Armitage III

OVA: It is very popular to merely dismiss this anime as a cross between Blade Runner and Total Recall, but that's not entirely true. You see, when Ross Sylabus is transferred to the Mars police department, he's met at the airport by his new partner...who is engaged in the middle of a gunfight with the wanted criminal Danclaude. Danclaude's been a naughty boy, terminating Conseption's special Third Series androids, of which detective Naomi Armitage is one of. These highly-advanced prototypes of a next-generation of android are equipped with a special function that could jeapardize current peace talks between Earth and Mars.
However, Armitage is not just an unusually feisty Third, she's the bridge between the Thirds and their prototype series, the Assasinroids, of which Danclaude is one of. Of course, I may be giving away a lot of the plot, and spoiling some of it, but only to get you to watch this amazingly intense cyberpunk adventure. Filled with action sequences and a climactic battle that doesn't disappoint, this is an excellent choice for when you feel like Arnold, but want a little more in the way of a plot. If Akira was too cerebral for you, or just left you scratching your head wondering what all that was about, this will most certainly be your cup of tea. Take note of inside jokes that pepper this series, such as more than a few hidden jabs at shoujo animation (especially Sailor Moon).
Movie: Adding some footage to the original OVA series, and editing out some scenes to fit in at under 110 minutes, Armitage III: Polymatrix doesn't hold up to the editing. While the additional sequences are nice, and the story line is relatively intact, the editing results in a disjointed tale. Some of the added scenes help progress the plot more smoothly, while others are like being beaten over the head with the obvious. Some of the original sound effects are missing, and the new voices aren't as smooth as the ones in the OVA dub. Sutherland delivers all of Ross' lines in an annoying monotone, and puts no emotion into the role. Berkley's performance is better, but is marred by her habit of ending each line with a pitch increase in her intonation (is there a technical term for this?). After viewing the film, while it is okay on its own, I would still recommend buying the four tapes of the OVA...even if it does cost some more money.

Director and Character Design: Hiroyuki Ochi
Production: AIC/Pioneer LDC, Inc./Oniro
Screenplay: Chiaki Konaka
Music: Hiroyuki Namba
Art Director: Kunihiro Abe
©1994 AIC (OVA)

Genre: Science Fiction/Cyberpunk
Format: The 4-volume OVA series has been released in the US on both VHS and LD by Pioneer LDCA. The Armitage Polymatrix animated feature-length movie, featuring the voices of Elizabeth Berkley and Keifer Sutherland, will be available October 3, 1997, in the US by the same company. Both the OVA and movie were produced by AIC.
Rating:
OVA: -- 95 -- Violence and sexual themes.
Movie: -- 89 -- Violence and sexual themes.

Armitage III Video Clips
Armitage III opening sequence	QuickTime Format	MPEG Format
These clips have been made available by AIC. International copyright laws apply.

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Last update 26 september 1997