Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms

Episode 5

By all rights, this should have been Aki's episode, but it's becoming clear Mecha-Ude can't seem to focus on a single plot-line for longer than a few choppily-edited scenes. That's not to say this isn't a very fun show, but I worry that they're trying to do too many things at once in an action-light episode like this one.

Last time, we left off with the apparent revelation that Aki's (wrongly) presumed dead twin sister Fubuki was perhaps the mastermind behind the recent worm-shaped Mecha-Ude attacks – and possibly their parents' killer to boot. Fubuki doesn't seem well, and her sinister Mecha-Ude Amaryllis begs Aki to listen to their story. It's unclear how much Aki believes that Fubuki and Amaryllis were merely victims of circumstance and that Aki and Fubuki's parents' deaths were accidental. The after-credits scene especially confirms my suspicions that something's not right with the creepy Amaryllis, especially as now there seems to be a plague of worm-like Mecha-Ude-controlled zombies erupting from within the ranks of both opposing factions, ARMS, and The Kagami Group.

Most worryingly, Amaryllis tells Aki that for Fubuki's illness to be cured (she's no longer able to produce Arbitrium, which seems likely to be a blatant lie), the only cure is for Hikaru to be sacrificed. I call bullshit, and I hope Aki does too, but we're left on a cliffhanger that leaves that resolution to next week's installment.

This is all happening much too fast – Aki barely has a moment to process that her sister is still alive, could be the bad guy, is also apparently dying, and now she needs to kill her new friend (who, by the way, both ARMS and the Kagami Group are desperate to control). If the entire episode was given over to her dilemma, that would be one thing, but instead, we get multiple scenes of Meru trying to organize a group study session with herself, Hikaru, Jun Kagami, and Aki. As much as I love Meru's demented romantic comedy delusions, they come off as a distraction in an episode that doesn't quite come together thematically or in a narratively coherent way.

At least we meet a fun new character in the form of Kagemaru, a bat-shaped Mecha-Ude, diarized to the blue-haired Oner, the former partner of blonde sniper Twos. Oner, previously affiliated with The Kagami Group, has now been forcibly recruited by ARMS, and his Mecha-Ude liberated from his shackle. The ninja and samurai-obsessed Kagemaru constantly spouts lines about bushido and excitedly drags Oner after him, against his will. It's poetic justice, I suppose!

Along with the aforementioned random zombie outbreak, there's still a lot going on with Mecha-Ude, even in a seemingly less intense episode. Although I'm worried that the various story threads threaten to come unspooled unless the writers exercise self-control over their everything-but-the-kitchen-sink impulses, hopefully by the next episode, Amaryllis and Fubuki's role in the plot will become clearer.

Rating:

Mechanical musings:

• What is Aljis, ARMS' leader's deal? His sociopathic derision of normal human emotional bonds marks him out as a probable future antagonist.

• Why were Aki and Fubuki's parents experimenting on their kids? Were they also bad guys? Combining your twin daughters with alien robot thingies seems likely to attract the interest of Child Protection Services in most civilized nations...

• We finally learn why Aki has two Mecha-Ude derized to her – one was previously her sister's, and she presumably joined with it to keep it alive after Fubuki “died”.

• Oner still views Kagemaru as a “tool” even though he's no longer shackled, and can express his thoughts and personality. It seems Kagemaru's turned the tables, but will that make Oner reconsider his beliefs?

• For those struggling to keep the many characters straight in their minds, the official Mecha-Ude website has a great character info page, complete with English translations!

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