Argevollen

Episodes 1-8

The feeling that I've seen ARGEVOLLEN before is unavoidable. If asked to write a list of character archetypes and cliche plot points common within the mecha genre, the average anime fan might produce a generalized storyboard of ARGEVOLLEN from thin air without realizing it. Here is a war between two huge nations and one of them is losing badly. Here is a young and reckless pilot with a “must save everyone” attitude fighting on the losing side. Here is the shiny new mech which only he can pilot. Here is the fiery-tempered female engineer who maintains the mech. Here is their crack unit of eccentric troops. Here is the stone-faced but intelligent lieutenant who will lead them to victory with his tactical knowledge. The list could go on.

But I don't condemn cliches for being cliches. It's only the combination of cliches and laziness that is deadly—when writers assume that we'll like the characters and scenario based solely on their familiarity without giving us a reason to care. There are dozens of characters in as many shows loosely matching the above descriptions, but that doesn't take the enjoyment out of what those characters do in this one. Execution is vital, and ARGEVOLLEN has it, buried deep within its generic shell. When a scheming superior tries to use the Independent 8th Unit as a decoy to allow his troops to advance, Lieutenant Samonji turns the tables and uses him as a decoy instead...then snaps him a smart salute to rub it in. I laughed. I knew the experienced lieutenant would find a way to turn things around as sure as I know my own birthday, but the end result was still a uniquely wry and funny display of character. The cliche's strength was fully achieved. That's good execution.

Such is the occasional magic of the series. These are not great, complex characters, but they've each been given an opportunity or two to transcend their molds and become interesting. Delicate and naive Jamie's rough trek through a war-torn forest to repair ARGEVOLLEN treads familiar territory, but it's still a revealing and human moment. When Tokimune defies orders and breaks military law in a moment of outrage, Samonji tells him to keep doing it, preferring to use his boyish unruliness as a secret weapon rather than try to restrain it. Recent episodes have worked on exposing the past, and the ring of connections between Tokimune's sister, Samonji, and Jaime are well presented. You can probably see what's coming from miles away, but it still adds some background and personality to a series that desperately needs them.

The only cliche not brought to fruition here is the war itself, which is all kinds of boring. The show falters whenever the military higher-ups start discussing the overarching conflict; it is not exciting to see people we don't recognize talking in a circle. The most immediate antagonist is a skilled enemy pilot who seems intent on taking ARGEVOLLEN and using it for himself, but he's too one-note to be anything more than a threat. There's clearly something going on behind the scenes on both sides, but at this point it's a vague and uninteresting shadow of what it could be.

You won't find any surprises here, but a familiar ride can still be an entertaining ride. In that respect, I don't have a serious problem with ARGEVOLLEN. It doesn't live up to the sleekness and swiftness of its namesake mech, but neither is it a trundling clunker on its way to the scrapyard. It seems likely to either get better or stay the same.

Rating: C+

Argevollen is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.