Kikou Ryohei Mellowlink

For any fan of Ryosuke Takahashi's Armored Trooper Votoms franchise, you'll feel right at home with this series. It's set in the same world, and Chirico even makes a short cameo as well, though their paths never really intertwine.

As a revenge tale, you shouldn't expect anything profound from the plot. Simplicity is the name of the game here, so the setup is fairly obvious...you get pieces of info along Mellowlink's journey that unveil why he's hunting down these high-ranked officers.

The main draw of the show, IMO, is the clever, tactical ways in which Mellow dispatches his enemies. Whether it's using misdirection ploys or baiting pursuers ... into a trap of mines, he's always got some scheme going on to get the upper-hand. And seeing how he's just a lone man against giant mechas most of the time, it's absolutely essential he turns the battle into a match of wits rather than outright strength. Some of its episodes are better than others at depicting this, but overall, the action here engrosses with its gritty guerrilla warfare...a stark contrast to other mecha anime like Gurren Lagann and recent Gundam shows.

Concerning the animation, I think it's important to point out it was made back in the late '80s. As a bit of an old-school fan myself, I don't mind it at all, but younger anime fans accustomed to shiny CGI and sparkly colors may be put off by the gritty, earthy look of the show.

By 1988, there had been a total of three separate OVAs for the VOTOMS series, which while serviceable, did little to distinguish themselves or make themselves truly feel distinct from the original anime and its accomplishments. Armour Hunter Mellowlink marks a change in that trajectory, as it doesn’t take the easy route and retread familiar territory, instead opting to take a new approach to the series, which while just as focused on action as its previous entries, manages to markedly improve the action through a much greater production value, providing it with a more potent emphasis on detail and immersion than its predecessors.

In a similar ... vein to Robocop, Mellowlink manages to seamlessly merge motifs, iconographies, and ideas from a multitude of genres, creating a genre hyperspecifity that it utilises to great effect, and allows it to carve out a unique position to occupy itself in. From the onset, it has plenty in common with a classic western with its wandering outlaw protagonist (cape included), barren desert landscapes, and its concept of an honourable duel between two professionals. However, the characterisation within the series and the manner in which it unveils plot details is much more in line with a noir, which is a particular form of stylisation that anime generally does not make use of. Through this noir-like approach to character, it manages to make its mostly basic plot far more engaging, by connecting the rising tension with an increased feeling of desperation within its protagonist. Elsewhere, it manages to apply similar noir principles of establishing fear and uncertainty, through both its lighting and use of music, which is demonstrative of a level of directorial talent that can’t always be guaranteed. The music itself is also remarkably different to that of the preceding series, it is far from being an extension of the musical motifs that have appeared previously, which also speaks to Mellowlink’s change in tone.

The change in direction and tone is made evident in multiple areas – alongside the new music, which carries with it a more sombre and sinister atmosphere during its quieter moments, this more Brian De Palma-esque sense of paranoia is also conveyed through the framing and editing. On its own, a single shot of an empty room means very little, but when put up against the wider context of the series and the viewer’s expectations, being exposed to silence can end up feeling unsettling rather than calming, especially when this change is marked by an extended continuous take, a technique lifted directly from De Palma. Further, the usage of cinematography is also far more ambitious than most its contemporaries, which can be illustrated by one particular example. During one episode, there is a scene in which the titular Private Mellowlink is hiding behind cover, and he shoots some explosive barrels, killing the soldiers who were pursuing him, after which point several ATs move in to finish the job. Even to a casual viewer of action anime, it is very easy to picture this scene in the form of a static medium shot of the protagonist, followed by a static long shot of the explosion, two specific shot compositions that are often used alongside each other within this specific scenario, which constitutes a cinematographic cliché that can make a work feel as generic and predictable as clichés in writing can. Instead, Mellowlink revokes this cliché via its much greater focus on detail, as in the span of a few seconds, there is a remarkable amount that it manages to portray. Once the context has been established, the barrels are shot, leading to a tracking shot as they tumble backwards (rather than being engulfed in flames instantly), which explode once they hit the wall, leading to an intricate collapse of the building, as the roof falls to the floor, which the ATs forcefully push aside as they move through. Although a short scene, no more than 15 seconds in total, within the context of the wider action sequence, and certainly when the entire show is looked at comprehensively, this example is a microcosm for the kind of detail that is present throughout the entirety of Mellowlink, with a significant amount of effort being directed towards both having well-choreographed action sequences, as well as always making sure that the camerawork never falls into generic patterns.

One particular area in which Mellowlink is able to stand out is through its depiction of blood and gore, which is something most mecha anime seem hesitant to portray – for all the war and murder that goes on within the genre, Mellowlink stands out as an entry that acknowledges the rather simple fact that people bleed when they are shot. In particular, this has the effect of being able to exemplify its unflinching tone, and this level of immersive detail is also utilised elsewhere, as while buildings might not bleed, they do suffer damage and decay, which is another aspect that is typically conveniently forgotten. When committed to paper, it sounds like a small and fairly insignificant detail, but when it appears with this level of consistency, it is something that really manages to accentuate the immersion and strength of the production. Mellowlink takes another cost-cutting cliché (the impervious chest-high wall) and proves it can do better, with walls suffering chipping damage, with small parts of the foundation fall apart as they do, and having physical bullet holes actually entering surfaces, providing both visual spectacle and a reminder of the actual danger that the protagonist is in, which in turn creates a greater deal of tension for the audience.

Although Mellowlink may have rejected a few specific cliches, it is far from avant-garde in its design. For that matter, even when accounting for its noir sensibilities, it is an undeniably conventional action series, with lots of car chases and firefights, establishing shots that generate atmosphere and draw the viewer in to the sci-fi setting and its inner workings, and a main character who, when not an audience surrogate and vehicle for exposition, portrays the fairly limited range of emotions that comes with the genre. Most critically, although the series is subject to exposition, it is never dry nor overbearing, which is representative of its directorial strength – it knows when to restrain itself and keep things short, but it is never unfocused, as it always has the background context of its protagonist’s personal journey to provide purpose for his endeavours. In all regards, it is a finely directed series, which is perhaps best demonstrated by its action sequences. Being its clear focal point, they are expertly paced, embedded in the fact that they can be as short or long as best befit the rest of the episode, but no matter the scale, they are always orchestrated with absolute finesse, just like every other aspect of the series. The animation is of a stellar quality, carrying with it details that generate greater immersion and visual power with every single point of minutiae, with an atmosphere that is captured and emphasised by the soundtrack, and the whole series is an absolute powerhouse. Mellowlink has a solidly pronounced level of craftsmanship that remains unparalleled. Catching lightning in a bottle is something most can only hope to do once in their careers, but Mellowlink managed to do it for twelve consecutive episodes without faltering.

Let me preface this review by saying I don't know anything about ATV, the parent franchise of this series, in case that's an important aspect for you in reading this review.

That out of the way, this is a solid, old school sci fi anime with a somewhat fresh take on the mech genre. The premise is a quite straightforward (basic, if you're being harsh) revenge story about an ill done by ex-soldier hunting his former commanders to avenge his dead comrades. It functions as an episodic series for the most part, with the last few episodes following a short "finale arc".

All these episodes are ... titled based on the environment they take place in - quite appropriately, as the environments are the stars of the episode in lieu of a really charismatic or interesting cast. Mellowlink, the protagonist, is pretty much just a bland soldier man without so much of a hint of an arc, his 'love interest' is equally one dimensional and their relationship is just as pointless and unnatural feeling. The antagonists are all just cackling shonen style villains with no depth either - not inappropriate for a story of this style, and to be fair they have their individual gimmicks for each episode, but still, all this means something has to fill the gap this cast leaves. And it's the environment: while the animation is nothing to write home about, there are some quite excellent looking background paintings of mysterious and exciting sci fi vistas.

As for "mech and tech" stuff, I wouldn't consider myself any kind of mech expert, so take my assessment with a spoonful of salt but I would describe the stuff on display in Mellowlink as interesting but homogenous. The Mechs on display, AT's as they are called, have a cool design similar to Gundam's Zakus but a bit more "real" feeling (they remind me of some designs from the Mechwarrior Games). This shouldn't be a surprise, as they were designed by the same person who designed the Zaku, Kunio Okawara. While it's a cool design, I don't love it - it does seem a bit devoid of personality, although perhaps that is the intention in taking the "real robots" concept to its conclusion. But from what I can tell, this one triclops design is the only one on display which makes things get a bit stale, when you are watching Mellowlink blow up the same mech for the 5th time in that episode. (Note that as I said I am unfamiliar with this setting - perhaps there was some subtle differences between the mechs, but by and large they all looked the same, and perhaps there was some lore reason for them all to be so...I can't say).

But it is perhaps unfair to focus on the mechs in a show which is about a mech hunter. Which is as I said in my intro, quite an interesting take I haven't seen in other anime. The concept seems to be inspired by WW1 and early WW2 anti tank rifles, which reflects a broader trend in this anime - everyone seems to be using some early 20th century inspired technology, with Browning MG's and German style armoured cars. It's a neat aesthetic and it works well, giving the show a grimy, gritty feel that it'd otherwise lack - there's rarely any sense that the protagonist is in danger, and opponents are disposable cannon fodder to him.

While I may seem disproportionately harsh in criticising this anime, I did enjoy it more than my scores would suggest. It's a low tech sci fi anime with solid mech designs and a pace fast enough to stop you getting bored - which ticks a lot of boxes for me. If you're similarly into that scene, or the idea of a guy with a giant AT rifle fighting chunky, realistic mechs just sounds fun to you, I think this anime is worth your time.