Schwarzesmarken & MuvLuv Alternative:Total Eclipse

Title: Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse

Genre: mecha

Story:
In 1973, an invasion of aliens known as BETA upon Earth is driving human civilization into nearly collapse. Facing an enormous mass of enemy force, mankind has developed large humanoid arms called as Tactical Surface Fighters and deployed them to its defense lines through out the world. However, all those efforts could slow down defeats but could not stop BETA, and mankind is forced to abandon major area of the Eurasian Continent. For 30 years, mankind is bogged down in an endless war against BETA without any hopes of victory.
In 2001, the Imperial Japan faces difficulties in the development of a next-generation main Tactical Surface Fighters (TSF) as it defends the front lines of the Far East. The UN has proposed a joint development program between the Imperial Japan and the United States as a part of its international mutual development project of TSF, the Prominence Project.
This story with exciting human dramas and robot actions takes place in the development of a new Tactical Surface Fighters, the most important and effective weapons against BETA, at a crisis of human extinction.
Yet they never knew that their encounter would change their destiny drastically.
Yui Takamura, a TSF pilot of the Imperial Royal Guards of Japan, is given responsibility for the project and sets off to Alaska. Meanwhile, Yuya Bridges, also a TSF pilot of the US Army, was heading to the same destination.

First impression:
I am not sure if this will work. A mecha series based on a visual novel may be difficult to keep interesting. It all sounds a bit meager to have a group of girls fight some alien invasion (anyone want to say Strike witches or Freezing as a comparison?) Still the girls are nice and if they can mix some growth of their characters with some good action it may be worth the watch.

I liked it so far, though given the fast pacing, heavy foreshadowing, and death flagging of characters, it looks like we are in a forward section of the story. I expect the next episode will have some serious carnage, and a moment that changes everything, then the third episode will fall into whatever the real rhythm of the series. I don't think comparisons to Strike Witches or Freezing are really apt, because there is no made-up restriction preventing males from fighting. It just so happens that the heroes of this story are going to be heroines. It actually reminds me quite a bit of Gunbuster.

Not a bad first ep despite the whole rushing through the setting.

I never played the VNs but I heard that they are really good. I too heard that this animes is not the adaption of one of the games but something in between, dunno if this is right.

So, as I predicted the second episode was a total bloodbath. I wasn't even surprised when they killed the supposed rival girl who you would normally assume would live to become Yui's best friend etc. But really, they forged a friendship too quickly in the first episode for it to feel like their relationship had enough weight for that. The next episode will be the real start of the series where the more mature Yui (yum) will be fighting in an elite squad with higher-powered mecha, and from there we shall see how good this series really is.

QUOTE (Killer_Ossi @ Jul 09 2012, 01:07 PM) Not a bad first ep despite the whole rushing through the setting.

I never played the VNs but I heard that they are really good. I too heard that this animes is not the adaption of one of the games but something in between, dunno if this is right.
Yea...this anime is only adaptation of the spin-off/sidestory, rather than the actual Muv-Luv Alternative. I can't help but feeling this anime is more targeting people that already know the Muv-Luv story or at least settings.

Muv-Luv Alternative itself the story has been widely regarded as being "too epic", that the fans very much want to see anime adaptation of it, yet very much don't want to see it get adapted into anime at the same time (out of fear that the story might get raped for the sake of shrink down enough to fit into anime). Take Fate/Zero for example...althought the anime is generally well-received, HUGE amount of dialogues and conversations got cut out, due to the limitation of anime as a media, as well as episode counts.

To be honest I was surprised that the second ep was that bloody. Sure ep 1 was foreshadowing it but I still thought it would be happy go lucky in the end since most animes go that way. But it was a nice change of things to actually see some gore (or not thanks to the censorship -.-). But they couldve at least let Shimako live since she was hot.

What I didnt like was how emotionless everything was. I was like "Oh all my friends, comrades and superiors just died ... well whatever. Mom whats for dinner?"

erm I understand mankind became more emotionless since 1973 BETA invasion while time passes fearing for extinction (reminds me to Starship Troopers ^^), Yui's words say it all "when did the living stop counting the dead?" and her lack of emotion 3 years later is evident after losing her friends... at last in ep.3 the 2nd protagonic hottie Cryska appears and the rest of the main cast (also shows the real OP and ED) but I look forward this series remains as bloody and darker as the prologue eps, which I'm liking compared to the original cute-looking Muv Luv from 2002 -.- also this is the 4th series I decided to keep watching weekly this season so with medium expectation my PS is 7/10

I dont really think that just because of that humans wouldnt feel anything when friends are dying and if, then they arent humans anymore. Especially since they were kids and kids cant become like that when they had a normal live until that point. Sure if they were kidsoldiers from the getgo yes but they werent.

And what did you mean with "original cute-looking Muv Luv from 2002"? I havent found out anything about another series of the Muv-Luv universe.

I wonder what problems the american has with the japanese and the rest. And why is only Europe and Asia beeing annihilated? The way it was portrayed it sounded like all of Earth went to hell.

The fighting scenes were really good in this one but the rest of the ep wasnt really great, especially the characters are mostly annoying. I totally cant stand the american, the Hobbit and that little split-personality kid. But her sister is hot, just like Stella. I hope both wont die that fast.

QUOTE (Killer_Ossi @ Jul 20 2012, 01:30 PM) And what did you mean with "original cute-looking Muv Luv from 2002"? I havent found out anything about another series of the Muv-Luv universe.
Then look harder. While the series came out in 2003, the original Muv-Luv was pretty much a standard eroge dating sim where you gotta choose primarily between 2 girls. According to wiki, after beating both routes you unlocked Muv-Luv Unlimited, which is the alternate world with the BETA.

QUOTE (Barbobot @ Jul 20 2012, 09:07 PM) Then look harder. While the series came out in 2003, the original Muv-Luv was pretty much a standard eroge dating sim where you gotta choose primarily between 2 girls. According to wiki, after beating both routes you unlocked Muv-Luv Unlimited, which is the alternate world with the BETA.
Well doesnt sound like an anime to me if its a eroge dating sim oO

You didn't necessarily specify anime in the post before and neither does Necro, as Total Eclipse is the only anime of the Muv-Luv series.

Necro said "this series remains as bloody and darker as the prologue eps, which I'm liking compared to the original cute-looking Muv Luv from 2002". From the way the sentence is made the only thing he could talk about is another anime series
and since this is an thread about an anime series its obvious as nothing else that he means a anime series.
Except of course he didnt write what he wanted to see what I believe since, as you said, Total Ecplise seems to be the only anime of this franchise. I just wanted to make sure of that.

I read the visual novels about a month ago and im pretty surprised by how they stayed true to the original concept of the title. The TSFs and monsters look identical to the ones in the VN also the general mood of the anime is pretty similar as well. I liked the way they changed the roster of characters giving the story a new perspective.

I also liked that they chose muv luv alternative to make an anime of over the other muv luv titles i.e muv luv & muv luv unlimited. Muv luv started off as an eroge visual novel with "unlimited" being an unlockable mode within the VN that featured mechs. Alternative was a separate title and was more "serious" than the others since characters there were more hardened than the previous ones i guess.

I agree that it might be a little confusing for those who haven't read, or read about the VN, since they pretty much glossed over the setting of the story. "Oh look the moon... Oh no aliens! They are BETA than us you say? we're doomed!" But I have to say I like this anime. Aliens the size of 3 storey buildings, the TSFs & characters tripping death flags left right and center, its all pretty neat

QUOTE (Barbobot @ Jul 20 2012, 05:31 PM)You didn't necessarily specify anime in the post before and neither does Necro, as Total Eclipse is the only anime of the Muv-Luv series.
QUOTE (Killer_Ossi @ Jul 20 2012, 06:38 PM)Necro said "this series remains as bloody and darker as the prologue eps, which I'm liking compared to the original cute-looking Muv Luv from 2002". From the way the sentence is made the only thing he could talk about is another anime seriesmy mistake guys I wasn't specific -.- actually I was refering to cute character designs seen in the original manga and animated game scenes since 2002, I know that doesn't count as anime series but still is relevant in this M-L thread comparing their respective styles after watching them...
Muv-Luv games video collection part 1, part 2 and part 3
M-L Extra opening "マブラヴ" by Minami Kuribayashi
M-LE (AA) OP "Divergence" by Minami Kuribayashi
M-L Unlimited OP "マブラヴ" by Minami Kuribayashi
M-LU (AA) OP "紫音～sion～" by Masami Okui
M-LU The Day After OP "Saigo no Eden" by Aki Misato
M-L Alternative OP "Asu e no Houkou" by JAM Project
M-LA Chronicles "Calling" by Aki Misato
M-LA (AA) OP "NAME ～Kimi no Na wa" by JAM Project (complete game fandub)

anyway ep.4 makes clear with Yuuya's childhood flashbacks why he considers himself american and doesn't like Yui's attitude, calling her japanese doll but that may change if she kicks his ass after he's challenged to a TSF battle in the next episode ^^ ...also before the scene when that Macaroni guy is kicked out by Chobbit from the girls shower for a second I though, "hm this looks like the starship troopers movie from 1997 where military men and women don't mind bathing in the same room"

So that guy just dislikes every japanese because kids didnt want to play with him? Just how did he get into the army with such a weak personality? I totally dont get the usefulnes of his character he only hurts the show. Hes walking around like the boss but never even saw a BETA himself and only thinks "They were defeated? What Losers!". Cryska shouldve put a bullet in his head for real.

Hope this series picks up the pace soon. Three episodes already and he is still getting the gist of how to use his TSF. Hope this doesnt turn into one of those animes where the character trains until mid-series, not that i have anything against them, its just that the premise seems ill suited to that kind of plot. I mean, Bridges is already a pilot not a trainee so is it about him learning to pilot a TSF or is it about him learning to be japanese?

QUOTE (Killer_Ossi @ Jul 27 2012, 10:09 AM)So that guy just dislikes every japanese because kids didnt want to play with him? Just how did he get into the army with such a weak personality? I totally dont get the usefulnes of his character he only hurts the show.
QUOTE (mikekiki20 @ Aug 05 2012, 09:12 AM)Hope this doesnt turn into one of those animes where the character trains until mid-series, not that i have anything against them, its just that the premise seems ill suited to that kind of plot. I mean, Bridges is already a pilot not a trainee so is it about him learning to pilot a TSF or is it about him learning to be japanese?I was expecting the series to stay focused on Yui as the lead character she was in the first two episodes and more about the 3 year timeskip but instead we have Bridges, seems he's the protagonist since the 3rd who evidently isn't as interesting as her or Cryska (also those hotties appear in the pic above like they were the main two) ...Stella was right calling him kid ^^ at least he made progress in the obligatory beach episode trying to help both and get along with them starting to have feelings for him, now with their boat gone and nobody else there maybe it'll be a love triangle (or harem if we count Stella and the annoying lolis but is normal in Muv-Luv games)

Don't know why I was surprised that they managed to squeeze in a beach episode to this series.

I dont think Chryska has romantic feelings for Yuuya. She is only interested in him because of Inia and she wants to evaluate how much of a threat/bad influence or whatever he could be to her.

The same is for Yui. I cant see her falling for him and it totally wouldnt make any sense just because he helped her or whatever. I totally dont understand why the producers want to go that route.

And Stella, well shes so far above him it would be even more ridiculous for her to fall for him, she probably has enough and better lovers.

The producers should let him get together with the Hobbit because like that two characters nobody needs are taken and those two suit each other.

I hope Im not the only one who thinks that this show just totally makes no sense at all, neither storywise nor characterwise. Well at least it has hot chicks.

QUOTE (Barbobot @ Aug 07 2012, 02:10 AM)Don't know why I was surprised that they managed to squeeze in a beach episode to this series.
QUOTE (Killer_Ossi @ Aug 12 2012, 02:07 PM)I hope Im not the only one who thinks that this show just totally makes no sense at all, neither storywise nor characterwise. Well at least it has hot chicks.do you know what's better than an obligatory beach episode? two beach episodes xD I was as surprised with that one squeezed in Another two seasons ago, maybe they though Total Eclipse didnt have enough fanservice even with all the translucent pilot suits so a couple of swimsuit eps. were added ^^ ...about this series not making sense I wonder if in next eps will explain why the scarlet twins pilot the same TSF instead of separate units each one just like Inia did alone, searching for her sister (maybe clone?) but is evident they want to be together most the time or at least Cryska because the loli wanders around to find Yui or Bridges