I'm going to try writing these just to log my thoughts on anime as I complete them, so neither this nor future reviews should be considered impartial assessments. I don't really care if these read as subjective or personal, because I think any engagement with a piece of work can only be that. Masquerading an opinion as fact feels dishonest for me to do.
EXPECTATIONS (TONE)
Anyway, after completing this, I'm not sure why Armored Trooper Votoms is described as as a gritty, military-based show by its fans. For instance, nothing about the dynamic between Gotho, Coconna, and Vanilla (a trio of recurring major characters from the beginning of the show) strikes me as serious. They feel like a mischievous rag-tag team true and through, which I don't consider a dig on the show at all—in fact, seeing them show up was always a treat—it just conflicts with what fans of this show advertise it to be. It can be serious and hard-boiled, no doubt, but much of Votoms is either light-hearted or feels like 80s Saturday morning fare. I find that this can be the case because of those three characters, the funky, synth-abundant soundtrack, and some of the major characters in the Kummen jungle arc that struck me as cartoony (e.g., Kan Yu, Gon Nu, and Kiderra).
ENJOYMENT
With that said, although I don't think much of this show survives purely critical evaluation, I do believe it succeeds in satisfying viewers through its searing imagination. Ryosuke Takahashi, the original creator of Armored Trooper Votoms, lends such a fascinating view of the future that my intrigue in the world and its machinations was greater than my investment in the way the story plays out. I worry that that may read as confusing, but I basically mean to say that I don't really mind that the final 12-episode run is undoubtedly rushed because experiencing the intricate, visually striking mechanical design and battles that utilize them was satisfying enough for me to enjoy the show as a whole. Bear in mind, though, that I don't dislike the story of Armored Trooper Votoms; I enjoyed the mystery surrounding Chirico and the body he stumbles upon and seeing the truth gradually unfold, but I think it's a shame that the show ended in a way that feels somewhat condensed.
PACING
In fact, while I've just mentioned the rushed finale, I find that much of Votoms feels rushed or sudden. One particular instance comes to mind: a big showdown at the end of the third arc plays out so quickly that I was in disbelief that the next arc was beginning already. The final arc seems to be notorious for this, with its many big, rapid-fire reveals, but even the use of music can be jarring in this way. I can think of several moments throughout the show in which a piece of music abruptly cuts to another track to match what's now happening. If there's one thing I consider to be an absolute negative in Votoms, it would be that. I don't know how the random music switches can do anything but easily pull viewers out of the experience by drawing attention to its hard cuts. I think it's especially annoying because I really enjoy the soundtrack, so the jarring transitions sucked a bit of the immersion out of me.
ACTION
I felt Votoms was at its most immersive during its mecha/space combat; luckily, at least in the case of the former, there's no shortage of it here. If memory serves me right, there's at least one battle per episode. I loved watching all the ATs in action, but sometimes they were more noise to me than anything, especially if Chirico's involved. I thought the battles were at their weakest during the second arc (Kummen jungle) because they seemed to play out too similarly. Enemy units explode in droves at the hands of Chirico, whose AT damages get repaired before the next episode regardless of how severe the damage is. The combat sat better with me in every other arc, but I enjoyed it during the last two in particular due to the designs of the Balarant ATs and their involvement in space combat.
OPTICAL ATTRACTION
On the topic of visual spectacle, I should note that despite me being somewhat underwhelmed by the animation of Armored Trooper Votoms, I still found the show to be visually pleasing. Much of the motion of mechs and people seemed wooden or awkward to me, but the show still succeeded in satisfying my eyes due to its mechanical design, character design (including wardrobe), and storyboarding (i.e., the composition and framing of scenes). This isn't to say that the animation is a letdown entirely, though; the latter half of Votoms has some mecha action that I thought was really impressive. I also liked much of the action in Uodoo, the first arc of the show. Additionally, this is such a minor observation, but while I do think Votoms features exemplary visual design, I should mention that this is yet another 80s sci-fi anime that features corded phones. It's easy to point and laugh at that now 40 years later, but it's kind of amusing that a show that takes place in the year 7215 still uses old phones.
IN OTHER WORDS...
I liked Votoms quite a bit. It offers some to be desired, particularly in its pacing and motion, but I can't deny that I was sad to part ways with the show in the end.
