If you spent any time in the early 2000s browsing the "Anime" section of a Suncoast or Borders, you definitely saw the DVD covers. They were bright, slightly chaotic, and featured a girl with hair that defied gravity. I’m talking about UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie—or UFO Princess Valkyrie if you’re a purist. Honestly, it’s one of those shows that feels like a fever dream from a very specific era of Japanese animation.
It’s weird. It’s bubbly. It’s surprisingly emotional when it wants to be.
But for a lot of people, it’s just that "bathhouse alien show" they never quite finished. If you’re looking to revisit it or you’re just wondering why people still talk about it in 2026, there’s actually a lot of heart buried under the catgirls and sci-fi tropes.
The Setup: A Spaceship, a Bathhouse, and a Soul
The premise is peak early-2000s comedy. Kazuto Tokino is basically just a nice kid trying to run his grandfather’s public bathhouse. It’s a failing business, his parents think he’s nuts for trying to save it, and his life is pretty quiet.
Until a princess from the planet Valhalla crashes her spaceship directly into the roof.
She doesn't just ruin the plumbing; she accidentally kills him. To fix her mistake, Princess Valkyrie gives Kazuto half of her soul to bring him back to life. The catch? Splitting her soul turns her into an eight-year-old version of herself. She becomes "Val," a chaotic, energetic kid who lives at the bathhouse and occasionally destroys things.
The only way she can temporarily return to her adult form is by kissing Kazuto. This isn't just a gimmick—well, it is a gimmick—but it links their life forces. Whenever they kiss, their souls sync up, she gets her powers back, and she wields the Key of Time, a massive sword-shaped artifact, to save the day from whatever space-weirdness is happening that week.
Why UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie Actually Works
It would be easy to dismiss this as just another harem show. You've got the childhood friend Akina, the rival princess Hydra, and an literal army of catgirl maids led by Ms. Sanada.
But there’s a genuine sincerity to it.
Kazuto isn't your typical "blank slate" protagonist. He’s hardworking and genuinely cares about the people around him. He becomes a sort of guardian to the child version of Valkyrie while falling in love with her adult self. It creates this strange, bittersweet dynamic where he’s waiting for her to "come back" to her true self, even though she’s right there in front of him.
The Chaos Factor
The side characters are where the show gets its legs.
- Princess Hydra: She starts as a villain trying to drag Valkyrie back to Valhalla so she doesn't have to take Valkyrie's place in an arranged marriage. She ends up getting turned into a kid too.
- Akina Nanamura: The local shrine priestess who has a massive crush on Kazuto. She’s the one who actually seals Hydra’s powers.
- The Catgirls: Ms. Sanada is the chief maid who is so obsessed with protecting Valkyrie that she once used a "Cat-Girl Ray Gun" to turn half the city's female population into brainwashed maids just for being too close to Kazuto.
It’s that kind of show. It doesn't take itself too seriously until the second season, which actually gets surprisingly dark with the introduction of "Valkyrie Ghost."
The Watch Order (It’s Kind of a Mess)
If you’re trying to stream this now, the naming conventions can be a headache. The series was produced in chunks between 2002 and 2006.
- UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie (Season 1): 12 episodes. This is the core setup.
- SPECIAL - Bridal Training: This is a two-episode OVA. One is a recap (skip it), and the second is a "wedding skills" competition.
- December Nocturne (Season 2): 12 episodes. Things get a bit more serious here.
- Bride of Celestial Souls' Day (Season 3): 6 OVA episodes.
- Banquet of Time, Dreams, and Galaxies (Season 4): 2 OVA episodes that serve as the finale.
You’ve basically got 32 TV episodes and a handful of OVAs. Most fans agree that the first two seasons are the "peak," but if you want the actual resolution to the romance, you have to hunt down those final OVAs.
Manga vs. Anime: Is There a Difference?
The series was created by Kaishaku, the same group behind Steel Angel Kurumi. If you've read the manga, you'll notice the anime is actually pretty faithful for the first half.
However, the manga goes deeper into the "Valhallan" politics. The anime tends to lean harder into the "monster of the week" and the bathhouse comedy. There are also spin-off manga like Paradox and Mosaic that never got animated, which explore the side characters more. If you finish the show and still want more, the manga is the only place to find those extra layers of lore.
Why People Still Care
Look, UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie isn't Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s not trying to redefine the medium. But it represents a very specific "vibe" of 2000s anime: the transition from hand-drawn to digital, the rise of the "magical girlfriend" trope, and a soundtrack by Melocure that is still absolute fire.
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It’s about found family. It’s about a guy who just wants to keep his bathhouse running and the cosmic princess who makes that impossible.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to dive back in, here is how to get the best experience:
- Check the soundtrack: Even if you don't watch the show, listen to "Agape" by Melocure. It’s widely considered one of the best anime insert songs ever made.
- Prioritize Season 2: If you find Season 1 too "slapstick," stick it out. December Nocturne introduces higher stakes and better character development.
- Watch the Sub: While the ADV Films dub has its nostalgic charm (Greg Ayres and Kira Vincent-Davis are great), the original Japanese voice acting captures the "princess" vibe of Valkyrie a bit more effectively.
- Don't skip the OVAs: Unlike many series where OVAs are just filler beach episodes, the later Valkyrie OVAs actually advance the plot toward the ending.
Whether you're in it for the nostalgia or you're discovering this weird relic for the first time, there's something genuinely charming about the Tokino bathhouse. Just watch out for the catgirl ray guns.