Anime Spotlight: Valkyria Chronicles

An anime I've been watching recently is Valkyria Chronicles, and like most of the ones that have premiered over this Spring, this series is one that will entertain.

Based off of the PS3 game with the same name, story is set in a fictional version of Europe in 1930, in the country of Gallia. Because of its abundance of ragnite ore—which can be refined into a powerful fuel—it has come under attack from the East European Imperial Alliance, which itself is engaged in war with the Atlantic Federation.

Generally speaking, the characters are numerous and likable, developing as the story progresses. They all have their own personality quirks. They often adhere to conventional character archetypes, but it’s well executed, and I think way better than what typically passes for character development in anime. What I truly love, however, is the relationship between Alicia and Welkin, the two main protagonists of the story. Alicia strikes me as the kind of person who feels like half-tsundere, and half-heroine-like. Welkin is the person who is oblivious to the thoughts of women, but gets the job done when he needs to. These two create a chemistry that is akin to Horo and Lawrence from Spice and Wolf, and makes the whole series more likable.

The story itself, IMO, is pretty uncommon, and stands out among some other shows. Two countries fighting for a natural resource, and the middle nation struggling to defend itself. Epic, isn't it? One thing about this anime, although it may seem like it, military features don't necessarily influence the performance, but rather works to add a backdrop to the storyline.

Other features are the animation itself, being one that is truly unique. It resembles the work of the game, and the backgrounds are stunning and show much details. Although its no 5cm Per Second, it holds well on its own.

In all, I'm kinda disappointed that there is only 13 episodes. With episode 12 coming out this week, the story ends too short compared to the game. Possibly the only con I can see with Valkyria Chronicles is its length, but hopefully they'll make a sequel.



Drop by for the next post, I guess ...