Back to zerriet's Profile zerriet's Profile

Sunrise has always been a one-trick pony, using a gundam type of storyline that spreads throughout all their storylines, be it code geass or gundam seed stc. So for Valvrave, an anime original from sunrise that is yet again another Mecha, would it follow the same tropes as its previous series? The answer is yes. However, that should not stop you from watching it because its a ride worth taking despite its cliches. While Valvrave season 1 was extremely absurd and down-right stupid at times (random school singing), season 2 brought the meat of the story and played its cards right overall despite a seemingly ... lack-luster ending.

Story-7

As a sequel, the story for season 2 capitalizes on how Haruto and company's flight and fight from Dossia and eventually other forces. This coupled with some political back-story makes up for an interesting premise despite it being done already by some series. However, at times it falls into the trap of having some ass-pulls which leaves some distaste for viewers. Take for example, a certain episode was having a peace conference when suddenly the enemy turns up and convinces everyone of a party being "monsters", this in my opinion are some of the various questionable writing which may be unsatisfactory at times to downright laughable. Another thing to add was the ending, in my opinion it was a solid ending but at the same time, left too many questions unanswered. With all these plot holes building up, it would certainly leave its audience unsatisfied unless there is a confirmation for a third season, very similar to a guilty crown-isque ending. Nevertheless, I applaud them for sticking strong to the plot without side-tracking too much, thus allowing it to remain intriguing.

Art/animation-8

While it is not something we have never seen before, it is definitely good. The animation is clean and detailed. One thing to note are the mecha designs, they look absolutely fantastic and even better when in battle. The fights are nicely choreographed and uncensored deaths while albeit morbid at times, give a better feeling than what it is like to be censored.

Sound-8

The opening "Kakumei Dualism" by Mizuki Nana and T.M Revolution gives a pumping feel to the series as a whole, which is extremely suitable given the general atmosphere of the series. The Ending themes "Realism" and "Akai Memorīzu o Anata ni" by Elisa and Momoko Kanade give the ominous feeling to set the tone of the future episodes within the series. What I like in particular is the use of ending themes from season 1 in some of the fights to certainly set the mood, especially if it was a tragic character. As for the music within the episodes, while certainly not bad, they were not really memorable.


Characters-7

Characters are somewhat decent here due to some character development. Our protagonist Haruto a foolish high-school student at first evolves into someone with resolve to protect what is dear to him. While the other main character L-Elf is the cool white haired badass that everyone looks up to, only to experience a tragedy before redeeming himself later on. Other memorable side characters include Saki, Shoko, Yamada, Akira, Kyuma and Mari, all whom get a tinge of development here and there. With that said however, there were quite a few problems. Firstly due to its very large cast, it is inevitable that quite a few are undeveloped. With the exception of Satomi and Takahi, alot of side characters tend to get largely ignored, which is further evident in the last episode. Furthermore, the villains also get considerably low screen time. The main antagonist Cain only gets 2 dedicated episodes of fighting while most of the time, the series just shows glimpse shots of him formulating plans. Another problem is the blatant use of death flags for quite a few characters, while it is understandable that it is used to advance the story or motivate another character, at times it seems largely unnecessary, which causes more plot holes since the character is not fully explored such as the case with Mari. Despite all these, the cast is not too bad and although it could be improved, it is certainly decent enough for an audience to care about.


Enjoyment-9

I came into the series intrigued by the idea of vampires mixed with Mechas and i was on the edge of my seat throughout season 2. I liked it through and through and was always anticipating the next episode because i was always interested to see what would happen next. While the ending may feel somewhat unsatisfactory for some, I personally feel it was the best they could do if they do intend to make a third season or an OVA.


Overall, I rate Valvrave season 2 an 8/10. Depending on personal enjoyments, it may range from 6-8 for many others. In my opinion, This show is a spiritual successor to the late Code Geass of 200X. Despite it's somewhat above average animation, Valvrave manages to enrapture its audience though a witty use of interesting characters such as L-elf, excellent music direction even if the music may not be to your tastes, and twists and turns that leave you stunned in your seat and/or laughing at the unexpectedness that Valvrave the Liberator. Coming to you via your favorite family friendly services Hulu, Crunchyroll etc.