Armored Trooper Votoms: The Last Red Shoulder: The Emotions and Evaluation of the Final Battle

Armored Trooper Votoms: The Last Red Shoulder: Kiriko's past and revenge

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

August 21, 1985

■Release and sales

Toshiba video software

■Frequencies

56 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Original story by Hajime Yatate, original story by Ryosuke Takahashi

■ Director

Director: Ryosuke Takahashi

■ Production

Japan Sunrise

■Works

©Sunrise

■ Story

After the city of Udo falls, Kiriko is invited by his former Red Shoulder comrades to visit Bacara City. Their goal is to take revenge on their superior officer, Joran Pailsen, who had tried to kill them by transferring them to the front line. In the underground facility, the battle to settle the past of the four former Red Shoulders begins...

From "Sunrise Complete Works Collection"

■Explanation

This work was produced as a story that connects the missing link between the Udo and Kumen chapters of the TV series. It was the first OVA in the "Votoms" series, and became one of the most popular works in the series, providing clues to the protagonist Kiriko before the TV series. It was also released in theaters the following year.

From "Sunrise Complete Works Collection"

■Cast

・Kiriko/Hozumi Goda・Fianna/Kazuko Yanagida・Epsilon/Kyonsuke Kami・Gouto/Kosei Tomita・Vanilla/Shigeru Chiba・Cocona/Yoko Kawanami・Killie/Saburo Kamei・Borrow/Kenichi Ogata・Aron/Akio Nojima・Gran/Kazunari Futamata・Gregor/Kiyoshi Kobayashi・Byman/Kaneto Shiozawa・Muza/Ryusei Nakao・Pailsen/Norio Otsuka

■ Main staff

・Original concept/Hajime Yatate・Screenplay/Soji Yoshikawa・Character design/Norio Shioyama・Mechanical design/Kunio Okawara・Art director/Miyamae Mitsuharu・Animation director/Norio Shioyama・Mecha animation director/Yoshida Toru・Editor/Tsurubuchi Films・Sound director/Urakami Yasuo・Music/Inui Hiroki・Direction/Kase Mitsuko・Original story and director/Takahashi Ryosuke・Producer/Hasegawa Toru

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

1. Story and Theme

Armored Trooper Votoms: The Last Red Shoulder delves deeply into the past of the character Kiriko Cuby, focusing on his time as a Red Shoulder. The story follows Kiriko and his comrades who reunite in Baccara City after the fall of Udo City, as they seek revenge on their former superior, Joran Pailsen. This revenge drama is not just about battle scenes, but also has deep themes through the depiction of the characters' psychology and past traumas.

Kiriko's character is not only portrayed as calm and skilled as in the TV series, but also as a person and his suffering. In particular, his reunion with his comrades from his time with the Red Shoulders brings out the complex emotions that heal Kiriko's past wounds while at the same time creating the seeds of a new battle. In this respect, this film is not just an action film, but also an excellent human drama.

2. Characters and Cast

Hozumi Goda, who plays Kiriko, skillfully expresses Kiriko's calmness and inner conflict, just as in the TV series. In addition, other cast members such as Kazuko Miyanaga as Fianna and Kyonosuke Kami as Epsilon also show performances that bring out the individuality of their characters, improving the quality of the work as a whole. In particular, Norio Otsuka's deep voice as Pailsen leaves a strong impression on the enemy's presence.

Kiriko's comrades also play important roles in this work, and their character settings and backgrounds are carefully drawn. Although each has their own unique personality, such as Goto, Kiri, and Bolo, the way they fight for a common goal evokes strong empathy from the viewer.

3. Mecha design and battle scenes

One of the charms of the "Votoms" series is the mecha design, and this work continues Kunio Okawara's unique style. The AT (Armored Trooper) design has an excellent balance of realism and sci-fi feel, and the movements in the battle scenes are also depicted realistically. In particular, the battle scenes in the underground facility have a strong sense of tension and power in the small space, making a strong visual impact.

The battle scenes are not just action scenes, but also reflect the strategies and psychological states of the characters, and are integrated into the story. Kiriko's fighting style and cooperation with her allies will excite and impress viewers.

4. Music and Production

Hiroki Inui's music is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the background music that heightens the tension in battle scenes and the melodies that portray the characters' feelings have the effect of drawing out the emotions of the viewer. Mitsuko Kase's direction also expresses the depth of the story through the characters' expressions and movements. In particular, the scenes where Kiriko reminisces about her past and where she reunites with her friends leave a strong impression both visually and emotionally.

5. Relationship to the series

This work depicts the story between the Udo and Kumen arcs of the TV series, and is an important work for learning about Kiriko's past. In particular, the episodes from the Red Shoulders era are essential to understanding Kiriko's character, and are a must-see for deepening your understanding of the series as a whole. It was also the first work to be produced as an OVA, and had a major impact on the subsequent development of the "Votoms" series.

6. Recommendations and ratings

"Armored Trooper Votoms: The Last Red Shoulder" is a masterpiece that combines deep themes, human drama, realistic mecha design and battle scenes, and excellent music and direction. It is a must-see for fans who want to know about Kiriko's past and for viewers who want to understand the entire series. It is also the first work to be produced as an OVA, and its historical value is highly regarded.

This film is not just an action movie, but also has deep themes through depicting the characters' psychology and past traumas. Kiriko's character is not only portrayed as calm and fighting, as seen in the TV series, but also his humanity and suffering. In particular, the reunion with his comrades from his Red Shoulders days brings out the complex emotions of Kiriko, healing his past wounds while at the same time sparking new battles. In this respect, this film is not just an action movie, but also an excellent human drama.

Furthermore, the realism of the mecha designs and battle scenes, as well as the high quality of the music and direction, are also noteworthy. Inui Hiroki's music is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and the background music that heightens the tension in battle scenes and the melodies that portray the characters' feelings have the effect of drawing out the emotions of the viewer. Kase Mitsuko's direction also expresses the depth of the story through the characters' expressions and movements. In particular, the scenes where Kiriko reminisces about her past and where she reunites with her friends leave a strong impression both visually and emotionally.

This work depicts the story between the Udo and Kumen arcs of the TV series, and is an important work for learning about Kiriko's past. In particular, the episodes from the Red Shoulders era are essential to understanding Kiriko's character, and are a must-see for deepening your understanding of the series as a whole. It was also the first work to be produced as an OVA, and had a major impact on the subsequent development of the "Votoms" series.

For all of the above reasons, "Armored Trooper Votoms: The Last Red Shoulder" is a masterpiece that combines deep themes, human drama, realistic mecha design and battle scenes, and excellent music and direction, and is highly recommended not only for fans of the series, but also for those watching "Votoms" for the first time. Please experience the story of Kiriko's past and his battles through this work.