The Oni tackles MuvLuv - a let's play of sorts (Update #45 on 25/08)

[tensai_oni]

Due to real life business, I won't have time to write updates for this LP for a while. Updates should resume in less than a week from now on - see you until then.

[tensai_oni]

I'm back.

Update #58: a few days more of jolly cooperation

Spoiler

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This will be another multi-day update, folks.




Looks like Takeru survived through the night somehow.



Heh, his and Kei's coordination is already pretty high, I see.

And then Kasumi enters the room.



She's shocked, for reasons that should be obvious.




Good question.



Oh boy, here come the pilot suits again. As I grab for the Sumika brand censor, the characters discuss strategy.



Their initial plan was to gang up on the pink cat but it didn't work.




Silly Takeru, this is not an anime. It's a visual novel. Totally different thing.

Anyway, he suggests a modification to the plan.




Two people take care of Tama, one tries to survive against both Mikoto and Meiya... somehow.



An expected reaction.



Well, isn't that unusual, Chizuru said something nice. But still Takeru, why do you even consider this plan as something that can succeed?



What is "that" you keep talking about?



Ah, you mean video game moves? Got it.




Easier said than done though.



Okay, this actually may work, but it requires good coordination, excellent teamwork...

Aha. So that's what you're planning, eh Takeru.



Yes.




And there we go! The team members (grudgingly) accept to go on with it.



Unlimited tries to be realistic so there's no dodging bullets here - you can only predict where the sniper is aiming and be somewhere else.



All that is left is to start training. Don't break all your Fubukis, you!



Training begins. Obviously there's not much progress. Takeru trying to explain how to perform maneuvers in gaming terms doesn't help much.



Neither does the constant arguing.

Let's have a talk to try to fix at least that part.






A monumental task is ahead of you, Takeru.



Suddenly, Team Anime Hair Colors is here.




Confident enough. Anyway, off with you, Team Normal Hair Colors (I can't say Normal Hair, it's still Muv Luv).



The direction of their departure does not go unnoticed.





After the initial shock comes suspicion and disappointment. Look at that Miki face.



Takeru's life is put in danger once again.



So tsundere.



Looks like this feeling of competition is bringing the team closer together. Good!



Arguing. Bad!



One update, multiple days.



Looks like Chizuru and Ayamine evolved into some kind of super beings.

Or, you know. Yuuko's theory wasn't worth jack.




Uh oh, Takeru's getting contemplative again.




That's true, we didn't have Sumika around for a while, not even in flashbacks. Well, except for the censors but that doesn't count.



Or is she?



Well. Contemplation over, let's go back to training. Hopefully today it will go better!



It doesn't.





It totally doesn't.

No fisticuffs allowed, in or out of the TSFs! You don't want to go to Marimo-chan's prison, you're supposed to train.



The fight, if it even happened, was offscreen.



The other team noticed the problems Takeru and company are experiencing.



They're quite worried actually.




Finished eating already?



Oh. They want to learn from Takeru. Or perhaps - prevent the other from learning from Takeru.



From very sarcastic Takeru.



Who is used as a shield... silencer... thing again. And as usual, everyone is being no fun allowed and no one joins into his group cheer.

Oh well.



A discovery! So it was Ayamine's fault all along.

Knowing where she screws up, maybe Takeru will be able to help fix the mistake now.




Or maybe Kei and Chizuru will get into a biggest argument yet.



Takeru tries to intervene but it's obvious that his presence is not welcome.



Another quip from Kei...

Which Chizuru takes badly.



Ayamine gets a slap for it.




And now, Chizuru gets one for hers.



The two are just smacking the crap out of each other now, while exchanging angry sentences.



Takeru tries to interfere, second attempt.




Not very successful. Well, at least they stopped with the hits.



Ayamine's gone while our MC wonders what the hell.



The two fighting is nothing new, but now it felt less like petty squabbles. This was for real.



And there goes Chizuru too.

No progress was made that day.



The day after...



Begins as usual.



Except it's not as usual, Kasumi normally didn't dare enter while, gasp, other people were in the room. But now they're gone.



Takeru isn't too concerned.



Or is he? Don't kick walls in anger if you only end up hurting yourself.




Yeah, you should probably do something about this Takeru.




Well, the VN wants us to choose so obviously the order is important.




Chizuru shall be the first to be persuaded... okay, I meant talked to...




Okay, I meant found. Just where the heck is she?



That's a bit too optimistic Takeru. Also look who's there.




Class Rep considers the simulators. It's been such a long time since the team used them for the first time.




Looks like she didn't mind talking anyway. No, more like she hoped for a talk.



Takeru knows where to go for stuff like that. Gotta be the roof, rules of drama require it.




He can still say a few choice things on the way there though.



But not too many things. Let's leave some for the roof.



Chizuru doesn't have much in the way of cliche sense. If those cliches even exist in her world.



Anyway let's get to the point.



And by point I don't mean insulting Takeru for his ignorance.




First Meiya, now Chizuru. Does everyone in the squad have an unusual past and important families?






Though Chizuru does not want to use hers to have a priviledged position. Just like Meiya, then.



Takeru finds this commendable. Misunderstandings, ahoy.



Looks like Chizuru's opened up totally here. Let's hear what does she has to say about tactics and such.




Good point actually. Changing plans on the fly every five minutes is not adaptation.



Takeru used as a standard for understanding. A low standard. How harsh.






There you have it. Kei knows, Chizuru knows she knows, she just doesn't do things because reasons.

It's all a matter of poor communication, really.



Which Takeru notices.





And points out. If the two of you were just more open to one another, rather than automatically assuming the worst!



Also yeah, what was that about the ally killing insult?






Takeru's said all he could, now it's all up to Chizuru.



Well, maybe with a little push.



Oh, nothing, just a promise that Takeru will do one thing you ask him for.




Within limitations.



Well spotted.



Well then, it's a promise.



Looks like against all odds, the talk really worked out.



Time for Kei. But first, Marimo. But first, Kei!



Sorry, gotta run.



There she is.



Immediately trying to escape, but failing.





Kei's still hung up on Chizuru's plan. Not the best plan, admittedly.




So the other option is annihilation, then.



What's this?




Everyone's making really good guesses and also insulting Takeru's ignorance today. You're on a roll.



Anyway, let's hear it.



Looks like Kei's family is special too. Just in a less lucky way.







So that's how it is. This is the baggage that made Ayamine the person she is now.



And she thinks Chizuru is part of the System. She's the man... woman, man.




Well, if Takeru has to be a proxy in exchanging the truth between the two, then so be it.





Takeru, calling the things as he sees them.





Time to act with more social grace, looks like it.




Well, just a bit more.



Takeru exchanges his offer to Kei too. She accepts. Way too readily.



That's a worrying smile.




The scene is too serious for messing around with people, Kei!

But, it looks like it's over, and it too worked out alright.

So, what's next?




Noises. These and plenty more of really weird noises.



And now we know the source.



Keenly observed, Takeru.




Varying degrees of want, all in one person.




Please try to survive the night, Takeru.

[kamikasei]

I was going to say "what the hell is Kei's deal", but I guess this update answered that. It's still pretty extreme, though. There's "stubborn, willful, and anti-authoritarian" and then there's "completely refuses to actually follow orders, as a soldier". I'm not sure how she get even as far as she has without this attitude making serious trouble for her.

That said,

Also yeah, what was that about the ally killing insult?

Spoiler

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Separated at birth.

[Terraoblivion]

I think the answer to your question is magic, Kami. Or maybe extreme nepotism like she accuses Chizuru of.

[tensai_oni]

They're still all newbie cadets so it's not that Kei had a lot of opportunities to get into trouble yet. Also it looks like everyone in the group is special somehow (we only don't know Mikoto's family situation, right?) so even if they ask for normal treatment, they get preferential one anyway.

But then, Marimo-chan even lets a no name schlub like Takeru call her Marimo-chan without too much yelling, so I guess she's just lenient by nature.

[Tengu_temp]

I'm not a fan of Kei and Chizuru butting heads constantly, because it's just frustrating. But at least we learn more about their respective backstories! Also, between Takeru going uguu, the whole Socrates thing, and sleeping combat, this update was surprisingly amusing.

[Terraoblivion]

It's even more frustrating when there are real stakes and actual procedures that they're expected to obey. And even more so when those procedures put one of them undeniably in the right, but it doesn't get treated like that. Not that I want to side with Chizuru in this conflict, but as the VN itself even says, according to the official procedures they're operating under, she's the one who's in the right in their conflict. It'd be better if both had a point, but were being irrational about it.

[Tengu_temp]

Yeah. Chizuru is acting stubborn and difficult, but Kei is acting stubborn and difficult and disobeys orders on principle. That's not individualism or refusing to carry on bad orders, that's anti-authoritarianism to the point you're not able to function in any organization, military or not!

And don't lie, you're totally siding with Chizuru.

[Ishikar]

Kei's plotline is still missing a few details about what happened in her explanation as to what really happened when her father was tried and imprisoned but we get the initial reason for her dangerous hardheadedness. Update was also the crazy pictures I was waiting for and more general amusement for all.

Chizuru also has her own bit of stubbornness revealed here where she shows that she casts aside political protections to fight but wants to reach a level where she's in charge which always works out so well in movies and video games doesn't it? Also we look and find that a full 2/3s of the 207th have some crazy political connections and at least one of them has notably been held back from the training facilities closer to the front lines due to those connections. We don't want everything going crazy so Mikoto's parents must be rice farmers. Nice simple down to earth rice farmers who were distressed by their daughter's odd ways and were secretly glad when she was drafted and out of their hair.

As for the whole Kei/Chizuru debate they're both right and wrong so we'll leave them in their whole "two-sides, one coin" relationship and get back to Takeru being awesome with Meiya as a foil and Tama being Tama.

Now I'm curious if there are flash animations of Tama edited in to funny cat videos. Those could be funny or creepy depending on how it was done.

[kamikasei]

I do admit that I wasn't expecting Chizuru to remind me of Roy Mustang, of all people.

We don't want everything going crazy so Mikoto's parents must be rice farmers.

At this rate I expect Mikoto's explorer dad to have been the captain of the Moonbase and first commander to fight the BETA (and secretly have been absorbed into their group consciousness when he was eaten, becoming their commander and the true final boss).

[Terraoblivion]

I didn't say I wasn't siding with Chizuru. I was saying I didn't want to be in a position to do so.

And, yes, Mikoto's parents have to be important too. I mean, even though Kei's dad was imprisoned, he was a general before that, so she's not exactly from a family of nobodies either.

[tensai_oni]

Alright. Good news everyone - we've hit over 15k views. I call it a major milestone for the LP!

The bad news is that as you probably noticed, updates are infrequent. I'm just busier than I planned so expect around 2 updates per week. We're at the home stretch now, so hopefully this won't cause the LP to drag on for too long.

Now, that being said...

Update #59: December 7th - 3 on 3 mecha showdown

Spoiler

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A good morning to you too, Takeru.



Looks like in the end, no making up took place. Oh well. Let's remember Marimo's words, no need to be friends as long as you can work together.



Speaking of Marimo's words. Into the cockpit you go, Takeru.






So much for coordination. Still, a few tenths of a second is not horrible, right?



What could go wrong?





What could go wrong indeed.




Mock battle, go!




Team Meiya was not hard to find.




Hitting is another thing whatsoever.



Good question, it's almost like she wants someone to ambush you while you're distracted, Takeru.



And, there we go.



Here comes Meiya with a sword!



But Takeru somehow still lives. Hooray for jump cancels.



Kei and Chizuru team are ganging up on poor Tama. Go Sumika censor, go.




Oh, maybe they will actually be able to take her down like that?



Suddenly! Meiya's Fubuki to the face!




But Takeru's skillz prevail... somehow.



Teamwork is starting to fall apart. And it looks like you're the weakest link, Takeru.





Also, Mikoto found you.



So, what do?



How's that supposed to help with anything?



Won't this work even worse?




Of course, the unspoken plan that is guaranteed to succeed. The staple of sitcoms everywhere, and now mecha and slice of life hijink VNs too, I guess.






It's working out. The change in plans really is successful!



Or... is it?






Chizuru and Kei both engage the opponent, and...



It was all a trap.



Sniping proceeds.




TSFs scatter around as a bullet flies through the air!




What happened? Is Chizuru out?



No, no she isn't!

Looks like Ayamine's battle senses/Newtype powers/doing random crap because she likes it paid off eventually. Good job, Solid Snake.




Time to take care of the cat sniper.




And, she's out.



But further damage falls on both sides. It's not a clear win yet.



And just as Takeru says (or rather thinks) something good, stuff changes for the worse - which happened what, the third time this update already?

Meiya snuck under the airborne TSFs, her blade already eager to taste robot blood.




And Kei is doing random stuff again - this time she goes straight down, to meet Meiya.



Or rather, bounce off her. Distraction successful!



Time to use the opening and finish this.




And, there you go.




Adaptability of plans, and just a little bit of stupid luck, won the day.



And it looks like with their victory secured, Class Rep and Ayamine will finally stop fighting.



Haha just kidding.





There's plenty of fighting more where that came from.





Takeru doesn't mind much though. Well, at least this is ordinary "looks like they might as well enjoy it" Chizuru vs Kei fighting, not the kind with beating the crap out of each other and such.

Also, his ass is no longer in a fire, so there's that.



Oh yeah, there was also that.



The promise, the promise. So, what kind of scandalous thing will the two have Takeru do?



Ladies and gentlemen, Censor Sumika has left the building. Takeru you meanie!



He gives no craps though. After all of this, you ask only for something as small as that?




Let's throw in some insults though, because sure why not. Now that's more like it.

[Terraoblivion]

Okay, seriously, those two just need to go get a room and work out their issues with each other. I mean, seriously, if romantic comedies have taught me anything it is that if people bicker this much, while also being in sync, they'll be sleeping together after ninety minutes of running time.

[kamikasei]

Yeah Terra. Obviously Takeru's mistake was in forcing them to share a room overnight and then staying in it himself.

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"Preceding paragraph"? Is this a translation goof or was Takeru scrolling through the Fubuki's EULA?

[Ishikar]

The translation notes for the Muv-Luv translations specifically note that Age does not know English well. This isn't the last error in that language and they specifically note that if there is a conflict between the On-screen graphics and the text that the text has priority. They weren't able to gain access to the graphic assets to correct those like they could translate the text.

I also think that Age has fun trolling people with Kei and Chizuru for the whole "close enough to fight" angle that they play with inside this portion of the 207th (the training group was split when one group succeeded the practical and our current group failed).

We are a good portion of the way through the tale with only two more plot events left and the ending to cap it off if I recall correctly. How else can Takeru continue to complicate matters in his own special way as the tale continues...