Age-soft's titles are mostly separate and can be read on their own, but create a large, semi-continuous universe even larger than the Nasuverse. There is an ideal reading order, but given the glaring fact that nothing before Muv-Luv has a translation yet, this is still just an ideal. #1. Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu (1997, 2011 remake) Synopsis: Masaki has 4 childhood friends – Yayoi, Michiru, Marika and Akira who are all sisters, they let him stay in one of their family’s apartments since he doesn’t live with his family. Masaki’s hobby is photography and one day, he meets a famous photographer who lets Masaki become his apprentice. Time passes, and Masaki also gets a girlfriend too and life couldn’t be any happier for him. However, one day he is asked to go to America to work in the huge photography business over there but he thinks that having a long distance relationship would be incredibly hard. He now has a life-changing decision to make – does he follow his dream or does he stay with the person who he loves most in this world? The first introductory story including many characters that appear in later titles (will point out further on). Notable characters: Isumi Michiru Jinguuji Marimo Kouzuki Yuuko Kazama Touko Munakata Misae Kouzuki Mitsuko (Not translated, throw it in the back of your mind) #2. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (2001, 2008 remake) Synopsis: At first, Takayuki Narumi is befriended by Mitsuki Hayase only because Mitsuki's best friend, Haruka Suzumiya has a crush on him; however since then, Takayuki, his pal Shinji Taira, and Mitsuki have grown to be the best of friends. Then one day, Haruka confesses to Takayuki her love for him. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, Takayuki agrees to go out with her. After a few incidents, their relationship gets intimate, even while Takayuki and Mitsuki begin to realize their feelings for each other. But suddenly, when tragedy strikes, things are never the same for these four friends again. Takes place in the same fictional city as KGIK several years later. A translation by Alternative Translations is in the works and going smoothly, but the anime is quite enjoyable.The Sky Temple restaurant and the tree behind the school are first mentioned and given importance. Notable characters: Hayase Mitsuki Suzumiya Haruka Suzumiya Akane Kouzuki Kimiko #3. Akane Maniax (2002) Synopsis: Jouji Gouda is a new transfer student at Hakuryo High School. On his first day of class, he fell in love at first sight for Akane Suzumiya and boldly proposed to her on the spot. The two characters conflict with each other greatly, but Jouji never gives up and would do anything to express his love towards Akane. Although his attempts to win Akane's love at first do nothing but anger Akane, he gradually starts to make an impression on her, inspiring Akane to be more honest about her own feelings. A side story to KGNE that gives the first glimpse of the main cast of Muv-Luv in their well-known setting of Hakuryou University High School. Also untranslated, and the short 3-episode OVA is kinda retarded and hard to find in any kind of watchable quality, but necessary to a franchise completionist. Serves as a transition piece between KGNE and Muv-Luv. Notable characters: Suzumiya Akane Shirogane Takeru Kagami Sumika Tamase Miki Ayamine Kei Sakaki Chizuru Yoroi Mikoto Jinguuji Marimo Kouzuki Yuuko Mitsurugi Meiya Tsukuyomi Mana #4. Muv-Luv (2003) Synopsis: This game consists of two parts: Muv-Luv Extra and Muv-Luv Unlimited. Unlimited is unlocked after you get the endings of the two main heroines (Sumika and Meiya) in Extra. Muv-Luv Extra: Shirogane Takeru is a typical high school student with a lazy attitude and a love for the virtual reality mecha battle game Valgern-on. Even though he didn't really wanted it, he is popular in school mainly due to his daily fights with his osananajimi (Sumika) attracting too much attention. His life takes an unexpected turn when he finds a girl (Meiya) he doesn't remember ever meeting in his bed one morning. Whom later revealed to be the heiress of one of the biggest zaibatsu. She immediately moves to his house and starts changing his life for the good with her one-track-mind and unlimited resources... Muv-Luv Extra, the main part of Muv-Luv, takes place in the same world (and general area) as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien and Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu. The Sky Temple family restaurant is mentioned and visited, and Suzumiya Akane makes an appearance. Muv-Luv Unlimited: One day Takeru wakes up late, wondering why Sumika or Meiya didn't wake him up this morning. Not seeing any signs of them he gets a bit worried and goes out of his house to only see the town he lived all his life in ruins. After getting past the initial shock he decides that this must be a dream and decides to enjoy it as much as he can... Taking place roughly 2 years after the end of KGNE, Yuuko and Marimo make their reappearances and the franchise takes its first drastic turn away from harem romcoms. Muv-Luv elitists will demonize Extra as being absolutely terrible, boring, and any other derogatory term you can give a piece of fiction. The importance of Extra is more than obvious at the end of Alternative, so if you skip this and go straight to Alternative for whatever reason, you miss out on the ENTIRE POINT of the franchise. I personally found Extra to be an excellent comedy while Unlimited was painful to sit through at times. Notable characters: Entire cast of Akane Maniax minus MC Ichimonji Takahashi Kashiwagi Haruko Kasumi Yashiro #5. Muv-Luv Alternative (2006) Synopsis: "A destiny tossed about, in an insane world--- A flame of life blazing forth, in a dying world--- And now, one more future that is spun--- This is the alternative ending unable to be told before: A very great, a very tiny, a very precious... Tale of love and courage." Muv-Luv Alternative continues the story of Shirogane Takeru after the events of the original Muv-Luv. This is a tale of a love so deep it breaks all barriers; about courage in the face of adversity and overcoming hardships. Takeru encounters and conquers insurmountable odds while his entire world is turned upside down around him. Literally one of the greatest stories to ever come out of Japan. Tied for first place with Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru. If you read VNs at all and don't get around to reading this, what is even the point. Features every character mentioned from previous titles with the exception of Kouzuki Kimiko and Mitsuko. Even has the green haired frog-clip nurse from KGNE as a medic. #6. Daikuuji Kiki Ippatsu and Ayu Mayu Alternative (2003 and 2008) Mostly comedy fandiscs of KGNE and Muv-Luv Alternative, featuring Daikuuji Ayu and Tamano Mayu, the waitresses at Sky Temple. Will never ever be translated, btw. #7. Haruko Maniax (2010) Fandisc for fans of Kashiwagi Haruko such as myself. Features her brothers, an unimportant tsundere who is barely tolerable, and my nigga Shirogane. Recently translated. #8. Muv-Luv Alternative Chronicles (2010-2013) Side story that takes place after the events shown at the end of Muv-Luv Unlimited. Manlet MC. Lots of good supplementary stories and extras. First 2 entries are translated so far. #9. Muv-Luv Altered Fable (2007) One big parody spinoff featuring basically everyone from Alternative. Translation in the future very likely. #10. Muv-Luv Photonflowers and Photonmelodies (2014) Collection of side stories, parodies, and spinoffs from various series within the franchise. Includes more backstory from Alternative, more on KGIK's characters, more stories from the Extra universe, and new stories featuring new characters in various theaters of the Alternative/Unlimited universes. Being officially localized in 2016. I've left out Total Eclipse and Schwarzesmarken because they're basically their own things that just so happen to have BETA and TSFs. And because image limit. But watch their respective anime I suppose, and prepare to wait 2-3 years for translations of the VNs. Yes, it's a lot of stuff to partake in. But it's well worth it. Few series have as interesting and fun characters as this franchise does. And in terms of plot, setting, and execution, I've only come across one other metaseries that carries itself as well as the Muv-Luv Trilogy does (Ryukishi07's When They Cry). If you pick up even 1 of these titles, you'd better be prepared to read any and every little piece of writing you can get your hands on, because you'll be begging for more.
