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Not going to lie; I really enjoyed this episode of Valvrave the Liberator.  More than I ever expected.

Amongst the series of this season, it's no secret that this one is the train wreck guilty pleasure some of us like to indulge.  In every episode prior to this one, Valvrave has managed to make me laugh at the sheer campiness it would embrace and the new heights of silliness it would reach.  Strangely enough, that doesn't really apply to this episode.  A more serious episode with less over-the-top dramatics than we're used to.

In all honesty, I didn't think Valvrave could pull of a more serious episode like this one.  It's had developments which could have been serious but ended up being nothing more than laughing material.  Going on from the previous episode in which L-Elf started his transition from benevolent dictator to ally, the episode really made use of this new development to give us a nice bromance.  L-Elf and Haruto's relationship has always been a considerable part of the series, and as of now it's evolving into something closer to friendship.

Most of the episode was the usual stuff.  Dorssians attacked for the nth time, leaving Haruto (and Saki) to save the day once again while all the other students sat there powerless.  Same old, same old with a more serious tone and a predictable reaction from Kyuuma to add something remotely new and set up for the next episode.

It was all about the bromance for me.  L-Elf as the bitter coffee to Haruto's sugar make for a combination as good as Haruto's description.  Arguably, still an extension of the goofy Valvrave and yet somehow it made me want to root for these two.  Maybe it's because a glimpse at L-Elf's past suggests he really isn't all bad.  Or maybe it's because the duo have an appealing dynamic which really shines when they're in cahoots and not against each other.  The latter is also less appealing since L-Elf holds the majority of the power in that relationship.

Now that L-Elf and Haruto have joined forces, I'm hoping Valvrave the Liberator will be more fun to watch.  Not that it wasn't entertaining before, but now it could be for a different reason.  Alongside their fight, it'll be time to start exploring the mysteries of this universe as we see in the final scene.  My guess is that there's a Geass-like plot that'll come to light and give us a hint as to where the story is going and how it plans on ending.

That's for later.  The next episode suggests a focus on the other characters (Kyuuma and Thunder) as they start their call to Valvrave piloting.  Let's hope it's as much fun as this episode.

Valvrave The Liberator Episode 09 Preview

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