Armored Trooper Votoms: Uodoo City #1 Nutech 100 minutes Japanese English Subtitles 07/17/2001

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Vanilla : Jeez, he's got some serious stones doesn't he? CPM has done it again, giving the proverbial middle finger to their fans and sublicensing Armored Trooper Votoms off to Nutech, most widely known for their hentai releases.** Originaly slated for something around a 1/31/01 release (which I preordered) each volume of Votoms was gonna retail for $19.99, meaning you could get the DVDs for about fiteen dollars each. That's not a bad deal considering it's an old show and there's no dub. However, they decided to sublicense, push the release date back around HALF A YEAR and up the retail price to thirty dollars a disc. Way to alienate your fan base again CPM. If you're sitting there thinking "That's crap!" you're absolutely right. If you're looking for the Votoms DVDs (and you should, because it's a very cool show) I suggest DVDEmpire.com, because they've got them at the original retail price, though I have no idea how long that'll last. Though Pennsylvanians should beware, because they're a PA based company and that means you'll get hit with some sales tax. No I know what all those Californians feel like.

Despite the fact that we're raped on price, packaging, and the fact that these things are DVD TENS (dual sided DVDs, which suck) just so Nutech can put their freakin' trailers on one side, Votoms is still a very cool show. Put out in 1983 by Sunrise, you know you're in for something good. While the art might be a bit dated it's very feasbile and the mech designs, the Scopedog and such, are very cool. Votoms is the story of a man named Chirico Cuvie, enlisted in the Melfian army near the end of the hundred years war*** While on a mission he continously queries his Lieutenant as to why they're firing on friendly troops and is silenced each time. There's some sort of conspiracy going on and Chirici is told to go topside and see if their carrier is in sight, he realises this is a trap when he sees the giant BOMB coming towards them...there's no time to run and his AT floats directionessly in space until he is picked up...but his ordeal isn't over yet...

The ship that picks him up believes him to be part of the conspirators and tortures him relentlessly, asking questions about the Prototype, a woman in a metal coffin he saw on the asteriod his team attacked. Chirico gives nothing to them, because he has nothing to give. On the third day he flatlines and has to be resuscitated, this is when he makes his daring escape. This involves a metal screw and a whole crapload of dead guards. He floats down to the planet of Melfia, his home, where seventy five percent of the population are dead and the rain is tained red from the effects of the war. Flash forward six months...he's taken up residence in the city of Uodoo, which is controlled by the Boone family and the corrupt police officers. This is when he stumbles across a younger, fatter version of Gandalf from The Hobbit, while running from captivity and the accusation of killing the chief of police. Mini-Gandalf goes by the name of Gotho and owns a junkyard, which contains something very iteresting to Chirici...a totaled AT. This is when Chririco is introduced to the underground sport of Uodoo City, Battling...

 

Votoms is quite frankly, awesome. No dub? It's worth it. Crappy cases? It's worth it. Aggravation at CPM? That would've happened anyway. I don't know if I could justify a monolanguage release for $30 at only 3 or 4 episodes on the disc...but if I could, Votoms would be the one. I might be a Sunrise bitch, and I might be an 80's anime bitch, but I'm saying this with unclouded eyes...Votoms rocks. This series has amazing potential and it's cool to see some dark and gritty, serious anime. I'm tired of bright colors and outrageous hair. Hell, I don't even want to TRY and be funny, lest I break the mood of reverence cast on me by Armored Trooper Votoms.

**Now with actual PORN "actresses" doing the dubs.

***Not the one between France and England.