AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline
“How not to Approach the Mecha Genre”
The Gundam series laid the foundation of mecha anime nearly half a century ago. Over the years, it has undoubtedly given birth to titles that have taken the whole anime industry to another level. While many studios should be credited with bringing the mecha genre from humble beginnings to where it is today, no one can undermine the contributions of the mecha studio itself, Sunrise. Home to critically acclaimed titles such as Code Geass and Gundam, it is no surprise that a mecha anime they created will pique anyone's interest, whether they are a mecha fan or not.
Well, the studio or its extension, Sunrise Beyond, sure got cocky as hell back in 2021 because calling AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline an 'experiment' would indeed be an understatement. I mean, they went up against the best mecha anime of that year, 86, with this scrap metal mess, and you've got to give them props for that confidence, to be honest. If you've never heard of this show, trust me, you're in luck, for it's one of the modern stains that Sunrise had to bear, and today we're here to talk about exactly why.
The Components are all Messed Up
AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline shows similarities with many of these fan-favorite titles. There's Code Geass in the setting, Iron-Blooded Orphans in both the characters and the story, and some Full Metal Panic here and there, to name a few series. We're not saying that you're a rip-off because, with the plethora of anime titles we have today, it's almost impossible to do something that has yet to be done. But AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline takes it all in and just downright fails at the execution, making it seem like an unfinished project that wasn't thought through in the best manner the studio had at its disposal. The story follows a futuristic war-torn Japan divided into four military regions, each trying to gain control of it all for itself. Civil wars, conspiracies, and violence plague this land, and there's not the slightest bit of hope that things are going to get any better anytime soon. The anime features these mecha weapons, AMAIM, that were used back during the Boundary War, and that’s where the name of the anime comes in.
Our protagonist, Amou Shiiba, looks after an abandoned AMAIM named Kenbu. In this scenario, this fact alone is enough to have him in front of the shooting squad or the AMAIM team. Time passes, but one day, he runs into Gai, an AI program model needing help. But this encounter turns the whole world upside down for both of them, and now Amou Shiiba is tasked with liberating Japan and restoring it to its former glory. You can't tell me that the anime doesn't remind you of many titles. Well, that's how it is, and that was the sole reason many people dropped the title. It lacked the personality required for a mecha title, especially with 86 making headlines left and right.
An Unbalanced Character Cast
How is there quite the prevalence of these titles where the side characters tend to be better or more interesting than the main character? Well, the same holds true here. Gashin Tezuka is probably the most intriguing character in AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline for me, and I'm sure you guys would say the same. The guy has one hell of a backstory, which, combined with his personality, makes him a perfect match for both this genre and this particular setting. Now, suppose you compare him to Amou Shiiba. In that case, you'll find the latter to be very bland, lacking a lot of personality, and that, on top of him not having that character-defining moment, really makes Gashin Tezuka get that one up over him. Even Shishibe Shion was better than our protagonist, but you see for yourself and come up with an opinion.
Another thing that I had quite the problem with when it came to AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline was how they introduced these cute chibi AI program models that don't fit in with the series. Imagine something like Kon from Bleach constantly yelling in Lelouch's ear while he's doing everything in his life. Doesn't look too good? Well, that's what I'm talking about. A post-war setting needs to be emotional and impactful for the audience to feel the magnitude and scale that we're dealing with. You do not need these adorable little plushies just to make them the series' mascot in case you break the poll record. These characters are just downright annoying most of the time, and their presence in this setting reminds me of the well-known fact that oil and water don't go well together. Something I saw recently that would go excellent here is Code Geass: Roze of the Recapture. It feels like something other than Code Geass. That's precisely how Gai, Kei, and Nayuta look here!
At Least They Didn't Miss in the Action Department
This would've been the last nail in the coffin since a mecha anime; reminding us of all these different titles not managing to put up a single good fight scene would've spelled death for the series. Thankfully, AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline features somewhat fluid action and is much better than expected from a no-name mecha series. This is where the veterans of Sunrise come in clutch. After animating a million robots fighting each other to death, animating mecha action scenes becomes natural for you. I'd also like to put it out there that the anime is brought to life by Sunrise Beyond, a studio that's not that well known given it's a prior division of the studio Xebec, the name behind fan favorites like Shaman King, the original one, and Keijo.
It's been dissolved, and I think that AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline had a considerable part to play. However, I need clarification. That's all. However, the anime features some excellent music. I liked some tracks, and the opening and ending themes were fantastic, too. As for me, the ending theme does the job: ‘You're my perfect mirror.’ The name alone is enough to draw you to the song, don't you think? That doesn’t mean that the opening is terrible, though. You can listen to both and see for yourself what you like more.
AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline was a letdown, for sure. Many people had their eyes on the title, given that Sunrise did it, but they missed the mark big time, and that just makes the anime go down as something that probably will not ever be remembered. Many people believed that the issues we saw from the first season were bound to get corrected by the time we moved to the second season, but that didn’t happen either. Some of these issues persist, and the way the story concluded was not well received by series fans, which I was surprised to learn about. The studio ‘Sunrise Beyond’ was dissolved earlier this year, so we have two scenarios for AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline’s future.
One is that the series probably won’t get anything in the future, given it was an anime original and the studio no longer exists to bring it back to life. Another possibility is that some other studio is brave enough to grab the series for another season or a reboot. Still, I highly doubt that will happen even in a million years. As for the rating, I’d give it a 6, nothing more, nothing less. If you’re a diehard Sunrise fan who eats, sleeps, and repeats mecha, then this series could be something you can get into. I say that because the anime features all these different points from some of the best mecha anime out there. Seeing a mesh or amalgam of your favorite anime isn’t something we’d pass on, right? So, check it out and see if it’s your mecha cup of tea because the series could use some support!
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