Valvrave the Liberator - Episode 9 Discussion / Poll

[Traece]

Originally Posted by Irenesharda

I don't know if the test-tube ones are hungry, only VVV-tan has said something about her hunger. Takumi-sensei was wondering why the test tube one wasn't moving even though it was numbered? I hope they explain that a little more. Takumi-sensei is pretty confusing in what he does and doesn't know. When he first sees the things up close his inner monologue informs us that he really doesn't know all that much about the VVVs themselves despite being in on the project. He states that he doesn't know where the tech originally came from and wonders how Tokishima sensei came across it. He then begins to study them to find out how they work. I'm guessing perhaps at this point he has now caught up on the information or something since he is asking why test tube one isn't moving (on its own?) and perhaps they'll explain what being "numbered" has to do with anything?

Was test-tube one not per say an "unfinished" one, but is actually perhaps the original one? Maybe it was the one that JIOR found and on which all the other Valvraves were modeled?

As to whether or not Haruto could starve to death or not, it would depend on whether he requires sustenance in any form (food, water, blood, etc.) and if he doesn't get it, would his now immortal body be able to continue to repair and sustain his body without it? We'll have to have some more information to see the extent of Haruto and the other pilots' immortality. Is it the ultimate immortality (no amount of physical damage or age will hurt them and they will live forever?) or is there a limit to how much physical damage they can take?

To me it seems like Takumi might have been in a different division of this project. Maybe he was actually in charge of developing the students? I got the impression that he's aware of the Valvraves but he's developing his knowledge of the project because everyone else is gone. He's having to figure out all the things he didn't know now.

I do think that JIOR is using technology that isn't theirs. I think that the Valvraves stem from something that's been around a very long time. Maybe it'll even be linked to vampires throughout all of history?

It seems clear that the Valvraves need that vampirism action. They gain some sustenance from the body switching or maybe just simple bloodsucking. My running theory is that body switching isn't enough. He's continued to have attacks even though he has body switched recently with L-Elf. It seems to me that he has to do something more, possibly killing someone. My running theory is that either he'll kill someone important, or die himself, and cause the future we saw a glimpse of.

[VTHokiePride]

I think eventually, the vampire part of the pilots is going to take over them. However, we've only seen Haruto lose control and not the others. I'm curious about the other Valvrave unit and Colonel Cain's involvement.

[Irenesharda]

Originally Posted by Traece

It seems clear that the Valvraves need that vampirism action. They gain some sustenance from the body switching or maybe just simple bloodsucking. My running theory is that body switching isn't enough. He's continued to have attacks even though he has body switched recently with L-Elf. It seems to me that he has to do something more, possibly killing someone. My running theory is that either he'll kill someone important, or die himself, and cause the future we saw a glimpse of.

Maybe he has to bite someone while in his "feral", vampiric state? He actually hasn't done that since he switched the first time with L-11. And since he's been going into that state more and more it's possible that him being that way when he bites someone is necessary, at least to get sustenance to please VVV-tan.

[Traece]

Originally Posted by VTHokiePride

I think eventually, the vampire part of the pilots is going to take over them. However, we've only seen Haruto lose control and not the others. I'm curious about the other Valvrave unit and Colonel Cain's involvement.

I'm beginning to think that Haruto's Valvrave is special. All of the other Valvraves seem to have this huge fear of overheating, but with Haruto it's the opposite. He overheats, and then he becomes even stronger. Maybe they each have a special overheat ability and they're just really worried about the inconvenience of its activation leaving them wide open, but I don't know... I kind of want Haruto's Valvrave to be "the original" or "the best" in some way. Also, none of the other pilots have been needing to feed yet either. Even the girl who, at this point, should have needed to do so because she hasn't been shown body switching for quite some time. Maybe there's a tie-in to special overheat abilities and feeding?

I also want to see him actually feed on someone!

Originally Posted by Irenesharda

Maybe he has to bite someone while in his "feral", vampiric state? He actually hasn't done that since he switched the first time with L-11. And since he's been going into that state more and more it's possible that him being that way when he bites someone is necessary, at least to get sustenance to please VVV-tan.

When Aina died he switched with L-Elf. That's why I think that it may not be enough, because that was somewhat recently, and L-Elf describes the attacks as being more frequent. Though I guess it could be because of micro timeskips and I'm completely wrong. I feel like that would be too easy though, in any case.

[Irenesharda]

Originally Posted by Traece

When Aina died he switched with L-Elf. That's why I think that it may not be enough, because that was somewhat recently, and L-Elf describes the attacks as being more frequent. Though I guess it could be because of micro timeskips and I'm completely wrong. I feel like that would be too easy though, in any case.

No, I mean maybe when he switches bodies, he has to be in his vampiric mode for it to count (purple Vs, fangs, strange eyes, etc.) as "feeding"? Every other time he has switched, including the time he switched with L-11 when Aina died, he was simply his normal self biting someone. So far he has only bit someone once while in his vampire state and that was back in the first episode.

He's going into that state for a reason, so it's quite possible that he is required to go into that state to "feed". Perhaps he transmits something via his fangs, or something?

[GundamZZ]

The overall impression of this episode is emphasizing the loss of a student. Then, the pilots sign up for the sentai team.

[Guido]

It's been about like three weeks in a row that I haven't commented on the episodes, and I've been lagging behind for two weeks.

As far as I can tell, L-Elf is unearthing the jigsaw pieces about the Valvraves in correlation to the Academy.

Spoiler:

The students do not know, safe for the possiblity that Haruto will sooner or later find out from either L-Elf or chance encounter, that most of the adult population in JIOR were secretly working on the Valvrave Project.

So, the school would be like a test training ground to pick-up and select suitable candidates and test subjects to review, if they're compatible with the Valvrave or not.
In other words, I get that one becomes compatible with the Valvrave is the will is strong enough to actually leave behind his own humanity, and revenge is not the sole factor or drive that makes the compatibility work. No, I think the will has to go deepr and more empathetic than that.

Second, whatever truth about the Valvrave is starting to be shed onto the light, then Cain as well knows it. I mean why he's becoming reserved and reclusive against his own tripulation about the matter. I might be wrong, but his second-in-command is doubting him for a while.

Finally, the Valvrave's A.I. is beginning to give me the creeps, and I cannot prevent myself from growing more concerned about Haruto's increasing symptoms. Besides, the current ending features a last shot of the Valvrave's supposedly A.I. turning her back against a mysterious shadow.
That's a gloomy hint about ominous things to come forward.