Tristia of the Deep Blue Sea is a simple, archetypal mid-2000s OVA, rising out of obscurity, and slipping right back beneath the waves, as it were. It's not really anything special, but it is simple, straightforward, and at times nostalgic fun. Beginning with the story, it's pretty boilerplate- a town called Tristia has mechs as a major industry and the granddaughter of a famous inventor lives there, whose goal it is to revitalize the town via inventions and urban planning. However, we don't really get much of that in the show, as it's instead completely focused on a tournament arcwhere the mechs have big robot battles. You're dropped right in the middle of a story without any context or introduction, but it's not necessarily jarring as there isn't much more to 'get' beyond what you see. Like I said, not anything to write home about, but not bad by any means. I certainly had fun, if for no other reason than this entire show, from the way the story is constructed down to its art direction, is unapologetically a product of the mid-2000s, the era of anime I grew up watching. Plus, if you're looking to kill some time, you could certainly do worse.

This brings me to the art, which I will say is the strongest aspect of this anime, if by a thin margin. It, like the story, isn't necessarily special, but it is colorful, fun, and engaging, communicating both action and visual comedy in a way which feels smooth and, once again, nostalgic. Though, I must make particular note of the outro animation. The decision to go completely claymation for the end credits sequence is simultaneously brave and bizarre, but it's also well-executed and betrays a certain love for the show as a project you wouldn't necessarily expect the team behind it to have.

The sound meets all basic standards of quality for the time, so no complaints there, even if it's not necessarily remarkable.

The characters also meet all basic standards of quality, serving their purpose as personified archetypes with little depth, who nonetheless manage to have lively interactions within the confines of the show itself. Of them, my favorites are the easygoing genius Nanoca Flanka and her spiteful second-fiddle Panavia Tornado, the protagonist and antagonist respectively. They embody a simple back-and-forth which provides some necessary narrative motion to the show, and manage to be fun characters in their own right as well. One last note on the characters here is that I noticed a little detail which made me chuckle- the Mayor's name is Mayor Guliani, undoubtedly a reference to the Mayor of New York between 1994 and 2001 of the same surname, though a slightly different spelling. Why did Ufotable do that? Oh, also, this is an Ufotable production, now known for Demon Slayer. These little details say something about this anime, I just know exactly what that is. Overall, this obscure, unremarkable OVA from 2004 isn't bad, but it doesn't really have anything specific going for it outside of its nostalgic production and design. I say give it a watch, especially if you're looking for something quick, or a simple watch that delivers exactly what's advertised up-front- a straightforward show about anime girls and their giant robots.