innocents during the war. After the second wave of paranormal happenings Kumagami demands they stop talking about it, but immediately breaks down in fear after Goto teases her with the idea of a ghost being behind her. After an encounter with a ghost boy pointing down at the ground, the team decide to excavate the surrounding area, revealing the remains of all those that have died on the grounds.
It turns out the lord told the shogun they had been injured in an accident and he secretly disposed of the bodies, using an old underground tunnel to hide them. The anger of the spirits who were never payed their respects likely brought disasters to the grounds for centuries to come, and the recent spirits just wanted to help them find the original victims to calm their anger and suffering.
Eventually Noa and Asuma would be spending time together on their time off, Noa wanting to make the most out of their time off besides eating and watching movies. They decide to go to the arcade and find a game "Patlabor," which they both find pretty difficult and a lot different from their usual work. A man who introduces himself as the "Black Knight" offers to play the game, beating every single level with a perfect score, and entering in his name as "Utsumi." This makes Noa want to try the game again, though still not getting as far as Utsumi. A girlish looking boy then proclaims he'll "avenge" Noa and starts playing the game. The next day after Noa defeats Ohta in a practice match Noa would be polishing the Ingram, telling Shige she does it because its the only way she can help the maintenance team. Shige offers to show her a few things but mentions Sakaki may not like a woman poking around in his stuff, though Sakaki arrives to correct him saying there are male cooks and secretaries, saying it's okay. Then and there there is a mobilization order that Division 2 must attend to, a Saturn causing destruction at a construction site. While Ohta tries and fails at stopping the Saturn, Noa notices the nearby steel beams, her using them to her advantage along with her winch cable. There she's able to cause the Saturn to trip and fall thanks to the cable, though Ohta would deliver the finishing blow out of spite for what the Saturn did to Unit 2's head. The Saturn then deploys a smoke screen allowing the pilot to escape.
Sometime later during an average evening Noa would be asked to order food from the Shanghai Restaurant, attempting to take the orders from every single member of Special Vehicles Section 2 at the base. However she'd forget the orders and would have to ask everyone once more to their annoyance, this time perfectly reciting every single order to Sakimiya who cooked their food. However the food would never come, leading all the personnel to slowly grow more and more agitated. Despite Sakimiya insisting their delivery is on the way, it would never arrive, a phenomenon that'd even be odd to the restaurant owner himself. After apologizing for Ohta's rude comments in regards to the restaurant being slow to deliver, Noa once again would take all the orders from everyone at the station. Due to wild dogs being in the area, Ohta offered to escort the delivery of their food with Shinshi and the labor carrier, though once they set off to get the food, they never returned. The maintenance team would mobilize to retrieve the food, but they too wouldn't return. Finally, Goto, Noa, and Asuma would arrive to see everyone collapsed on the ground with the shop owner missing. As it turns out, Tsutomu the delivery boy was fed up with abuse from his boss, so he fed their original orders to the dogs. Sakimiya found all the dishes licked clean outside, but didn't have time to clean them, so SV-2s second order would be placed within the dirty bowls and plates. Ohta and Shinshi ate first but contracted food poison and collapsed, Shinshi calling back to the station in an attempt to warn them but failing to do so. Sakimiya would flee the shop and soon the mechanics would've arrived to eat the food, only for them all to collapse from food poisoning too. Kumagami would document this entire ordeal on her computer, before Noa would call out to her for her order.
One night Noa would have a nightmare where she would be viciously attacked in Ingram Unit 1 by a black labor, calling out to Ohta only to see Unit 2's head decapitated. She would awake from this nightmare screaming into the night, only to realize it was just a dream. Later Noa would describe her dream to Asuma, who thinks her dream doesn't have any meaning but doesn't sound unrealistic. Noa wished it didn't come true and Asuma reassured her by saying it's natural she's afraid of Alphonse being damaged in combat, and that Ohta is more likely to get damaged before her. He concludes saying it just has fragments of reality, leading Noa to promise to take good care of Alphonse as she takes more risks. The next day Noa would be on the roof with Asuma, fanning herself with the collar of her jumpsuit as Asuma tries not to sneak glances at her chest. He then fesses up and shows her a picture of Shinohara Heavy Industries' new Economy Ingram. Upon being asked about it, he tells her that HQ wants to shift money from their Ingrams to those models instead. Hearing this Noa is taken aback and rushes to the Captain's office, not accepting the proposal of the Economy model and argues in favor of the Ingrams they invested so much time into. Now that the situation has caught back up to Goto, he agrees with her, saying he'll go tell the bosses, the decision not being final yet. Noa is delighted by the news and Asuma is perturbed that she didn't hear him out long enough to realize it. She then forces Noa to bow before the captains before leaving with Noa, Shinobu asking Asuma about the "Griffon" on his way out. Asuma asks if it's a labor and says he never heard of it, storming out with Noa. Noa is still unwilling to hear any opposing arguments, still believing that they've invested too much time into the Ingrams to change. Ohta brings up that Division 1 should be getting the upgrades though HQ likely wants to standardize, the Ingrams being expensive to keep. Both Noa and Ohta are against the idea of changing to machines that could potentially be inferior to the Ingrams, Shinshi theorizing that it's due to the new divisions Section 2 wants to establish.
Harumi 1999 Tokyo Labor Show Incident[]
Division 2 would be working security at the 1999 international Tokyo Labor Show, Noa would be looking through the glass atop the Ingram's shoulder, seeing a Brocken inside likely guarding the labors. Asuma would bring her lunch and says they can go inside afterwards. Sometime later Ohta approaches the command car where Noa is having lunch and begins to question her on labor systems. He asks what a linear actuator is and she says it's the main drive unit for the Ingram's joints and limbs, though unable to answer what advantages it has upon further being questioned. Ohta tells her to hit the books since the women inside know, Asuma then asking Shinshi if they saw anything interesting. He's told of the new economy model being shown off, both Noa and Asuma going to see it in person. A man from the crowd asks if the labor is a match for the regular Ingram, asking for concrete answers and brings up if it can handle a Brocken considering they're in the same weight class. Noa further adds to the conversation saying that they can't use it if it can't, Bud from the crowd calling it ugly. The two groups quickly recognize each other and Utsumi is interested to see that Noa and Asuma really are part of Division 2, stating he'd like to see how good they really are. Bud asks about the game and Noa says she only beat level 6, Bud further stating that shes still no match for her and he could probably beat her in a real labor. Utsumi covers his mouth and says he doesn't know what he's talking about, Kumagami then cutting things short as she arrives to tell Noa and Asuma to put in their ear pieces.
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Noa's first encounter with the Griffon.
On the third day of the labor show it appeared as if no crimes had occurred, Noa and Asuma still looking at the Economy Ingram with Noa still wanting to be convinced that the new machines are better and warrant the change. Asuma agrees they need to see it in action, requesting one of the event staff to take it for a walk. After getting permission he tells Noa as he goes toward Ingram Unit 1 for it's movement disk, entering the cockpit of the Economy Ingram to Noa's disdain. Goto then sneaks up on Noa as she watches the Economy model, embracing her as he says "Three months salary reduction!" Ohta would soon hear that Asuma is using the Economy Ingram, furious that he's abandoning his post and announcing that he won't let him get away with it. Goto says he isn't letting him get away with it and he did leave his post, though he does see it as an opportunity to test out the economy model. After boarding unit 2, Ohta demands Asuma leave the machine, but Asuma just teases him. Ohta would be brought to his limit from the instigating, charging at the economy model but halted by a labor carrier barreling onto the scene and emitting a strange gas.
Seeing this Kumagami orders everyone to get back, the driver wearing a gas mask saying the next show is about to start. Then a jet black labor emerges from the carrier and grabs Unit 2 by it's neck. Goto has Shinshi call Division 1 for back up and orders Noa to mobilize in Unit 1, Noa quickly remembering that Asuma has her movement disk. The Griffon's combat power is way beyond anything else the team has fought, effortlessly beating down on the Economy Ingram and Ingram Unit 2. Noa requests Hiromi to bring her as close as possible in the command car. She says she needs to save Asuma and get the movement disk back, reminding him that Unit 1 can't move without it. Goto says she'd get crushed and should wait for Division 1 to arrive, and questions how she could save Asuma from something like the Griffon. The Griffon then throws the Economy model at Unit 2, causing them both to collapse, Noa rushing to the downed Economy model and finding Asuma nearly unconscious. He would hand her back her disk and says while it's not bad the Economy model couldn't keep up with her movements. Goto then tells Noa that Asuma's injuries aren't severe and has her back up Unit 2. Noa confronts the Griffon and tells the pilot that he's under arrest for reckless endangerment, destruction of property, and assault. Once the rain causes the smoke to dissipate Noa getting ready to make an approach towards the Griffon. The Griffon then raises up the wings on it's back, the afterburners shooting toward the ground as it propels itself into the air. The Griffon takes flight towards the skies just as Division 1 arrives to the scene, disappearing into the clouds above. Unbeknownst to everyone, Kumagami would also be shot on duty by a possible suspect.
Hours after the encounter in the office Shinshi argues that the Griffon wasn't really "flying" as it used pure thrust to take off, not possibly having much fuel and likely not getting too far from the crime scene. He asks if Noa agrees as she's still visibly shaken by the incident, her saying she wouldn't know. Goto arrives to the office and says that their fighting strength is down 50%, though Ohta contests this saying that he'll work hard enough to make up for their absence. Unfortunately he is then told that his machine needs to be sent back to the manufacturer, and Ohta nearly keels over in response. Goto would then say that Shinobu is at the hospital and he's waiting for her call, then going on to tell Noa that while he knows she's worried about Asuma she still has work to do. Goto then has Noa go make tea but Hiromi intervenes and does it in her stead, Shinshi then calling out to Noa to show her something on the television. On a televised concert featuring Kana Matsumoto would be a news headline informing the public of a strange flying object that crashed into the mountains of Chiba, likely connected to the labor dogfight that happened in Harumi. That night Noa would have trouble sleeping and would eavesdrop on a conversation between Goto and Shinobu about the recent developments over the phone. Goto tells her to get some rest and he hangs up, catching Noa outside his door who would then ask him if the labor crashed in Harumi. He says he doesn't know and Noa says she can't relax until she knows for sure, Goto informing her that at least Kumagami's operation was a success and Asuma could be discharged from the hospital.
The next morning Shinshi rushes to Noa's quarters and bangs on her door, wanting her to see the news broadcast about the crash in Chiba. The broadcast recounts the events of the initial crash and all the machine fragments and spilled fuel from the incident, the camera then cutting to a black wing sticking from the ground that Noa immediately recognizes. Everyone is left disillusioned seeing that the Griffon had crashed before proper action or arrests could be taken. Later Noa and Ohta would be practicing Judo in the hangar Noa repeatedly getting downed by Ohta and failing to throw him. She beats the ground in defeat leading to Ohta asking her what's bothering her, Noa calling herself useless. Ohta questioning her line of thinking, which causes her to recall her inability to help him, Kumagami, or Asuma after what had happened. Ohta says he wasn't expecting her help and says the whole mess was Asuma's fault anyway, Noa goes on to say that she was relieved when she heard the black labor had crashed, calling herself pathetic. Ohta says the first step is recognizing her flaws and Asuma is angered about his lack of delicacy towards handling the situation, though Noa is able to snap out of her slump. She thanks Ohta for listening to her and Ohta tells her to cry on Asuma's shoulder from now on, as trying to comfort her makes him uncomfortable. Noa then spots Asuma on the cat walk and gleefully celebrates, likely trying to hug him and forgetting about his sensitive ribs. When they finish up their judo, Noa thanks Sakaki for letting them use the hangar, everyone then spotting Kanuka, standing at the entrance stating she's back. Noa and everyone else would eavesdrop on Kanuka discussing Schaft Security System's dirty history with the captains, Goto catching them in the act and reintroducing the team to Kanuka.
Bablyon Project Castle Gate Confrontation[]
At the station Goto would receive a call as dinner would be prepared by Noa, him then going to the table to tell them news from Chiba. He states that the black labor fought in Harumi didn't crash, that the fragments in Chiba were purposefully scattered across the area such as two right arms and some outdated hydraulics. Upon hearing this Noa's mood drops and she begins to eat, stating that if it comes back they'll have to fight it, and she needs to start building up her strength. The very next evening at the station Goto would receive a call as dinner would be prepared by Noa, him then going to the table to tell them news from Chiba. He states that the black labor fought in Harumi didn't crash, that the fragments in Chiba were purposefully scattered across the area such as two right arms and some outdated hydraulics. Upon hearing this Noa's mood drops and she begins to eat, stating that if it comes back they'll have to fight it, and she needs to start building up her strength. Later Noa would enter the mechanics room with tea she made for them all to thank them for their hard work, Shige thanks her and Sakaki asks if there are any updates on the situation. Noa responds saying the next time they mobilize, it will end in hand to hand combat. Just then there is a mobilization order but Goto holds them off for a moment, saying that their destination is the Babylon Project's Kawasaki Base.
After Goto declines Asuma's offer to join them on their mobilization Asuma would then tell Kanuka about how Noa usually handles herself in these situations, Kanuka insisting he have a little more faith in her. Noa would hear them talking about her and Asuma tells her he can't come along, her saying she'll make up for him Kumagami and Ohta and is displeased when he apologizes for it. Goto gives Sakaki a key to one of the lockers holding the labor weapons, Sakaki saying Noa doesn't like using those things but Goto responding that they'll need everything they have against this foe. Sakaki orders Shige open locker 10 to his shock, the mechanics wheeling out a labor sized shotgun. Noa is unsure but Goto says he trusts her judgement, Ohta offering to take Noa's place if she gets cold feet. Once at the Kawasaki base Goto hears updates on the situation and states that they've landed on the Kisarazu side, Division 2 rushes off to the scene as the battle begins at the gate. After the Black Labor destroyed most of the Abrahams sent to stop it, Noa would finally confront it with her riot gun in hand. Noa proclaims that they're placing an arrest due to causing a riot, destruction of property, and "many other violations."
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Noa's stand off with the Griffon
After a long and tense stand off It runs behind Unit 1 and Noa takes aim but stops, seeing the news crew behind the Griffon and in her firing line. Upon being question she reports it to those on the ground, now having to come up with a new plan without firing the gun. The Griffon suddenly raises it's arm and unleashes a powerful flash of light that blinds Noa and her monitors temporarily, charging it at her left while she's stunned. She uses the gun to swipe at the Griffon and manages to hit it, though the shock from hitting the Griffon causes the gun to fire prematurely. Goto suggests Noa not do that again and Kanuka has Shinshi take over her position while she goes to evacuate the civilians. The battle continues with Noa left to defend and parry the Griffon's attack using the riot cannon, the news crew following them and keeping pace with them as the labors stomp around the area. Cars would be peeling out and retreating from beneath the feet of the labors, causing Noa to stumble and allowing the Griffon to tackle the Ingram to the ground. They slide into a crane which begins to collapse, Noa dodging out of the way leaving the Griffon to be crushed. Before she could celebrate the Griffon pushes the crane from it's body using it's wings, struggling to stand up but being back on it's feet once more.
Kanuka would then report that they've got the reporters and Ohta is "persuading" them to leave as he chucks them back into their news van. Goto then tells Noa that she's clear to fire as she's being attacked, Noa finally cocking the gun and aiming it at the Griffon. She orders him to leave the labor and not to move or else she'll shoot, the Griffon slowly inching towards her while her finger pulls more and more on the trigger. However an Abraham appeared behind the Griffon holding a bomb. Noa pulls her aim away causing the Griffon to charge toward her, Noa then aiming once more and firing the gun. The Griffon nimbly dodges the round and the Abraham would hit with a flurry of buckshot pellets, the machine keeling over and collapsing onto a nearby car that had been crushed. Because of the damages they ignite the oil that was leaking from the car, sending the Abraham up in flames, and causing the bomb it was holding to go off. The Griffon continues it's charge toward Noa unknowing of the bomb the Abraham had, the resulting explosion throwing the Griffon at the Ingram and intensity of the blast knocking the pilots out as they're thrown into nearby shipping containers.
Goto would try to contact Noa as the Griffon slowly begins to stand back up, Noa still unconscious from the blast. While unconscious she'd reminisce about her past in basketball, the first match that she "washed out" in. She ask herself if she gave it her best shot, that being what she told herself. She wondered that if she had another few inches, would she have kept going? And if she really did her best? She then would be awoken by the sound of Asuma's voice telling her to wake up, telling her that the Griffon has already gotten back up. As Bud fully regains consciousness he tries striking at the Ingram, Noa dodging at the last second and asking how many hours she'd been unconscious. Asuma says she'd be dead if it had been hours, telling her to fight now and she can faint later. She says he could be a little nicer and says that she's bleeding, leading to Asuma growing immensely concerned about the extent of her injuries. After being told she had just a simple cut on her lip he lets out a sigh of relief before calling her an idiot. Unexpectedly Noa would thank Asuma for being so tough on her, saying that if he was nice to her she'd go soft. Asuma slightly flustered by this comment would haphazardly attempt to explain that he's not "overly worried" about her, Goto questioning what he's even trying to say. The Griffon then charges at Unit 1, but Noa is sure she can take him, Noa catching the Griffon's arm and performing an over the shoulder throw.
Noa holds onto the Griffon tightly refusing to let go as Ohta readies to manually fire the revolver cannon he had on the command car, warning Hiromi of the cylinder's rotation. The Griffon lands a punch square on the Ingram's face taking out Noa's main monitor, but before it could land a killing blow the Griffon would be shot directly in the head by Ohta and Hiromi firing the revolver cannon. The Griffon's monitor is out causing Bud to throw away his headset, Asuma then telling Noa to not let go of the Griffon as she's essentially blind. Noa says she wants to run away but knows she can't do that, continuing to engage with the Griffon. The two violently trade blows that further damages their machines, the team bewildered by the brutal nature of the fight. Sakaki says the Ingram can only operate no more than a few minutes, Kanuka telling her to deactivate all unnecessary systems. Noa quickly assesses her systems, shutting down her main monitor and sensor 3, then her right manipulator. A Python tries to assist the Ingram but the Griffon easily throws through a wall of a nearby warehouse, the Ingram continuing to strike at the Griffon, but it knees the Ingram and detaches it's arm. Noa is completely at a loss at what happened, and the cockpit hatch won't open. The Griffon raises it's wings again and prepares to take off, Noa rushing in and grabbing it's other arm, the Griffon detaching the other as well. The Griffon takes off into the skies as the Ingram is pushed back by the jet blast, Everyone watches as the Ingram stands silently before them, it's left manipulator losing grip of the Griffon's detached arm.
The Ingram then began keeling over and falling to it's knee, the cockpit hatch ejecting itself from the body of the machine. Asuma rushes toward the fallen labor, glancing a the Griffon's arm before climbing up to Noa in the cockpit of the Ingram, who would be curled up into a fetal position. He asks if she's okay but Noa only says it got away after everything she had done. Asuma looks at all the damages and says the Ingram is a solid machine in comparison to the economy model, Noa would continue, saying she really wanted to run away but stayed and fought. Asuma says that she and Alphonse were brave that day, and that she put up a good fight. Noa says she didn't want a good fight, to which Asuma would agree, saying there's no such thing as a good fight. As morning time approaches Asuma would comment on how Noa had changed and he never imagined she'd get this far, Noa agreeing says neither had she. Everyone finally returns to the station and Hiromi wakes up Noa who had fallen asleep on the way back, Noa asking where Asuma is to which Hiromi would answer he forgot to pick up his medicine so he's stopping by the dorm to get it. Shige would begin to perform diagnostics on the Ingram with the other mechanics, Noa commenting that thanks to Alphonse she didn't get a scratch (forgetting that she had a cut lip), Hiromi saying the Ingram is an amazing machine. Noa asks about the status of the Ingram and according to Shige, it was in a better condition than Unit 2 during the first encounter.
Goto suggests Ohta go back to his dorm and sleep after he begs him for new orders, Shinshi then offering to drop Noa off at her dorm since it's on his way, Noa being thankful for the request but says she doesn't want to leave her bike behind. She says she'll just take a nap in the duty room and tells him to hurry home, that his wife will be relieved to see him. Shinshi says she's probably asleep by now. Noa would open the partition with the futon, falling asleep on top of it before she could fully unravel it. Eventually the Ingram would fully be repaired and Noa would run to the hangar to excitedly polish it.
Summer[]
Noa and Ohta would be having a training match at the Okutama branch training school, Asuma and Shinshi commanding them as they fight. Ohta would land a surprise shoulder bash on Noa after Asuma tells her to dodge, the maneuver angering Noa making their practice match turn into a literal fight. That evening Noa expresses her distress over machine 1 taking so much visible damage from the practice match, Ohta dismissing her woes and insisting she practice more and cry less. Noa climbs down the latter to be greeted by Asuma, who asks her what ails her. She says it's nothing, just that Ohta moved better than she expected him to, that being all. Later that night while in the bath Noa would look at her bruising from the pilot seat, then feeling as if she isn't as good as she originally thought, wanting to see some positive results. The next day the two would be doing target practice and Noa would manage to hit the board, though all six shots have missed the bullseye.
At first she's impressed with what she sees, satisfied with the results despite never practicing. Asuma suggests she uses it more often but Noa disagrees thinking it's too dangerous. Ohta would soon finish and empty the revolver cannon, Goto then arriving to see the results from target practice. After seeing Noa's board he says he's glad Noa doesn't use the revolver cannon more as she's a terrible shot. Asuma then brings Ohta's capabilities into question, though Shinshi would draw attention to his board, all six shots hitting the bullseye. Goto goes on to mention that hitting a moving target, especially a limb, is difficult. Noa would stare at Ohta's board, bringing her mood down more as she though she was a natural marksman.
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Asuma's trademark "Pep talk"
Hiromi would check in on Noa as she solemnly sits in the hangar, Noa insisting that she's alright and asks how Hiromi is doing. She'd assume that he would be lonely taking classes by himself, though he was proud to say he's learning emergency repairs as he can't train as a pilot, saying he'll be able to help her out if she gets damaged in a fight. Noa congratulates him on it and he says he must have a knack for it, the comment immediately crushing her spirit once more. Later that night she'd sit in the corner as Shinshi and Asuma were likely analyzing data from the previous day, offering to go to the restaurant downhill when the others get hungry, As she'd leave the restaurant she'd see a car speed by, commenting on how it's going over the speed limit. On a nearby bridge she'd be looking up at the sky until she'd notice money floating down the river, finding another one that hits her leg. At first she's excited to find 20000 yen, though gets her act together and decides to investigate this oddity.
Noa would continue along the riverside and finds the car that was speeding off from before, seeing a broken wall that led deeper into the wilderness. At the riverbank a hand would suddenly grab her leg, dragging her down. Noa would come back to her senses and sees the man that dragged her by her leg, the man asking for help and promising not to hurt her. Noa decides to assist him as they travel along the side of the river, the man having an injured leg and needing support. She offers to carry his suspicious bag full of money but he's unwilling to let her touch it, begging her not to tell the police about all of his money. Noa says she can't promise that and the man offers her a bribe, a bribe that she declines. She declines all other bribes and returns the 20000 yen she picked up. The team would eventually find Noa and the man, Goto informing everyone that he's not the criminal they're on the alert for. Goto doesn't reprimand Noa for her actions and Asuma would suddenly inquire about Noa undertaking the situation by herself, asking if she was trying to prove herself. He tells her a story that's likely in reference to his past in rugby, and Noa opens up about wanting a little recognition. He brings up when she fought the black labor, that she does plenty already, and to make the best of what she's got. When they finally return to the station they hear word that Kumagami is finally returning, Noa suggesting Ohta be the one to give her flowers since she's his back up. He is flustered at the idea and has Hiromi do it, Hiromi pushing the bouquet in Kumagami's face as she enters into the office.
Sometime later on a mobilization Division 2 confronting a Pickle kun in a construction site, Unit 2 catching one of it's rocket propelled grappling hooks on it's arm and pulling off it's firing mechanism. The labor then races away while being pursued by Noa and Ohta, Kumagami warning them to watch out for cars. While getting into a struggle with the labor, the feet of machine 2 would graze and push around the cars in a parking lot. At the station Goto would state they'd have to reenact the entire incident, their insurance company insisting on it due to how many claims they've been filing. Ohta and Noa question this decision as their insurance already covered patrol labors, but Kumagami says they've all already been scheduled for a walk through. The next day at the designated site they'd be greeted by Naoyo Yamada, the inspector assigned to their claim. Noa is assigned the role of the criminal and Ohta is tasked with repeating his movements, tackling Noa and explaining his actions. Soon after Yamada thanks them for the reenactment, stating she doesn't have a feel for machines and reports don't tell her enough. At the office Ohta is still frustrated about their premiums still being up, Asuma explaining to Noa that they want to prove negligence so they don't have to pay.
The team decide get on Yamada's good side by pampering her, Later Ohta would hear the mechanics badmouthing Yamada behind her back, telling them off and telling them to be careful with what they say. Noa then gives him a cheeky look after hearing this, Ohta quickly denying any "suspicions" she may have regarding his opinion of Yamada. At some point Noa would find Ohta eating outisde, he asks if he wants to eat with them inside, but Ohta doesn't want to get too "chummy" with her. He questions if anyone even cares that she's part of the force, though that'd be when a mobilization is issued. A terrorist group stealing a heavy duty labor and it's carrier, so they plan to use the carrier's location transponder to ambush them at Ichinoe. They first send in unmarked cars, and as they near the ambush, patrol cars will pull in front of it, planning an interception as they blocked the opposite lanes. The carrier driver would see the blockade and veer off course, being ambushed by both Ingrams. Yamada applauds their success and Goto would order Ohta to pull in the back end up the trailer. The sudden movement of the Ingram's foot would cause one of the drivers to spin out, causing a large pile up that stretched down the road.
Seeing this, Yamada says "Perhaps Insuring Patlabors was just a bad idea in the first place." Both Ingrams would be working to fix the traffic accident while a boy tries to retrieve his bike that was still on the road, which would then be stepped on by Unit 2 while Ohta wasn't looking. Yamada then mentions that their policy doesn't cover the bike, the child letting out his frustration by beating Ohta's chest as he deeply regrets his actions. Surprisingly the team would learn that their coverage had been renewed and all previous claims had been approved. Apparently, Yamada was the company's director, and for her efforts, she'd be repayed by Ohta becoming the poster child of labor damage insurance.
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"This situation really bites!"
Eventually in the office Noa mentions that in the past week a lot of things have been going missing, Asuma bringing up how someone complained about losing his pickled meat. Kumagami then mentions that the Captain lost whiskey out of his locked liquor cabinet. Noa would also bring up how she lost rice crackers and chocolate, assuming that due to their lack of visitors, the thief must reside on the Reclaimed Land. Hiromi then bursts into the office with an exasperated expression, the cause being his two hens Kimie and Miyoko disappearing from their coop. The ongoing theft becoming largely apparent inspires Division 2 to establish an armed watch at night, which would then be approved by Goto. That night the team would be patrolling the grounds in search for interlopers, before Shige alerts them to suspicious activity that causes a chase to ensue. They run all the way to the edge of the land, and realize the culprit is likely hiding in the underground tunnels of the reclaimed land. Shinshi and Ohta go down first to investigate, but the team loses contact with them. The other members of the team prepare to descend into the underground to rescue Ohta and Shinshi, Shige preparing a program that allows them to map out the underground as the group traverse it. Eventually they pick up movement 50 meters ahead, Noa and Asuma taking aim at whatever may be approaching in front of them. It turns out to be a large mass of rats racing toward them, making Kumagami faint in the process. Asuma takes a moment to lean against a wall though it immediately breaks away causing them all to fall into the part of the underground, Noa dropping her flashlight and using a flare instead.
Upon lighting the area the team sees that the room is full of feral cats, fighting off against them as they make their escape. Unfortunately, they dropped all their equipment in the conflict, losing contact with the surface in the process. The group do an equipment check and quickly understand that they might be lost and out of options, Noa bringing up the rats and how they ignored them as if they were being chase. Asuma would ask what could possibly chase a group of rats, then hearing the eerie chanting of a dark figure. This turns out of be Shinshi who is still carrying Ohta, grabbing on to Asuma looking visibly shaken by something. Asuma would ask whats wrong and Shinshi says there was a big alligator, and on cue, a big alligator appeared. Everyone ran as the white alligator chased them through the tunnels, bursting in the nearest room and holding the door shut while the gator beat on the door with it's tail. In the room they spot all the missing goods, including Hiromi's now deceased and well cooked hens. The thief would then enter the room, unaware that Division 2 had found his hideout, and takes off as the team gives chase. Then suddenly the alligator before would be giving chase to them, They manage to reach the end of the tunnel at a nearby landfill, weaving in the construction labors outside while the gator chases them across the field. The criminal is revealed to be a 42 year old man named Tadayama Fumihiro, a temporary worker at the landfill back in the fall of 1990. After a spell of unemployment he returned to the landfill and into the tunnels, stealing water and power and "living like a king." Due to the lack of food he decided to steal a little at a time so people wouldn't grow suspicious.
Trivia[]
- Noa Izumi is a fan of mecha anime, which inspired her choice to join the Special Vehicles Division.
- Her family runs a liquor store, thus Noa can drink quite a bit more than her co-workers and recovers from hangovers much faster.
- A character that resembles Noa Izumi appears on the January 1986 issue of Animec.
- According to Akemi Takada Masami Yuki likely designed a girl he would like when conceptualizing Noa.
Gallery[]
