Special:

For the most part, the special was just a bunch of shenanigans by the creator and some of the actors in Total Eclipse. There were some portions about the world, but most of which have already been covered in some respect. There was notable statistic though (included above in the second picture), which were the numbers on BETA force distribution:

  • Tank 45%
  • Grappler/Soldier/Warrior 15%
  • Destroyer 7%
  • Heavy Laser 1%
  • Laser/Fort <1%
  • Episode 15:

    「追い縋る十字架」 (Oi Sugaru Juujika)
    “Cross to Bear”

    The Argos Flight squadron’s back from Kamchatsky and it’s time for a breather… or not. In the world of Muv-Luv, if you’re an Eishi, there ain’t no such thing as a breather! At the most, you get the celebration party they get this episode, and then it’s back to work. And back to work it is, as it seems like our next arc will focus on TSF vs. TSF fighting (or in other words, company propaganda for profits). Just goes to show that in a world on the brink of destruction, there’s just no end to the petty quarrels and necessity for exclusive bragging rights.

    And speaking of exclusive rights, there was a notable bit about the EM Radiation Cannon in this episode, which noted how the parts were returned in a few days. It’s a time period that made it impossible for it to be thoroughly analyzed… which in turn begs the question why it was returned in the first place. One wonders if they indeed found a way to get into the tech or whether not it’s a Soviet ploy to try and get eyes away from the fiasco that occurred back in Kamchatsky. I mean, there’s just no way you could blame the Soviets for instigating all of this for the cannon when they returned it immediately after… right? Maybe? Definitely not to us viewers though. Either that, or there’s the potential that the Soviets themselves have a nice toy they believe is superior. Hmmm. Food for thought indeed.

    Moving back up to the TSF vs. TSF fights for a moment, I just have to say that there’s nothing like mock battle tournament where your test flight’s continued operation is at stake. Kinda reminds me of Macross Plus a bit, but alas, that’s a story for another time. In the meantime, it seems like this arc won’t have much BETA action, but at least that’s made up a bit by the official introduction of Lt. Cui Yufei and the arrival of some of Yuuya’s old “pals” from the US. The YF-22 Raptor’s in tow as well, and it’s gonna be a damn tough mock battle comin up, as the Raptor’s regarding as one of the most elite, all around TSFs in commission… providing equally effective anti-TSF and anti-BETA capabilities.

    Still, all of this pales in comparison to what I feel was the most important part of the episode: the realizations and developments that have come from the Kamchatsky arc. For one, Yui’s starting to realize her feelings for Yuuya… at the same time that both Inia and Cryska are revealing their affections. And yes, I say Cryska too, because not only has she suddenly opened up emotionally (smiling for once!) to Yuuya, but seemed to have dragged him on a wild goose chase looking for Inia too. Of course, there’s nothing to confirm my suspicions, but I get the gut feeling that Inia’s affections for Yuuya are slowly rubbing off on Cryska too per their ability to “read colors,” and if it’s true, it’ll be interesting to see how the side plot of Yui vs. Cryska/Inia play out in regards to Yuuya.

    And now that we’re on the topic of Yuuya, we can finally talk about the biggest development of them all, his acceptance of himself as a Japanese American. It’s been a long time coming, but Yuuya seems to have finally accepted the Japanese side of himself, along with the pluses and minuses it brings… and it’s just nice to see (for lack of a better phrase). This was definitely one of the better done aspects of the series (the whole “I’m American” then accepting that he’s also part Japanese thing) in terms of development, and it was just nice to see it culminate in this. Not to mention it was a bit priceless to see both Yui and Sharon’s reactions to this admittance, which goes to show just how far he’s come since he arrived as some pissed off and arrogant Eishi. Like Vincent says, Yukon’s really been great for Yuuya, and it really shows. He’s just a stronger, more mature character now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this change is the one that leads him to victory in the coming tournament, despite the Raptor’s presence.

    All in all, a solid episode. After a two week break, it’s just nice seeing Total Eclipse again. And while there don’t seem to be any BETA on the horizon, it looks like we’ll at least get some nice TSF combat maneuvers and a more in depth look into various TSF models while we’re here on this arc. Until next week!

    Author’s Note: Special thanks to Verdant for assisting with the caps and the insane amount of full lengths! < (^_^<) Sadly my hard drive borked yesterday, so I lost the caps I took moments before... along with my New York Comic Con 2012 pictures. But due to the magic of technology, I have recovered most of the lost NYCC pictures, so you'll probably see a post on that in the coming days!

    Full-length images: 07.5, 09, 13, 13.5, 14, 15, 16, 24, 24.5, 25.1, 25.2, 27, 30, 32.1, 32.2, 33, 33.5.

     

    Preview

    73 Comments

      1. There actually isn’t a visual novel for TE. It’s coming out soon and is a sequel to the textual source material. So it’s a chalk up as to how the VN will be eh.

        The main series does have various routes though.

    1. strangely I want to see more of Yuuya’s mom…
      ok, Yui-hime is just so cute this week xD nice job, uncle guy xD
      can’t wait for the battle featuring that new mecha of Yuuya’s and this seemingly fearsome “raptor”…

      jrj
        1. What no love for the F-22 Raptor? Even the VN thinks they’re awesome.

          VN SPOILERS
          Show Spoiler ▼

          fragb85
    2. I really really hope Yuuya gets his head straight with Yui. She was so cute this episode. Remember, you promised the Captain Latrova you’d find someone to protect!

      Oh, and Taris running into Bridges and just utterly blushing was seriously a highlight in this episode. Obvious much?

      Horus
    3. No wonder I’ve been wondering why there a lack of something in Monday…. Its MLA TE!! Lol. (^.^;)

      Welp I’ll have to enjoy those screenies til I am free lol. Is it me or there a full length screenie spam season coming XD Kudos to Verdant and Zephyr.

      D-LaN
    4. 1. Yui started to notice her own feelings… success! Everybody else noticed first(save Yuuya of course…)
      2. Everybody party because were back from front and alive!
      3. Enter Cui Yufei 🙂 I like her already… Cant wait to see duel with Yuuya (or with Yui with Yuuya as a prize…)
      4. Inia is missing Yuuya and Cryska gets infected…
      5. Some former US (army? air force? who operates TSFs anyway?) teammates show
      6. and they brought Raptor 🙂 (Boromir: They have a cave troll!)

      TL:DR Back from “Aliens” to the “Top Gun” routine & romance!

      ewok40k
    5. Loved the development shown. Laughed at a few bits; notably Tarisa telling Cui Yufei that there’s an Eishi that’s a good lay “over there”.

      Also had to laugh at the entrance of the Raptor. While awesome; the only thing I could keep thinking of was Leon going deaf from those engines while trying to keep looking cool in front of his girlfriend’s ex.

      Also, can’t wait for more TSF on TSF action. Along with Yuuya’s continued harem-building. Of both TSFs and girls.

      (No cookies for those that get the reference; only DESPAIR.)

      Lurker
    6. so the Harem is continuing to grow. Next is the american eishi who came to alaska with the other 2 eishi. She immediatly recognised Yuuya when he was banging up Criska.

      Possible Spoiler
      Also the super weapon of the soviets are those twins who can become some entranced murder duo all smiles and no eyes. (as seen in eps 10 or 11 while battling the BETA).
      Spoiler end.

      In my opinon it takes too long before they actually do something with it… plot wise cuz character wise they are all super dense idiots.
      Even in 30 years they haven’t changed tactics from mass line formations which were outdated in 1865 and they just keep on using them and getting killed…

      Mike4DOA
      1. You’re saying the tactics are outdated, but against an enemy whose major threat is sheer numbers, the only response is the have mass line formations that catch them in the cross fire. The only reason mass line formations are outdated in our world is because it’s stupid to exchange fire with an opponent who’ll just snipe you down. The BETA for the most part have shown themselves to just charge with reckless abandon, so this tactic is ideal in ensuring a line of fire and an ideal counter against numbers. Put a guy alone and they’ll most likely die, rather than inflict more damage. There are elite Eishi that can function in this environment as a solo operative, but are few and far between. And even they need back-up from time to time.

        In fact, there’s a whole giant discussion on tactics, their effectiveness, and why/when they’re used in the Muv-Luv Alternative Integral Works book. Some of this is also gone through in the source material. So they’re anything but outdated in the context of the Muv-Luv world.

        1. I know, there are many discussions about the military actions, espacially on the muv luv fan forums of the games.
          The point remains the tactics of red coat formations being unusable remain.

          Considering the fact they can’t breach the armor of the destroyer class is foremost among them. they stand there and get killed. end of story.
          they choose their grounds where they are not in the advantage, like open fields. This is like watching World War I. mass attacks by allied forces were easilly repelled by the Germans in using cross positioned machine guns for murder holes, obstructions which held of the early armored vehicules and infantry charges.

          That said my main issue is that the Muv Luv ALt tactics are less developed considering a 30 year war with high tech robots which go boom the second they are touched. If they are gonna make a human like fighter robot, they should take notes from for instance battle tech. these TSF are like Nitroglycerine bottles. Shake’em a lill’bit and insta scrap-metal.

          Now I’m waiting till next eps to see is the 094 model will hold itself against the Chinese and hopefully also the US Raptor.

          Mike4DOA
        2. Even the Destroyer classes have small frontal weaknesses in the leg portions and the side. You’ll note from the statistics that they only make up 7% of the typical BETA force, so the armour nullification is negligible overall. In addition, only rookies waste their time shooting them and are told off for doing so immediately. Typical Eishi shred everything except the Destroyer class and either let the side flanks do them or allow them to run past, where their limited mobility allows them to be sniped easily.

          The point of a TSF, especially in the current generation is mobility, so the point usually is to do as much damage as possible while ensuring they don’t get past a certain defensive line, then jump into the fray or fall back to a secondary line/side flank. Those that die from standing around are usually due to rookie mistakes, panicking, failure on part of the commander, or other uncontrollable elements like eradication of your back-up/flanks, rather than on part of the formation itself. It seems like a lot of people are dying because they’re just standing around, but most of the Eishi who survive the initial 8 minutes do realize this fact and do learn to maneuver properly when needed. The problem is the situation is so dire you sometimes have to rush newbies onto the field and well, they’re the ones you see mostly standing and dying, like in the beginning of Total Eclipse. All other examples you’ve seen in the series are also people either trying to hold to line so others can escape, panicked, or other reasons listed above. It’s not necessarily the tactic at fault and there are various formations that are dynamic and alter as they go.

          As for the grounds chosen, sometimes you just can’t decide when or where you fight them off, and sometimes there are civilians living in whatever little space you have left that’s still under your control. Typical military discipline says you have to do the most with what you’re given and that’s what they’re given.

          As for the whole “too fragile” aspect, like I said, there are reasons for that too. For one, the BETA are harder than diamonds in some aspects (such as destroyer shells) or have elements that would easily trash any man-made material. Combine that with the fact laser classes’ lasers bore through any armour within seconds and it’s why modern TSF’s have developed designs that are top heavy for easily mobility and maneuverability over armour. Earlier counterparts had heavily armour, but it was quickly realized there was no real tangible benefit of the armour gain versus the weight gain/maneuverability lost. Modern TSF’s thus have maximum maneuverability to increase evasion and thus survival, while keeping enough armour plating to survive a few seconds of laser exposure, and an automatic laser warning system that auto-evades them for you.

        3. Battletech is the worst example you can give to fight BETA since all their tactics and design philosophies come from battling other mechs and not alien hordes. Barring some of the light and medium battlemechs have no maneuverability whatsoever to withdraw from on approaching horde or fly over when surronded. Once the Tank BETA horde on them they will pretty much be chewed to scraps.

          Warhammer 40K would have been more appropriate, that has actual alien hordes.

          fragb85
      2. Just a quick correction to the article, the Raptor shown at the end is the F-22A Raptor EMD Phase 2 (http://muvluv.wikia.com/wiki/F-22A_Raptor#F-22A_Raptor_EMD_Phase2). This is basically the model right before mass production that eliminates many faults in the YF-22 prototype.

        As for mass lines used against the BETAs, Mike4DOA, are you talking about the tanks or TSFs in mass lines? For the TSFs, the design philosophy for the 1st gen F-4 was to hold ground and have the armor to withstand attacks. We know how that fares in the 1st two episodes of Total Eclipse. They have since transitioned toward more maneuvering around the BETAs with faster and maneuverable TSFs in the 2nd and 3rd generations. We see this in the JIVES simulation in episode 4 where most of Argos Flight are moving around the BETA hoard (Yuuya being the exception because of his inexperience and frustration with the Fubuki). Sometimes, though, you just have to hold your ground. The main example we see is when the Zhar battalion had to cover the retreat of the tanks in episode 9 or when Yui’s superior, Kyoko, had to buy time for the Imperial Army to regroup in episode 13.

        As for the mass lines of tanks, they don’t have the maneuverability of TSFs so putting them in a line is probably the only way to use them.

        MacrossFan
        1. Slight correction to your correction, YF-22 were the prototypes but F-22 Raptors were already being deployed since March. The EMD Phase 2 are just modified versions to refine the technology of the Raptor. The Infinities use them since they are the test pilots of the Raptor like Yuuya used to be.

          Also Tanks aren’t useless in battle. Chalk that up to the animes poor portrayal again. They are very good for long range fire-support and are fast enough to withdraw when BETA approach them. They of course still need to be covered by TSF forces. Muv-Luv has always been an advocate of integrated arms in battle.

          fragb85
        2. fragb85, EMD stands for Engineering Manufacturing Development. This specifically means that the F-22A EMD Phase2 is a pre-production model for continued testing and refinement. Details about this term:

          http://www.acqnotes.com/Acquisitions/EMD%20Phase.html

          The Infinities is a combat training group so the EMD Phase2 is enough (since it is close enough to the mass-produced F-22A) for them to develop a combat manual for the new stealth TSF. Since production for the Raptor was probably difficult and the US may not want to divert precious units for training purposes, it would be a waste not to use the EMD Phase2 for this specific purpose if it is not meant to be used in the field.

          MacrossFan
      3. While you have the explanations above and below, I suggest you read the VNs.

        >Possible Spoiler
        Also the super weapon of the soviets are those twins who can become some entranced murder duo all smiles and no eyes. (as seen in eps 10 or 11 while battling the BETA).
        Spoiler end.

        Okay, you SERIOUSLY have to read the VNs.

        Sol
      4. Against an enemies which numbers at least tenfold of human’s force size and 99% of them are melee/close range combatant, i don’t see the reason why not to use the proven “mass line formations” which provide maximum firing coverage…

        Of course, that why they have the Destroyer Class and Laser Classes to improve breaking rate since the enemy is not a complete fool too. War is never one sided.

        Bakaro
    7. Yuuya has now officially reached man-whore status. Yui’s is all dere for him to the point that everyone but Yuuya can see it, even her own uncle from a long-range communication. Cryska’s already willing to trust him for assistance. The Chinese girl Yifei is pretty fascinated by his skill and his half-breed status. And finally his former squadmate Sharon is back in his life. That’s a lot of flags crammed into a 22 minute episode. He was also staring at his Shiranui for a few minues (yes she totatlly counts).

      Speaking of Yifei I was aware she has the same voice actor as Madoka, but she was practically channeling a more serious Kyouno Madoka on the battles. Pretty appropriate too, since Yifei is Bao-Feng’s Storm Vanguard 1. I think Kaori has some skill for hot-blooded roles.

      I’m also happy I get to see the the F-22 Raptor animated (did Leon stand like that just to show off a cool entrnace?). Its one of favorite TSF.

      fragb85
        1. What the hell……the range of that Laser-class exceeds any real life anti-aircraft weapon system……I don’t even think any nukes have that kind of range! The BETAs are waaaaaaayyy too overpowered dammit!

          Rozan
        2. There’s a reason why info presented in the VNs and side materials say the laser species weren’t “cheap” to produce by the BETA, and why they can’t be produced by small-scale hives, thus only being seen near more established hives.

          Show Spoiler ▼

          Lurker
    8. Finally it’s out! Such a long wait…For a build-up episode of a new arc, things sure look interesting. New casts have join the crew, and a upcoming tournament event!

      I actually feel that the tournament is a good thing. It serve as a good testing ground for new TSF, and also a good break/morale boost for soldiers that have been in front line since forever. Not feeling death around you it’s a hard-to-come-by luxury in MLA world.

      It’s good training ground too. Tactics against human aside, handling skills and situation decision skills sure are beneficial to the Pilot survival.

      PS: Yuuya’s harem count +2(Inia and Cryska), grand total of 4(Yui, Tarisa). Cui Yufei sure look like a new potential candidate…

      Bakaro
    9. Is there anyway I can read the whole story of the LN? I’m one of those impatient guy who don’t really care for spoilers and just want to know what happen next asap. (Hell I look up Dark Knight Rises on wiki before going to the movie!) =p

      Ghost
    10. Even Yui’s uncle knows she’s in love! Damn! Yui just go for it!! On a side note, since there’s an F-22 Raptor TSF, does that mean there will be the Hindustan-Sukhoi FGFA, PAK FA, F-35 Lightning II or the Chengdu J-20? (I’m assuming that the namesake of the TSFs are based on real life fighter jets)

      Rozan
        1. Aww man…….it’ll be really cool if PAK FA, FGFA, Chengdu J-20 actually existed in Muv Luv, and all the nations would probably be on par with each other, rather than just having US dominating the military scene. It’ll be equally awesome if the Zumwalt Class existed as well, that ship can probably take out any BETA with its railgun.

          Rozan
      1. The F-35 Lightning does exist although all that is available is a pic and not much details.

        And yes, TSF mirrors Jet Fighter development because Jet Fighters don’t exist in this world because Laser BETA made them obsolete. The only original ones are the Japanese TSF since there are no domestic Japanese fighters in real life.

        fragb85
    11. The arrival of the Raptor was pretty cool.

      Meanwhile:

      I am still playing the Alternative VN (see past comments) and 10 mins ago I arrived at THAT scene. I closed my mouth 1 min ago. That’s all I’ll say for now. 🙁

      boingman
        1. @This statement is a lie:
          Oh thanks, maybe that will help me get some sleep. For some reason though I am afraid to go to bed now. 😀

          @fragb85:
          Good, some GAR is now in order to make me feel better.

          And now back to reading/playing. 🙁

          boingman
      1. Congratulations you are now fully initiated to Muv-Luv! Hope you have a bottle to store all the manly tears that will follow. At least take comfort that there will also be plenty of GAR.

        fragb85
      2. You haven’t yet appeased Kouki. Until you’re unable to sleep, unable to feel, and unable to cry, you have not reached the required amount of DESPAIR that Kouki requires as sacrifice.

        …May the deity of your choice have mercy on your soul.

        Salute.GIF

        Lurker
      3. I saved at a certain scene before the reveal what actually happened. I have a very good guess though, but I’d like to sleep, so I’ll continue tomorrow, or maybe, better, in a few days. 😀

        boingman
      4. Welcome to the party, you are one of us now. This VN sure have made a river of manly tears.
        Read on! Things get better from now on.

        For so many to be so emotional attached and affected, this truly show the author’s power of story telling. If only there is a true sequel…

        Bakaro
    12. finally, a good episode in this series…everything turned out great for Yuuya it seems….with Cryska now slowly falling for him and vice versa (i guess…) and we’ve got a mecha tournament ahead of us!!!!i still hope they are not gonna forget the underlying force of the series…BETA…

      kingofconquerors
    13. I’m a neophyte at this, so maybe I’m stating the obvious, but it seems this arc will build on early comments that American hardware is built to be a bull in a china shop, while the Japanese hardware is more finesse. In these wargames, the American will have the upper hand at first, but Yuuya’s new acceptance of the Japanese hardware and his ability to ‘be one’ with it will finally gain the upper hand.

      Oh, and I don’t think Cryska killed the Russian group commander and we’ll see her again.

      Sentimental ole’ me…

      SmithCB
      1. In case you haven’t noticed, the XFJ has been clearly set out as a joint Japanese-American project. The Shiranui 2nd Phase 2 is really a melding of the best of two countries rather than spouting Japanese awesomeness.

        Muv-Luv empathizes that a countries design philosophies are different not necessarily better. American TSF are very maneuverable because of their TSF powerful engines with brute force application. So when American engineers saw the maneuverability of the Shiranui they assumed it had kick-ass engines. They were surprised (and impressed) that the Shiranui’s engines were crap. The Shiranui’s maneuverability comes from its frame where it makes itself more aerodynamic. This is why Yuuya had difficulty at first for its sensitivity since he was more used to relying on a TSF engines to move around.

        As for the Raptor, its a monster with a 7:1 kill ratio against a Shiranui. It along with Japan’s Type-00R Takemikazuchi and Russia’s SU-47 Berkut are considered by the fandom as the three best TSF in the world and with good reason. Yuuya would have his work cut out for him.

        Also Commander Latrova is very dead. Sentiment doesn’t keep characters alive in Muv-Luv. VN readers learned that the hard way.

        fragb85
    14. Total Eclipse returns with romance, rivalry, the Raptor, and the ever growing beast that is Yuuya’s harem.

      Once again external forces get in the way of the fight with the BETA, as demonstrated numerous times by the Soviet Union in Kamchatka, as instead of prepping TSF’s for combat against them, the Blue Flag Exercises are nothing more than competitions between companies so that they can show each other up. Both pilots and TSF’s need frontline experience against the BETA, otherwise the death count will skyrocket. Kamchatka may have been crazy, but at least Argos and the other flights were able to get valuable experience fighting the BETA. I’d say that’s worth more than any experience they could get fighting each other, especially when dealing with the BETA.

      Of course the perfect candidate to point this out is none other than the very much changed Yuuya, whose growth was showcased throughout this episode. He’s completely dropped his bias against the Japanese, finally accepting that part of his heritage, and has now dedicated himself to fulfilling his mission as an Eishi and protecting those closest to him as Latrova did. Of course, he hasn’t completely changed, as he can still talk back with the best of them as demonstrated with Leon, but overall he’s a matured very much from the Top Gun pilot he was in the beginning.

      Yui’s love epiphany and subsequent Dere-Dere scenes were priceless. That it took her uncle of all people to point out how she’d fallen in love pretty much sums up how inexperienced Yui is at the whole romance thing, but thankfully Stella is there to give her a push in the right direction. She’s seen first hand how much Yui cares about Yuuya, when she practically broke down at the thought that he wouldn’t make it out Kamchatka alive, and Stella probably feels a sort of closeness with Yui after seeing her at her weakest. Stella sees that Yuuya makes Yui happy, and feels that its up to her to steer Yui in the right direction to win his heart. Of course, Yui will have her work cut out for her with the competition…

      Yuuya finally gets Cryska to start defrosting, a task that seemed near impossible in Kamchatka, and it looks like the love triangle between Yuuya, Yui, and Cryska is going to solidify very soon. I’m definitely looking forward to more Yuuya/Cryska in the future, and maybe even a Dere moment from Cryska?

      I am quite curious about what it is about Yuuya, and by extension Yui, that attracts Inia to them. What is it about their colors that sets them apart from everyone else at the Yukon? I won’t deny that Yuuya and Yui are good people, but I wouldn’t think there’s anything about the two that makes them different. Hopefully what the colors mean will get addressed in the future.

      Cui Yufei is certainly an interesting addition to the cast… and quite forward. I can see her further interactions with Yuuya and the rest of his harem being quite entertaining. And thankfully she brought up once again how invaluable Yuuya was in firing the railgun, something he’s been unfairly undervaluing even when told otherwise. I remember her look of awe when she saw the Type-99 wipe the floor with the BETA, which was probably the seed for her current attraction to Yuuya.

      Though I could do without the addition of Yuuya’s “buddy” Kuze, and while I’m hoping he gets his smug face handed to him by Yuuya, he has a distinct advantage with the Raptor. Though Yuuya does have more overall experience in the 94-Second, which might just even the playing field.

      I got a good chuckle out of Vincent commenting about Yuuya being in love with the Shirauni, bringing up in-universe the meme of how he’s in love with only TSF’s and has a harem of them that’s just as big as his female harem.

      I can’t wait next week for Argos Flight vs. Baofeng Flight with the in action debut of the Shirauni Phase 2!

      Frontier
    15. Lol with all the ship teasing it sure feels like its time to choose a route lol. Too bad its not up to us to pick a girl XD

      Also, Leon stop showing off…You could’ve blasted yourself 😛

      D-LaN

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