Dirty Pair

Tough girls.

 

The 80s were a unique decade for science fiction. Inspired by blockbusters from the   previous decade, we witnessed the birth of some of the most beloved Animé franchises that still keep their legacy intact despite the sad transition from Animation cels to CGI. Comic Books also released some of their best "Graphic Novels" and giant story arc events that had their sequels and remakes decades later. Music wise, that same trail of creativity was felt immensely with the rise to fame of Disco, New Wave, Glam Rock Hardcore Punk, and Alternative Rock. Of course, not everything was nice in the 80s. They killed John Lennon! dictatorships were rotting Latin America, and the consequences of Cold War still seemed like a very real threat. 

Anyway, the Animé industry, being as culturally Japanese as it can, it also nurtured itself with what was going on both good and bad.

Dirty Pair must be one of the earliest successful attempts at putting women front and center. No more damsels in distress, no more men saving the day. Produced by some of the busiest animation companies in the 80s: Studio Nue (Macross, Orguss & Samurai Pizza Cats, Sunrise (Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, Inu Yasha) and Nozomi Entertainment (Zeta Gundam, The Rose Of Versailles), Dirty Pair is a testimony of what the 80s thought the future would be like. Neon colors, disco music, robots ,and fearless heroes. 

"If you're in a big trouble, call the World Welfare Work Association or WWWA. They will send out a team of highly trained capable agents called Trouble Consultants who can solve your problems. But if the team they send you is the Dirty Pair, there will be a lot of collateral damage aside from solving your problems."

An inseparable team of justice and comedy.

New artwork for the Blu Ray box.

While their prominence in Japanese animation is unquestionably admirable, it’s how relevant the show feels almost thirty years later that truly impresses. The balance between hilarious eighties cheesiness and masterful animation is remarkably inviting, making the episodes feel like something that could have been released a few years ago. Yes, newbies will find the 4:3 aspect ratio annoying, but Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s art style is as electrifying as ever.

The show revolves around Kei and Yuri, two enticing members of the Trouble Consultant Team 234. The code named “Lovely Angels” are disaster magnets, always leaving a trail of utter chaos and madness…hence their nickname Dirty Pair. Despite their destructive temperament, they somehow always end up catching the bad guy, even if it means destroying half a city. Dirty Pair can be best described as a Cyberpunk action-comedy inspired by classics like Blade Runner and Mad Max. While the tone is clearly more lighthearted, fans of such films will absolutely devour the show’s diverse sci-fi aesthetic. The action sequences in nearly every episode are nothing short of amazing. The spectacular battle set pieces give Dirty Pair an impressive cinematic quality and while most of the series feels somewhat episodic in nature, the charming duo keeps each narrative segment thoroughly entertaining and captivating.

 

Incredible artwork from the incredible blu ray box.

Dirty pair indeed.

The inspiration for Dirty Pair novels was a visit to Japan by the British Australian science-fiction author A. Bertram Chandler, probably in 1978. On his itinerary was a stop at the young Studio Nue, which Takachiho co-founded. As something to entertain their guest, two of the staffers there, Yuri Tanaka and Keiko Otoguro, hit upon the idea with Takachiho of taking Chandler to a tournament of the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling organization, which was a member of the World Women's Wrestling Association (WWWA). The card included the highly-popular wrestling (and singing) team, the Beauty Pair. Something that passed among the foursome during that match led Chandler to remark to Takachiho something to the effect that "the two women in the ring may be the Beauty Pair, but those two with you ought to be called 'the Dirty Pair'."

This became the germ of an idea for a novella Takachiho decided to write, transplanting the rough-housing of pro-wrestling to the realm of space-opera mystery stories, with which he already had experience in his already successful Crusher Joe series. The team code-name "Lovely Angels" is also a play on the names of certain women's teams of the time, such as the Queen Angels.

 

Dirty Pair,the novels.

The wrestlers that inspired our lovely angels.

An anime television series based on the novels, simply titled Dirty Pair, ran for 24 episodes on Nippon Television affiliates from July to December 1985, winning the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize for that year. Scripts had been written for two additional episodes, that were produced after the TV-series had aired, and released as an OVA in January 1987. In subsequent re-airings those two episodes were added to the original show making the series 26 episodes long.

The Dirty Pair anime has a closer setup to the original light novels by Haruka Takachiho more than any of the other incarnations. Unlike the light novels, the universe of the anime has a more comical atmosphere and presents the typical styles of a 1980s inspired future. The Lovely Angels and the WWWA reside in a location known as Eleanor City where Kei (voiced by Kyouko Tonguu) and Yuri (voiced by Saeko Shimazu) live in an apartment together in the city's famous Damocles Tower. The chief of the 3WA in this version is Gooley Andrew Francess along with Calico who serves as second in command. The Lovely Angels also have two assistants, a genetically modified feline named Mughi, and a small robot known as Nanmo.

 

Their 1st appearance in the Crusher Joe OVA.

Crusher Joe in Dirty Pair final episode OVAs.

Since Dirty Pair was very well received in Japan, it led to its first animated film Dirty Pair: Project Eden in 1986. Later in 1987, a 10 OVA series was released. To avoid confusion with the original Animé, the series was called Original Dirty Pair in Japan and Dirty Pair 2 in English. Also in 1994 the Dirty Pair Flash series was a reimagining of the original series and it ran for 16 episodes until 1996. Of course, its international fame would come a bit later with the big OVA boom from the early 90s. I remember seeing Dirty Pair mentioned in a few fanzines, and offered by mail service in glorious VHS format. Luckily, retrofuture allowed it to be re-released on DVD, and also in a brand new HD transfer on Blu-Ray. God!, how I love retro animé on HD! the mastering work makes it look brand new, and the colors! oh the colors! neon everywhere! Not to mention the pristine sound that boosts the action scenes and improve the dialogs and soundtrack by a 100%. 

 

But has it aged well? 

 

Absolutely! Don't believe all the crap stupid teenagers write about Animé from the 70s and 80s. Their usual complains include "I don't like the 4:3 ratio", "The animation is horrible compared to today standards". Fucking ball-sacks!  The 4:3 Ratio is the "TV Aspect" Even television from the 90s had it! Get an education! The animation sucks? go gag on Satan's mayonnaise! These shows were all hand-drawn! the artistic value they hold is incalculable! go jerk-off to your lame CGI furry-femboy shit!

Teen roasting aside, this Animé in particular was produced by three of the most prolific and creative studios from the 80s. The animation style is top notch even by today's standards.

The lovely angels!

Print magazines will return in the retrofuture.

Plot wise, each episode is its own adventure. In comic book lingo, each episode is a "one shot". However, this doesn't mean it ends up being derivative, and boring like most American made cartoons from the same decade. Comedy plays a major role here, and we do get to see the chemistry the main characters share with either their colleagues & enemies. Dirty Pair was made to entertain, and even 37 years later after its release, you can still get every joke.  In addition, the show tends to maintain the base of an action-comedy, but along the way hits on everything from crime thrillers to psychological horror to westerns. If you're just going through the series for the first time, there's an innate compulsion to fire up the next episode just to see what happens next. Meanwhile, if you're revisiting the series, the quality of the episodes remain intact. In no time you'll be back in the 80s saying "Oh!, I remember that episode!". Two crazy memorable episodes are the 'mouse dictator' episode or the one where Kei and Yuri try to work their way into the good graces of a guy with a violent allergy to women. Basically, Dirty Pair TV, some call it that, isn't just the best Dirty Pair anime, it's also the gateway drug that will turn you into a fan. Just don't forget there are animated movies, a collection of OVAs and the 90s remake waiting for you once you complete your journey through one of the best Animé from the 80s, and probably all time.

Here's the Opening:

Here's the Ending:

And a bonus video comparing the original standard definition of the series with the recent Blu Ray remaster:

クロスアンジュ 天使と竜の輪舞〈ロンド〉 / Cross Ange, Rondo of Angel and Dragon

Meet Angelise.

Before we get into today's review let me give you my humble opinion on the two nerd dissappointments of the year:

1. Mortal Kombat 11, pricy, micro transactions and lack of new meaningful content and/or gameplay.

2.Avengers Endgame, predictable, childish, horrible fake science framework and covered in deux ex machina "creativity".

Now, let's move on with our lives to a place that never fails to entertain: The world of Animé! Despite the fact we usually cover classic (old)  Animé, we sometimes listen to the younger generations and take a look at what's going on in more recent decades from the 21st century. Today's entry was a recommendation by Gubaba, a wise man that knows his Animé, and even though it isn't a 2019 release, it's a 2014 release that makes it pretty new in my book: クロスアンジュ 天使と竜の輪舞〈ロンド AKA Cross Ange, Rondo of Angel and Dragon, also known as simply Cross Ange is a Japanese mecha anime television series that follows the "you can't judge a book by its cover" premise.

When dragons attack...

...a dedicated team of women goes beyond the call of duty.

Background.

The anime series was produced by Sunrise with Fukuda Mitsuo (producer) and Ashino Yoshiharu (director). The script was adapted by Katelyn Barr who worked as the ADR and also voiced a minor character in the series.  Cross Ange aired between October 5, 2014 and March 29, 2015 on Tokyo MX, MBS, TVA, BS11.

The first opening theme is "Kindan no Resistance" (禁断のレジスタンス Kindan no Rejisutansu, lit. "Forbidden Resistance") by Nana Mizuki (she also voices Ange), and the first ending theme is "Rinrei" (凛麗, lit. "Cold Beauty") by Eri Kitamura. The second opening theme is "Shinjitsu no Mokushiroku" (真実の黙示録, lit. "Apocalypse of Truth" or "Revelations of Reality") by Yoko Takahashi, and the second ending theme is "Shūmatsu no Love Song" (終末のラブソング Shūmatsu no Rabu Songu, lit. "Love Song of the End") by Mizuki. The insert song featured in episodes five, nine, and twenty-two is "Necessary" also performed by Nana Mizuki. 

The series was licensed by Sentai Filmworks for a digital and home media release in North America (get the blu ray box, it's excellent). Madman Entertainment also licensed the series for streaming in Australia and New Zealand. The series was picked up by Crunchyroll for streaming in North America and other select parts of the world.

Former soon-to-be princess.

Fomer soon-to-be favorite pilot.

Plot.

Through the development of groundbreaking information transfer and material generation technology called "Mana", various problems, such as pollution and war have disappeared, and days of peace have arrived in the world. However, the people who receive the benefit of the Mana live in a false peace. Those who cannot use the Mana, referred to by the derogatory term "Norma", who are seen as an opposition to structures of society, live in oppression. Because this is the norm, the people who use Mana do not question it. The first princess of the Misurugi Empire, Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, was convinced of the belief of exterminating the Norma. But when she turned 16, and was baptized, her elder brother Julio, exposed her as a Norma to the public. Angelise, who is bewildered by the revelation that she herself was a Norma all along, turns into a target of hate of the people in the blink of an eye. Ange is exiled to Arzenal, an isolated military base where Norma are conscripted into service, and then starts her new life as a Norma soldier. As she struggles to adjust to her new identity, Ange's now stormy life takes one surprising turn after another and she embarks on her quest to correct the world she lives in. 

Naked duty.

Naked catch!

Review.

Before a wise men suggested I should watch this Animé I had no idea about it. Obviously, I haven't followed a "new" Animé since Inu Yasha, and that is nineteen years ago! Since I call myself a "seasoned" fan I'm only into Animé from before the 21st century. The 70s, 80s & 90s provided me with enough series and OVAs to watch for a lifetime. Moreover, I'm still tracking a lot of "rare" Animé I've only heard of through friends or seen in mags and in old VHS tapes. Yes, I'm THAT years old.

Anyway, Cross Ange has a lot of elements that can instantly turn an old fart into a fan. Despite what you've heard about it, the series offers a very interesting story with a lot of interesting characters and hidden plots and/or revelations that allowed me to understand why this Animé is named Cross Ange, and ultimately, why a lot more people should be watching it from start to finish.

Dangerous Red head.

Family friendly characters.

Cross Ange could be classified as many things.  It could be a magical princess show about knights and dragons, it could be a prison drama, it could be a mean girls show, and it most certainly could be a borderline yuri hentai. However, one thing Cross Ange is not, it's a colecction of random fanservice with no plot whatsoever. And believe you me, I've seen that kind of Animé too.

The actual premise of the story is that a pampered princess named Angelise, a thoroughly awful person, is thrown out of her castle and put in an all-ladies jail when it's found out that she's not a user of Mana (something like the force). She's then forced to pilot a Ragna-Mail (transforming mecha from flying bike to winged robot) and fight dragons, because of reasons we won't find out until half the series has passed. And then she's bullied, molested, and raped until she decides to let go of her royal past and become simply "Ange", the greatest dragon killer pilot Arzenal has ever seen. Then the story becomes about rebellion, alternate timelines and dimensions, fighting god, virtual realities, and some clever fanservice. As the story progresses, we witness plot twists, evil villainous acts, and lesbian sex scenes. It's certainly not boring, but you'll need to pass the fifth episode mark in order to fully enjoy this little gem.

The Villkiss.

And her brave pilot.

For reasons I won't reveal, Arsenal is frequently attacked by giant Dragons from another dimension. But these dragons are not actual dragons, they're D.R.A.G.O.N.s, and they're called that because the name stands for Dimensional Rift Attuned Gargantuan Organic Neototypes. Ahhh!, the Japanese never dissappoint with their gratuitious English.

But really, the one character that steals the show is Ange. Ange is amazing. She's logical, pessimistic, she cheats, she'll insult you and everything you stand for, disarm you and then shoot you through the face, twice. She doesn't want harmony, she wants destruction. She wants to demolish everything that's wronged her. She's not a victim.

The rest of the cast is surprisingly good too. Cross Ange does a competent job at giving you multifaceted, developing characters to feel things about, even if those feelings are mostly hatred and/or pity. The other central females are almost all emotionally damaged in some way or another, and are in contrast to Ange, very fragile people. I thought this was very interesting, because not only is Ange a strong, domineering, unbreakable character on her own, but those qualities shine even more when you slowly see the deep-seated problems with everyone around her. 

Sometimes you'll fight naked.

Sometimes you'll have fun naked.

This series only has like two male characters. One of them is Tusk a completely useless man in a world of empowered women. If you're ever worried about Ange being overshadowed or saved by her boyfriend, don't worry, he's the bottom in the relationship. This was also refreshing. Except for near the end where he actually starts doing things, that was lame and subverted a lot of the good things about his character and the show as a whole. Moreover, the only thing I didn't like about Cross Ange is how the "teenage first love" story develops between Tusk and Ange. I found it annoying, and ridiculously childish, considering all these characters have been  through, it's plain idiotic to see them afraid of a good old fuck when you're horny.

The other major male character is the central villain, Embryo, who is also the most self-aware jab at otaku I've ever seen. The whole premise of his character is that he's his own OC, and is looking for the perfect waifu. It's insulting and hilarious at the same time, just like the rest of the series. And boy is he powerful!

The supporting cast, Jill, Salia, Hilda, Ersha, Vivian, Momoka and others I won't spoil here, play their part. Captain Jill hides a secret or two, but she's the boss until a revelation. Salia hates Ange. Hilda wants to fuck Ange. Ersha is like the mother of the girls, Vivian has a secret and Momoka is Ange's former servant from when she was royalty, and is the only character that can use Mana in Arzenal because she's not a Norma.

Hilda.

Vivian.

Moving on to a more general opinion, I'd say this series nails a lot of interesting concepts that for some reason still resonate strongly in our society. The first one that comes to mind is racial discrimination. If you have  the power to use Mana, you're an evolved human, or as the series puts it, you're a human. If you're born defective, you're a "norma", less than human, an aberration of nature that has to be taken away from the perfect society. Interstingly enough, Normas are only women! so they're take away to Arzenal and treated like garbage until they die fighting dragons. The cool thing is, "Mana" is not quite a power humans have but more of an illusion that we're in control. Does that sound too real for you? I for one, think we live comfortable lives where nothing really harmful ever happens, and yet we're never aware of our real "Normas" dying in poor countries, or working for a dollar a month to get you, your new shoes half-priced at the shopping mall. Moreover, Normas are the only kind of people destined to fight wars and protect the world. So, just like our brave soldiers, they have to fight, and die for the rich fat bastards that own the world, and still want more. In addition, how can you tell you're on the right side? Ange is faced with this question not once, but many times, as the series progresses into wider, more darker territories.

Revelations and broken hearts also play an important role in Cross Ange. There are episodes, and moments where you can really feel the pain  some characters have to go through but, I want you to see this Animé, so I won't dig any deeper.

This isn't what it lookslike.

This isn't what it lookslike 2.

Animation-wise, it depends on what you like or on what you're used to. Personally, I think the character designs, mecha designs and locations are superb. Each character has unique features (Ange even calls Salia "small tits") and the mecha are more than OK in my book. I'm a big Macross & mecha Animé fan in general so I really dug the 3D battles and fast transformation sequences. Plus, you could feel when the Ragna-Mail shaked while firing their giant machine guns.

The audio's good enough for me. Since I'm mostly a fan of old Animé (Macross sequels  being the only "new" animé I'm eager to watch) I found the background music really good. It had this medieval touch I think was consistent for a series with dragons. Mizuki Nana sings two or three songs, and they're not bad. Especially, when it's Ange singing a capela. Moreover, music plays an important role as the series progresses towards its grand finale, so being a Macross fan, truly allowed me to enjoy that too.

Embryo, the son of a bitch.

Ange's team.

Now, if you google Cross Ange for reviews, you'll find a lot, and I mean A LOT, of bad reviews calling this show a sexploitation show covered in violence and brutality, and that we should all run away from it. Nonsense! Unless, you're one of those fucking turds signing off the internet to avoid Avengers' spoilers, this series has a few graphic moments here and there but believe me, they're justified. These days a lot of people download stream Animé episodes skipping the important, and looking for the key scenes only. And after they've only seen five minutes, they run to their computers/smartphones to bash the Animé because they couldn't get the plot in less than ten minutes. Cross Ange requires your attention, and demands you watch the 25 episodes because, only then will you find what you were looking for in the first place: Quality entertainment.

Trivia.


What Could Have Been: 

 

• In the Blu Ray extras, it's revealed that there were plans for Momoka to betray Ange and be revealed as being in on Julio's plan when they returned to Misurugi, however it was felt that there should at least be one pure-hearted character in the show.

• According to the staff, Zola was supposed to die during the defense of Arzenal, however Michiko Neya had other plans so she couldn't stay long for the show.
• Ange was supposed to have been The Captain of the First Troop, though that would have made her overshadow everyone even more, so they decided at first with Hilda, but went with Salia.
• The second half of episode 14 was supposed to be a flashback episode where it depicts both of Tusk's parents and both would have been voiced by Miyano and Mizuki.
• Salamandinay was supposed to show up on episode 7, however they had to delay it because Eri Kitamura at the time was trying to promote her album so they made it a Salia episode.
• Ersha was originally going to have a somewhat darker complexion at first (as her design was based upon an unknown Indian woman). But was changed at the last minute.
•  The Design Works book also reveals that several other characters were to look different from their finalized counterparts. Some of these changes were minor, like Salia and Momoka having different hair colors and styles or Emma having a different outfit. Others drastic, like Tusk having a more disheveled look, or a clean-shaven, older-looking Jurai.
• The end of the series would have had Aura returning to her human form. But the idea was nixed by Fukuda, who thought it went against the story.

 

Fly high Ange!

They may be Normas, but they're clean.

Creator Backlash:

• Creative Producer Mitsuo Fukuda has apologized for episode 13's opening.
• Though not a full backlash, he's wondering why Tusk's death was censored when the rest of the deaths in episode 21 wasn't even censored.
• There's also the criticism Fukuda made when Sumire Uesaka was asked on a radio show about Momoka's fate is that she only said that "I would really like to think she was still alive." It wasn't even much of a spoiler comment but then he went on a rant and temporarily locked his Twitter account. Which then convinced some fans that Momoka would survive. They were right.

Enforced Method Acting:

• According to Nana Mizuki, she was pinching Toshihiko Seki's hand when Ange stabbed Embryo's hand in episode 20.
• According to Mamoru Miyano, he was slapping Mizuki's stomach for the crotch diving scenes.

Fan Nickname:

• The Japanese fandom's nickname for Tusk is "Kirito", because he looks like Kira Yamato but acts like Rito Yuuki.
• Also "Super Kira," owing to Mamoru Miyano's other notable role.
• Tuskete on the other side.
• Tusk F. Yamato for another. Not only does Tusk look like Kira, but he is also voiced by Mamoru Miyano who voiced another Gundam protagonist named Setsuna F. Seiei. 
• On the English side for some, Fluttershy for Ersha. Out of strange coincidence, Ersha looks almost indentical to a humanized Fluttershy, merely lacking the yellow turtleneck.
• Angelise for Ange, pre-Characterization Marches On where she rejected Normas and wishes to eradicate all of them. Some also use Hitlerina.
• Stripper vision guy for Embryo, thanks the opening where he stares at Ange who's running and somehow strips her clothes. Alternatively, he also garnered "Fetus-kun", in relation to his name.
• Twitter bird for the bird that latches on Embryo in his first scene since the bird looks like the same logo from the Twitter website.
• Top Meido for Momoka.

Love.

Censorship (not in the Blu Ray edition)

 

He Also Did:

 

• Director Yoshiharu Ashino, who also did D.Gray-Man Hallow, Tweeny Witches, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and served as an animation director for Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.
• Para-Mail designer Junichi Akutsu served as Mechanical designer for Code Geass, GEAR Fighter Dendoh and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
• Dragon designer Kazutaka Miyatake served as mechanical and conceptual designer for many anime, including Eureka Seven, Gunbuster, Aura Battler Dunbine and the Macross and Dirty Pair series.
• Character designer and key animator Sayaka Ono was an animator on several other Sunrise shows through animation subcontractor Nakamura Productions^* , including Code Geass, Idolmaster: Xenoglossia and Zegapain.

I Knew It!:

• Fans correctly guessed that the Toshihiko Seki-voiced Embryo would get to sing.
• Absolutely nobody was fooled by Tusk and Momoka's deaths in Episode 21 and had already guessed they survived due to Never Found the Body. Sure enough, one episode later they show up no worse for wear.
• Quite a few fans correctly guessed that Emily Neves and Austin Tindle would play Ange and Tusk for the English dub.

Strong women.

Strong dragons.

Overall, Cross Ange is a big damn spectacle with one of the best female leads in any anime. It's ridiculous and stupid, and even Sunrise probably hates you for watching it, so that means you should.  

Here's opening #1:

Here's opening #2:

Here's ending #1:

Here's ending #2:

  

"Kindan No Resistance" official videoclip:

A great cover of "Rinrei": 

A fan singing the second opening:

装甲騎兵ボトムズ / Armored Trooper V.O.T.O.M.S.

A war like no other you've seen before.

装甲騎兵ボトムズ AKA Armored Trooper VOTOMS is one of the earliest attempts on "hard science" in the Mecha sub-genre. This particular mecha series, directed by Ryosuke Takahashi (known for his work on Gasaraki, and 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 Takahashi's interest in the inner world of the soldier. The Animé runs for 52 episodes which are (as it was common back in the day) divided into story arcs. Four to be exact.

Deciding which Mecha Anime is the best, i'ts a matter that is obviously up, to your own personal experience. If we talk numbers and sequels, and well established franchises. the answer would unmistakably leads us to Gundam & Macross. However, Armored Trooper VOTOMS is the unsung hero, that did get a few OVA sequels, some of them very recently, but somehow fell into obscurity due to the massive overshadowing caused by the above mentioned actual franchises of robots and pew pew!.

ATV offers a fresher look (fresh for 1983, that is) on how future wars are fought, lost, won and survived by everyday people and opposing armies.

VOTOMS (Vertical One-Man Tank for Offense and Maneuvers)

Chirico Cuvie, the hero.

Chirico Cuvie is the main character of ATV. 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 silent loner 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 mecha (not even with a different paint job) 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 mecha 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. Moreover, the name VOTOMS may be a reference to the "bottoms", soldiers that are expendable and that no one will miss. The phonemes /v/ & /b/ while clearly different in English, sound the same in Japanese and Spanish.

Every VOTOM comes in green. There are no red stripes or white paint jobs.

Fyana, the mysterious lady that gets Chirico in trouble.

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. 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.

Heroes need friends.

I got this!

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.

Now, moving on to 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 remind you this a robot war Animé, 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 limitations of the time this was made, 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.

Fyana.

Hygiene is important.

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.

The series wastes no time. At least one battle per episode is guaranteed.

Respect the past, embrace the future (?)

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, yet the toy sales lasted longer. 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.

Heroes & Villains.

One man army.

The absolute peak of Votoms is the second (Kunmen Jungle War) 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. The series consists of four story arcs: Voodoo City, Kunmen Jungle Wars, Dead World Sunsa & God Planet Quent. 

Due to the series success (especially in the toy kit department) three OVAs were made. The Last Red Shoulder (装甲騎兵ボトムズ ザ・ラストレッドショルダー, 1985) which takes place after the Voodoo story line in the TV series. It details Chirico meeting with his old comrades in his old military unit, and their plan to get revenge on General Pailsen. A year later, Big Battle was released, and takes place near the end of the series. The story line features Chirico and his comrades participating in a mecha gladiatorial match. Two years later in 1988, The Red Shoulder Document: Roots of Ambition (装甲騎兵ボトムズ レッドショルダードキュメント 野望のルーツ). The story line serves as a prequel to the main series and especially The Last Red Shoulder. It details Chirico's time in the Red Shoulder elite military unit and his encounters with General Pailsen. Later in the 90's & 2010, 2011 more OVAs were made but they are all spin-off stories.

The series starts with a naked woman.

And ends with a naked woman.

 
Before I close, I'd like to mention how ATV has one of the best opening themes ever, "Honoo No Sadame" by Tetsuro Oda, who also sings "Itsumo Anata Ga" the ending theme. Moreover, the episode preview narrations are incredible and have some of the most quotable lines I've ever seen in an anime, and I'm a 37 years old fart.

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.

In the future women have perfect bodies.

But men prefer playing with their mecha.

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. 

Here's the opening:

Here's the ending:

The DVD box set trailer:

The Manga Corps. preview 1 Trailer:

 The Manga Corps. preview 2 trailer:

Honoo No Sadame:

Itsumo Anata Ga: