Muv Luv is a famous Visual Novel series that came out all the way back in 2003. It is one of the most famous VNs in Japan and it is really good. In fact, Hajime Isayama was got the inspiration to create Attack on Titan from this series. Yes, it is that famous. So why is the anime of such a famous series so bad? Well, we are here to discuss the reasons why the Muv Luv Alternative anime is so confusing and try to clear up some of the confusion.
So let’s start with a few basics first to clear up where Muv Luv Alternative exactly fits in with the story.
Introduction
The Muv Luv visual novel has 2 routes Muv Luv Extra, Muv Luv Unlimited. Extra and Unlimited are like normal VN routes and take place in alternate timelines. Muv Luv Alternative is a different VN that acts as a sequel to the Unlimited route. Alternative came out in 2006, 3 years after the release of the original Muv Luv. I will explain all of that in detail in just a moment here.
You can kind of already imagine why the anime is so confusing. They for some reason decided to adapt Muv Luv Alternative directly instead of going through Muv Luv Extra and Unlimited first. As we all know, in VNs routes that are unlocked after completing the game build upon the previous routes. So if someone adapts a sequel directly, how is anyone supposed to have any context of what is going on?
Hopefully, after reading this article, you will be able to make much more sense out of the Muv Luv Alternative anime story. I still highly suggest that you go ahead and try out the VN to experience the entire story properly. Don’t worry, there will only be minor spoilers ahead; nothing that will ruin the VN.
Let’s start with the first VN.
Muv Luv
The original Muv Luv VN came out for windows in Japan all the way back in 2003. It was officially released in English in 2016. As I said earlier, it has 2 routes: Extra and Unlimited. So let’s get started.
Muv Luv Extra
Muv Luv Extra is your typical harem VN. It follows the story of Shirogane Takeru as his childhood friend, Sumika, and a rich girl determined to be his bride, Meiya fight over his affections. The player gets to choose who they would actually like to marry.
That’s it; as simple and easy as that. Muv Luv Extra is just fluff for the shit storm coming up.
Muv Luv Unlimited
This is where shit hit the fan. Takeru wakes up in a very similar opening scene to Extra only to find that his neighborhood has been destroyed and there are no signs of Sumika or Meiya. He has been teleported into an alternative timeline where the earth has been invaded by aliens called BETAs (Beings of Extra-Terrestrial origin which are Adversary of the human race).
Most of the characters from the Extra timeline are present in the Unlimited timeline as well. The difference is that Sumika apparently doesn’t exist in this timeline and the Takeru of this timeline is said to be dead. Unlimited provides a lot of the world-building required to properly understand Muv Luv Alternative. Heck, the Alternative time exists because Takeru wasn’t willing to accept the ending of the Unlimited timeline. So finally moving on to
Muv Luv Alternative
So here we are finally. Takeru once again wakes in a very similar opening scene and he thinks that the events of the Unlimited timeline were just a dream. But, he is wrong. Takeru is actually sent back in time at the very beginning of the Unlimited timeline because he was unwilling to accept the ending of Muv Luv Unlimited.
In Muv Luv Alternative, Takeru aims to help professor Kozuki to complete his “Alternative IV” plan which was canceled at the end of Muv Luv Unlimited. This plan is obviously meant to save the earth.
Conclusion
That concludes things on my end. I hope that reading this helps you make more sense of the anime. The adaptation itself is not that bad but, it leaves a lot of things unclear because they directly adapted the sequel. I really suggest playing through the VN once, it is not that long. Anyway, though, let me know your thoughts down in the comment and I will take my leave here. See ya!
