Veteran voice actor Shigeru Chiba announced his return as Shigeo Shiba for the forthcoming Patlabor EZY anime project. Chiba, who has voiced the character since the original series debuted nearly four decades ago, made the surprise reveal at a special event for the project's first film, "File 1."
The Patlabor EZY anime will unfold across eight episodes, presented theatrically as three distinct films. "File 1" and "File 2" are slated for release on May 15 and August 14, respectively, compiling the first six episodes into self-contained stories. The final film, "File 3," will premiere in March 2027, delivering the concluding two episodes as a two-part narrative.
Set in the 2030s, the new story explores a Japan grappling with labor shortages and advanced AI automation. Piloted mecha, known as Labors, once cutting-edge, are now commonplace, with autonomous robots increasingly taking over manual labor roles. The Special Vehicles Section 2 (SV-2) continues its mission to combat Labor-related crimes, utilizing an updated version of the classic SV-98 Ingram mecha.
Joining Chiba in the cast are Sumire Uesaka as Towa Kuga, Kikunosuke Toya as Kippei Atori, Ami Koshimizu as Saki Hirata, Chikahiro Kobayashi as Akihiko Hazama, Setsuji Satō as Yūta Yanai, Yume Matsumura as Hachikuma Yuzuki, and Megumi Hayashibara as Captain Kimika Saeki. The production boasts significant talent, with Yutaka Izubuchi directing at J.C. Staff, Kazunori Itō handling the script, and Masami Yuuki contributing character designs. Kenji Kawai returns to compose the music, with GENCO overseeing production.
Source: Oricon(https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-04-23/shigeru-chiba-reprises-role-as-shigeo-shiba-in-patlabor-ezy-anime/.236723)
