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Patlabor: Early Days
機動警察パトレイバー
1988 · TV series · 30 min episodes · 1 season
AnimationScience FictionFantasyComedy
In the future, rapidly advancing technology gives birth to giant robots known as "Labors," so named for their usefulness in heavy industry. However, this also gives rise to "Labor crimes," resulting the the need for a new branch of law enforcement equipped with and dedicated to the policing of Labors. When Izumi Noa, a female police officer, becomes the newest recruit of Special Vehicles Division 2, she and her top of the line "Patrol Labor" (or "Patlabor") Alphonse are swept into a series of adventures featuring crazed construction workers, eco-terrorists, and sea monsters.
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1 comment on Hacker News
I can't believe I found it, or rather, that someone uploaded just it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II9GZrKztXQ
When I heard power lines, for some reason one scene from Patlabor came to mind.
It's the quintessential Tokyo city view from the window, and the quintessential view inside a window from the city. Outside there are power lines. You cannot avoid them. And looking in, you see the tatami flooring and dudes in their underwear.
I thought it might have been Patlabor 2, but it was the original movie. So that's 1989. Both movies are staples of Japanese anime.
But power lines can also be found in episode 1 of the TV series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFTs97NpnUo
So my short answer would be Patlabor, but that's just from my own memory.
I think the commonality here is that the power lines are used to portray a sense of scale for the robots. A kid growing up in Tokyo knows exactly how high those lines are.