Score: 8.5

Genre: Mecha, Science Fiction, Action
Version: Subbed
Episodes: 12
Where I watched it: Crunchyroll

Haruto vamping out and attacking L-elf

Synopsis: Valvrave the Liberator is a futuristic, giant robot, body-swapping vampire in space anime. The human race is divided among two superpower countries, ARUS and Dorssia, and a smaller neutral country JIOR. The protagonists of the story are from JIOR. They live on a Dyson sphere. During an attack by the Dorssians, Haruto Tokishima finds a mech and using it to fight off the invaders. In order to use the mech he has to “resign his humanity”; thus becoming immortal and able to possess other people by biting them. After the battle the students of Module 77 discover that both ARUS and Dorssia wish Valvrave for themselves so the students detach themselves from the rest of the Dyson sphere and declare them independent.

Media: This is a one of those cases where the anime came out first. The anime aired in April of 2013 and is ongoing, season two just started. A one-shot manga of the series was released in July as well as a light novel serial. A serialized manga of the backstory of the character Saki Ruckino started in August.

Valvrave I’s AI? Not really sure what she is just yet

My Thoughts (minor spoilers): as someone who kind of likes those animes where a high school student saves the day with a giant robot (i.e. Linebarrels of Iron, Full Metal Panic, Evangelion, …you get the idea) I liked this one. The love interest part in this was a little different. Normally it’s the two that hate each other through most of the series but in this one they already like one another and it’s the “death” of Shōko Sashinami that throws Haruto into a bit of a rage and vows to kill every Dorssian. Bit different but still some of the same. I was really surprised on who got in the Purple Valvrave in the last episode. I’m not going to say who but it was a person who never even crossed my mind to get in a Valvrave. I am really glad that there is a second season because that was not one of those anime endings where you might think they could just leave it there. No this was a cliff hanger ending. I will defiantly watch the second season as soon as it becomes available for free members of Crunchyroll.

Written by: Stuart Pitchford Writer