rose-reads-visualnovels - Tumblr blog

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

"Yes, soon we will end that as well."

"Yes, we will."

Okay so it's very easy to see where this is going. Gentle Kircheis and Ambitious Reinhard. Making each other a better person. 2 halves of a greater whole, etc etc.

Also I wonder why the Fortress is being fought over. Is it its location? It seems like the Empire has it under control for now, building palaces and shit, so who knows what exactly they plan on doing to "end it all".

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

IS THIS MY PROMISED YAOI?? HI KIRCHEIS. I don't see a lot of ginger/blonde ships usually so this is fun.

Also thank you, Reinhard. At least you understand my disappointment. But hey! This tells us it's your first time visiting.

Wait. Are you coming here for your first mission? Did you get jumpstarted right into the Admiral rank or do you have at least some experience? I need to know if all high ranking officers are supposed to start off at the Iserlohn Fortress or something among these lines.

Reinhard. How baby are you?

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

BARON: Hey, hey, hey! I was just talking shit, let's not invoke the Kaiser's wrath over a stupid brat.

FLEET ADMIRAL: Well, am I at least allowed to humiliate him a little as his boss?

BARON: Ah, that's fine. Do your worst, Your Excellency.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

OH WOW. Fleet Admiral Misogyny Moment. That was kind of unexpected tbh. But even still this is kind of insane?

"Nepotism if it's by a male family member is normal, but if you got promoted bc your mother is related to someone important I MUST kill you" - I'm sorry I ever thought you were a normal honest guy. You're obviously deranged and I won't forget it.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

Then I'll need diplomatic connections, just like you. Let's just say I'm preparing myself for it.

OKAY SO. This is the Fleet Admiral. I guess this is why he's worried about Admirals not being ranked by actual abilities, since he's responsible for them.

Honestly he's way franker than I'd have thought, just laying the cards on the table. "I prefer war to politics, but I'll be forced back into politics soon. Wanna team up?" I wonder how that distaste for politics works out for him, since he's already a career military person.

Also this confirms Iserlohn as NOT the core world, so ugh keeping up with Imperial Time must suck ass.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

Huh! The old (?)/middle aged man with the mutton chops was the first to diss Reinhard for his weakness, but when the Baron agrees and then doubles down by casting doubt on the Empire's promotion standards he's met with "Nepotism is normal, and you as a noble should know it best :)"

I think mutton chops man has accused the Baron of also not earning his own rank? Politics

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

"...because the Kaiser cares for his sister"

Interesting! No one actually respects Reinhard and they see his rise to the ranks as a simple matter of nepotism (on the mother's side).

We also find out he has a sister he "hid behind" for a good while, far beyond what military men consider appropriate. Do they think him cowardly or childish? Both? Does he have a father? It feels like the insinuation here is that the rank was not only given out of regular love but "caring for" the Kaiser's sister. Is she a widow? Why is it that the Kaiser feels like he must step in and help?

Since the POV is from people who dismiss Reinhard I can't even say they're giving me accurate information. What do those two randoms know about the Royals inner relationship drama.

Untalented boy is also something to ponder over. In what way? Leadership skills? Actual fighting abilities outside of shooting lasers at enemy ships? Or is his laser shooting aim bad? What info do they have on Reinhard? Questions, questions...

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

INT. ISERLOHN FORTRESS - UNKNOWN TIME

SORRY I LAUGHED. I promise I won't giggle at fascism. The everything just took me by surprise again. Moving on.

...will arrive at Imperial Time 30:27, as scheduled.

AND WE HAVE A NAME FOR OUR (PRESUMABLY) MC. I already got used to Edelgard von Hresvelg, so Reinhard von Musel is nothing.

What's really interesting here is everything else.

"Imperial Time" makes me wonder whether it means every clock in the Empire is set to the standard of the Home/Core World regardless of actual planet size/rotation so everyone has to do mental maths to keep up with their circadian cycles. Or maybe this Fortress IS the Core World but any other planet/orb/space station has its own time and only engage in Imperial Time when doing business with the outside.

ALSO. "Expeditionary Fleet". Are we going to pretend this is an adventure/science expedition or are they not even bothering to deny the fact it's for war? I'm leaning towards the latter since the intro already called War human nature and the key to the evolution of Man

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

INT. SHIP OF EVIL - UNKNOWN TIME

"Admiral, status report. Our fleet will arrive at Iserlohn Fortress as scheduled. Everything is proceeding as planned."

(Sorry I'm not screenshotting every line of dialogue bc it makes my video player super wonky, just let me transcribe the conversations)

Our possible protagonist has differently colored subtitles! He's also soft spoken and polite without losing any authority. What a charming young man who's already risen to the ranks of Admiral. In One Piece he'd be allowed to decimate entire islands at the touch of a finger. I wonder what's the power levels in this universe.

Since he's requesting permission to enter, I'm assuming this is a friendly base? Maybe HQ? There were tons of ships outside flying in formation, so maybe they're all returning or leaving the fortress. Also I'm assuming this is a manmade planet? Or maybe a huge space station....

An Orb.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

ok so I was informed I should watch both this prequel movie AND the other movie that replaces episodes 1-2 thus actually starting LOGH on episode 3. no worries, everyone!

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

what is your Favorite Chuchu Moment(TM) and why?

Chuchu putting his ass over the camera lens so Anthy could stop Akio from laying his hand on Utena when they were taking a picture "for posterity" and instead allowed Anthy/Utena to hold hands.

The same photo we get right at the end.

-- Rose, the Revolutionary Witch

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

turning back anon asks for the night

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

Super cool stablishing shots!

The vast network of ships you could mistake for stars.

A small zoom in so you can notice the difference between regular soldier (?) ships and this shiny white specimen that appears as the piano ost drops. Both its design and color mark it as something above the cut. While the regular ships remind me of a laser gun, the white ship is more aerodynamic (?).

Another zoom in on the special ship to reveal its actual size (not as small as it appears when surrounded by the starry void of a backdrop). I think it's also showing where the cockpit is? That circle probably.

And finally. The Death Star. An evil lair. The ship interior. The bridge. The room where it happens. Very interestingly shaped wings you have over there.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

This is so cheeky.

"Hey, I know we are doing Overt Fascism Propaganda right now, but please remember this is set in another world and in the indeterminate future. Morals judgements should be reserved to in universe Watsonian scholars, relativism, relativism, relativism. Blah, blah, blah. Just try and have fun"

Don't worry, with the way I burst out laughing again when I read this, I can tell I should just let LOGH do its thing.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

The fucking Roman styled busts flying around in the void... I burst out laughing, sorry.

Once again, the naturalization of war/violence as simply biologically encoded in men's DNA. It's posited as a hypothesis ("perhaps"), but there are no other alternative explanations allowed in this narration's little world.

Man as beast, man locked in eternal battle with other men because of BOTH animalistic instincts and the name of glorious progress. Fusing the two until humanity's many bloodsheds are indistinguishable from a drive to evolve as a species.

It acknowledges the unfortunate loss of human life, but ultimately cast the fallen as weak. "Crumble" is a very tasty word to describe it.

This is a Fascism.

I can't wait for whatever fucked up yaoi is ahead of me.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

Very strong start!

Hammering down the necessity of war as the prerequisite for progress, mankind and war as inherently linked, "few would disagree", "no one can say that", it is known it is known it is known... Don't question this common sense, dear audience. It's simply how the world works.

Ladies and gentlemen and distinguished guests, we have a Fascism.

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

Politics? Yaoi? Space!

I've been eyeing Legend of the Galactic Heroes (or LOGH for short) for a few years now. Its art style is comfortable to look at and the (probable) main character's flowing beautiful locks have whispered to me at night.

All I know of this series is what can be found in this video (very funny) and this one (peak context free amv). So I am open for yaoi undertones in the middle of this Space Empire (?)

Since my brain is currently suffering from acute Umineko rejection, I felt like I should give this one a go.

I'll start with the "My Conquest Is The Sea of Stars" movie and see where it goes

All my LOGH posts will be tagged with both "logh liveblog" and "rose watches anime" + whatever characters are relevant in each post.

Thanks for never giving up on me,

-- Rose, the Revolutionary Witch