Valkyria Chronicles
>> Dec 26, 2009
More often than not, i get caught up in my animes. ( No, my life is not sad ) The characters placed in the anime are sometimes gets your guts far more than any academy award actor/actoress would. So, that goes by saying how good a job a seiyuu has done for that character (Seiyuu- Voice Actor) One of the shows that got me hooked on this year is Valkyria Chronicles. I could not believe i almost passed it up in the beginning. I am totally hooked on Faldio Landzaat's character.
Valkyria Chronicles is based on a Sega game which is now converted to an anime ( yeah they run out of things to draw about sometimes ) and i must say so far this is the best conversion anime i have seen. The anime is loosely based on this game itself and debut in Japan April 2009.
Valkyria Chronicles is set in pre-world war 2 Europe or a similar continent known as Europa. The main characters are Alicia Melchiott ( who is the principle character in the game ) and Welkin Gunther ( son of a former war hero ) while living in a small town of Bruhl, have decided to take up arms in the Militia to help push out the military occupation by the Imperial Army itself.
Welkin and Alicia do not along initially, as she hates his out of this world remarks ( Welkin is a biologist who is totally engrossed in flying pigs and nanny lizards - don't ask you gotta watch it ) and their pairing provide some laughs in the initial first 5 episodes. However, unfortunately for Alicia, she was chosen to be Welkin's assistant when he heads Squad 7 of the militia. Welkin also meets his ex-uni mate - Faldio Landzaat, a dashing young captain of Squad 1. Alicia was initially put off by his playboy ways but Faldio proved to be a more "in the know" kind of character then Welkin, who is always in his own planet.
On set of this 3 persons ( Faldio, Alicia and Welkin ) you get a sense of something will come up with this 3 and provides a storyline that breaks ones heart along the way. ( Get ready your tissues folk )
Besides the romance bit ( trust me you get into this stage where you start deciding if you are Team Welkin or Team Faldio ) ... the story line has a loosely tied link to what happened in World War 2. References of a race that was annihlated and viled, seems to run a references to the Jewish people and here they are called Darcsen but the truth was, the utilmate race which were the Valkyrians actually made up the story about how evil the Darcsen ( when they were actually not ). Valkyrians, potrayed as blond ( or white blond ) with reddish eyes were the race that saved humanity but turns out they wrote history they way it suited to their own political needs.
Also, the cruelty of war is played with great effect in this series as it progresses along the 26 episode. People who have preconceived notions of a race will change their mind and in all war stories, you will love someone you love along the way.
I must say the evil characters here are a mix. There are those that border along being a megalomaniac but there are a mix of evil characters who are only doing so because they do not have a choice.
You have evil people in the militia which Alicia serves - like Damon which abuses her Valkyria powers later for his own good and the good evil guy (??) in General Jaeger who has a heart and knows that what he does, still should not step over the bounds of humanity.
At some points, you find yourselves sympathizing for all the characters, they end up the way they were because it's all the best options for each one of them. Such and emotional story.
I actually watched this in a space of 3 days as it was so good, i could not stop. The story line was fluid and it keeps you going for more. Actually i was SAD it ended. How come it can't be like naruto and bleach, keep going and going and going! I highly recommend this anime to people who are looking out for something good to watch.
Squad 7 & Squad 1
All picture credits are taken from the DVD.
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