How far would you go to win a war? As a solider, what are you prepared to do to protect the people you love? Rooster Teeth does not have the answers to this question, but their show does try to tackle them in a believable manner. gen:LOCK is about the lengths people will go to and what they must leave behind to serve a higher purpose.
The war against the Union is going poorly. Faced with an enemy with technology far superior, a radical new idea is presented. Human can upload their minds in order to power large mecha suits. The experience is not pleasant and only a select view can make the merge. This project has an added layer for one solider, who finds out that her boyfriend was the first test subject and that he is still alive, four years after she believed he was dead.
While giant mecaa suit stories are no unfamiliar in the anime genre, gen:LOCK takes the idea in a new direction. When the idea is presented to the soldiers, the first feeling is one of betrayal. They did not sign up for this, one even stating that his military days are behind him and he thought this was a science experiment. The leaders have to convince the soldiers to try this new form of weaponry. One episode deals with how the suits will be used. Attack or as a way to rescue people?
Julian Chase has no such choice. His physical body destroyed when the Union took down New York, the only limb he still has is his left arm. This program allows him to continue fighting and to move around. His girlfriend is happy to see him, but time has moved on. Chase has to fight because there is no other life waiting for him. The Union took everything, not just his physical body, but any future he might have had.
The action scenes are well paced, as the mecha suits all have different traits based on the person who pilots them. It is the slower scenes where the show really shines. The characters feel real, no go hung warriors eager for the next battle. They want to save people, but they also have their own dreams and desires. While some of us have dreamed of fighting in a giant robot, the show pulls back the curtain to revalk what the cost really is.
gen:LOCK has a lot going for it, and that is without mentioning some story developments that would contain spoilers. The show just finished up it’s first season and the battle is still going on. Seeing what happens to the characters and if the war could really be won is high on any fan’s list.