D-1 Devastator

Combine the Brave series with an edgy mecha OVA, and you get D-1 Devastator. D-1 Devastator is an anime adaptation of a video game by Takara, the company behind several transforming vehicle toylines like Transformers and the Brave series. As such, the OVA contains several mecha that transform from vehicles; however, these mecha are not sentient and are piloted from within by humans.

The story is reminiscent of 80s OVAs like Zeorymer and Detonator Orgun in that it features a young man in the near future who is involved with a defense organization to save the world from eldritch monsters -- in this case, aliens ... from another dimension that can be reached by traveling at 300 km/h -- by piloting a piece of experimental technology. There's a lot of corporate/bureaucratic drama thrown in for an aura of mystery. The first episode is a slow-paced, stereotypical story about fighting beastly monsters as the mysteries and overarching story are introduced; however, the second episode gets quite interesting as it builds up to an over-the-top ending, involves a lot of strategy, and the corporate drama becomes more pronounced. Characters remain shallow, though, which is typical in these types of OVAs.

The anime is quite good design-wise, as it applies realism to its transforming vehicles. For example, the main mech has a transitional mode where it becomes a torso on a car body, similar to Macross's Gerwalk. The main mecha also have realistic heads that don't necessarily resemble faces; the main mech's head is reminiscent of Dragonar's, for example. Additionally, large command bases and screen-heavy control rooms abound, which is never a bad thing. There are quite a few mundane futuristic vehicles, such as a train and fire trucks, which gives the anime a sense of realism. The monsters are the weakest design in the anime; they feel quite generic. The animation is typical 90s OVA cel animation, which is always high quality.

Overall, D-1 Devastator certainly isn't a bad anime, even if it has a slow start. Between its designs, satisfying ending, and mysterious worldbuilding, it's a very good mecha OVA, a genre that is always high-quality.