Review of "Armored Hunter Mellowlink": A fusion of realism and drama on the battlefield

Armored Hunter Mellow Link - Armored Hunter Mellow Link

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

November 21, 1988

■Release and sales

Bop

■Frequencies

40 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

Original story by Eda Fumiyuki, original by Takahashi Ryosuke

■ Director

Director: Takeyuki Kanda

■ Production

Vap, Sunrise

■Works

©Sunrise

■ Story

Mellowlink Arity is the only surviving soldier of Schweppes' platoon, which was sacrificed to allow the allies to retreat safely. However, he is falsely accused of desertion and embezzlement in a military court. When Mellowlink finds out that this was a plot by high-ranking military officials who hid supplies in the confusion, he begins his revenge to clear the grudges of his dead comrades.

■Explanation

Set in the same world as "Armored Trooper Votoms," the story begins four months before the first episode of the TV version of "Votoms," or two months after the end of the Hundred Years' War. The story is original and not based on "Votoms," but there is a crossover in the origins of the incident.

■Cast

・Mellow Link/Matsumoto Yasunori・Lulusie/Tamagawa Sakiko・Keek/Otsuka Akio・Docman/Nagai Ichiro・Fox/Naya Rokuro・Stavros/Kato Seizo・Gomez/Iizuka Shozo・Golfi/Wakamoto Norio・Ganado/Kishino Kazuhiko・Boyle/Kanemoto Shingo・Vance/Nakagi Ryuji・Numelikov/Mita Matsugoro・Schweppes/Mori Koichi・Starkos/Tanaka Nobuo・Helmetion/Saka Osamu

■ Main staff

Planning: Umeo Ito (Vap), Yasuo Shibue (Sunrise)
・Original story/series composition/Takahashi Ryosuke ・Character design/animation director/Taniguchi Moriyasu ・Mechanic design/Okawawara Kunio ・Art/Hirakawa Eiji ・Color settings/color design/Mae Tomoko ・Cinematography/Okui Atsushi ・Editing/Kakesu Shuichi, Ishida Satoru, Makioka Eigo ・Sound/Urakami Yasuo ・Music/Inui Hiroki ・Director/Kanda Takeyuki ・Producers/Hirama Hiroshi (Vap), Sashida Eiji (Sunrise)

■Subtitle

・Stage 01 / "Wilderness"
・Stage 02 / "Coliseum"
・Stage 03 / "Jungle"
・Stage 04 / "Leaning Tower"
・Stage 05 / "Battlefield"
・Stage 06 / "Prison"
・Stage 07 / "Railway"
・Stage 08 / "Ghost Town"
・Stage 09 / "Forest"
・Stage 10 / "Castle"
・Stage 11 / "Bass"
・Last Stage

The appeal and evaluation of Armored Hunter Mellow Link

"Armored Hunter Mellowlink" was released as an OVA in 1988 and is a spin-off that shares the same world as "Armored Trooper Votoms", also produced by Sunrise. This work depicts the tale of revenge of a soldier named Mellowlink Ality, and has been highly praised for its deep story and detailed character portrayal.

The appeal of the story

Mellowlink Arity is the only survivor of Schweppes Platoon and a soldier who was sacrificed to help his allies withdraw. However, he is accused of desertion and embezzlement in a military court and becomes embroiled in a conspiracy by high-ranking military officials. From this absurd situation, he begins a quest for revenge to settle the grudges of his comrades.

The story is Mellowlink's personal tale of revenge, but at the same time it also depicts the cruelty of war and the human condition. Mellowlink's journey depicts his own growth and change through his encounters and conversations with various characters, deeply moving viewers. Each episode is set in a different setting, making it a visually appealing show.

Character Appeal

Yasunori Matsumoto's voice acting as Mellowlink Ality realistically expresses the protagonist's suffering and determination, eliciting sympathy from viewers. The supporting cast, including Sakiko Tamagawa as Lucy and Akio Otsuka as Keek, are also unique and play an important role in adding excitement to the story.

In particular, Luluci is someone who provides emotional support to Mellowlink, and his relationship with her is an important element of the story. While Keek helps Mellowlink get revenge, he is also a character who questions his actions, and he plays a role in digging deeper into Mellowlink's inner world.

The appeal of mechanical design

The mechanical design of "Armored Hunter Mellow Link" was created by Kunio Okawara, and is characterized by its realism and sophisticated design. In particular, the AT (Armored Trooper) used by Mellow Link has realistic movements and controls in the battle scenes, which adds to the visual appeal and tension of the story.

Each episode features battles in different environments, and the mechanics are well-matched to the environments. The diverse settings, such as jungles, ghost towns, and castles, enhance the appeal of the mechanics.

The appeal of music

Hiroki Inui's music skillfully expresses Mellow Link's feelings and the development of the story, and is an important element in drawing out the emotions of the viewer. In particular, the background music that heightens the tension in battle scenes and the melody that symbolizes Mellow Link's loneliness play a role in adding depth to the story.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Armored Hunter Mellow Link" is a work that combines a deep story, detailed character portrayal, realistic mechanic design, and moving music, and has received high praise as an OVA. In particular, the cruelty of war and the human condition depicted through Mellow Link's revenge saga provide viewers with an opportunity to deeply think and feel.

This work is highly recommended not only for fans of "Armored Trooper Votoms" but also for general OVA fans and lovers of mechanic anime. Following Mellowlink's journey and growth will make viewers think about their own lives and values. In addition, the different settings and battle scenes in each episode are visually appealing and increase the tension of the story, drawing viewers in.

Related works and viewing order

"Armored Hunter Mellow Link" is a spin-off that shares the same world as "Armored Trooper Votoms," and the story takes place four months before the first episode of the TV version of "Votoms." The story is original and does not rely on "Votoms," but there is a crossover in the origin of the incident. Therefore, by watching "Armored Trooper Votoms" and then "Armored Hunter Mellow Link," you can gain a deeper understanding and enjoyment.

In terms of viewing order, I recommend watching the TV series of Armored Trooper Votoms first, then watching Armored Hunter Mellow Link. This will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the worldviews and character relationships of both works. You can also enjoy this worldview from a broader perspective by watching other spinoff works and movies of Armored Trooper Votoms.

Conclusion

"Armored Hunter Mellowlink" is a masterpiece OVA that combines a deep story, detailed character portrayal, realistic mechanic design, and moving music. The cruelty of war and the human condition depicted through Mellowlink's revenge drama will deeply move viewers and give them an opportunity to think. This work is highly recommended not only for fans of "Armored Trooper Votoms", but also for general OVA fans and lovers of mechanic anime. Please follow Mellowlink's journey and growth, and spend some time thinking about your own life and values.