Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Earlier this week I was cruising the shelves of my local Gamestop when all of sudden I saw a game I haven’t thought about in years, Valkyria Chronicles. Valkyria Chronicles is a strategic RPG game that came out exclusively for the PS3 in 2008 under the development of Sega. Not only is this game one of the best PS3 exclusive titles, but it’s hands down one of my top 11 favorite RPG games of all time. The story is this alternative tale of WWII where instead of multiple nations at war with each other it’s instead two nations known as the Imperial Empire (the bad guys) and the peaceful country of Gallia going at war fighting over this fuel source known as Ragnite. The story is good and touching, the characters well-developed and memorable, the animated cel-shading beautiful, the soundtrack one of the best, the themes and lessons powerful, and finally the combat system is amazing. It’s engaging, innovated, strategic, and not once do you feel held back by its mechanics. How many RPGs can you say that about? And the combat system is always one of the main complaints gamers say about games. As you would imagine the game received an overall good reception being named the best RPG of 2008 as well as being awarded the best graphics, soundtrack, strategic game and original story. The game was even recognized by Guinness World Records in 2010 being named the best strategy RPG on the PS3. To this day I still hear people talking about how great it was and some even bust the game out and play it all over again. With all the success the game bought it was only logical to keep this gravy train rolling by creating an anime spin-off of the game. Released in 2009 by the anime studio A-1 Pictures (SAO, Magi, Fairy Tail, and The Idolm@ster) Valkyria Chronicles the anime is the retelling of the game with new scenes and characters to go along with it. The anime was written by Michiko Yokote who has actually wrote the script for a few popular animes such as Naruto and Cowboy Bebop and the team behind Valkyria Chronicles worked closed with him to make sure the anime was staying true to its source material. Let’s get ready to march to victory and see one of the greatest RPGs came to life. This is Valkyria Chronicles the anime.
Opening and Ending Theme
The opening for this anime is “Asu e no kizuna” by HIMEKA. The song is just amazing, it’s beautiful, well sung, and exciting capturing the emotions and feel of the game perfectly. It almost sounds like a slowed down version of the game’s main theme only with lyrics. The ending is “Ano Kaze ni Notte” by pe’zmoku. At first I didn’t care about this song but after a few episodes I started to like it. It’s nice, lighthearted, and makes you feel at peace. The only downside I can think about this song is the singer doesn’t really sound all that good. I don’t know it just sounds like he’s singing out of key and using autotune to correct it but the good news is he’s not bad to the point where he ruins the song for you.
Episodes 1-4
The anime opens up in the town of Bruhl where the people are evacuating because the Imperial army is close at hand (the Imperials are coming! The Imperials are coming). We meet one of the main characters of the game and anime Alicia voiced by Marina Inoue (Tohka from Date A Live) who is a part of town watch and making sure the citizens evacuate safely. Another soldier comes up and tells her that there’s a spy near the river so Alicia goes to investigate and we see that the spy is none other than the main character of the anime Welkin, a young man who has dreams of one day becoming a teacher, the son of a hero from the last war, and kind of an idiot when it comes to dealing with girls (no different from a majority of anime boys). He’s voiced by Susumu Chiba. He gets apprehended by the town watch who accuse him of being a spy and he pretty much just goes along with. Now here’s where the differences set in. In the game Welkin was able to dispel the spy theory right away and becomes with Alicia instantly. In fact in the game he comes off as being a very intelligent person who gets along with just about anyone, he has his awkward moments in the game but they’re quite rare. In the anime he’s still intelligent but he’s a little too carefree, more awkward, and kind of an idiot. As they make their way to the town a siren goes off warning them that the Imperial army is close at hand so they lock Welkin up in the toolshed but he escapes and makes his way in the forest being chased by Alicia where the two discover that Imperial forces are near the town. Welkin convinces Alicia to let him go to his house (convince her that you’re not a spy you dumbass) and make it to the house where we meet Welkins adopted younger sister Isara voiced by Houko Kuwashima (Tomoyo from Clannad) and after Isara saves Alicia from an Imperial soldier Alicia finally believes that Welkin isn’t a spy and starts trusting him (about time). The house gets attacked by Imperial soldiers and tanks and they have to figure a way out. Isara goes to the garage to reveal that she has tank (best little sister ever).
In episode 2 the three escape the Imperial army in their tank known as the Edelweiss a prototype tank with superior speed and fire power than the average tank. Using the tanks speed and maneuverability they’re able to escape and making it into town (Edelweiss, Edelweiss, does whatever a normal tank can’t. Can it do your taxes? No it can’t, it’s a tank. Look out~. Here comes the Edelweiss. Gotta love nature). They tell the town of the coming attack and have to hold off the Imperial forces until the town is done evacuating and then retreat themselves. One of the town’s watchmen doesn’t want to hand the town over to those Imperial scum so he takes command of a beaten up old tank and tries to attack the Imperial forces but gets trapped almost getting himself killed (next time leave the hero work to the main characters). Welkin, Alicia, and Isara take control of Edelweiss and go on the offensive destroying a couple of tanks and forcing the Imperial army to retreat (do I hear school bells? Because somebody *grabs sunglasses* just got schooled, //youtu.be/6YMPAH67f4o). With the town lost they all manage to escape but they vow to one day return and reclaim their home. We end with Alicia joining the militia and running into Welkin who has also joined the militia with Isara.
In episode 3 we see that Welkin is assigned commander of Squad 7 with Isara as his tanker and Alicia as his second in command who is not too thrilled to be teaming up with the odd Welkin. Again another change the anime makes from the games. In the game Alicia is more cooperative with Welkin, trusting him and everything. She still thinks he’s odd but odd in a good way and trust me being odd in a military plays a huge part especially in this anime. We get introduced to Faldio a friend of Welkin from university who is the commander of Squad 1 (first is worst, second is the best, the others I forget, but seventh is the luckiest). We get to meet Squad 7 which consist of a number of members from the game including my favorite Marina who is hands down not only the best sniper in the game but the best character in the game. This badass lady is a lone wolf who works better on her own taking people off without breaking a sweat but having a soft spot for cute things. If Legolas was a girl this is who he would be. The squad doesn’t think of Welkin as a leader because he has no military background and don’t really like him especially Largo a former soldier who served the militia in the past and believes that key to victory is experience (and the key to you not having my foot up your ass is being a good soldier and respecting your leader) and Rosie another veteran soldier who is actually a singer and doesn’t like Isara because she’s a Darscen. Why does she not like Darscens? Well for two reasons. The first one is the Darscen heritage. In the past it was said that the Darscens tried to destroy the world but were stop by the beings known as the Valkyrias a mysterious group of people with extraordinary powers and are considered the gods of this world. This event would come to be known as the Darscen Calamity and while there’s no proof that the Darscens tried to destroy the world many people believe they did so they’re treated very poorly, looked down in society, and some are even forced into slavery. The other reason why Rosie hates Darscens is jumping ahead a bit but in her hometown during a raid by the Imperial soldiers looking for Darscens her mother and little brother were caught in the crossfire of their attack and died so she blames the Darscens for their death. Anyway, the troops are sent on their first mission which is to capture the Vasel Bridge an important bridge that connects directly to the capital of the country so if the bridge is captured it’s pretty much over for Gallia. They reach the town where both sides are in a standstill and problems within Squad 7 hit the fan with the team not wanting to follow orders from Welkin and working alongside Isara (spoiled brats). Welkin decides to make a bet with them saying that in 48 hours he’ll capture the Vasel Bridge with just Squad 7. If he succeeds the group has to listen to him and if fails he’ll resign as commander (and have to play the E.T video game for Atari 2600). The next morning sets his plan into action in a very impressive strategy which I consider to be one of the best moments in the game. Using the cover of the fog he and Isara use the Edelweiss to across the river and make it to the other side where the launch a surprise attack completely throwing the enemy off (Edelweiss is in house bitches) and using all the troops to confuse the enemy and surround them forcing them to surrender (and the one thing that comes to mind throughout this entire scene is one thing. Gotta love nature). With the Vasel Bridge captured the squad agrees to follow Welkin but Rosie still doesn’t accept Isara (one victory at a time I suppose).
Not much happens in episode 4. We basically just get introduced to a number of characters. We first get introduced to our main villains of the Imperial army. First up is Gregor an old man feared for his merciless brutality against not only his enemies but his own soldiers as well (Gregor: My wife left me 20 years ago. This is how I vent my anger out on the world). Jaeger the commander of the elite armor unit who emphasizes honor and respect in battle. Selvaria a beautiful woman who has hidden powers (and breast with a mind of their own because those suckers won’t hold still) and second in command behind their leader Prince Maximilian voiced by Jun Fukuyama (Liberta from Arcana Famiglia) second in line to the throne and leader of the invasion force. We meet General Damon a general of the Gallia army who looks down on the militia as well as everyone around him because he comes from nobility and looks only after himself. For the rest of the episode we find out that both Squad 7 and Squad 1 are being sent to the Kloden Forest to cut off a vital Imperial supply base since Damon failed to capture it himself (this is what happens when you send a pig to do a hero’s job). Also Faldio tries to put the moves on Alicia another thing the anime decided to add into the story even though in the game they rarely interacted with each other and Faldio only saw her as a friend and had no romantic feelings for her whatsoever.
Episodes 5-8
In episode 5 Squad 7 and Squad 1 reach Kloden Forest and start working out a plan to take out the Imperial base which is under the command of Gregor. Alicia here’s some rattling in the bushes and goes to investigate only to find a wild winged baby pig (Isis: Oh my God it’s adorable. Master make me one right this instant. (Nitsuj): No. I already got 5 spoiled AI girls and wolves who guard my system and are somehow fascinated with bad Sci-fi movies. Now I normally don’t mind weird things but if we keep adding more oddities in this house the scouter readings are going to go over 9000). After seeing the pig (bacon sounds good right about now) Welkin discovers the animal trial and formulates a plan where he and the rest of Squad 7 will attack the enemy head on distracting them and giving Squad 1 along with Alicia a chance to flank them and catch them by surprise. The plan works out well with both sides performing their parts well and after Jeager shows up and tells the stubborn Gregor to retreat the Imperial forces abandon the base and Alicia decides to keep the pig naming him Hans which I assume is short for Hansel (//youtu.be/TVYT2OJyhBw?t=2s).
In episode 6 we get introduced to Irene Ellet a war correspondent who is another fan favorite in the games. She’s just bursting energy every time you see her, you can just tell that she loves her job and puts so much energy and effort into it, once she finds a scoop she wants she’ll pursue it until the ends of the Earth and she’ll always report the truth and nothing but the truth. In the episode Irene wants to do a one on one interview with Welkin but Alicia keeps getting in the way because she wants to protect the reputation of the squad as well as the militia from Welkin’s weird antics. At the end though Irene does get her one on one interview with Welkin and it goes off well with Irene reporting how good of a commander Welkin is and how great his squad is. She ends her broadcast by saying she’s going to return to interview them again.
Not a whole lot happens in episode 7. In an attempt to belittle Squad 7 and 1 Damon assigns them to patrol the Barious Dessert which is where the Darscen Calamity took place. While in the dessert Welkin and Faldio debate the calamity and the true events that took place (ohh~ I want to tell you what really happens but if I did it be a major spoiler right now). Hoping to find answers Welkin, Faldio along with Alicia, Isara, and Ramel Faldio’s second in command who is way too serious and has a man crush on Faldio (//youtu.be/eyQca1cwe54) decide to drive out to the Valkyria Ruins and investigate. Along the way the jeep breaks down and Isara stays behind to fix it and Ramel as well since he has a tsundere crush on Isara (huh? So Ramel is bi-curious). Welkin, Fladio and Alicia reach the ruins only to run into Maximillian and Selvaria who are also investigating the ruins for their own needs.
Episode 8 picks up where episode 7 left off. Alicia tries to take a shot at Maximillian but Selvaria uses her sword to cut the bullet in two (harnessing the power of Zoro, Afro Samurai and other badass samurais from anime) revealing herself to be a Valkyria. The two make their escape and Maximillian orders his massive tank (trying to contemplate for something Maxi) to raze the temple trapping Welkin, Alicia, and Faldio inside. With the help of Isara and Ramel, Welkin is able to escape but Alicia and Faldio must find an alternative way out. As the two try to find a way out Faldio tells Alicia about Welkin’s time in college and how he’s always been an amazing person being able to get anyone to open up to him and get things done in a unique way. With the help of these strange lizards called babysitter lizards (you know with all these strange animals I’m starting to feel like I’m watching Avatar) Welkin is able to find a trail which leads him and the others to Alicia and Faldio and the two get rescued. Back on the war front Gregor has captured the city of Fouzen a mining city run by Darcsens from Gallia with ease which upsets him because he still holds a grudge against the Edelweiss and upset it didn’t show up to face him (Gregor: This Edelweiss is just like my wife. I want to meet her but instead she sends me a bill saying how much money I still owe her).
We shift gears in episode 9 and instead focus on the Imperial commanders and one soldier in particular. In this episode a soldier named Carl and 2 other soldiers are sent from Central to be aides of Selvaria and the others. It turns out Central is upset with the way things are progressing in the invasion and have sent these three aides to spy on the commanders and keep them away from Maximillian who is returning home for a war briefing where his older brother and his associates are planning to assassinate him so he doesn’t become next in line for the throne (so why kill him, you’re the older brother you’ll win the throne by default unless you’re a total asshole). Carl does his job and keeps Selvaria at the base far away from Maximillian but it turns out Central had plans to kill him as well (no loose ends) so he tells Selvaria and Jaeger everything after they rescue him from the assassin and make their way to Maximillian where they see that he has handled his assassins single-handedly. He goes to the war briefing much to his brother’s discontent and Carl becomes Selvaria’s official aide (lucky bastard).
Episodes 10-14
In episode 10 we get probably the most emotional and best scene in the entire game. While doing reconnaissance in the mountains Welkin and Alicia get caught up in a blizzard and are forced to take shelter in a nearby cabin (alone in a cabin on a mountain during a snowstorm. Bad things happen in these kinds of situations). While in the cabin a wounded enemy soldier comes to occupy the cabin and when he sees Welkin and Alicia he threatens to kill them but his wounds are too severe for him to do anything. Rather than kill him Alicia decides to tend to his wounds and nurse him back to health. While nursing him back to health he opens up to them telling them about his life, where he came from, how he was forced to join the army, and eventually telling them that he’s a deserter and that the wounds are from a fellow soldier who shot him from running away. Finally, his wounds take hold of him and he dies in the cabin but not before thanking them for showing him kindness in this time of war. The next day Welkin and Alicia give him a proper burial and they reunite with the rest of Squad 7. Now even though this episode was way different than what happened in the game it’s still a very emotional episode. Welkin and Alicia are staring at their enemy a man who they have been trained to kill and a man who has probably killed some of their comrades they could have just killed him and been done with it but instead they try to save his life. They realized that this man was a human-being just like them and needed their help and in a time of war where people are taught to show no mercy to their enemies that’s big. Now I should probably explain how it really happened in the game. In the game while doing reconnaissance with members of Squad 7 an enemy mortar fires on them causing the ground to break and separate Welkin and Alicia from the rest of the squad and Alicia injures her ankle. With the two stuck in enemy territory they have to weave through the forest and get to safety all while avoiding enemy troops, the mortar and keep in mind Alicia is injured so her movements are gonna be slow and if one of these two die the mission is a failure (making this one of the toughest missions in the game). When you beat the mission the two take shelter in the cabin (no snowstorm) and the injured enemy soldier (who isn’t a deserter) walks in where Alicia and Welkin try to save him but his wounds are too deep and the soldier begins calling out for his mom as his eyesight goes away. In order to honor his death Alicia pretends to be his mother and holds his hand until he dies. The next day they bury him and his commander along with a few troops comes to see what they did and instead of attacking them he gives them his thanks for looking after one of his soldiers in the last minutes, takes his leave, and actually admits that he’s sorry they have to fight. Personally I like the game’s version more than the anime version but I will give both of them credit, they both do a fantastic job at showing us that the enemy soldiers are just like you the reader something a lot of war based video games like Battlefield and C.O.D fail to do.
Not much happens in episode 11. Welkin and Faldio are invited to the palace for a banquet and to receive an award for their courageous war efforts. Isara, Alicia, and Ramel also tag along with them and we get a chance to meet Princess Cordelia who even though is the ruler of Gallia she still prefers to go by princess instead of queen (insert Nostalgia Critic rant on princesses and queens here). She’s also just a puppet to her advisor who dictates to her what she should think, believe, and do without asking what she wants to do (//youtu.be/KCH3obTqldA). Anyway, we see that the point of the banquet is for Gallia to get in the good graces of Ambassador Townsend who represents the Federation a neutral country in the war and hopefully get their aid in the long run of the war. Jaeger and Selvaria are also there under the disguise of rich people (no doubt posing as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian) and pretty much do nothing making them totally pointless in this episode. The episode ends with Cordelia going back to her quarters and getting kidnapped by some unknown intruders. Alicia sees this and also gets kidnapped and we find out that this was all an elaborate scheme by Borg the Prime Minister and right hand man of Cordelia (wait the country has a person of nobility ruling it but it also has a prime minister. How does that work).
The story continues in episode 12 where it’s a race to save Alicia and Cordelia before they reach Federation borders and become unable to rescue them. With the help of Jaeger and Selvaria, Welkin and the gang manage to find the car carrying Alicia and Cordelia and rescue them. Cordelia is returned to the castle and decides to keep this whole kidnapping thing under wraps as to not worry the citizens.
In episode 13 we return to Fouzen which is where we get one of the biggest battles in the game. General Damon doesn’t like Welkin stealing all the attention from the main military so he decides to send the militia back to Fouzen to reclaim it hoping they will die because Gregor has completely taken over the city and turn it into an impregnable defense all thanks to his train known as the Esen which can attack enemies from far distances (all aboard~ *evil laugh*). In order to get inside the city Squad 5 is used as a decoy and gets wiped out (no~ that squad had Vyse on it! He was one of the best characters in the game. Why couldn’t he had been in Squad 7? If they wanted to kill someone from the games kill Cezary, that guy was an asshole) while Squads 7 and 1 infiltrate the city through the mountain passage. They make it inside the city where they meet Zaka the leader of the resistance and a badass Darscen who pretty much walks with one eye closed and doesn’t even get phased by Rosie’s constant prejudice against Darscens and actually flirts with her a number of times. This amount of badassery can only come from one person, Kazuya Nakai. That’s right, the same guy who voices Zoro from One Piece and Mugen from Samurai Champloo is the voice of Zaka. Once they meet up with the resistance they come up with three motives they want to accomplish before they recapture Fouzen. First up, taking down Esen (it’s ugly so yeah get rid of it). Second, take out the main base of the enemy (they’re assholes anyway). Third and most importantly free all Darscens being contained in concentration camps. Largo leads the charge to free the Darscens, Rosie and Zaka lead the team to take out Esen, and the rest are tasked with taking out the enemy main base (good luck with that).
The operation begins in episode 14 with everything running along smoothly. Largo’s group frees the Darcsens, Isara and Ramal take control of an enemy tank and use it to their advantage, and Rosie and Zaka plant bombs on the rail tracks to blow up Esen. Gregor catches wind of their plan and once he finds out its Squad 7 leading the rebellion he launches Esen out on the tracks and Zaka detonates the explosives but only half of them go off leaving Esen stranded but its artillery fire intact. Gregor orders Esen to fire on the Darcsens and he kills all of them (that son of a bitch). Isara and Ramal show up and use the tank to fire on the remaining explosives destroying Esen along with Gregor. With this, Fouzen is liberated but at the price of the deaths of many Darcsens who did nothing to deserve the treatment they were given (of all the souls I have encountered. They were most. . . human). Well this seems like a good place to stop. I’ll see next week on Project Nitsuj when we conclude Valkyria Chronicles but tune in tomorrow when I take a look at the game.
*All images, videos, and music do not belong to me and belong to their respected owners*
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