Save in the name of true love.
Arguably one of the most, if not the most, famous Visual Novel franchises of all time, Muv-Luv is one heck of a ride. Many of you probably know that Muv-Luv Alternative is the highest rated VN on vndb. However if you want to find where Muv-Luv itself is on that scale you'll have to scroll down quite a bit do find it. This is because the first entry in the series is a very divisive title. Some claim it is a crucial read in order to get the full enjoyment in Alternative, while others down right hate it and will tell you to skip it entirely. Me personally I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Muv-Luv is an unbridled masterpiece that you should definitely read, but at the same time I think that overlooking it entirely would be a mistake.
I would first want to talk about the best aspect of this visual novel, namely the VISUALS. The visuals here are some of the best I have ever seen in the medium. The art style is typical early 00's anime which is certainly an acquired taste, however where it truly shines is in how dynamic the graphics are. The characters move their mouths when the talk, their eyes blink even when it's not their turn to speak, and best of all the move around on screen. The entire thing manages to pull you in and make you forget that you're looking at static images while reading text.
Speaking of which, the text isn't presented inside a box, but rather it works as subtitles giving an even better sense of connection to the novel while reading it. The music also sports some very memorable tunes, and I even made the main menu theme my phone ring tone! Sadly, one track called La Vida Muv-Luv by the community, was removed from this release to the similarities it has with Ricky Martin's song. The VA is also stellar. I have read plenty of VN's from this era and none come even close to the level of professionalism that Muv-Luv has to offer. Nowadays you come to expect top tier VA work even from low level releases, but back then it wasn't so common.
The last major pro that I want to point out is the main character. We all know how this goes in these types of visual novels, the MC usually sucks balls. Usually he is either a complete boring beta male loser with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, or a total douchebag in the case of some more hardcore nukiges. Takeru Shirogane actually feels like a real character. Sure, in some ways he also displays certain tropey traits, but for the most part he acts the way you would expect a laid back high-school student to react. He's carefree and sometimes even to the point of laziness, but there are also times where he picks up the slack when push comes to shove. He also suffers a major character development further down the story and will undergo a hero's journey, but more on that later. But the most important thing for me is that he's not a fucking doormat when it comes to the ladies. He will get trolled and will troll back with equal measure, and his interactions with the girls are genuine and later on when the romance starts kicking in it all feels earned.
Sadly when it comes to the girls things aren't so peachy. Let's talk about each one in turn.
The first, and arguably the most important love interest when it comes to the overarching plot is your childhood friend Sumika. She follows the typical tropes: overactive and sometimes overbearing, but ultimately a girl with a heart of gold that you wish she was your girlfriend. There is nothing particularly remarkable about her route, except for the drama towards the end where you have to pick between her and the next character I will talk about. I consider her to be the canon girl (who will become VERY important in the later installments) so if you're going to read this and you don't have time or the stomach to plough through the other routes then hers is the one you should read. Verdict: best girl.
The second most important girl is Meiya. She comes from a family of extremely rich individuals who own a megacorp that pretty much controls everything on earth. She suddenly appears sleeping by your side in bed one morning declaring that you and her are meant for one another. What exactly that means you will find out as you read her route. She is the ojousama trope, an intelligent and well refined lady that is hilariously oblivious to the ways of the world due to her sheltered life. Her cluelessness is the main part of her charm along with her unflinching devotion towards those who she considers her friends. She and Sumika share the same route essentially, with the ending being different of course. You should also read Meiya's route because it will be very short after you've read Sumika's, plus you have to trust me when I say that you WANT to see that limo scene at the end.
Verdict: Best girl #2.
Miki, or "Tama" as her friends and family like to call her, is the token loli character. Except she also has hair like cat ears, a cat tail, and even a cat bell around her neck. Actually I'm doing her a disservice by calling her a token character. Yes she is, again, very tropey, but she's a good character in her own right. Her route involves her participating in an archery battle between her dad's archery dojo and a rival's. Out of all the secondary routes this one was the best. It is mostly light hearted and comedic and it fits perfectly with her looks and her personality.
Hoo boy, and now we come to the two stinkers: Chizuru aka Bitch #1, and Kei aka Bitch #2. These two are the polar opposites of each other and yet they completely deserve one another too. Chizuru is the class rep and a stickler for rules, whereas Kei is the class delinquent. This means that they get along as well as cats and mice do. The problem is that their constant bickering gets really old, really fast. Their respective routes are also a bit more serious than the rest, both having to deal with some sort of drama, however the whole thing drags on for so long, and their attitude is so abysmal that it's a chore getting through their stories. I was tempted at many points just to ctrl through past the entire ordeal. Worst girls, worst routes. Avoid.
There are also a couple of short "joke" routes, one involving your best bro (no homo tho) and one involving your home room teacher. This last one had a ... surprise ending let's say. IMO it's worth doing. Those who have already read it know what I'm talking about.
The rest of the cast ranges from decent to annoying. My favorite was Meiya's driver, Takahashi, and my least favorite were her three maids, aka the Three Stooges, who annoyed me to no end. I think the author was trying to make the humorous but in the end they just annoyed the living daylights out of me.
Well that's just covers Muv-Luv Extra. It's a generic, almost to the point of being a parody of a, slice of life moege. It's strong points are the audio-visuals (which to be fair outclass many modern VNs) as well as boasting two of my favorite waifus with Meiya and Sumika. Sadly, the story is very bare bones. There is a lengthy common route which revolves around an upcoming lacrosse match. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with this sport, or maybe it just wasn't well written, but I'd be lying if I'd say that I was at any point captivated by this plot line. The H-scenes also only happen at the end of the story. They are short and very censored. You won't be reading this for the porn, trust me.
But then Muv-Luv Unlimited happens. Muv-Luv is in fact a double game consisting of Extra and Unlimited, and is in this second half where things REALLy start to get going. What follows will contain spoilers so you have been warned. It would be impossible not to give spoilers due to the genre shift that takes place in the second half. I will try to keep it short.
Well congratulations. If you had the stamina to read this lengthy review, then you probably have the stamina to read Muv-Luv as well. While Extra can be a bit tough to get through, Unlimited picks up the slack a lot and managed to keep me hooked throughout! I think it's worth reading one or two routes in Extra just to get to the good parts in Unlimited.
Final verdict: Extra gets 3 shiny red stars from me: one for it's excellent audio-visuals and one each for Meiya and Sumika. Unlimited gets 4 stars for being an excellently written "training arc" with a well thought out universe and an MC that truly grows throughout the story, but loses 1 star for the very disappointing romantic routes. (Although I must admit I did get a bit teary eyed when I finished the first route.)
Ultimately I'd say that this is a critical read in preparation for Muv-Luv Alternative where the real fun begins. It's the #1 VN on vndb for a reason.
Rounded up this gets four stars. An excellent addition to any coomer's collection. Actually scratch that. If you read this for the porn you are retarded.
See you later.
Arguably one of the most, if not the most, famous Visual Novel franchises of all time, Muv-Luv is one heck of a ride. Many of you probably know that Muv-Luv Alternative is the highest rated VN on vndb. However if you want to find where Muv-Luv itself is on that scale you'll have to scroll down quite a bit do find it. This is because the first entry in the series is a very divisive title. Some claim it is a crucial read in order to get the full enjoyment in Alternative, while others down right hate it and will tell you to skip it entirely. Me personally I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Muv-Luv is an unbridled masterpiece that you should definitely read, but at the same time I think that overlooking it entirely would be a mistake.
I would first want to talk about the best aspect of this visual novel, namely the VISUALS. The visuals here are some of the best I have ever seen in the medium. The art style is typical early 00's anime which is certainly an acquired taste, however where it truly shines is in how dynamic the graphics are. The characters move their mouths when the talk, their eyes blink even when it's not their turn to speak, and best of all the move around on screen. The entire thing manages to pull you in and make you forget that you're looking at static images while reading text.
Speaking of which, the text isn't presented inside a box, but rather it works as subtitles giving an even better sense of connection to the novel while reading it. The music also sports some very memorable tunes, and I even made the main menu theme my phone ring tone! Sadly, one track called La Vida Muv-Luv by the community, was removed from this release to the similarities it has with Ricky Martin's song. The VA is also stellar. I have read plenty of VN's from this era and none come even close to the level of professionalism that Muv-Luv has to offer. Nowadays you come to expect top tier VA work even from low level releases, but back then it wasn't so common.
The last major pro that I want to point out is the main character. We all know how this goes in these types of visual novels, the MC usually sucks balls. Usually he is either a complete boring beta male loser with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, or a total douchebag in the case of some more hardcore nukiges. Takeru Shirogane actually feels like a real character. Sure, in some ways he also displays certain tropey traits, but for the most part he acts the way you would expect a laid back high-school student to react. He's carefree and sometimes even to the point of laziness, but there are also times where he picks up the slack when push comes to shove. He also suffers a major character development further down the story and will undergo a hero's journey, but more on that later. But the most important thing for me is that he's not a fucking doormat when it comes to the ladies. He will get trolled and will troll back with equal measure, and his interactions with the girls are genuine and later on when the romance starts kicking in it all feels earned.
Sadly when it comes to the girls things aren't so peachy. Let's talk about each one in turn.
The first, and arguably the most important love interest when it comes to the overarching plot is your childhood friend Sumika. She follows the typical tropes: overactive and sometimes overbearing, but ultimately a girl with a heart of gold that you wish she was your girlfriend. There is nothing particularly remarkable about her route, except for the drama towards the end where you have to pick between her and the next character I will talk about. I consider her to be the canon girl (who will become VERY important in the later installments) so if you're going to read this and you don't have time or the stomach to plough through the other routes then hers is the one you should read. Verdict: best girl.
The second most important girl is Meiya. She comes from a family of extremely rich individuals who own a megacorp that pretty much controls everything on earth. She suddenly appears sleeping by your side in bed one morning declaring that you and her are meant for one another. What exactly that means you will find out as you read her route. She is the ojousama trope, an intelligent and well refined lady that is hilariously oblivious to the ways of the world due to her sheltered life. Her cluelessness is the main part of her charm along with her unflinching devotion towards those who she considers her friends. She and Sumika share the same route essentially, with the ending being different of course. You should also read Meiya's route because it will be very short after you've read Sumika's, plus you have to trust me when I say that you WANT to see that limo scene at the end.
Verdict: Best girl #2.Miki, or "Tama" as her friends and family like to call her, is the token loli character. Except she also has hair like cat ears, a cat tail, and even a cat bell around her neck. Actually I'm doing her a disservice by calling her a token character. Yes she is, again, very tropey, but she's a good character in her own right. Her route involves her participating in an archery battle between her dad's archery dojo and a rival's. Out of all the secondary routes this one was the best. It is mostly light hearted and comedic and it fits perfectly with her looks and her personality.
Hoo boy, and now we come to the two stinkers: Chizuru aka Bitch #1, and Kei aka Bitch #2. These two are the polar opposites of each other and yet they completely deserve one another too. Chizuru is the class rep and a stickler for rules, whereas Kei is the class delinquent. This means that they get along as well as cats and mice do. The problem is that their constant bickering gets really old, really fast. Their respective routes are also a bit more serious than the rest, both having to deal with some sort of drama, however the whole thing drags on for so long, and their attitude is so abysmal that it's a chore getting through their stories. I was tempted at many points just to ctrl through past the entire ordeal. Worst girls, worst routes. Avoid.
There are also a couple of short "joke" routes, one involving your best bro (no homo tho) and one involving your home room teacher. This last one had a ... surprise ending let's say. IMO it's worth doing. Those who have already read it know what I'm talking about.
The rest of the cast ranges from decent to annoying. My favorite was Meiya's driver, Takahashi, and my least favorite were her three maids, aka the Three Stooges, who annoyed me to no end. I think the author was trying to make the humorous but in the end they just annoyed the living daylights out of me.
Well that's just covers Muv-Luv Extra. It's a generic, almost to the point of being a parody of a, slice of life moege. It's strong points are the audio-visuals (which to be fair outclass many modern VNs) as well as boasting two of my favorite waifus with Meiya and Sumika. Sadly, the story is very bare bones. There is a lengthy common route which revolves around an upcoming lacrosse match. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with this sport, or maybe it just wasn't well written, but I'd be lying if I'd say that I was at any point captivated by this plot line. The H-scenes also only happen at the end of the story. They are short and very censored. You won't be reading this for the porn, trust me.
But then Muv-Luv Unlimited happens. Muv-Luv is in fact a double game consisting of Extra and Unlimited, and is in this second half where things REALLy start to get going. What follows will contain spoilers so you have been warned. It would be impossible not to give spoilers due to the genre shift that takes place in the second half. I will try to keep it short.
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Well congratulations. If you had the stamina to read this lengthy review, then you probably have the stamina to read Muv-Luv as well. While Extra can be a bit tough to get through, Unlimited picks up the slack a lot and managed to keep me hooked throughout! I think it's worth reading one or two routes in Extra just to get to the good parts in Unlimited.
Final verdict: Extra gets 3 shiny red stars from me: one for it's excellent audio-visuals and one each for Meiya and Sumika. Unlimited gets 4 stars for being an excellently written "training arc" with a well thought out universe and an MC that truly grows throughout the story, but loses 1 star for the very disappointing romantic routes. (Although I must admit I did get a bit teary eyed when I finished the first route.)
Ultimately I'd say that this is a critical read in preparation for Muv-Luv Alternative where the real fun begins. It's the #1 VN on vndb for a reason.
Rounded up this gets four stars. An excellent addition to any coomer's collection. Actually scratch that. If you read this for the porn you are retarded.
See you later.
