An American Writer's Thoughts on Japanese Animation

“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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Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 12 (End)

While by no means one of the all-time great climaxes, I will credit the ending of Shikizakura this: it’s exactly the sort of end you’d want to see to the sort of show Shikizakura has been. Decent fighting? Check. Everybody’s infected by optimism and pulls together? Check. Some surprisingly decent emotional play? Check. Totally corny speeches that belong in the kind of campy hero show the creators clearly loved? Double check.

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Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 21 (S2E10)

Can you believe we’ve got more coming after this? Once again, the show has done a pretty good job of convincing you that everyone is dead and all is if not lost than at least at a brutal end. Alongside that, we get a pretty incredible action climax with the right amount of back-and-forth for a desperate final battle against the odds.

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End-of-the-Year Season 2 Rapid Fire Round

Well it’s the last Monday in 2021, and while normally this is a day for a full series review, I’ve decided that right at the end here, I should take the time to write a few words on second seasons for shows that I’ve already written about, where those second seasons don’t really merit a full reviewing on their own.

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Waste in the Wasteland – Children of the Whales Spoiler Review

It’s becoming a Christmas tradition for me to review a show I absolutely despise towards the end of December. And why not? Negativity is fun to write and to read; it’s probably what a lot of you are here for, and Haruhi knows I’ve wanted to tear into some of these shows for some time. And this time it’s my miserable pleasure to open up on Children of the Whales.  Ho, ho, ho.

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Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 20 (S2E9)

Last week, the show was (apparently) preempted by a holiday broadcast, so after a break once again, we’re back with Shin and company talking about their feelings as the showdown with Pale Rider and his Morpho draws ever closer.

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Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 10

This episode is again a very needed beat in the story, serving as the hero’s darkest moment before turning things around at the climax, and it comes at the exact right time, with two episodes left for everything to go crazy and resolve.

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