Valvrave The Liberator

[DuelGundam2099]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3vzEK4gcT0

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... -liberator

Looks like a VF-25 Messiah! Finally, something might be interesting next season.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Please let this be the show that brings the mecha genre back to how I remember it being. I've all but died inside after all the complete ineptitude I've seen from what are otherwise some pretty solid studios and teams as it pertains to the TV mecha shows they've tried to produce in the last couple years. It's to the point where because of shows like Guilty Crown, Aquarion EVOL, Eureka Seven Ao and Rinne no Lagrange I can no longer get excited over new mecha show announcements cause I almost anticipate nonsensical all over the place shows that can barely hold down a narrative from week to week rather than the smashing good time I used to expect with the announcement of new mecha shows.

Please please please please PLEASE let this be the one that gets the most basic of basic things right again and gives me that fun time. I'm already a pretty big supporter of Sunrise as it pertains to doing it right by me possibly more than any other force in the anime industry but if they can swoop in and save the mecha genre in what I hold to be it's darkest hour it'll reach new heights still.

[Chris]

Kaioshin, my advice is to not pin your hopes too highly on shows like this because they'll probably disappoint. Instead, you could dive into the classics of the past. If you haven't seen shows like Ideon, L.Gaim, Xabungle, Dragonar, SPT Layzner or Dougram, now's the perfect time to watch them.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Kaioshin, my advice is to not pin your hopes too highly on shows like this because they'll probably disappoint. Instead, you could dive into the classics of the past. If you haven't seen shows like Ideon, L.Gaim, Xabungle, Dragonar, SPT Layzner or Dougram, now's the perfect time to watch them.

I've seen all of those but Dougram which is on my to watch list. And yeah I'm smart enough to know not to get my hopes up for much of anything anymore, I'd just like to see one mecha TV series at least get the basic things right again like you know....characters being consistent from episode to episode and being somewhat possible to relate to and the plot making well....sense. I'm basically looking for any sort of step in the right direction and I'll consider this show something of a success. If I get more than that then bonus.

I'd just like to think that the only place to go from here is up is all.

[Strike Zero]

I'd just like to think that the only place to go from here is up is all.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

No, dude. Just remember that it could always, ALWAYS be worse.

Anyway, I have zero opinion about this show at the moment since all we know at the moment is the look of the main mecha (which looks pretty cool, but then Aquarian EVOL had a robot that was pretty cool, and most of us know what a disaster THAT turned out to be). For now, all there is to do is wait for more info to come out.

[Destiny_Gundam]

I'd just like to see one mecha TV series at least get the basic things right again like you know....characters being consistent from episode to episode and being somewhat possible to relate to and the plot making well....sense.

Of the series you listed only Eureka Seven AO had problems with the above. There are plenty of great mecha series to come out recently, you just have to get over your out dated notion of what a mecha show is 'supposed to be.' Shows have no reason to conform to what you "remember it being." Times change.

But I'm sure once some character designs come out and they're all hot guys and cute girls you guys will be singing a different tune.

And the whole time I'll be sitting back and enjoying what the show will offer.

but then Aquarian EVOL had a robot that was pretty cool, and most of us know what a disaster THAT turned out to be

If by 'disaster' you mean "Best Show of 2012" then yeah

[Kaioshin Sama]

I'd just like to see one mecha TV series at least get the basic things right again like you know....characters being consistent from episode to episode and being somewhat possible to relate to and the plot making well....sense.

Of the series you listed only Eureka Seven AO had problems with the above. There are plenty of great mecha series to come out recently, you just have to get over your out dated notion of what a mecha show is 'supposed to be.' Shows have no reason to conform to what you "remember it being." Times change.

Yes times change but that doesn't mean that the TV shows have to be as outright bad and incompetently written as they've been. I'm not one of those /m types either that insists every idea I hear about is a bad one, the mecha TV shows this decade really just haven't been good at all writing wise no matter what way I try to look at them and it's because of a fundamental failure to define themselves and hold down a narrative. I just don't see how this can be denied. It's like the writers of current mecha shows all decided to use Lost as an example of how to write what they think are compelling series compositions.

What do you consider to be a good mecha TV series that has come out recently though?

But I'm sure once some character designs come out and they're all hot guys and cute girls you guys will be singing a different tune.

As far as I'm concerned the character designs can be anything from bishonens and moeblobs to ugly old men as long as the characters themselves stay consistent in their development and are compelling to some degree. I'm not concerned about the show looking good (that's about the one thing mecha TV shows of late have gotten pretty well right) so much as making sense in it's own context and thus making me care about what's happening in it.

And the whole time I'll be sitting back and enjoying what the show will offer.

God help me I hope I can join you then.

If by 'disaster' you mean "Best Show of 2012" then yeah

Admittedly I did not finish this. Watched a few episodes and was so utterly turned off by the cast and childish sexism (not sexiness) that I did not look back. Everything I've been told by anyone that watched it including fans of the original said it only got worse from there. Something about the main character being a dog.....

[Strike Zero]

If by 'disaster' you mean "Best Show of 2012" then yeah

I said "most," not "all." I knew to take into account certain individuals who struggle to find fault in anything.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Yes times change but that doesn't mean that the TV shows have to be as outright bad and incompetently written as they've been. I'm not one of those /m types either that insists every idea I hear about is a bad one, the mecha TV shows this decade really just haven't been good at all writing wise no matter what way I try to look at them and it's because of a fundamental failure to define themselves and hold down a narrative. I just don't see how this can be denied. It's like the writers of current mecha shows all decided to use Lost as an example of how to write what they think are compelling series compositions.

Really don't know what parallel universe shows you've been watching. Failure to define themselves and hold down a narrative? Again, only Eureka Seven AO had fatal problems like that. Parts of Gundam AGE too, and maaaaybe little bits of Lagrange.

What do you consider to be a good mecha TV series that has come out recently though?

Aquarion Evol, Broken Blade, Super Robot Wars, Star Driver, Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse, and Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter to name a few.

I said "most," not "all." I knew to take into account certain individuals who struggle to find fault in anything.

I can find faults in things just fine. I just don't let them get in the way of my enjoyment. Instead of focusing on the negatives, embrace the positives. You'll be happier that way.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Aquarion Evol, Broken Blade, Super Robot Wars, Star Driver, Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse, and Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter to name a few.

Thank you for reminding me about Star Driver cause I consider that one of the textbook examples of being part of the problem. That show treaded water for much of it's run and ended up not really amounting to much, though I suppose the individual episodes were good brainless fun and didn't always set my teeth on edge. Broken Blade was an OVA, SRW was okay and I guess Muv Luv can be fun enough too if you don't take it terribly seriously and can ignore the poor animation quality. Gyrozetter I have not seen, but yeah I guess those shows are okayish.

I can find faults in things just fine. I just don't let them get in the way of my enjoyment. Instead of focusing on the negatives, embrace the positives. You'll be happier that way.

My approach is too take both into consideration. I do agree that a lot of times the mecha fandom tends to focus solely on the negative though and it gets a little tiresome, but right now as much as I hate to say it there's sort of justification for a little extra negativity and wariness. Not /m levels of such of course, but I can completely understand why people might be down on the mecha genre right now.

[Strike Zero]

Instead of focusing on the negatives, embrace the positives. You'll be happier that way.

In order for me to be "happy" about Aquarion EVOL, it would be necessary to first purge the memories of episodes 14 to 26 from my brain. Unfortunately, there are no means by which to accomplish this in the reality that we live in, so I'm forced to despise it.

Thank you for reminding me about Star Driver cause I consider that one of the textbook examples of being part of the problem. That show treaded water for much of it's run and ended up not really amounting to much, though I suppose the individual episodes were good brainless fun and didn't always set my teeth on edge.

I can somewhat attest to this, in that I don't remember jack shit about what happened in Star Driver despite loving the hell out of it while it was airing. What it did manage to do was sweep me up with the brilliant soundtrack, awesome battles and copious amounts of FABULOUS that was present throughout.

[bullethead]

Count me in the ranks of the underwhelmed by recent mecha anime. I think the problem is that the Japanese educational system probably doesn't have a creative writing degree, so almost all of these people who create new IPs don't know the mechanics of stories and any techniques beyond what other people have used, so everything is incoherent and/or highly derivative. Then again, we can't ignore the fact that the studios like to meddle around with the stories in an attempt to make the shows sell better.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Come to think of it, Strike Zero's comment of "struggling to find faults"...

Why the hell would some one put effort into finding faults? The only people I can think of who'd do this are those that actively look for any excuse to complain about something. To me the only faults that are worth considering are the ones that you don't need to even look for. I didn't need to deeply analyze things to see that Eureka Seven AO didn't make sense. That was apparent from just watching it normally.

But in the end these shows are merely entertainment. So long as I'm entertained it doesn't matter if a show is 'objectively' a piece of crap. So let them entertain you. Let them make you smile~

Anyways, if you want to start a "Current State of the Mecha Genre" thread to continue this line of discussion, please do so. This thread is specifically about Valvrave, after all.

[Strike Zero]

Perhaps people go out of their way to point out how a show is objectively bad because they first found it to be SUBjectively bad?

Just a crazy idea.

[teslashark]

Kaioshin, my advice is to not pin your hopes too highly on shows like this because they'll probably disappoint. Instead, you could dive into the classics of the past. If you haven't seen shows like Ideon, L.Gaim, Xabungle, Dragonar, SPT Layzner or Dougram, now's the perfect time to watch them.

Judging from the name "Liberator" or "Revolutionary", is this show going to be like Dougram?
P.S. Please do a review of Dragonar, our leader Chris!

[DuelGundam2099]

Chris would give Dragonar a low score due to it being light hearted and lacking dramatic weight. Besides, he is planning to update the mecha pages.... Eventually.

I'm somewhat surprised nobody commented about "sucking walnuts" in the title.

[Strike Zero]

It would have to have been worth commenting on in the first place.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Perhaps people go out of their way to point out how a show is objectively bad because they first found it to be SUBjectively bad?

Just a crazy idea.

Or people just foist off their subjective opinions as objective ones.

P.S. Please do a review of Dragonar, our leader Chris!

We did an episode of Gundamn on it.

I'm somewhat surprised nobody commented about "sucking walnuts" in the title.

I think it's stupid and I'd tell you to remove it but there's no real point in that.

[Mythgarr]

This one is coming from people who made Tiger and Bunny. Color me excited.

[teslashark]

Perhaps people go out of their way to point out how a show is objectively bad because they first found it to be SUBjectively bad?

Just a crazy idea.

Or people just foist off their subjective opinions as objective ones.

P.S. Please do a review of Dragonar, our leader Chris!

We did an episode of Gundamn on it.

I'm somewhat surprised nobody commented about "sucking walnuts" in the title.

I think it's stupid and I'd tell you to remove it but there's no real point in that.

Dragonar is worth a full length review because it's the bridge between 0079 and SEED in a creative sense.
Maybe everyone should suck chestnuts then...