Customer Reviews

Armored Trooper Votoms, Stage 1: Uoodo City

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't often review products here, but when I encounter something good and see that it has a fairly low rating, I feel compelled to give it a good review to balance the scale. The only major complaint I've read in any review of VOTOMS is that the art and animation are poor, and maybe the music is a bit cheesey. Those aspects of any show are so relative, though, that I cannot fault the show for that. For example, many anime fans today would suggest shows like Full Metal Alchemist as an example of "good" art and animation, but, to me, that newer style is just so lifeless and cookie-cutter. I prefer art and animation that is a bit off and different, and if you are like me, and you're tired of the same-old that it seems much of the current anime employs, then a little retro action may be right up your alley, which means VOTOMS' art and animation is just fine. At any rate, regardless of the art and animation, the seriousness of the story is what really put the hook in me for VOTOMS. Think Macross and Gundam, but without pop star girlfriends or conflicted teenagers coming of age. This is a story about adults in an adult world who aren't conflicted at all about killing people who get in their way. Tired, maybe, and world-weary, and even a bit cynical, but not conflicted. And this is also a story about squat, mass produced, ugly mecha that don't look all shiney and bright or fly around defying the laws of physics or transform into cool fighter jets or whip out light sabers on each other. These mecha are fighting machines, period, that give, and take, serious damage the old fashioned way, blasting each other with guns and missiles or pounding each other with their fists, and that break down and run out of ammo and do everything you would think a machine of war would do. If all of this gets your blood pumping and mind racing with possibilities, then maybe, just maybe, VOTOMS is for you.

Sick of cowardly 14 year old mech pilots? Sick of beautiful people saving the world? Sick of seemingly invincible mechs decked out with dragon parts? Don't get me wrong this show isn't the most popular animes out there but what is? This show is very gritty with our heroes are fighting not to save the world (yet again) but for their very survival. The mecha in this anime is what inspired the Heavy Gear computer games. Our hero is an 18 year old mech pilot that know hows to fight and doesn't do dopey stuff. The mechanical designs are superb, they are very realistic and tank like, using mainly projectile weaponry so if you like Zakus you will like Scopedogs since they are both designed by the same person. This show isn't boring with half of each episode devoted to violent combat. Armored Trooper VOTOMS only flaw is it's old and the animation and music are dated, but for 14 episodes a pop it shouldn't be missed.

Video:*** ( aspect = 4:3, good transfer for a 20 year old classic. Art and animation is good but old style - not for those whose love is great japanese art/ animation ).
Audio:** ( Dolby 2.0, nothing spectacular. Episodes' audio is kinda soft).
Story:**** ( Good story line. That's what you should buy this series for. It helps if you're into huge robots thrashing one another! Scopedog fans would already own this, right? :) ).
Extras:** ( Not much with the set, but it has an offer to get an extras DVD AFTER you purchase all 4 sets of the series ).
Value:*** ( It started alright at $26 bucks, but seems like amazon is raising the price?! (currently at $30) 1st episode is free for downloading for those who wish to sample VOTOMS ).