Tanya’s military chronicles, not her maleficent saga, curse you Japanese light novel title translators, is an immensely entertaining story, specifically this movie.
The film adapts the 4th Volume of the book or light novel collection, but don’t call it a book or a *full* novel around Carlo Zen. He might rage at you in the afterword of the latest entry of the novel due to the improper classification that he loves along with his Chicago’s school of economics, such a tragedy would reach his ears so beware.
Anyways…
The pacing is immaculate, the movie times every fight in accordance with its more calm and quieter moments effectively
...
to have them sprinkled strategically as breaks from the rather intense action sequences.
On this note if you compare the film to the 4th volume it exceeds the motionless wall of text with its scarce illustrations. It goes beyond the constraint of the light novel medium, playing to its strength of action, having a golden bough of pictures and audio visual compliments, which is why a lot of the monologues are cut out in favor of showing you what it's good at.
Not necessarily cutting out all of it as a crutch, still including Tanya’s thoughts on her life as we’ve seen in the anime, as you’re most probably familiar with, to give a reasoning. value and weight to the happenings. Not necessarily expecting you to do a triple backflip somersault at you witnessing some commies dying.
Even if we mostly follow Tanya, the movie builds upon the already existing cast so that we’re invested and empathize alongside them in the exhausting struggle that’s known as war. Be it with Viktoriya’s grudge and background with her former Motherland. The general’s misunderstanding regarding Tanya’s intention on the war, and Weiss' alcohol addled addiction and Grant’s eventual blooming which are interesting in their own screen time adding to the fun factor.
NeverthelessI would’ve given this movie a 9, but why? It is thanks to a few nitpicks from my part, not exactly entirely breaking the experience for me nor for you I hope, but annoyances that make me frown a bit, something comparable to raising your eyebrow at a concerning choice from the studio: a disrespect to the viewer’s attention span and intelligence.
Rewatching the movie now for the fifth time I had forgotten all about the dedicated ass cam that makes its debut 3 times at least which isn’t a lot in retrospect, but I feel insulted regarding it. I would’ve preferred to have its existence be worthless and naught, especially when the cam appears tragically to Adjutant Viktoriya Ivanova Serebryakov’s despair while she is helping Tanya.
Picture this: Viktoriya is putting up the railroad maps related to the enemy’s and empire’s territory and you’re paying attention as you rightly are: *entertained* to see why it’s so important, then the next few seconds you’re greeted by the rear that Tanya longs for, but not the kind you’ve heard from her, it is equivocally the booty cheeks of her adjutant.
To recount the other 2, one appears when Mary SiouX stands up from shooting practice targets and the cam makes its fleeting appearance with an unnecessary close up.
Finally, The primordial progenitor of this phenomena, this happens when a certain comrade Loria is looking for prey. He becomes the ass cam himself and only finds disappointment, which is one of the only moments where it is justified in its existence.
To defend myself I’m not some prude regarding anything sexual, I’ve indulged in Visual Novels that could be described and are in the eroge genre, such as “Song and Saya” and “Dead End Aegis”. I don’t actively react like a communist to the fact that I saw a reproductive organ, or *something* enticing the stirrings that may lead to fornication or rather its more lonely cousin called Onanism. I can understand their inclusion as part of their appeal, exploring and discussing its message through a nuanced portrayal that you seldom not see in more conventional types of media, but this is not it. This cam is a fundamental insult that I *must* pay attention immediately by checking using primal means unaware that the movie had within its grasp my undivided attention.
Of course, other anime have done the same with being far more nonsensical with their attempts aka Ecchi, by far the worst offender, not to say that they’re exempt from this judgment, but in a movie such as this? It’s a blemish that has no reason beyond insecurity on its own qualities and merit. Sadly the motive around the initial score of 9 is not only regarding the ass cam, but the artstyle being let’s say unattractive with Tanya’s face resembling a duck’s and Viktoriya with her potato shaped eyes. The studio has clear talent if you look at the other wömen, such as Maria SueX, she looks like what you would expect, nothing out of the ordinary, but for some reason Tanya and Victoriya get discriminated against to not elicit any sort of physical attraction.
Well, reflecting on this, there is a chance that… Yes. I am a reluctant prude or even a closeted pervert for writing this much about it, along with bearing Carlo Zen’s inner childish nature regarding their own works and thoughts.
My friends weren’t particularly bothered by it, besides me and another compatriot, but not to the same degree. When I tried bringing this point up I couldn’t quite articulate it well, and despite my failings at that time I believe that it deserves a voice, which is why I’m writing this and rescinding the previous opportunity into a new canvas.
Still I must reiterate, beyond what I’ve been annoyed at, The move is amazing. The sound design is simply superb, it beautifully compliments the mix of visuals and its movement with making you feel the weight of each action in battle, be it the immense mana being expended and or explosive formulas being launched then tearing apart the local commy block. Not to mention the powerful Oomph! of the mages producing an unrivaled force to launch themselves into the sky, simply sublime! But. There are many untold surprises that I'd rather have you experience for yourself.
The music is also a standout with it working well, given that one of the ending songs is called “Los! Los! Los!” is arguably a great listen until at certain points where they spout a stream of nonsense in German. It's as if a toddler discovered a German dictionary and spouted all the words that sounded cool or might’ve seemed witty in the context of Tanya’s struggle, but it comes off as tone deaf.
I’m surprised Carlo Zen didn’t oversee this process of music making, he would have surely wept more that the inclusion of the German language was this badly handled if you compare it to the books, but I digress. The music that covers each fight is mostly composed of a melodic choir of voices that add much needed embellishment to each scene with an orchestra to back it up.
The cinematography and framing of shots comes to show the talents of the director and team. Specifically when in the climax Tanya shoots a certain enemy of hers in a cathedral, it portrays how she also shoots an Angelic statue too with the blood splattering and bouncing off as if desecrating that goddamned being X.
3D is utilized too to compliment the 2D, for example in the climax we see how two mages fly through a city in a complex dogfight which is exhilarating how buildings weave in and out or zoom past into the continuum of their fight while one of them dodges the devastating attacks, trying to utilize the space around them to have a opening to escape to safety to counter-attack. The space is used masterfully, not as an afterthought to make it look pretty. Later witnessing the beautiful destruction that is left on it’s wake.
The historical accuracy is on point continuing from the anime which is a nice surprise how much detail planes, tanks and even guns have on them with the polished and clean finish that each one possesses. Those animators really must’ve wantonly inspected all those weapons in their trip to Chicago. Bless Carlo Zen’s connections and love of the state’s school.
So!
The new score I’m giving the film would be a 9.5 rounded up to a 10, since this series does hold a special place in my castle of hearts along with some convincing of friends.
My friends, I must thank them too, they’ve been an aid to this review, Nhovah, Cronk, Kregazi, Pyro and Flinnshadow. Thank you for reading.
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Oct 1, 2023
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Tanya’s military chronicles, not her maleficent saga, curse you Japanese light novel title translators, is an immensely entertaining story, specifically this movie.
The film adapts the 4th Volume of the book or light novel collection, but don’t call it a book or a *full* novel around Carlo Zen. He might rage at you in the afterword of the latest entry of the novel due to the improper classification that he loves along with his Chicago’s school of economics, such a tragedy would reach his ears so beware. Anyways… The pacing is immaculate, the movie times every fight in accordance with its more calm and quieter moments effectively ... 
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