[grevierr]

Oh my, I found my post for the Muv Luv novel recommendationand introducing on bakatsuki from back in 2009... and I don't recall writing it that way, although it had my idiocracy of spelling and phrasing... I'm starting to wonder about what the person I was back then compared to the person I am now...

Originally Posted by gabgrave

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muv-Luv

Just wondering if anyone is following this series of visual novels and novels. There are currently 3 VNs, with 2 versions of the first 2, Unlimited/Extra and Alternative, and Altered Fable. There are currently 7 novels just for the Alternative part alone and still ongoing, with 2 novels each for the parts before. Also there are spin off novels based on the Total Eclipse stories that are released in magazines.

A unique plot, which starts off as a 'normal' galgame in Extra, which leads to the protagonist waking up in an alternate reality in which the world is fighting against alien beings from outer-space in Unlimited, with all his classmates turned into soldiers

Spoiler:

except for his missing girlfriend who 'apparently' does not exist in this world.

Alternative occurs after the events of Unlimited, where the protagonist is returned to the beginning where unlimited started, but with memories of that world, he vows to change the way things happened, and to protect the world.

What I found powerful of the plot is the way the scenario ties in normal school love life with elements of hardcore science fiction, such as time-travel, the multi-universe theory, the von-neumann theory to space exploration,

Spoiler:

The concept of a universal constructor was fleshed out in his posthumous work Theory of Self Reproducing Automata. Von Neumann proved that the most effective way of performing large-scale mining operations such as mining an entire moon or asteroid belt would be by using self-replicating machines, taking advantage of their exponential growth. which is how the aliens spread,

and a warped version of the 3 laws of robotics by Issac Asimov

Spoiler:

as applied to carbon based lifeforms

The plot is also scenario heavy, having training, politics, war and sacrifice tied up in a package that is longer then most VNs.

The appeal of the visual novel lies in the phasing of the voice acting with its background themes and sound effects, from the chatter in the classroom to the screams and confusion of the battlefield, muvluv alt manages to bring it to life. The progressive maturity and strength of the characters are also well choreographed, bringing to life the personality of each person till the end.

Of course, the big point for most people would the the giant mecha fighting aliens, eschew of the Starship troopers and Aliens battles.