Valkyria Chronicles - Episode 11

It's party time for Alicia and company in episode eleven of Valkyria Chronicles, as they find themselves invited as guests to a most important and high-class engagement. Yes, I know, this does sound like prime filler material at first glance, but fear not because there's more to this episode than first meets the eye.


For starters, we get to meet the Gallian princess Cordelia, who I can only really describe as Clannad's Kotomi Ichinose cosplaying as Flipper. That aside, the real story begins as we see Selvaria and Radi Yaeger all dressed up and ready to attend the party too, albeit in "disguise" - And I use that term loosely complete with inverted commas, because this really is quite possibly the worst attempt at a disguise ever mustered. Incredibly, nobody seems to notice two of the Empire's top soldiers waltazing into the palace of the country they're at war with... At least, not until they bump into Alicia, who recognises Selvaria immediately. However did she see through that cunning disguise?

These concerns are quickly forgotten however as the speeches and giving of medals (to Welkin and Faldio for their sterling work over the bridge at Vasel) begin - However, it soon becomes clear that the Empire's prescence here is about more than simply getting some free booze out of Gallia, as the episode ends with a kidnapping taking place, complete with help from "the inside".

I have to confess that I'm still trying to wrap my head around firstly the fact that nobody recognised Selvaria or Radi at the party aside from Alicia (inside job or not, there's some pretty shabby security there), and secondly the fact that Alicia, Welkin and company did nothing about it, preferring instead to continue with the festivities. If top members of the enemy are in the building of your royal family, shouldn't you put down the champagne glass for two seconds and, you know, raise the alarm? Someone take Welkin and Faldio's medals away for being utter morons in the face of duty, and punching a big, fat plot hole in what was otherwise a pretty forgettable episode. Please guys, don't start turning this series into the new Allison to Lillia...