After having my eyes opened to visual novels for the first time when stumbling across and becoming wholeheartedly engaged in "Everlasting Summer", I was fortunate to have found Muv Luv on sale shortly afterwards. Surely this game is not suited for everybody. But for me it was exactly the right thing needed to galvanize a brand new hobby. On the surface, Muv Luv Extra is little more than fluffy kid-stuff lightly touching upon some surprisingly sophisticated topics. It is charming and sweet but sometimes difficult to read as you are seeing the world through the eyes of a spoiled and selfish but awkwardly kind man-child, Shirogane Takeru. It’s no surprise that all the girls have a crush on Shirogane but the central plot revolves around two girls in particular who, themselves, become friendly rivals.

Much of the plot involving the two rivals is completely over-the-top comedy (ie. “Love-Nucleus”) with some tender moments mixed in. Muv Luv Extra will seek to punch you in the feels ambush-style as your progress through the choices begin to settle upon one of the two girls. Stories of the side girls are not just simply an afterthought, however. Each carries the weight of her own heavy burdens and we see Shirogane Takeru grow as he works to become closer to them while still being constantly reminded of the two girls he did not choose.

Unlocking Muv Luv Unlimited is achieved by completing the scenarios for the two main girls, at which time Shirogane is thrown into an alternate reality where his childish bad temper is quickly and rather violently cured. He meets alternate versions each girl (with one painfully conspicuous exception) while attending an alternate version of his academy in an alternate version of Japan where humanity faces extinction by means of a host of mindless aliens named BETA.

Muv Luv Extra and Unlimited stand as excellent stories on their own. Extra is a setup for Unlimited and, depending upon your choices, Unlimited may end on a very emotionally touching and memorable scene. If you are able to locate the director’s cut, I would say it is worth the effort. Muv Luv is both silly and beautiful; both hilarious and emotional and if, like me, you read all the scenarios of this game before braving Muv Luv Alternative - it will hurt all that much more afterwards.