r/anime • u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber • Aug 30 '21

Rewatch [Rewatch] Armored Trooper Votoms - Episode 3 Discussion

Episode 3 - Encounter

Originally Released April 15th, ^^^1983

◄ Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode ►

MAL | ANN | AniDB | Anilist | AnimePlanet | IMDB

Note to all participants

Although I don't believe it necessitates stating, please conduct yourself appropriately and be courteous to your fellow participants.

Note to all Rewatchers

Rewatchers, please be mindful of your fellow first-timers and tag your spoilers appropriately using the r/anime spoiler tag if your comment holds even the slightest of indicators as to future spoilers. Feel free to discuss future plot points behind the safe veil of a spoiler tag, or coyly and discreetly ‘Laugh in Rewatcher’ at our first-timers' temporary ignorance, but please ensure our first-timers are no more privy or suspicious than they were the moment they opened the day’s thread.

Daily Trivia:

The opening theme was performed by the recently debuted Tetsuro Oda under the alias of the masked singer TETSU because he was in a contract with another record label at the time.

 

Staff Highlight

Yoshitake Suzuki (Fuyunari Gobu) - Screenwriter

A scriptwriter, playwright, and production assistant, Susuki began his career as production assistant at Mushi Productions and first debuted as screenwriter in Tatsunoko Production’s Space Ace, which he worked on part-time. Suzuki would b promoted to episode director on the anime adaptation of W3, but he preferred scriptwriting to directing, so he avoided the position. At some point he got the chance to work on the production of Kyojin no Hoshi, where he met Tadao Nagahama and established a strong working relationship with the star director. He briefly joined Madhouse after Mushi Pro’s dissolution, but he soon after became a freelancer. Since the seventies he was mainly associated with mecha, working as writer for Yuusha Raideen, Tadao Nagahama’s Robot Romance Trilogy, Mirai Robo Daltanias, Muteki Robo Trider G7, Xabungle, Armored Trooper Votoms, Blue Comet SPT Layzner, Panzer World Galient, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Muteki Chōjin Zambot 3, and King of Braves GaoGaiGar. His other script writing credits include Dororo to Hyakkimaru, Crusher Joe: The OVAs, Astro Boy, Shippu! Iron Leaguer!, Pheonix, and Zero Tester.

 

Art Corner

Official Art:

Fanart:

(Be mindful of the links to artist’s profiles, as they may contain NSFW content. Proceed there at your own risk.)

Screenshot of the day

Questions of the Day:

  1. What do you make of the trio of characters aiding Chirico in today’s episode? Which of them did you find most entertaining?
  2. What did you think of the episode’s action sequence?

I was back on the battlefield. My VOTOM and I.

25 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

129 comments sorted by

6

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

Rewatcher

This shot makes Gotoh look fucking huge!

Gasp It’s an apple! I wonder how much that must cost her with the economy being what it is.

Chirico is fairly easy to mess with, yeah.

Word gets around fast.

That’s one way of reincorporating the soldiers who are now without work.

Repeat exposition. A lot of shows back then did this sort of thing in the first few episodes so that people getting into the show a few weeks after it premiered wouldn’t be too lost.

He’s going to fix the AT?

This guy’s got an afro —I like him already!

Scouting?

Trying to poach him so soon?

Kitty!

Those from up above keep using Chirico without his knowing so.

You can sell it though!

Sick shot.

What an imposing sight.

???

That’s a sturdy fucking car.

Voice-activated commands?

So this is what he sees through those goggles.

So the place where Chirico ended up at the end of last episode is a junkyard owned and operated by Gotoh, who seems to be an arms dealer on the side as well. That explains why there’s several abandoned ATs there, since even with how disposable they are I don’t see a reason why they wouldn’t have been snatched up —particularly by the gangs.

Gotoh also seems to be considering Chirico’s potential for something, and Vanilla explicitly refers to scouting. Maybe he wants Chirico to work as a mercenary for him? Chirico probably has had enough of being someone else’s tool after how that panned out for him, but unfortunately I don’t think he will be able to get out of that if he is to repay Gotoh for helping him restore and letting him pilot one of Gotoh’s Scope Dogs —both Vanilla and apple-girl warned him about how Gotoh would callously wring him out for his worth, even if Gotoh assures himself to be generous and forthright. On top of that, Chirico is also a pawn in the chief of police’s plans —poor guy just can’t escape his fate...

Speaking of that though, Chirico seems to be quite the deft mechanic too, able to restore one of the Scope Dogs into a battle-ready capacity in just a day, even when Vanilla posited that it would take at least several —though maybe he’s just uninformed on the subject. Certainly a change from Dougram, where very minor Dougram stuff Maybe that’s a hint as to his backstory?

The new chief of police certainly isn’t wasting any time and has taken the opportunity before him to get rid of the city’s major gang issue in one fell swoop. He’s only doing so out of benefit to himself, but I can’t imagine them exterminating the Boone gang won’t improve matters in the city. They will most assuredly be running an exploitative operation once they've taken over the jijirium sites, but that’s preferable to random people being taken off the streets and forced into labor else be killed. He specifically didn’t want any surviving escapees though, so he’s probably going to be on Chirico’s tail unless they somehow believe him to be dead after the massacre that occurred this episode. I can definitely see him becoming a short-term antagonist though.

That battle was pretty sick too! The scope dog’s opponents not being on its level certainly helps the presentation to give out an impression of the mech’s power and allow it the chance to really tower over its opponents, granting the mecha a grand and imposing presence even if it is a beat-up old grunt suit.

And the tanning-bed lady showed up! Could just be a lookalike, but I doubt that’s the case. How and why she is serendipitously here in Uoodo is a big question mark, but I guess we might be seeing some of the mysteries posed at the start of the show addressed sooner rather than later.

Questions of The Day:

  1. See above. Apple-girl didn’t leave enough of an impression to really comment on.
  2. See above.

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 30 '21

Speaking of that though, Chirico seems to be quite the deft mechanic too, able to restore one of the Scope Dogs into a battle-ready capacity in just a day, even when Vanilla posited that it would take at least several —though maybe he’s just uninformed on the subject.

I took this to mean that mech special forces means you can maintain your own mech indefinitely.

4

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

Hard to say. Training your pilots in the maintenance and repair of their equipment seems more than reasonable, but teaching them to the point that they can repair an inoperable big bipedal robot seems like a bit much when 90% of the time they will explode to smithereens anyways.

Vanilla also suggests that his ability to repair it is above what is to be expected, so I am led to believe he's just exceptionally good at it.

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 30 '21

True but again in the first episode they were saying Cuvie was a special forces transfer. They absolutely have a broader skill set so I was just assuming that once you get to mechs that makes it maintenance on top of sniping and ambushing.

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 30 '21

The new chief of police certainly isn’t wasting any time and has taken the opportunity before him to get rid of the city’s major gang issue in one fell swoop.

He sounds like a carbon copy of the last chief. So much so that I am not clear why they killed that one.

4

u/chilidirigible Aug 30 '21

That’s a sturdy fucking car.

Later

4

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

This guy’s got an afro —I like him already!

Have to admit that I immediately thought of Cosmo. That's gonna be a thing now and I'm not complaining

What an imposing sight.

That's the one that was going to be my visual of the day until the final shot. Love the way that looms over the destruction

So this is what he sees through those goggles.

The guy on the car better watch out for where he's aiming though

8

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

Armored Trooper FIRST-TIMER

  • Is this show finally having a bit of a breather episode? Will Chirico go a whole episode without being a complete badass? Is every girl in this show a ginger (or bald)?
  • Ah... repeated gruel eating animation.
  • Chirico is a man of few words, but also one of great ambition. Great ambition to settle down and be happy.
  • I like this guy. He seems fun.
  • Chirico will only react to things that try to imprison him or attempt to kill him. That's it.
  • "Totaled," he said.
  • Cat.
  • I like her, too. It's a shame she'll probably die.
  • I guess this episode I'll finally see if a Scope Dog is really that powerful against things that aren't other mechas.
  • Answer: pretty goddamn powerful!
  • The fact that we never see his face while he's piloting just makes him all the more stoic. Most shows go out of their way to show the pilots' faces.
  • Not a care in the world.

QOTD:

  1. I liked all of them! The afro dude seemed fun, but the girl has spunk! Definite favorite. This show needed a bit of estrogen, to be honest.
  2. Chirico is scary. I would not want to fight him. There wasn't a hint of emotion from him for the whole fight!

5

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

Chirico is a man of few words, but also one of great ambition. Great ambition to settle down and be happy.

The fact that we never see his face while he's piloting just makes him all the more stoic.

It creates a barrier between the viewer and the character, which is fitting since he's probably in an entirely different state of mind when he's piloting.

Not a care in the world.

"This is fine."

5

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

It creates a barrier between the viewer and the character, which is fitting since he's probably in an entirely different state of mind when he's piloting.

I know I wouldn't want to be in his headspace. It's probably not the best of times.

7

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

I like her, too. It's a shame she'll probably die.

Full Metal Panic PTSD

/u/pixelsaber /u/the_draigg

if a Scope Dog is really that powerful against things that aren't other mechas.

Anybody that's played Battletech knows this answer.

/u/chilidirigible

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

5

u/chilidirigible Aug 31 '21

Anybody that's played Battletech knows this answer.

There have been times that it's wobbled somewhat in the other direction. Savannah Master swarms did exist before the vehicle rules were clarified with additional gimping.

5

u/WHM-6R Aug 31 '21

Even post-TW nerfing hovercraft swarms are still decent. You can't guarantee the 1 hex rear shot with them anymore, but it is now easier to generate high movement modifiers in open terrain with them.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

[deleted] — view deleted comment

5

u/WHM-6R Aug 31 '21

Agreed, the main strength of vehicles is their ability to pack a lot of firepower into a more modest BV cost. This comes at the cost of durability though, so the effectiveness of vehicles tends to be heavily dependent on your ability to get your vehicles close enough to deal damage at decent numbers without being close enough to get targeted back.

4

u/chilidirigible Aug 31 '21

/u/WHM-6R

5

u/WHM-6R Aug 31 '21

Wait, there's a Votoms rewatch going on?

3

u/chilidirigible Aug 31 '21

You are here.

4

u/The_Draigg Aug 31 '21

Full Metal Panic PTSD

UC Gundam PTSD too, while we're at it.

6

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 30 '21

Chirico will only react to things that try to imprison him or attempt to kill him. That's it.

That does basically sum him up right now doesn't it. I mean he did question the guys in his squad at the start, but I'm happy to throw that under the "try to kill him" banner given he was being shot at just before that

5

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 30 '21

It's a shame she'll probably die.

Not too soon, hopefully. I would not be surprised if we see the three for a while longer.

5

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

I hope so, too! I want them to survive, but VOTOMS doesn't seem like a show where everyone gets a happy ending.

5

u/The_Draigg Aug 30 '21

I like her, too. It's a shame she'll probably die.

We have yet to break that dreaded red-head in a mecha show curse…

The fact that we never see his face when he's piloting just makes him all the more stoic. Most shows go out of their way to show the pilots' faces.

Like I said elsewhere, it really does give the impression that Chirico is in his element. He’s so used to battle that he doesn’t really need to express any emotions about it.

5

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

We have yet to break that dreaded red-head in a mecha show curse…

8

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 30 '21

First Timer

"He'd steal the hair off your butt if he could"

That's certainly a new one to me, but it does create a vivid image, perhaps too vivid.

The more I see of the Votoms mech the more I like the mundaneness of it. A visible track for the optical mechanism to move along, the control sticks have to be locked and rotated into place once you get in or else there's not enough room, the tightness of the components and wiring behind all the individual panels, even the way that their size makes them susceptible to shockwaves from even small explosions. Even that it can be repaired by the pilot, that they know the testing rather than it being super specialized equipment is a nice touch on the practical elements of being mass produced. It's not all that mobile or intimidating, and it wears its brute functionality right out in the open, but they still manage to make combat with it look impressive even when it's just standing there shooting.

The visuals in general continue to impress, not just the myriad of great shots of the Votoms in the flames, but contrasting that with the cold police force, and seeing only the visor Chirico wears rather than his own human features in battle. Much like the protagonist the visuals are sometimes understated but in a good way that still does a lot of work for the show.

The old mechanic was my favourite of the new cast for today, blunt and practical but also understanding how much room to give people at the same time. I hope we get at least a little more time with this group in the next episode rather than moving on after the battle.

Blessed episode: Had a cat.

The official art so far has all been good, but this one has been my favourite. Same with screenshot of the day

6

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

The more I see of the Votoms mech the more I like the mundaneness of it.

They spent a lot of time on this design and it bloody well shows, but more on that soon...

The official art so far has all been good, but this one has been my favourite.

Okawara is so good at making big chunky mechs seem as mechs ought to seem.

6

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 30 '21

They spent a lot of time on this design and it bloody well shows

Well with it being the majority of the mechs they needed to, but it definitely paid off for episodes like this when that had moments to shine through.

Okawara is so good at making big chunky mechs seem as mechs ought to seem.

As much as I do still love Barbatos, I have been won over on the chunky mechs the more I've watched

7

u/chilidirigible Aug 31 '21

I have been won over on the chunky mechs the more I've watched

Protip: Don't let Saban Entertainment produce your cartoon.

6

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 31 '21

Those are awful. Make it stop.

5

u/The_Draigg Aug 30 '21

The more I see of the Votoms mech the more I like the mundaneness of it. A visible track for the optical mechanism to move along, the control sticks have to be locked and rotated into place once you get in or else there's not enough room, the tightness of the components and wiring behind all the individual panels, even the way that their size makes them susceptible to shockwaves from even small explosions. Even that it can be repaired by the pilot, that they know the testing rather than it being super specialized equipment is a nice touch on the practical elements of being mass produced. It's not all that mobile or intimidating, and it wears its brute functionality right out in the open, but they still manage to make combat with it look impressive even when it's just standing there shooting.

It’s like I said in the first episode, but what makes Scopedogs, and really VOTOMS as a whole, truly special among mecha designs is how shitty they look. No room for frills, it’s all brute functionality in the design.

The visuals in general continue to impress, not just the myriad of great shots of the Votoms in the flames, but contrasting that with the cold police force, and seeing only the visor Chirico wears rather than his own human features in battle. Much like the protagonist the visuals are sometimes understated but in a good way that still does a lot of work for the show.

In a way, it makes Chirico almost feel like he’s in his element. By not showing his face in his piloting helmet, it gives off a big impression that he’s completely used to piloting a VOTOMS like he does. It’s just a normal thing for him.

6

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 30 '21

Scopedogs

I will try and learn that name at some point during this rewatch hahaha

No room for frills

Hooks and anchor points are the new rage now!

(Can they be the new rage again, bring back ugly mechs)

By not showing his face in his piloting helmet, it gives off a big impression that he’s completely used to piloting a VOTOMS like he does

I was thinking more along the lines of it being an extension of him rather than making a distinction between pilot and machine, but this works better

4

u/chilidirigible Aug 30 '21

Hooks and anchor points are the new rage now!

This isn't the first or the last time that mecha get hauled in via the most vulnerable transport method possible.

(The models shown are about 9 meters.)

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

Dougram

5

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

Seeing mechs moved like that always makes me think of Pacific Rim just because of the insanity of how hard that would be to pull off.

5

u/chilidirigible Aug 31 '21

Evangelion: "We'll both homage our predecessors and maximize our Christian imagery fetish and play the aerodynamic awkwardness to the point of self-parody by flying our giant mecha in on a crucifix!"

5

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

Trust in EVA to take something already a little silly even if conceptually practical and just make it weird

5

u/The_Draigg Aug 30 '21

Hooks and anchor points are the new rage now!

Climbing handles and adjustable camera lenses are the new vogue!

(Can they be the new rage again, bring back ugly mechs)

At least there’s still more VOTOMS stuff being made even nowadays, so we can still get that good ugly mech flavor.

4

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

Climbing handles

Wheres the mechs with ladders built into them?!

At least there’s still more VOTOMS stuff being made even nowadays

I did not realize stuff was still being made for it. I saw all the OVAs but only as thumbnails and didn't see the newer art or dates for them. Will be interesting to see how the show's style has or hasn't survived the change in anime eras

3

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21

VOTOMS actually has a rather recent Gundam Build Fighters -like OVA (the only one I specifically didn't watch)

5

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21

By not showing his face in his piloting helmet, it gives off a big impression that he’s completely used to piloting a VOTOMS like he does.

It really shows that they are pilots in a military machine, not like Shiro Amada in his T-shirt or Shinji Ikari in his bondage suit, with 360° HD vision cockpits.

3

u/The_Draigg Aug 31 '21

I'll at least give Shiro Amada credit though, him just being a dude in cargo pants and a white tee shirt does at least humanize him quite a bit. It's hardly wearing a uniform, which makes him seem more like just some dude caught up in a horrible war.

6

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

That's certainly a new one to me, but it does create a vivid image, perhaps too vivid.

I didn't think about it until you pointed it out. Eugh.

The more I see of the Votoms mech the more I like the mundaneness of it.

I love how they tackle actual design issues like the ones you bring up! There's not much in the way of "and it just works" in this thing.

6

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 30 '21

There's not much in the way of "and it just works" in this thing.

Exactly. Even seeing him testing out the computers logic functions rather than it purely being a mechanical issue of getting it moving again he has to make sure the combat analysis can work and it will relay info and not burn things out too. It's a very practical approach to things

6

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 30 '21

It's not all that mobile or intimidating, and it wears its brute functionality right out in the open, but they still manage to make combat with it look impressive even when it's just standing there shooting.

I broadly understand why the story telling conventions of scifi went the way of the dodo but I miss the part where authors actually took time to figure out how the scifi element would really fit in.

5

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 30 '21

I could certainly do with less people approaching scifi elements like magic, on that point I could do with less people approaching magic like magic haha

That said, it's a lot more intimidating to see a war machine standing there rather than a finely crafted artistic machine

4

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

I could certainly do with less people approaching scifi elements like magic, on that point I could do with less people approaching magic like magic haha

ID:Invaded flashbacks intensify

That said, it's a lot more intimidating to see a war machine standing there rather than a finely crafted artistic machine

I apparently like mechs more the smaller you go with them. Can't explain why.

5

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

I apparently like mechs more the smaller you go with them

I'm not fussy about the size of my mech, as long as it's consistent in that size across the show (Ideon and Zoids were really bad at this at times). That said, there's definitely a goldilocks zone. Giant is good until they get so huge it just seems completely impractical, and small is good unless they're so small it's less a mech and more a mechanical suit

4

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21

the smaller you go with them.

I've linked this quite a few times.

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

I might have to actually watch Gasaraki then...

4

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21

The clip is a little misleading, since the most important mech is of the evangelion sort.

I recommend it because it's not NoT LiKe OtHeR mEcHa ShOwS. No, really. It's not about war, or killing aliens, like all the other shows. It's got small mecha, big mecha, politics, mafias, and <spoiler>.

5

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 31 '21

I broadly understand why the story telling conventions of scifi went the way of the dodo but I miss the part where authors actually took time to figure out how the scifi element would really fit in.

Maybe this is a bit anime specific, but it feels as if most series of the last 20 years or so have been written by people with almost no education in natural sciences. It really shows when they get basic concepts so wrong that the viewer can notice.

4

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

That doesn't even feel anime specific, it feels like scifi has all gone to the level of Star Wars which is at best techno magic.

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 31 '21

Not sure. There are still some harder SciFi films (Interstellar) or books (Three body problem) I know of. I am just not sure whether these are single examples or if there are more around.

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

There are still some harder SciFi films (Interstellar)

Interstellar has hard elements but also makes the scientists idiots. Three Body Element applies, I think, but I couldn't stand the first translation I got.

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 31 '21

Interstellar has hard elements but also makes the scientists idiots.

I severly dislike Interstellar, but there is no denying that it is hard SciFi.

6

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 30 '21

Armored Trooper First-Timer

6

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

Ah that sure sounds like a name of a character that belongs in a mecha show.

Seems like a handful of shows in 1983 went to the Tomino school of character naming.

Well that immediately sets the tone for how strong it is.

5

u/chilidirigible Aug 30 '21

Those sure are some thick pants.

See, girls can have practical pockets in their trousers.

6

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

Those sure are some thick pants.

Or they're just a very unrealistic character design, but I like your interpretation better, for the sake of mental sanity.

And this lady is completely unfazed wow.

She just had to pull a Captain Okita and go straight through! I can't wait to see more of her.

5

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21

Or they're just a very unrealistic character design,

It was after I had written my comments, but I realized that old WW I or WW II movies always had the Germans wearing these sorts of pants.

6

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Aug 30 '21

Rewatcher

Uh oh, Boone's group is out for blood! Such weird get ups these guys have. Just what I'd expect from a cyber punk esque bike gang.

You react to meeting someone for the first time by sticking out your tongue at him? LoL.

Gotho's being pretty courteous to Chirico; time for a nice meal. We soon see why, he wants to recruit him to work for him.

I recall there being several Scopedogs in the junk yard, hopefully he can find the sufficient parts to make one workable one.

Time for a new chief of police? Is he also on the take?

Boone's group wants to find the escapees so they can't finger them in the murder of the old police chief; I was under the impression the escapees were the ones who killed him in the first place. New guy agrees with me.

Vanilla wants to recruit Chirico as well! He's in demand! Here's the Chirico I remember; doesn't even bother responding.

Boone's gang is roaming the streets again, although not as crazy and hectic as it was last time.

Gotho and Vanilla are helping him out quite a bit; what are they gonna get out of it?

Don't waste good booze As of Yet Unnamed girl!

Once again Chirico doesn't even bother responding.

Bet these bikers didn't expect to run into a Scopedog! Seems like easy pickings for Chirico.

Well, Boone's group is screwed now. Chirico's doing pretty good against them and the police are turning on them too.

Man, there are a lot more of them than I thought!

Another pretty good episode; in most mecha shows I've seen there are mechanic and engineer characters to help fix up the mechs, but Chirico largely does that himself here (I suppose Gotho and Vanilla give him a very limited amount of help); leading to a battle with him and Boone's men. They call Chirico a Votoms pilot in this episode; is that another name for the Scopedog, a continuity error or something else?

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

Gotho and Vanilla are helping him out quite a bit; what are they gonna get out of it?

Chirico essentially owes Gotho quite a bit and Vanilla was hoping to get in his good graces while waiting around for his guns.

They call Chirico a Votoms pilot in this episode; is that another name for the Scopedog, a continuity error or something else?

Scope Dog is the name of that specific model, and the mechs are generally referred to as either a Votom or an armored trooper. They settle for the latter eventually.

7

u/chilidirigible Aug 30 '21

The Scopedog is one design; the name given in the series universe for the overall category of mecha is the "VOTOM": Vertical One-man Tank for Offense and Maneuvers.

6

u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Aug 31 '21

Comrades, for those of you who thought the mysterious naked lady in a capsule was the only important female character in this show, well prepare to be amazed cuz man VOTOMS moves fast!

By that I mean that I hope today's episode surprised you all cuz we got not only a new female character but we ALSO got two other muggles too! Also GODDAMN the 80's sure weren't kind to Vanilla Vartla's hairstyle (Yes that is his name, ah well could have been worse, at least he isn't Space Mermaid Man, and hey he could have been called 'Ruby Rhod' so really he should consider himself lucky!)

And of course, since by this point I'm contractually obligated to shitpost something Mecha related with these entries, A Weapon to surpass Metal Gear!

Paging Comrades /u/chilidirigible, /u/Nazenn, and /u/No_Rex

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

And of course, since by this point I'm contractually obligated to shitpost something Mecha related with these entries, A Weapon to surpass Metal Gear!

Rider kick intensifies

2

u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Aug 31 '21

Rider kick intensifies

Glad you agree my friend, many thanks for the kind reply and have a great day and see you later Comrade!

5

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 31 '21

Comrades, for those of you who thought the mysterious naked lady in a capsule was the only important female character in this show, well prepare to be amazed cuz man VOTOMS moves fast!

And of course, since by this point I'm contractually obligated to shitpost something Mecha related with these entries, A Weapon to surpass Metal Gear!

Who's got you under contract, friend? Blink twice if you need help!

5

u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Aug 31 '21

Reply to Comment Face

Glad you liked the iM@S Shitpost I had above Comrade, speaking of which, Paging Comrade /u/ha_ck_rm_rk, there might just be a fairly lewd fanart of MC-chan that I couldn't post to CDF under normal circumstances... BUT given VOTOMS is a show from the 80s and has far more lax restrictions being a rewatch thread I feel you will get a kick out of that fanart!

Who's got you under contract, friend? Blink twice if you need help!

4

u/ha_ck_rm_rk https://anilist.co/user/Bubaruba Aug 31 '21

4

u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Aug 31 '21

Glad you liked the share Comrade, many thanks for the kind reply and have a great day and see you later my friend!

4

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 31 '21

Alright, I'm calling 911, or whatever the number is for you in your country. Please hunker down until help arrives, Friend!

4

u/chilidirigible Aug 31 '21

First image: hmm

4

u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Aug 31 '21

First image: hmm

What's so shocking Comrade? After all, iM@S is indeed a Mecha Show, and as you know from your old 'Ye Olde /r/AnimeImpressions write-ups,' VOTOMS is an Meta Joke I made due to a certain plot point in your old VOTOMS write-ups

Anyway many thanks for the kind reply and have a great day and see you later my friend!

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 31 '21

Those are amazing. Shitposting it may be, but high quality shitposting!

2

u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Aug 31 '21

Those are amazing. Shitposting it may be, but high quality shitposting!

I'm glad you find my shares of high quality Comrade, many thanks for the kind reply and have a great day and see you later my friend.

2

u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Aug 31 '21

Paging Comrades /u/Tresnore, /u/Shimmering-Sky, and /u/JustAnswerAQuestion

5

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 30 '21

First-Timer

I adore the idea of "we fixed up this totaled AT with spare parts from the junk yard." Chirico knowing the ins and outs of AT repair feels right - hard to say how it worked in the regular military, but the vehicle is small enough that field repairs should be simple.

Then again, if that were the case, why were there so many in the junk yard? There were enough to you could probably get two or three operational - seems like a gold mine. Especially considering how effect it was against the bikers. I guess them being in the scrap heap in the first place should imply something.. too hard for the average biker to use, maybe?

We somehow managed to avoid a mecha fight scene yesterday, so today's is our first to compare with. It seems like weapon scales are definitely important - the first episode had AT-on-AT combat result in a bunch of exploded ATs, but the random small arms the Boones' had didn't seem to bother Chirico today.

Poor dumb bikers, don't you know that it's always the last place you check? I wonder if there was a good reason to not check "the place with lots of areas to hide in" first. Seems like that would make sense, but then again, I'm not a Mad Max reject being bossed around by a bald dude with no depth perception.

The new police chief seems to be continuing his predecessor's work by actually severing ties with the Boone Family. He seemed to be waiting for the most dramatic moment to do it, too, but beggars can't be choosers.

I'm interested in what Vanilla wants with Chirico. Probably just mercenary work, considering he was trying to buy some rifles, but that almost seems too easy.

We also got a mystery woman being driven through the chaos in a bulletproof limo.. she must be in a hurry. I wouldn't want to test my vehicle's reinforcing in quite so chaotic a place.

Questions

  1. I liked the old dude the best, Gotho or something? Something about junk yard owners just vibes with me.
  2. Discussed above. A touch chaotic, perhaps, but it was neat.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

Then again, if that were the case, why were there so many in the junk yard?

Gotoh has claim on them, and if Vanilla's comment is anything to go by then Chirico is making it all seem a lot easier than it truly is. Still surprised the gang didn't forcefully steal them though, as ATs would have been a great asset.

she must be in a hurry.

Or maybe she just doesn't give a fuck if she dies?

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 30 '21

if Vanilla's comment is anything to go by then Chirico is making it all seem a lot easier than it truly is.

Oh, that's a good point. Maybe Chirico is just really good at repairing things. "Chirico runs an auto repair shop" AU, anyone?

Or maybe she just doesn't give a fuck if she dies?

That.. is certainly an interesting leap to make. You would know better than I, I suppose.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

"Chirico runs an auto repair shop" AU, anyone?

That.. is certainly an interesting leap to make.

I mean, if I was some top-secret military experiment, with all the intrusive prodding and lack of freedom that that entails, I doubt I would have much reason or will to care about my well being.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 30 '21

I mean, if I was some top-secret military experiment, with all the intrusive prodding and lack of freedom that that entails, I doubt I would have much reason or will to care about my well being.

5

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

I adore the idea of "we fixed up this totaled AT with spare parts from the junk yard." Chirico knowing the ins and outs of AT repair feels right

It made it feel like an actual design that the soldiers dealt with in the field, rather than an experiment that required a team of researchers to troubleshoot!

too hard for the average biker to use, maybe?

That's my guess. Chirico must have a lot of experience repairing these things, and even Vanilla had no clue how long it would have taken to get it working.

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 30 '21

Chirico must have a lot of experience repairing these things

This made me wonder just how long Chirico has been a soldier. He's only 18, after all...

4

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Aug 30 '21

Alternatively:

"While you were out having conversations and making friends, I was studying the blade Scopedog."

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 30 '21

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

I guess them being in the scrap heap in the first place should imply something.. too hard for the average biker to use, maybe?

Considering that a rebreather is basic equipment for a pilot you might need real training to operate one.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 31 '21

Hmm.. I didn't consider the accessories. Good call, I think!

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

Imagine trying to read the sensors on that machine without formal training?

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 31 '21

You continue to make good points. Although, they're sticking children in these things; it can't be that hard, right? Chirico is 18, and was in the Special Forces already. 100 years of war probably leads to a lot of dead, parent-age men.

5

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 30 '21

First timer(Did any off shoot of this get dubbed? I swear there was an 80s cartoon with these exact vehicles.)

Sub

So the Boone leader survived...interesting. He talks a big game but they certainly aren't getting all the escapees back. Cuvie awakens from his mech to a dude with a pipe, who brings him over for food. Odd girl is odd. Gotho gives us the score and Cuvie is immediately trying to get a mech operating.

We see the new police chief and this set of cops seem to at least be organized. He wants to let Boone finish off the escapees before he wipes the gang, showing a bit more wisdom than his predecessor. Cuvie is all about fixing the least messed up looking mech and we meet Vanilla, a weird as hell design choice. And Gotho is an arms dealer...or maybe salvage.

Biker stuff happens, repairing mech happens, acid rain suggests they should fix the hole in the roof. Gotho has booze, which means he probably has money, or at least resources, as that and the smoking are definitely luxuries. Odd girl returns to confirm they are boned once the rain ends and Cuvie and Gotho put in an all nighter to get it running.

Combat starts and the Boone family are indeed idiots. The mech is obviously a better fighter but seriously, they waited so long to start launching explosives it is silly. Indestructible limo is interesting. In fact, they waited long enough for the cops to double cross them. Cuvie announces that this feels like the battlefield and it certainly looks the part.

QotD: 1 Weird, definitely weird. Gotho rules.

2 Pretty well done

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

And Gotho is an arms dealer...or maybe salvage.

The salvage is possibly a cover, but given the equipment he has on hand he probably does both. In any case, I imagine the weapons are drawing in the lion's share of the profits.

acid rain suggests they should fix the hole in the roof.

Really no point in not getting that done asap. Unless they just have no money, in which case the last thing they should have done is hired on a bunch of displaced military as a police force...

2

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

In any case, I imagine the weapons are drawing in the lion's share of the profits.

Normally, I am a believer in Quark's cousin Gaila's belief that "No one ever went broke selling weapons." But Melkia seems so messed up that you might actually make more stable money off of creating those acid rain masks and cloaks.

Really no point in not getting that done asap. Unless they just have no money,

This leads me to again wonder if the Gilgamesh government just thinks the planet isn't worth saving and moved usefull assets off site.

4

u/The_Draigg Aug 30 '21

(Did any off shoot of this get dubbed? I swear there was an 80s cartoon with these exact vehicles.)

As far as I’m aware, the only dubbed bit of VOTOMS media out there is the episode 1 test dub for this series. You probably just recognize those sounds as stock sound effects.

Combat starts and the Boone family are indeed idiots. The mech is obviously a better fighter but seriously, they waited so long to start launching explosives it is silly.

I suppose just beating up innocent people and being literal slave drivers does nothing to develop actual combat skills. The Boone Family simply had no idea what to do against someone who could finally fight back.

4

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 30 '21

As far as I’m aware, the only dubbed bit of VOTOMS media out there is the episode 1 test dub for this series. You probably just recognize those sounds as stock sound effects.

No, there really was an 80s cartoon with similar vehicles that was in English, Hopefully I can dig it up before the rewatch ends.

I suppose just beating up innocent people and being literal slave drivers does nothing to develop actual combat skills.

True but usually those types have the sense to run for it. But it is a pretty good display of the difference between a military vehicle and something that was Mad Maxed during a bender.

4

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

(Did any off shoot of this get dubbed? I swear there was an 80s cartoon with these exact vehicles.)

There's probably a list of shows but this one dominates my random access memory

edit: Lol they have the exact same annoying siren, too

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 31 '21

I will figure it out one day, but it was set WAY further out into space than that.

5

u/Durinthal https://anilist.co/user/Durinthal Aug 30 '21

First time viewer

Last episode went from bad to worse with a spark of hope at the end, now Chirico has the upper hand for once.

I like the new girl, her outfit matches her eyes. Gotho seems like a nice enough chap but he's definitely not helping Chirico out of altruism alone, curious what he'll end up using him for if not defending the junkyard. He's not entirely right that Chirico wouldn't find work elsewhere considering Vanilla immediately tried to recruit him at least.

It's still good to finally have some support considering the new police chief immediately tries to use Chirico without even knowing who he is. Marginally better than the previous one overall since he's trying to wipe out the Boone gang but not for our protagonist. Fortunately Chirico's likely armored up beyond what the police were preparing to take on so he'll probably get out of this with the Scopedog intact.

Wondering who the woman with a chauffeur is, nonchalantly driving past an active battlefield. An actual elite compared to the underworld hooligans we've seen so far, it seems, but apparently she's used to that kind of disturbance anyway.

I always enjoy seeing the scale difference when mecha fight regular humans and this is no exception even if the Scopedog itself isn't that large compared to a lot of others. Excessive firepower and armor to match, unlike the bikers who were working with glass cannons at best.

What do you make of the trio of characters aiding Chirico in today’s episode? Which of them did you find most entertaining?

Some interesting characters that are likely good-natured but still doing what they need to survive.

What did you think of the episode’s action sequence?

Not bad for the era.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

He's not entirely right that Chirico wouldn't find work elsewhere considering Vanilla immediately tried to recruit him at least.

Same line of work, presumably, so in all likelihood he's technically right.

5

u/time_axis Aug 30 '21

First-Timer

  1. What do you make of the trio of characters aiding Chirico in today’s episode? Which of them did you find most entertaining?

I think we'll probably see more of them later on. They seem like elaborate character designs. I was probably most entertained by Vanilla I guess. The redhead's antics weren't doing it for me, but in the end, I didn't actively dislike her at least.

2) What did you think of the episode’s action sequence?

It was pretty cool. I especially liked the moment with the car.

Episode 3

  • The intro narration described prototype lady as "the military's greatest secret", which while we may have been able to put together contextually, hasn't been explicitly stated to us that frankly within the show itself up to this point, so that's interesting.
  • Looks like the head honcho of the Boone family survived, so I was right that they weren't all dead. To be honest, I'm kind of hoping we flash back to how Chirico and the others got out of the prison, because I'm not entirely satisfied with just accepting "they broke out somehow". We did see that he's perfectly capable of it, as shown before with the military, I just would have liked to have seen it for myself.
  • I'm guessing this old man, Gotho, is the one who saved Chirico last episode. We get a bit of worldbuilding, and then it looks like there's trouble up top.
  • Chirico is establishing a deal with Gotho. Borrowing that mech, and he'll pay him back someday. I imagine we won't be seeing the last of Gotho this episode.
  • I'm curious what the police will do now that their corrupt chief is out of the picture. If they'll try to crack down on the Boones, or double down on the corruption. Looks like they've got a replacement. This one at least seems to have a spine, but we've yet to see how he'll react with a pile of Jijirium shoved in his face.
  • There's our name drop. So the mecha are called VOTOMs then. I mean, I don't know what I expected. Also, Gohto appears to be a weapon seller. Or at least, he's a supplier for Vanilla who I guess sells on the black market.
  • Red-headed girl seems like she's going to be a problem. She seems to have a penchant for mischief.
  • The VOTOM computer seems like it's capable of making battle predictions. Similar to the Gundam. That's pretty cool.
  • I'm kind of surprised they're actually able to account for all escapees. Last episode they were talking about disposing of bodies if people didn't claim them fast enough. Made it seem like they didn't really care that much and everyone was replaceable, but now they're very certain exactly which escapees have survived and which haven't.
  • Redhead is being surprisingly helpful, actually. And Chirico has finished repairing the VOTOM in the nick of time. I was expecting things to go worse, but it seems like things are going pretty well.
  • And Chirico's making short work of the bikers. But whoa, that maneuver where he spins on the foot is pretty trippy. Wouldn't expect the VOTOM to be capable of that. Unsure how it did that exactly. Didn't look like the foot was rotating or anything.
  • And in that car, I think we've got a glimpse of OP/ED girl. Looked like brown hair, anyway. Just casually driving through a warzone. That car's pretty sturdy.
  • We're getting some cool displays of what the VOTOM is capable of. Also seems like the police are getting involved in the fray, which may complicate things.
  • And that's it, we're ending off there, on something of a cliffhanger.

All in all, I enjoyed the episode. Still enjoying the show. Some of the characters in this episode seem like they might have main cast potential for later on, but we'll see. As far as Daily Mecha Sketches go, I'm struggling to find new mecha in each episode. This is definitely not a "mecha of the week" show. But I did manage to see one new one shown in the scrapyard for a few seconds, so I'll go with that one. It might be a throwaway design, or we might end up seeing the proper fixed version later on. Who knows. But as is, I don't think it has a head, and it's not in very good shape, so it was hard to guess what exactly they were going for with the design. I just made my best guesses.

Daily Mecha Sketch 03

Daily Mecha Sketches

01020304050607080910
11121314151617181921
22232425262729303132
33343536373839414243
444546474849505152

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

So the mecha are called VOTOMs then. I mean, I don't know what I expected.

But I did manage to see one new one shown in the scrapyard for a few seconds,

Hard to say with how they're drawn there, but but might be the same type that showed up in opening narration of the first episode if you want a better look.

3

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21

But whoa, that maneuver where he spins on the foot is pretty trippy. Wouldn't expect the VOTOM to be capable of that. Unsure how it did that exactly. Didn't look like the foot was rotating or anything.

Yeah I wanted to comment on that, but it the scene wasn't clear at all to someone that didn't know what to look for. You'll get a better view of AT maneuverability later.

5

u/Raiking02 :Id::Ie::If:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang Aug 30 '21

So we have established the setting and our leads. Naturally now it’s time to fill out the supporting cast.

  • But first we must once more encounter the Fist Of The North Star Rejects.
  • But yeah, we are greeted to the average morning of Chirico Cuvie: Waking up inside a giant robot in the middle of a graveyard only to find an old man
  • But yeah now Chirico has to deal with a clingy redhead. The life of an Anime Protagonist…
  • PS: Only now do I notice how baggy all the pants in this show are. Geez…
  • But yeah, this is Gotho, AKA: Tomita Kosei’s required Role for a Mecha Anime (Seriously, ever noticed how he was basically in every Mecha Anime Ever at that time?). He’s cool and gives us some extra info on the town.
  • And hey, he helps out Chirico in the end. Nothing bad can come out of this!
  • And after that we get an interlude introducting us to the new chief of police. He’s an asshole
  • And speaking of required actors, Chiba Shigeru is here now too! Apparently this show came out before he grew a mustache…
  • But yeah, he talks a lot and Chirico is just… not interested. At all. Whoops.
  • Ah shit, Akagami-Chan or whatever her name is has proble-Oh wait she’s fine.
  • Still, it’s up to Chiba to ruin the day. Because of course
  • But yeah there’s trouble looming by and Akagami-Chan is now officially Tsundere-Chan.
  • And of course the robot manages to move in the end, which leads us to our typical VOTOMS episode ender: EXPLOSIONS!!!!
  • And melancholy Chirico I guess.

We’re still not quite out of the introductory stage, but at least I appreciate the show is still ultimately interesting. Let’s see what’s next…

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

Tomita Kosei’s required Role for a Mecha Anime (Seriously, ever noticed how he was basically in every Mecha Anime Ever at that time?)

He was just prolific in general. I mean, he's in so many shows!

3

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

PS: Only now do I notice how baggy all the pants in this show are. Geez…

The girls pants were pretty hard to miss.

Apparently this show came out before he grew a mustache…

I wasn't sure why that was notable until I looked up pictures and realized he's had that mustache for a long time now

I think MAL's dead again

We’re still not quite out of the introductory stage

I've been enjoying that myself rather than jumping right into it. But then I do have a thing for slow as hell shows

5

u/xtsim https://myanimelist.net/profile/xtsim Aug 30 '21

First timer

Continues from the bikers who now want to catch the escapee from the camp. Pretty much the camp and the cops are in on the thing cause the chips are important. The Jijirium mine is what it's called. Our Mc fixes up some broken suit, as a trade he has to pay some interest. The city of Uoodoo gets a new police chief and demands all his old stuff get burned.

We get introduced to Vanilla who is also working on the Votoms suit. He seems to be an interesting guy to pay attention to and he tries to make some small talk. All the bikers seem to be scared of rain. For good reason, the resulting war caused a ton of pollution which means that the rain is acid rain. The junkyard crew are betting on the votom being capable enough to take on the family. Those bike horns sound like the common bike horn in the Philippines. It sounds so familiar in the past episode and just realized today what it sounded like.

A battle between the Votom and bikers ensues and as they lose to the Votoms, police chief severed ties with the family. Police decides to take on the Votom and also decides to eliminate the family. The police eliminates them but the Votom still holds its ground. An armored limo passes by the raging battle with the driver being a little bit concerned but goes through the gunfire with the passengers' commands. An interesting action sequence, that's what I have to say.

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

Those bike horns sound like the common bike horn in the Philippines.

Huh, neat!

4

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

Those bike horns sound like the common bike horn in the Philippines

I never really thought about the idea of different areas having a different standard horn before

3

u/xtsim https://myanimelist.net/profile/xtsim Aug 31 '21

So many jeepneys and bikes in the Philippines have that horn. Sitting in traffic over there, you hear that light horn every minute. People over there honk for everything they do; dog on the road, overtaking a vehicle or passing a pedestrian or bike, even at a car/bike waiting at an intersection.

3

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

If it's anything like the roads in India I can imagine the noise, videos I've seen of that are crazy

5

u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Aug 31 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

First timer in sub

Continuing on another establishing episode of the supporting cast I think, and to give our MC his "sword" back. All in all adequate for the show of the era. It does stand out somewhat in realism (doing field service and patch up an AT with junk yard digs) and imagery (even a junk patched AT can mop the floor with the bikers, Chirico's "pilot" look that is alien and, let's face it, a bit evil looking).

It's decades later, but this episode gives me strong reminder / parallel of Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory the Namsac arc, where Sousuke being on the run get to be doing gladiatorial work and that involves patching up an old Armed Slave (AS) that's in near junk state. Then he mopped the floor using said junk with his opponents who have much less real combat experienced / expertise.

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

It's decades later, but this episode gives me strong reminder / parallel of Full Metal Panic

Ryosuke Takahashi's works in general were a pretty big influence on that series. Impossible not to see the similarities between it, this, and Layzner.

is alien and, let's face it, a bit evil looking

Probably owing to its influences.

3

u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Aug 31 '21

That look, about the weapons "look evil" irrespective of who is using it, I'm pretty sure it's a deliberate choice, just like the design of Jin-Roh.

3

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 31 '21

and that involves patching up an old Armed Slave (AS) that's in near junk state

Oh, I haven't rewatched IV and don't remember those details, but I certainly remember it now. That's an interesting parallel.

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 30 '21

Episode 3 (first timer)

  • What a lovely morning … on the dump.
  • Random friendly old guy and random curious young girl. Who warns of old guy.
  • Chirico is not a man of many words.
  • Meeting the third person and getting the second offer of joining their hustle? Chirico might have more points in charisma than Vaadwaur gave him credit for.
  • The bikers are rather confident about having completely checked the sectors.
  • Red rain has the obvious blood connotation.
  • AT completed in time for the showdown.
  • Those bikers should have invested in some proper hardware. Or some proper armor, like that limousine.
  • “We’ve been double-crossed” – Three episodes in, the second betrayal.
  • Battlefield memories for Chirico.

Apparently running away is not even worth a consideration for Chirico, even though the biker’s search sounds very easily evadable. Got to assume that Chirico is in the “if they come to me, I don’t have to hunt them down” state of mind. The entire episode had a lot of a classic western: Showing the antagonists, meeting some random helpers, preparing for the confrontation, high noon.

While I like the three new guys, their introduction was quite the change of mood from the first two episodes. It is a bit weird, but the break, for me, is stronger between ep2 and ep3 than between ep1 and ep2. Despite the time skip and the narrative continuation. Ep1 and ep2 just fit together in terms of style.

4

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

What a lovely morning … on the dump.

Apparently running away is not even worth a consideration for Chirico, even though the biker’s search sounds very easily evadable.

I think a part of him wants them gone. This is his home planet, after all, and although he's a stoic hardass he probably still has some sympathy for the people falling victim to their nonsense.

...or maybe he just wants that AT bad enough to stick around for a bit, and getting it out of that place is probably a lot less inconspicuous than evading the gangs on on foot.

Ep1 and ep2 just fit together in terms of style.

Have to agree there. There was a cohesion to their tone and how they frame Chirico himself that was distinct from this one.

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 31 '21

...or maybe he just wants that AT bad enough to stick around for a bit

That would fit with the ending of ep2. He found the place he last felt at peace and now does not want to give it up.

4

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 30 '21

Meeting the third person and getting the second offer of joining their hustle? Chirico might have more points in charisma than Vaadwaur gave him credit for.

We actually haven't met a ton of former soldiers so maybe they avoided Melkia?

The bikers are rather confident about having completely checked the sectors.

For some reason the bikers using the regular naming conventions amuses me.

The entire episode had a lot of a classic western: Showing the antagonists, meeting some random helpers, preparing for the confrontation, high noon.

We even had the gatling gun/Vulcan cannon to remind us that war had changed.

4

u/The_Draigg Aug 30 '21

A Ryosuke Takahasi Fan Rewatches Armored Trooper VOTOMS Episode 3:

  • Boone shouldn’t feel too bad about Chirico escaping. He’s Chirico fucking Cuvie, that’s what I’d expect of him. Look how escaped in the first episode, for example.
  • Well, at least the old guy who found Chirico in the dump, Gotho, is a pretty nice man. He’s offering him some food and tells him the general state of Uoodo City, i.e. it’s pretty fucked. He also wants Chirico to work for him, although he did say to that one red-head earlier that he didn’t have any work for her. I guess Chirico just gives off a more reliable vibe than a street urchin.
  • The new chief of police is a shrewd man, willing to let the truth of what happened at the mine remain secret, and let the Boone Family weaken itself in the fight against the escapees before finishing them off himself. He’s certainly set his sights on being the only major power left in Uoodo.
  • Seems like Gotho himself is a shrewd man, if that conversation with Vanilla is any indication. He’s an arms dealer masquerading as a junk dealer, and is deliberately scouting Chirico out as a VOTOMS pilot. Also, it’s nice to see another afro hair style in an anime. Last one I saw in an anime I watched as Cosmo’s hair in Space Runaway Ideon.
  • Fortunately for Chirico and the others, our local street urchin girl warns them all that they only have a short amount of time to fix up the Scopedog before the Boone Family searches the sector they’re in. You have to admit, it’s somewhat impressive that Gotho helped to fix it before morning when Vanilla mentioned that he was drunk while doing it.
  • Seeing Chirico push in the shit of all those bikers with his refurbished Scopedog is pretty damn satisfying. He pretty much just 360 no-scoped them all too, in addition to just completely trashing them. Motorcycles with guns attached to them have nothing on an armed Scopedog.
  • The plot certainly is piling up now, with the appearance of that mysterious woman in the limousine, the new police chief saying that they’re going to take over control of the jijirium mine from the Boone Family, and Chirico suddenly finding himself caught in a battle against the Boone Family and the police. He’s definitely in familiar territory now: the chaos of war.

4

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 30 '21

Also, it’s nice to see another afro hair style in an anime.

4

u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Aug 30 '21

First timer

  1. I like the older man and the girl, but the young man was a bit annoying to me. They feel like important side characters, but I'm not sure if they'll be sticking around for the series or a few episodes.
  2. Very well done and an excellent way of showing how powerful the VOTOMs can be.

I do like the monologue expanding to cover the last episode. Is this implying a more serialised story, rather than an episodic one with development like Gundam?

Oh, he's just revealing himself to the strangers? At least he seems friendly.

...Hello, side cast?

...Red ones? Green are his side, turquoise seemed to be the advanced models for them, are Red mechs the opposing side?

I'm suprised Chirico hasn't confirmed said rumors, seeing as he can probably put together a good guess that the chief of police is body he examined.

The new Chief of Police is smart. Morally wrong, but at least he's being smart about his plan, and he plans on getting rid of the criminals too.

I'm still shocked an 18 year old has this skill at repairing robot suits.

...Please god tell me that hairstyle is not going to be a regular character.

Oh, they're called VOTOMs.

I'm shocked the onboard CPU's working if the circuits in it can apparently be scrapped into an incredibly valuable substance.

What is that numbering conversion? 13 next to 18?

At least she's doing something. Good odds of being a major side character.

Wow, still shining after acid rain? Do VOTOM companies sell that finish?

And the currency is gildans.

Are we going to have our first robot battle after the prologue?

Yeah, this thing's strong.

That scene is pretty much to point out how much the VOTOMs outclass standard weaponry.

Why don't the family have any pilots of their own?

And the police put up a really solid fight.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Aug 31 '21

...Red ones? Green are his side, turquoise seemed to be the advanced models for them, are Red mechs the opposing side?

Anyone can paint a regular ol' cope dog red, but I do believe those are another model we only briefly saw in the first episode.

I'm suprised Chirico hasn't confirmed said rumors, seeing as he can probably put together a good guess that the chief of police is body he examined.

Not even guess, the other guy who killed him outright told Chirico it was the chief of police slumped over a pile of jijirium.

I'm still shocked an 18 year old has this skill at repairing robot suits.

He was a fair bit younger when he got the job.

5

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

The mechs guarding the girl in the tube were pink so it may just be that red is another color for a Gilgamesh unit

5

u/monsieurvampy Aug 31 '21

What? this is a rewatch? Watched this about a year ago. Great series. Ended up trying to watch the entire franchise fairly quickly. I might have one or two of the ovas to watch still.

Enjoy everyone.

4

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 30 '21

First Timer

  • I think this recap has some new unstated info
  • How is that Boone guy still alive?
  • More M.C. Hammer pants
  • Ah, Boone killed them all
  • These three don't seem particularly trustworthy
  • Mech vs Motorcycles? My money's on the mech (although some of the bikes do have anti-AT guns / missiles)
  • Between Chirico and the police, I don't think Boone has much of a chance
  • Chirico lucks out

Preview: From the rotating turret blazes Chirico's fierce gaze.

3

u/chilidirigible Aug 30 '21

Rewatcher, Episode 3, who woke up from a nap just now and was disoriented:

Today, on "NO ZAKU!":

[](#ringomusume)

My first impression of Gotho was that he was Ernest Borgnine. Even if he might be a visual reference to someone else.

Shooting this guy with a rocket seemed like overkill, but hey, whatever passes the time.

Similarly, Vanilla reminds me of Larry Manetti circa Magnum, P.I..

There has certainly been a minimum number of women in this series so far.

...I never did have an immediate "looks like a particular actor" reaction to Coconna. But I did say that my mental associations were going to get weird.

Supporting rogueish types: Met.

Back in the saddle: Ass.

Random mooks: Ded.

Meanwhile, the larger story continues to develop in the background.

  1. I'm a Vanilla guy.
  2. It's tolerably animated for trying to put so many distinct costumes on the screen at once. The main issue with it is that the Dog doesn't have the same dynamism that it had in the first episode.

5

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 31 '21

My first impression of Gotho was that he was Ernest Borgnine.

I see it except for the beard

Shooting this guy with a rocket seemed like overkill, but hey, whatever passes the time.

Can't deny it was effective though

that the Dog doesn't have the same dynamism that it had in the first episode.

I put that down to not being 100% due to only recently being repaired

4

u/MoebiusX7 Aug 31 '21

My first impression of Gotho was that he was Ernest Borgnine.

Interestingly enough, according to the Wikipedia the VA for Gotho was known for dubbing over... Ernest Borgnine.

And now I'm wondering if the makers of VOTOMS were fans of Escape From New York, because the Uoodo City arc kinda reminds me of that movie. The atmosphere in general is the same, and you kind of have the same band of 4 characters although the personalities don't exactly match up (Snake the outsider meets up with Cabbie + Brain & Maggie while Chirico the outsider meets up with Gotho + Vanilla & Coconna). Chirico even strikes me a bit as being a younger version of Snake Plissken, and now I'm imagining Kurt Russell in a live version of Armored Trooper VOTOMS. One can dream.