Schwarzesmarken

[neflight86]

1759

The story follows the East German Army's 666th TSF Squadron in its battles and political conflicts during the BETA's westward push in 1983.

The East German Army 666th TSF Squadron "Schwarzesmarken" (Black Marks) are a special-forces unit tasked with assaulting BETA forces through unconventional tactics; specifically, they target Lux and Magnus Lux to deny the BETA the advantage of ranged firepower. Their orders are given the topmost priority, such that it is common practice for the 666th to ignore allied distress calls that will result in deviation from their original mission, even if only for a short moment.

Source: Muv-Luv Wiki

HorribleSubs Episode 01 (https://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=772987)

___________________

I've been fascinated by the Muv-luv alternate universe ever since I read the VNs back in the day. That no doubt plays a part in my enjoyment of this. Part of it is how every new story seems to be completely unconnected to any others except for the universe itself. They even go out of the way to occur at different time periods.

This iteration carries on the general themes of hopelessness, regret, PTSD, an uncaring world and political intrigue, though that facet is usually saved for until the latter parts of the previous stories. In Schwarzesmarken, the juicy era of espionage during the iron curtain in divided Germany makes for an interesting backdrop.

Excitement aside, the last series had a strong first few episodes itself before devolving into largely formulaic harem hijinks, so a warning there. Cautiously recommended for fans of Sci-Fi apocalypse style stories.

[MFauli]

Oh god this anime is bad. :/
I don´t think I can take more of this shit.
Other nonsense aside, seeing those little girls being the DDR´s primary agents in war is just too ridiculous. I´d really love to see more good anime that take place in Germany (loved "Monster"), but these extremely generic character designs just don´t mesh well with this setting.

And dear god: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBS

Had to laugh out aloud when I saw the pilots inside their mechas. Just lol. It looks so silly and cheap.

Oh, and when the super little girl they saved asked to join their mecha squad. YES! The fucking DDR, a bunch of old, conservative, very strict people, will allow a 12 year old girl from the enemy side to pilot their best weapon. Incredibl ...y stupid. Fuck wow.

And why use tanks at all, when they cant even take on those "small fry" red quadruple legged aliens? The mechas are way too overpowered in comparison. And it doesnt even make sense. There´s no reason why those tanks couldnt feature machine guns of the same caliber as the mecha. ugh

I really dont know why stuff like this gets its anime-verison. Bad, non-sensical story, generic, bad character designs. And animation is noticeably worse than those of other new anime I started. Will wait for the h-doujins, but unless I find myself seriously bored ... dropped.

[shinta|hikari]

This is from the muv luv universe. Everything you mentioned actually has an explanation if you read the visual novel. Otherwise, yeah, it would seem ridiculous.

[MFauli]

This is from the muv luv universe. Everything you mentioned actually has an explanation if you read the visual novel. Otherwise, yeah, it would seem ridiculous.

Okay. Explain the boobs.

[shinta|hikari]

The design is obviously fanservice, but here (http://muvluv.wikia.com/wiki/Pilot_Systems#Fortified_Suit) is why it works. There is simply no need to make it thicker because of the technology.

[MFauli]

There´s no explanation for the boobs at all. And omg, boobs EVEYWHERE lol :D

Why waste so much detail on such dumb character designs? sigh

[shinta|hikari]

What boobs are you talking about? If it's the pilot suit boobs, there's a very clear explanation in the article. There's no point in making that part thicker or look more armored. It'll only reduce mobility and comfort. The material also stops bullets, IIRC.

"Its midsection is made of a reactive material that hardens upon detecting a sudden shock or blow,"
"Despite its apparent material thinness, the suit can insulate the pilot from moderate differences in external temperatures, and contains electronics to regulate and record a pilot's vital signs."

There's also this sorta weird one:

"The form-hugging suit also has another psychological function; to represent equality and tear down civilian concepts such as modesty between men and women, since the harsh reality of the battlefield makes no distinction when it comes to gender."

So while you are minding their boobs, these soldiers are busy fighting for their lives, is what that means, I guess.

[Ryllharu]

[myriad of complaints]

It's basically the slutty version of the auto-inflating neck brace pilot suits from Aldnoah. It's really not a big deal. There are remarkably few mecha series that get this right, without a handwave of some sort of inertial dampener system they never mention. The see through bits are pure fanservice as shinta mentioned. The reasoning is just an excuse to make it fanservice.

They use tanks and jets because TSFs are expensive as fuck this early in the franchise. It's set in 1983, only 10 years after the BETA first invaded. Granted, a 2-minute explanation intro like we got for Total Eclipse would have been nice, because not everyone has played the VNs (I haven't) or seen Total Eclipse (which I have).

The suicide squadron uses TSFs because there's literally nothing else that can kill laser class BETA. Otherwise the East Germans would probably just give them a hover bike (if they exist) or jeep and a rocket launcher.

The heroes from this story are allied with the fucking Stasi. Of course they're leadership would accept an enemy soldier into their suicide squadron, who willingly asked to join it. Think of the intel, and if you send her on enough missions she'll be dead anyway. Problem solved. No political fallout because she asked to do it.

Of course you're gonna hate it if you don't pay attention.

I'll give you the tanks vs TSFs though. This episode needed a little exposition for that one to work.

[Kraco]

Episode 2 - HS



- - - -- -



Did the Stasi boss just commit suicide? He announced his unit will head out to fight in the crucial battle, thus becoming an integral element of the greater battle plan. Yet in the end he and his unit were drinking tea back at the barracks instead of fighting. I can hardly see many plausible ways for him to avoid court-martial and execution. But then again, he's like the last boss villain, so of course he can get away with it, but I'm really looking forward to seeing his excuse.

Waldheim is really annoying. Too bad she's a main character and can't die.

[shinta|hikari]

Hmm... If this really is a muvluv story, being a main character shouldn't save her from anything. But then again, this was adapted into anime, unlike the original story.

I like the IrisXTheo pairing. I hope that's what materializes and moe-character just stays a sister figure.

[Kraco]

I like the IrisXTheo pairing. I hope that's what materializes and moe-character just stays a sister figure.

I'd give this series a higher score if Waldheim became a sister figure, but then later the real sister appeared, having been brainwashed into a stasi killer. The real sister would tell Waldheim not to steal her precious big bro and shoot her dead in a true yandere fashion.

[KrayZ33]

I'm amazed at how accurate the german text is... it's most likely copy & paste from some originals? If you stop the newspaper article you'll see that the blackened out text is actually the same text as the one on the right

They forgot to black out Alfred Strauchwitz in one line btw. GJ Stasi!

I mean, this is weird for me, because japs are freaking awful at english and even worse in german (FSN anyone?) But these texts were actually 100% correct and newspaper worthy.

[shinta|hikari]

They got something right then! Good find.

[KrayZ33]

Not only that, the text on the PC and the old newspaper article are both relevant to the story.
The one about MC's dad pretty much explains why the Stasi hunted them down (his musical criticized the goverment). The one about Alfred Strauchwitz explains troop movements and hints at a strategy to defeat Betas without using anything but tanks, mines and soldiers. (TSF didn't exist back then?) The Beta Destroyer-Class was also being mentioned.. and maybe even how he took them down (which was blackened out)

Both got alot of praise from the population too. You can guess what the Stasi didn't like about that.
In Strauchwitz case, they were actually pretty certain that he'd be able to fully defeat the Beta or at least retake lost territory as long as he gets to lead the troops.

[shinta|hikari]

That really is great information, especially the one about Strauchwitz. What the hell.

Maybe they got it from the VN and just copied it directly? I dunno.

And I didn't even know FSN had german.

[KrayZ33]

Rins spellcasting is german, and extremely broken gibberish too.
Aldnoah Zero's ending theme has alot of german in it too, doesn't make alot of sense either.
Attack on Titan's Gloria too, which is "okay".

This show here however has close to *perfectly* written german in it. The only mistake I found while skimming through the text was a missing "h" in the word "Gegenmaßnahme". But that's an error people might even do today and who knows, maybe in ~1980+ before the orthography reform, this might have been written that way, I can't remember.
The official order (the one were they had to split up their forces) had a mistake in it too, steh"en" instead of steh"t" and the sentence about assisting the retreating forces is not 100% correct either but "written as a German would speak it".
So basically, the german is alot better than my english in this show. And I consider my own language alot more difficult to learn. So kudos!

Yet the title is even more funny now... like.. they *can* do it properly, but they decided not to do it?


Another thing that might interest you: A Political Officer promised Strauchwitz new, more advanced tanks to retake the Ukraine. Just like a certain Political Officer promised reinforcements?

And the girl that was sent with Waldheim is not called "Pham" but "Thi-Rang" which sounds chinese to me.. and looking at her makes me think she *is* chinese.
Unless Thi-Rang is her last name and she's called Pham Thi-Rang but then why do they say "Lieutenant Pham" (first name) and "Second Lieutenant Waldheim" (last name)

[shinta|hikari]

Maybe she is Vietnamese or something? Thi-rang sounds more that than Chinese, but I'm not an expert in either.

[Ryllharu]

In any other series the throwaway line about Waldheim pissing herself on her first sortie would be some sort of gross fetish fanservice. In muvluv, it is remarkably fitting. Actually, it's not even remotely surprising.

I always appreciate the technical aspects to muvluv and its TSF combat. Where terrain-following is not only important, but critical. They have to take out the laser classes for anyone else to have a remote chance, and the only way to do that is to just barely fly over and through the BETA ground forces.

TSFs all sorta look the same, but the different characteristics and development specifications make a surprising amount of difference. They really are like the jet fighter/bomber craft they semi-replace. Overall forms are similar, but minute details differentiate them.

Pham (Pham Thi Lan) (ファム・ティ・ラン) is Vietnamese, almost guaranteed. Her boobs are ridiculously oversized, but it's muvluv, most of them are.

Irisdina is much more charismatic and authoritative than any other leader character shown in muvluv anime thus far. Big improvement over the whiny brats of Total Eclipse.

[shinta|hikari]

Until she drops her panties for Eberbach.

[Kraco]

Irisdina is much more charismatic and authoritative than any other leader character shown in muvluv anime thus far. Big improvement over the whiny brats of Total Eclipse.


Until she drops her panties for Eberbach.

Doesn't matter. Isn't Eberbach a total bishounen as far as seinen shows go? He's also at least an average special forces soldier if not a better one (meaning he's much better a soldier than any regular forces dudes). He hasn't done many mistakes or needed too much saving during the operations we have seen, despite grumbling all the time when others act unprofessionally or witlessly. He's also an independent thinker and hates stasi like any man with at least half a brain should. So, all things considered, wouldn't Irisdina be strange if she didn't drop her panties for him, given a chance?

[Ryllharu]

I think I know why they left the introduction exposition out, although I still think it was stupid of them to do so.

If you've seen Total Eclipse (or further, played any of the games), it's pretty obvious. I'd elaborate more, but I really don't want to spoil...outside of these brackets anyway.
[
All you have to do is look at a map, it will pretty much tell you exactly how this series will ultimately play out. The Stasi underestimate the BETA and are trying to use them for political gain.

The left out the intro because it would encourage viewers to compare the world maps. People who play the games know anyway, since muvluv Alternative is chronologically last, but came out first.
]

[shinta|hikari]

@Kraco - A guy complaining and grumbling at every order instead of following them immediately hardly deserves that high an evaluation. And he disobeyed orders, leading to an ally's death in the very first episode. At the very least Iris seemed to think so.

[Kraco]

Well, you have got a point there about complaints. But I don't think his actions led to anybody's death. It was the lunatic's, Anett's, actions that did. As I recall it, he was against having insane operators included in their ranks. "Keep an eye on somebody" in the middle of a battle is an inane command in any case. Somebody who needs such special treatment isn't supposed to be there in the first place, so it was in fact Iris's own fault for not kicking the mad one out.

[shinta|hikari]

I actually agree, but it's Iris's evaluation that matters here because it's her panties that are expected to drop, which is why I added that final line in my previous post.

[Kraco]

Episode 3 - HS




- - --- -



I guess we will learn soon if blood is thicker than Stasi brainwashing. We already learned that the regular army and Stasi are basically at a war with each other. From now on, Stasi can't use tricks like they just did, though, because nobody will take their promises seriously anymore. It would be a wonder if they are even invited to strategy planning anymore. Of course they likely could still invite themselves, but it's still one more nuisance for them to keep track of it.

I still don't understand how a simple bazooka can hurt a monster that can run straight through a thick wall of solid reinforced concrete. Seems like stopping a tank with an axe.

[shinta|hikari]

I still don't understand how a simple bazooka can hurt a monster that can run straight through a thick wall of solid reinforced concrete. Seems like stopping a tank with an axe.

Plot armor, duh.

[KrayZ33]

The background "chatter" (or whatever you'd call the broader term of details written in the background) in german in this show makes me go ":3", this time, it wasn't really anything important, (only some radio transmission between Waldheim and Pham right before the BETA swarm overhelmed them) but it adds quite a bit to the show for me... I can only imagine how much I'm normaly not seeing in other shows because it's written in japanese and not being translated, because it's probably a huge pain in the ass editing it.

[NeoCybercoin]

Well...should have seen that coming. His sister returning. Guessing she is totally brainwashed and totally pro Stasi.

[shinta|hikari]

Harem established. MuvLuv as expected.

[Kraco]

Episode 4 - HS




-- -- - - -



I suppose it's possible Lise is a spy without even knowing it herself. Stasi would do well to have a few of such types, to deal with the more difficult opponents like the 666th, whom they can't summarily purge due to their high profile in the military. That or she's quite an excellent actress.

It's always funny to watch these folks bicker and second-guess every single command in the middle of a battle. Sometimes it feels like the Stasi wouldn't even need to do anything but wait for this squad to completely self-destruct.

[NeoCybercoin]

I still think it's stupid that in the entire Muvluv universe mankind seems to be mostly trying to kill/rule each other than Beta.

[David75]

I don't remember that in the previous adaptation, though I vaguely remember the human forces were not working together in a united front, but rather independant blocks... though the girl from the east hinted at quite a lot of grudge beetween the east/west.

[Kraco]

No, I think in the previous anime as well they were quite hostile with each other. I believe there was an arc where some troops were being bombarded by another nation on purpose. Although it's not like they would have been fighting each other officially. Just like here, they could even cooperate, but it didn't change the fact there was no love lost between them whatsoever. If some shady political motive so dictated, the others could be thrown to the wolves.

[Kraco]

Episode 6 - HS




- -- - --



It's really stretching the believability that the Stasi is getting away with brewing internal discord and withholding resources from combat for no good reason. In the first place Stasi shouldn't even have mecha, so who on Earth gave them any? Why would they need those when looking for traitors? They are meant for fighting the beta and of course stop Western offences, as if any was coming. It's also beyond stupid they could do anything about the military since the country must be under martial law.

But then again, this is Muv-luv, so anything goes. In any case Theodor is really in a tight spot. He's working for the resistance yet his only living relative is a Stasi spy. Though at least now he knows just how broken she is after the last scene. If the dude wants to be consistent with what he said in the first ep, he won't anymore accept Lise joining the war. After all, insane people shouldn't be allowed to fight.

[shinta|hikari]

Or he could fuck his sister.

[Kraco]

I don't see that happening, which is a good thing. But it's also good thing, in a sense, that she begged for it because it if anything should tell the dude her mecha is a few screws and gears short of combat readiness.

He should fuck Iris prompty, though. They might all be dead in a few days, in fact probability heavily favours their demise no matter how you look at it, and she's far too hot to ignore. She might not even need too much wooing.

[shinta|hikari]

What? Iris didn't look like she's interested him at all, unlike glasses girl.

[Kraco]

She's just a different personality. But maybe you are right, who knows. I might be reading too much into it and it's all business for her, despite her willingness to listen to him and confide in him. Imminent death could do wonders to people, though.

[shinta|hikari]

Well he can blackmail her by saying he'll go to the Stasi if she doesn't open her legs. That ought to work considering the stakes.

[NeoCybercoin]

Sleep with me or I tell everyone you are Stasi. It's like the witch hunt all over again. Though I am not sure they banged those.

[shinta|hikari]

No no. Sleep with me or I tell the Stasi you are against them.

[Kraco]

I'm sure there are other ways of hitting on girls than blackmailing. Unless Shinta was actually suggesting that he should tell Iris that if she doesn't do it with him, he will instead accept his sister's offer...

[shinta|hikari]

That's actually a good idea too. Knowing Iris, she'll misinterpret that as him ratting her out to Stasi because he cares about his sister so much.

There are other ways, but this is anime. Blackmail IS the way to go.

[Ryllharu]

They ought to rename this one, "There's No Way My Little Sister is this Much of a Stasi C**t!"

Seriously, for a Stasi spy, she's really bad at hiding it. Everyone in the squad can accuse her with unique rationale. Even Theodor hesitates in denying she's a spy.

Does she not realize that her, "WTF are these people talking about cooperating with the West!" face from the last episode shows up on the comm systems in the mechs? Or this episode where she not-so-slyly threatens several of the other members.

[shinta|hikari]

I'd be really impressed if sister is actually NOT a spy, and was simply so broken that she acts like one without meaning to. Stasi still sent her in just to disrupt the peace in the 666th squad.

[neflight86]

Good to know there is conflict within the stazi as well.

One thing that is surprising, considering the last series is that hasn't been at all trashy so far; no harem or fanservice aside from suit cleavage. It's a nice change, though I keep expecting it.

[shinta|hikari]

What no harem?

It's already there.

[neflight86]

Well I mean there have been no harem hijinks, so can you effectively call this a harem?

[shinta|hikari]

No harem hijinks? Didn't his non-blood related little sister just grab him from behind naked and ask him to do her? In the same episode where he went on a date with glasses girl who blushed at his physical contact before they went separate ways no less. Not to mention fake Imouto getting goaded by spy imouto about her feelings for the protagonist and how she could steal her away from the kuudere leader.

[Kraco]

Non-blood related? Was the dude adopted? I guess I should have paid more attention to the details, but somehow throughout the series I've been feeling I would be more entertained by the episodes by not paying too close attention.

[shinta|hikari]

He was adopted lol.

So that's why you were so sure he wouldn't bang her.

[neflight86]

I see your point now, and its valid. Its just that now-a-days I don't even register stuff of that magnitude as harem material. Specifically, the imoutou I chalk up to mental distress/spy games. Guess I've been watching too many LN shows lately.

[shinta|hikari]

Episode 7.






Or he could fuck his sister.

There we go.

[neflight86]

Episode 10:

I like that there are not really any true good guys, and that even this rebellion is depicted as not shying away from 'necessary sacrifice' to achieve its goals. Also glad MC was able to pull the trigger this time. If not for the small scene towards the beginning, I could have forgot that BETA were even in this show. Its sort of parallel to how people praise the "The Walking Dead" show for leveraging a typical Zombie apocalypse as a mere setting and backdrop to present stories about the darkness of human nature and so on. If you feel like you would enjoy (an) anime's clumsy depiction of political drama, I would recommend you give this a try.

[shinta|hikari]

This would've been better if not for the horrible execution and failing art.

The worst detail is probably him sleeping with his sister because it made utterly no sense in the greater scheme of the story.

[neflight86]

Well, she mentioned that she had already 'used' her body to seduce her higher ups, and they didn't devote a scene to the act so it was pretty easy for me to gloss over as more spy games on her part.

What part of the art is sub par to you? I thought the show was consistent if not well animated.

[shinta|hikari]

Rewatch the latest episode and look at their faces. It's all crooked, and the parts are all disproportional. The mecha fights are 3D, so those aren't gonna get weird on you.

The problem with the sister sex scene is it made Theodor look dumber than necessary and changed nothing more than that. Taking it out would not change the flow of the story at all. Take note that I actually like incest stories, as is obvious from my sig.