First Impressions / Kakumeiki Valvrave

OP Sequence

OP:「Preserved Roses」by T.M.Revolution×水樹奈々 (T.M.Revolution x Nana Mizuki)

「666を超えて」 (Roppyaku-rokujū-roku o Koe te)
“Beyond 666”

Kakumeiki Valvrave might be keeping most of its secrets close at hand, but there’s one thing for sure – it’s an exceptionally entertaining show. Similar to Okouchi Ichiro’s previous work – Code Geass, there appears to be a fascinating dichotomy developing in the viewer’s reactions to Valvrave. Some rejoice at its complete lack of restraint and over-the-top storyline, while others are genuinely perturbed by its sheer farcicality and imprudence of its scene-building. I have no intention to discredit either sides, and there are certainly merits for both arguments. As for me, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I am a huge fan of second episode and I am now thoroughly immersed in the Valvrave experience, both intellectually and emotionally.

Sunrise’s latest mecha effort is a multi-faceted show, starting with the most obvious – the body-switching. It was an interesting twist that I wasn’t expecting and admittedly, I had my fair share of concerns about how the concept would be applied in this context. However, once it became clear just what Okouchi-san intends to do with the characters, any doubts I had quickly dissipated and I’ve come to fully embrace the outlandish plot device that Valvrave has presented. There’s certainly a fascinating dynamic of role reversal that is being explored here. Haruto, the alleged pacifist of the two leads has become the aggressor, hungry for blood and revenge. No doubt, such a dramatic change in his personality was empowered by the physical prowess and perhaps even the killing techniques of L-elf’s body. But judging from the violence he displayed in this episode, it has also been made evident that Haruto is a complex and somewhat puzzling individual. He’s definitely not one of your standard gutless male leads who are typically associated with such a role, but to what extent his body or character has changed due to the Valvrave will for now remain a mystery. What’s clear is that Haruto will continue to suffer through an identity crisis, both physically and psychologically, and the revelation that Shouko is in fact alive merely complicates the matter further.

Then there’s L-elf, who exists as one of the most fascinating element in the mix. The string of bizarre events has unquestionably boxed him into an extremely adverse situation and while I suspect his ultimate loyalty lies with Dorssia, he’s presently seen as an enemy from both sides. Hopeless as his current situation is, it’s also undeniable that L-elf’s keen survival instinct has served him very well, and I certainly wouldn’t be taken aback if he somehow pulls off a miracle and turns the strategic advantage in his favor. There’s so much more to discover with these characters and so far, the director has kept the intricacy and subtlety of the character development well-balanced. Rukino Saki (Tomatsu Haruka) is a character that stands out in that respect. For all her apathetic and dispassionate demeanor, she is not just a pretty face – not as smart as L-elf, but intelligent enough to figure out a way to reverse the body-switching. She has clearly shown an interest in Haruto and if the opening theme is any indication, she’ll represent the third point of the inevitable love triangle that is slowly brewing in the backdrop.

Say what you will about Kakumeiki Valvrave, but no question, the way the pieces of the puzzle are being fit together is truly remarkable. I have no doubt the bad blood between Haruto and L-elf has only intensified with the recent developments, and it’s only a matter of time before their paths clash again in a similar grand fashion. Needless to say, one of the key attractions of Valvrave is its fast-moving action scenes and the space combats of this episode certainly got my adrenaline pumping fast. The sight of the Valvrave wiping out his enemies with a huge beam saber that rivals that of SRX’s “Heaven and Earth Psychic Exploding Sword” is truly an amazing spectacle to behold. While I’m fully aware Super Robot-like abilities might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is part of the package deal of Valvrave and I am certain this will not be the last time we see such extravagant display of mecha capabilities.

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – Extravagant Super Robot action, body-switching and a brewing love triangle in the mix. Very Entertaining indeed! #Valvrave #Anime

Shameless Plug: I’m on twitter now! Follow me @SeishunRC for comments on anime (18 shows this spring) and manga (Magi, Fairy Tail, Claymore etc). If you have any feedbacks or simply wish to have a chat, you can also reach me at Seishun@randomc.net. I promise I won’t bite!

Full-length images: 05, 08, 11, 22, 27, 31, OP 03, OP 04.

 

ED1.01 Sequence

ED: 「僕じゃない」 (Boku Janai) by angela

Preview

216 Comments

      1. ha, so shouko is still alive. not that surprising. i was already expecting that, though i thought they would reveal that a few more episodes in. LOLed at the “they will kill her again later” idea. that would really be an ass-pull. kinda like how soap operas here in my country (i am filipino) kill off a character then revive them again only to be killed off again >:)

        flamerounin
        Reply

      2. flamerounin, because in the Philippines, milking the cow of a show is the number one objective, especially when the show is getting “good ratings” (I’m a Filipino too)

        I am strangely satisfied by this episode. The plot and the incoming harem looks interesting for me IMO.

        *Brofist*

        ImPossible
        Reply

  5. Man, I was so pissed at the at the Show Spoiler ▼

    Zhelot
    Reply

    2. Ah! I’m with you there. I too was hoping for an established relationship right from the start. But I guess a love triangle will always be the thing in these type of shows. Well, his hesitation will probably give the straightforward Saki a chance to get in there but even though her character seems interesting, I’m still rooting for Shoko . C’mon Haruto, just confess already. Shoko would likely be able to handle him being a “monster” much better than he does . -.-

      Waltz
      Reply

      2. strangely enough i loved code geass. valvrave is almost cheesy to the point i want to drop it, but the body-snatching space vampire mecha pilot is an interesting premise, so i will watch it for that sake.

        bolton
        Reply

  10. It seems like Okouchi is once again dangerously threading the line between writing a very entertaining piece and writing a complete trainwreck.

    I mean… first the protagonist kills people left and right with no remorse (“it’s war!”), then he turns into a wangsting mess because of a simple remark by the rival? And did Okouchi really need to take a page out of Madoka with the whole “I am an undead mahou shoujo/mecha pilot! I am not allowed to love!”. This is approaching Oh Mah Shu levels of stupidity.

    It certainly is quite entertaining though.

    Steelman
    Reply

    1. Different people have different values. Certainly, there is nothing wrong in killing in self defense. However, if you’ve become an immortal, body switching murderer, you will be regarding yourself very differently. Can you seriously say you have no self-doubt whatsoever?

      To love someone you must love yourself. If Haruto doesn’t even know who he is and if he even hate himself, how is he suppose to state his feelings for shoko?

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    2. it was just a weird/bad character beat. there was no build up (or even indication) that haruto was internally struggling with who he was. while it’s believable that everything that happened would come rushing back upon seeing shouko and trying to confess the scene just didn’t do a good job of making it believable. it didn’t give me any reason to suspect this was a natural development without major gap filling and reading between the lines (if there are in fact any to read between) which largely ties in to my big concerns with the anime in that there’s no agency to anything that’s happening. they’re not really grounding the action with any accessible character building. it’s in such a rush to get from plot point to plot point that it’s not taking enough time to breathe… there’s frenetic and then there’s the plot just taking off and leaving the viewer in the dust.

      Bananarchy
      Reply

    3. Also, consider that they might be bringing in “personality quirks” when he body snatches. He was in the body of a cold blooded killer, maybe that makes him think like a cold blooded killer.

      Nobody
      Reply

  11. However entertaining it was, doesn’t change the fact it was full of plot holes. To be honest, I’m disappointed(maybe because, I was really looking forward to the new mecha anime by Sunrise, and had big hopes).

    But, seriously. The protagonist is a one damn annoying crybaby.

    Swarz
    Reply

      2. No offence, but you remind me of those people that still believe Elvis was abducted by aliens and in fact is still alive. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

        As for me, that train is gonna derail pretty soon.. and what a beautiful disaster will it be!
        It’s closer to Guilty Crown rathen than to Code Geass by a lightyear.

        lo_ol
        Reply

  12. Haruto is damn badass, he learns from his mistakes, admits when he is wrong and adapt to situations quickly. I really like characters like him.

    Not to mention he’s not hesitant to pull the trigger when necessary.

    FiveOVER
    Reply

  13. This show might have its faults, but it has a whole lot of style, which makes it very entertaining.

    And I’m glad Shouko is alive. I think they handled that well by not prolonging the revelation that she’s alive.

    If Haruto doesn’t want to confess to Shouko because he’s become a monster, then the solution is to make her one too (I hope at least one of these girls gets to pilot a Valvrave mech).

    Tre
    Reply

    2. Interesting idea there. But i certainly wouldn’t do it. The burden carried and the discrimination from others would cause quite a lot of troubles for her. Not to mention the T&C.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

  15. “OP:「オープニングテーマ」 (Preserved Roses) by T.M.Revolution×水樹奈々 (T.M.Revolution x Nana Mizuki)”

    I hope you realise you’re saying the opening theme’s name is “Opening Theme” in katakana, which is false.

    Tokkan
    Reply

  16. Kinda enjoyed the episode. And then I saw the ending…was that Valvrave as a…girl?

    I think it was. An girl hologram for the AI? An alien girl trapped inside the “small” engine core (which would reminve me of that other sci-fi where little girls where chopped up for brain-parts..nasty business).

    And will she become part of his harem?

    Faolan
    Reply

      1. With the brain-parts? I cant remember the name. It was a science-fiction anime about a girl chasing her brother while using robots for combat. The technology for faster then light however, came from the brain functions of an alien race that looked like young girls. Her brother found out and became a traitor, his sister chased him to get answers. It was a “short” anime of 12 episodes.

        Faolan
        Reply

      4. Soukou no Strain, yes that was the one.

        The scientist already mentioned that the engine is small for the power it shows. It wouldnt be the first alien girl used for power/technology. In strain it was brutal. Even Trigun had it with their Plants.

        Faolan
        Reply

    5. Soukou no Strain – that’s a very interesting show, great mecha action and lovely character designs for its female pilots. Too bad it was only 13 episodes, it was way too short for such a grand story :3

      Seishun
      Reply

  17. It really is a tightrope walk for Valvrave.

    Really though, it is rather entertaining. I was reminded of the term ‘body snatcher’ with the realization that that vampire bite didn’t turn L-elf into one of his own (too bloody cliche) but instead take over his entire body. Makes you wonder if this kind of power falls into the wrong hands for a potential villain eventually.

    Have no idea why people are complaining Haruto to be a crybaby though. Let’s see…you went rage mode after realizing your loved one is killed, gave up being a human, have yet to completely come to terms with the gravity of situation, get thrown into mad battles with many many pew-pews and giant mecha, realised your loved one is actually alive then the truth about you being no longer human hits home. I’m pretty sure any other person would have taken it on the chin and plan a hostage negotiation for L-elf.

    To be honest, I literally facefaulted when Haruto messed up the confession, but I wouldn’t blame him. Kid’s got too much on his plate at the moment, yet managed to think clearly enough in each moment to deal with the situations accordingly. Question is – will his peace-loving bit come back, or will he continue hating on Dorssia despite Shoko’s survival?

    This is really going to be fun to watch.

    Owaranai
    Reply

    2. I agree. Haruto seems like a pretty good male lead, he’s not angsty and he’s quick to make up his mind. I don’t think anyone would be too eager to confess or hop into a relationship when you might be suffering from a rare disease 😡

      Seishun
      Reply

  18. Shout out to the person that first called it and said saki was still alive, even though I didn’t comment on it I was so sure that you were wrong and she was really dead…. really though, why can’t they just stay dead? LOL

    Jani
    Reply

  22. Not sure why there would be complaints about Haruto’s sudden change in personality. War can change a person’s psyche pretty easily and harden someone to the point they aren’t even the same person anymore. Haruto was a love sick man on the verge of a relationship, and then a surprise invasion by the enemy intent on wiping out as many people as possible seemingly kills the person you lvoe…. It’s quite easy to succumb to emotion in these types of situations. In this case, Haruto is out for revenge, taking El-elfs advice on being decisive. Now he’s this monster who’s killed many people and can switch bodies, having haphazardly resigned himself as a human without considering the consequences. It’s quite the situation that Haruto has found himself in indeed, and is better than Saki being killed off right off the bat.

    J_the_Man
    Reply

  23. Looks like L-elf body’s loves the scientist shooting. Have the creators something agaisnt scientists XD.
    And the title should have been “In the 666” not “beyond 666” 😛 If the dorssian army wanted answers they shouldn’t have slaughtered them first thing, that was plainly stupid in the end.
    Between it looks like the country is in an orbital station.

    Will it take the gender bender route? 😛

    Ebisu
    Reply

  24. I’m extremely glad that they cleared up Shouko’s life status in this episode. IMO it actually alleviates how forced and stupid the scene where she apparently “dies” was. Not to mention: Her “trapped underground in a car” scene featured the first appearance of a future cast member!

    And yeah… Way to be Miki Sayaka, Haruto. This MC is much more tolerable than many other anime MCs, in my opinion; merely because of his decisiveness. Even if he can be an over-dramatic emo almost all the goddamned time, it doesn’t mean he’s a pansy. He makes choices and acts accordingly without hesitating; and he’s not afraid of getting his hands dirty. All in all, a role model for many other action anime MCs.

    As for L-11… Who knows? He’s in a tight situation right now, but it seems Episode 3 will be dedicated to him. It remains to be seen if he’ll just realize when it’s time to switch sides, or if he’ll remain loyal to Dorssia and try to transform his situation into a “fake defector” scenario.

    EH2
    Reply

    1. As much as I enjoy this episode, I was a little worried about revealing the life status of Shouko so quickly. Shouko’s death triggered the “decisiveness” of the MC. How this revelation would affect this aspect of Haruto would be answered in the next episodes, but it still worries me.

      And what makes me interested in this show is how the interaction between Haruto and L-Elf will go.

      Also… Saki > Shouko 😀

      ImPossible
      Reply

    2. i didn’t realize this, his character does resemble miki sayaka a lot! he’s a little more whiny though, which is something i don’t really favor. i can’t say character design is a strong point for this anime, but it is decent enough to not drop.

      bolton
      Reply

    3. I get the feeling that the character’s relationships, the plot will all be deus Ex machina style. And this one shows the D ex M plot much early than GC,I mean how the heck Shouko survived lol.

      maou
      Reply

  29. And no surprise to any of us, Shoko is alive! Wasn’t expecting the love triangle to start developing already, but Saki seems pretty awesome- so if Shoko steps it up as a character, it’s going to be tough deciding who I rather ship. What is it about mecha protagonists that get all the ladies anyway?
    Despite how ridiculous this show is, show is definitely incredibly promising- the fight scenes are great and the two leads are interesting and complex. Not sure where they are planning to take this show, but we’re in for a good time.
    PS: Opening song is amazing. Best one of the season?

    katsudon
    Reply

  30. Great ep, but the ending where Haruto just ran away from Shouko was just plain rage inducing. I’m really sick of the excuse he used (guess I watch way too much anime, cause it just seems to cliche for me), but then again they need something to keep the drama up for the love triangle. I assume he’ll get consoled by Saki and what not and things will go crazy between all 3 of them.

    Still, I love everything else about the ep, plus the action scenes were pretty damn entertaining as well. The plot itself is quite interesting. Mech with immortality and body switching? I like!

    bakakubi
    Reply

  33. Another great episode and, as said above, best Opening/Ending combo of the season.

    I’ve thought about it for a while, and with this episode, I’ve decided: Shoko’s alive, and so I’m happy, even if it contiues Sunrise’s whole No One Could Survive That cliche. And hey, they got it over with right away instead of milking a lot of cheap drama from it.

    Still, from these 2 episodes, I now seem to have the impression that this show is about subverting audience expections (mainly from the Shoko example above). Taking that into consideration, it makes me wonder how long Haruto is going to be all “I’m A Monster” about his situation…eh, I’m probably reading too much into it.

    And yes, Saki was awesome, though (and I don’t know why I noticed this) going from her speech, she doesn’t seem to give Haruto respect as her senpai. Honestly, that makes me think it would be kind of funny if she didn’t know he was her upperclassman and it suddenly dawns on her. It probably won’t happen, but hey, whatever.

    And wow, I didn’t realize you were aquainted with Super Robot Wars, Seishun (even if it’s just Original Generation, specifically the anime adaptations), and now that mention it, yeah Valvrave “harakiri beam sword” attack is kind of like SRX’s Tenjou Tenga: Nendou Bakusaiken. All this time it reminded me of Linebarrel’s full power Executor (I blame SRW UX for that), not to mention they both wield katana’s, a beam gun-sort of weapon (which actually looks like the Executor), and turn their pilots into beings with increased recovery abilities.

    starqo
    Reply

  34. L-Elf has a really interesting situation. He’s enemy on both sides after being body-swapped and “betraying” his comrades. He’s pretty smart too, he’s at least figured out that he was manipulated in some way. New favorite character. Lol

    Jel
    Reply

    1. L-elf is indeed a fascinating character. He’s the main character in focus next week and I’m very interested to see how he gets out of this predicament. It’s likely he’ll be out for revenge, and Shouko or Saki could be in danger 😡

      Seishun
      Reply

  36. Welp, the writing got stupid pretty fast. Animation is sweet though. I may pick it up simply to enjoy another trainwreck. This seems like it’s gonna be the new Guilty Crown.

    LaughingMan
    Reply

  37. Bizarre though it is, I’m still enjoying this series. Nice job, Sei. :3 Though I do think Valvrave has issues, at some point you just have to enjoy what you watch for what it is, rather than how many reasons you can think up for why you have fun doing it. Keep bringing on the mecha, 2013!

    Kairi
    Reply

  40. I feel like taking back what I said last week. The staff doesn’t have guts after all. Shouko didn’t die. Come to think of it I kinda feel stupid for believing it. Anyway, what’s the most surprising to me is that it actually worked pretty well, and the episode itself was pretty good.
    And yeah, I thought of the SRX too. SRX pulls out it’s sword from it’s chest engine, Valvrave puts it in.
    I always thought it was weird there was 2 silver haired bishonen on the same side. Now it makes sense: L elf switched sides. Well even if he doesn’t in the end, Haruto can still control his body.

    Rockmanshii
    Reply

  42. I’m not sure how I really feel about this show yet, on one side it’s rage inducing annoying on the other it’s sheer entertainment. I’m just not sure I want another of this type of trainwreck anime other than code geasse itself (that show atleast had the characters right off the bat). It’s giving me star driver, guilty crown level of stupid but great animation again. Well atleast it’s only 12 eps.

    The only nice thing I’ll say is the music is awesome.

    Sherylfan
    Reply

      1. Maybe the second season can follow a new angsty character that whines a lot. Then about 3/4 of the way through the writers can realize audiences don’t like him and they switch back to Kir- um I mean Haruto.

        sortedevaras
        Reply

  45. I hope no one is taking this show seriously. It’s meant to be a joke, a parody on Gundam and the tropes that go with them. Once you realize that you can really enjoy this show rather than trying to make sense of the silly plot. This episode proved it. If it keeps it up it may be Anime of the Year.

    AOTY 2013. Calling it.

    Jake
    Reply

  46. When we first got the news that Sunrise was doing a new Mecha anime, it stated to be 26 episodes. Then recently, the director said since there is such a large cast, they need to split the series into two season. In just two episodes, a huge range of cast has been introduced, and I thought it was reasonable if they are going to have a second season. However, it turns out, what the director meant by splitting into two seasons was to split the 26 episodes into 13 each…How exactly is the story going to pull off so many characters with so few episodes? Does this mean some characters are already well developed, or does it mean that the story writers are going to pull a Guilty Crown and through in a tone of characters that eventually did nothing but drag the story down?

    Just A Random Guy
    Reply

  47. I can’t get over the lead character, it’s due to the overload of annoying main characters in mecha shows, I will nevr understand why they need to make them like that all the time, wasted potential and please people this show is fun but nothing great, stop over praising lameness it only breads more lame !

    sel
    Reply

  48. i won’t surprise will find L-Elf more popular to fandom than Haruto
    not to mention he got better personality than Haruto and some fans are starting to show some sympathy for him for development in the last episode

    Kuuga Yuma
    Reply

  49. with how many casts on the show i really hope Sunrise will pull Horizon on this show
    where all characters casts is likable and each of them has their own important story thus making Haruto screen time as MC reduce except only in mecha fighting scene Haha!

    McDonald
    Reply

    1. Code Geass has a huge cast as well and I’m sure Okouchi sensei knows what he’s doing. You gotta remember that Valvrave is two-cour (second part airing in fall) so there should be sufficient time to develop the characters 😉

      Seishun
      Reply

  50. There are things about this episode that bothered me, namely:
    Why did it took Shoko that long to call?
    Why did the guy in the car need to start his car when in the end they just freed themselves by opening the car door? did they drove under the mountainous debris first?

    I hated L-Elf’s suffered-more-than-thou attitude in the first episode, but now I’m interested how he will grow through his situation (captured in enemy territory while his home country think him a turncoat)

    As for Shoko, I’m glad she survived. Yet I hated the I’m-a-monster-I-can’t-love-you path that the writer took with Haruto while he was clearly glad when he realized that Shoko is not dead. (is this how vampires do it? I hate to compare or even bring this up. But isn’t this what that guy Edward do?)

    Nevertheless, those problems didn’t break my suspension of disbelief yet. And Valrave is far from dropped, it’s still one of my favorite this season. Looking forward to the third episode. Judging from the first two, I hope this continue to surprise me.

    Cobeurn
    Reply

  51. “Monster doesn’t have feelings!”

    I, the one who took the curse to gain the power of liberation, have resigned my humanity.

    I have transcended into a greater being, at the cost of my own mortality; and I can’t convey my feelings to the girl I love nor accepting her feelings because of what I have become.

    Now that I’ve become like this, the only way for me to do now is to fight for her and my friends’ freedom.

    I may have become a “monster” but I still possess the heart of a human, at the very least. My friends are the only existence that liberates me from this painful solitude and the only thing that makes feel human.

    These tears that I have shed is the proof of my loneliness and solitude as a “monster”

    Ken Sanders
    Reply

  52. Shoko being alive was a disappointment, but I felt like it was coming.

    Did anyone else notice that the way they accepted that Haruto is Haruto was, well, weird. Its not something he tells them, it was him always winning at rock, paper, scissors. This becomes further weird when you think about the comment Shoko made that Haruto never really tries at all. I’m beginning to think that he’s a lot more gifted than what’s being let on.

    Also, either the body transfer allows someone to drive the car (consciousness), but not the engine (subconciousness), as stated in the episode… Or we arrive at the place where he is special and what he did in L-Elf’s body was just himself remembering these things.

    Hopefully, they keep walking on the tight rope and not falling, cause I definitely am enjoying this show.

    Dorian
    Reply

    3. I’d convert the MKV sub into AVI and use Windows Movie Maker, then I take captions and assemble them with Photoshop(or other image processing applications like MSPaint, if you are *that* good).

      The Moondoggie
      Reply

    1. Honestly, that was my second favorite part of the episode after the epic body swap.

      I’m going to go with L-elf just being in a state of shock and having nothing more to say. It’s not every day one gets his body hijacked, turns on his fellow countrymen and discovers the dude he killed is very much alive.

      silver_huskey
      Reply

  56. I lol at how Shouko suddenly alive and are not hurt at all after being blown away by the laser beam while she was running last ep (they should keep her dead). Only god knows how the hell she find the time to take cover inside a car…. I suspect that she’s The Flash or something

    maou
    Reply

    1. I felt they made it as obvious as possible to show that she survived. I watched that scene again and I never felt that she didnt make it it to the car.

      The surprising part was that they revealed she was ok only one episode later.

      Traditionally she would have died, but there would have been enough genetic material to clone her, and put her in a giant berserk mobile armor.

      Glad they took the road less traveled lol!

      Nanashi
      Reply

  59. Rukino was pissed off the moment she found out that Shouko is alive. I remember in the previous episode that she was the first one to accept the fact, was I think glad about it and want Haruto to accept it. Still I like her character, she’s intelligent and crafty, and an idol to boot!

    Ryner
    Reply

  60. For those who claim this show “does not make sense”, “hilarious”, “trainwreck”, “guilty crown”(i think its an okay show actually), “plot holes”, “terrible writing”,”so bad its good”, refer to this post if you have any doubts. You can contribute questions if you wish to.

    I strongly stand by my point that the events in this show are mostly logical and can be explained by taking a little time to think(which most viewers don’t). Most of the other queations are not going to be answered so early. Please be patient.

    How could they build dyson spheres around the sun? they would need materials from the whole solar system!

    Judging by the fact that there are multiple Dyson spheres, we can conclude that those are smaller, artificial stars.(it fits the definition)

    Show Spoiler ▼

    FiveOVER
    Reply

    1. To make it look clearer:
      How could they build dyson spheres around the sun? they would need materials from the whole solar system!
      Judging by the fact that there are multiple Dyson spheres, we can conclude that those are smaller, artificial stars.(it fits the definition)

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    4. “Why would someone put a secret military lab under a school? I can’t feel bad for all the students that died because they were standing over a legitimate military target.”(Phaetons_Folly)

      That’s the only thing that didn’t make sense. Although I’m sure it will be explained at a later point of time, I’ll give a few of my hypothesis. The location. The school and lab are both located at the center of the dyson sphere, probably due to technical issues. Maybe for energy effeciency, larger space, launch location (it might not be just from the pool), logistics, and the list goes on. Seeing as valvrave seems to be a supernatural mecha, it might be related to the shrine in some way.
      Another would be to mask its purpose. Surely a school would be the last place you would think of! Judging by the fact that none of the students are aware of it, the school have to be built after the lab. Somehow the information got leaked.
      The students aren’t aware of this.
      Judging from the reaction of the scientists, they do not even understand why they were being attacked. JIOR probably had peace for decades and become too accustomed to peace.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    5. Why is the security around the Valvrave so weak?

      The scientist was pretty confused why they were attacked in the first place. JIOR is too confident in its neutrality and saw no reason that they would be attacked. They were obviously wrong.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    6. “One big problem I have with this show. How come the air in the city doesn’t get instantaneously sucked out when the shell separating it from space gets a giant hole blown in it?”(newnar)

      The colony itself is pretty large compared to the hole, thus air won’t be drained out immediately. And when you build space colonies, the first thing to be incorporated is a temporary fix when a hole appear. There should be a patch that covers the hole automatically. Its not instant but works nontheless

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    7. “Another part that was pretty bad was when the guy was trying to activate the robot. There was a big screen in front of him with a big, bright and colorful YES button indicating the activation procedure. The guy, however, spent a lot of time trying EVERYTHING and did not press the god damn button until the very end. During this part I was: “WTF is he doing? Is this guy retard or what? I can see the stupid button from here and he can’t?””(André)

      Hypothetically speaking, a war was shoved onto your face from nowhere, you just broke your arm from an explosion, your girlfriend just died instantaneously, you are full of anger, grief and a torrent of emotions, your heart beat is running berserk and you are breathing erratically from the adrenaline and exertion from running and climbing.
      Now, you are in a cockpit of a god knows what weapon of mass destruction, faced with a mess load of controls. To top it off, a giant robot is smashing on your door, throwing you around the cockpit, accumulating more bruises. Now, how much different from haruto will you be acting I wonder. I don’t know about you, but I would be confused and wondering why is it asking me to give up my humanity. you are a machine right? stop throwing me stupid questions and move already!

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    8. How could a high school brat suddenly learn how to pilot the Valvrave? It does’t make any sense.

      The valvrave gave Haruto his powers through that injection. It will be explained in detail later. I guess it depends on what you think is believable i guess?

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    9. Why did haruto have to bite L-11 of all things?
      He has no other more effective weapons at hand. He is acting according to what is most effective in taking down the enemy.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    10. How did a bunch of students managed to steal back the Valvrave?

      Haruto gains L-11′s combat abilities when in his body. The Dorsia letting their guard down also helped.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    11. How did a student managed to pilot a helicopter?

      Yes, I agree that it’s pretty unbelievable here, but since the author played it off as a joke, I’m not sure what to think of it.
      Why is the security around the Valvrave so weak?

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    12. Why is the security around the Valvrave so weak?

      The Dorssians got overconfident since they already subjugated the citizens and the security forces. JIOR does not have an army. They must have thought it was safe but in actual fact, not.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    14. Why is L-elf just standing there when he has a hostage?
      L-elf has nowhere to go. “First, he has ALREADY killed Haruto before, only to find that not only did it have no effect but he was taken out of commission because of it and his body was used without his permission. He also has no idea what happened to him and what Haruto did to him. He doesn’t know what Haruto did or what the guy is, and the problem is neither does Haruto. He can’t go back and explain things to Dorssia until he HIMSELF can understand it. Or else, they’ll think he’s crazy or lying and lock him up or put him to death for treason.” (quote from Irenesharda)
      Explaining his situation to his comrades is a lot harder and time consuming than you think. Especially when they are in a heated battle. The valvrave could have been destroyed at any moment. Killing all of them including himself. He had to act according to the highest chance of survival.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    16. How did shoko survive?

      It might be a little bit of a stretch, but she could have jumped into the car through the window at the last moment when she saw the beam.
      The beam was dulled by the dirt, thus resulting in a bury.Remember this a fictitious, linear beam and not an explosive. We can’t really claim to know its effects when we don’t know how it works.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    17. Why didn’t shoko called all this time.

      There’s nothing to say she wasn’t unconcious during that time. And enemies tend to jam signals during an invasion in sci-fi shows.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    18. “Valvrave basically attaining God mode when its heat reaches 666… when for some reason it is just useless from 100-665. Just laughable.”(Kefkiroth)

      Its not really that illogical since some engines works optimally at certain higher temperature ranges. We don’t even know how valvrave generator works yet.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    19. Valvrave has to stab itself to gain a powerup, lol.

      Its to bathe the blade in the heated engine. Nothing more nothing less. The engines/generator is not harmed since there is a gap. Its true they are showing a seppuku motive here.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    20. “Haruto’s inability to even pilot the valvrave suddenly turns into a top notch ability to dodge missiles in space all while talking on the phone, making an emotional confession?”(ftghb)

      He’s a fast learner. End of story.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    21. “DUDE/ the fact that he couldnt even operate it and then suddenly is engaging in highly militarized personel? Doesn’t that strike you odd in the LEAST bit?”(ftghb)

      Valvrave is a lot more effecient and durable compared to your regular weapon. That’s that.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    22. Haruto being immortal feels kinda cheap.

      His immortality is pretty hax but we should wait and let the story explain his powers for us. Reserve your judgements until they reveal more. The immortality might have some conditions or limit to it.

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    23. Haruto is such a pussy for not confessing.

      Too many events and changes happened to him in such a short time. Can you really blame him for not confessing when he became an immortal, body switching murderer?

      “Perhaps because that route is the most sensible route if you think deeper about it? Before he and she were the same, classmates and human. Now the war has started, he has killed a bunch of people, is the only pilot that can possibly hold back the enemy, and most importantly he is no longer human. Can she take all these things in? He has not even confessed to her, much less going out with her for any period of time. Would telling her everything shock her too much? The thought of dating an immortal and having kids with him, with all the uncertainty and potential fear, may be too much to bear. Does he want to shock and hurt the person he loves so much? Would telling her he has no idea what’s going to happen help besides adding burden to her? How much can she accept him at this very messed-up state in this very messed-up circumstances when he may just go out to fight the enemy and may never come back? Perhaps it is better to let the beautiful memory in the past stay without it being tainted by the absurdity and cruelty the present is imposing? I am sure it must be a painful decision for him but at least he has the courage of not dragging her into his cruel fate. I would say this is an act of ultimate love and kindness instead of lameness or insensitivity. The best solution wold be for him to find a way to get himself out of the conundrum of this immortal status, but then there is the war that requires him to stay at that status… And so we’ve got what we’ve got for this episode.”(symbv)

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    24. Haruto’s reason for not confessing is so lame: “a monster does not have feelings”

      Blame the subbers for that, not Haruto. Its a mistranslation. Translation from symbv:”I have turned into this monster…. I don’t have any right to confess my feeling to her any more.”

      FiveOVER
      Reply

  61. How did L-11 and friends infiltrated JIOR so easily?

    JIOR has held its peace and neutrality for a long time. Making them soft and unprepared. Remember, they don’t even have an army. You don’t expect students to suddenly pull out knives and guns.

    FiveOVER
    Reply

  63. I started watching the Walking Dead last week and finished Season 3 yesterday and because of that I put all my anime on backlog.

    So I just had to watch Valv first because that cliffhanger man, that cliffhanger…

    Bodyswitchin…unexpected, but when you think of Vampires there’s a similar power of control so it makes sense to me.The mystery of Haruto’s new powers is still there though.

    Shouko being alive…bullshit, there was no car near that blast and even if there was, how did the car survive the blast if it was near the blast radius?You don’t bring back dead characters Sunrise, so why are you starting now?!

    Don’t get me wrong, I like Shouko and I’m glad she’s alive.Haruto and Shouko remind me of Louise Halevy and Saji Crossroad from Gundam 00.I loved their characters and their development.

    I wonder if Haruto keeps the skills of L-elf’s body or the person he bodyswitches with, kinda like a Vampire version of Megaman.

    Dorssians going Zion and I guess Arus is like the Earth Federation.I’m can’t wait for Ep 3.

    The Super Robot fan in me is fangasming all over the place.I can’t be the only one reminded of G Gundam when Valvrave went Hyper mode lol

    Magoiichi
    Reply

    1. You’re right, there are elements of G-Gundam in it, but the way the Valvrave inserted the sword and draws it out make it seems more similar to SRX’s “Tenjo Tenga Nendo Bakusai Ken” 😉

      Seishun
      Reply

  64. Valvrave has so far proven to be a very enjoyable and exciting watch. It has everything I look for in a mecha show: great action, likable and compelling characters, an intriguing plot, some humor sprinkled here and there, and romance as the cherry on top. And that’s all in just two episodes!

    I like how the whole “vampire Haruto” thing that the stinger for the last episode implied, ended up being a body-jacking. Though I have to question what the practical application of a body-jumping ability in a Giant Robot pilot is. Maybe it will become clearer as we learn more about the thought process that went into building Valvrave and why? It’ll also be interesting to see how Haruto applies this ability in the future.

    Karma bit L-Elf hard. Excessively mess with and murder a kid, and that kid will body jack you and effectively ruin your life and career. That’s one way to set up a grudge and a rivalry that will be a focal point for the series, if the promotional material is any indication. Though the Op seems to imply that A-Drei will be more in the rival position, at least in the first season, considering it’s his machine going one-on-one with Valvrave.

    I wonder how long it’ll be before we get to see the other Valvrave forms/armors/modes? Each one will probably get an episode each for their debut, and that leaves seven episodes left for season one… I’m hoping they all get adequate screentime though I’m sure at least one of the them will get shafted.

    I was sure Shoko wouldn’t stay dead, but I definitely thought it would be for longer than half an episode. But on the positive side, at least she didn’t end up stuffed into a fridge! Shame Haruto couldn’t properly finish his confession, but I understand why he wouldn’t. It never hit him while he was stuck in revenge-mode, but after learning that Shoko’s alive and having L-Elf spell it out for him, Haruto finally realizes that he really did sign away his humanity to pilot Valvrave. It’s a pretty common angst plot admittedly, but considering how Haruto was able to at least put up a smiling face when he saw Shoko, I doubt it’ll be as bad as in some cases.

    I’m very intrigued to see where the character relationships will develop, especially the love triangle that appears to be ensuing between Haruto, Shoko, and Saki. Though Saki doesn’t look to have any chance as of right now, especially with Haruto appearing firmly committed to Shoko. I got a chuckle at how Haruto immediately shoved her off after the hug. But there’s definitely room for that to change, especially with Saki being aware of Haruto’s less than stellar qualities. Then again, the Ending has Saki very close to L-Elf’s face… ah, the shipping wars that will most likely ensue from this show! They’ll certainly be entertaining to read. I imagine they’ll also be some major relationship shake ups by the end of season one. Here’s hoping Valvrave and Sunrise can continue to deliver!

    Frontier
    Reply

    1. That’s what I like about haruto’s body-switching powers. The author can do so many things with it, making the story very unpredictable. One things for sure, this show doesn’t bore!

      And I’m interested to see how the show handles L-11’s situation. It certainly sucks to be him but with his intelligence I’m sure he will prevail. Haruto ruined his life and he’ll be back for his revenge.

      Its a shame saki seemed to be the considerate type and didn’t force herself between haruto and shoko. A love rival has got to be assertive, otherwise its very hard to establish a triangle. XD

      I certainly have high hopes for this show and sunrise. Can’t wait for next week!

      FiveOVER
      Reply

    2. +50 Seishun Points
      There’s a lot the writer can do with the body-switching plot device, things like extracting enemy intel or even piloting mecha that needs DNA verification.
      I have a feeling the other “Valvrave forms” that you mentioned are enemy ships. More Super Robot action can only be good news 😉

      Seishun
      Reply

  65. Just noticed something. Isn’t Valvrave completely masochistic? I mean, it turned red after being hit in chapter 1, super-saiyan-ed in chapter 2 after getting grabbed hard, and even harakiri-ed just because all that pain wasn’t enough for him

    tofu
    Reply

  66. “Wired” reminds me of Lain.

    I wonder if the mach has less cooling fins, would it get to ‘hyper mode’ faster?
    What would an upgrade be like for this mech?
    More cooling fins or less?
    A new weapon?
    (Lets see how Bandai will reuse the mold of this mech.)

    iron2000
    Reply

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