Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse

There's been a lot of strange series that debuted in 2012. If there was another to name, one would definitely be Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. No, it's not the end of the year (yet) for us but in the world of the Total Eclipse, it's walking down that path. The series is based off a LN (light novel) of the same name and takes place in a science fiction world where mecha, aliens, and hot women with suits of iron dominating the series. It's definitely not everyday that you get to see chicks fighting otherworldly beings and still getting the time to relax. Let's look ... and see for ourselves what Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse has to offer:

The series is set in an alternative timeline where our planet Earth has been invaded by aliens forces known as the BETA. This sort of genre can be traced into many science fiction series such as Strike Witches, Gunparade March, and even Neon Genesis. The BETA has caused the Earth resistance to develop jet/mecha hybrid called Tactical Surface Fighters or TSF to eradicate them. Mankind now is in a state of war, horror, and survival where the skies rains with blood and the ground leaves the scars of battles. Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse focuses on the exploration of these battles, characters' interactions, and the survival of mankind.

The first episode isn't what we might expect. When I watched it, there's seems to be a sort of “mindfuck” reaction. In fact, it's not what most of us expected but a rather dark flashback with Yui in her final days of high school. To be honest, high school is never too fun for most people but in Yui's case has gotten that much grimmer. In a tragic twist, she is forced into immediate combat with her classmates for the first time against the powerful BETA. And with that, blood is spilled with a brutality of violence is presented to the viewers. If you thought this was a show about hot girls doing hot things, then think again.

From there though, everything shifts to present time and we get to see the other characters of the series. It seems Yui has become that much more confident and with her status now as lieutenant. Starring opposite her though is the ever stubborn, short-tempered, confident Yuuya Bridges. He is of the Japanese American descent who follows his roles a strong soldier against the forces of the BETA. His short temper and characteristics forms a barrier between most of the other characters in the beginning with him presenting an attitude of “don't fuck with me” personality.

And speaking of personalities, this series mixes in different characters with different characteristics. Let's take for example:

The Scarlet Twins -
Cryska "Scarlet Twin" Barchenowa who is of the Soviet descent has a cold personality and is afraid to let people get close to her because the state of her mentality. She is the cold beauty of the series with an equally cold ability to fly the unfriendly skies of the series and doing what she does best. On the other hand, we got Inia "Scarlet Twin" Sestina. She is Cryska's most precious individual (and “sister”) in that twisted world . Unlike Cryska though, Inia is much more gentler and treats other people with kindness especially Yuuya who she adores like an older brother.

The other characters in the series has different personalities as well. Tarisa Manandal, whom Yuuya teasingly calls her Chobi acts as the more comedic side of the series despite some of the more serious violence tone going on around. Later on, we also meet Cui Yifei, a pilot of the Chinese descent that brings out the inner tsundere from Yui.

These lovely ladies all have their different personalities but the show occasionally tries to hard. For example, some of the filler episodes involving the beach and the onsen presents us nothing more than just pure fan-service that's irrelevant to the story. Furthermore, the women of the series are drawn in a way that reflects their figures directly to the viewers with those tight suits. Who can forget those suits honestly? I bet most people here watched the trailer and added it to their PTW just from that.

There is more than just beyond the fan-service though for this rather underrated series. As more episodes progressed, we can see a more political side of Total Eclipse involving the various genetic heritages of the main characters. The nickname “Japanese Doll” given by Yuuya Bridges to Yui serves as a comedic but also political reference to his personality towards the race. The other characters' heritages also strikes a distinguishing background for the series that makes it more realistic despite being a science fiction.

The series traces its roots with the survival of the fittest theme although it doesn't involve any game elements. Instead, it's a military type series that involves with one force and the other. There can only be one winner on each side: mankind or the BETA. As such, the battles in the series are often intense when they happen that draws the violence, brutality, and blood from the skies. The characters drawn are visually presented well and gets their points across. However, the mecha department lacks a bit of this quality. Although crisp, the mecha themselves seems to be trying too much to become..mecha. However, the emotions and drama mixed in is a surprisingly exciting watch. It shows the dangers mankind have been and will be facing.

Yet despite the serious tone of the series, there is a lot of interactions between the main characters later on. For later on, Yuuya becomes less aggressive and more caring towards his colleagues treating them as friends rather than comrades. His interaction with Yui is one of the more dynamic focuses in the series as he inspires her that she can create a path the way she wants. This opened up new doors of opportunities for a more caring relationship between the two. Hmm, maybe not because it seems that there are also other women interested in Yuuya. In some of the later episodes, Yuuya becomes the center of attention who attracts the attention of the many other female characters in the series. It's funny in a strange way to realize that in such a dark atmosphere that the BETA has already created, there can also be some space for fun and laughter.

As said before, the artwork of the series is presented in a way that reflects the more serious tone of the Muv Luv world in which survival of mankind depends on these new generation of trained pilots. The pilots themselves are drawn well and those tight suits the ladies wear are the eye candies. On the other hand, the mecha drawn are less than average and focuses too much on themselves. They are just there for the military purposes of battling the BETA with not too many special characters. The BETA themselves however gives off that alien invasion like feeling with their artwork designs of the horns, teeth, stingers, etc. Their behavior in the series shows that they are there to invade and expects nothing less than a fight to the death.

The overall music/soundtrack for the series is above par but sometimes tries to be too forceful. "Go to the top" by Kumi Koda shows a montage of all the main characters as well as a few glances of the vicious BETA. Some of the more emotional flashbacks gives off a soft melody that reflects the sadness of the Muv Luv world. A few of the characters went through a harsh past and it ultimately made them who they are today.

All in all, Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse is one of those mecha series where it tries to balance out the grim reality of the war and the drama between the main characters. The reality of the war is there as we can see from Yui's past and what she has gone through. But at the same time, there is new hope as she finds new friends and allies to move on from that past. Yuuya's interactions with the other characters also shows that he is a caring person rather than just an obnoxious self-centered pilot as some of us believed him to originally be. There is also the blushing, the potential romance, as well as what is in hope for a better future.

Ultimately, Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse is an underrated series that some of us may have looked past this year. Perhaps if we faced a more harsher reality in today's world, we might become more self aware. But it's worth giving it a shot especially if you're digging into some science fiction drama.

Mecha anime is sometimes for most of people would avoid this one like me. It isnt about taste matter but sometimes we find mecha anime tends to be boring and repetitive. Like, they always about battle, battle and battle. They just focussing on that matters without leaving characters to develop. But back then, i am being suggested to watch Muv Luv Alternative and i must said, it was a great experience

Story (9/10)
Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse or should i say, Muv Luv. Is one from many anime that taking mecha as their main themes. But the differences between them, is they didnt focus about mecha ... vs mecha like gundam. but its more about Mecha vs Alien. in this anime, we called alien as BETA. The story goes when The "BETA" has invaded on the earth. As the humanity is on the edge, UN and Japanese Imperial make a weapon to against them. Its called TSF. Tactical Surface Fighter or we can say the name for the mecha or robot. Yui Takamura and Yuuya Bridges as the MC must against the BETA who tried to take over the earth, could they did it?

At the first glimpse, we can merely imagine this anime would about this giant robot destroying every BETAs easily without any problem with their lasers and moreover, thinking this anime would heavily about mecha battle. Well, you can throw away that perception after watching this. in the first episode we're being served by a really dark atmosphere. Despair, hopeless and emotional moments is blended in this one. I am pretty excited about the first time when i watch this. Well, after some episode It changes. In this anime, It doesnt always about creepy and dark moments like before but also light things like comedy and more even, romance. Though the comedy and romance isnt the prominent things in this anime but its good to balanced with the heavy story on it. Moreover, the romance isnt cheesy and cheap. Moreover, its quite touching and naturally flowing between on each characters. The comedy isnt that bad too, though sometimes it isnt really funny but at least we would get smile by watching it.

The pace in this anime is rather slow than any mecha anime that i've ever seen. They have some backgrounds story for some characters and they way how they tells each of something (like BETA and or about the plan) is quite detailed and the word that they are using for explaining things is quite easy to understand. So, it isnt really hard to follow this story.

ART (10/10)
This is maybe the strongest aspects on this anime, art. Muv Luv is extremely doing it well on this aspects. They way the use 3D art on the mecha is suprisingly good. I mean, look at the movements for the mecha or TSF is so smooth and moreover it doesnt crashed with the 2D background, its feels like they are one. Not just the 3D aspects, the picture in this anime is also vivid, beautiful and sharp. Well,it doesnt so surprising since the producer is satelight which is known for making anime with vivid color like fairy tail. Though sometimes the art in this anime is changing, like when some dramatic or despair scenes comes it turns to more darker and serious tones. Honestly, the changing between it, isnt really matter furthermore, its increasing the atmosphere feels in that scenes. Beside of all that, The most interesing things again about the art is the character design. You will found so many interesting character in design aspects and of course eye-candy for men since we would see so many beautiful girls with tight clothes and moreover, the art in this anime is supporting for making this "view" more delicious.

SOUND (8/10)
From the sound section, Honestly i love the opening song in this anime "Go to the top" by Kumi Koda is really suitable with the this anime. Electric tunes and slow hip hop beat in this song is really catchy. The animation that appears while the song is played is also great. Its presentating every characters that would appears and of course the great 3D mecha art is still there and for the ED, its doesnt really memorable and honestly the song is a little bit of. Moving on to character sound, the seiyuu in this anime is actually is good. For Yuuya, he is being voiced by Ono Daisuke which is known for his role on shizuo (Durarara) and for Takamura Yui, she is being voiced by Mai Nakahara which known for her role in Nagisa (clannad). Those two seiyuu is the proof for the quality of the sound characters, They are really suitable with the roles that they have. Like Yui Voice when in dere mode, Mai Nakahara can pulling that one off. though sometimes the voice is a little bit off but its still pretty enjoyable to hear their voice.

CHARACTERS (9/10)
After the art, the most prominent things in Muv Luv is the characters. What i love from this series is the personality that each characters has. Like Yuuya, our main lead. At the first, he is a egoistical characters that only care about himself, he do what he wants to do and doesnt really care about any people, but this negative personality is changing as long as the story goes this characters turns into the one that why this characters deserve as the main characters.

Beside Yuuya, we have Takamura Yui. which is at the first glimpse is your really annoying one. since, as the commanders and the leader for the army she is have a harsh and strict personality that makes you want to punch her right on her head but, like Yuuya as long as the story goes this personality is changing and I can safely said Yui would make the viewers fallin in love with her. especially when she is in her dere mode.

Beside two of those, Muv Luv have another main characters, its scarlet twins. Like its name, Scarlet twins is consists of two people, Cryska and Inia. Those two people have two big differents in personality. If inia is like your imouto type which is clingy type and sweet, Cryska is more mature and strict like Yui. She is basically just do what she is ordered. The reflection between them is what makes scarlet twins is loveable and wanna makes rooting for them.

So, what can i say is all the characters (not just the main characters) in this anime is really enchanting and you will ended up rooting for them, One thing that particulary that Muv Lu lack is some of them sometimes appears just for the decoration like the three girls from UN. They appears without affecting the characters nor the story, they appears Without any use. Its being wasted i think. Beside of it, like i have mention before, the characters developments in Muv Luv is really handled very well. Every thing that happen between them is affecting their personality, like Yui that gradually have an interest with Yuuya. Anyway, We dont just see the battles but also the drama within it and what makes them changed especially in the personality like Yuuya or Yui does.

OVERALL (9/10)
in the end, i must say i satisfied with what i have watched. spending nearly for 8 hours just for watching this series is really pays off. I even didnt realize that i had in the last episode. The art, story and the characters is the one why i can sitting down quietly watching this anime. Honestly, Mecha isnt my things. But this one is different, i felt this one is totally different from what i expect from mecha anime. The harem and romance aspects is probably the one that surprise me a lot from this series. Well, who knows that harem+mecha is turn out into a great combination? Anyway, i really recommend this anime if you seek for pleasure and great anime.

*Feedbacks are needed, thanks!*

Aliens, known as the B.E.T.A, invade our planet in the year 1973. They mindlessly attack humans and devour us like food. There is no way to communicate with these B.E.T.A , so our only option left is to fight them. To do so, we humans invent giant humanoid machines called Tactical Surface Fighters (or TSFs). Pilots are trained to man these machines and fight in the front lines against the B.E.T.A forces; however, this is not a story about those who fight in the front lines. This is a side story about the test pilots who make sure the TSFs are suitable for use on ... the front lines.

A side story...most people lower their expectations when they hear this. Side stories are usually not as good because they are simply a tool used to promote the main series. This is pretty much the case for Muv-luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. It is a spin-off of the original Light Novel series, Muv-Luv Alternative. With that in mind, i walked into this anime with lowered expectations. I advise you all to do the same.

It all started out fine. The B.E.T.A invades Japan, and our heroine Takamura Yui fights them off with her friends. They are in turn horribly massacred by the B.E.T.A, and Yui is forced to watch as her friends get eaten alive right before her eyes. A dark and bloody atmosphere is built by the third episode... but then that atmosphere gets destroyed almost instantly. It becomes extremely obvious a few episodes later that the first two episodes were a trap.

Total Eclipse switches from that dark and brooding atmosphere to a beach episode in just a few episodes. It almost becomes a sort of romance/slice of life anime later on. The story then starts to become more and more inconsistent. They go from people getting eaten alive in Japan to a military base in Alaska. From there they go to a beach resort and then another military base in Russia.They eventually even end up in a hot spring somewhere and somehow. By the time we get to the halfway point of the series, almost no traces of the feeling gotten from the first two episodes remained. The inconsistency of the setting makes the plot a jumbled mess, and it becomes increasingly difficult to understand where it is going.

I have mixed feelings towards the characters in Total Eclipse. I don't hate them, but i do not exactly like them either. Our main hero,Yuyaa Bridges is pretty much your average day superman. Nothing can get pass his thick, thick Plot Armor. He gets surrounded by hundreds of B.E.T.A? He cuts them down and leaves with a nearly broken machine. He gets surrounded by a group of other TSFs? Gets off without a scratch. It becomes harder and harder to believe that this man can get so lucky.

You would think that his luck would run out near the end, but it does not. Somehow, out of nowhere, this guy manages to create a Harem during the last few episodes. There is almost no prior development with any members of his harem except Yui. They all flock to him for simple generic reasons like, "he is a nice guy", or "he is super talented". It looked like the writers just wanted to mix in as many genres as they possibly could. The romance looked really force and it in turn made most of the characters look very shallow. That is not to say i hated the cast of characters. I personally found them amusing to watch despite being very generic and boring at times. By generic i mean they all fitted specific stereotypes. Yuuya was the all powerful main character. Yui was your text book example of a tsundere.

The artwork in Total Eclipse can be very deceiving. A majority of the scenes would be drawn and animated very well. This puts up the appearance that the series' artwork is actually well done; however, there would always be a handful of scenes where the animators got extremely lazy. In these scenes, the characters would look like weird blobs with a face and clothes. Said scenes were done very poorly and degrades the overall quality of the anime.

I have always been very lenient on mech animations. I like them all no matter what, and Total Eclipse was no exception. The TSFs artwork and animation were impressive, but there was one problem. All of the TSFs looked the same. The only difference was a variety in colors. Everything else about them were so similar that it was hard for me to tell which was which. A team of TSFs would all look exactly the same, so telling them apart was nearly impossible.

Music was the best aspect of this series for me. I loved every track from the first opening and ending to the second opening and closing song. The first opening "Go to the top" took a unique and different approach. It was a nice and catchy rock song that went surprisingly well with this anime. The second opening, "Doubt the World" gave me shivers with its epic final battle sort of feel. It was an appropriate song for the last few episodes. The ending theme, "Revise the world", has probably become one of my favorite ending songs. It had such a sad and intense feel to it. A wonderful song for an epic climax and conclusion to a story. Now if only the ending to Total Eclipse was not so anti-climatic ...

It might seem like i really hated this series, but i actually quite enjoyed it. A sort of guilty pleasure was what it was. Total Eclipse was obviously something along the lines of sub par, but i found it enjoyable all the same. After all, nothing beats aliens, giant mechs, and hot girls in tight suits.

Ok so forgive me if this review isnt the best i think i have only written one a very long time ago.

Ok! This review is only after seeing the first 2 episodes so my opinion may change down the road but i like what i see so far. I am not a fan of mecha .. at all. I from time to time will give it a chance to see how the story develops. This story has the normal details of alien invasion and people flying around killing they enemy and how the world is at war. Yes im fully aware this plot has ... been used and abused over and over. However this one is different. It gives you a further detail back story to certain characters and how friendship builds and watching your own friends die. It is extremely graphic when it comes to blood and violent death. The 2nd episode was spectacular. There were moments it make my skin crawl and i love horror anime so im use to it but the details of the story and build up is what makes it fantastic. I do not want to throw in any spoilers but i highly recommend you give this series a shot even if you dont like mecha because it may surprise you.

At this point of writing, I have only watched 2 episodes. I never watched any mecha prior to muv luv, so do pardon me.

Stor/Characters: 8/10 & 7/10
In the short span of 2 eps, I can already feel the depth of the story. Characters are developed well; fear and gore appropriately conveyed. The progress (training, war) is realistic too.

Art: 7/10
The art style feels old, like pre-2006 era of anime. Graphics are not sharp, though blood and dismembered body parts are shown clearly.

Sound: 8/10
I like how the music came in at turning points, where the MC is saved. Also, the bgm create a scary ambience. Not to ... mention the screams -- those are portrayed well.

Enjoyment/Overall: 8/10
I enjoyed both episodes so far; there isn't a moment of dullness. I'd recommend Muv-Luv to anyone looking for a good wartime anime, or simply a mecha one.

Going going hikari e
Going going shinjite
himeta omoi ima
tsuyosa ni kaete do it

Going going mirai e
Going going mukaou
akenai yo wa nai
aratanaru yoake o

...
Going, going, going to make my review now, waaaaaa ENOUGH! So this is one of studio Satelight's anime for the last part of 2012 eh? So this 24 episode anime is something which was combined with "Starship Troopers" with the usual Jap mech, for me the plot was good, but I really don't like this anime's setting where the BETA onslaught begun in 1973 and it continue 'til 2001?????? I guess the first director, Takayuki Inagaki seems to be shitting us audience. Also, I kinda hate the scenario where the cold war seems to be on, except here the coldwar is a 4 way stand-off between the USA, Imperial Japan, China and USSR instead of the realistic 2 way. Though their animosity among the superpowers may have been put on hold due to the BETA onslaught, there is still that distrust the exist between them, and as much as I hate to say it this anime is more focus on man's distrust with one another rather than the invader, it was very obvious as the BETA's here are more like a calamity than an enemy and the battle of the TSF against the BETA's are more of a side show than anything else. The romance and the harem element did provide a good mood as this anime's filler, but it was rather disappointing that the man's battle with the BETA's ended in a cliffhanger and so as the Yuuya's harem, instead it ended with man fighting against man , if one ask me who would I like Yuuya to be his love interest my choice is split between Cryska and Yui. About the TSF, well unlike other anime's with a mech genre, this one at least in this anime's illustrator's point of view was a bit lame, e.g. why can't those TSF take off vertically? Why don't they have any energy weapons? Why is it that they don't use medium thermonuclear rounds against those bigger BETA's? Also, though the TSF design differs from country to country, the differences are too minimal that one can't tell which is which, seems like the illustrator was more focus on the TSF's art than the mechanical aspect and the same goes for the flight suit that those so called Eishi used ( Why couldn't they just be called pilots?) in which it was design as a body hugging outfit that makes them eishi's look like that they were wearing nothing, then gain it does look good on the girls especially those with big boobs. The character are pretty much way predictable at least from episode 3 up to the end, which is safe to say that episode 1 and 2 was all on Yui, Yuuya character's is quite unique since he was portrayed as an underdog first by Yui then by the soviets and in the last episode he's now the big shot, for the most part Cryska and Inia are more like romantic teasers for Yuuya. To be honest, I can't say much about this anime since part of me says that it's overrated and one part of me tells me that it's good, but I guess it's up one's self as how he finds all the "U-turns" that comes with this anime.

My rating for each category:

Sound, character, enjoyment and overall: Fair 6.

This is because there are episodes that I find enjoyable, and there are episodes the where underrated.

Story and art: Good 7.

thought the execution were a bit off the story and the plot are still good, and as for the art the 7 rating is for female character's fanservice and the way they wore their flight suit.

Prelude



Muv-Luv is a franchise well known amongst westerners as “the best” visual novel ever made, and has a surprisingly big fan base. But most don’t know that the Visual Novel franchise is actually based on a Light Novel series, which no one has probably read outside of those who read Chinese translated books or Japanese…The reason why everyone liked the whole game was because it takes itself seriously and the characters have actual motifs for their actions, not feeling like dolls that can be played around with.

And thus, it became what it is today, but I’m not here reviewing the Visual Novel, but the ... animated adaption of the side Light Novel.

Review Part: Intro Presentation



Total Eclipse is set in the year 2001 where humanity is on the verge of extinction due to encountering an unkown species, which later are named to The Beings of Extra Terrestrial origin which is Adversary of human race or shortly put (BETA).
The first character to die halfway in the first episode with the phrase “eh?” which she states after a character blatantly warns her 5 seconds earlier that she should watch out.
And you’re support to be like “OH NO! WHY?!” or the scene where her friend tells her “Shoot me!” but she misses every single shot with her dying in vain, crying like a baby, which afterwards she gets saved by plot convenience to extend her role in the story, pretty bold if you ask me.

Review Part: Characters
The characters in Total Eclipse are a mix of all types of anime
stereotypes sexualized to the point of no return. Of course, there are a few exceptions. But the main dish just feels uneasy on the eyes or distracting to focus on the story or character motives, because you’ll be staring at their huge melons or the weird spandex suit. The characters themselves are barely memorable as well. We have the MC being that arrogant pro who can’t do anything because he hasn’t mastered the ways of Japanese Tactical Surface Fighter, as different countries build them based on different uses. Americans brute force, Russians Maneuverability and power, Japanese mostly Maneuverability so it can jump around like Mario.

The rest of the cast are there to help him change his view on how he should use them. As they pretty much can’t afford to lose trust between themselves. Seriously, the characters were so forgettable except one or two that I’ll end up missing them entirely. VG is a notable character who cracks/does perverse jokes but has an attitude which actually hits the soft spot.

Especially his Dub actor, he did an outstanding job to portray him. Bridges is your Eren Jaeger who has no personality or reason at all except being there causing drama or dumb plot-twists that will make you raise a brow or scratch your head. Takamura is the main female lead that is a literal tsundere, nothing much to note on her, throughout the course of the story she doesn’t change. And no, her relationship with the Bridges doesn’t go anywhere. Cryska and her sister are pretty much the equivalent of little sister loves MC, elder one doesn’t but eventually falls in love. Yes folks, it’s a love quadrangle. She’s an emotionless killer who turns into a yandere because plot called it. There are of course. Much more characters, but I hardly remember what they wanted to do or their motives in the show, which leaves a very poor example of the show.



Review Part: Storytelling & Arcs


The story telling is led by a predictable outcomes and unconving reactions to be taken seriously. It constantly changes to unrelated topics about the show and its characters. First it’s a training drama about surviving the beta attack and helping humanity in further developing TSFs to improve their chance of survival then all of a sudden we go to a Beach arc about how the MC is treated as shit because he’s Half-Japanese I mean seriously? Oh and it gets better. Another few training sessions come in, but focus mostly their back stories which is good, but when the story does nothing so you can remember these characters you just don't want to care either way. The pacing changes from fast to slow at random, throughout the first 5 episodes where they build on relationships with characters and their motives they change to drama about going to the girls hot spring then all of a sudden into a the-military-does-not-respect-us-civilians drama. The whole testing pilot thing literally stays true for only ¼ of the series and no more. Presenting multiple plot holes and nonsensical reasonings which of course mean nothing in the long run, because it ends up being a shonen-style storytelling where the power of believing will make the day bright again. Technically after the arcs could’ve been made way better by expanding on the series for more than 26 episodes and actually do something with its themes and characters and not end up in just another forgettable cash-in.


Review Part: Production values and music
Animation

Oh boy, here is the thing where it made me want the show to have been done by Sunrise and not Satelight. For a war drama that focuses mostly on robot fighting, the robot themselves are Computer-Generated meaning that half of the animation just dies, which not to say that it had any spectacular animation to begin with. So the drop in quality is quite high regardless of what you’rewatching…The PowerPoint presentation walking or running animation is distracting, so to save budget they mostly sit around doing nothing and talk for an eternity, even the enemies are CG it really fell flat here, there was nothing redeemable about it.

Character Designs

The character designs are one note and pretty basic, you have short hair mid length hair short hair differences. One note backgrounds, and semi-post apocalyptic landscape here and there. Nothing special really, they didn’t even try improving the already existing designs or backgrounds.




Music and usage

The music is mostly forgettable, but fits the scenario pretty well. Considering most of the times nothing specific happens, and the overall action scenes are little. There was one insert song by Granrodeo which was a good insert song that played twice. And one at the end of ep 4, the rest is either reenacted from the VN ost mixed with anime original, and it’s pretty poorly used. The 4 action scenes that actually played those 2 insert songs was nice to listen to while the fight was going in the background but in the end, it fell off the rope and went straight down the lake.

Conclusion:
In conclusion it’s a below average production that really has nothing for you to bother wasting your time with, I have a dim recollection of the characters exactly 7 days after I finished it. Of course, it may only be worth it if you want to break it down.

The first two episodes of this anime grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me around a little. It was pretty brutal, emotional and intense. It created a very dark tone, which I was pretty excited about but then I got to the third episode and everything changed. Did it change for the worst? Well that's debatable.

The first couple of eps set the scene. It's end of the world humanity is on the edge of extinction and everyone is dying. Afterwords though every episode just seems to neglect the horrid reality of the world the characters live in. Also the tone I first spoke of ... is gone. Muv-luv actually seems to have trouble trying to decide what its going for. One episode it's a fight to the death with every character in danger the next its a harem party at a hot spring!? If you can get passed the inconsistencies with the story then you, like me, will enjoy muv-luv.

One of the reasons would be the characters. I ended up rooting for everyone and couldn't really pick a favorite. Character development is handled very well. We get enough insight into the main characters lives to really feel for them and the supporting characters are just as good even without going into the same depth.

The art was outstanding even in every episode. I loved the Mecha and character designs and the actions scenes(WHICH ARE AWESOME) are animated beautifully everything feels so smooth and is just a joy to watch.

Despite the up and down story I really enjoyed Muv-Luv it was emotionally engaging at times then even hilariously funny. The mecha battles are exciting and when the story does start to lead somewhere it does actually get quite intense. It's not the best Mecha anime I've every seen but it is certainly better than a lot of others in it's field. A solid 7 a good anime and one that deserves a watch if you have the time!

so far i watched 7 episodes
at first i was really attached to this ainme
the frist two episodes are amazing but if the story goes on it gets even more boring.
and seems to be just some mechas and boobs.
i am somehow disapointet
sry for the bad english

I don't know what to say....

Att first I was like naaaah this anime is 5/10 then later on I felt something deep inside. It was inspiration.... my ratings went upp the more I watched I felt special....

I know there will allways be haters and I respect that, but there is nothig to hate about this anime.

The first episodes I was like naah but when it went to ACTION every episode was heaven on earth :S

Here is a short and sweet version.
Since 1973, an alien called the BETA has been invading earth. Things to know about the BETA: we know almost nothing, There are several categories, and the first three minutes a pilot spends on the battlefield against them are known as the Three Minutes of Death, because it is rare for anyone to survive longer than that, even with giant robots. This story is not about the overall defeat of the BETA, but more like a major point amidst the chaos of the war. The setting is Alaska at a testing facility for the TFS robots and weapons. There ... are several layers of characters in this anime, such as nation, the facility, the testing groups, the characters themselves, and other entities like Refugees groups and the military. Each character/entity/group is individualized and can be viewed as a person all on his/her/its own which is very amazing feat. The main character is Yuuya Bridges. The story is mostly about him coming to terms with the Japanese part of hi Japanese-American heritage. The story does this by personifying his Japanese heritage with his Japanese test robot. Through several story arcs of different types, he slowly begins to understand how his robot works and come to grip with his heritage. To help him is his own group, and Yui Takamura, his Japanese Commanding officer with a tragic past. That is the main gist of the story.
Here is the detailed version.
Story: 7
What? An 7? Yes, an 7. The story really isn't all that original. It is your generic "Aliens are invading, only part of the world is still inhabitable and so all of us Nations are sharing it." (kind of like Strike Witches, no offense to Strike Witches). But if it's so generic, why did I give it an 7? Because it is still very different. Normally, an anime like this would focus on a hero of some sort with a special machine and abilities who can kill everything, but this anime takes a different approach. Bridges is definitely an Ace pilot, just like all of the other test pilots, but he hates being a test pilot, he would rather be on the field fighting. So why pull top ranks from the field to test robots? Because a skilled pilot is needed to test robots that could have all sorts of bugs in them. Part of this story is in fact about Bridges coming to grips with the handling and control of his Japanese style robot. Bridges himself is Japanese-American, but he despises Japan because he believes them to be cowards, and he thinks his robots fighting style is built in all wrong. His fight with learning to pilot the robot is parallel to him coming to grips with his Japanese heritage. Though the BETA are a major part in this story, they aren't the main focus. The focus is rather Bridges and his groups own personal struggle against each other and other nations. (I will talk more about this in the character section.) As well as the nations of earth fighting against each other while fighting the BETA. What do I mean? While they all want to defeat the BETA, each nation wants to cripple the other ones, that way when the BETA are defeated, then one nation will be able to stand above them all. This story also brings into view the relations of the characters as people, and as citizens of other countries, but more on that in the character section. The story is great and contains multiple smaller conflicts within overall major conflicts. It is entertaining and somewhat tragic at the same time. Also, don't be thrown off by the first few episodes. The story begins by following Yui Takamura as a High school student and it shows what happens to her platoon. While this part is horrific and scarring, it serves as an important basis for Yui's character later on and is crucial. MOVING ON!

Art: 10
I love the art in this anime. The characters are drawn and animated beautifully, but more than that, i love the animation of the fights. Because we are dealing with robots, the robots are 3D and so are the BETA. this makes the fight scenes much more dramatic and capturing. Artists do a good job capturing the emotions of the characters in their faces as well as in the scripts. The BETA have very unique designs and traits that are nearly impossible to copy without blantantly ripping them off, and are very wonderfully animated. Explosions are not over done, and the blood sprays are almost beautiful, except that they are blood. NEXT!

Sound: 9
I love the OP theme for this anime. It catches the intense action and sudden changes of this anime. It shows character motivation and it’s got a good beat. The lip syncing is good, and the sound effects are also great. The cries from the BETA are easily distinguishable as cries of pain or aggression. The voice actors’ portrayal of emotion in their voices is also superb. The machines whir, and the monsters scream. Swords buzz with energy and guns shout with bullets. It kept me on the edge of my seat.
Character ( my favorite): 10
This story has multiple characters, and each character exists on a different level. This is best seen in Cryska: she is Russian and is thus ultimately loyal to the Motherland. In her test group, which is her and her little sister Inia, she will do anything to help Inia and hurt anyone who gets near her including “the Motherland”. Then she exists as herself, something she has trouble doing after being raised in communist Russia. She doesn’t understand her own emotions, and doesn’t overall know what she wants. If you look at Yuuya Bridges, He is loyal to America, despises Japan and Yui (cuz she is Japanese and for no other reason). He exists as the “leader” of his team. And as an individual does what he thinks is best on the whole, disregarding everyones’ orders. There are also lots of entities in this anime. Entities fall into three or for basic categories: Russia, America, Japan, and the BETA. Russia and Japan are the big ones, and this is highlighted by the relationship between Cryska and Yuuya. America is more of just “yeah we survived you guys all owe us.” And the BETA are used as a rallying point to say, “We are all on the same side.” They aren’t actually that lame, though.
This anime also does an amazing job with the side characters. Everyone from the waitress at the bar to the mechanic in the hangar manages to form a connection with you. They are round even though they barely get screen time. While there is a set group of characters, this anime does a fantastic job of integrating new people, and disposing of other ones. Personally, I believe that the ability to connect with the characters really builds into an anime and helps direct the flow. You know what a character will do based on their mindset, and this anime does a great job of leaving you guessing without making you cringe.
Enjoyment: 9
I often had to take breaks while watching this anime, and I hated every moment of it. This anime always has a sense of suspense in it and in multiple ways. There is a suspense between the characters, between the BETA and the humans, and between the entities, all of which is tied together in one form or another. It left me wondering “what happens next?” without some lame dramatic reveal at the end like: “we just found her dead” –roll credits-. While it does have some of those cheesy romantic suspense moments like “What do I feel for him” and “What is love?” it still kept my attention and made up for it with battle scenes, in which anything that could possibly go wrong probably did. As a result, I think a 9 is pretty fair.
Overall: 9
Why? Read the above and then watch the anime. You won’t regret it.

There is one and only one way that could have saved this series from being more than just eye candy without any thought behind it:

Do not try to take a dating sim concept, and turn it into a legitimate anime by throwing in mindless racist attacks against America.

The first two episodes were good just for getting the concept behind the enemy, and the horrors of war straight. However, who in their right mind, when the species is on the line, sends a bunch of teenage girls who represent the best, brightest descendants of the Imperial heritage of Japan, out to the front lines? That is ... called STUPID! There is a reason in most American sci-fi that the best and brightest are usually saved in reserve or their talents are used to help in other areas: you want those particularly smart people to make babies for the next generation to be the best and brightest, and so on.

Secondly, nowhere in this anime is there any tactics or strategy that make any kind of sense, or offer the species any chance of survivability. The "circling and descending" attacks Yui brags about that the underpowered, gutless 94 Second is designed to do are the same tactical maneuvers Japanese Zero pilots used to effectively die in the gunsights of American Wildcat, Hellcat, and Corsair aviators.

For serious discussions on proper ACM tactics, please refer to Colonel John Boyd's "Aerial Attack Study", Energy-Maneuverability Theory, and the OODA Loop.

Third: Who in their right mind builds a bunch of mecha to fight an overwhelming swarm of bugs (that of course have to have eyes, hands, heads, and mouths, even though they share no genetic similarities whatsoever to Earth lifeforms), when a simple EM cannon carried by one mecha can decimate an entire force of the enemy? Why not build a couple strategic bomber aircraft to sweep the Earth with these weapons at altitude, and avoid the messy business of killing humans unnecessarily? Oh right... because we can't have a plot driven off of anything except hand to hand combat with monsters!

Fourth: Ever since "Blood+" made that horrible effigy of Condoleeza Rice bragging about how Americans all want to conquer the world, I've been slowly turning off anime. This series is the straw that has broken the camel's back. Since WWII, America has profusely apologized to a nation it had to strike with two nuclear devices because the Imperial military was so hell-bent on fighting to the last man, over a quarter of the Earth's population would have been lost by the end of the war. Nevermind a pacifist movement in Japan's own citizens were cheering for America's resolution to drop the bomb, but even after over 60 years of rebuilding and peacetime, the Japanese still do not understand why they lost the war, and blame the "blue eyed devils" for all their problems.

Simply put, Muv-Luv is an exercise to duplicate the fanbase of Hetalia by stereotyping certain cultures in the series, and somehow trying to rewrite history to show Japan as an Imperialist nation would be feasible in the modern world.

All that's missing is Yui saying "and I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids, and your dog!"

THIS REVIEW IS SUBJECT TO CHANGES

Ok when I started this anime off I thought to myself hell yea finally a good dark and mecha anime. Well I turned out to be a bit wrong about this one. While the first 2 episodes of the series were what I was looking for things then took a hard left turn. The episodes after number 2 have been on the development of another main character and pushing the main of the first 2 episodes to the side somewhat. It also has taken away the dark aspect and made it more of a lighter hey look at me and ... see what I am learning how to do. While I still like the mecha aspect of this anime the story development has left me confused and wondering if I wish to continue this anime. Well we shall see!

----------NO SPOILERS PAST EPISODE 1-----------

Set in the past. Better technology then we have now? How could anything so ridiculous sounding be great? Well read this if your just looking for a good anime to watch, or if you want to know the answer to my question. This is a review of the Fall 2012 anime: Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. Enjoy

Story: 10
Muv-Luv Alternative : Total Eclipse was a very unique anime. It is set in a past that has scientifically passed our current age technology. They have mecha-bots called TSF's which they use to fight the BETA. An alien species that is just bent on ... destroying the earth and wiping out the Humans. When I read the mecha tag I thought here we go again, another mecha anime, but surprisingly this one turned out to be extremely different. Yuuya Bridges is a Half American Half Japanese ensign, a TSF pilot. Being one of the top American TSF pilots he is sent to Alaska to work on a joint American Japanese TSF research project. There he meets the Japanese lady named Yui Takamura, who teaches Yuuya many things. About him and fighting the BETA.

Art: 7
The character art was amazing, but whenever the BETA came around they looked way too realistic. They looked amazing, but when ever people where getting hurt the graphics looked to realistic. When the bullets hit the flesh the blood coming out was to realistic. They were the only fully 3d object in the 2d world of Total Eclipse. Out of place but amazing.

Sound: 7
This anime is like most anime, I can only remeber 2 OST's from this anime. The only reason I gave this a 7 was for the first opening "Go To The Top" In my opinion the this was a really great opening. Other then that was the OST playing in the last episode while he was being a bada**.

Character: 10
The character development was simply put amazing. Each main character has their own specific background story that somewhat ties into the anime and how its told. Sometimes it may seem like its somewhat confusing, but sooner than later it will make complete sense. The main character is a great one and I hope you'll come to like him just like I did (not in a yaoi way lol).

Enjoyement 9
Sundays at 7, thats when it came out subbed on the sight that I watched it on. Every Sunday I would make sure I had time to see Total Eclipse. I followed it everyday and the only episode I watched late was the 20th, which was a recap episode.

Overall: 8
From a non biased point of view this anime deserves an 8 when I take into consideration all of the points that make up this anime. All in all this was a great anime, that most people need to watch one time or another. Also, A warning, this anime is addicting. :)

-StellerScale

When somebody says the word "mecha", we would immediately think action and robot vs robot flying and fighting each other. Yes, muv-luv did have these elements, but it also included the mindset of the characters in it.

I'll get straight to the point, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse was a great anime that was overlooked by a lot of people.

I'll first mention why I really loved this anime.
Storyline:
I feel like the storyline for Muvluv is very original especially since we get to see and experience what is happening in the backlines during an all-out war.
It starts off by giving us a feeling of despair and ... darkness because even the most advanced mechas get taken down by the B.E.T.A.. However, after the first two episodes it shifts the point-of-view of the anime towards the events happening in the back lines of the fight. Because of this view, we are given front row seats to see the character relationships and experience the character development more in depth. Although the action is lacking compared to some other mecha anime, MuvLuv makes up for it by showing us the mindset of the people and why they do what they do. But nevertheless, the action scenes were still gorgeous. The story not only tackles issues that are personal, it also ponders national and even global themes. I really love how accurate they show human reaction especially during the brink of despair.

Characters: The characters were very dynamic in a sense that even the interactions were very entertaining. Also, the character development was very interesting to watch, especially for our three "main" characters. Yuuya Bridges, Yui Takamura, and Cryska Barchenowa. First about Yuuya, he starts off as a cocky young pilot who thinks he is the best in the world, but then after experiencing near death situations with his comrades, he began to develop not only a sense of humility but also a sense of caring and responsibility. Yui Takamura, a member of the japanese guard on the other hand started off acting like a stuck-up woman to her comrades especially Yuuya. She always was pushing others away and testing them because it was her job. But as the series goes on she eventually removes herself from isolation and accepts the help of others and even make others her role model.
Cryska, a member of the soviet flight, started out as a really cold persona, all she cared about was doing the job that was set-out for her and taking care of her "sister" Inia. Though, through interactions with the other characters in the story she gradually changes ad in the end found something very worthwhile for her to protect. However, thats not all, the side characters were also very interesting. They were not only there to serve as side characters, a lot of them became catalysts so that the main characters can act on something of have more development. Another addition is that all of the actions of the characters have a drive for it, not just done without just reason.

Art and Sound: The art used in this anime is really beautiful considering the budget allotted for it. The character designs were very detailed and the mechas looked awesome, even the aliens looked crisp and colorful. As for the sound, the first opening, "Go to the Top" was very catchy and was destined for this series.

Slight Nuances(spoilers):
The love triangle that is Yui, Yuuya, and Cryska felt a litle forced at times but was never an actual hindrance to the story. If they wanted to highlight this relationship, they should have done so otherwise utting it to the side might not be a bad idea. They also could have improved the fight scene music to give it a more "epic" feeling.

Overall: MuvLuv contains enjoyment that is not found in the surface level. You have to look at the intricacies of the characters and the story itself. Ultimately this was still a very good show that gives us a new view of things both personally and beyond.

If you enjoy mecha anime that involves much mindset and character development this show is a definite much watch.

I watched this Anime because one of my classmates told me that it was a good anime and that it had some good characters... and he was right. I started the anime and i coulnt stop watching it ; the story was good the characters were funny and good at the same time and the Opening was great.

Despite the fact that i dont relly like Mecha animes i relly loved that one.The fighting styles , the guns and the Mechas were great in this anime. I enjoy it a lot and i relly loved it. I recoment you to watch it but it ... has some violence and nude... so if you watch it be prepered... it is an 18 + anime after all.

Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse doesn't know what it wants to be. The dramatic action-packed opening quickly loses momentum and eventually enters love-comedy-harem territory. Just as I was about to pull my hair out, it goes full blast into a suspenseful action-oriented arc only to run itself head first into not only harem territory but tournament too. Finally it picks right back up again for the last few episodes to give some form of an ending that leaves you scratching your head.

The mech action is OK but not altogether memorable. The Beta do not leave you with a sense of dread that they should. Whenever ... they show up you think "Oh, right, this is Muv Luv Alt." What could have been a thrilling romp through the mech-filled dystopian world of Muv Luv Alt ended up being a giant ball of blandness that hardly satisfies.

Like mechs? Like big breasted girls in tight tights? You might enjoy Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. If you decide to give it a pass, I wouldn't blame you. You're not missing out on much.

A disappointed 6.

First, this is pretty emo-mecha anime. Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse is the first mecha anime that i really like...most interesting is it has a little bit harem theme and also it has nice story combine with alien known as BETA as this stoy villain

Story = 8

the story is sometime has comedy and sometime bring tear
like otherr mecha anime the story is high tension
but most important the story of this series really awesome
it attract you

Art = 8
... 2012 anime
so the quality not bad or not too awesome like valvave..
th art is decent to me, mecha dsign also not to bad ,it good
the action scene is really make me attact with this anime
coz i,m not really like mecha anime

chara = 9
The main male lead yya is okay to me.. yuuya is to me really egoist
manyl of negative trait in he also he has complex. but that make this chara interesting
the female main lead is takamura yui, she realy concern about other
and she really tough girl. deep down she really care about yuuya
but she dont show it much. And there also many other unique and awesome chara so you have to watch it.

Enjoyment = 8
My first immpression to this is like meh
but i decide to try few ep ...and then suddnly
BAM! i cant stop watching. in this anime there many awesome element
that can make you enjoy it. romance in this anime also can make you enjoy it.

Overall = 8
i give 8 because this anime cant get 10. the reason is because this anime has few flaw
but not noticeable just invisible flaw..if you rewatch few time you all notice it...and Op n Ed in this anime is madly cool and great. The balance between action,comedy,and romance in this anime is awesome it almost masterpiece.


Reyderol's WATCH TIPS

First Watch ep1-2
and yo should understand value of this anime
Second Watch Blu ray Vers
becAuse BLU RAY VERS IS UNCENSORED
but if you pure boy or girl just watch tv vers it censored
Third Where to find uncensored vers just google it.....im done

THANK YOU --------------------> hope this help

I'm curious as to why people have such opposite ratings for this anime. Even if an anime is not that good, I highlight the positive aspects in the best way I can. In my opinion, this anime is great, despite the slow start after the first couple episodes.

Story-7
Total eclipse is supposedly based off of a huge group of monsters from another planet which they call BETA and the world is trying to save their world from them. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to revolve around the BETA itself. The love between Yui and Yuuya was mature and boring, and I just wanted them to ... get together already. Even so, the involvement with other countries was questionable. I'm not sure why they did it, but it seemed to work out with the story. There were many internal conflicts within the countries because it was mainly between us, Russia, and Japan, all of which were enemies prior to BETA invasion. Rightfully so, they showed the existing tensions, but brought the countries together to end a worldwide catastrophe. Controversial, but acceptable.

Art-9
Nothing beats art like mobile suits. I have to say, even if gundams are the dominant looks of mobile suits, muv-luv incorporates their own ideas that I find interesting. Duel blades and dual assault rifles make different fighting styles possible. What I really liked was the animation for the type 99 em radiation cannon. One of the craziest rail guns I've ever seen in my life. Animations are great. Being a first timer to mecha anime, this really captivated me to watch even more. I will say though that there is a lot of gore, mainly due to the TSFs killing the beta. A lot of blood is present, so if you are not a fan of gore, this anime is not for you

Sound- 6
The openings and endings are adequate. They aren't the best, but they do fit the themes in total eclipse. Even after listening to a few times, I just can't seem to like it. Sure, the first opening has a catchy tone don't get me wrong, but it's not a song I would listen to while doing homework or art. The soundtrack is also moderately good. Considering half this anime was romance, a lot of slow tones were present. At like the 3rd or 4th episode, it got really boring because it was a slow conversation, and to top it off, there was no background music to liven up the situation. Wish they had better music

Characters- 8
It's hard to say whether to like the characters or not. Yui-Hime is definitely awesome and very beautiful, but they make her passive later on since they focus on Yuuya. Yuuya was a complete ass in the beginning, but he knows his place and changes dramatically over time. There are so many characters present it's hard to describe each of them. I think this might even be a harem because cryska, inia, tarisa, and cui all have feelings for Yuuya. I'm not even sure what they are saying about Americans, Russian, and the Chinese in general. Are they good people, or bad based on their claims? I understand that they really try to unify all these countries together, but the choice of people is questionable. Still, some if not most of the elements make sense historically. Please keep in mind the date period in which this anime takes place. US is still in the Cold War against USSR.

Enjoyment/overall- 9/8
Definitely entertaining to watch when it comes to the action. My only concern is that when they make a second season, if they do, is that Yui becomes passive again. I will hate that. She is a badass princess and can fight really well. I don't want her to keep depending on Yuuya to save her life. Overall, the anime is fun to watch. Shooting and slicing monsters is something I look forward to later on, as well as the new tactics and strategies that the UN will prepare for next season. If you're into strategic-like action, this is definitely a great anime to watch. To some it is a disappointment. I believe this anime has potential. It's underrated for unknown reasons, even as some reasons I agree, but this anime is entertaining nonetheless. I l look forward to season 2!

Well, my review contains some spoilers:-

This show is decent from my prospective, It got decent amount of romance, but mainly forwarded to action only, Story is good enough to keep you stick until the last episode, its about aliens which invaded the earth and one by one taking over the countries. Humans are trying everything they can to protect their homeland, they are using high tech mecha's.

In the beginning i expected the main protagonist (yuya) to be the strongest guy as how he anticipated that there were two mecha just by hearing the voices in the air in his first appearance on the plane. But ... he was weak, he maybe elite in US but it was never showed how good was he...

The main female has a crush on the main guy, but again until the last episode, she never confessed to him, not even once tried to.

The guy's personalty is somewhat complicated, sometimes he acts like a pro, and sometimes totally stupid. Yui maybe his love interest but he never made his move, all the other girls in love with him.

The worst part which still in my mind and keeping me frustrated is that story is hanging even on the last episode, Nobody ended up nowhere, Yui went back to japan, the silver haired girl admitted that she loves Yuya and says to Yui that she is her love rival? and starts the ending credits. Is this the hint of second season? I really hate these kinds of anime with senseless ending...

So if you are into action then this anime definitely for you. If you are into romance stuff then don't even bother watching its trailer, its worthless waste of time. If you want to watch anyway then be prepared to bear the frustration .


Thank you