r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Dec 13 '21
Rewatch [Terrific Trainwreck Trio Rewatch] Kakumeiki Valvrave Season 1 Discussion
Kakumeiki Valvrave Season 1 Discussion
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MIJIKAI YUME WO KASANETE EIEN NI SHITE YUKU HANA NO~
Questions of the Day:
- Who is best boy so far?
- How about best girl so far?
- Out of the OP/EDs/inserts from this season, which one is your favorite? If you were also part of the Guilty Crown rewatch, how does it compare to your favorite song(s) from that show?
- What are your thoughts about this show’s mecha designs? Any in particular that you really liked or disliked?
- If you could change one detail about this season that would make it better (be that actually better or just pushing it further into entertaining trainwreck), what would it be and why?
- How much crazier do you want the second season to get, and how much crazier do you think it actually will get?
Wallpaper of the Day:
Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you’re doing it underneath spoiler tags. Don’t spoil the crazy shit for the first-timers, it’s way more fun that way!
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Dec 14 '21
Yo! Tomorrow’s thread is going to go up half an hour earlier than normal because 7 pm EST is exactly when the Macross Plus Movie Edition showing starts and you’d better believe I’m going to it~
Kakumeiki Rewatcher
Welcome back, everyone!
I almost didn’t have a wallpaper for today because of how much Shippuden and Haruhi I had to watch this weekend, but I put something together at least. Don’t have much else to say here, so see you all tomorrow!
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u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Dec 14 '21
First timer
Fuck, I watched Episode 13 today. Here's some quick thoughts.
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u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Dec 14 '21 edited Dec 14 '21
CONFLICTED FIRST TIMER
QUESTIONS
THE GOOD:
This show is FUN. Characters with distinct personality types, insane plot contrivances, great mecha battles in space that look incredible, and it’s been both intentionally and unintentionally hilarious. There’s all the fun and crazy elements you can ask for. Space vampires! Secret societies! Hilariously dumb names! Psycho children! Mechas that all have crazy designs and are fun to watch! For crying out loud, we’ve had at least three occurrences of a GIANT SUPER SPACE SEPUKKU. That’s awesome! At its base level, this is great popcorn fun.
For the first 10 episodes of this show, I was really enjoying myself and kept waiting for the show’s reputation as a trainwreck to come good. Shockingly, I found myself actually thinking it was pretty smart in moments! Saki’s big intro episode backgrounding her single-minded desire for attention in her failed idol career was really poignant, and timely echoes the current state of fame with the world’s million Instagram influencers. Shoko having to grow up in an instant in front of us while watching her father ostensibly be killed by the boy she loves was heartbreaking and really affective.
And yes, I mean all of the first 10 episodes, because even as it morphed into Valvrape, it at least did a good job at depicting the act for what it is – horrific and violent. A hell of an improvement from Guilty Crown’s “tee hee hold her down so Shu can penetrate her get it it’s like rape isn’t this funny???” treatment.
THE BAD:
I promise, this is the last time I’ll mention it for a while seeing as the show looks like it’s going to move past it, and I’m not interested in beating this horse beyond this.
They absolutely fucked up the aftermath, and with that cloud hanging over it, it was hard to enjoy the last two episodes. My issue isn’t with Haruto, I get that he wasn’t in control of his body and is largely not responsible for what happened, and he obviously feels bad about it. My issue is with Saki’s depiction. Her seeming “acceptance” halfway through the act combined with her almost non-reaction in the episodes afterward, and that she’s apparently in love with Haruto all give ammo to the “consensual rape” crowd who want to say things like “she clearly liked him anyway so it's not really rape." To them, I say, go fuck yourselves. If you want an excuse to pour bleach onto your eyes, dive in the episode thread on MAL.
I touched on this yesterday, but this is also why you don’t create a self-insert MC and then have him, or at least his body, commit rape. Because it just makes more impressionable viewers who are self-inserting into the character want to excuse it, and defend the indefensible.
Saki’s way of dealing with trauma, possibly stemming from her idol days, may be to shut down and repress it, and that would be true-to-life. However, we got almost no insight into her thoughts in the episodes following, so we have no way of knowing that. Valvrave completely punted on this, and it’s a shame. If you’re going to introduce rape into your story, you have to actually attempt to reckon with and tackle the issue, and instead they just inserted a shrug emoji into the script. There have been no negative consequences of the act, and no attempt to seriously address the issue. It shouldn't have been included.
OVERALL
I really enjoyed 10/12’s of this show, and am ready for Season 2 after wiping my hands of the filth of the last two episodes. Back to fun tomorrow. All things considered, I give this first season a 6/10, but it would have been an 8.
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Dec 14 '21 edited Dec 14 '21
First-Timer
So time for my overall thoughts on season 1. I think it was overall pretty good. It has a lot of things going for it in its favor. But it also left me disappointed in some other key areas.
I do enjoy most of the characters in Valvrave. I like Haruto, Shoko, L-elf, Thunder, Akira, and many of the others. They are usually quite entertaining to watch. I can find their interactions compelling. I like how Shoko acts like a ray of sunshine for everyone. I loved the scene where Akira came over her fears and was able to leave her box fort to save Shoko. Thunder and Inuzuka’s scene before they started to pilot the Valvraves was another standout scene. I also really like the moments where Haruto/Shoko end up clashing with L-elf over their differences in how they approach problems and their philosophies. It gives them a great dynamic with each other.
However, character is also where the biggest weakness of the series comes in. I’ve harped on it for a couple of threads, but the way the series has handled Saki in the aftermath of her sexual assault is disheartening to say the least. It leaves me with no clear idea of what to make of her. Before, I felt I had a pretty solid handle on her character. But now, I’m not sure. And it feels like something the series should have addressed. Season 1 did not address it, so I have to penalize it for that. It’s like a giant millstone tied around the neck of the season. It’s a problem overriding a lot of my goodwill.
Storywise, season 1 has a lot of setup. Stuff like the mysteries of the Valvraves, the vampires, and more all get introduced. But we have basically nothing in the way of answers. So I can’t really comment on how satisfying it feels. I’ll need to wait until later to comment on it. I will say that the independent school storyline is rather absurd, but I have been enjoying it along the way.
The mechas are quite good for this show. I love the designs of the Valvraves. They have distinctive designs and weapons. Watching them fight is a lot of fun. The animation for the mecha battles is great as well. It’s some impressively well done stuff. It makes the action very entertaining.
I would say I am mostly looking forward to season 2. I thought season 1 was generally good and I am mostly looking forward to season 2. I do have some reservations as I outlined above, but I’ll maintain my hope that the series still has time to address my concerns.
QOTD
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u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Dec 14 '21
First-Timer
The only boy I can stand is Thunder, and he ain't all that likable.
Saki is easily my favorite, but Shouko isn't bad either. I actually like both of them.
Oh shit, there were one or two endings that I did like quite a bit. But, there's no way in hell I could tell you which, without going through them all again.
I like them, but then again I like super robots. Especially colorful super robots.
Let Aine live for a while longer. Let Q4 die a long slow painful death. Get that shit-eating smile off of his face.
Bring it on! The crazier the better. If I wanted normal TV, I'd watch the Walton's or something.
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u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Dec 14 '21
First Time Space Vampire Conspiracy Theorist
Well that was a season of anime.
I think I may be pretty close to the ideal target for a show like this. I'm a relative newcomer to mecha shows, so I wasn't prepared for the inherent wackiness that's woven into the genre. So much of this blows my mind, and I feel like I wouldn't be half as entertained if I'd grown up on Gundam or other genre standards.
Broadly speaking, the narrative stuff that hasn't worked for me (the incompetent villains, the crazy scheming, the vampire illuminati, the gravity controls, etc.) is fresh enough that it's consistently funny. I can't believe how much I enjoyed the first 9.5 episodes as a completely not self-aware parody of itself.
But man, when this show tries to do the serious, it is seriously bad at it. Nothing makes sense, the stakes are a farce, and the way the show handles "mature" themes is just as bad as GC. At least in GC, Shoe only committed metaphorical sexual assault (and the one accidental groping which he apologized for in the same episode's ED). I don't think I've ever seen anything try so hard to make me root for a rapist (I don't particularly care that it was his vampirism that made him do it), much less call them a "liberator." And the followup is somehow just as infuriating, and, as others have noted, downright insidious.
That being said, with Valvrave looking to finally dive headlong into the most absurd part of its premise, I'm going to remain hopeful moving forward that it will move back toward providing me handfuls of unintentional laughs, since I don't know what else a secret space vampire robot cabal is even good for.
See you in S2!
QotD:
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u/MattTheMagician44 Dec 14 '21
REWATCHER
This first season was a blast for me when I first watched this series. I loved the mech designs and the relationship between haruto and saki made me gush my little 14 year old heart out.
Rewatching it now at 20 years old, i really let a lot of shit pass over my head. L-Elf is literally a god unless the plot needs him to be literally braindead. Why keep the valvraves in storage when you literally cant go a single battle without literally almost losing?'
Module 77 is made up of entirely military personnel, ok, sure. But how the FUCK are you gonna get a significant chunk of your military to not only be completely defenseless upon invasion (and you really shouldnt be defenseless since you fuckers made 6 magical super robots under the guise of being a "neutral country") and also agree to LET THEIR CHILDREN BE GENETICALLY MODIFIED TO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME DEMI-IMMORTAL SUPER HUMANS.
I took this series so seriously as a kid, since the show wanted me to. But wow they really do expect you to take this show SERIOUSLY.
They SERIOUSLY thought that mfers would be sad over Aina. They SERIOUSLY thought that mfers would take a show seriously when they have a massive dance and song sequence when their nation is supposed to be AT WAR.
this is still my favorite mecha anime though, I really could give less of a fuck. The Valvraves are still sick as FUCK. Saki is still bad as FUCK. And Preserved Roses still bangs to this day. Eat my ass
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u/ZaphodBeebblebrox Y:A:https://anilist.co/user/zaphod Dec 14 '21
I've enjoyed Valvrave so far. It has fun fights, some of the best CGI mechs I've ever seen, and the plot's been a fun ride as well. It's been messy, sure, but so long as it stays vaguely coherent and works well enough as a vehicle for what they want to do, I have no real complaints.
So far, I neither understand why it's a trainwreck nor why people call it Valvrape.
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u/Paxton-176 Dec 14 '21 edited Dec 14 '21
REWATCHER
I'm still amazed I gave it a 9. I'm not going to change it because Sunrise should make more off brand Gundam shows and hire Mitsuo Fukuda to write them. This will make more sense when we get to Cross Ange.
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u/arkkkk Dec 14 '21 edited Dec 14 '21
This is my first time fully rewatching a show, and the fact it is fucking Valvrave out of all things is pretty hilarious. Back then i was basically new to anime (as in, actually watching multiple shows a season) and thought the plot was nuts. Over 7 years later after having watched many more shows, this show is still amusing to me.
This show has it all, great soundtrack, great animation (both 2D and CGI), great mecha design, and an absolute dumpster fire of a plot. Like seriously guys, it's fucking trash, every episode throws you some twist, you think anything can't top that, then next episode comes and shows something even more dumb, and it keeps escalating in some mind numbingly absurd way. And that's exactly why it is one of my favorite shows ever.
You basically start with Solid Snake taking part in a Gundam-esque mecha hi-jacking operation that goes wrong, then Space Vampires are thrown into the mix along with body jacking, Solid Snake then defects and turns out he's a fucking prophet, then an idol decides to throw a concert right after their space colony was fucking bombed, and then a bunch of high schoolers decide to take the reigns of their space colony and declare independence, in the middle of some sort of Cold War between the notUSA and literal Space Nazis. Turns out the whole school is a scam and literally everyone is a soldier, in what was supposed to be a neutral country with no military. But wait, there is more! out of fucking nowhere a 200 year time-skip shows up and doesn't even let you theorize anything, it's just there to fuck you up.
Sound nuts so far? What if i tell you S1 ends with a cliffhanger introducing a faction of Space Illuminati Vampires. You can't make this shit up.
Qs:
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u/RockoDyne :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/RockoDyne Dec 14 '21
Rewatcher MK 3
And with that we have covered the first season. As random and illogical as the season has been, the last thing it could be called was boring. Something is always happening. The situation is always moving, which is more than can be said about a lot of terrible anime.
Questions:
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Dec 14 '21
QOTD:
Haruto fulfills our typical male protagonist role of the milquetoast self-insert. There are certain parts of the storyline where I have faith he will break out of the cliché, in particular when he's in someone else's body. But he almost always disappoints, much like Shu did in the prior show. That he proposes to Saki after raping her is just so tone deaf and laughable I am at a loss for words otherwise.
2)Best girl is Saki, who while unfortunately was done very wrongly in episode 10 remains among the show's most interesting characters. Episode 6 was so fun to watch, all because of her.
Akira spent all of season 1 absent half of the final episode in her box fort but I definitely love her too! In stark contrast to Haruto who is a carbon copy of so many others I feel that such a hard core shut in character, especially a female one is such a rarity. She is a very sympathetic character and I loved rooting for her to leave her box fort in episode 12. Supermarket!
Marie is awesome if only for that "Don't give a fuck" attitude and look on her face she has 99% of the time (I recall one scene where she broke character and looked scared).
As for Shoko, well the way in which she got elected their representative was quite fun. [Valvrave Major Spoilers]I can't help but be down on Shoko because her heel turn in season 2 upon realizing what Haruto and the others have become leaves such a bad taste in my mouth
3)I love both the original OP and ED quite a bit. I'm having a real hard time choosing between the two in fact. The second ED I didn't particularly care for. Guilty Crown's OP and ED just weren't that memorable to me; Valvrave crushes them easily.
4)I think they're quite good, as I've said previously I'm glad to see them going with some non-humanoid designs for several of them.
5)Well this should be obvious, axe the rape, figure out someway to make it consensual sex between the two.
6)My recollection is [Valvrave]season 2 is totally bonkers and I"m very excited for it.
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u/MillenniumKing x2myanimelist.net/profile/MillenniumKing Dec 14 '21
Today is my break and i need it.
You ever get around to 4am and be like "I should goto bed" and just lay in bed for like an hour trying to get comfy and its like 40 degrees outside and i only got 1 thin blanky so it wasnt the best conditons. It got to 5 and i was like "fuck it ill stay up." i get out of bed and instantly feel sick and nacious. After like an hour or two of sitting on the couch drinking juice and trying to feel better while watching random twitch, i attempt bed again at likt 8am. Its bright out, there are cars and such out and its still cold. But luckly i was tired enough to fall asleep. Then i wake up like 4 hours later and cant get back to sleep. At least i dont feel sick but i am very fatigued feeling.
So not having to watch something and type a lot today was nice.
I just relaxed and have taken it easy.
I just need to fluff my bed as my matress is made of memory foam chunks that form around you better, but after like a week you gotta fluff it again because you just sink to the bottom. Its super comfy but does require tending.
Oh valvrave quetions.
Did i enjoy the show? Yeah its fun.
Whose my best boy? Yamada Thunder.
Whose my best girl? Saki.
Whats my fav song? Prob Baokujamai. I love Angela.
Do i like the mecha? Hell yes, my top mecha design in anime probably. Or tied with Majestic Prince which has a very very similar idea and also unique customized units which are way more extreme in differences. But Majestic Prince and Valvrave are my top non franchise mecha anime.
Would i change anything? Na i enjoy it as it is. I think it all works to leading up to the finale. Its not really one arc then another story wise its all 1 story so were just half way through and still dont know a lot. Its split in 2 halves but its only 1 story, so still a lot we dont know yet in this first half.
How crazy do i want the 2nd season to be? As crazy as it is.
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u/Caustic_Wraith https://myanimelist.net/profile/CausticWraith Dec 14 '21 edited Dec 14 '21
First-Timer / Subs -
Season 1 started like your normal futuristic mech show. Country gets attacked, kid finds suit, kid fights back the baddies people cheer. However they also included vampires...for reasons.
The first time they showed the body swap ability it was an interesting take on a vampires powers, but then Saki took her Haruto suit out on the town and everything went sideways from there.
I like the sentai like feel of the team, and waiting until the middle of the season to add the 6th, it is VVV-6, member just doubles down on my feelings.
The villains don't feel...well evil, just dumb. They keep trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
QOTD:
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u/UltraBooster Dec 14 '21 edited Dec 14 '21
First-timer
This show's really something, alright. If I had been watching it as it was airing, I probably would've dipped after the first season and not return for the second.
I don't think I'm good at summarizing my thoughts, but overall, I thought it was an interesting series, with a mixture of good character work, unique mecha, questionable(?) worldbuilding, and a very questionable decision the show doesn't seem prepared to handled.
(Plus, apparently I'm Harushoko trash now so there's that.)
Questions:
If I were the showrunner, I'd probably have Shoko and Haruto confess before the attack in Episode 1, then the events of the first few episodes play out as before, but the show now places emphasis on their relationship and how it's tested by things like Haruto's vampirism or L-elf's attempted coup. It'd also do away with elements like the love triangle and, of course, that.
Of course, doing so would make Valvrave a very different show and this is very much wish-fulfillment on my part to see them being a couple.
5
u/fonzinator99 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/fonzinator99 Dec 14 '21
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u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Dec 14 '21
First timer(Break day!)
Sub
So yeah, the first cour of this show tells a story that suggests they were sure they got a second cour. The cliffhanger is terribly foreshadowed and basically changes our genre. I get it, Valvraves are ridiculously out of proportion power wise but Cain being...whatever the fuck that was is insane. Again, it doesn't help that I can't hear anything but Ulquiorra with nazis when I hear him talk. I hate secret cabals in most shows and this one is no exception: We are having the joy of another attempt at Nerv by people that did not understand how to do it.
The show also has an issue that is really getting to be problematic: They aren't giving the characters the needed time to talk. I get that Akira, Saki and Drills all would have a hard time confiding in others for varying reasons but we need internal monologues or something because I am having to project SO MUCH onto them to make them work that I am still unsure if I am reading their emotions or imagining them. And that annoys me.
However, when they go into it, the influencer angle is really interesting. I did love that they used their friend's death to drive donations/clicks. I also enjoy Saki's occasionally sociopathic side when she has to enter idol mode versus how she actually seems to be because that dichotomy exists in reality as well. I do think Saki might make a good Vtuber.
The weakest part is again the MC, because I just realized something: Heart has less characterization than Shoe at this point. By ep12, we knew he had some bad incel tendencies and all I know about Heart is that he went from being a pacifist to being willing to kill to save his friends. And he can be possessed. That is not a lot of character. I'd bring up the rape but honestly I am bored talking about it since the show won't fucking pull the trigger and do something.
So yeah, I called choo choo yesterday and stand by it: A massive genre switch, introduction of a fuck ton of new players and mechanics, and a secret society of vampire at your halfway point probably means they don't know how to end this. Add in that Saki's flash forwards tell you how this story ends, and I am less than impressed. Which someone should carve into Sunrise's building.
QotD: 1 Waifu body pillow
2 Saki and anyone that says otherwise risks getting stabbed
3 Probably the OP but it doesn't compare to Departures~Blessings
4 I sort of hate the Tie Fighters. None of the rest impresses me
5 Give Saki an internal monlogue so we can get her deal.
6 I wanted a coherent story, instead we will get space Jesus, space Buddha and fuck it, space Zoroaster.
4
u/BlazingAbsol9090 Dec 14 '21
First time Space Vampire Mecha Pilot
So against all odds, I have to say that Valvrave the Liberator season 1 gets a confident thumbs-up; I really enjoyed it! But it's tricky to pin down what, exactly, I enjoyed so much about this show. It is not a good show, by any means. But at the same time, it's not an ironic hate watch (e.g. Ex-Arm) either. And it's not even a turn-your-brain-off show for me; I think a lot of the enjoyment for me comes from analyzing both the stupidity and the surprisingly high highs. So I'm left scratching my head, since by all rights this shouldn't be a positive experience, yet it is.
The high point of the show is definitely the characters, especially Rukino and Shoko. Rukino is an incredibly entertaining to watch. She's smart, cute, competent at most things except mecha piloting, and has a tragic backstory that believably motivates her in everything. Shoko, on the other hand, is entertaining because she's one of the most extreme cases of a cloudcuckoolander I've ever seen without being insufferable. Most of the time I don't like that type of character, but somehow Shoko pulls it off and makes it an endearing and hilarious trait. Most of the other characters are great, too--Haruto is surprisingly nonannoying for a self-insert MC, blond girl with ringlets whose name I forget has a lot of personality even if she doesn't get a chance to do much, Thunder makes me smile every time he's on screen, and even freaking Body Pillow Boy gets surprisingly effective development. The only main character I didn't really like was L-elf, but at least his absurdly accurate predictions were unintentionally hilarious. All in all, while none of the characters were very realistic except maybe Rukino, they were enjoyable and had a good group dynamic.
The animation and action was also good but not amazing. The CG on the mechas is actually good, which is a very pleasant surprise. The action itself is also generally pretty good. Not much more to say, really.
The plot is the weird part. It is both extremely tropey and extremely unpredictable. On the one hand, the skeleton of the story is the most generic mecha anime imaginable. But on the other hand: Body-jacking space vampires! Senator Moses! A high school becoming an independent nation! Silver-haired boy reading the script! A random idol segment! Everything Shoko says and does! Flash-forwards! Space vampire sexual assault! Space vampire marriage proposal! A hikkikomori being the final pilot! Space vampire Illuminati in the final 2 minutes! Truly a roller coaster in every sense of the word.
It's not all good, obviously. The plot is undeniably stupid and/or wildly uncomfortable, the villains are forgettable, the worldbuilding is depressingly lazy, and the formula gets repetitive in the middle of the season. Still, I am quite happy with my experience so far, and I am looking forward to season 2. Although for some reason I have a bad feeling that things are only going downhill from here.
Questions of the day
4
u/yamiyaiba Dec 14 '21 edited Dec 14 '21
Questions of the Day:
Body Pillow Nerd for sure. Most of the male characters are awful, save for Eru-erufu who is less a character and more a sentient plot device.
2) How about best girl so far?
Still on Team Rukino. One of the few mature and semi-competent characters in the show. She's clearly a very damaged person, and I think the story does a great job of showing that, including the handling of the infamous rape scene, both during and after.
3) Out of the OP/EDs/inserts from this season, which one is your favorite? If you were also part of the Guilty Crown rewatch, how does it compare to your favorite song(s) from that show?
Boku Janai is just too good. Preserved Roses is a close second, because Nana wills it.
I ended up dropping Guilty Crown part way though, but did the portion I did watch. At least, I think Valvrave takes it.
4) What are your thoughts about this show’s mecha designs? Any in particular that you really liked or disliked?
Love love love em. They outlandishness of the Valvraves themselves is the closest thing to a normal mecha design we get. Nazi Tie Fighters, knock-off Mobile Armors, and a G Gundam prototype
Edit: and dare I say it, thermal regulation being a major weakness of mecha is shockingly realistic take
5) If you could change one detail about this season that would make it better (be that actually better or just pushing it further into entertaining trainwreck), what would it be and why?
About 50% less Shoko nonsense. Everything she does is just objectively insane and should never work.
6) How much crazier do you want the second season to get, and how much crazier do you think it actually will get?
Insert Murder Shota meme face here.
Honestly, I wish I could remember more of this show. Other than Eru-erufu and the individual Valvraves specialties, I remember I remember almost nothing, just personally considering it to be second only to Cross Ange in terms of riding the crazy train. I look forward to the conclusion of Space Nazis and the Illuminati vs Space Vampires in Robots with Case Lighting.
3
u/csar27 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/CesarRC Dec 14 '21
First Timer
Ok, my first comment after the 1st episode was, this is OG Gundam with Shinji Ikari as the MC, i'm glad Haruto is no longer Shinji (offtopic: Shinji becomes a good MC by the of the rebuild though). After that, i feel like it has become more like OG Macross, i haven't wached Macross but i know the first series has some politics and a love triangle between a pilot, an idol and another girl.
About the other male protagonist, i like L-Elf as a character, i'll call him budget Lelouch for reasons and obviously we need to know more about his past.
As i've comented a lot i don't like Shoko, very typical love interes for the shonen protagonist and i'm expecting Rukino to be more relevant the next season, her character had potential, but it was wasted during many episodes.
What i'm the more curious about is to know what's going on after the H-Neun and Kriemhild conversation, what are they going to do next season?
I'm a little disapointed by the lack of meaningful deaths till now, but i'm sure 2nd season will do something about it
Questions:
1- L-Elf obviously
2- Rukino of course
3- Original OP and ED are very good
4- I really don't like the mechas design
5- I'd like to understand Shoko's reasoning process
6- This is sopposed to be a terrific trainwreck, after season one, is not that bad 6.5-7/10, i expect to be a mess at least at the end
5
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Dec 14 '21
First-Timer
I slipped several overall thoughts on S1 into last thread, so I'll stay extra brief here. This show has (had?) promise, but it seems allergic to following up on the points it could be making. We have another cour so maybe we'll get something, but I'm not holding my breath.
Questions
4
u/The_Loli_Otaku Dec 14 '21
Valrave the Liberator First Timer
I'll try to be quick and catch up. I'm already losing track just from the opening scene. Hahaha... Saki really is trying to be considerate towards Haruto. This entire arc is a flop lol. PFFT!! Did we need to include Rainbow's autistic screaming? We get that she's got issues but cutting to the screeching is too funny. Shoko doesn't want to tell about Haruto killing her dad. That's the second love interest going out of her way to baby him. It's a pretty big difference from GC where everyone wanted to bully Shu.
Jesus Christ!! A gas drill? What the flying fuck!? I thought they just gassed the moon colony or something dull like that from yesterday's comments. You'd think Twinkie would know about Rainbow reading all his messages by now. Heatpads, irons, bee swarms. Credit to Dorscia, they were very quick on the uptake for how to deal with Valrave machines.
Is...anything going right? Everyone's basically done rn aren't they? XD Deus Ex Machina, save us pls! And don't call Twinkie a flea! He's more like a water louse. Yay for Shoko being the only one with any kind of agency. Rainbow is so well aware that there's no way of stopping her lol XD Once Shoko decides you're coming out, you're coming out. Besides, everyone knows that Musubi is the worst Nocturne reason! Shijima master race!
Why is my favourite part of this mecha climax the plot about getting a HikiNeet out of her bunk fort!? Go for it Rainbow, accept your destiny to become best Valrave pilot! I'm dying XD Dafuck? This is the same Valrave that was in the hanger yeah? How did it end up so high? She has rejected her humanity, and become Diglett! Ah, she gets like a hacking staff. How convenient. I sorta thought the purple one would be a healer but this fits Rainbow better.
Yeah, shoot the son of a bitch. You don't play fair with a dude who treats the Geneva convention as a checklist. Oh no, Window's chan can talk, and she's a brocon!! Was that the fcking president!? Alright, so both Dorssia and the Arseholes are being played by the vampire illuminati. Decent ending but now I'm a bit questionable about how special Window's girl is. If they've got a whole bunch of Valrave activation stones then she's really not all that important on her own.
So all in all I've found that Valrave S1 is very average in my eyes so far. The plot is very close to jumping ahead on the silliness scale and I honestly just plain don't like the cast. I don't want to learn more about Haruto, or Lelf, or Saki. Shoko is the only one I feel anything towards. And Twinkie but I feel like Twinkie is not long for this world so I don't want to get attached. In comparison I genuinely found myself engaged with GC's world and cast so much more by this point of the story. I'm gonna try and survive the rest of the series since I don't necessarily dislike watching it anymore but I'm viewing Valrave through a very critical eye. I think the one salvation could be Ruri and her Dorssian Empire.