Kakumeiki Valvrave

They told me I could become anything so I became a vampiric mecha pilot.

Well, the idea of high school kids becoming pilots while getting their own personal mecha gadgets isn't new to the anime industry. Series such as Macross Frontier, Code Geass, and Aquarion Evol all have this theme. It involves normal students who attends a normal school like any normal day. Then, boom. Something abnormal happens and their lives are changed forever. The catch here for Valvrave the Liberator? It also deals with a supernatural twist...with some blood spilled to add to the mix.

That's right. It's not a bird, it's not a ... plane, it's a Valvrave!

To be honest, I wasn't sure whether to check this series out or not at first. However, I am a fan of the mecha genre so I decided to give this a shot. What I got out though was a rather strange surprise from Sunrise's latest evolution of works. Kakumeiki Valvrave, also known by its English name as Valvrave the Liberator, is a mecha series that debuted as an original title in the year of 2013. The series is produced and handled by the animation studio known as Sunrise. And oh boy, does that spell out some controversy...

In essence, the series doesn't make much sense at various points. There's a lot going on even from the beginning. From its basis, we do know that about 70% of the current human population lives in space thanks to this development known as the 'Dyson Sphere' that is located in space. It's a city that has advanced technology above our own and holds many secrets. Then on the opposite side, there's the superpower known as the Dorssia Military Pact Federation and Atlantic Rim United States. They are an alliance that has mass amount of powers and resources. Oh and what do you know, they are picking a fight. Being a superpower and all, the Dorssia are a powerhouse with their military, technology, and elite forces. Among its members of that elite force is a powerful soldier known as L-elf Karlstein. (ERU ERUFUUUUUUU)

L-Elf is a young man who is considered many things in this anime. He has the intellectual of a military genius, the experience of an elite soldier earning him the title 'One-Man-Army', but most importantly is also labeled by Dorssia as a traitor. After a certain event in the beginning of the series, he is forced to defect from his home as he is now seen as someone who betrayed their comrades. Well, that's all thanks to a certain young boy by the name of Haruto of course. The young boy is your typical high school student with a normal life, a love interest, and friends who he can trust. But hey, what happens when you reject humanity and become someone totally different...say a vampire pilot? Sounds weird right but that's Sunrise for you. Welcome to your new life, Haruto.

Among other people in Haruto's life are his love interest, the adorable Shouko. The twist comes though when the very first episode spells out her a certain event that seemingly writes her off the series. But then, the series decides to be cheesy and return the favor. Honestly, that's just face palm worthy. So as it goes, there is also some other drama involving an idol superstar by the name of Saki. She seems to have her own issues and spells out drama for Haruto and his friends. The humor she brings into this show is hard to take seriously at all. But like I mentioned before, it's hard to take this series seriously at many occasions since it hardly makes sense in the beginning.

Valvrave the Liberator is handled by Sunrise. Fans who are familiar with the studio should know their themes and ideas that are poured into a mecha show like this. The themes of vengeance, struggle for dominance among nations, tragic romances, and mecha warfare are just a few in the series. Among other things, Sunrise decides to put all of this into a single package and tries to give entertainment to the fans. Oh it achieved that alright with some of its other absurd ideas like a little dose of high school musical and death flags seemingly triggered everywhere. Then of course, there's vampiric space pilots who are both feared and respected. It's funny in the sense that they reject humanity for absurd reasons that hardly makes any sense at all. Well, that's just the tips of the iceberg.

Among other absurd ideas is having students run an entire country. By this standard, it means that students who haven't even ventured out in the real world market are now in charge of their own destinies. It completely annihilates any sense of realism by going through its ridiculous elements.

Despite the absurdity of the series, it does maintain its premise. There is a lot of action here and there in space and on its homeland. The majority of this involves the Dorssia's military against its opposing factions and Haruto's school. Furthermore, L-Elf's “betrayal” seemingly gets one of his former colleagues' blood boiling as he views him now as a rival. The rivalry itself seems to be one sided though as L-Elf is constantly one step ahead thanks to his genius mind. It is in fact because of his tactics which resulted in several of Dorissa Army's humiliating defeats. It's no surprise how L-Elf earned his nickname. However, now the young man wants to lead a revolution. Sunrise is known for themes like this in their other works such as Code Geass and Gundam Seed. A revolution exists between different factions and each side wants to gain the advantage over the other. The catch here is that there's this mysterious Valvrave that becomes a turning tide in the struggling conflict.

The Valvrave themselves seems to have a rather strange design that fuses between machine and humanoid. Furthermore, their system makes their functions to be overpowered at many occasions. What's even more strange is the question it asks once a pilot enters its cockpit. The million dollar question is:

Do you wish to resign as a human being?
As strange as it sounds, that question and depending on the answer, will change someone's life forever.

Among other strange factors in the series is the usage of its pacing. The episode shifts between seriousness and ridiculous. It's nearly impossible to take some of the ridiculous as entertainment even with its cheesy execution. It tries to mix in way too much ideas into a little package at once. Also, some factors of the show barely makes any sense such as how Haruto is able to pilot such an advanced piece of technology given his previous zero experience in handling a mecha. Then, there's the cheesy dialogues used here and there; some related to school, some related to 'monster', and then some that makes no sense. In the more seriousness field though, there are some controversial scenes later on. Be prepared.

There's quite a lot of humor though in this series. I actually find it hilariously fun if you don't think about the plot so much. The way some of the characters behave makes them look amusing in a state of war. Then, there's the various jokes such as the Valvrave AI with a keen interest in human ideas. There's also funny gags here and there such as the humor of the '666' that symbolizes the Number of the Beast. The characters' names of the Dorissa's elite force also are based off of German origins. Additionally, we can tell that there is a lot of foreshadowing. The questions of who will pilot which Valvrave and what's to come in the upcoming struggles are just a few questions for anticipating fans.

The artwork of the series has its Sunrise production values. The way the Valvrave are structured and the characters are designed gives them that fresh look. The students' uniforms are a bit generic with nothing outstanding. However, the Valvrave machines tells a different story. The way they are designed gives off them a dangerous look and one that is very noticeable compared to some of the other mecha in this series. Among other factors, L-Elf's character makes him noticeable with his flash of silver hair. The Dyson Sphere itself also is noticeable of being out there in space with its technology to make its function while the same time giving it a futuristic look.

If there's delivery, Valvrave the Liberator nailed with its music score. Akira Senju (Full Metal Alchemest: Brotherhood, Red Garden) provides an effective OST that is quick and fits within the themes of the series. There are many times when battles are orchestrated through its nimble soundtrack to provide feedback of the action. The OP song, "Preserved Roses" by T.M.Revolution x Nana Mizuki also has a quick rhythm that provides montage of the main and supporting characters. It also creates foreshadowing through the backgrounds of the Valvraves as well as some symbolism. Finally, amongst vocal performances, the stand-out is Kimura Ryouhei who is able to maintain his calm and calculating tone of voice as L-Elf. By a measure of its soundtrack, this series does deserve some praise. Boku Ja Nai, Boku Ja Nai, Boku Jai Nai.

If you've already started watching this show, then by all means enjoy the entertainment but don't expect too much for engaging plots or characters. Rather, watch it for a way to kill time. At the same time, be sure to put those headphones on for its soundtrack. It's a 'fun' show to watch but its merits in terms of story presentation and character development is sour. Among other factors, think of this series as a hybrid of supernatural/mecha/school life/comedy/drama/romance/crazy all the same time. I mean, if you put a bunch of kids in charge of a country, there's nothing more than a eccentric ride, right?

Update: Corrected some spelling/grammar issues, and changed some things based off of the most recent episode.

So if you have read the other reviews so far, they're not far off besides the lets gang up and hate on Sunrise reviews.

Valvrave the Liberator is exactly what people say it is: A mecha about space Nazi's attacking peace loving Japanese vampires who are now forced to fight for their peace, with a money loving space America who wants to be heroes and defeat the Nazi's through exploiting the peace loving Japanese people.

So this anime has some major story issues, and they Xeroxed the characters out of many ... other anime genres, it doesn't necessarily need to be dismissed as a terrible anime. If you can watch it and enjoy it, to me that is a good anime. Not a work of art like Rahxephon, Eureka Seven, or others, but a good just something to watch anime.

Out of all of the anime I am watching this season, this is one of the ones I am enjoying the most. Valvrave is like an abomination of things that should not have been mixed together, much like Hellsing was, but this mix is actually making a decent product to watch. Its funny, slightly mind numbing, and so far, it hasn't made you want to go and cry in a corner rethinking your life (I'm talking to you Evangellion).

Plot & Characters 5
Your peace loving Japanese people are forced into battle with sudo Space Nazis/Stalin Communists (Dorsia is a mix honestly), all the while the Space 'Murican's are trying to exploit their plight for their own gain.

It’s completely built on cliché’s but its actually something that isn't copied from just one thing, and that is what makes it different. It’s not like Majestic Prince where that is just a rinse and repeat mecha anime. And honestly I can’t wait to see where they take the plot for this anime.

Character wise, you have your:

Crybaby questioning life lead male character: Tokishima
Princess starlet that wants to be famous through anymeans: Rukino
Strong fearless female leader: Sashinami
Bad a#$ motherf!@#!@ that was exiled from his home land and is also an oracle?: L-Elf
Dirty American Politicians
1 Evil Space Dictator
A gaggle of School Kids
Oppressed Japanese people
And a bunch of Nazi's

The characters in this anime share similarities to meatloaf. A bunch of clichéd character traits were mixed together and molded together and made into a character, much like the many meats in a good meatloaf.

Art and Sound: 7
Its a sunrise anime. A decent amount of production has gone into this, however since It hasn't been licensed to Funimation yet I don't have a way to see the visuals in HD. Looks alright on SD. >_>

Entertainment Value: 10

This was something that should not have been made, but was made, and actually is fun to watch. Nothing more. Just waste some time and watch it already. You’ll be surprised at what you get.

*sigh* Boy, where do I begin with this one?

If you're familiar with Sunrise, expect the unexpected. Seriously.

So in America, vampires sparkle like Tinkerbell while vampires in Japan pilot awesome-looking mechs? Sounds about right.

The story is pretty outrageous to begin with. Only requirement to pilot a specialized war machine created by a "pacifist", "anti-war" nation is to become a vampire. Along with an entire school of high school students who don't know life beyond luxury and peace to run an entire nation by themselves to compete against possibly a futuristic America and space Nazis. To this day, I don't understand how were they able to last ... this long since they treat munitions like dirt and ready to turn on each other from every incident they encounter. All in all, giving the story a 5 is generous of me.

The art is amazing as the mechs are beautifully drawn. Every little detail on each mech looks like it took a lot of effort to get right. The characters are also drawn pretty well, as usual mostly pretty boys and girls with fluid animation.

The sound is another redeeming quality. I very much enjoyed the openings and endings of this show and would like to see more.

The characters... let me liquor up before I continue. One moment.

Okay, the characters. I'm quite surprised the male lead was even able to stand in the beginning. Maybe after the future, scientists discovered to attach an artificial spine to this guy. Luckily, Haruto does develop into a stern and decisive young man as season 1 nears it's end and that's a good thing. The female lead, Shoko, is your typical Jane Doe. Miss Perfect who you get tired of watching. Saki, lord knows what's in her head since I seriously think she's just bi-polar. L-Elf needs to change his damn name so that I won't hear "ERUERUFU" 15 times in 20 seconds in 1 episode by his "lover" who has a giant man-crush on him or something. Other than that, he's the cool, tactical genius with a back story that hasn't been fully shown yet. Here's to hoping, Season 2.

Even with the absurd plot and like'em-or-hate'em cast, I can't seem to stop watching this show. Another thing that Sunrise is very good at doing. So if they're able to keep my attention for that long, I'll at least give it a decent score.

Final thoughts: ERUEFURU

It does not do this show justice to write a review on it when technically it is only half done; latter half will be airing in October 2013. But it will be a pity not to get more people to know about this show because… well, some jewels are just meant to be shared with others. If you are familiar with mecha anime like Soukyuu no Fafner, or Gundam SEED (or for the handful of you that knows Blue Destiny), or Code Geass, or Macross Frontier, heck even Guilty Crown, then you should consider giving Valvrave the Liberator a try. As for others who are ... not familiar with those mecha series, don't worry because you will not be at a disadvantage. In fact, there may be less expectations or comparisons instinctively, so it is not bad, right? What one can expect, however, from Valvrave the Liberator are lots of intense actions, eye-popping WTF moments, and tons of character dramas!

First let me reiterate that this show was pre-planned for two seasons so expect LOTS of unresolved questions for now (which is why I said there is no justice in writing a review on it now). Given the script and series composition is by Okouchi Ichiro (best known as the creator for Code Geass), there are certainly high hopes out there among some people. Despite all the mysterious and unresolved lose ends, I can say that I have no regret watching it and the time was well spent. The story is very fluid and captivating, which resulted in me marathoning a large chuck of it. Set in a futuristic space setting with 70% of the human population already living in space, war broke out in an academic city and our protagonist unfortunately found himself staring at the face of a humanoid robot! The synopsis sound like a rip off of many other mecha series I know, but please trust me when I say this show is unique. On a side note, I must confess that I was not very impressed with the technological gadgets shown – or I am just being picky. When it comes to character, there are plenty to like about this show. While the character development and growth may not be apparent on them all, and at times may make you scratch for head at their decisions. But as the events unfold, the viewers will get a sense of maturity developing in them. Fighting for love, fighting for survival, fighting for revenge, fighting for independence. There are no shortage of themes and reasons for the students to engage in the ugly adult affairs of war and politics.

Even if you are not sold by the plot or character, I still suggest you look up the OP and indulge in it. Yes, it is that damn good. Performed by T.M. Revolution and Nana Mizuki, it is like instant orgasm for fans, like yours truly. Or if you prefer angela or ELISA's music, you will also not be disappointed. Simply put, all the theme songs are top notch! As the latest mech series by Sunrise, one can expect superb animation quality as well as character and mech designs. At least I believe so. Therefore, whether you are looking for a short 12 episodes series with intense actions or excellent animation or plot twists or character dramas or what-have-you, Valvrave the Liberator should be on your list as one of the potential to-watch series. Don't let the lack of closure in the series misguide you, while it is true that there will be more questions than answer (for now), this show is certainly worth keeping an eye on for the Fall 2013 term.

Valvrave the Liberator is a generic mecha series not worth watching and everyone should go watch Majestic Prince or Gargantia on the Verdous planet...This is what i would say if i was someone who doesn't take the time to actually watch whole anime series and just judge it from the first couple episodes.

Valvrave the Liberator at first appears to be an generic mecha anime produced by Sunrise the same who produced the famous Gundam series. Teenagers become super bad asses by piloting OP mechs and blowing up countless enemy grunts. This is the standard Mecha anime formula.

Being produced by Sunrise, one can't help ... but think that Valvrave is just another Gundam anime knock off trying to gain fame which at first this series appears to be. A gundam anime knock off. Hell, it even uses the same 5 mecha formula that Gundam Wing, Gundam 00 and Gundam Seed used.

The Characters of this show are as generic as can be. At least most of them. The main Character,Haruto, is basically another Shinji with a bit more balls. He's weak, timid, and tries to avoid being noticed by others. Many of the other characters seem to be flat and boring as well. One of the main love interests, Shouko, is the classic ditsy, cute and always making a fool out of herself girl that everyone likes while the other, Saki, is the cold, lonely former idol who separates herself from the class but strangely likes the main character for no other reason than being the main character cause why not.

Now while the show in my opinion suffers from this, it actually makes up for it with character development and interesting complex character relationships. Because our characters are so bland and tasteless, we can see them grow as the story progresses which thank god, they actually do. But more importantly, the character relationships that develop alongside the storyline are the key thing that i see driving this anime. You will see former enemies become allies, friends that will betray one another for their own personal goals and of course new budding romances which do not all center around the main character like a trashy harem anime.

The Story of Valvrave the Liberator i will admit will be stiff, boring and confusing. I was even ready to call it quits by episode 6 or 7 because like most 12 episode animes, that's where the climax of the story is except nothing really big had happened. Little did i know, that Sunrise was actually making this series a 25 episode series and by the time i found myself at what i thought i was the last episode (episode 12) all i could say was, "...Holy ****...Wtf...Gimme my season 2 sunrise...NOW!"

I was so confused by what was happening through the series and nothing seemed to make sense. The only thing driving the story seemed to be these mech battles and who would be the pilots of the 5 mysterious mechs called Valvraves. But Sunrise, the sneaky bastards that they are, give you clues all over the course of season 1 to the bigger plot that is at hand. No longer is this show about teenagers in a high school scenario kicking butt with mechs.

Now the musical scores of Valvrave are great. The Opening is fast paced and
makes you feel like its back in the days of Gundam Seed. The Ending is very symbolic in its lyrics. It especially represents the main character which i think Sunrise did a very good job sneaking in.

Overall, if you are willing to put the time and effort in watching this show, you will be rewarded for your efforts with a deep intricate plot that will have you twisting and turning crying out for the next episode.

Kakumeiki Valvrave: A Liberating Viewing Experience

Okay, I'm going to take off my reviewer hat for this one. While I usually base an anime off of its overall plot, characters, and production elements, I'm going to have to break the mold with this one. This series, I dare say, is so bad, it's good. It's like watching a Michael Bay movie. You know it's bad, but you just can't take your eyes off it.

Kakumeiki Valvrave is perhaps one of, if not, the most cliche mecha anime I've ever seen. You name a mecha anime trope and this series has got it. I'd even call it ... the love child of Code Geass and Gundam Seed because it steals so many elements from both. Military members sneak into a neutral country to obtain overpowering weapons? Check. High schoolers learn how to use a mecha on a whim? Check. High schoolers obtain a mysterious power that gives them an advantage? Check. An uprising takes place in the middle of a war to create a 3rd party consisting of the protagonists? Check. Overpowering lead character? Half-check. Love triangle? Check. I could seriously go on-and-on, but I'll just leave it at this. What makes this series so great despite it's cliche as hell story? The fact that the writing and production staff give us the impression that this series is self-aware. It's supposed to be aesthetically pleasing and cliche and for some reason, it made this series a fun watch. I'll be honest, this was probably the most fun I've had watching a bad anime in a long time.

The story is about as Gundam Seed as it gets. L-Elf and a special ops group from Dorssia sneaks into Module 77 to obtain secret weapons known as Valvraves. However, their plan is thwarted when our series lead, Haruto Tokishima becomes enraged by Dorssia's invasion and the assumed death of his high school crush, Shouko Sashinami and as a result of it causes him to crawl inside the Valvrave and use it against Dorssia. It seems he is successful, but he learns that the Valvraves are not ordinary machines, granting him a power that even gets him to question his own humanity. Generally speaking, it's an okay story...but it's been beaten to death by prior mecha anime. The only new element this series introduces is the element of immortal, vampire-like abilities for these would-be mecha pilots. An interesting element to say the least, but I would argue that vampire stories and mecha anime are two subjects in the media right now that are beaten to death and are getting old.

I will say that the characters for this series are pretty damn likable. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that Haruto is actually one of the least likable characters in the series and he's not even that bad of a character. I really enjoy L-Elf's calm and scheming demeanor, Shouko's quirkiness, Saki's downright celebrity craze, Akira's adorable as hell NEET-like personality, Raizou's "It's Thunder!" badass personality...and that's only a few of the characters. It's an interesting mix and even while some are lacking development, their personalities shine through to make for an interesting watch.

The production elements (animation and music) I would say are solid, but not breathtaking. I will admit though it is nice to see T.M. Revolution back doing anime theme songs again. He's really damn good at it and his song Preserved Roses, the OP song for this series duet style with Nana Mizuki gives this series the upbeat start that gets me looking forward to each new episode.

Overall, Kakumeiki Valvrave is a downright enjoyable series. Sure, it's story is extremely cliche, but this is one instance where I can somewhat overlook it due to how fun this series is with its cliches. I'm almost willing to say this series is self-aware of this and takes advantage of it. I also have to give this series some credit, it had an event in a later episode that ended up sparking one of the funniest anime memes I've ever seen. I'd highly recommend this series to anyone that enjoys Sunrise's mecha anime like Gundam and Code Geass. I'd also recommend it if you can enjoy a series that doesn't take itself too seriously. However, if you're looking for an original mecha anime with a heavy story like Neon Genesis Evangelion, I'd say give this a pass. All-in-all, while I will say I've seen better anime this year, I don't think I'll see an anime that is as fun as this one to watch.

I'm usually not very into mecha animes, but Kakumeiki Valvrave changed my view.

Plot:
Im sure the plot has been done before, because there is many animes with high schoolers in mechas(take like almost all of the gundam series), but Valvrave put there own twist onto things. Valvrave deals with a lot of demonic attributes with not only the creepy music but how the protagonist (Haruto) is always trying to bite the sh*t out of someone. While watching this anime, it's got me thing what it would be like if my high school became a country. Every episode somehow the story progresses. At first when my brother ... started watching it, all i did was look at it and I thought it was stupid, but I decided to go back an watch it my self and I couldn't wait to know what happened in the next episode. Valvrave can defiantly be an anime you judge at first site, but since every episode ends with a cliff hanger...you desperately want to know what happens next.

Art and Music:
The art is very crisp and I can see the artist of this anime really focuses on colors, because it really brings out and brightens everything on the characters. Watch Valvrave in HD(shout out to nwanime), your eyes will bleed because of the brightness(joking, but HD Valvrave is the best). I like both the OP and ED 1, but the second ED is ok but not great.

Characters:
Valvrave, like most animes, makes you hate the main character(Haruto)...because he's a b*tch. But because he's the main dude I guess you can accept him(but, Haruto did gain some extra points to me in episode 10). I hate the main love interest of Haruto, Shoko. I love the second sort of kinda of love interest of Haruto(she likes him more than he like her), Saki. Saki is a little annoying in the begging, but after finding out why she's that way...you love her. The other main dude, L-elf is awesome. And the other characters you either love, like, hate, or don't really have an opinion on.

Romance Aspect:
I had to add this as its separate category, since I'm a girl who loves her romance. Valvrave has actually more romance then you think(which I like oh so much), but it pisses you off a little , cuz the anime writers have to be cliché some times and do the "right" thing(although I want to see I guess you could say the "wrong" thing)...you'll get what I'm talking about if you watch it. To say the least, Valvrave's romance parts kinda of get you excited.

Overall, I give Valvrave a 9/10. The anime is well thought through, it has great art, music, romance, but that anime all together has to involve a little more to the next level. Because, it's a time of anime that if they don't throw in new curve balls into the second season...it can become sort of redundant.

What the fuck am I watching?

Is what I think of every time I finish an episode. Especially after episode 10 like really? Funny thing is I expect something like this from Sunrise and I love em for it. Can't wait for the second season.

Honestly I've really enjoyed this Anime so far, I'd say its the best of the Season if I didn't like Giant titan smashing. For overall enjoyment this Anime has been outstanding, it reminds of a parody, something like tru blood in space with mecha. I thought something was missing in this show and I found it in episode 10 which is why ... I decided to write my review now. This Anime is full of random ass things but for some reason its just great. The Art is top notch and that is to be expected of Sunrise but I think this is the first time I have seen CG Mecha actually on equall terms with drawn Mecha fights. The sound isn't anything special but its not horrible so it works out. I originally thought the story was just awful but as more episodes have come out the story is beginning to unravel a bit and I think it's safe to say that story is fair since I really just overall enjoy the anime. The characters is where any of my disappointment lies. None of them strike my mind as different then any other anime except maybe Saki. There is not a lot of story behind the characters so you can't really attach to any of them. And I mean cmon who wants the hero boy to be their favorite character? But its great because some of the characters happen to give up their humanity and be Vampires :D

Anyways don't sit here reading this go enjoy the Anime and be mind boggled like I am.

Written by the the same guy who wrote Code Geass and it shows. It is almost as if some of the possibilities of Code Geass that were cut short in that series are explored here. What if Lelouche and Euphemia had succeeded in building their little state? They would be be in a very similar position as the students from Sakimori High.

It has a very similar character setup: the kind Mecha pilot and the "evil" genius tactician fighting
against domineering powers for their own way to the future. Also there is the student council and the child of the prime minister.

And there is a supernatural element ... milked for story potential (shaking up relationships and giving the underdog an distinctive edge), this time it has a vampiric theme.

Last, but not least for this preliminary review let me add that the contrast of school life versus high politics is also similar to Code Geass.

However, Ōkouchi takes the elements and tries to make more out of it than a carbon copy of Code Geass. The more the the story progresses it plays out differently from Code Geass. Familiar elements enter in different constellations and go to different ends. I am anxious to see how the season ends.

First I started watching this anime as a filler for Gargantia, then I was fascinated by the similarities to Code Geass, and now I see it as a new work from an author grappling with themes that he is not finished with yet from his last one.

This will contain some little spoilers ... well not that little but you get the idea .
First of all i will start by saying that this show was good , not bad , not awesome , but good and that's all . The story was not original , the characters were typical , the MC who cares about everyone and wants to save everyone , the heroine who is a damsel in distress from the start till the end and lets not forget about the bad guys that were taken from pokemon : ' Team Rocket blast of again ' ...
Story 6.5
As ... i said earlier not the most original thing you will ever see , but at the same time not that bad . The idea of students or kids that make their own little country is a nice way of getting people to watch , in a way this made me watch it .
Personally i can't understand why this will get a second season and other great shows get only one .

Characters 7
Here i would've given it an 8 , but when i saw the proposal of Haruto to Rukino and the reason why he was rejected , to be honest there i screamed at the monitor to Rukino : ' How much of an idiot can you be , don't you love him or something ' . I really liked how she was in the beggining of the show though ...
Other characters are what i hate the most , Haruto is the biggest wuss you will ever see with some kind of messiah complex , the ' childhood friend ' that has the same complex but she is so useless that makes me want to puke , the self nicknamed ' Thunder ' a loud mouth idiot who is there but didn't do anything just scream his lungs out for nothing and the rest of the cast that is not even worth talking about .
Some will wonder why i gave the characters a 7 after i said a lot of ' good things ' about them , even more so because i didn't say a thing about the Elf guy , well that guy i didn't find him interesting , just useless , he can predict what the enemy will do , so what ? After that he is useless ... Anyway , to why i gave it a 7 is beacause of how Rukino was in the beggining , if she were like that till the end that would've been a lot better , maybe the ending would've been different .

Sound 8
The OST was nice , better said i liked the OP / ED songs , but the ' in-anime ' music was so-so , not the thing you can call a masterpiece .

Animation/Art 9
If the story and characters were not that special , here we have a winner . The colours were eye catching especially the ones from the ' robos ' *__ * .
The art was , well , what can i say , hmm , just awesome . Nothing else to say .

Enjoyment 7
If the ' childhood friend ' and the little incident that happend in the 11th episode and the question that popped in the next episode and of course the answer to that question , this anime would've been a lot better and the thing i said at the ' characters ' .

Overall 7 / 7.5
I will be honest this review is not biased as a lot of you already saw if you read it till here , but this is my way of reviewing .
If some things didn't exist in this anime i would've given it an 8 , but those things exist so i will give it a 7 .
I forgot to mention something in the beggining of the review , in my head there are 3 types of anime :
1 ) Masterpiece
2) A good way to pass time
3) I am sorry that i watched it
For this anime the second option will do it justice in my book .

The first half of Kakumeiki Valvrave (Revolutionary Machine Valvrave), subtitled Valvrave the Liberator, functions primarily as a setup arc to introduce its large cast of characters, plus several giant robots. Rather than being "the system that exposes the world", this first season instead seems to demonstrate what happens when teenage fantasies go horribly wrong.

Set in a high school -- yes, it's one of these shows -- on a space colony in Earth orbit, the mostly adolescent characters find their world turned upside down when the love child of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Dorssia, invades their country JIOR, which being based on perceptions ... of today's Japan, is run by pusillanimous wimps who are determined not to fight back. However, they have a secret ultimate weapon underneath the school, the Valvrave, which the otherwise passive Haruto Tokishima is the first of several students to take over and fight back against the Dorssian onslaught. As you might guess, the story has a rather camp feel to it, and sometimes goes into weird slice of life territory, reminiscent of screenwriter Ichiro Okouchi's previous work Code Geass. And similarly, it does take some rather dark turns later on, and has its unexpected moments. It's not brilliant, but it's captivating, to say the least. A warning for some people: there is a mostly off-screen rape, as well as some gore in this series.

Characters are, well -- if you've seen other anime series, you probably know these characters, since they mostly follow established archetypes. And with so many of them vying for screen time, their backgrounds aren't explored much during this first season, though some complexity is hinted at. I found myself developing favourites, and loving to hate some of the others.

The art is fantastic, with character designs by D.Gray-man creator Katsura Hoshino, and cool mechanical designs for each of the robots. The attention to little details in many scenes, the crisp and clear animation, and exciting action sequences make this show a pleasure to watch.

Sound is excellent as well, with great voice acting performances from Yuichi Nakamura (Yamada "Thunder" Raizou), giving the character a sense of badassery; Aoi Yuuki (Akira), giving a true sense of her character's crippling anxiety; and Daisuke Ono (Cain), capturing the evil menace of this character. The music is great, too, with the first ending theme, "Boku ja nai" by Angela, as a ear worm that left me feeling especially emotional after the show, along with the exciting opening theme "Preserved Roses", the haunting second ending theme "Soba ni Iruyo", and great background music during some of the darker sequences.

Overall, while the story feels a bit like a slow start of something potentially great, the first half of Kakumeiki Valvrave has still been for me the most enjoyable anime of the Spring 2013 season. Even though some of the lines are often silly or melodramatic, making this show a bit of a guilty pleasure to talk about, it drew me in and became the one anime I was certain not to miss each and every week.

Valvrave is pretty much the normal Gundam anime, only with a twist being that you need to be a Vampire in order to pilot the superior mechs.

The story would be perfectly fine if they took gundam seed and fast forwarded a few hundred years or more. Anyway if you've watched Gundam seed, GS: Destiny, Gundam 00 you will feel right at home.



Plot wise it's good, it's not obvious and has some twists to it but nothing too special. The story isn't the highlight but it will keep you wanting more.

The OP and ED songs fit well, the art is great, mechs lookin new and ... won't disappoint.

The characters are relatively normal, although I wouldn't mind having Kira type of personality instead of a weak to strong progression that the MC exhibits.

For enjoyment, well, like I said if you've seen and liked the Gundam seed series along with Gundam 00. Then this will be the next anime inline.

Overall I give it a biased 8.5 due to being a gundam fan. The formula is relatively the same here, seems as if vampire was just added in as a test project or to stir up more drama but remains a gundam anime at heart.

I am person who is not that much in Mecha Animes or mangas....But I started Watch This Serie Today and Finished it also Today.... Those Who Like Damn Good Mecha ANime And over all Those WHo Love Good ANime this serie Will Be Completely Intoxicating....Only those who really don't like this style of anime or plot will not like this in my opinion....

Starting Song of this Story in one the Greatest Openings I have heard... and I have heard quite a lot, Along with Opening video it fits the song pretty well

In my personal opinion this is one of the Top 10 Mecha Ever ... made!!!! Tough foreshadows for what will happen in future are quite scary....Who in Haruto's Side Will Die....Will only Saki Survive as only pilot next 200 years from War or are others in missions....Why Is Haruto Called Founder and so on

My personal Question All Who have Watched This Anime....WHo else IS So Love in this Serie?

-(Also sorry for long post but I have too... :d)
Idk what some people are saying, but this was an AMAZING anime! Great characters, story, action, drama..everything! Not to mention a Killer soundtrack! The only thing that might be frustrating and probably why it got the rating it had, was because the anime episodes ran in a pattern of "sequel, prequel, sequel"( if that makes sense, it's kinda like Lord of rings, Hobbit, Lord of rings) for each episode. Which you really had to pay attention and use your brain to catch on. I actually would have classified the anime as mystery as well because of ... the pattern. I highly recommend it if you like that sort of stuff where you have to figure things out, or just in general. The story kept building/stacking as well making it climax every episode which I really enjoyed!
-The only thing I didn't like though if, I had to say that some may not like, was it's sexual situations(typical anime women stuff). It was kinda out of place for that anime lol. Other than that it was great!
I hope there's a season 3 or OVA! I'm definitely voting for it lol oh and I hope Shoko Gets stabbed so many times she never comes back to life (excuse my language, but watch anime to understand)! Do watch if you need an anime :D



Some people may not know this but the reason why I started seeing Valrave was because of the fact that Katsura Hoshino design the characters, D Gray Man author,another show I love.
Do notice this show is R + 17 = profanity and violence, and I mean a whole lot of it.

I am a fan of mecha eversince ,Fullmetal Panic, Code : Geasse ,Guilty Crown,Broken Blade!!

What can I say the story is really interesting, that you just got-too see ,and opefully get interested,many mysteries in the first and through out the anime . Some may be answered ,some are saved until the next season. Which ... is soon.

The art by Katsura Hoshino is awesome ,nice to know her art has changed and done so beautifully.

Sund is really awesome T.M Revoltipn x Nana Mizuki make want to see the opening over and over, ( it did for me), same thing for the endings by Angela and ELISA!!both Endings are awesome!! I must say the sounds do not fail in this show!!

Characters- most of them are similar,did I tell you one is a pop idol and she sings in one episode?!?
You have bright, serious,happy,shy,love triangle,friendship, betrayal,hatred ,mysterious,angry,revenge, avenge,loneliness,sorrow kinda characters maybe even more.


The enjoyment is really high up , once you get to the ending I got to re see it again to know and finnally understand it. I had too some of my questions are answered after threshold ends and starts again.the music ,art design ,story is so worth my time and I hope it is for you too. It's a great way to get into a new era of mecha. I thought it will be just a mecha but throughout the anime,it changed and it was nothing that I thought it will be.
It is a mixture of mecha, romance?!?, action,supernatural , drama and something you didn't expect.i enjoyed it it is really interesting and it really gets you into the plot wanting to know more and more.

Overall: 10 / 10
For the :
Art
music
Action pact
For not leaving me in the best part
Enjoyment
And for not letting me waste my time on a mecha again.

I walkways think way ahead of things ,glad I gave Kakumeiki Valrave a chance.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy as much as I did.
Good luck!!!

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

William Shakespeare

Has anyone loved anime as much as i have? This anime stands to be a perfect 10/10. As you watch this anime, remember this quote as it will seem to be a fitting beginning to a fitting end.

After you watch episode 9, you will truly understand why this anime is deemed, Valvrape The Penetrator and why this anime transcends over time itself.

Oh Valvrave the Liberator where to I even start, let's start from the before the utter stupidity started.

The story setting is interesting enough to grip you for the whole ride and the art is one of the most outstanding I have ever seen,and even though the robots aren't anything special they are at least flashy.

The characters range from jerks to fine beings mainly Saki Rukino, Akira R. as well as Shoko S. which seem to be give the best character development throughout with the former two having it a little bit more gripping in my opinion due to their sarker past. However the treatment of ... my favourite Saki was too harsh and we come to the famous scene in episode 10. A plot twist that was not needed and just seemed to be a cry for attention which is why my rating for both story and character dropped to a 7 and 6 respectively especially due to the lack of respect the main character, Haruto, shows to Saki after the act.

I will simply continue to watch this anime in hopes the second season find the pacing the anime had at the beginning and does not involve any more of these creepy plot twists, or at least to some extent a reasonable plot twist like the one in episode 12 brought us. My enjoyment may have been slightly spoiled but this anime should be given a fair chance even though a lot of patience may be required while wathing it.

Bandai said that this anime would be over the top...and they sure did deliver.
This anime meshes Code Geass and Gundam together so well that you think, "oh, this was in (insert series) too!" but the situation is so altered but still so similar.

Story 9/10:
While the plot centers around students making their own country, the valvraves show something much, much darker going on.

This anime does go rather fast, but you will never get bored.

Each episode has a plot twist, the characters have genuine emotions, and the voice acting + animations rile up emotions whether they be anger or happiness.

If you cannot handle controversial issues, do not ... watch this

The rating is NC-17+ rightly so. There are scenes that will make you feel uncomfortable, but I think that adds excitement to the series. At every single episode, something will happen you don't expect. I've tried to predict what will happen in episodes, but they always turn it around and around.

The story in this anime is amazing, dramatic, and will surely rile you up.

Art 9/10:
The art is very bright and sharp in this anime. The valvraves are outlined with bright lights and the lasers are a splurge of neon colors. There are even almost-rainbow mechs.

The mechs aren't my favorite designs from what I've seen of the other Bandai series, but they are still powerful and sleek.

The art is very fun to look at. Space is more of a dark blue rather than black in here and the stars and galaxies in the background make such an impact on the setting. The mechas stand out against space and everything adds drama and bolder effects to the screen.

Sound 9/10:
Nana Mizuki and T.M. Revolution in one song. How much better could it get?

This anime plays music at perfect times and does and phenomenal job at changing the mood quickly and drastically.

You will get chills, you'll scream, maybe even cry.

The music will even change the mood after someone has died. I thought I'd be devastated for the rest of an episode after someone died, but the music changed my mood so much , I didn't continuing mourning until after the episode.

Character 10/10:
You will have a character you love. There are so many different types of personalities in this anime and they work so well with each other.

You have your heroes, meganes, shotas, crazies, jocks, introverts, idols, ideal boyfriends and girlfriends, schemers, and so much more.

Even if you may not like a character, if something happens to them you'll probably be screaming from joy or grief. You'll be shipping pairs you didn't think you'd be shipping.

Enjoyment 10/10:
As seen above, I fully enjoy this anime.

I thought an episode was boring...but then I got to the last 2 minutes and I was raving so much. Everything just changes so quickly!

I have never been so excited for an episode of an anime to be released until this anime. Be prepared to yell over cliff hangers every episode and have raging thoughts while watching.

Overall 10/10:
This anime moves quickly and has controversial scenes. The art and sound are fantastic, and every character will be dear to you. I could re-watch this over and over again and not be bored.
Everything is just mixed in so well - You can see the Code Geass and the Gundam in here, but at the same time you can't.

You will never be bored and you will not be able to predict anything.

This is the anime Bandai said was going to be over the top.

Bandai went more than over the top, they went above and beyond.

Kakumeiki Valvrave
Valvrave the Liberator. Well, to start things off. I think this anime is truly amazing, as a huge gundam fan this anime really did hit the spot, despite it not being a gundam type anime at all. But, it sure does make up for it in this anime. The mechs or what is known as "Valvraves". Are the only weapsons the students have against the dictator type of military that they're up against. So, if you're a true lover of all things mech anime, like I am, then get ready to be in for a real exciting anime. I wish there was a ... game like this that would be just awesome.

Loved the series, One of the few Mecha anime where I was actually interested in the plot rather than the characters, Although the ending did seem a bit rushed, I just had to re-watch it multiple times today, And I noticed that some episodes left subtle details, That seemed like pointless conversations but were used later on in the episode, Which I loved!

Some Spoilers down below

The few things I disliked about this anime was mostly the election, And how the student body reacted to it

The Whole election was an ass-pull how stupid could those students be? Voting for a girl because she promised fun, and ... a festival? seriously!? and the whole "I'm gonna confess my love" thing was just lazily put in there for us to feel sorry about her getting cucked right in the moment, And the festival wasn't ever shown! The whole watching her father die could've totally been removed as it was only ever mentioned again during the ending.