A century of bloodshed between warring star systems has plunged nearly 200 worlds into the flames of war. Now, an uneasy truce has settled across the Astragius Galaxy...
Chirico Cuvie, a special forces powered-armor pilot is suddenly transferred into a unit engaged in a secret and highly illegal mission to steal military secrets—from their own military! Now he's on the run...from his own army!
Unsure of his loyalties and to cover their own tracks, Chirico is left behind to die in space. Surviving by luck, the renegade is now hunted by both the conspirators and military intelligence.
He is driven by the haunting image of a mysterious and beautiful woman—the objective of their mission, and his sole clue to unraveling their treacherous scheme. But the conspirators will do anything to preserve their mysterious agenda...
(Source: AnimeNfo)
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Comentários
Hound_of_Ulster
A golden oldie, if little seen in the U.S... This particular mecha series, directed by Ryosuke Takahashi (Gasaraki, Silent Service), was an early pioneer of the 'realistic mecha' sub-genre, coming out right on the heels of Tomino's Gundam tv series, and it features heavily Takahashi's interest in the interior 'realm' of the soldier. Chirico Cuvie is a superb leading character, although the relationship element does feel somewhat forced. Of the four story arces, the weakest is the first, but the middle two, especially 'Dead World Susna' are particularly good. Not as wordy as Takahashi's later Gasaraki, but its still got a brain, which is a refreshingchange from certain anime that will not be named at this time. The animation holds up fairly well, but does have the limitations of its 'on-the-cheap' age, while three recaps are placed where they don't disrupt the overall story. The sound is generally poor, but this is to be expected of series nearly 30 years old. The mecha designs are classics of 'realistic design', but the character designs are not the greatest.
Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi, mecha and action, but non-mecha fans may not find as much to like.
No_Comment
Characters: Chirico, the main character gets the most development and screen time. He is 100% man, but not bulging with muscles like several other 80s protagonists. He instead displays his worth through his vicious combat skills. At first he comes off as stoic and flat, but evolves over time and the show does a good job of considering the hell that he has been through beforehand and showing the effect it has on his personality. Next comes a certain character introduced in the 2nd arc. He is basically a two-note character, and both of his plot points are brought up and not resolved repetitively throughthe middle of the series, the show can't seem to breath much creativity again until his role is scaled back. The rest of the large supporting cast is fine. More often than not they are used as comic relief throughout the crushing grittiness, but this is a realistic depiction of people joking under pressure and coupled with the times when they act serious (very serious), gives them realistic personalities. They help flesh out Chirico and are the closest thing to an audience surrogate that the show has. Despite being in the real robot genre, the show does keep partial status quo when it comes to keeping important characters alive; I say partial because it subverts this idea often enough to convince you that anyone can die, which is true.
Story: The story is divided into four separate, but connected arcs. While character interactions and large scale events affect the plot as a whole, most conflicts set up in each one are resolved by the end of the arc. Each arc sets out with different themes to spread and goals to accomplish, some with more success than others. The story is really the meat of the show, it deserves the most in-depth examination. Arc 1: A tale of a cyberpunk city and urban crime... with robots. The show does a fine job of exploring the various facets of a futuristic postwar environment, from what those who partake in the war do afterwards, to the government's role in society, and more. Several different scenarios and fights involving mechs take place, and all seem different from one another. Downsides of the arc include some rather overused plot elements appear (corrupt police, biker gangs, etc.), and while they are handled well enough, it doesn't match up to other creative concepts used throughout the show. Also the series spanning-plot is just beginning to be set into motion, so some episodes feel insignificant in the long run. Where the plot movement is sacrificed though, the show takes the time to form relationships between its supporting cast and the protagonist . Arc 2: Essentially the Vietnam war... with robots. It doesn't follow the historical event by numbers, but it's obvious the staff didn't have to think too hard to come up with a lot of the events that transpire in this arc. Despite this, the plot remains compelling for the most part until a certain character is introduced around half way through; they are the only character in the show I have any strong criticisms against, as mentioned above, while the first few plot points involving this character are fine, it becomes clear that these events are leading nowhere and begin to repeat themselves. As the plot stumbles, this arc has the most varied mech battles of the entire series, due the all the different terrain presented in the setting. Robot guerilla warfare and futuristic D-Day among them, but there is really too much to cover. Arc 3: The 3rd arc is the most distinct of the four, take that as you wish; I take it as being the weakest arc, while others may appreciate it's boldness and deviation from the others. Although there was no direct transition from the first to the second arc, it felt organic enough and didn't leave the viewer confused. However, the 2nd to 3rd arc transition is jarring, at first feels contrived, and is left unexplained for a while. The first half of the arc drags; it begins with a good idea of characterization and mystery, but is poorly executed and continues to be poorly executed for far too long. Once the plot begins to "move", it is plagued by the circular and plot-halting interactions with the character introduced in the second arc. While the arc's story may be interesting alone, it has little affect on the overall plot until the very end. Arc 4: This is the most plot oriented arc. Some would say that is a given since it is the last, but it ties together all unanswered and loose aspects of the plot thus far in the most original fashion thus far, and wraps up or answers them, including things you would expect the show to just wave their hand at or never address. This can be called convenient, but all comes off as plausible given the circumstances, and demonstrates the show's dedication to staying "real" to the real robot genre. The character whom causes the previous arcs to sag has less of a role, and enjoyable side characters from previous arcs return. There is some great futuristic imagery/scenery, and the show really captures the scale of the events that go down. The ending is bittersweet, but truly fits the character they have built over the previous 52 episodes and is wholly satisfying.
Sound: It's typical sound for an 80s show, so the sound is nothing special. It never sounds particularly bad, but doesn't excel either. It's best used in the 4th arc to create a foreign atmosphere that is supposed to be beyond the audience's comprehension. The music is equally mediocre (and repetitive).
Animation: Likewise, it has typical 80s animation. They never cut corners on mech warfare, explosions, or settings though, those are consistent throughout and sometimes really good. Characters occasionally look less unrefined than they did moments before or a space ship suddenly appears ridiculously out of perspective in its last moments in a frame (which would just be replaced with equally out of place CG if made today, keep in mind), but this never lasts for too long until the last 3 terribly off model minutes of the last episode, which I would assume is because the budget was blown animating the visually innovative 322 minutes of the arc that came before.
Other: The setting is always well considered, and most locations are areas not typically present in mecha anime. The technology is also really where this show shines. The robots are machines, plain and simple. They break down, and need maintenance. They can be modified, but no less than your average car can be pimped out. Real robot shows have bad habit of eventually reaching super robot territory or creating increasingly powerful mechs to move along with the rising stakes of the plot, but even the most advanced robots still have apparent weaknesses, and take damage over time. They are not the solution to everything; tools of more traditional warfare are still used frequently. It feels like as much time was spent developing the technology as the story, and really gives the show an aura of realism, even when the plot decides not to be. The pacing will take some getting used to. Unlike modern long shows, this just extends every plot point rather than resorting to filler. The 3rd arc could be cut be at least half, and in general all the others could be condensed by two or three episodes. The script is delicately cared for. The standard dialogue is relatively realistic and no stock phrases are used, and the writing really shines in the narration, Chirico's inner monologues, and the anime's more philosophical moments; these often feel like they're straight out of a two fisted pulp novel and can really speak to the viewer.
Overall: This mecha anime is quite off the beaten path. Not every idea presented in it works, but such a wide variety of them are used and explored that some are bound to resonate with the viewer. Armored Trooper Votoms is held back in several departments simply due to the time it was made in, so some shortcomings can be forgiven easier than others, but the technical lapses are often overshadowed by the tremendous amount of thought put into the story and technology, levels which are usually only seen in the best of the best anime. It is not the best of the best anime, but when one part of the show begins to decline (the story, fight scenes, characters), one of the other aspects tends to strengthen and pull the show's remaining weight. It definitely seems better as a whole rather than analyzing the individual parts, and can be quite enjoyable if given a chance. Acknowledging all the criticisms, the show succeeds much more than it fails and is quite impressive.
FAKEANIMEGIRL
(Check out my profile for a link to my site containing more up-to-date reviews and bonus media!) When it comes to mecha anime, finding a series that has had enough fortune to blossom into a franchise is incredibly rare. Gundam obviously takes first place and will likely never be dethroned with its massive amount of material. Yet, despite this gap the Macross franchise holds a relatively high second place. Lagging even further behind, although still a commendable achievement, is Armored Trooper Votoms. ATV is hardly a hit series, but many of whom have seen it claim it as a classic and one of the best of themecha genre. My curiosity piqued early on in my knowledge of it, and due to that and my interest in mecha anime history I had enough of a reason to give it a shake.
Chirico Cuvie is the main character of Votoms. Hell, Chirico IS Votoms. He's the only character at the center of the storyline, and everything revolves around him. This is his story. Rarely have I seen an anime so dominated by one character, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. Chirico isn't a very unique personality. He's the (now) typical silent badass type who goes from being a loner jerk to a swell guy, although he never gets any more talkative or expressive. The thing that makes Chirico, thus Votoms in general, distinctive from other mecha anime tropes is that he pilots a standard grunt mech for the vast majority of the series. He doesn't rely on any handicaps and instead wins his unfavorable match-ups through sheer skill and intuition. While he succeeds most of the time simply through greater reflexes, the times when he has to use his brain are a real joy to watch and what cement him as a popular character that stands out among the usual stereotype. Though simple, there's something admirable about his attitude. When something has to be done, he simply gets it done. Surprisingly endearing and likable even though he has less dialogue than some supporting characters in an episode.
This level of realism is only scratching the surface with Votoms, though. The greatest thing to this anime is how unusually down to earth it is. Getting back to the mechs themselves, they're really just bipedal tanks that use entirely ammo-based weaponry, skates to move faster, and explode with little damage (often unintentionally comic). There are no beam swords here, no barrier fields, no high-speed rocket boosters. Just hard science. Sure there are space battleships and genetic engineering, but that's as plausible as any sci-fi could possibly get while still being fictitious.
The characters themselves are almost all business too, between the stoic Chirico and the formal military factions he's on the run from. The only comic relief comes from three perpetual tag-alongs by the names of Gotho, Vanilla, and Coconna. I don't dislike these characters, but I do dislike how much screen time they get considering their unimportance. These three are all civilians and are essentially involved with Chirico's life only by chance, especially considering they just run into him a lot over and over. They never pilot an AT, and they contribute very little to the story based on any unique talents, instead moving things along only as plot devices to be captured or save Chirico when he's captured through a generic rescue plan. Not to mention their light-hearted existence screws with the series's tone, so they can occasionally drag the whole experience somewhere it's better off not being.
Other constant characters include Chirico's love interest Fyana, a character that actually starts out as a good female representation by being one of the best pilots in the series and kicking copious amounts of ass, but ends up never piloting again halfway through the third arc for some reason and has 80% of her lines consist of yelling "Chirico!" Rochina is an army general after Chirico, and it seems like he has some ulterior motives, but this is never enough to render his character interesting until the final arc where said motivations are finally revealed (and are still underwhelming).
And that's really it for Votoms characters. The series mainly has a revolving cast of characters that range from barely being relevant to vanishing completely, and sometimes they show up again later to fulfill a new task but little else. This is unfortunate, because two of the greatest characters are Ypsilon and Kan Yu, and they're not around for the whole series.
Let me touch real quick on one of the better aspects of Votoms: the battles. You could easily call Votoms an action series first and foremost, so there are a ton of battles throughout the series. As if to fulfill some kind of quota, you're pretty much guaranteed at least one per episode. Since Chirico is almost always the only AT pilot on his side, these battles often consist of Chirico severally outnumbered against several grunts. Despite the low budget, the frames are well-drawn and it's pretty easy to tell what's going on throughout the fast-paced cutaways. Even though Chirico is outnumbered, the grunts aren't shown just standing around as cannon fodder and actually make an effort to attack him - but they're just never good enough. Chirico is such a godly pilot that a threat of him losing quickly stops existing, and since the Votoms mechs are so basic in design there's a low amount of variety possible in the fights. Like said before, the fights where Chirico wins by outsmarting his opponent(s) rather than outperforming them are something to be treasured, as the latter quickly become repetitive and predictable.
Returning to Ypsilon, this is what makes him such a necessary character for the series. Ypsilon is not only the first regular antagonist that can compete with Chirico; he's the first unique enemy AT pilot period. It takes 13 episodes for him to show up, but when he does we're finally given a reason to start paying attention to the fight scenes again. We now have a personal interest in the battles since Chirico's not just fighting faceless grunts anymore and he has a believable chance at losing to this new rival. Sadly, Ypsilon still isn't around for as long as such an important character should be, and his character arc never really goes much of anywhere, since Chirico is basically the only character that really noticeably changes.
The second best antagonist is Kan Yu, who isn't a skilled pilot by any means, but is entertaining in how he's one of the most genuinely pitiful antagonists ever. He's not an evil guy so much as a weak-willed douche with a major inferiority complex. I genuinely felt bad for him, and it's rare to get a villain that elicits that emotion in any capacity. Again, he should've been used more than he was.
Other common antagonists are Serge Borough, who is just a generically selfish evil guy, and his subordinates, the Schmittel twins. Borough is nothing special, but the Schmittel twins's cold coyness is delightfully eerie and makes them the most entertaining of Votom's behind-the-scenes desk villains that rarely interact with Chirico directly.
It's well-known that a lot of early mecha anime would often come close to the 50 episode mark, and it's well-agreed that a lot of these series consisted of a lot of filler due to their episodic nature. Does Votoms fall victim to the same? Well, yes and no. See, Votoms has an overarching plot that's constantly moving, but the pace of it is sometimes unbearable and you can sit through a whole 20 minute episode and only get 10 seconds of information that's seemingly relevant to the main storyline. In other words, the main storyline serves as a framework to individual storyline arcs. It's good to know this going in, because Votoms hits you with a lot of mysteries right off the bat, and due to how long the series is and how slowly these mysteries are explained you might expect the answers to have some shocking payoff. They don't. Despite building a lot of intrigue for it, Votoms shouldn't be watched expecting a great main storyline and instead viewers should just give their full interest to the four 13~ episode arcs that make up the series.
The absolute peak of Votoms is the second (Kunmen) arc for several reasons. One, it revolves around a Vietnam-like setting with guerilla warfare and some actual battle and touchy political strategies. Two, it introduces both Ypsilon and Kan Yu, two of the series's rare stand-out characters. Third and last, Chirico fights alongside some other regular AT pilots that help fill out the small cast while also feeling important for the arc they're around in, as well as adding more dialogue during the battles. The final (Quaint) arc represents the worst of Votom's plot. It focuses entirely on the main storyline but you're given answers barely any quicker, and like I said earlier, these answers are pretty underwhelming and don't change your existing perspective of the series, plot, and characters.
Before I close, I'd like to mention how ATV has one of the best opening themes ever, and the episode preview narrations are incredible and have some of the most quotable lines I've ever seen in an anime. Go figure.
That about summarizes how I feel about Armored Trooper Votoms. There are actually some really great concepts here, particularly in the series's loyalty to realism that I haven't seen matched by any other mecha, but the general execution, meaning the snail pacing, two-dimensional characters, and simple plot leave something to be desired when compared to the much more robust and emotionally affecting Mobile Suit Gundam and Super Dimension Fortress Macross contemporaries.
There are things in Votoms to love, however. Like I said, it's maintained a damn strong cult following, and possible viewers with an interest in retro western science fiction would probably have a much greater interest in it than I and I implore them to check the series out. The series also wasn't very dialogue-heavy, making it an easy and often relaxing watch. If Votoms had its episode count cut by 15 or so, I'd probably give it a higher rating. As it stands, this is a mecha series that I think would only greatly appeal today to a specific kind of sci-fi fan, although there is still enough fun left for any mecha/sci-fi fan.
DaCraziGuy
- FIRST, saying this underrated and forgotten is an understatement. I never heard about this franchise and I just found it because of luck. - SECOND, if you like mecha this is a MUST, I think this is around the level of Gundam. - THIRD, this is the first show you must see, don't start with the prequels. After that you can follow the broadcast order or the chronological one. I don't think it would matter much. This review takes in consideration all the prequels and sequels so some flaws or plot holes that may have are explained later, I think there is no loose end if youfinish everything.
Well now, the show has good characters, A LOT of action, probably one of the most realistic mechas, a serius plot, good animation(most times) and great art. The OP is one of the best I've heard. The show is divided in 4 arcs, tho the last one could be divided in 2... I'm going to say 4 and a half. I'm going to explain this because the show changes a lot in every arc. Every arc is on a new planet, al of them really different and well done(this happens in the other seasons too).
The action and battles are pretty violent, no beams just old bullets and misiles. Here the AT(mecha) are smaller and with no escape pod, a lot of times they show how the pilot is gunned down.
The plot is simple but interesting, tho it gets more dense near the end(last half arc).
Animation is decent in the first arc, it gets better on the second, in the third arc it's amazing and in the fourth it changes reaching the quality of the first season sometimes.
Chirico is a great character and he gets plenty of development, it's not your usual MC and he is pretty badass. The supporting cast is likeable and they have personaliy. The "bad guys" at first are just generic, but as the plot progress they get a lot better.
The VAs are good, the background music is nice and the OP is fking great.
ARCS:
1 - it happens in a cyberpunk setting, lot of character introduction with a bit of development, it reallys feels like a sci-fi action show with mechas. We get some lore of the universe too.
2 - it happens in a jungle setting, it has a really military apoach with some politics. A LOT OF ACTION and one thing that you might notice is how different the fights are done in the jungle compared to the city, this also can be noticed on the other seasons. The battles are on a larger escale. A RIVAL is introduced. Almost the rest of the cast is introduced here.
3 - My favorite arc, this arc happens in space and in a desert setting, not as much action as the previous arc but a lot better(this doesn't mean that the second arc has bad battles). More character development centered on the MC. I might say it has some psycological elements. The show gets a darker tone that is going to follow all the other seasons. Amazing animation and battles in both settings. The main plot apears.
4 first half - desert and city setting. Feels like Dune. This part has a nice adventure feeling. Action as always. Similar amount of action to the 3rd arc. More plot centered.
4 second half - same setting as before but with some space in it. This is after a plot twist and the plot is completly defined. The animation goes down, less action and the plot gets a bit weird, not bad but meh. This is pretty short. It has interesting moments but the end is sooo WTF. All gets explained in later seasons.
CONCLUSION:
You want mecha action with good characters, an easy to follow plot, with good old school art and enjoyment for a long time, THIS IS FOR YOU.
The other seasons are great and I recommend all the prequels and sequels. The side story are kinda optional tho they add things to the story. The last season(chronological) it really delivers an end to the story but it leaves some room for more at the same time.
Alolanroy
Uncut peak. I know this isn't for everyone, but if you have the patience, you will find an incredibly ahead-of-its-time mecha classic. Some elements feel dated, and it drags as much as you should expect for this era and genre. This might turn off people used to modern seasonal, because this operates on the axis of 'great TV' and delivers a tone you don't see anymore. It's a hard boiled show, closer to a war or detective show. The man with no name walks through a story of conspiracy and social connection he wants no part in. A wanted man who will do anything to survive. Thestone-cold protagonist, Chirico, deserves his cult status. Love how it is very clear that his (later confirmed) autist status was planned from the get-go. Nice to see a neurodivergent protagonist who doesn't lean on the crutches of stereotype.
The variety of tones and locals that this show explores puts even its sequels to shame. Each almost feeling like a different movie and premise. The action is dynamic. The mechs? Iconic! The OP and ED? Sick as hell!
I don't care what kind of trickery I have to pull to get people to watch it. I'll tell people 'Its like if Drive meets Warhammer 40K' I don't care. Whatever works.
BowlingJD
Those looking for a real robot military mecha anime with an underlining plot devoted to the characters and not the war, look no further than Armored Trooper Votoms. It was created and directed by Sunrise’s most renowned director and helped pioneer the real robot genre, Ryosuke Takahashi. Mechanical designs were headed by none other than Kunio Okawara himself. This is the man to thank for many of the super- and real-robot mechs such as Gundams, Votoms, and even Yatterman. Takahashi tends to focus further on developing inside of a soldiers head, and is seen more in his later works. In the case of the main protagonistpilot, Chirico Cuvie, he is a survivor soldier over the 100 year war between the two leading nations, the Gilgamesh and the Balarant. During a mission gone south, Chirico’s life is turned upside down and becomes a hunted man.
Over the course the four arcs of the show is split between, Chirico slowly develops his cold and reserved personality, and also begins to fight some post trauma over the war. He is constantly wondering why he seeks gunpowder and death, what his life would be without war, and thoughts a soldier would deal with if having to re-live events he/she wants to forget.
The pace of this 52 episode series starts fast, but unfortunately slows down from the original fast-paced action and development after the first arc. In the second arc, the show diverts to understanding the universe that Chirico lives in and wondering why he fights. Then, in the third arc, the story really slows down. However, the plot finally starts to come together in a way that makes sense. It starts to divert from the non-stop action, and focus primarily on the story. Finally, the fourth arc hits, and things take a very strange turn. A turn in a way where the viewer could be mad, confused, more questions than answers, and more. The action then just feels forced in a way just take up extended screen time. This was seen more and more starting at the second arc, but now it’s more redundant.
It’s an old mech series, and while the art is fairly gritty and the music is bland, AT Votoms has good action sequences, and a developing main character from the progression of the plot. Coming off of the heels of MSG and Macross, this is only a slight step down, but still a good overall anime.
punishedsneed
AT VOTOMS is hit or miss. The first arc can bore you out of continuing it, while the second arc will force you to finish it - the third and fourth arc's being better then the first, but nowhere near the second arc in terms of quality... the best time you'll have in VOTOMS is when you're in Kummen! VOTOMS has two things going for it: characters and designs. The Scopedogs, the 'Fatties.' Chirico, Fyana, Ypsilon. Mecha designs and the main characters define what is good about AT VOTOMS. The side characters like Vanilla, Gotho, and Coconna? They get old fast and are definitely a weakpart of the series.
Chirico is stoic. He's quiet and capable, and we know little about him - this mystery keeps him interesting. Fyana is both a woman and a super-soldier. Her arc has largely been misunderstood by other reviewers here. Fyana is a capable fighter throughout the entire show, from start to end, but some may think she reverts to a 'damsel in distress' at certain points... it's a non-criticism, as Fyana develops a distaste for fighting and even a fear of it. Ypsilon's character is simple, but tragic. I won't go into any further details as it's better to see this all unfold for yourself... if you can't pull through the first arc!
SCLFI
VOTOMS is a series that adheres to a more grounded approach to mecha than the genre usually seems interested in depicting. You won’t find any high schoolers or kaiju here, only war, and that alone elevates it above most works out there, I’m here to see robots, no need for some stupid romantic drama with some slag who’s just as stupid. In any case, one of the clear focuses of VOTOMS was on its titular mecha designs. The AT units (armoured troopers) have a utilitarian charm to them, every aspect of their design has actual purpose, as should be expected for a mass-produced unit, no roomfor pointless ornamental features in industrial warfare. The ATs are highly adaptable, and throughout the series you’ll see them in a multitude of configurations, with a complex arsenal at hand that they can be equipped with to suit the situation at hand – over the course of the series, they’ll utilise ATs with flamethrowers, rocket launchers, machine guns, or any combination the above, with as many barrels as they’ve decided is necessary, or if that’s too complicated, pugilism’s always an option. Point is, the mecha design is not arbitrary, there is a considerable amount of depth and pertinence when it comes to not only their conception, but their usage within the series, which has just as much depth, making each of the battles feel dynamic and not completely identical, which is quite an important matter, because there sure are a lot of battles, you can almost always rely on seeing at least one per episode.
Now would probably be a good time to actually elaborate on the story. In the midst of a several hundred year war between two factions whose names are about as irrelevant as their ideologies, Chirico, an AT pilot, is sent to steal secrets from his own military, and comes into contact with a human experiment named Proto One, and it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the military doesn’t want anyone knowing about their highly classified and ethically questionable black projects, and after an “interrogation” which is really just an attempted extrajudicial killing, Chirico escapes and becomes an outlaw as the military and police chase after him. Despite their persistent efforts, it never seems to work in their favour, as Chirico’s elite military training allows him to out-maneuver, out-gun, and basically fucking obliterate anyone who tries to kill him, and the whole ordeal is one that will be familiar to anyone who’s watched First Blood.
The storytelling of VOTOMS is generally quite solid, with a certain level of connectivity, enough plot details are given in each episode to allow them to naturally progress into the next one, while still withholding enough information to create intrigue. There’s always the overarching story that is present throughout, although only in the more climactic episodes, usually the ones in which Chirico finally defeats a long-standing adversary, does it become a focal point, which works in its favour, unlike certain other anime out there, not naming any names, you won’t be subjected to a 10-minute long monologue every other episode.
From the very beginning, Chirico’s aptitude for AT combat is established, although the point I made earlier about the mass-produced nature of the mechs does to a certain extent work against it here, as in the midst of combat, you’ll naturally see lots of quick cuts, meaning that as a viewer, in order to understand what’s going on, it’s important that you’re able to easily identify who is who, which can be easier said than done, as the ATs lack any method of identification. There are no flags or markings representing which country they belong to, none of them are ever adorned with unique camouflage or any other visual indicator, and so, barring the few times in which Chirico will operate with the hatch open, at a glance it’s not always clear who is piloting a certain model of AT, and it’s especially bad in the later episodes when they start operating in larger numbers.
Towards the start of the series, Chirico’s characterisation is barebones to say the least, he has very little in the way of defining attributes, he’s good at piloting ATs, he’s bad at conveying emotion, and that’s about it. However, he does legitimately change and develop, in a manner that’s surprising to see for such an action-oriented series. Normally, when a stoic character develops, you can almost always expect it to be on a very simple trajectory from “doesn’t talk or smile” to “talks and smiles a lot”, but the way Chirico’s identity changes is a lot more nuanced, and I say identity, because from an outside perspective, he doesn’t really change that much, he’s still the quiet stoic killer he always was, and I think I only counted him smiling twice over the whole series, but with all the shit he has to deal with, he’s not got much to smile about.
Between his misfortune leading to him being a marked man in the entire galaxy, and his past traumas from his compliance in having engaged in war crimes, and to a lesser extent his acknowledgement of the fact that he enjoys the killing too much to stop, the man’s got a lot of emotional baggage to deal with. But that’s not to say that VOTOMS is a deeply psychological series, because it isn’t, even if Chirico is a main character with more in the way of actual character than most other examples, the focus of the series is still on the ATs, which is exactly how it should be. With that said, the supporting characters are one of the show’s weaker areas, as barring Proto One, who is essentially a direct parallel to Chirico (with the added irony that a robot is more emotional than he is), everyone else is largely forgettable. Having one comic relief character is pretty standard, but VOTOMS has three of them, three people who have very little else when it comes to a role in the story, of the trio, the woman spends the first arc being completely infatuated with Chirico for no particular reason, and after that point, none of the trio have any major role apart from incidentally being a deus ex machina, or getting themselves captured and forcing Chirico to save them, whichever of the two the story demanded at that particular point in time. The narrative tries to frame these people as his friends, but they really aren’t, as he’s too busy dealing with his PTSD to really have any sort of a relationship with these people, which kind of summarises Chirico in general, and I’d opine that the story would have been improved if the side characters just weren’t there, it certainly would make more sense thematically that way. Chirico has been condemned and is forced to always be on the run, and the only person he can really confide in is Proto One, and by confide in it’s more of sharing a mutual understanding within their similar circumstances, because neither of them really have the capacity to actually describe their predicaments. Chirico has become a killing machine, he is not able to form relationships with regular people, so there is no reason why the story should pretend that he does.
In regards to thematics, the closing arc of the series was definitely a step down in quality compared to the rest of it, as while up to this point the locations were varied, they still adhered to the general sci-fi setting, even the more decrepit examples, such as with a particularly desolate planet which was left in that state because Chirico’s battalion sacked the place. In the closing arc, they decided to set the story on a planet that was equally desolate, not because of warfare, but because people are too busy pissing about with voodoo to come up with any technological advancement over the course of several thousand years, except for the occasional bit of ‘super advanced tech better than anyone else in the galaxy can come up with, and nobody knows where this tech came from or how it works’, a scenario which feels more contrived than anything else. There was always something extra going on behind the scenes, as an example, in the opening arc one of Chirico’s main enemies were the police, who were shown to be corrupt, but at the same time somewhat powerless as they were being also being controlled by other parties more important than themselves, and at all times there was always someone carefully monitoring Chirico. Comparatively, the voodoo technology felt like a poor attempt to replicate that, an attempt to create intrigue in a setting that just didn’t really permit it.
Still, I would say that the writing of the closing arc, which is one of the shorter ones anyway, would have to be my only major complaint about the series. The only minor complaint I have is that the soundtrack is far too limited, there couldn’t have been more than 10 songs altogether, which really isn’t enough for a 52 episode series, or to be exact, 52 episodes plus about 5 recap episodes, all of which are strangely close together, you would assume they’d spread them out for obvious reasons, but that’s hardly an issue, 52 is either double or quadruple the amount I’m used to, and despite my distaste for its conclusion, the show doesn’t drag on or feel like it goes on too long for its own good. VOTOMS is a prime example of a mecha series done right, if you have even a vague interest in the genre, can’t go wrong with this one. Give war a chance.
bruhsenko
PREFACE I'm going to try writing these just to log my thoughts on anime as I complete them, so neither this nor future reviews should be considered impartial assessments. I don't really care if these read as subjective or personal, because I think any engagement with a piece of work can only be that. Masquerading an opinion as fact feels dishonest for me to do. EXPECTATIONS (TONE) Anyway, after completing this, I'm not sure why Armored Trooper Votoms is described as as a gritty, military-based show by its fans. For instance, nothing about the dynamic between Gotho, Coconna,and Vanilla (a trio of recurring major characters from the beginning of the show) strikes me as serious. They feel like a mischievous rag-tag team true and through, which I don't consider a dig on the show at all—in fact, seeing them show up was always a treat—it just conflicts with what fans of this show advertise it to be. It can be serious and hard-boiled, no doubt, but much of Votoms is either light-hearted or feels like 80s Saturday morning fare. I find that this can be the case because of those three characters, the funky, synth-abundant soundtrack, and some of the major characters in the Kummen jungle arc that struck me as cartoony (e.g., Kan Yu, Gon Nu, and Kiderra).
ENJOYMENT
With that said, although I don't think much of this show survives purely critical evaluation, I do believe it succeeds in satisfying viewers through its searing imagination. Ryosuke Takahashi, the original creator of Armored Trooper Votoms, lends such a fascinating view of the future that my intrigue in the world and its machinations was greater than my investment in the way the story plays out. I worry that that may read as confusing, but I basically mean to say that I don't really mind that the final 12-episode run is undoubtedly rushed because experiencing the intricate, visually striking mechanical design and battles that utilize them was satisfying enough for me to enjoy the show as a whole. Bear in mind, though, that I don't dislike the story of Armored Trooper Votoms; I enjoyed the mystery surrounding Chirico and the body he stumbles upon and seeing the truth gradually unfold, but I think it's a shame that the show ended in a way that feels somewhat condensed.
PACING
In fact, while I've just mentioned the rushed finale, I find that much of Votoms feels rushed or sudden. One particular instance comes to mind: a big showdown at the end of the third arc plays out so quickly that I was in disbelief that the next arc was beginning already. The final arc seems to be notorious for this, with its many big, rapid-fire reveals, but even the use of music can be jarring in this way. I can think of several moments throughout the show in which a piece of music abruptly cuts to another track to match what's now happening. If there's one thing I consider to be an absolute negative in Votoms, it would be that. I don't know how the random music switches can do anything but easily pull viewers out of the experience by drawing attention to its hard cuts. I think it's especially annoying because I really enjoy the soundtrack, so the jarring transitions sucked a bit of the immersion out of me.
ACTION
I felt Votoms was at its most immersive during its mecha/space combat; luckily, at least in the case of the former, there's no shortage of it here. If memory serves me right, there's at least one battle per episode. I loved watching all the ATs in action, but sometimes they were more noise to me than anything, especially if Chirico's involved. I thought the battles were at their weakest during the second arc (Kummen jungle) because they seemed to play out too similarly. Enemy units explode in droves at the hands of Chirico, whose AT damages get repaired before the next episode regardless of how severe the damage is. The combat sat better with me in every other arc, but I enjoyed it during the last two in particular due to the designs of the Balarant ATs and their involvement in space combat.
OPTICAL ATTRACTION
On the topic of visual spectacle, I should note that despite me being somewhat underwhelmed by the animation of Armored Trooper Votoms, I still found the show to be visually pleasing. Much of the motion of mechs and people seemed wooden or awkward to me, but the show still succeeded in satisfying my eyes due to its mechanical design, character design (including wardrobe), and storyboarding (i.e., the composition and framing of scenes). This isn't to say that the animation is a letdown entirely, though; the latter half of Votoms has some mecha action that I thought was really impressive. I also liked much of the action in Uodoo, the first arc of the show. Additionally, this is such a minor observation, but while I do think Votoms features exemplary visual design, I should mention that this is yet another 80s sci-fi anime that features corded phones. It's easy to point and laugh at that now 40 years later, but it's kind of amusing that a show that takes place in the year 7215 still uses old phones.
IN OTHER WORDS...
I liked Votoms quite a bit. It offers some to be desired, particularly in its pacing and motion, but I can't deny that I was sad to part ways with the show in the end.
ThatAnimeSnobRE
Historically speaking, Votoms is one of the first serious military-action anime. Beyond that, it is not a show for viewers who don’t fancy realistic warfare and nihilistic or expandable characters. Although Tomino’s Gundam franchise bridged the mecha and space opera genres a few years prior to this show, Takahashi Ryosuke took all that to the next level with Votoms and the result was plain weird. It’s an excentric anime that on one hand becomes the most “real” among Real Robots (the mecha in it have a highly realistic way of moving and fighting) and on the other hand feels mechanical, cynical, dry, and with littlereason for the average viewer to find the appeal in its militaristic and a nihilistic view on life.
One thing that needs to be made clear right from the start is that you are not going to watch Votoms for the mecha action. Although there is a lot of it, it’s not cool. The robots are just tanks with legs or an exo-skeleton, they have no appeal beyond that and they are never the main attraction. The soldier characters get more focus, since it’s about what they are going through in each mission. Basically the anime is a war drama about opportunistic mercenaries and mega-corporations after energy sources and political agendas. It is not some sci-fi power fantasy about robots firing lasers at each other. That can be a huge detriment to enjoyment since aesthetics aside, visually-wise the show looks very dated and it can be dull to look at even for those who are accustomed to old-school animation. The artwork if fine, but the animation is less than stellar, the soundtrack has no memorable tracks, and voice acting is as dry at the atmosphere the show goes for.
The story can also be a hard sell since it’s separated into mini arcs that don’t have continuity or even the same support cast. Each one is a mission that the protagonist takes part in and regardless of what he does in it, it will have no impact on the next. Props for being about a power struggle for natural resources, but if you see past the premise there is no overarching plot, not much of a world-building, or something to spice things up. The plot is straightforward and usually comes down to the protagonist doing some really improbable comebacks during the battles. He gets an epiphany to things he previously had no clue about, or just looks plain badass. He is also the only one worth giving a damn about since he’s the one the viewer is following. He is also a great Rambo-like figure; the one from the first movie, not the dumb action hero of the sequels.
The last episodes become weird since they go for a religious transhumanism message that wasn’t presented in a way that makes much sense. What is this nonsense about god’s journey? Plus, treating the entire human kind as expandable units you are not supposed to care about is not helping the viewer to be invested in what is going on. You are supposed to be a distant and passive viewer of things that eventually are there just to make humanity look insignificant and because everything feels dull and cynical it will leave almost everyone indifferent. That is why this show is not for everyone despite standing out from most other anime.
WitchFromMercury
MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Before I get started with this review I have to distinguish that the first season (first 13 episodes) was amazing and all else that follows is of a much lower quality so I'll start with the beginning. It opens up with what you think is going to be a war epic like Legend of the Galactic Heroes as we are introduced to two rival factions the Gilgamesh and the Balarant that have for the past 200 years been in an unending war for control of the Astragius Galaxy. Despite all this world building we are first given it comes into the background onlybecause the story is not about the war or the factions involved but instead focuses mainly on Chirico Cuvie.
The story begins with a tale of betrayal as Chirico is sent on a mission he was never supposed to be on (he was re-assigned to this squad just as they were about to mutiny). As the only one left who hasn't deserted he is captured, interrogated for his role (despite not being involved at all) in the desertion, and eventually escapes.
From there he goes to the city of Uoodo. Uoodo is your typical Blade Runner cyberpunk city of ramen stands, lots of crowds, poverty, and the air of authoritarianism prevailing. It's the perfect cyberpunk city and everything there is so oppressive. The people are suffering and broken in this massive technological city in a polluted broken world. There's an air of hopeless throughout the whole series and sometimes it can be painful to watch (do not watch this if you're looking to feel good).
These first 13 episodes are about desperate survival as Chirico is pursued for literally no reason. In the city he's in he's caught between two factions his military that is now after him and the deserters (who have stationed themselves in this city) who wish to capture and kill him as they see him as an agent of the military.
Caught between two sides and nowhere to escape too Chirico is nearly killed every episode as he must survive against these overwhelming odds. Normally I don't summarize in my reviews but I thought this time it was important to distinguish from how it is later.
After these first 13 episodes it becomes like some sort of crappy anime Apocalypse Now. The series shifts to a Vietnam tier jungle where government hired mercenaries face off against religious motivated guerillas over modernization of their country. Chirico ends up there after escaping Uoodo in the first season.
These episodes kind of suck because all the cool cyberpunk is gone. The new mech designs of the mercenaries and rebels are inferior (it was better when it was the Melkian, Scopedog models) and yeah as I said it seems like some bad Vietnam analogy.
Then it switches to a ruined desert world. These episodes also kind of suck since it's about Chirico and some old fat woman stalking him (because she hates the military he was a part of and personally blames him for their destruction of her world and family in the war) that he refuses to kill (out of conscience). We don't know much about this desert world, there were locals but they're only there for two episodes and just disappear and it's mostly character development between Chirico and his love interest which is kind of boring.
Then it switches to another desert world (yay, as if the last one wasn't fun enough) that is even more foolish. Typical "noble savages" live here but the twist is there is secret technology buried under the sand. And this world got destroyed and primitive to try to curb some "overmen" race that nearly conquered the galaxy 3000 years ago until the people here (where they originated from) killed all of them except 1 that wishes to use Chirico and take his body to try to rule again with the buried technology.
I think Akira Toriyama might've watched this and got influenced for Namek. Because Quent (the other desert world in this anime) is a lot like Namek in that the people were at one time a mighty technological empire like the Nakemians that eventually destroyed their society after an evil group of "ascended" people (the Super Nameks) tried to take over everything so eventually they killed them all off then destroyed their civilization and led simple lives so it would never happen again.
But these primitive tribals are really boring, cliche, and stereotypical.
The music in this anime is really good (especially in the beginning when it's still fresh) but pretty repetitive. You'll keep hearing the same few tracks over and over again and then they lose meaning.
The love triangle is painful to watch and unnecessary (since it was never explained where the other guy came from he just appeared after the first season). The ending was also kind of depressing (I won't spoil it but don't even bother getting this far).
The best part of this show is the mech design. The Scopedogs are awesome! They're bulky, clunky, and have a lot of weight to their movements. They're supposed to be as realistic as a mecha could be (not insanely agile and seemingly effortless to pilot like the Gundams).
And the hero's mecha (AT, armored trooper) constantly gets destroyed over and over again. It's cool he uses regular models that all the other soldiers use and not special custom ones that are a million times better than everything else like in Gundam (which is really boring). It's a nice change of pace from someone who watches Gundam and notices nothing ever happens to the Gundam (pretty much most of the time).
But yeah going back to the love triangle it was better in the beginning when it was just the main character and the love interest (she was so mysterious and you had no clue what to think of her or what her motivations were). And she actually fought back then (and well too). After the first season she stops fighting and becomes a typical woman in anime (that only exists as the hero's obsessed lover with no personality of her own).
If I had to rate the entire series (without the first season) I'd give it 3/10.
If I had to rate the first 13 episodes I'll give it 9/10.
Averaging out, I guess that makes it 6/10 all together.
Watch this anime if you want a different kind of mecha one but stop watching after episode 13 (episode 13 has a decent ending as well that could be a good close to the entire series).
Maybe I should've dropped it haha but I was hoping it would get cyberpunk again (and didn't want to spoil myself to find out it didn't).
And the graphics are bad. The art style is nice and really weird (everyone has massive hips!) but the animation aside from the mechas themselves are awful.
The sound effects are good in this though. Hearing the ATs lock in and then go into their "driving mode" (they speed like cars instead of walk/run when they want to go fast/be more maneuverable) is such a cool sound as are some of the other sound effects (like the hatch opening and closing, their helmets going on and one of my favorite sound effects, when they change the sights on their ATs (like on the scopedog when they switch the primary scope to one of the other two, that's a cool sound effect).
It's also cool how they use their goggles (with integrated screens) to see outside from their mechas (instead of other mecha shows where they have monitors in the cockpit). It was very forward thinking since even today we are just now exploring the possibilities of AR.
In most mecha anime the controls are nonsensical and it makes no sense at all how the pilots are able to turn, look around, and keep balanced. In VOTOMS they use goggles (that they use to see what is going on around them with a heads up display) and the goggles also have head tracking which controls the optics of the AT itself (so when the pilot turns his head the AT also turns it's head).
The driving mode is controlled with pedals otherwise the walking, strafing and stuff is automated as part of a battle program (that the pilot can customize the variables of with a computer to make their AT move differently than it otherwise would).
In Gundam they just get in and that's it (you hardly see them operating anything in those cockpits). This is way cooler and more entertaining and believable.
