The appeal and reviews of "Sen x Koi": The depth of an anime depicting the romance of the battlefield

The appeal and reviews of War x Love - Val Love -

The TV anime series "Val x Love" aired in the fall of 2019 and is based on the original manga by Ryosuke Asakura, directed by Takashi Naoya, and animated by Hoods Entertainment. It aired from October 5 to December 21, 2019, and consisted of 12 episodes. It was broadcast on TOKYO MX and AT-X, and aired for 30 minutes every week. The work tells the story of nine Valkyrie sisters who fight demons, and Akutsu Takuma, a high school student who becomes their lover.

story

The story of "Val x Love" is about nine Valkyries who fight to protect humanity from demons, and Akutsu Takuma, a high school student who becomes their lover. Takuma is nicknamed "Akuma" because of his intimidating appearance, and is feared by those around him, leading a lonely life unable to interact with others. However, one day, after saving a girl, he meets nine Valkyries and becomes their lover, playing a role in protecting the human world. Takuma's mission is to nurture the Valkyries by having romantic relationships with them and bring out their power to fight demons. While living under the same roof with the nine sisters, he overcomes various missions and the story unfolds to prove that love can save the world.

cast

Hirose Yuya plays the main character, Akutsu Takuma, and Sekine Arisa plays Takuma as a child. The nine Valkyrie sisters are all unique characters, with Hondo Kaede playing Saotome Nanaki, Kakuma Ai playing Saotome Goya, Hidaka Rina playing Saotome Mutsumi, Uchiyama Yumi playing Saotome Ichika, Hara Yumi playing Saotome Futaba, Kiyomi Ayaka playing Saotome Misa, Aida Rikako playing Saotome Shino, Kawase Maki playing Saotome Yakumo, and Koiwai Kotori playing Saotome Kururi. This cast brings out the best in each character.

Main Staff

Val x Love was produced by a talented team of people. It was written by Ryosuke Asakura, directed by Takashi Naotani, with series composition by Tatsuya Takahashi and character design by Sei Tateishi. Chief animation directors were Sei Tateishi, Toshimitsu Kobayashi and Yukiyo Komito, art direction was Masazumi Matsumiya and Hirotaka Kozaki, color design by Ryoji Nagasawa, cinematography by Mitsuhiro Kuno, editing by Satoru Ishii and sound direction by Hiroto Morishita. Music was provided by TECHNOBOYS PULCRAFT GREEN-FUND, with sound production by Dax Production and Avex Pictures. Animation was provided by Hoods Entertainment and the film was produced by the War x Love Production Committee.

Main Characters

The protagonist, Akutsu Takuma, is a 16-year-old high school boy who is nicknamed "Akuma" (Devil) because of his large physique and scary face. As a result of being unable to make friends and becoming isolated, he develops "human phobia", but ends up living with nine Valkyrie sisters and gets caught up in the fight against demons. Saotome Nanaki is the seventh of nine sisters and is a pretty girl who attends the same class as Takuma, but she is actually strong-willed and has special feelings for Takuma after his life was saved. Saotome Goya is the fifth of nine sisters and is a daddy's girl with beautiful features and intelligence who serves as the student council president. Saotome Mutsumi is the sixth of nine sisters and is a rapidly rising idol who has a crush on Takuma. Saotome Ichika is the eldest of nine sisters and does not live at Takuma's house, but watches her sisters' activities from the shadows. Futaba Saotome is the second of nine sisters, and has a gentle personality, taking care of all the housework, but is known as "Her Majesty" for her high combat abilities. Misa Saotome is the third of nine sisters, and has a tomboyish personality, is good at taking care of her younger sisters, and is a master of sewing with thread combat abilities. Shino Saotome is the fourth of nine sisters, and is a mysterious girl who wears armor on her head and lives in a storehouse in the garden. Yakumo Saotome is the eighth of nine sisters, and is a cool girl with a sharp tongue who loves to study. Kururi Saotome is the ninth of nine sisters, and is the youngest of nine sisters, and is a spoiled child, but is also an excellent inventor who develops machines.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: Fighting Maiden
• Episode 2: The Bound Maiden
• Episode 3: The Secret Maiden
• Episode 4: Serving Maiden
• Episode 5: The Believing Maiden
• Episode 6: The Naked Maiden
• Episode 7: The Maiden Who Grabbed
• Episode 8: The Maiden Who Makes You Strong
• Episode 9: The Touching Maiden and the Touched Maiden
• Episode 10: Drunk Maiden
• Episode 11: A Maiden Who Accepts
• Episode 12: A Girl in Love

Theme songs and music

The opening theme "for..." was written by Satomi, composed by Katsuhiko Kurosu, arranged by Hayato Tanaka, and sung by Rikako Aida. The ending theme was written, composed, and arranged by TECHNOBOYS PULCRAFT GREEN-FUND, and is sung by a different singer for each episode. In episodes 1, 4, 6, and 12, Ichika (Yumi Uchiyama), Nanaki (Kaede Hondo), and Yakumo (Maki Kawase) sing it; in episodes 3, 5, 8, and 11, Futaba (Yumi Hara), Mutsumi (Rina Hidaka), and Kururi (Kotori Koiwai) sing it; and in episodes 2 and 7, Misa (Ayaka Kiyomi), Shino (Rikako Aida), and Itsuka (Ai Kakuma) sing it. These songs livened up the atmosphere of the story and captured the hearts of viewers.

Evaluation and Impressions

"Val x Love" has attracted many viewers with its unique setting and charming characters. In particular, the relationship between Takuma and the nine Valkyries, and his growth through his romantic flirtations with them, are highlights. Each character has a distinct personality, making it easy for viewers to empathize with each Valkyrie. The depictions of the battle scenes and missions are also impressive, drawing viewers in as the story unfolds.

However, some viewers felt that the storyline was a bit predictable, and that there were too many characters in the series, and that each character was not explored enough. Nevertheless, the series was generally well-received as a highly entertaining and enjoyable series.

Recommended points

The reasons we recommend "Val x Love" are as follows:

• Character appeal : The nine sisters, the Valkyries, are all unique and captivate the hearts of viewers. Their growth and relationships with Takuma are particularly noteworthy.
• Unique setting : The setting of a Valkyrie who fights demons and a high school student who becomes their lover is fresh and will pique the interest of viewers.
• Entertainment : The battle scenes and missions are spectacular, and the storyline draws you in. The theme songs and music also add to the excitement of the story.

"War x Love - Val Love -" is a work that has been praised for its charming characters, unique setting, and high entertainment value. Please watch it while paying attention to the growth of the Valkyries and their relationship with Takuma.