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Title (English) Armitage III

Title (Japanese) Armitage III

Advertising
Fantasy Novel

Notes 4 OVAs
Movie edition

Classification -

Synopsis Uncomfortably human android-style robots. Set on Mars, 2179AD.

Review ARMITAGE III, vol.1 (Pioneer, 50 min, cert. 15, ｣6.99 This 50-minute OVA is almost a BLADERUNNER sequel, pursuing the same theme, robots (androids) who are too human for comfort. Inspector Ross Sylibus arrives at the Mars space port on the same shuttle carrying famous C&W singer Kelly McCanon; during a gun batle with thugs involving Ross and a girl in hot pants (Armitage) the dead body of McCanon falls out of a suitcase, and Ross makes the shocking discovery that she was a robot. He soon learns that there is an anti-robot movement on Mars and that a killer, D'anclaude, is tracking down and murdering advanced robots, the "Thirds". Armitage is a police detective and Ross, partnered with her, soon suspects that she herself is a "Third". This video had a profound effect on me when I saw it for the first time, on a big projection screen with cinema sound. There, the imagery looked stunning, both in the opening pictures of Armitage herself, and in the scenes of the Martian city. The animation and character design are cool and realistic, and the racism is ugly, even when directed against androids. In contrast with Pioneer's previous releases, this is fairly violent. Much of the impact, however, lay in the characterization of Armitage: her closeness to a real personality seemed quite startling. In the publicity material she looks like a fetishist's delight, but on screen the effect is muted. She seems more a real girl who dresses for effect, a real girl with real behavioural problems (seen further in later episodes) who is also a robot. A disturbing prospect! Such strength of characterization is not common in SF, and even rarer in animation, though one occasionally sees an animated character who (like the secretive Rikako Muto in I CAN HEAR THE SEA) is defined with sufficient distinction to seem like a real person. That is what was happening here; Armitage seemed to be more than just a robot or animated character; she was as real as any fictional character could be. At the time, her dysfunctional personality reminded me of some women I had known. (G.C. Jan. 1998) ARMITAGE III #4 (Pioneer, 30 mins, cert.15, ｣6.99) So what can I say about this? I bought #3 with my own money as soon as it came out. I suppose that anything that happened in #4 could be a surprise after the "explosive" ending to #3. I find that I can't say anything about the plotline of #4 without spoiling the surprises you're likely to get when you watch it! Suffice to say that it restores some of the 'sensawunda' to science fiction and thoroughly blurs the boundaries between human and robot. One thing that I like about ARMITAGE III is that (like BABYLON 5) it attempts to put its story in an economic and political framework. One might quarrel with its analysis but at least the attempt is being made, which is more than one can say of a whole lot of anime (and of STAR-TREK). Note also the dome city of Lowell: nowhere is a big deal made of the setting, but it's domed and those strange aerial buildings and roadways are hung from the roof. And the dialogue is very adequately dubbed by Pioneer, and there are some fine characterisations, from Armitage herself to the sleazy Eddie. Ross still seems a bit wooden though. So go buy it immediately unless you're some kind of weird person who does'nt like SF or animation, in which case how did you get here??

Credits English movie edition has voices of Kiefer Sutherland and Elisabeth Berkeley

Episodes 4

Release UK:VHS, US:DVD, US:VHS, US:LD

TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.

Date 1994

Production

Broadcaster

Animation

References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

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Information
Title (English)	Armitage III
Title (Japanese)	Armitage III
Advertising Fantasy Novel
Notes	4 OVAs Movie edition
Classification	-
Synopsis	Uncomfortably human android-style robots. Set on Mars, 2179AD.
Review	ARMITAGE III, vol.1 (Pioneer, 50 min, cert. 15, ｣6.99 This 50-minute OVA is almost a BLADERUNNER sequel, pursuing the same theme, robots (androids) who are too human for comfort. Inspector Ross Sylibus arrives at the Mars space port on the same shuttle carrying famous C&W singer Kelly McCanon; during a gun batle with thugs involving Ross and a girl in hot pants (Armitage) the dead body of McCanon falls out of a suitcase, and Ross makes the shocking discovery that she was a robot. He soon learns that there is an anti-robot movement on Mars and that a killer, D'anclaude, is tracking down and murdering advanced robots, the "Thirds". Armitage is a police detective and Ross, partnered with her, soon suspects that she herself is a "Third". This video had a profound effect on me when I saw it for the first time, on a big projection screen with cinema sound. There, the imagery looked stunning, both in the opening pictures of Armitage herself, and in the scenes of the Martian city. The animation and character design are cool and realistic, and the racism is ugly, even when directed against androids. In contrast with Pioneer's previous releases, this is fairly violent. Much of the impact, however, lay in the characterization of Armitage: her closeness to a real personality seemed quite startling. In the publicity material she looks like a fetishist's delight, but on screen the effect is muted. She seems more a real girl who dresses for effect, a real girl with real behavioural problems (seen further in later episodes) who is also a robot. A disturbing prospect! Such strength of characterization is not common in SF, and even rarer in animation, though one occasionally sees an animated character who (like the secretive Rikako Muto in I CAN HEAR THE SEA) is defined with sufficient distinction to seem like a real person. That is what was happening here; Armitage seemed to be more than just a robot or animated character; she was as real as any fictional character could be. At the time, her dysfunctional personality reminded me of some women I had known. (G.C. Jan. 1998) ARMITAGE III #4 (Pioneer, 30 mins, cert.15, ｣6.99) So what can I say about this? I bought #3 with my own money as soon as it came out. I suppose that anything that happened in #4 could be a surprise after the "explosive" ending to #3. I find that I can't say anything about the plotline of #4 without spoiling the surprises you're likely to get when you watch it! Suffice to say that it restores some of the 'sensawunda' to science fiction and thoroughly blurs the boundaries between human and robot. One thing that I like about ARMITAGE III is that (like BABYLON 5) it attempts to put its story in an economic and political framework. One might quarrel with its analysis but at least the attempt is being made, which is more than one can say of a whole lot of anime (and of STAR-TREK). Note also the dome city of Lowell: nowhere is a big deal made of the setting, but it's domed and those strange aerial buildings and roadways are hung from the roof. And the dialogue is very adequately dubbed by Pioneer, and there are some fine characterisations, from Armitage herself to the sleazy Eddie. Ross still seems a bit wooden though. So go buy it immediately unless you're some kind of weird person who does'nt like SF or animation, in which case how did you get here??
Credits	English movie edition has voices of Kiefer Sutherland and Elisabeth Berkeley
Episodes	4
Release	UK:VHS, US:DVD, US:VHS, US:LD
TV Showing	See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date	1994
Production
Broadcaster
Animation
References & Help	Look up the latest data on this title at: Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) , or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001). Help & further information.