Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
LightScaryRobo
The plot is very similar to that of Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse (as they are part of the same franchise), with the exception that the main character in Total Eclipse actually had some redeemable features. From start to finish, you dislike the majority of the characters as they are all obnoxious and are just full of issues. Whilst the plotline may be enjoyable for the most part, the main character can really bring out during it that he is just not a good person.
For a 2016 series, this art style is quite mediocre. Although it has its redeemable scenes, Total Eclipse (which came out in 2012) trumps it. In all seriousness, it felt a little like there was a lack of love and enjoyment when animating this.
The sound effects are strong and the music is enjoyable. The sounds of clashing…
Read at the sourceRobsusenpai
Review in English!
Review em Português!
The work reminds me of the walking dead, where the ones that should be feared most are the undead, however the living are the ones that should be taken more care of. The same applies to Schwarzes Marken: the greatest enemies are humanity itself rather than the aliens. Full of intrigue and politics, humans try to fight the threat of the Beta while fighting hunger, inequality, poverty and, above all, human rot, and it is very interesting to see how self-interests are placed above a greater good. The story is closed and ends without loose ends, with a sad ending but at the same time very beautiful. I do not give full marks for the fact that the fights of the robots controlled by humans against the Beta have very funny effects.
-----------------------…
Read at the sourceCinefil_original
My opinion:
Schwarzesmarken tries to look original by covering its generic plot and characters with political matters, betrayals, Stasi officers and other chicaneries, it tries to arise emotions by needlessly killing off characters and tries to be memorable through cheesy scenes and lines that only made me cringe.
I had hope in this show up to the moment they decided it is the best decision to make the MC have sex with his newly brought back from the dead sister.
Story: 3/10
The story takes place in 1980 portraying a divided Germany and the political battles it harbours as well presenting the battles of the East German Army's 666th TSF Squadron against the overwhelming numbers of BETA monster.
The plot does have some good features such as describing the struggles of civilians during wa…
Read at the sourceFearenRehnet
Overall (7/10)
Right of the bat, I'm gonna say it's not a great anime, it really isn't. High Average at best, but cut it some slack. The 12 episodes given as screen time was just *way* too short to give the whole story justice. It's dark, but the nitty gritty details of the whole thing aren't really highlighted, they give you a few shots just to get the general idea. I'd say that they actually conveyed the main points and prompt pretty well, but as a lore enthusiast, I can't help but be disappointing with the lack of content. So much potential down the drain probably thanks to them having to cut a lot of the content out due to this restriction. It would have felt better if they gave it 25 episodes. Pity
However, as a follower of the Muv-Luv series, I couldn't help but watch the whole thin…
Read at the sourceJolle808
I watched it when it came out, so im a little late on this review but whatever.
I have some extremed mixed feelings for this series. On one hand, they have charecter development and even deaths and some extreamly well made drama at some points but at other moments in the series I was bored as f*ck.
I would have given this a 6 or a 5/10 if it were not for the last three episodes because those were reeeeally good.
First time I almost started crying (I never did cry but at the same time, i never have to any of the animes i've watched).
so should you see it? Yeah, if you are patient you should because it pays off in the end, and I do not regret seeing it. Minus points for the fanservice tho.
Read at the sourcekinkyjohn
I have on numerous occassions been known to describe a certain type of anime as "all being about women with large breasts driving robots." Whilst I originally intended this as a blanket derogatory comment on the pornography of plot and character (not actual pornography of course - as that's usually on message) I should have known that eventually something would show up that would make me eat my own words.
Yes .. there are women with exceptionally large breasts .. and yes they are driving robots. But something about the tyrannical despot background gives it all a complex, thrilling, savage, manipulative and incestuous edge that is frankly incredibly impressive in an I-Claudius, first few season game of thrones type way. For the avoidance of doubt and with my humble apologies to those who h…
Read at the sourceKougar
This is one of the most underrated anime series I've ever seen. Based in East Germany in 1983 during the eatly years of the BETA invasion it shows a bunch of sub-plots that are fairly interesting.
The main storry follows the 666º TFS Squadron, also known as "The Number Of The Beast· (Schwarzesmarken), leaded by Captain Irisdina Benrhard. The main character is Theodor Eberbach, a pilot that got caught by the Stasi while he was trying to escape with his family through the Berlin Wall, since then he was tortured and forced to work for the army.
Almost all of the characters are interesting, having to live and fight against their inner fears, like being afraid of losing a teammate or a family member. The character development is well done and you can see episode by episode how they are evolvi…
Read at the sourceanimegirlism
Yo Minna!
Why not recall what happened to Germany after WWII? Germany was split into the "Bundesrepublik Deutschland" (west) and the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik-East Germany) and they kinda hated each other but it was more a reaction due to the Cold War. So you probably ask why is this related to an anime review? Well, the setting of this anime is an alternative version of East Germany in the 1980s. I was wondering if there was an anime that has that "after WWII" setting and this anime was close to it. The title was supposed to be in German with the meaning "Black Marks", but it ended up being a grammar flop in my opinion. What should be "Schwarze Marken" became "Schwarzesmarken" in the end and here is the review to it.
Plot and Story Line
As said in the intro, the plot of Schwar…
Read at the sourceChangT
Story: 6. The plot was terrible. This anime is supposed to be about people in giant robots fighting aliens. Instead, it just ends up focusing on infighting without some sort of good transition. Plus, this kind of seemed like a mix between Attack on Titan and Gundam/Evangelion.
Art: 9. I liked the art, and the animation, since there were not any scenes with bad animation/art and the movements of the characters were perfect.
Sound: 9. The sound and the effects were great, but they could be a little cleaner.
Character: 7. The character build is not very good. It seems unappealing. If it weren't for my will to finish all animes I started, I would've dropped this because of the terrible plot and character build. The sister is basically a walking yandere cliche, and the character build you see…
Read at the sourceCyborg_Dragon
Schwarzmarken is a show that handles a lot of themes without turning into a mess. Its a show that has a slow pacing so I would not be for everyone however it makes for a good popcorn anime (anime that you can waste your time on if you have time to waste).
Story 7/10
Schwarzesmarken follows a group of mech pilots in east Germany that is in a cold war situation where the berlin wall is still up. They are using mechs to combat a threat against humanity known as the beta which are these aliens. The main story is not about the mechs versus the aliens but the pressure the pilots face at home where a corrupt government is breathing down their neck every second they are off the battlefield. As I said it is popcorn anime so the story is not the most major aspect what you come to see are the mec…
Read at the sourceBrerRabbit211
The reason I'm writing this review, despite there being several positive others, is to attempt to correct what I feel is an underrating. Schwarzesmarken seems to be a generic mecha v monster anime (Muv-Luv, Gunparade March, and so on) but it is far more than that.
Schwarzesmarken is an entry in the Muv-Luv universe, but it cuts out some of the romance and focuses on the setting and story, which in my opinion helps it go above and beyond others of it's kind. It tells the story of the BETA invasion into Europe, focusing on East Germany during the (BETA are strange-ass aliens who invaded Earth, for those who haven't seen Muv-Luv) and simultaneously delivers a commentary on the global political scenario present during the 1980's and the aftereffects of the Cold War. This, while incorporating…
Read at the sourcelonelynightm
So let me start off by saying "I F**KING HATE THIS SHOW." Really I do. And yet, I can't find myself giving this show any less than a 10.
However, the reason I hate this show is because the writers are dicks and they know it. So this whole show revolves around the Cold War Era. Much like in the U.S. with the Red Scare, there was a struggle in Eastern Germany about loyalty. People selling out their own friends and family for self-preservation. This is the shows main focus. The Mechas and Aliens are really second to the situation.
Well in the first few episodes we met X-Chan. There is serious suspicion about this character whether X-Chan is a traitor or not. There is one scene in I believe the third episode where they show X-Chan's "evil smile"... and that is it. That is all we have to wor…
Read at the sourceSeppiroth32
Black Marks
Black marks also known as (Muv-Luv Alternative : Schwarzesmarken) is the new cow to milk out of this franchise. First let me clarify that this is a Light Novel adaption, just like total eclipse, written by YET ANOTHER author. Now, when you adapt something like that into anime you’d expect the script writer and the director to bother fixing the issues that total eclipse’s adaption had, but nope, they did not. They not only managed to make it even worse, they also decided it’d be a smart idea to have LIDEN FILMS animate it, now they managed to pull of Arsan Senki fine, even with issues here and there, but as I said in my TE review, you do not give a studio that doesn’t have enough money to produce a 2-cour mecha show without resorting to CG mechs. Considering 80% of what is on sc…
Read at the sourcePunkChinaDoll
Schwarzesmarken is an anime that focus about human rivalry and political tension in the middle of a war with alien invaders. I think this anime got ignored (maybe because of it being of muv luv universe or being mecha which a lot of people seem to dislike) but I want that people would give a chance to this great anime.
So as said Schwarzesmarken focus on the humans in Europe (east Germany to be precise) and about their on going war with the BETA, an alien invaders that took most of Asia in a very short time. Being the last defense line of Europe, the elite unit of "Schwarzesmarken" need to defend their country while also dealing with secret police, political tension with west Germany and the UN and of course internal conflicts. The show does a great job showing us that even in the face of…
Read at the sourceWhoahoho
As a prequel of MAL-TE, this doesn't have much of an impact, since the setting was just simply odd as to how the 80's were able to produce 25th century tech and yes I'm referring to them TSF which were just too advance for the timeline, it would have been much appropriate if original creator Uchida Hiroki could have just set it in some alternate time line where the cold war extents to the 25th century and then them BETA's comes surging in . It doesn't matter whether it's MAL-TE or this or any upcoming sequel or prequel the setting was just too ill fitted to such time line, so:
Storywise, the prequel focuses on man's struggle with not only with the swarms of BETAs, but within its own struggles inside an oppressive state. Now forget about the plot where a group of veterans whose reputation…
Read at the sourceFalverick
Basic summary of the show - set in the Muv Luv Alternative universe where aliens known as BETA start invading Earth and eating people, and stuff. It's 1983 and our heroes are part of a divided Germany and the BETA is pretty much at their doorstep.
Luckily there isn't any real need to dive into the Muv Luv universe as a whole (it's great though), since the anime is pretty much a very good standalone gateway into the franchise itself.
FripSide OP. I'm a big sucker for fripSide's music so this is a big plus for me haha. ED complements the show very well.
The anime actually starts off slow here, the first three episodes feels rushed and a little disjointed because of set up and character development etc, but it starts getting good around episode five, and it kept me waiting for a new episod…
Read at the sourceIKnowBestu
So about 10 hours ago I finished Schwarzesmarken.
Although it's not the best show of the season, it's the one I enjoyed the most. Surprising considering it goes up against KonoSuba.
Oh and don't stop watching straight after the credits end, there is always an after credits scene which is important to the story.
Historical Authenticity: I'm not allowed to use the word "accuracy" because there were no aliens in Germany. German text appears in place of Japanese when written down and from what I can tell it's very accurate. Ignore that Schwarzesmarken is grammatically incorrect. There is a reason behind that. The end card reads "Fortsetzung folgt" which translates to Episode follows (or To be continued as Crunchyroll prefers.)
Overall from what I had seen the show remains faithful to Eas…
Read at the sourceStark700
Having seen a fair amount of sci-fi related series and mecha as one of my favorite genres, Schwaresmarken stands out as a strange show to me. It’s not because the series is set in the same universe as the Muv-Luv franchise or based on a light novel. Rather, the series is more like a political flair that’s masked by the intense violence of creatures, monstrosity known to their world as BETA.
First let’s get a few things out of the way. The series is a spin-off series based on the light novel. (although a visual novel also exists) Historically, the timeline began around the late 1970s when BETA arrives in Eastern Europe. Eastern Germany gets besieged by them and mankind suffers heavy losses. That is, mankind builds the TSF (Tactical Surface Fighters) that basically translates into heavy dut…
Read at the sourceLegendAqua
A prequel to the Muv Luv series?...well here's one thing this anime prequel won't spoil for LA, because LA hasn't watched Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse, how does getting into this anime franchise fair?...well.
On the surface of this anime, it looks like a typical alien wanting to kill the last of humanity with mech fighter being the only ones the drive them back, but we're in an alternative vers. of East Germany here during what feels like a World War I and II setting, there are more than just aliens as a threat to the rest of humanity. This anime does look into what happens when humans go to their extremes in order for peace or destruction through political and militaristic means, as well as what relationships between people can do through those extremes.
The plot does have somewh…
Read at the sourceHaXXspetten
There are two kinds of people that might watch Schwarzesmarken: those who have played the Muv-Luv trilogy and those who haven't. And depending on which side you fall on, your view on this anime will be quite different, although both sides will have their own problems with it, albeit totally different ones.
So before I get into this, there are a couple things I'd like to clarify for those who are unaware. Muv-Luv is a 3-part visual novel series released between 2002 and 2006, the last part of which, Muv-Luv Alternative, is widely considered to be one of the greatest visual novels ever made. However, ever since its release now 10 years ago, the company behind it, Age, have done literally nothing other than create a myriad of side stories, spinoffs and fandiscs based on the Muv-Luv universe.…
Read at the source