Nice review :P
Armitage III ova Review
Story & Playability
NOTE: This review uses the term android instead of the series's term, robot, because the robots in the series are technically androids. It's a small difference, but important. After all, you can discard a vacuum, but can you discard a life? Moving on...
Armitage III, at first glance, seems like any other police series. A detective, Ross Sylibus, has to solve a case with the aid of his partner, Naomi Armitage, while dodging danger. There is a difference, though, in a few key ways that set this title apart from the others.
First, the fact that detective has traveled to Mars to escape his past immediately puts this title in the sci-fi bin. Add the gritty atmosphere, urban sprawl and decay, and the beautiful panoramic shots of a complex metropolis, and you've got yourself some mighty fine cyberpunk. Also, the series refers to robots/androids in classes. Type 1, or Firsts, are your average construction robot, like a crane that can make decisions based on data collected or a robotic arm used to fabricate auto-parts. Type 2, or Seconds, are a bit more intelligent and are the most widespread. These types can make conscious decisions, be programmed, look quite human, and have personalities. And last, are Type 3, or Thirds. Legally, they don't don't exist, and there are only a few in existence. These are so advanced, they are indistinguishable from a human unless they are opened. They live around us, without leaving a trace of there true nature.
Second, the setup is different. Instead a regular face with a standard standard case to solve, this detective has a history that is a huge part of the plot. While on Earth, his partner was murdered by a robot. Because of this, he has never trusted them. He gets his first case on Mars, a murder. However, he soon finds out that the victim was an android. This switches things up for a guy who doesn't trust machines, doesn't it?
Third, his partner is a bit different. We don't realize that she's an android (!!!) until later, when her outspoken attitude towards his hatred of machines causes her to explode on him as she stands up for her people... er, fellow androids. Then both the main character and the viewer realize that she's one of them, and has been as the case his gotten more and more complex. "Oh my God," says Ross. "Oh my God," says the viewer. Interesting? And finally, it becomes apparent that the murderer, Rene D'anclaude, is an android himself. Not only that, but Ross is a cyborg. Things just got even more crazy. As Dan Claude, said murderer, cackles: "You've gotta be kidding! A fake leg? Surely the ironic humor of this hasn't escaped you. You're almost a stinking cyborg yourself, you freak!"
So this is more than just the standard cop show. It's a cyberpunk series about robot rights and what it means to be human. In this series, the above characters seem like people, but they aren't. So how would you know, then, except to know? It's a common theme in cyberpunk -- "What measure is a human?" Armitage III chooses to tackle it a different way.
That all said, the characters really make this come alive. Most have distinct personalities. Naomi herself is vibrant, youthful, energetic, and kind. She also has a reckless streak, and is very outspoken. As a dynamic character, she starts peppy and smart-mouthed, but becomes more responsible and submissive as the series progresses. She is by far my favorite character, and when watching the series, it's easy to see why. And no, it's not the vinyl hot pants. It's the heart that the android possesses.
Ross is, at first, discriminatory, stoic, and slightly depressed. He does undergo a transformation into a softer, gentler man, and comes to tolerate and even love androids/robots. After all, he falls in love with his partner, and it's shown at the end that Naomi is pregnant. Now, hold the phone, you might think. Robots getting pregnant? More on that later.
D'anclaude is spiteful, arrogant, and has a God complex. But then it is revealed that he is one of many models, and the original D'anclaude is in a military hospital. (Small wonder he keeps coming back!) Not only is he bent on murdering all Thirds, but he remains as cool and suave as ever while doing so. He's pretty interesting, both the model and the original. Where the model as a cold, calculating, assassin, the original is calm, cool, and collected. When he speaks, he seems very kind, and it's a bit of a shock to see him after witnessing the various models wreak havoc. For that matter, there is a model that is true to the original, and it's equally strange to see him smiling and being generally polite.
There are also minor characters whose names are never mentioned, and some whose names are. There's the police chief, Lieutenant Randolph, who can't officially help Ross and Sylibus once they become fugitives (!!!), but he does give them his support. There's a similar character, Eddy, who helps Ross with information now and then.
Now, pregnancy. See, Mars needs babies. People have to populate the planet and keep it growing, and there's a shortage. So, what can you do? Besides encouraging more immigration, why not make machines who can make babies? Ethically, this would create something of an outrage (personally, I think it's an okay idea). But, it seems to be cheaper than advertising (I'm assuming, since it's never explained how much the program cost). So they start making these androids that can have babies. These are Thirds. No other robot type has come so far. It all seems good, right? Well, not exactly. Once Mars signs a treaty with Earth (it's never explained why Mars was ever separate... I'm finding more and more fridge logic and plot holes writing this review than watching the series), the Thirds have got to go. Why? Robot laws from Earth say that any sort of further experimentation is illegal, or some such nonsense.
That is why D'anclaude is there. His mission is to destroy all of the Thirds, since they aren't needed. This all has to be done under the law, so to speak. If people found out that there were androids acting as humans, they'd freak out and demand a stop, right? Right. So D'anclaude uses that to incite the public to start killing androids. And this is where the story kicks in, a systematic murder of Thirds and a revolt against androids. It's a refreshing look at destroying androids, and executed well.
Overall, the story is very different, and will leave you thinking. How real is anyone, really? What is being alive, being conscious? Why hold grudges? Those aren't answered in this OVA/film, but you'll be thinking of them.
Rating:
Graphics
This isn't your typical anime aimed at kids with bishoujo sparkles and bright pastels. This is an urban, dark, dreary story, and the art reflects it. Most scenes take place at night or indoors, which sort of saps the life from the series, and makes the ending so much more amazing. The bright colors are limited to lights, windows, some accents, and Naomi Armitage. Wait, Naomi is bright?
See, there are two styles used that are branches of a realistic seinen feel. Ross, and other men, are pretty detailed and chiseled. They look like real people, just animated and a bit stylized. Naomi, on the other hand, is drawn much more stylized. She has rounded features, larger eyes, is shorter than most females, and seems like a big kid. She dresses in an almost trademark red that complements her skin and has dirty blond hair. Now, she isn't super bright like a cover of Kare Kano, but when she's onscreen, she's easily differentiated from the background and your eye is drawn to her.
This series has the cyberpunk feel, all right. The pans of landscape are usually of the main metropolis, and they beautifully highlight all of the lighting and details associated with the genre. Towering billboards. Bright neon. Laser sweeps. Holograms. Small bits of light where it counts, while leaving things dark enough to make it heavy.
Personally, I like the art. It's what cyberpunk is known for, and it still keeps its own style. It does, however seem dated by today's standards. It's not flashy, it's not particularly fluid at times, and it isn't common. It does bear some similarities to Texhnolyze, which came out many years later, so there's a positive. (Armitage III was released in 1994. Texhnolyze was released in 2003.) The differences are enough to make you realize you're watching something a little older, but it's not too big of a distraction detriment. Like I said, I personally like the art, but I'm a kid who's in love with nostalgia, so of course I would.
Rating:
Sound
I don't have the best system. No 500 watt Sony amplifier with 18" subs and 12" woofers and surround sound and fiber optic cabling and all of that. I am like a lot of watchers. I have a VCR (wow, I feel old) and a TV, a laptop and headphones, and those are good enough for me. As you might guess, I think it sounded fine.
Voice acting, however... Well, it was amazing, then average. The original OVA, released in 1994, had excellent acting. High-tension moments were realistic, and everyone sounded very alive. As an example, in episode 1, Electro Blood, Naomi snaps when her partner is pursued by D'anclaude. She confronts the murderer and shows him the power of a Third in a great display of power. Now here's where you feel the emotion. Even as he's barely conscious, D'anclaude calls Naomi a monster, and this sends her over the edge. Plagued by societies hatred of her kind, and D'anclaude's continued arrogance, she grips him and demands a reason for the rising discrimination. She sounds genuinely tormented in her machine shell, her voice raw and cracking as she shouts at him, while Ross looks on in shame and sadness. This was one of the better examples of how powerful the voice acting can be. You feel as Naomi does, and it feels like it should, a cinematic experience. That's a good cast.
However, the 1997 cut-up/rearranged movie version replaced the voice actors. This time, even with the top-dollar names (Elizabeth Berkley, Keifer Sutherland), it didn't work. Ross always sounds deadpan, and his voice is never as dynamic as Naomi's. Naomi sounds decent, but there are a few parts where the original dialogue was clearly superior. As an example, towards the end of the movie, we get this line: "Oh, Ross, I love you so very much." It's not very fluid and not very believable. It's precise and eloquent, but the feeling is not as "there" as it should be. And that line really bugs me. Have you ever told someone that, word for word, in a monotone? It doesn't come across well. It's the moments like these that make me love and prefer the original OVA, which is what we are reviewing today! Huzzah!
Therefore, the acting in this version, the original 1994 OVA, was perfect. Dynamic voices, many inflections, volume changes, and the like. Totally ace. Totally 10.
But note this: Armitage III is from the early nineties. The music doesn't sound recent. The OST is mainly synths, pads, drum machines, and occasionally electric guitar. There's a female singer in about three songs, but that is all. So, if you're looking for an amazingly polished and full-budget OST, you'll be disappointed, unless... you're a person like me who loves the eighties. There. I said it. The soundtrack sounds like late eighties/early nineties synth work with the occasional dark or organic edge. Expect reverberated drums, phasered leads, and the like. If you're into that thing, this is the perfect OST for you. If not, don't worry, it'll still sound okay and fit the mood of the series.
I'll note that I regularly listen to the OST. The composer, Hiroyuki Namba, has done a lot for various titles, and I often look to him for musical inspiration. His songs simply sound good, and if you listen to them without viewing the anime, I'm sure you'll agree.
But when paired with anime, OSTs can be a personal thing. Some people like the audio, some don't. Some love the background music on whatever episode, some think it could've been better. What is really important is that the music fits. In that sense, Armitage III delivers. I'm not just saying that because it's one of my long-time favorites. The music genuinely sounds good in the scene it's in, and that's exactly what you should expect. That warrants a 10 in my book, but it can also be a bit dated, so it may be a 4 in yours.
Combined with the voice acting and sound effects, the sound was very good.
Rating:
Fun
I love this series. It has high replay value, an enjoyable cast, the cyberpunk feel and aesthetic, and a proper story. It didn't portray itself as something jaw-droppingly amazing, but a good series to watch. And, happily, it is. I enjoyed it quite a bit. There wasn't much navel-gazing, sadly, but there was a great take on what it means to be and feel human. I liked that.
Wow. I'm going to have to watch it again tonight. It really is that good, and watching it, anyone could see why.
Rating:
Final Verdict
9.0000 (very good)
Reviewed by kikaruu, Jun 24, 2010
Comments
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rukasu04 Mute Member Aug 12, 2010
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SchRita Aug 27, 2010
XD There is fantasy in it, I have to admit it...
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patriz0 Oct 05, 2010
thanks...
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Warpten29 Jan 11, 2011
This great, thanks for the anime's review it inspires me!
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angelxxuan Banned Member May 20, 2012
nice review, like what you dropped at the front of the review. I found this out entirely by accident, there wasn't anything new in so I ventured into the older section to rent anime and found this. the reading on the back of the box didn't give it justice, your review, however, sure did.
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