Reviews

Aug 4, 2021
Mixed Feelings
As you can probably surmise from the MAL page, this anime is a spin-off in the same universe as Armored Trooper Votoms. While that show focused on a really gifted mecha pilot, Armor Hunter Mellowlink is the polar opposite, following a really talented anti-mecha soldier, think of the anti-material rifles used in both World Wars and you have a decent analogue as to what’s going on here… except a lot more badass with one dude fighting giant robots on foot.

While the story is a lot simpler compared to Armored Trooper Votoms, I think it ultimately still ended up being the better show in my opinion. It's often more productive to do one thing really well rather than trying to juggle too many complex things at once, never reaching their true potential, which happened all too often in the parent story.

Armor Hunter Mellowlink has a very basic revenge story that anyone can easily guess where it’ll end up or what its twist, if you can even really call it that, will entail. There are some threads which definitely could’ve been followed up further upon, for instance, in the first episode Mellowlink specifically avoids killing other soldiers, saying he’s only there for the captain, but as the episodes progress, collateral damage starts getting bigger and bigger without a whole lot of acknowledgement.

This could pose an interesting dilemma on the whole revenge ordeal, as he would technically be killing a bunch of grunt soldiers along the way who probably were just like him and his squad in the past, simply following orders from their superiors, being unfortunate cogs on a larger war structure. Maybe even some form of acceptance that he’s breaking a few eggs to make an omelette as it were, and whether that’s truly worth it or meaningful.

With regard to this idea, there’s a brief exchange during an action scene near the end that reaches oh so close to addressing these themes, but then it’s quickly tossed aside to make room for a final confrontation, demonstrating a bit of a missed opportunity.

That being said, it does everything else extremely well, which turns out to be a very enjoyable, action packed anime with phenomenal art, animation and audio filled with great set pieces, some confrontations are a bit more direct, while in a large portion of them the main character uses his smarts with guerilla tactics to take down his much stronger opposition.

The most enjoyable part to me is how all the mecha are brought to life in stunning detail, they all feel like very tangible machines, with each scene they’re in revealing yet another little piece of information as to how they operate, like their use of ammunition to propel punching, later we even see our main character empty out a fallen Votom’s arm in one scene to salvage some shells. Additionally, skilled pilots use their functions in inventive ways, which makes for some very dynamic fights depending on the set piece.

Ironically this series about hunting down and destroying mecha is generally more intricate about them compared to the parent story about piloting and fighting in them, however that could largely be attributed to a higher overall production value. In conclusion, both series have their pros and cons but as a whole I think this is a lot more accessible and easier to recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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