is a Japanese

military science fiction Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that features the use of science fiction technology, mainly weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters who are members of a military organization involved in military a ...

mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series produced by Nippon Sunrise, created and directed by Ryosuke Takahashi and featuring mechanical designs by

Kunio Okawara is a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer. He designed mecha for the ''Gundam'' and ''Brave Series'' franchises, as well as those of numerou ...

. Following directly in the footsteps of Takahashi's previous series, ''

Fang of the Sun Dougram is a 75-episode anime television series, created by Ryosuke Takahashi and Sunrise (company), Sunrise, and aired in Japan from October 23, 1981 to March 25, 1983 on TV Tokyo. A 1983 full-length feature film, ''Dougram: Documentary of the Fang ...

'', ''VOTOMS'' continued the trend towards

hard science Hard science and soft science are colloquial terms used to compare scientific fields on the basis of perceived methodological rigor, exactitude, and objectivity. Roughly speaking, the formal sciences & natural sciences are considered "hard", wher ...

in the

anime subgenre. The series was supplemented by numerous

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

releases, and also inspired a number of spin-off works whose media ranges from serialized

light novels A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language ...

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

. The TV anime was originally licensed by the now-defunct

Central Park Media Central Park Media, often abbreviated as CPM, was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York and was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building in Midtown Manhattan (on the corner of Central Park, hence ...

who released the series on DVD and VHS. Currently, it is licensed by

Maiden Japan ''Maiden Japan'', released as ''Heavy Metal Army'' in Japan, is a live EP by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The title is a pun of Deep Purple's live album '' Made in Japan''. Release There are at least two different versions of ...

, a unit of Section23 Films, who also released all OVAs other than ''Armor Hunter Mellowlink''.

Plot

In the Astragius Galaxy, the Gilgamesh and Balarant nations had until recently been locked in a century-old galactic war whose cause was long ago forgotten. Now, the war is ending and an uneasy truce has settled. The main weapon of the conflict is the common Armored Trooper, a mass-produced humanoid combat vehicle piloted by a single soldier. Both the Armored Troopers and their pilots are also known as VOTOMS (Vertical One-man Tank for Offense & ManeuverS). However, since Armored Troopers have extremely thin armor, and use a highly combustible liquid in their

artificial muscle Artificial muscles, also known as muscle-like actuators, are materials or devices that mimic natural muscle and can change their stiffness, reversibly contract, expand, or rotate within one component due to an external stimulus (such as voltage, ...

, their pilots have a very low chance of survival, and are commonly referred to instead as "Bottoms", the lowest of the low ("Votoms" and "Bottoms" are written and pronounced the same way in Japanese). The series follows a main character named Chirico Cuvie, a special forces Armored Trooper pilot and former member of the Red Shoulder Battalion, an elite force used by the Gilgamesh Confederation in its war against the Balarant Union. Chirico is suddenly transferred to a unit engaged in a suspicious mission, unaware that he is aiding to steal secrets from what appears to be his own side. Chirico is betrayed and left behind to die, but he survives, is arrested by the Gilgamesh military as a traitor, and tortured for information on their homeworld. He escapes, triggering a pursuit extending across the entire series, with Chirico hunted by the army and criminals alike as he seeks the truth behind the operation. He is especially driven to discover the truth of one of the objects he was assigned to retrieve in that operation: a mysterious and beautiful woman who would become his sole clue to unravelling the galactic conspiracy.

Development

Ryōsuke Takahashi is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, and producer. He has worked for Sunrise on many anime shows in the real robot genre, including ''Armored Trooper VOTOMS'', ''Fang of the Sun Dougram'', ''Panzer World Galient'', and ''Blue Comet SPT L ...

conceived of VOTOMS after watching the American film ''

Junior Bonner ''Junior Bonner'' is a 1972 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Steve McQueen, Robert Preston, Joe Don Baker and Ida Lupino. The film focuses on a veteran rodeo rider as he returns to his hometown of Prescott, Arizona, ...

'', in which the main character travels across towns performing rodeo shows, which gave Takahashi the idea of creating a story in a post-war setting, with mechs fighting each other for sport. Although several authors have noted similarities between Chirico and

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

, who played the main character in ''Junior Bonner'', Takahashi stated that Chirico was not modeled after anyone in particular.

Anime

''Armored Troopers VOTOMS'' (TV series)

A 1983 52 episode anime television series.

Cast

Hozumi Gōda is a Japanese voice actor, narrator and sound director affiliated with OGIPRO THE NEXT Co. Inc.. He is part of a three-man comedy team called . Filmography Anime television series ;1980s *''Armored Trooper Votoms'' (1983) (Chirico Cuvie) ;1990s ...

as Chirico Cuvie *

Kazuko Yanaga was a Japanese actress and voice actress who worked for 81 Produce. She was the wife of fellow voice actor Hōchū Ōtsuka. On November 1, 2014, she died of sepsis at the age of 67. Filmography Anime *''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' (Mrs. Cordette) ...

as Fyana *

Kōsei Tomita was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo Prefecture who was affiliated with Aoni Production and Production Baobab. He voiced Doraemon in the first half of the original 1973 ''Doraemon'' series. He voiced Shunsaku Ban, also known as Mustac ...

as Bouleuse Gotho *

Yōko Kawanami Yoko may refer to: People * Yoko (name), a Japanese feminine given name; variants include Yōko and Yohko * Yoko Gushiken (具志堅用高, born 1955), Japanese professional boxer * Yoko Taro (横尾太郎, born 1970), Japanese video game di ...

as Coconna *

Shigeru Chiba , known by the stage name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor, talent and sound director from Kikuchi, Kumamoto. He is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce. He is most known for the roles of Yoshihiro Kira from '' JoJo's Bizarre ...

as Vanilla Vartla *

Issei Masamune is a Japanese-language term used by ethnic Japanese in countries in North America and South America to specify the Japanese people who were the first generation to immigrate there. are born in Japan; their children born in the new country are ...

as Ru Shako * Kyonosuke Kami as Ypsilon *

Yūsaku Yara is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with Vi-Vo. His real name is , and his former stage name was . He is best known for his roles in ''Saint Seiya'' as Sagittarius Aiolos, ''Chibi Maruko-chan'' as Hi ...

as Maj. Gimual Iskui * Kenichi Ogata as Maj. Serge Borough, Albert Killy *

Akio Nojima is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Nishitōkyō, Tokyo. His sons, Hirofumi Nojima and Kenji Nojima, are voice actors and his other son Satoshi is a nature writer. He was formerly affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperati ...

as Aaron Schmittel *

Issei Futamata is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Misawa, Aomori. He is best known for the roles of Skullomania ('' Street Fighter EX'' and '' Fighting EX Layer''), Yusaku Godai ('' Maison Ikkoku''), Chibi ('' Urusei Yatsura''), Kiyoshi Shusse ('' Hi ...

as Gurran Schmittel * Shunji Yamada as 2nd Lt. Kudal Conin *

Banjō Ginga , sometimes credited as his real name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who was born in Kofu, Yamanashi. Ginga is affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to voice actress Gara Takashima. Known for his deep baritone voice, ...

as Cap. Jean-Paul Rochina

''The Last Red Shoulder''

is a 50-minute OVA released on August 21, 1985. The storyline takes place after the Woodoo storyline in the TV series. It details Chirico meeting with his old comrades in his old military unit, and their plan to get revenge on General Pailsen.

''The Big Battle''

A 1986 60-minute OVA. Takes place near the end of the series. The storyline features Chirico and his comrades participating in a mecha gladiatorial match.

''The Red Shoulder Document - Origin of Ambition''

, released as just ''Origin of Ambition'' by Maiden Japan, is a 60-minute OVA released in 1988. The storyline serves as a prequel to the main series and especially ''The Last Red Shoulder''. It details Chirico's time in the Red Shoulder elite military unit and his encounters with General Pailsen.

''Armor Hunter Mellowlink''

is a twelve episode

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

action OVA series spinoff of ''Armored Trooper Votoms''. It premiered on November 21, 1988. It takes place in the same universe (and time, and in some episodes, almost the same places) as ''Votoms'', but the two stories are entirely independent of each other. ''Mellowlink'' is the story of a soldier whose unit is sacrificed on the battlefield for reasons unknown. Although he was not meant to survive, the main character, Ality Mellowlink, manages to survive only to be framed for a crime he did not commit. Mellowlink escapes his captors and begins hunting down his former commanding officers, both to get revenge for his dead platoon members and to find out the nature of the conspiracy that led to their death. The series is available for download on Bandai Visual's official website and the Japanese DVD boxset was released on December 6, 2006. The series was previously issued twice on

laserdisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...

, once as six individual volumes, and once as a three-disc box set along with the two soundtracks.

''Brilliantly Shining Heresy''

is a 5-episode OVA series released in 1994. It is a sequel to the original TV series.

''Pailsen Files''

is a 12-episode OVA series that was released from October 26, 2007 to August 22, 2008. It was also released as a feature film on January 17, 2009. It is a prequel to the main series and a sequel to ''Origin of Ambition''.

''Phantom Arc''

, released as ''Genei ~ Phantom Arc'' by Maiden Japan, is a 6-part OVA series that was released from March 26, 2010 to October 27, 2010. It is a sequel to the original TV series and ''Shining Heresy''.

''Case; Irvine''

''Armored Trooper VOTOMS Case;Irvine'' ( ケース;アービン), an OVA that follows the story of Irvine Lester, a repairer of the tank-like robotic Armored Trooper (AT) mecha in the VOTOMS story world.

''Votoms Finder''

''Votoms Finder'' ( ボトムズファインダー), an " alternate universe" OVA that centers around Aki Tesuno, a Bottoms guard for scrap salvagers and a pilot of a robotic mecha called an At or Altro (as opposed to VOTOMS' trademark Armored Trooper mecha).

''Alone Again''

, released as ''Chirico’s Return'' by Maiden Japan, is a 2011 50-minute OVA that serves as sequel to the ''Shining Heresy'' and prequel to the ''Phantom Arc''.

Games

Video games

''VOTOMS'' has appeared in numerous video games since the series' original airing. *

X68000 The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan. The initial model has a 10 Megahertz, MHz Motorola 68000 Central processing unit, CPU, 1 Megabytes, MB of Random Access Memory, RAM ...

: ''Dead Ash'' *

PC8801 The , commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 and primarily sold in Japan. The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the three major Japane ...

: ''Black Unicorn'' *

PC-9801 The , commonly shortened to PC-98 or , is a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit personal computers manufactured by NEC from 1982 to 2000. The platform established NEC's dominance in the Japanese personal computer market, and, by 1999, more th ...

: ''Votoms: The Real Battle'' *

Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...

: ''Votoms - The Battling Road'' *

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

: ''Blue Sabre Knights'' *PlayStation: ''Armored Trooper Votoms - Uoodo and Kummen'' *PlayStation: ''Brave Saga'' (as a guest character) *PlayStation: ''Armored Trooper Votoms Lightning Slash'' *PlayStation: ''Armored Trooper Votoms Steel Force'' *PlayStation: ''Brave Saga 2'' (as a guest character) *

Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...

: ''Sunrise Eiyuutan'' (as a guest character) *

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

: ''Sunrise Eiyuutan 2'' (as a guest character) *

WonderSwan The (ワンダースワン) is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released i ...

: ''Harobots'' (as a guest character) *

Game Boy Color The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...

: ''GB Harobots'' (as a guest character) *Game Boy Color: ''Brave Saga Shinsou Astaria'' (as a guest character) *PlayStation 2: ''Soukou Kihei Votoms / Armored Trooper Votoms'' *

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...

: ''Super Robot Wars Z2: Hakai-Hen'' (as a guest character) *PlayStation Portable: ''Super Robot Wars Z2: Saisei-Hen'' (as a guest character) *PlayStation Portable: ''Super Robot Wars OE'' (as a guest character) *

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...

: ''Super Robot Wars Z3: Jigoku-Hen'' (as a guest character) *

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...

: ''Super Robot Wars T'' (as a guest character) For a limited time, the ''Armored Trooper Votoms - Uoodo and Kummen'' game included a Red Shoulder Custom model. Chirico also figures in the ''Sunrise Eiyuutan (Sunrise Heroes)'' game for the PlayStation 2.

Role-playing

''VOTOMS'' was a direct inspiration for the ''

Heavy Gear ''Heavy Gear'' is a mecha science fiction game universe published since 1994 by Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9. It includes a tabletop tactical wargame, a role-playing game, and a combat card game ('' Heavy Gear Fighter''). The setting is also k ...

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

. ''VOTOMS'' also has its own official role-playing game, '' Armored Trooper VOTOMS: The Roleplaying Game'', developed by R. Talsorian Games and using the

Fuzion ''Fuzion'' is a generic role-playing game system created by the collaboration of R. Talsorian Games and Hero Games. The rights to Fuzion are jointly held by Mike Pondsmith of R. Talsorian Games, along with Steve Peterson and Ray Greer of Hero Ga ...

system.

References

External links

*
Episode Synopses
* {{Sunrise OVAs 1983 anime television series debuts 1983 manga 1985 anime OVAs 1986 anime OVAs 1988 anime OVAs 1994 anime OVAs 2010 anime OVAs 2011 anime OVAs Anime with original screenplays Bandai Namco franchises Central Park Media Family Soft games Fictional weapons Kodansha manga Maiden Japan Mecha anime and manga Military science fiction Real robot anime and manga Sunrise (company) Takara video games TV Tokyo original programming Video games developed in Japan Hard science fiction Fiction about space warfare Military fiction