Unfortunately for me, it was that bad.
Angels Links is a very sombre and oddly paced sci fi show. Most animes tend to follow a basic formula - the first episode introduces everyone, they spend a few episodes getting to know the cast, and then we move into the Main Plotline. Links follows this pattern...to a degree. Main cast members Kosei, Valeria, and Duuz all get episodes based around them, but they're really sparsed out, add nothing to the characters, and feel just odd. None of the characters feel like well rounded individuals; they're just a cool visual, and this is especially true of lead character Meifon Li. She's close to being a "standard" shonen lead - she's violent, quick to anger, flaunts convention, and a bit dumb. And she has a mini-skirt and boobs, which I think are meant to literally round out her character. It isn't until the last few episodes of the show, literally episodes 8-13, that we get ANYTHING interesting happening with her character. Even then, it's handled in such a ham-fisted way that it just hurts to watch.
Which isn't to say that it's ALL bad. When the background of the anime is revealed, along with Meifon's secret, the show jumps up a notch of Interesting. The reveal could have added so much more character depth to Meifon and would have worked better as a starting point than an ending point. Even if the show had been shortened - perhaps into a 3-episode OVA or a pair of movies - I think it could have conveyed it's story in a much better way. As is, Angels Links is drawn out, meandering, and lacks impact. We spend 2/3's of the show watching the Angels Links defeat pirates and it's mind-numbingly cliched.
There are slight plot holes which may or may not affect viewing. They bugged the crap out of me, but I'm a detail guy, so not knowing those things kills me.
The show looks fairly good otherwise. It's a late 90's show - 99 specifically - so it just started to integrate computer work into it, largely for explosions or laser blasts. Our lead characters DO stand out in that they're all very odd looking. They make you want to learn more about them, IMO, and that's why I'm disappointed that we get so much nothing on their personalities or lives. I loved the design of the Angel Links ship; just as odd a standout as the Outlaw Star. The animation looked good for the most part; the episode that featured Kosei is perhaps the only one that I remember looking particularly bad. There are some REALLY nice hand-to-hand battles and sword fights in the show as well if laser blasts aren't your thing.
Overall, I feel like I got what I thought I'd get - a sub-par sister show that's all flash, no bang.
