Ranked #2225

UFO Princess Valkyrie 2: Juunigatsu no Yasoukyoku

Set in the present day where magic, alchemy, catgirls, aliens and other space age species are acknowledged and present, UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie 2, in a way, sets the standard for anime of its genre.

From now on I will refer to UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie without the 2, but I am still reviewing the second season.

The story in UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie isn't the toughest nut to crack, but that is the point. Taking this anime too seriously will definitely ruin your enjoyment. Half of the episodes are one-off and often stand alone from the actual plot. Usually, a problem or situation is presented, but is concluded by the end of the episode, but much like the stand alone episodes in Ghost in the Shell, these episodes are definitely not a waste of time - that's if you're in the mood for a good bit of comedy. Each stand alone episode is just as funny as the other, and something new is presented in each one that keeps the series fresh and exciting. As for the actual story, if you've seen the first season of UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie, it's the same concept, but with a few twists and turns there. The relationship between Kazuto and Valkyrie is broken, and once again Kazuto is taken away and must be saved by the one he loves. Both the actual story and stand alone stories are enjoyable and creative to an extent, although don't go expecting something utterly amazing.

The animation in UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie does its job. It is neither amazing, nor disappointing, but it suits the series for what it is. The action sequences do seem somewhat dull at times, partially as a result of the animation but also due to the choreography of the unfortunate turn-based nature of the attacks. Nevertheless, it is enough to keep you watching and the series isn't really action based, so it is little to worry about. What I found most interesting was the designs of all the aliens and space creatures, which are always a wonder to look at and are thankfully a part of (usually) every episode.

As for the sound, the amazing score in the first season is again present in the second, only with additional tracks here and there. During the series there is an episode where all of the characters enter a singing contest, which is where the music really comes alive and the power of the insert song can be heard. A lot of the songs, especially Valkyrie's, are absoutely beautiful. There are also many sound effects present in UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie, which are all appropriate and fitting to the series and its content. A nice bit of trivia - the soundtrack was composed by Kenji Kawai, who also composed the music for the likes of Ghost in the Shell, Seirei no Morbito, Patlabor, The Sky Crawlers, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Fate/stay night. When Kenji Kawai is involved, you know it isn't going to be a botch job.

The characters are another great and appealing aspect in UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie. Nearly every type of character is present - from Raine's airheaded personality to Chorus' robot-like comical yet sometimes serious nature, to Akina's hidden jealousy and Sanada's obeying cuteness, to Kazuto's calm and understanding self. There is every character you could ever ask for, well, every character a man could ask for. Around 95% of the characters in this series are female and all are designed with cuteness in mind, but whoever you are the characters' appeal spread wide and you're bound to have more than one favourite.

If you are looking for an anime featuring cute girls, catgirls, and fan service, with three cherries on top called romance, drama and comedy, with the occasional battle here and there, then UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie will not disappoint. If that is the opposite to what you want however, steer clear of this series. I enjoyed this anime as I was in the mood for a bit of enjoyable no-brainer entertainment, and if that is what you're looking for then look no further than UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie, as it is quite possibly one of the best of its kind. read more