OP2 Sequence

OP2: 「パラドキシカルZOO」 (Paradoxical ZOO) by AKINO with bless4
Watch the 2nd OP!: Streaming ▼

「魂の告白」 (Tamashii no Kokuhaku)
“Confessions from the Soul”

I’m no philosopher but I really like how the show tries to delve into questions about free will and fate. It fits so perfectly within the context of the show since Amata faces questions his own free will and almost comes to believe in fatalism. (The show wouldn’t be good without a certain level of uncertainty) It’s nice to see Amata doubt himself and his effect on the outcome of the future throughout the episode only to become determined to overturn what he perceived is set in stone because of the legend of 12,000 years ago. It makes for good character progression and contrasts with your run-of-the-mill everyday character development.

I’ve read some of the comments from the last post. Putting free will and fatalism aside, if you’re one to believe that Amata isn’t a reincarnation of Apollonius (and/or Apollo), then you would probably argue that he’s trying to go against fate. There’s still time for that big reveal where they show that Amata is actually connected to Apollonius so I don’t believe that he is going against anything really if he really is a reincarnation. He just seems to have a higher affinity for Mikono who, barring anything surprising, is pretty much confirmed to be a reincarnation of Sylvia. Zessica’s status is still unknown but I still have faith that she’s a part of the whole reincarnation deal.

Regardless of who you ship (be it Amata and Mikono, etc.), hearing Zessica confess in that way was like music to my ears. It was all too funny when she had the whole cast in disbelief…then Fudo had to yell it at the top of his lungs which was like gold at the end of the rainbow.

The Zessica we got throughout most of the episode was pretty cheerful and has been sorely missed. Unfortunately, she fell back into a depressing state after she had almost successfully killed her friends and unleashed the Pandora’s Box of EVOL.

At the beginning of the Gepard versus Evol fight, I was kind of saddened that Shrade wasn’t involved. We almost had (arguably) the two best teams duking it out in a gattai duel. My mind was quickly changed after seeing Malloy’s and Sazanka’s powers. In addition to Cayenne’s foresight, they quickly overpowered Amata, Mikono, and Zessica. Malloy even took a page out of Andy’s playbook. The upgrades keep getting more and more epic since the training at the graveyard. Tying in visions of the past with the mugen punch was a nice touch. My only complaint is that there is more and more recycling of scenes from the original Aquarion series.

I guess the ultimate message this episode sent, no matter how cheesy, is love opens up many possibilities.

Notes:
* OBLIGATORY “BEACH” EPISODE NEXT WEEK!
* Not really a fan of the new OP.
* Full-length images: 12, 14, 21

 

Preview

169 Comments

      1. Loved Sousei no Aquarion this episode. Perhaps they will have Amata, Zessica, and Mikono sing it together… perhaps also with Kagura for the finale.

        Or they can get Masaaki Endoh to sing it.

        Suppa Tenko
  1. I like the new OP, nevertheless. It’s a bit… strange, but it still conveys a sense of power that meshes well with the emotional strength that forms the backbone of this show. Maybe it’s just Akino, whose voice really is incapable of doing any wrong. Beyond that, Zessica was awesome. Seeing all the characters make a ridiculously big deal out of something that is normally a big deal in anime was not just refreshing – it was hilarious. As the plot expands, so does the absurdity. But you know what, that’s the supremacy of this show. That’s why I freaking love Aquarion EVOL.

    Jif
  2. I actually like the new Op, it’s like Evol’s version of Go Tight.

    Seeing Zessica finally confess was a crowning moment of heartwarming indeed. I’m curious to see how things are going to be between her and Amata now that she’s confessed to him.

    I have to wonder if the series is going to try and go for a defying fate stance or a believing in one’s own fate stance. I’m pretty sure we’ve seen both in some of Kawamori’s shows. I’m sure Amata is part of that fate somehow, considering he’s the one who unlocked Aquarion and is the only one who can use the Mugen Punch.

    And… is that a Shadow Angel Cherubim in the episode preview? My god, the original series references just keep coming in the second half!

    Frontier
  3. Aquarion within Aquarion gave me goosebumps. Best episode of Aquarion yet. I was wondering, is Fudo and that other guy like immortal or somethng? We do see that other guy in suspended animation.

    On the other hand, the loli prez was not as awesome as I anticipated. When compared to the other loli prez from Rinne.

    1. Fudo Zen is hinted that his body are not really ‘there’ it maybe astral body or some kind of it… it has more meaning now that 12,000yrs of Fudo Gen and now 12,000yrs of Fudo Zen is ‘same’ really ‘same’

      Shuin_Zwei
    2. You want Crea to start groping some of the female Elements? I’m all for that, cause it works on so many levels; but you’re right on target here, as I think she should be just a bit less of a bystander.

      skylion
  4. Here are my thoughts now (please ignore my post in previous episode)

    – I just realized that Zessica’s element must like Silvia’s psychokinesis.

    – Zessica steal the spot light of this episode, it seems viewer’s voice reach out the production.

    – Everyone seems confusing for Silvia and Silvie, AFAIK the one who calls only Silvie is Sirius.

    – it seems Alicia Family has vanished from this age, well it can’t be helped because it is 12,000 ago.

    – My guess now: Amata is Apollonius’s reincarnation though it is still early to bet for that. Potentially it can also be Kagura who has memories of Silvia, but he calls Mikono; Silvie (only Sirius do call this) -or should I say Kagura is reincarnation of Apollo to be more precisely?

    – I dont really care now who is Silvia’s reincarnation or who is Celiane’s reincarnation, but Celiane’s trait is more like barbanic or something like that which is now Zessica has it (well slightly it can or maybe it is) while Mikono has plain traits.

    Aaaaanyway, I’m looking forward for the next service episode 😀

    Shuin_Zwei
  5. Yeah- I’m in with Frontier& Jif. Like the new OP.

    Pretty cool how they worked in the original Aquarion- really interesting to see how things work out- Apollonius

    Fate? Or can one man change fate?

    Satisfy fans of the old series or the new series? Though as Unlisted notes- perhaps Amata does have that connection to

    That will be the question.

    Though I tend to grate against fatalism. I’m always for fighting for what you believe in.

  6. Ready to get downvoted…

    Amata x Mikono = meh. Amata and Mikono were too wishy-washy.
    Kagura x Mikono = doesn’t matter. Obvious reason, predestined love.
    Amata x Zessica = hell yeah. Nice looks, nice body, nice personality, and straightforward. What are you waiting for, Amata?

    No comment for new OP, but still prefer Hatsune Miku superhuman voice over new ED singer.

  7. Great episode. Best one so far.

    Poor Zessica. That is one of the most cutest scene I’ve ever seen and Amata has a dick in his head or something but can only think about changing fate.

    I like the new OP. It’snot as good as the previous one but still good.

    Drift
  8. yes. Zessica has confessed, im proud of u! Amata will fight against fate to get Mikono. Well done Amata! Im proud of u too!! man this is getting exciting!! all characters r awesome and likable! but im all for mikono x amata ftw!

    Kagura
  9. I like the new direction of writing your own destiny. Reminds me of old Kawamori and Escaflowne.
    @Durifto: Mikono is Toma?! Seriously?
    I’m still thinking that Amata is Appolonius and Kagura was Apollo. Mikono is Celiane and Zessica is Syliva(over 12,000 it has turned into Silvie). Zessica has Slyvia’s power of telekenisis and Mikono has Celiane’s power of love and compassion for everyone aka her power to “connect”.
    Zessica is attracted to Amata because she just is, or her feelings from Slyvia see Amata as her desinted love Apollo who was the reincarnation of Apollonius.
    The show is obviously going toward a love triangle for the rest of the show. Now how it is going to play out will be interesting.

  10. I find Amata more and more irritating as the story progresses. Instead of confronting Mikono about Kagura all he is doing is stalk her, listen to private conversation and mope about Chouchou not liking him and destiny.

    He really doesn’t deserve to win her over for as far as I concerned. Moping and not doing anything when he really has nothing going against him.

    Zessica is awesome, but it’s sad to see her love wasted on someone like Amata.

    And they shew us heart-warming flashback of Sylvia/Appollo pledge of love (I even shade a tear) and I’m suppose to root for Amata going against it. WTF is wrong with the authors seriously.

    NB
    1. Your first points I’m torn on. I’m not quite in the ‘I hate Amata’ club yet.

      But your last point is EXACTLY what I’m talking about. What the HELL are the writers trying to do with the fighting fate thing? I understand it’s a standard plot, but normally you don’t actually KNOW the previous lives.

      I mean, think about what happens if Amata succeeds. Are we all gonna sit up and cheer that he managed to break up the destined lovers? Yay? Especially after, like you mentioned, they show that there relationship was heartwarming too. I like that they at least have Amata think about the love he might be destroying, but I’m very worried about where they’re going with this.

      KaleRylan
      1. Maybe I’m too hopefull, but I can see it happening.

        For the mere fact the authors really seem to do there best to make MikonoxAmata relationship looks extra-bad. when it’s not bland as fuck, it’s irritating, with Mikono’s petty jealousy and Amata looking like a beaten puppy. Or they have a weird sense of what good romance is.

        I have seen good chemistry between Mikono and Kagura or even Jin and Yunoha. So they could do better. The fact there is almost no MikonoxAmata fanarts on pixiv is pretty telling of the bad job done.

        I hope it’s intentional.

        NB
      2. The love Amata is destroying? lol

        I might buy that if Mikono was in love with Kagura. But she’s not. Anything romantic she may feel toward Kagura is a reverberation from her previous life which is just what it is: her PREVIOUS life. Not THIS life. Mikono is not Sylvia, she is Mikono, just like how Kagura is not Apollo, he’s Kagura. What Kagura (and Mikage) are doing is forcing Kagura’s love on Mikono by using the feelings of her previous incarnation, without giving a damn about Mikono’s own opinion and feelings. This is the definition of abusive if you ask me. Seriously, doesn’t anyone care that it’s the VILLAIN who is pushing Kagura/Mikono?

        barak
      3. Barak: Did you watch the previous series? Because to a lot of people who did, those two people getting their happy endings is very important. And I would think having some loyalty to the MAIN CHARACTERS of the previous show in the same franchise is NOT that weird.

        The whole point of the ending of the first series was the idea that they’ll get to be together in 12,000 years (which ties into Aquarion’s themes of rebirth and destiny). Now that seems to be being thrown out so that, in a franchise that is ALL ABOUT destiny, they can tell a random screw destiny plot.

        Of course, this all changes if the apparent reincarnations are not who they actually are. If you’re trying to watch a show where their previous lives aren’t important. And if it turns out the creators are making a show where the previous lives aren’t important, then they’re basically doing a 180 on their own franchise. It’s like the X-men suddenly deciding racism is ok. You don’t destroy your own themes, that’s retarded.

        KaleRylan
      4. @KaleRyan

        I’ve seen the original and I *might* even agree with you if any of these characters were Apollo and Sylvia. But they’re not, regardless of reincarnation. None of them are the same as Apollo and Sylvia. Kagura may look similar to Apollo but other than that all he has in common with him is his sense of smell and his “beast” nature turned up to eleven to the point where he’s more animal than human and it has all sorts of disturbing overtones. (Apollo was feral and lacked social skills but he was nowhere as bad, nor as stupid, as Kagura.) And since they’re new characters with new personalities, forcing destiny on any of them is not what I want to see.

        By all means have Mikono end up with Kagura – but then they should have an ACTUAL relationship based on Mikono’s own feelings instead of just going “of course she loves him, it’s destiny, she’s the reincarnation of Sylvia!” I don’t think it’s romantic to be a slave to destiny and being forced to deny your own self just because of a past love. This doesn’t mean the past life is not important but ultimately these characters are different individuals who should live their OWN life. (This is something that bothered me in the original series as well, but at least Apollo and Sylvia had real interaction and some real chemistry, so it wasn’t just “their previous lives were in love.”) You may not like Amata but you have to be very deep in denial to say that he has no relationship and connection with Mikono.

        (And by the way, no one ever said that Apollo and Sylvia would be together after 12000 years. Apollo said they would MEET. Small difference, but it’s still there.)

        Loyalty? Yeah, and what if Amata turns out to be Apollo and screwing fate means that he ditches Mikono (Sylvia) who then gets together with Kagura who is just a nobody that happens to resemble Apollo a little? Where will your loyalties lie then? 😀 (I think I know the answer.)

        barak
      5. A couple of things.

        1. Your thoughts on reincarnation do not affect whether it’s true or not. This is a show about reincarnation, where it is true. If the writers say so and so is so and so, then that is what is true. That said, I’m not saying we know for sure who is who yet, but when we do, then yes they ARE the reincarnation of that previous character.

        2. Seriously? Because Apollo didn’t give a play-by-play of their plans for the next cycle we can’t read between the lines?

        3. There is nothing wrong with a ‘screw destiny’ plot… in another show. If i was forced to decide between giving in to destiny and fighting destiny, I would fight. But that is not THIS show. This is a show about destiny. To do otherwise is to betray the franchise’s own premise.

        If you didn’t like the idea of (actual, functional) reincarnation, why are you watching this show? That’s like not liking robots and watching gundam.

        4. I never said Amata and Mikono have no connection, that was someone else I believe. I think that their relationship has become boring (I did not always feel this way, I originally quite liked them together). And despite what you think, I would not just change my thoughts on destiny if it interfered with the pairing I like. Destiny is IMPORTANT to this show, that sidelines most shipping concerns. It doesn’t sideline bad writing though.

        KaleRylan
      6. @KaleRyan

        You’re dodging the issues here.

        1. The current reincarnaitions are just that: the reincarnations of Apollo and Sylvia. But they’re not Apollo and Sylvia the same way Apollo and Sylvia weren’t Apollonius and Celiane either. Sylvia flat out said she wasn’t Celiane but Sylvia de Alisia, and Apollo always referred to Apollonius as “that old guy” and never as “me.” (And of course Celiane had a split reincarnation so Sylvia was only half of Celiane to start with.) Even their personalities were very different from that of Apollonius and Celiane, and Apollo didn’t give a damn about his past life, all he cared about was saving his friends from his current life. So whoever the current reincarnations are they’re not the characters from the first series but reincarnations with their own individual personalities.

        2. You can read between the lines all you want, the writers never promised they would be together. Hell, Apollonius and Celiane were separated, Apollo and Sylvia were separated, what’s to say they are destined to stay together this time?

        3. So why do you think we even have a “screw destiny” theme in Evol at all if the creators don’t want to emphasize the importance of “destiny vs free will”? And no, “screw destiny” is not betraying the premise, it’s the writers going forward and making the premise evolve (lol) instead of repeating the same old. It’s still about destiny. Apollo already said “screw destiny” in a way, when he didn’t recognize Touma or when he cared more about Baron, his old gang and his new friends at Deava than his past life as Apollonius.

        And by the way, I like reincarnation just fine but I don’t like forced romance and a character forcing to give up themselves for a past life. I like it when reincarnation is about being progressive, not about being stuck in the past and losing yourself.

        4. Yeah, so it would be bad writing, yeah? 😀 Such a convenient excuse…

        barak
      7. Crap, I replied to the wrong part of this post, my answer is down there. This post has become kind of funny. It actually has multiple levels of arguments going on in the same post.

        KaleRylan
      8. umm, how do you know if kagura and mikino are destined lovers.

        first of all, i doubt mikino is a reincarnation of silvia. i do believe that kagura is a reincarnation of apollo though. i think mikage is trolling kagura into believeing mikino is silvia

        katy
    2. LOL shippers.

      Kagura stalking Mikono, manhandling her, scaring the beejezus out of her, killing her classmates, kidnapping her, trying to kill the boy she likes twice: OH SO ROMANTIC! TRUE LOVE!

      Amata eavesdropping on Mikono’s conversation with Yunoha (likely at Andy’s urging) because he’s confused and wants to know what’s going on with her: STALKER! WHAT AN ASSHOLE!

      Zessica moping over her feelings for five episodes straight: AWW POOR GIRL!

      Amata moping over his feelings in one episode: WHAT A WHINER.

      barak
      1. Kagura is a villain.

        You’re not gonna have the same standards for the good boy protagonist.

        And don’t compare Zessica to Amata, please. She was able to tell her feelings while under extremelly unfavorable circumstances. Amata is obviously into another girl. She stand no chance.
        While Amata with nothing in his way, with Mikono never having rejected his advance, is all mopey as if she was giving him the cold shoulder, and it isn’t even the case at all. Instead of courting her, he plans to woo Chouchou. What the fuck is wrong with him. seriously ?
        It’s all understandable some people feel like facepalming to him.

        And finally : Amata kun! Mikono san! is boring.
        At least Kagura managed to have some extremelly funny interactions with Mikono.

        NB
      2. @NB

        Oh, so Kagura is a villain when it fits the shipping argument, and a poor misunderstood puppy otherwise? lol Sorry but those of us without rabid shipper goggles can damn well apply the same standards for the him as for Amata.

        And why not compare Zessica to Amata? Zessica had been moping for how many episodes before finally being able to confess? (And her confession was fueled not in a small part by knowing that Mikono is “destined” for someone else.) Amata may not have confessed directly, but he was pretty clear about his feelings as early as episode 5. And lol Amata with nothing in his way, nothing at all, except for oh, *episode 15.* Are you even paying attention or just fast-forward to the scenes with Kagura?

        And I like how you decide what is boring and what is not, with your shipping goggles firmly in place.

        barak
      3. This isn’t even about the shipping. Its just that the love triangle sucks. Its boring, non-progressive and repetitive. I have no emotional investment in it. I don’t care who Amata ends up with. Amata only has balls when the plot gives it to him, Zessica stopped being funny and Mikono is much more bearable when she interacts with anyone other than Amata.

        Its not a good sign when a love triangle is central to the plot, and yet I find myself wishing I’d see more of Andy and Mix clash, Donar and Suomi’s belligerent tension or Sazanka making weird fujoishi fantasies. Even Cayenne and Shrade’s odd friendship seems preferable now.

        fragb85
      4. While I am not quite as free of shipping concerns, I still basically agree with everything fragb85 said. The problem is not who gets who (mostly), the problem is that they’ve wrecked all three main characters.

        The main example of this is Zessica. She’s still incredibly popular, but if you think about it it’s all just memory now. She’s spent more time boring and mopey than she did as a cool character at the beginning. And Amata and Mikono spent WAY too much time being sidelined for episodes that focused on the side characters.

        I like Andy and Mix as much as everyone else, but I think they crippled their two main leads by basically ignoring them for 6 or so episodes.

        KaleRylan
      5. @KaleRylan

        I agree that the leads were sidelined for too long, but I don’t think they’ve been “wrecked.” Chalk it up to me being more character-centric than story-centric. I still like all three main characters just fine.

        barak
      6. Kagura stalks her because he 1) is a villain. 2) has absolutely no finesse or manners. 3) was mindfucked by Mykage. 4) lives in another planet across another dimensional gate. 5) EVERYONE is trying to keep them apart. Amata does… because, let me think, he has no fucking backbone? What are his obstacles aside of his cowardice?

        Zessica mopes because she knows her feelings are unrequited and yet she still has the strength to scream them in front of everyone and encourage Amata to pursuit his dreams. Amata? Amata can’t compare to her.

        Mikono and Amata started cute but have become a train wreck couple.

        Moriae
      7. @Moriae

        >What are his obstacles aside of his cowardice?

        lol it’s like you don’t even watch the show. Fudo. Love is forbidden. Shushu cockblocking. Kagura cockblocking every 5 minutes. Random flashbacks. Mikono being confused. There is a lot of obstacles in their way. I don’t even ship them much, but it’s really silly to say Amata hasn’t tried much. Andy told him he needed to do something and he actually did try to do it, but what interrupted for the 100th time.

        elle
      8. @Moriae.

        It’s exactly how I feel.

        Chouchou a marshmallow-sized animal is not a serious threat.
        A stupid school rules is not a serious threat.
        Kagura popping once in a while is not a serious cockblock.

        At least not for people who are really in love and not complete coward.

        NB
      9. @elle

        I do watch the show. Now I’ve rewatched I’ve noticed all the “love forbidden” rule only applies to them. Zen has encouraged other couples to hook up, he even did his own version of ‘squee’ when Zessica confessed. Meanwhile, he puts Zessica in middle of them and uses them as bait to attract Kagura (he knew this was going to happen). When Kagura goes after Mikono, he leaves them be.

        Moriae
    3. 1. You’ve got somewhat of a point here, but in the end it was still about a love that survived 12,000 years. They may have had their own reasons, but they still went along with it. What we’re being teased with now is throwing out.

      2. It’s one thing if they are pulled apart by events again, that evolves the story into a kind of eternal romeo & juliet story. While sad, it would work. They’re not doing it that way. They’re actively undermining themselves.

      3. Again, screw destiny is not an evolution of destiny as a theme, it’s the opposite. And it doesn’t help that they haven’t established ONE truly bad thing about this destiny. It’s not a destiny of destruction or death or something, it’s a destiny that interferes with Amata’s crush. That is not worth screwing with the previous plot for.

      Plus, I’m still pretty sure we’re just gonna find out they ARE the main two and supposed to be happy that Amata ‘fighting destiny’ allowed destiny to work out, and that’s just really annoying. Not because of who it is, but because I don’t like that plot.

      4. Huh? Please stop trying to ignore things because you apparently hate shipping (which given what we’re arguing about, I don’t buy anyway). My point isn’t that GOOD writing requires a different pairing, Amata x Mikono are fine. They just need to write it better. They were fun in the first couple episodes, then they got boring.

      KaleRylan
    4. Yeah, having the person you love stolen away by some newbie is quite annoying. Ask Toma.
      Mikono does have free will and the ability to say no to Amata if she’s not that into him, but instead she gets jelly about Zessica.

      elle
      1. I… agree? But I’m not totally following you.

        Someone else here said it, but I think Mikono’s defining character trait is that she has such low self-esteem that when something makes her feel better about herself (Amata) she latches onto it even if she isn’t returning it.

        I’m not sure that’s where the writers are going with this, but it seems to be happening again and again.

        KaleRylan
  11. While I am still in love with this show, I am experiencing growing frustration even though this was a really good episode.

    I don’t get where the writers are going. They seem to be trying to use the sequel of their show to crap on fans of the original, which is a… weird… choice. I mean, screw destiny can be a great plot, but not when you know the previous lives. Half the people watching this show presumably began watching it to see the fulfillment of Apollo’s pledge from 12,000 years ago. So we have a protagonist who seems to be fighting AGAINST what most of the franchise fans want out of this show. Huh?

    The sheer weirdness of that combined with Amata/Mikono’s nearly impervious main couple status leads me to believe that this show’s ENTIRE PLOT is a troll from the creators and that Amata is Apollo and love wins in the end. Because nearly every other possibility seems actively designed to piss off fans. Not just ‘you can’t make fans happy so who cares’ but like a focus test session for how to piss off your fans.

    That said, I’m still loving the show and hopeful they’ll pull off something good. (Like many fans, I’m hoping for an Amata/Zessica – Kagura/Mikono end, but I don’t see it happening. Which is too bad since they made Kagura pretty cool in the last episode and Zessica is always cool. Some have suggested maybe Kagura/Zessica will hook up, but if they’re going to do that and not have it be a total cop-out, they better get on it because those two have NEVER interacted.)

    KaleRylan
  12. Seeing clips of the original Aquarion reminded me of how odd the art style was.

    Mikono: SHUT THE HELL UP RIGHT NOW. You don’t get to be jealous someone else is making moves on Amata when you’ve been messing with him pretty much the entire time. IT JUST DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY. I sure as hell hope you aren’t part of the main pairing by the end.
    Amata: Well, there you have it. It’s all laid out on the table for you. What’re you gonna do, bro? (Hint: Starts with “TAP” and ends with “THAT ASS LIKE IT’S BEEN 12000 YEARS SINCE YOUR LAST LAY”)
    Zessica: Awesome as always. Rooting for ya.

    Lastly, SOUSEI NO AQUARIOOOOOOOOOON

    Da5id
    1. Yeah, I didn’t like the very last scene.

      Zessica finally improves and then they IMMEDIATELY make her mopey again over something that wasn’t really her fault.
      Mikono is idiotically jealous after siding with a guy that killed their friends last episode.
      And Amata, after being epically confessed to by a girl who’s at least supposed to be FOND of, has TOTALLY IGNORED her and started thinking about Mikono again.
      That scene really made Amata and Mikono look like pricks, and made me worried that Zessica won’t go back to being cool.

      KaleRylan
      1. Unfortunately, that’s true. We do have a few episodes before it hits the fan, so hopefully Zess has time to strike now that the iron is…lukewarm.

        As for Amata: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, MANG. JUMP DAT BEEYOTCH. I mean seriously. Is there any proper and good reason at this point for him to pursue Purple Hair’s route now? At least get to Zessica’s Good End first!

        Da5id
      2. The Amata/Mikono relationship is so poorly written and so stupidly forced that it drags the whole story with it. The first episode the start of the courtship started out really well. Then once they enter the school it goes full stupid.

        Good for Amata “fighting fate”!!!! I almost dropped the entire show because of this. The two aquarions mock battle should have been pretty cool. Instead we get a whole bunch of lameness, brooding, and finally a plot device in the worse form(Zessica’s confession) to see flashbacks to the original series. The flashback part wasn’t bad but using Zessica’s confession, which could have provided some good character growth and drama was just terrible and like the rest of this A/M/Z love triangle is just forced to the nth degree.

        Strangely, the only relationship that really worked is Yunoha/Jin and they made sure to kill that off as quick as possible for the plot to allow more “special training via death”. How quickly their relationship grew, threw so many death flags it was facepalm worthy. Plus Jin’s death was just terrible.

        But hey we get more Amata/Minkono dragging Zessica along through the mud…..yippee

        For me, they have two more episodes to get this relationship making some sort of sense and get the story/plot some focus otherwise, I am out.

        Maybe I am just getting older but the anime cliches seem more forced and poorly written. Gundam AGE is suffering from the same forced relationship BS and it makes that portion of the story just terrible. Speaking of which….where is the Gundam AGE posts?

        X10Unit1
      3. I agree for the most part, but I don’t actually think that the relationship between Mikono and Amata is necessarily bad, like you said the beginning was fine.

        Frankly, I think it’s a combination of plain bad writing in the later part of the series for nearly everyone and a lack of focus. They spent 6 or 7 episodes focusing on completely different characters and, while doing that, once or twice an episode they would pop in on Amata and Mikono just to show us for the umpteenth time ‘hey look, they still can’t spit it out’

        Had they kept the focus on Amata and Mikono (though I still like the side characters, don’t get me wrong), and had real developments, I don’t think there relationship would feel so quicksand-y and like it totally halts whatever else was going on at the time. They’ve managed to make the main relationship feel like a side relationship in its own show. And not a very good side relationship.

        KaleRylan
      4. I’m one who think it’s intentionnally bad.

        Some interviews (if the translations I read are accurate), states that Mikono is a bad woman for manipulating men (in this case Amata) and that Amata is an idiot for clinging so much to her).
        It actually concurs with what is the reason why they are in a sort of relationship, their pushing their issues on another. Mikono is Amata’s mommy surrogate, and Amata’s clinging to Mikono makes the insecure girl feel good.

        NB
    2. Sousei was worth the wait!

      On another note, I don’t get why people are annoyed when Zessica started moping at the end of this episode. Was she supposed to skip and dance immediately after the destruction her confession caused (though I don’t think it’s her fault; it’s Mikono’s~!)?

      Beedle
      1. I complained about it for two reasons. And I wasn’t mad she was sad, I was mad everyone else ignored her being sad.

        1. I’m afraid it means she’ll go back to being mopey after this. Until that point it looked like this episode was finally going to give us back the fun Zessica, but the ending worries me. Mopey Zessica is NOT fun.

        2. I don’t buy that it’s all her fault. Yes, her confession was the trigger, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have done anything if Amata and Mikono weren’t in there, every time the Aquarion shows real power amata is necessary. What I’m saying is even if someone else confessed to someone else, I don’t think it would blow an island up. They should have at least told her it’s not her fault, or that she couldn’t have known. It made them seem really self-absorbed and like bad friends. Romantic or not, Amata and Mikono are supposed to at least be Zessica’s FRIENDS.

        KaleRylan
  13. Looks like Aquarion was pissed off with them getting the names of the lovers wrong, and decided to show them the past.

    COME ON, BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL AQUARION, I WANT A MUGEN BROFIST.

    Whatsht
  14. They finally ditch sad look Zessica, she’s now awesome again!
    LOL at Amata trying to get a score at destiny by buying Shushu over, here’s a tip, go walk on a landmine and get Mikono to nurse you, at least you won’t get fly high without your feet…
    Cayenne sure is good at shooting people in the back, does it mean that’s the same with Shrade?

    This was AMV time on this one, quite lazy work for the OP and epic mindfuck with previous serie flashback. From what what I get the concept of love have become quite crapstatic over the course of the last 12000 years, 30s of Apollo & Sylvia top all the shipping they fed us all over again during those 16 eps.

    Ananas
  15. This episode somehow both make me happy and frustrated at the same time.

    Are they really trying to pull the “fight destiny” card? Because that’s just stupid. No. Just no. One of the biggest themes of the original Aquarion was a love that lasted for 12,00 years. It’s in the lyrics for the theme song, the song that was USED IN THE FLASHBACK SCENE!!! The only sign of relief I can get is that Fudou continues his “Just according to plan” face he always does because he’s Fudou.

    Amata is just a huge black hole that sucks character development from others. He spends the episode being wishy-washy and mopey. I mean he’s trying to find ways to woo Shushu! How pathetic is that?

    Zessica’s confession was definitely a highlight, but right after that she starts to blame herself for making EVOL go berserk. So much for progress, I guess she’s back to being mopey.

    Mikono is the only one who actually gets SOME progress. Her heart to heart talk with Yunoha was great. Mikono stands out when she isn’t restricted to that boring dull “protagonist”.

    fragb85
      1. You may be right about that, and it’s perfectly fine for two series in the same franchise to have different themes. What is NOT really okay is for two series in the same franchise to have completely opposite themes that are mutually exclusive and actually damage each other.

        It would be one thing if the themes were “eternal love” (original) and ‘understanding aliens'(EVOL). But to have one theme be ‘the beauty of destiny’ and the other be ‘screw destiny’ is retarded. It’s so fundamentally retarded that I continue to believe it’s just a troll by the creators and the whole thing will end up working out according to destiny.

        KaleRylan
      2. The separation of Apollo and Sylvia was sad but hopeful since they promised to see each other in the next 12,000 years. It just annoys me that they used the VERY SAME farewell scene this episode and then pull this whole “fight destiny” crap. So I do say I’m quite justified in my annoyance. If it follows through it basically tramples on the investment I had with with Apollo and Sylvia’s eventual reunion.

        If they wanted to pull the whole “fight destiny” thing they should never had made a direct connection to the previous series.

        fragb85
      3. Amata’s asking himself that question now; should he fight destiny and break-up Apollo and Silvia’s love, or should he let things be even if it means losing his own ‘love’?

        I do wish the writers would stop teasing us and clearly state if Amata’s related to Apollonius/Apollo, though I do realize that guess-work is half of what makes EVOL so interesting…

        Beedle
    1. Thank you.

      Though I actually don’t mind Amata when he’s not being forced into weird plots. I quite liked him the first 6 or so episodes, and much like you say about Mikono, I think he’s better when they’re separate.

      That said, thank you for pointing out that ‘screw destiny’ is totally out of place in this series. Aquarion is not a ‘screw destiny’ series. The whole point of this series is the idea of emotions so strong they transcend the ages. Death, Rebirth, Etc. It’s not supposed to be a sad thing that there is a destined love, it’s supposed to be amazing that these souls’ love is so strong it has lasted for 24,000 years.

      I really don’t get where they’re going with this. It is basically the same crew making this right?

      KaleRylan
      1. Agreed, if they wanted to disregard the themes from the first series why would they tie so much back into Evol? They can’t really say screw destiny when is basically, like you said, love conquering all. They’re trying to throw too many twists into it to raise tension and drama.

        Mike
    2. I agree with you, that “fight destiny” thing that Amata spouted is nothing but crap. This series is about following destiny, so why fight it? A love that lasted for 12,000(24,000) years is stopped by a wimpy man? Don’t tell me they decided to hire Guilty Crown writers and decided to ruin everything.

      The Story You Don't Know
  16. After this episode, I think case might be like this:

    Amata = Apollo
    Kagura = Sirius
    Mikono = Silvie
    Zessica = Reika

    Or

    Amata = Apollo
    Kagura = Sirius
    Mikono = half Silvie
    Zessica = half Silvie

    black_cat1
    1. Amata = Apollonius
      Kagura = Apollo
      Mikono = Silvia
      Zessica = Celiane

      That would make more sense (if you’ve watched the original series) since Show Spoiler ▼

      Crook
  17. Good to see the love triangle developing this episode. Can’t really nitpick, since all we can do is watch how the love rectangle between Amata, Mikono, Zessica, and Kagura is gonna play out. Too early to call anything parts of unrequited yet, after all Mikono is starting to feel attracted to Kagura as well as Amata. So all we can do is sit back and watch.

    Mike
  18. My problem with the opening it’s the animation.. I mean, all recycled, wtf??? Any NicoNico AMV/MAD maker would have done better.. they don’t have the budget for new images? -_- And that’s the opening who should take us to the finale.. I’m super disappointed.

    Akira
  19. At laast…!! Zessica finally has some proper moment with Amata, even though it is only a few seconds. Good Job Zessica!! I love you more than ever now.
    Anyway, Mikono does not have any rights to be jealous for Amata. Not after she play with Amata feeling for about 15 episode. Screw you Mikono, just go to Kagura already, you’re just making Amata hurt more deeply with your selfishness.

    Also, by the way I see it now its going to be Amata X Zessica ending. Why else would you show previous season of Aquarion? unless you want troll your fans. Which is a stupid thing to do.

    Jonz
    1. Episode 12 seems to highlight the reasons why Mikono gets so jealous while apparently showing minimum romantic interest in Amata. She told him he made her understand that even useless people like her will have someone who really want them, or something similar.

      She’s a very insecure girl with a poor self-esteem and thus she takes delight in having a poor idiot worship her. And she doesn’t want to share it.

      As from Amata’s side it’s his abandonement issue that makes him clutch to Mikono so much, because she spouts that line about waiting for him 12000 years. At the end of episode 01/02, he said that she’s the one that will wait for him no matter what.

      It’s how I see thing.

      So AmataxZessica is preferable.

      NB
      1. AmataxZessica is preferable? And what happened to the ZessicaxMix “delicious yuri”? Isn’t Amata a sicko and Andy another sicko who shockingly encourages Amata’s disgusting behavior so you can’t ship them with Zessica and Mix anymore? 😀 (Some of us here read animesuki, you know.)

        nero
      2. NB: Yes, what you said is exactly what happened. What Mikono just did is a typical nice girl being a bitch by making nice boy chasing her around, and she just love that feeling. At the same Mikono is a nice girl attracted to the badass Kagura.

        Dont get me wrong here. Mikono is a nice and innocence girl, but what she did is exactly why nice boys like Amata keep crushing getting their heart crushed. But you cant really changed that, or its rather hard to do that. Because thats just how the way it works!! Its the law a nature.

        Jonz
      3. @Nero.

        Actually. It’s more like anything but AmataxMikono is preferable. It’s that bad.
        It reaches a point of non return this episode. I was still giving Amata some credit expecting him to confront Mikono on Kagura, but all he did was spying on her and regress in his courtship with no good reason (let’s woo Chouchou instead of Mikono.) I was astounded that such a crap advice could come from the usually wise Andy.

        It’s downright awful.

        NB
    1. Because he didn’t get reincarnated. The flashback will show what is relevant now. Sirius’ regret was a past life that was unable to die with Apollonius. He fulfilled that in the finale. No reason for him to return.

      Moriae
      1. That’s funny, because the Original Aquarion DOES in fact puke rainbows. Then it crushes its enemies with a giant flower fist.

        That’s not even the strangest one. Aquarion also had a “Love Infinity Beam” attack which is a Carebear Stare that breaks dimensional walls. Yes, really. Even better, that attack resulted from a Yuri confession.

        …..why doesn’t EVOL have a Yuri couple?

        fragb85
  20. While I understand that it was done for the sake of making the confession possible and liked that part, I’m kinda disappointed at how bad Team Amata’s battle performance was when their skills should have been upgraded. They pretty much didn’t even try. (Though it was shown that this was greatly in part from them actually not knowing how to fight well and arguing) Amata had wings that upgrade mobility by a lot and allow them higher ground, Zessica had a ranged attack that was much more damaging then simple bullets. These should have been even stronger considering the training they had. Both of these were completely forgotten about and I just facepalmed when Amata used Infinity Punch in midair to move when he previously couldn’t use it because of bad balance.

    HakumeiJin
    1. This I agree with, they spend all this time showing everyone else’s upgrades, but where are Amata’s team’s? Amata should be able to fly at least (though you could argue this would make them a target, if he is upgraded, he should be pretty fast, allowing them to close distance quickly, removing the advantage of Gepard’s range. And like you say, Zessica’s power was established in the premiere to be a ranged attack that puts holes in mountains. That should be very useful in this fight.

      KaleRylan
  21. Good Anime shows really,really,REALLLLLLLLYYYYYY, WARMS my HEART. Watching anime shows like this calms my heart and soul, especially the “BEACH” episode.

    I WILL LOVE ANIME “EVEN IF I WAIT FOR 12,0000 YEARS”.

    Ken Sanders
  22. Oh wow, I finished Genesis of Aquarion like two months ago, yet seeing the new OP was still pure nostalgia to the eyes.
    This show is the biggest tease in anime. Everytime it starts to get stale or wonky, AMAZING happens in almost exaclty the way you wanted it to, and then it goes right back.
    Not to mention it’s wishy-washy stance on damn near everything but Fudo being the BMOC.

    Bio D
  23. I thanked the new OP for revealing some maybe new hints.

    My new guess, the one who posed as Apollon, younger Izumo while Alicia as Silvie. Izumo is definitely a good guy. He’s being protective of Alicia & ALtair. If he’s Amata’s father, then it’s been quite a significant special time he had with Alicia (well, maybe their hairs were dyed or wearing wigs while posing as Apollon and Silvie). Plus Alicia never told him of having his son, since maybe she’s aware of threats from Mykage. It’s possible that verified they are indeed Amata’s parents.

    I’m still intrigued why Izumo referred Jin as last child. Could it be Jin would be related to him or Amata? Or Amata and Kagura might be related to each other (twin brothers or brothers)? @@

    Amata – Apollonius (definitely) / Apollo?
    Mikono – Celiane (definitely) /Sylvia?
    Kagura – Apollo?
    Zessica – Sylvia?
    Cayenne – Sirius?
    Zen – Gen (definitely)
    Yunoha – Tsugumi?

    Amata’s now doing all it took to make a reversal to the incident of 12,000 years ago and create positive history. He’s showed he’s indeed Apollonius. Kagura still a question. Is he manipulated by Mykage or what? Strange, what is the purpose of him (Mykage) wanting to go after the True Eve and original Aquarion…… @@

    There are too many personality twists among all characters. ^^ It’s a joy Amata, Mikono and Zessica had witnessed what actually happened to Apollo and Sylvia. Ummm, Mykage might have known that since start of Evol but not aware the one he seeks, Amata as The Solar Wings.

    Opinions only. Not completely true. The rest are all up to director. Just hoping Evol have more positive tone than the 1st series. If there’s next Aquarion series, I’ll look forward to it too.

    CA
  24. It seems that the reason for the death of all women (including thouse brought from Vega) in Altair is because the planet is all but doomed, in according to Kawamori’s enviromentalist tone he usually puts in his works. Mykage seems to know about it and maybe that is the reason why he could not care less.

    Ironically, the best course of action was taken by Jin when he gave them all the finger and listened to the pleas of his loli instead.

    Exukvera
  25. * Not really a fan of the new OP.
    I always like the things the rest doesn’t like, hmm.
    Also, I’m still in for the split soul, with Sylvia being Zessica and Mikono, maybe Apollo might even have split up, it would clarify everything.
    And seeing how Malloy’s teeth shone, I was convinced. He must be the reincarnation of Pierre.

    Crook
  26. About the reincarnations, I think
    Amata is Apollonius,
    Kagura is Apollo,
    Mikono is Sylvia,
    Zessica is Celiane,
    Zen is Gen or Touma,
    Mykage is Touma’s annoying little brother? He’s a Shadow Angel from 24 000 years ago.
    Shrade is Sirius,
    Cayenne is Reika,
    Crea is Rena.

    Layri
    1. this is what I exactly think on the first 4 names on the list, while Zen and Gen is same and Touma has nothing to do with Fudo.

      one really thing is why they are confused between Silvia and Silvie when they are the same person? but different persons who call her?

      Apollo and others calls Silvia
      Sirius only calls Silvie

      Shuin_Zwei
  27. OPs – Sousei no Aquarion > Kimi no Shinwa > Paradoxical ZOO > Go Tight
    Man!, this episode reminded me how much I liked ApolloxSilvia’s relantionship. EVOL has boring and irritating relantionships. MikonoxAmata boring and irritating, MikonoxKagura irritating, AmataxZessica boring and irritating, JinxYunoha boring, CayennexShare boring. My only hopes are AndyxMIX and Sazanka with her Fujoshi Love, both are funny.

    PomZom
  28. Somehow, I don’t think EVOL going out of control was entirely Zessica’s fault. Just before Aquarion starts glowing, Mikono’s screen in HQ blinks while Amata and Zessica’s remain the same.

    Anyways, I love what they did with Zessica’s confession. As soon as those missiles left Gepard, I thought ‘Damn cockblockers. They’re going down the I-didn’t-hear-your-confession route and stall Zessica’s development’. And then they had Zessica confess again, completely subverting that cliche! Woohoo!

    Malloy and Sazanka are actually scary strong…and Unlisted, I think the reason Shrade wasn’t in the fight was because they don’t want to risk him dying in a mock battle. That, and he’d completely own Amata’s team before they can even think of mounting a counter attack XD

    Beedle
    1. A thought just occurred to me while re-watching next week’s preview; what if Altair’s population are actually the descendants of the reborn shadow angels? Though, it does make one wonder about Mykage…

      Beedle
  29. so much drama, love geometry, and predictions!

    PREDICTION: kagura has since only mistook the scent of mikono’s futuristic cat-rabbit–HIS ACTUAL BELOVED WENCH–as a scent coming from mikono!

    asdfffdsa
  30. Magazine spoilers for future developments (after episode 15) claim that there will be a twist about “Sylvia.” Thus, I don’t expect her to be Mikono (who was the obvious choice 15 episodes ago). Or at least I don’t expect her to be only Mikono.

    Moriae
    1. Interesting, but twist relationships can be dangerous. Hopefully whatever relationship they choose to go with they give it a little time to breath. This is why I disapprove of the Kagura/Zessica some people have been suggesting (they saw the ‘fake’ Apollon vision), the two have NEVER interacted. So if they’re going that route, they better do something soon.

      The show’s got a ways to go though, so they’ve got time.

      KaleRylan
  31. I don’t think Mikono is Sylvie (toma maybe?, she only recognized him) but Kagura is probably Apollo. Amata is probably the wings/something else. The whole new legend thing Fudo spoke about in the first episode makes me believe he’s not a reincarnation. Anyway, great episode.

    elle
  32. isn’t it funny that though everyone is going on about how kagura is real apollo. it was the main trio who discovered the truth behind apollo-silvia. kagura only seeing fake visions.

    lol
    1. I am curious if it’s going to be revealed that those visions were a deliberate red herring. Could be interesting. Some people have suggested it’s an Altair version of the legend, which is an interesting thought.

      The only problem with that seems to be that Fudo and Mykage recognized each other, which seems to confirm they’re the same characters reincarnated, not from different cycles or something. A false vision could be Mykage’s attempt to subvert Apollonius though.

      KaleRylan
      1. there could be 2 worlds with their own legends but what if it is something like altair is vega’s future or something. they are actually doing time travel? why not ? aftera all zessica’s distortion can open up a space/time wormhole which could be similar to altair’s dimension gates.

        lol
      2. That’s what I was addressing, the two world – two legend Idea. At face value it seems fine, but there are a couple problems I see with it.

        1. Why do Mykage and Fudo acknowledge each other if they come from opposing versions of the legend? THey seem to be acting like they are from the same old story.

        2. Why would people from each planet’s legend be popping up on the other planet?

        Still, it’s an interesting theory that seems possible.

        KaleRylan
  33. I actually don’t think Mikono is Slylie. I think that small white thing might be ….sound strange huh? But, somehow that thing looks like that girl too me. Though it’s probably a long thrown off guess.

    Veilblue
  34. To be honest, while I find Amata get more pathetic as the story goes on, I just want the series to end by following that destiny. Normally, people would be against the idea of following a predetermined fate and would root for someone who would defy fate but I just can’t bring myself to root for Amata. I can’t find any reason to like him anymore because his character is as shallow as it can be. There’s nothing interesting about him and I don’t even know how Zessica and Mikono fell for someone like him.

    As for this episode, I loved that flashback. I hope that’s how the story ends, Apollo and Sylvia finally find each other AND stay together. If Amata really is Apollo, I just damn hope they make him more interesting than a boy shouting I’ll defy fate but does nothing but be a wimp. If Kagura is Apollo, then he should kick Amata’s ass and claim Mikono/Zessica(if she’s Sylvia) for himself once and for all.

    Long story short, fans of the original series will find it a blasphemy if Apollo and Sylvia don’t end up together because some stupid wimp defied fate.

    The Story You Don't Know
    1. Lol, Mikono fell for Amata? The one who truly fall for Amata is Zessica. Mikono is just there to confuse him and mess things up. If there is someone she fall for, its obviously Kagura.

      Jonz
      1. Hmm…, its not really like that. Its more like Amata is the backup guy Mikono been keeping. Mikono is jealous because Zessica is interfering or trying to steal with her backup guy and that would take away the attention she’s getting from Amata.
        If you pay attention, Amata is the only one making a real move on Mikono, she never did anything special for Amata other than getting jealous. That is very one sided kind of love.
        Though I agree with you that Amata quite plain though. Haha 😀

        Jonz
      2. @The Story You Don’t Know

        Yeah, women don’t like their toys taken away from them.

        Besides, if you have someone that is basically worshiping the ground you walk on and then other person tries to take that someone way from you, you might get jealous/upset.

        Lets hope that Mikono crushes Amata so that something interesting actually happens.

        X10Unit1
    2. I don´t find Amata pathetic at all, he is just a guy in love with a girl who is seriously starting to her someone who cares for her deeply. Guys inlove do stupid things in the name of that love hoping to be reciprocated so because of this Amata is not pathetic, it´s just sad to his heart being crush by Mikoto´s doubts. Fate and reincarnation are huge factors in this series but one sided love is the main problem here, for that I think Amata is going to end up with Zessica, the one who truly loves in my oppinion, Mikono seems to ne inlove of the fact that someone loves not of Amata himself, that´s why she gets jelous.

      haseo0408
  35. I think a AmataxZessica ending is right path to take, Mikono is all nice and cut but there is something about her that just doesn´t feel right to me; it´s this indecisive nature of her that makes her feel jelous of Amata and Zessica but at the same she fancies Kagura, that seems really cruel to my eyes, even a blind guy could notice Amata´s feeling so if Mikono doesn´t make her mind soon she will hurt Amata seriously. Zessica in the other is more honest with her feeling and truly loves Amata, you can see her gradually coming to love him for who he is while Mikono doesn´t make it clear what she wants.

    haseo0408
  36. No charges for Mikono in regards of betrayal and protecting a war criminal?

    Nothing in Amata´s mind after a confession?

    Strong here, the force of plot induced stupidity is. Hmmmmmm..

    Lectro Volpi
    1. Do you ship AmataxMikono? That may be why, sometimes even though I know the character is inherently good, I start to have a bit of a distaste for them cause they’re interrupting my pairing. Perhaps immature but it happens. Or perhaps her personality doesn’t mesh with you, but for those kind of characters I find myself indifferent than actively disliking unless they are a villian. Or it could be something superficial like you hate her design or voice actress (which isn’t likely cause everyone hnnngs over HanaKana)

      Kokakora

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