Armitage III

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Armitage III


caption = Naomi Armitage
ja_name = アミテージ ザ サード
ja_name_trans = Amitēji za Sādo
genre = CyberpunkInfobox animanga/OVA
title =
director = Hiroyuki Ochi
studio = flagicon|Japan AIC
flagicon|Japan Pioneer L.D.C.
licensor = flagicon|USA Geneon
episodes = 4
released = 1994Infobox animanga/Movie
title = Armitage III: Poly-Matrix
director = Takuya Sato
studio = flagicon|Japan AIC
licensor = flagicon|USA Geneon
composer = Hiroyuki Namba
released = 1997
runtime = 90 minsInfobox animanga/Movie
title = Armitage: Dual-Matrix
director = Katsuhito Akiyama
studio = flagicon|Japan Pioneer L.D.C.
licensor = flagicon|USA Geneon
released = 2002
runtime = 90 mins

nihongo|"Armitage III"| アミテージ ザ サード|Amitēji za Sādo|"Armitage the Third" is a 1994 cyberpunk anime series based around Naomi Armitage, a highly advanced "Type-III" android.

The series began with the 4-part Original video animation "Armitage III" and spawned two movies. The first film is a shortened version of the OVA entitled "Armitage III: Poly-Matrix", redubbed in English. The second movie, "Armitage: Dual-Matrix" is a sequel set some years after the original story.

Plot

The year is 2046. The overpopulation of Earth has led to the colonization of Mars—with the aid of the "first type" androids, men were able to begin terraforming the unfriendly environment of Mars and build the city of Saint Lowell. Seventy years after the start of colonization, the city is completed and inhabited by great numbers of people and "second type" robots, much improved versions of the "first types".

The story begins with a space shuttle nearing the destination of Saint Lowell's space port. On board is Ross Sylibus, a middle-aged cop from Chicago, USA, Earth. Syllibus asked to be transferred to Martian Police Department to escape from his past and haunting memories of his beloved one being murdered by a robot. At the Saint Lowell's space port he is to meet his new partner—a young Naomi Armitage from MPD.

On the same shuttle as Syllibus, travels Kelly McCannon—"the last country singer in the Universe". As the shuttle nears the terminal, a mysterious man is seen entering the cargo section; soon after this, the intruder is noticed and the alarms go off.

Later, as Ross finally gets off the shuttle, he witnesses a disturbing scene at the airport. First he gets bumped into by the mysterious man with a big suitcase and two guards. Soon after that, a young woman with a gun orders the men to stop and get their hands up. Puzzled, Ross notices a few drops of blood spilling from the mysterious man's suitcase. A shootout between the young woman (who turns out to be Ross's new partner, Armitage) begins. The two robot guards are killed by Armitage and the mysterious man is wounded, but manages to escape. However, he leaves his suitcase behind—inside of which is the dead body of Kelly McCannon. To everybody's surprise and horror, McCannon turns out to be a robot: a new, never-seen-before "third type" android that's superficially identical to humans.

Later, the mysterious man hacks into the public TV system and broadcasts the material taped by shuttle's security cameras. The tape shows the man murdering Kelly McCannon and reveals the fact of her being a robot to the entire city. The mysterious man, who introduces himself as Rene D'anclaude, reveals unbelivable news—the "third types" have been among the regular people for a long time and nobody can tell them apart from humans. He also reveals a list of "thirds"—it turns out, that a lot of well-known people are actually robots. Riots begin in the city as people start to capture and burn all the "thirds" they can find. Meanwhile, Rene D'anclaude proceeds with his extermination of the "thirds". The two main characters start their investigation and eventually find out, that the victims are women... and some of those women were pregnant.

In a brief moment just before dying, one of the victims sends out a message with the list of "thirds" to save them from being slaughtered. Armitage receives it and goes her way to stop D'anclaude—and reveal a few secrets in the process.

"Armitage: Dual Matrix"

Set some years after the original plot, this film follows Naomi Armitage as she investigates a military attack on robotics plant on Earth.

It had been several years since the events of the previous OVA. Naomi Armitage and Ross Sylibus, now living under assumed identities, are living in St. Lowell on Mars, along with their daughter Yoko (which Naomi had given birth to), as husband and wife. Ross now works for a company seeking to restore oceans to Mars by using ice asteroids. However, a new effort to restore the Third project prompts Naomi to travel to Earth to figure out what is happening. Meanwhile, Ross saves a facility from a group of terrorists and is declared a Martian hero.

When Armitage arrives on Earth, she confronts Colonel Strings over the slaughter of new thirds. But then he is shot by agents of a Earth Robotronics Corporation. Its vice president, Demetrio Mardini asks Armitage to give the data on how thirds can conceive so humanity can create a race of beings who exist to serve. She refuses so he resorts to force and unleashes a robot that scrambles her eyes. She manages to use her telepresence abilities to hack into its system and overload it. She then escapes but is damaged and is found by a repairer third named Mouse, who prides himself on his skill and frequently brags that he's a "genius". However, Mouse is also an informant to Demetrio and presents what data he found on Armitage; but he only got the recent data and Demetrio wants the conception data. Mouse claims that he didn't know about the conception data, and also that if it existed it would be with what he gave him; but Demetrio refuses to believe either of these and tries to brutally force it with two clones of Armitage, who severely injure Mouse. He doesn't get anything and throws Mouse in the trash. Mouse swears revenge.

Back on Mars, the prime minister sends Ross to Earth to represent the planet in the support of robot rights. However, Demetrio's agents captured Yoko while Ross was away from the hotel. If he doesn't go against the rights bill, he won't see Yoko again. With a little reluctance, Ross remains neutral on the bill. But Demetrio's agents don't fill their deal and try to kill Ross but he is saved at the last minute by Armitage. Together, they vow to rescue their daughter.

They infiltrate Demetrio's compound; Armitage deals with Demetrio while Ross saves Yoko. The same robot Armitage encountered earlier had been upgraded to withstand her telepresence attack. Meanwhile, Ross manages to locate Yoko in a freezer. Elsewhere, Demetrio demands the secret. Armitage lures him closer, presumably to tell him what he wants to know; but she ends up kicking him in the crotch and telling him that third conception isn't simply data, it is about true love. With that she escapes again, forcing Demetrio to unleash the clones on her. She manages to evade the two and meets up with Ross and Yoko. Yoko is overjoyed to see her mother but recoils when she sees Armitage's metal shoulder that was scraped off by the clones. Just then, they attack. While Armitage holds them off, Ross and Yoko make their way to an unused space elevator. It is here that Yoko shows that she has a photographic memory, leading them to the space elevator whose location she determined from a map she saw minutes beforehand (Ross comments that she is "quite the little genius"). Soon, Armitage flees to Mouse, who repairs the damage and gives her a program that will allow her to go beyond her limited fighting abilities. He tells her that the password is Heaven's Door; but that if she exceeds more than her internal battery can handle, she'll "be knocking at the Pearly Gates for real". She also has him do her one more favour: broadcast the footage of Robotronics attempts all over Earth and Mars (upon seeing it himself, Mouse comments, "I" think it's inhuman, and I'm a robot!"). This compels Demetrio to command the clones to prevent the family from leaving. After an intense fight both are beaten. Demetrio tries firing on the shuttle they're on only to be killed by the last remaining clone, who is at the time controlled by what was left of Julian Moore in "Armitage III: Poly-Matrix". Without Demetrio's authorization, the turrets do nothing. A hologram of Julian Moore then appears, wishing the family goodbye. The movie ends with the family enjoying a day at the beach on Mars, on Naomi's birthday.

Major characters

Naomi Armitage

Naomi Armitage is an illegal "third type" android—the most human-like robot ever. Armitage's creator is Dr. Asakura, whom she calls "poppa". Armitage becomes Ross Syllabus' partner when he joins the Mars Police Department. She and Ross ultimately fall in love. She's pregnant with their daughter Yoko at the end of the movie. Although she is simply called "Armitage" by most of the other characters, including Ross in "Armitage III: Poly-Matrix", Ross mostly calls her "Naomi" in "Armitage: Dual-Matrix". It's pronounced 'NOW-mee'.

Ross Sylibus

Ross transferred from Earth's Chicago Police Department after an incident with a robot that left him crippled and his partner dead. He is only able to walk using a cybernetic leg. This incident is the cause for his hatred of robots. During his assignments with Armitage, he loses his arm as well, requiring another replacement cybernetic limb to be put in place. This causes him some grief, as he is slowly becoming what he hates the most. He soon falls in love with his new partner Naomi, enough so, he becomes a renegade cop in order to help her.

René D'anclaude

René D'anclaude is a doctor that worked with Dr. Asakura to create the third types. His appearance is used for the line of "assassinroids" that were later used to destroy all the third types. After Armitage and Ross go rogue- D'anclaude is moved to a secretive section of a Mars hospital and the surrounding area is barricaded by official government tanks and droid troops. Armitage and Ross easily face this challenge and smuggle him out, having to avoid the assassinroid D'anclaude in the process.

Dr. Asakura

Dr. Asakura is an artificial intelligence researcher and, along with René D'anclaude, the creator of the thirds. Naomi considers him her father. At some point in the past, Asakura's mind was altered- this causes him to appear really crazy at times and prone to violent outbursts, when at other times, he is completely sane and rational.

Realizing that the government has tracked Armitage and Ross to his laboratory, he completes an upgrade upon Armitage's chassis, one which gives her the power of flight and two particle cannons (Naomi comments that the wings are "too angelic for my taste", but does not deny that they are useful).

Consequently, he stays in the lab and dies among his projects after the government destroys the entire complex with a tracking missile in an effort to destroy both Armitage and Ross.

Julian Moore

Julian, whose alias is "Pluto", is the last model of the Third series, and the only male. He helps Naomi discover her true identity and her origin. An adept hacker, Julian attempts to help Armitage by delving into the files surrounding the creation of the 'Thirds'. His attempt however, is hijacked by the assassinroid D'anclaude who controls him via a planted computer virus. Armitage destroys the viral link, but it also causes Julian's body to self destruct. His last words to her is that maybe he'll get to meet the 'real' D'anclaude.

Sometime after his death, Armitage mourns his loss until Ross reminds her that Julian had backed up his programming into the main registry. Therefore, it might be possible to bring him back.

Lieutenant Randolph

The Head of TCS, (Technical Criminal SWAT). He's charged with the deployment, welfare, and discipline of the TCS squad. He provides indiscriminate advice and opinions to those under him, as well as observations. Although he can't do a thing to help Armitage and Ross through official channels, he does give them a well deserved pep talk- signing off surrounded by all of their comrades within the squad.

Minor characters

Eddie

Ross's wisecracking colleague in Mars PD. He helps him throughout the movie.

Mouse

A third who assists Armitage 's repairs

List of OVA episodes

* Episode 1: Electro Blood (50 Minutes)
* Episode 2: Flesh & Stone (30 Minutes)
* Episode 3: Heart Core (30 Minutes)
* Episode 4: Bit of Love (30 Minutes)

Voices – major characters

eiyū – "Armitage III"

* Naomi Armitage – Hiroko Kasahara
* Ross Sylibus – Yasunori Masutani
* Rene D'anclaude – Ryūsei Nakao
* Julian Moore – Megumi Ogata

eiyū – "Armitage: Dual-Matrix"

* Naomi Armitage – Ryoka Yuzuki
* Ross Sylibus – Hikaru Hanada
* Yoko Oldman – Yuka Imai
* Julian Moore – Mitsuki Saiga

English – OVA

* Naomi Armitage – B.G. Mills
* Ross Sylibus – Skip Stellrecht (credited as Hank Wilspank)
* Rene D'anclaude – Dan Woren (credited as Jackson Daniels)

English – Armitage III: Poly-Matrix

* Naomi Armitage – Elizabeth Berkley
* Ross Sylibus – Kiefer Sutherland
* Rene D'anclaude – Dan Woren
* Julian Moore – Wanda Nowicki

English – Armitage: Dual-Matrix

* Naomi Armitage – Juliette Lewis
* Ross Sylibus – Skip Stellrecht
* Yoko Oldman – Rebecca Forstadt
* Julian Moore – Mona Marshall
* Mouse - Ahmed Best

External links

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