Or rather, we’re going to look at what makes her ordinary, because Noa is the audience surrogate in Patlabor The Mobile Police.
Besides rising to the occasion when faced with challenges both unusual (sea monsters, albino alligators, terrorist attacks) and mundane (labor strikes, hot water shortages, food poisoning), Noa Izumi is the emotional anchor of Patlabor The Mobile Police.
Part police procedural, part “real robot” mecha anime, part drama, part situational comedy, Patlabor the Mobile Police has been around in some form (OAVs, TV series both animated and live-action, manga, theatrical films, etc.) for decades, and although the series is generally an ensemble piece with a good-sized cast of dreamers, schemers, and giant robot nerds, at the heart of Patlabor is one character: the Ingram AV-98 Patrol Labor pilot, Noa Izumi.