Valkyrie Drive got 99 problems, but lack of fanservice ain’t one.
Download Links
Torrent: Nyaa
Series Information
Production Companies: ARMS
Vintage: Fall 2015
Notable Seiyuu:
Yuka Iguchi as Mirei Shikishima
Yuka Iguchi is also well known for her roles as:
Azumi Asakura as Lady J
Azumi Asakura is also well known for her roles as:
Kikuko Inoue as Torino Kazami
Kikuko Inoue is also well known for her roles as:
Asami Seto as Charlotte Shalzen
Asami Seto is also well known for her roles as:
Saori Onishi as Rayne Hasumi
Saori Onishi is also well known for her roles as:
Yurika Kubo as Meifon Sakura
Yurika Kubo is also well known for her roles as:
Hitomi Harada as Momoka Sagara
Hitomi Harada is also well known for her roles as:
Thoughts on the project / anime
Valkyrie Drive was one of the more hyped original TV ecchi projects in quite some time, pairing the talents of arguably the most famous ecchi anime director (Hiraku Kaneko) with the famed creator of the Senran Kagura gaming / media franchise.
The results were a mixed bag. The TV series ended up with mediocre sales, but the game was a success. While the title of the series suggests multiple seasons or games, so far there has only been one season of the anime (not even an OVA followup). Though to be fair, the gap between Senran Kagura’s first and second season is nearly six years, so we shouldn’t rule out a Valkyrie Drive sequel completely. As for the anime itself:
The Bad:
Nonsensical plot
Mediocre art quality
Stiff, awkward animations (with a handful of exceptions)
Facial design was derpy as fuck
Bad writing and voice acting, even by ecchi standards
Music often felt out of place (such as playing somber music during booby scenes)
Bizarre nipple designs that looked nothing like the real thing
Some nude scenes got a little too rapey
Some girls, particularly the Lady Lady duo, needed way more naked time
Hiraku Kaneko felt somewhat constrained, and Kenichiro Takaki’s influence was difficult to detect
Overall production quality felt mediocre despite having lofty aspirations
The Good:
Loads of fanservice
Loads of nudity
A huge amount of body diversity
Breast shape and nipples unique to each girl
Didn’t shy away from boob play
Most nudity was close range and with good angles
Outrageously trashy, but I’ll take trash over boring any time.
Outstanding OP and ED visuals and songs
If I had to sum up this anime in one word, I’d call it tawdry (showy, but cheap and of poor quality). If this ultimately proves to be the last major production helmed by ARMS, then it’s an appropriate sendoff for a studio that has been a champion for perversion, but so often lacking in the ability to do it with quality production.
Overall I’d say this show was just okay. I wouldn’t mind a second season, but I don’t think I’d get excited for it either.
As far as the video goes, there’s definitely a lot of ugly. As covered above, derpy faces, awkward animations, bizarre nipple designs, etc. For a show that clearly wasn’t super low budget, it features some of the ugliest beautiful women in recent memory. With that said, if I had to delete all but 25 of my compilation videos tomorrow, I think Valkyrie Drive makes it into the “keep” list. If nothing else because of the sheer amount of service, and I did at times really enjoy just how shameless it was.
And in case you are wondering what the difference is here from the TV version: all edits were done again from scratch, so there will probably be some subtle content changes. Also, the TV compilation didn’t have much in terms of specials, and wasn’t in HD.
Favorite Character
Meifon didn’t have a ton of service time, but she made up for it by being energetic, eccentric, and fun. In a series full of heroes and bad guys, Meifon just cares about making a quick buck. By the end she proves to have a heart of gold as well. I love the little cowgirl motif too, paired with a kind of kansai accent. Fun character.
