Remember back in volume 1 when I said that this manga would probably get raunchier as the series progresses? Well, it did not take long in Val x Love volume 2! From having Takuma dig into one of the Valkyrie’s undies and bra to catch a slippery creature to an assault on a Valkyrie (in a maid costume I should add) by humans possessed by demons, this volume proudly earns its parental advisory warning this time!
And from the preview of volume 3, it might somehow be just the start!
…But I’m putting the cart before the horse. How about we’ll touch on 3 when it comes out? Ok? Sure, since it seems like the demon vs. a bunch of Valkyries will clash there (alongside more ways to get the girls nude).
In this volume, Mutsumi must gain experience as a Valkyrie, so Takuma, who again hates contact and is oblivious to everything except studying, has to date her without anyone knowing she’s an idol. Just disguise yourself a bit and not call any attention to that fact, and it shouldn’t be a issue. Well, it becomes a problem when a low-level demon, contracted by a mysterious student council member with bad intentions, yells her name out, which then leads to Takuma and Mutsumi running away from her fans and eventually stuffing themselves in a janitor’s locker.
You can surely imagine how horny the characters were. But don’t worry — Mutsumi, generally soft-spoken and kind, was a lot hornier.
Other highlights include Asakura drawing the sickest looking version of Takuma ever, and the Valkyrie cast playing hide-and-seek with Futaba, who is the top pupil of Thor and an underwear thief. This admittedly was the goofiest part of volume 2. It shifts the woman with bad eyesight into an unbeatable being just because she puts on her glasses (glasses is power!!!). And you can totally tell she delights in doing this job of stripping people’s panties for funsies. This also was probably the one chapter that had nothing really to do with the story, and the overall story is kinda flailing along. It’s finally bringing forth the main demons that want to take over the Earth and get rid of the Valkyries.
I guess that’s gonna involve feeling them up as a distraction…?
The only real remnant of interest (or derision) is Takuma, who isn’t quite like your standard male harem lead. As someone that everyone fears, he’s drawn as an intimidating force but still has the personality of a shy, weak-willed dude with the Valkyries. He is also unable to understand certain romance cues that most harem guys get involved in, so that’s one reason why I don’t mind him. That and there are a couple instances in this manga where he manages to shrink himself in size somehow. Don’t ask, it’s just a personality thing apparently.
Anyways, considering the Valkyries’ methods of powering up involve Takuma’s help, they are in some deep trouble. Though the good news is, I imagine we’ll see a couple of the powerhouse characters reveal themselves in volume 3. I also sincerely hope Takuma will change based on the events of the school festival. Maybe then this series will break out and be a worthwhile read. But it’s just going to trudge along for now.