An American Writer's Thoughts on Japanese Animation

Month: January 2022

Adapted Epic – Muv Luv Alternative Anime Spoiler Review

Welcome to something of the “Main Feature” for the month I’ve spent reviewing Muv Luv properties – Muv Luv Alternative, Anime Version. Technically, this is only season 1, which is something of a shame but the decision to do January as Muv Luv Month was made before the fact this show was getting a Season 2 was announced.

So, a couple things to make clear right at the start. For one, I am going to be a little more sparse on the plot summary here than I usually am because I already went into great detail on Muv Luv Alternative earlier this month.  It should still be more than enough to follow the story if you don’t already know it, but I will try to keep more to significant events. Second, since this is a review of Season 1 with Season 2 announced, it should be clear that this show doesn’t cover the entire running time of Muv Luv Alternative, so there’s a degree to which I can’t say how well it does justice to certain elements. I can speculate, and will try to do so where a logical guess can be made, but certain things just haven’t gotten to the screen.

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The Alien Invasion Story About Human Cold War Politics – Schwarzesmarken Spoiler Review

The entire Muv Luv BETAverse is, in some ways, a love letter to cold war science fiction. I don’t even know if this was intentional, but between the Soviet chicanery, CIA spooks, national pride, mad science, “Like the atomic bomb but bigger and badder” new weapons, and general theme of mankind on the brink, it does recall quite a lot of that period’s media and color. There was a time not so long ago when actual, legitimate government authorities sank time and money into researching psychic powers and messing around with plots that would make most spy thrillers look tame, and Muv Luv seems to adore that and the storytelling possibilities that come from it, at least enough to keep the blocs around even in a world where everything behind the iron curtain has pretty much been gobbled up by alien monsters. So, I suppose, it only makes sense that Muv Luv would eventually generate a spinoff actually set closer to the heart of the Cold War.

That spin-off is Schwarzesmarken. Set in 1983 East Germany, this is the Muv Luv sidestory anime that really does its own thing, and that thing is largely going all the way with Muv Luv’s infatuation with rebels, coups, and morally gray political backstabbing by engaging with its world.

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Seasonal Selection – Sabikui Bisco Episode 2

My level of concern is now higher than it was after episode 1, and as we get into how this episode has fallen out, I will explain why.

Like the last episode, the events are told out of order and disjointed. Unlike last episode, where the technique seemed to be used to establish an air of mystery, this time basically every line is focused on action, so that’s a little rough. We do get some character in between it all. But less than perhaps could be desired.

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Imitation Gold – Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse Spoiler Review

I’ve talked a few times in this blog about imitations, the usually lesser offspring of greater progenitors. Yuki Yuna is a Hero from Madoka Magica. RahXephon from Neon Genesis Evangelion. And, in my previous takes, I’ve often pointed out that it’s not always bad to take notes, even heavy notes from something great just as long as the new work brings something legitimate and innovative to the table, a test that both Yuki Yuna and RahXephon passed with flying colors.

Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse (from here on to be called simply Total Eclipse) is in a somewhat different place when it comes to that. For one, it’s not exactly a sequel (taking place at a similar time to Alternative itself), but because it’s part of the same franchise it does operate somewhat on sequel rules more than the rules for (dubiously) original works. For another… it’s much more overshadowed and clearly imitative than those others I’ve addressed.

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The Ride Never Stops, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love PTSD – Muv Luv Alternative VN Spoiler Review

Muv Luv Alternative. Even before the anime adaptation appeared in Fall 2021, it would be somewhat strange for a fan of Japanese media to have never heard about this thing. Even if you know nothing else, the fact that it’s the highest-rated VN of all time according to VNDB (above such entries as Fate/Stay Night at #12 and Steins;Gate at #2) accords it some degree of fame. But, if you maybe aren’t terribly connected to that side of fandom, and have been a wee bit out of touch since it came into a more mainstream anime light in October, that’s alright. Though, before we go on, let me repeat my dire spoiler warning from last week’s review.

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“Save in the name of True Love” – Muv Luv Extra & Unlimited Visual Novels Spoiler Review

Well, I always seem to get myself into something mammoth for January, and this year it’s going to be a big, long look at the Muv Luv franchise. In its most basic form, Muv Luv is a trilogy of Visual Novels that, together, tell the story of Takeru Shirogane across time and dimensions, ending with the insanely popular and acclaimed Muv Luv Alternative. Of course, the franchise is much larger than just that, including tons of side-stories, alternate versions, and of course a few anime outings that are why I’m doing this. That said, while VNs aren’t usually what I draw attention to here, I feel like it’s important to go through the source material of Muv Luv as well as the shows.

A big part of this is that the only entry in the main series that’s been put to Anime is Alternative – the third in the series. I’ll be getting to that at the end of the month, but right now I want to lay the groundwork by addressing the chapters of Muv Luv that didn’t get to the screen, Extra and Unlimited.

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