Two girls reach for one another’s hands across a void, in front of a giant robot.

Yuri and mecha have a long history together. The recent Gundam: Witch From Mercury will no doubt be top-of-mind for many people when I say that, but there are many other examples; prominent among them was Kannazuki no Miko, from 2004, which mixed a centrally-focused yuri romance with mecha action and a heavy flavoring of shintoism and classical Japanese iconography. Despite its flaws, that show was considered a watershed moment in yuri anime history for we who were there at the time. Now, in 2023, from the independent writer/animator AsH comes a work that in many ways could be called a spiritual successor to that formula, and one that isn’t shy about letting you know it.

Premiering on Youtube, Volicia of Pluto , Episode 1 (忘星のヴァリシア) is 35 minutes of yuri/mecha rollercoaster. What begins as a focus on the relationship of two former track runners, Akio and Ayano, quickly expands into a battle over the apparent fate of the source of all life – conducted through the medium of giant robots, naturally – and the sacrifices the chosen couple must make to see it through. A great deal happens in a short time, a great deal is left as yet unexplained. The true nature of the conflict, the relationships of the characters, the many puzzling moments are all yet but seeds. This is, it must be strongly pointed out, only the beginning of the story AsH is clearly hoping to tell.

Always keeping that limitation in mind, I must say I enjoyed this thoroughly. The pacing might seem breakneck to modern viewers, but it reminds me with pleasant nostalgia of the classic OVA format of the 80s and 90s: a fast-paced, attention-grabbing, interest-piquing showpiece. It’s right that it should feel like that, as this is essentially the same strategy. Put something out there to grab people’s interest, and hope that they will invest in it well enough to continue and finish what was begun. Many such gambits never paid off; anime history is littered with unfinished OVAs that never got more than an episode or two. That’s why I’m pleased to report that on Japanese crowdfunding website Campfire, the second episode is fully funded as of date of publication. It seems likely more of this intriguing work will be releasing at some point in the future.

Ratings:

Art – 7/10, rough until you remind yourself that one person made this.

Story – 8/10, a lot of interesting things happening, basically none of it explained yet.

Characters – 8/10, standard types but the MC’s coolness and resolve carries the piece.

Service – 3/10, there are a few sensual moments but they are tastefully depicted.

Yuri – 8/10, undeniable although there’s a lot else going on.

Overall – 8/10, a cool and interesting foundation laid for what may follow.

Volicia of Pluto is freely available to watch on Youtube, until August 31st, English subtitles included. If you have even the slightest interest, there is zero reason not to check out it.