Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms

Episode 6

This is more like it! Compared to the previous episode's confused, overstuffed mess of a plot, Mecha-Ude's sixth episode is far more focused on its central conflict, only introducing other elements right at the end to tease new complications in future installments. Last time, we left off with Aki learning her sister Fubuki had somehow survived her apparent death years previously and was now derized to the creepy flower-like Mecha-Ude, Amaryllis. Fubuki claimed that she was dying and that only Hikaru's abnormal volumes of Arbitrium could save her. While every attentive viewer was likely screaming, “Don't believe the mind-controlling murder-flower and her human puppet's bullshit,” Aki's a bit slower on the uptake, even going as far as to seek out Hikaru to ask him to meet Fubuki.

Aki's also slow about her relationships with others – Hikaru offers to do anything for her and her sister, as they're friends, but Aki insists they're nothing but bodyguards and wards. At least Hikaru tempting her with the future promise of yakiniku is enough to convince her to seek alternative non-Hikaru-sacrificing means of saving her sister. Hikaru's hurt at Aki's rejection of his friendship would have had more weight to it if Mecha-Ude had allowed any time for interpersonal relationships to develop, rather than rushing from one disconnected plot beat to the next.

Of course, when Aki returns to Amaryllis empty-handed, the evil Mecha-Ude shows her true colors as a manipulator, mind-controlling Fubuki. This should hardly come as a surprise as we've already seen her control zombie-like minions by implanting them with offshoots of her wriggly body. When Hikaru turns up to help Aki, it's for a surprising reason – green-haired Jun earns some measure of redemption for his past misdeeds by forcing Hikaru to face his feelings and fight for his friend. Jun's also the MVP of the eventual climactic multi-Mecha-Ude fight that elevates this episode to unmissable levels.

As a mid-season finale (yes, we're already halfway through Mecha-Ude's planned twelve episodes), Amaryllis' defeat is super-cool and exciting, with the now trademark fast-paced CG-assisted-but-you-wouldn't-know-it mech-battles among the best action in any anime this season. Full of insane angles, dynamic poses, and luminous color, Mecha-Ude never looks better than when its cast goes all out beating seven hells out of one another. If only I could say the same about the non-battle scenes. Conversations are held between the extremely simple static character shots with only the most minimal lip flaps animation. There are long pans or pauses, and sometimes it looks embarrassingly like amateurish flash animation. I guess they're keeping their powder dry to make the action as explosive as possible, but the sharp drops in visual quality in this episode are jarring.

Otherwise, this was a very entertaining Mecha-Ude episode. I'm interested to see where the story goes next as we know the Kagami Group intends to use Alma to force open the portal to the Mecha-Ude dimension and enslave the entire populace for profit. Capitalism, don't you just love it?

Rating:

Mechanical musings:

• Who is the shadowy figure who appears to be Amaryllis' boss? Other than weird timeline shenanigans, is there any way he could be Yakumo, Alma's original wielder? Their silhouette is similar...

• I love that the evil Kagami Group's boss bemoans that “there aren't any normal Mecha-Ude users”. He's right, everyone we've met so far has been pretty freaky, one way or another.

• Fubuki is at least the second person we've seen survive the loss of their Mecha-Ude, though she doesn't look to be in tip-top physical shape.

• Not much Meru in this episode, but at least she appears briefly, hiding behind a pillar, eyes shining, during the peak Aki-Hikaru shippable moment.

Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.