By Rylie Clothier
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With all the fantastic anime coming out in the Fall 2024 season, Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms may be more overlooked than other shows. However, its unique origin and great animation make it unique. Mecha-Ude is the story of a boy who forges a symbiotic bond with an alien, dragging both of them into conflict. The alien, and most of its kind on earth, looks like a mechanical arm, hence the name of the series. This show uses tried and true tropes to tell a well-polished story.
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Mecha-Ude is a passion project, unlike many other shows. Unlike most anime these days, Mecha-Ude didn't start out as a manga. Instead, the series got its start with a Kickstarter funded original net animation (ONA). That spawned a manga and eventually a full series. Mecha-Ude is similar to a good number of other anime, but it takes a new spin on old trends. While audiences may be familiar with a symbiotic relationship like that of the protagonists and the alien with amnesia trope, the heart of the Hikaru Amatsuga and Alma's dynamic still shines through.
Hikaru and Alma Have a Symbiotic Relationship
Alma is Not Directly Connected to Hikaru
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Middle school student Hikaru Amatsuga wasn't seeking out any sort of power when he found Alma. However, even before they met, the two had a connection. Hikaru was able to hear Alma asking for help when no one else could. His simple desire to do good ended up with the two of them bonding. Through their connection, Alma has the strength to move around and function. He is dependent on being near Hikaru, but neither minds the issue too much. Thus far, they've managed to work within their limits to win fights and keep each other safe.
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The dynamic between the two characters works because they are complimentary even outside of battle. Hikaru was already a good kid without Alma, but he was not very trusting or always willing to act. Alma pushes him forward, to do the best he can in all circumstances. On the other hand, Alma needs someone who understands Earth to keep him safe. Plus, Hikaru's common sense reels in Alma's more naive nature. Alma comes across as the older of the two, but they manage to mitigate the other's weaknesses well.
Character | Japanese Voice Actor | English Voice Actor |
---|---|---|
Hikaru Amtsuga | Toshiyuki Toyonaga | Rayner Garranchan |
Alma | Tomokazu Sugita | Phil Du Bois |
Aki Murasame | Yu Shimamura | Reina Scully |
Shinisu and Dekisu (Dex and Sinis) | Kaito Ishikawa | Travis Roig |
How Hikaru Fuels Alma is Unknown
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Hikaru and Alma are strange by Mecha-Ude's standards. Unlike other mecha ude, Alma isn't fused to Hikaru, but he still needs to be near Hikaru to function. How this works has yet to be explored in the anime. In Kill la Kill, another anime with a symbiotic relationship, the duo of Ryoko Matoi and Senketsu can separate from each other. Senketsu is fueled by Ryoko's blood. This is different from Venom and Eddie Brock from Marvel Comics. It's much more difficult for them to separate, but Venom doesn't get energy from Eddie. Hikaru and Alma sit in between these two different types of symbiotic relationships, having a unique take on the situation.
Aliens Sometimes Need Humans
Humans Are Often the Threat to Aliens
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Sci-fi media often features aliens coming to Earth and needing humans in some way. This idea is often compounded when the alien character has amnesia of some sort. One of the biggest examples of this trope can be found in various Transformers media. Humans often know the best ways to avoid unwanted attention, and that's something Hikaru cares about. He wants to keep Alma out of the public eye for both their sakes. Alma doesn't know to be cautious about most things because of his memory loss.
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Despite his desire to help people, Hikaru does want a normal life. However, his caution around people knowing about Alma is to protect the mecha ude, too. As much a human is helpful to Alma, humanity is also a threat. The biggest danger to Alma are people who want to take his free will, so Hikaru's caution is warranted. Still, Alma is right to push Hikaru into acting when they are in danger, because they would have bigger trouble otherwise. Unlike Ryoko or even Eddie, Hikaru takes most of his cues from Alma in this dynamic.
The idea of a symbiotic relationship between an alien and a human isn't new. It has become more popular in recent years, though. That, combined with Alma's amnesia and dependence on a human to guide him on Earth, shows how much Mecha-Ude is inspired by other media. While the show may share these trends with plenty of others, it doesn't copy anything exactly. These trends ae being used to highlight the relationship between Hikaru and Alma. Their interactions are the compelling hook to Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms.
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