We asked gorgeous @valkyria about her love of Anime for National Anime Day!
What’s your favorite anime?
"Well I can't choose just one but I can make a list of five, that's also very difficult for me!
Neon Genesis Evangelion: I saw Evangelion for the first time in 1999 and I think my life changed forever. I think since then I fantasize about being a psychologist and soon I will get my degree! Hideaki Anno is a great follower of psychoanalysis and Freud’s reader and it shows a lot in his work.
Shingeki no Kyojin: I am completely in love with this master piece. I've finished the manga on air and I'm looking forward to the anime ending! I find it genuine and beautiful, there are no good or bad, only people with their points of view, their fears, their expectations, their grudges, their desire to survive in this cruel but beautiful world.
Fullmetal Alchemist: A beautiful story with complex interpersonal relationships, alchemists, military and state secrets... And powerful women everywhere! I cried a lot with this anime and with the manga too. I prefer Brotherhood version, which is your favorite?
Cowboy Bebop: More than a failed love story, bounty hunters from the future, beautiful independent women, the best soundtrack ever created, a corgi dog, a non-binary child who is a prestigious hacker, can’t fail!
Steins Gate: time traveling? OMG love it! Steins gate and Steins gate 0 have a specific order to be watched at! It is incredible what they achieved with this anime that is already more than 10 years old but it is super current! Makise Kurisu devoted to science makes me sigh! I'm preparing her cosplay! I have many of his figures too, another amazing character."
What was your first anime?
"Macross was one of the first anime I've seen as a child. My SG name was directly inspired by the combat ship named VF-1 Valkyrie. Valkyrie in Spanish is Valkyria, and that’s the story! My first love was Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and I’m still collecting action figures from all Sailor Senshis.
I’ve always will love Sailor Moon! I watched the anime when I was a kid and also read the manga books, so here's a huge fan. They are all girls, everyone has it's own personality, which is good because every kind of girl (or boy) can relate to one of them, or more than one. They fight for love but also go to school and deal with teenager's problems, if you haven't seen it, you have to, once the first saga ends, a real and powerful story develops."
Who are your favorite characters?
"There's many characters to identify with and that's their function in a story, they create a link between the public and the work.
First, I identify myself (guess who lol) with Misato Katsuragi from Evangelion, I have her tattoed in my left arm 'cause I'm really into anime. I like her because she's smart, loyal, strategist, passionate with her job, she and I was born at the same year and day (not the same month) and she knows how to have fun. She's a beer's enthusiast. <3
Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop: well, I have stolen her bob cut hairstyle many times including currently hahahaha She’s a badass babe! With her ship, her cigarettes, her gun and her mysterious past!
Olivier Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist: She is one of the strongest, most determined, fair and beautiful female characters. Is it because she was created by a woman? Hiromu Arakawa is an incredible mangaka and I am fascinated by how she has built each of her female characters. I have Olivier Armstrong tattooed on my left forearm.
I’m not a big fan of isekai genre but Konosuba is a parody so it made me laugh a lot! Megumin is a beautiful character and I have cosplayed her here at SG! My set is called Crimson Demon (she belongs to the crimson demon clan) and amazingly it came out on Member Review on December 4th which is the day of her birthday!
Another of my favourite anime's characters: Bulma from Dragon Ball.
I always loved her because she's gorgeous, she's independent, she's a genius (she invented the Time Machine!) she's strong without having powers like his best friend, Goku, and she's always besides him no matter what, she's the best friend that you could have.
Right in the start of the series, she's looking for the Dragon Balls without any help ratter than herself and for her own purposes. She doesn't have to work to keep herself alive, but she does it anyway, she invented a lot of things from her parent's company and when she became an adult, she keeps working for her own company.
Last but not least: I’m totally in love with the Ackermans! Mikasa and Levi are two amazingly strong characters who have suffered a lot and deserve happiness in a better world. I’m not crying ok? Ok maybe I’m crying."
What’s your favorite song from an anime?
Right now I’m listening Kamisama Hajimemashita by Hanae. Meshuggah sounds on my playlist and then Mariya Takeuchi lol and then some anime openings and endings, and metal again, and citypop again lol
I really love the work of Megumi Hayashibara, one of the most recognized seiyuus in Japan! Her voice is super versatile and she is a great artist.
I already mentioned it but the cowboy bebop OST is one of my favourites! I also listen to the Hypnosis Mic songs that amuse me and make me feel better when I’m having a bad day.
If you could live in any anime world, what world would you choose?
I love living in the real world where I can enjoy all this art, collect action figures, anime merchandising, manga, artbooks, etc. But if I give free rein to fantasy maybe it would be fun to live in the world of Boku no Hero (My Hero Academy) where we would all have a super power to protect others!
