feat(review): armitage iii

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+title = "Armitage III (1995)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-12-24T20:56:00+01:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2007
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My review of the anime"
+rating = 3.75
+image = "reviews/covers/armitage-iii-oav.png"
+reviewSection = ["Anime OAV series"]
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+
+There was a time when anime was _the_ place to get cyberpunk-like stories.
+Titles like _Akira_ or _Ghost in the Shell_ are still the standard, which which we measure new movies.
+In most cases, that's a very disappointing comparison.
+Have we peaked in the 90s?
+
+But among those giants, a lot of titles dissapeared from our shared consciousness.
+What once was known to anyone in the SF and/or anime community, is now completely forgotten.
+This is a review of such title.
+
+_Armitage III_ is a 4 part OAV series from 1995.
+Damn, that's close to 30 years!
+In it, we are transferred to the not-too-distant future.
+Mankind has colonized Mars and humanoid robots became a commodity.
+Ross Sylibus is a detective from Earth transferred to Mars after an accident where a robot left him crippled and forced to use cybernetic leg.
+He is assigned new partner - Naomi Armitage.
+At the same time, a series of robot's murders is discovered.
+We learn that they were all a part of a new series of androids - The Thirds.
+They are not known to the public, but it soon we learn that in contrast to all previous generations, they are capable of bearing children.
+
+The story here is, sadly, very basic.
+There is a reason to why _Armitage III_ is a forgotten classic.
+Upon my first rewatch of the series since my teen years, I left a bit dissapointed.
+We've got robot woman, who can be impregnated by human males.
+How much story possibilities does it give?
+How many questions does it raise?
+Apparently, zero.
+They give birth to humans, end of story.
+This is not a philosophical anime.
+
+{{< image source="https://animenostalgia.tumblr.com/post/651897636160487424" class="alt A woman with a bullet hole in her forehead" class="centered" file="armitage-iii-oav-1.jpg" >}}
+I love that 90s aestesteric.
+Someone spent hours on those bullet holes.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+But if not that, then what?
+Well, it's deeply human.
+It should not come as surprise that Naomi Armitage is a Third (it's in the title!), and all she wants is to be a human.
+She doesn't understand her place in the world.
+Humanity seems to _hate_ robots, but it was the same humanity who created them.
+For her, the story is finding her human side.
+For Ross it's about dropping all prejudice against androids.
+He starts as someone who would wear a "no robots allowed" t-shirt (if tshirst were still in fashion), but when he gets to know Naomi, all his believes are put to a test.
+
+_Armitage III_ and everything in it is just a pretense for their story.
+If we look at it like that, it's really nice.
+There is no pretense to ask questions about nature of humanity.
+It's much more starigt forward, and is done really well.
+There is _some_ depth - humans treat android as property.
+They are sexualized, but they are more sexual creatures.
+They walk half naked, but it's all for the joy of humans.
+The first robots who are closer human, who can bear children, is hunted and have to live in hiding.
+But that all plays second part.
+
+{{< image source="https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/flashbacks/armitage-iii-martian-cyberpunk-review" class="alt A woman taking out of her holster. She is wearing a heavy coat which is waving to the back revealing her red underwear." class="centered" file="armitage-iii-oav-2.jpg" >}}
+I said it's over-sexualized
+{{< /image >}}
+
+Even the ending, where we learn why Thirds were developed, is only a reason for more Ross/Naomi scenes.
+
+All in all, _Armitage III_ is a very well made classic.
+I love the character design, I like the music.
+They action scenes are nicely done, there is no time to be bored.
+All my gripes come from comparisons with _Ghost in the Shell_, but those comparisons are not needed.
+
+As it stand, I wholeheartedly recommend _Armitage III_ to anyone exploring the golden age of anime.
+Just don't come in expecting one of the greats.