ALDNOAH.ZERO / First Impressions

「鳥を見た日 -Then and Now-」 (Tori o Mi Ta Hi -Then and Now-)
“Day of Bird’s Sighting -Then and Now-“

Remember – you can’t misspell “slain” with an extra “e” without “Slaine”.

Where to begin with that one? The mind boggles, seriously. This series is a lot of things and not all of them are desirable, but one thing it certainly isn’t is boring. Aldnoah.Zero keeps the manic energy and the crazy plot developments and the soundtrack coming at you nonstop, and it’s pretty hard not to get swept up in it. But while there were certainly individual moments that were very strong, this episode isn’t going down as one of my favorites. In fact, it would be fair to say I have some serious issues with it.

I have to lead with Slaine, because his situation is certainly the most insistent in my mind. In sum, I’ve never especially cared for the trope of taking a character and giving them the Job treatment – having them be the punching bag for every sort of existential and physical torture the writer can throw at them. It’s a cheap and manipulative writing technique in my opinion, and whether you care to blame Urobutcher or not – and who knows to what extent this is coming from him, because who knows how deep his involvement is right now – it’s certainly a signature in his writing style. There were already signs this was starting to happen, but this episode took it up to what for me was an unacceptable level. I suspect I know where the plot is going with this but we didn’t need to see what we saw this week, and I hope we don’t see more of it.

Torture porn aside, the other main problem I have is with Cruhteo. I don’t know whether he’s dead or not – given what we saw it seems like the likeliest possibility (especially as his Aldnoah-powered Kataphrakt seems to shut down) but it’s not impossible that he could have had some sort of teleport capability or something. Irrespective, when that “Forgive me, Slaine” moment arrived, I threw up in my mouth a little. That was so wrong on so many levels I hardly know where to begin, but let’s start with the fact that no, I don’t fucking forgive you whether Slaine does or not. Is the fact that Cruhteo didn’t know about Asseylum’s death supposed to vindicate him for being a racist and classist who not only employs torture to achieve his goals, but seems to derive real pleasure from it? Or the fact that despite knowing Asseylum’s desire for peace with Earth, he gleefully uses her death – even if he didn’t help cause it – to launch full-scale war? No, this is a bad man and his actions this week were reprehensible by any standard of decency. If he’s dead, good riddance – but that doesn’t wipe “Forgive me, Slaine” from my memory. That was the low-point of the series so far and I’ll be surprised if it’s dethroned.

As bad as that whole torture sequence was, it’s certainly effective at eliciting a visceral disquiet at seeing Inaho and the princess having wistful walks on the deck of the Deucalion and bird-watching. I don’t believe it was Inaho’s intent to have what happened to Slaine happen, necessarily, but the plot is certainly going to some interesting places with him. This appears to be the raison d’etre behind his emotional flatlining – he’s being developed as a creepy, dangerous person whose motives are impossible to ascertain. That’s certainly more interesting than a conventional “and so his heart was finally unlocked” character arc, but it’s a dangerous path – I’m quite curious to see where we go with him. I don’t think there’s any question Inaho’s goal is to save Earth from destruction (though even that was cleverly undermined by reminding us of the self-interest aspect for him), but his methodology is the key – rather than simply being emotionally opaque, Inaho may in fact be genuinely amoral.

The other interesting element that’s emerging for me is the sociopolitical side of events. While Rayet’s speech to Magbaredge was a little precocious coming from an elfin 15 year-old, it certainly laid the Martian society wide-open and gutted it like a fish. They are indeed an interesting combination of futuristic technology and a genuinely archaic social structure. Social climbers who long to prove their glory in conquest and the worst kind of aristocrats who despise anyone lower than them, armed with superpowered alien weaponry and energy source? It’s a kind of perfect storm of awfulness, as if one of the Imperialist powers of 18th-Century Europe had access to nuclear weapons and the internet. Could peace every truly be negotiated with such a nation? This is a genuinely fascinating thread, but I’m quite curious to see if we’re introduced to anything remotely sympathetic on the Martian side apart from Asseylum herself (and I certainly don’t count Cruhteo).

Perhaps it was the boom-or-bust nature of this episode, riddled as it was with intriguing twists and egregious stumbles, but it feels as if we’re at a nexus point with Aldnoah.Zero. There are four episodes left in the first cour, and we’re presumably going to be taken to some sort of climax as a stopping point. I think we’re going to find out whether this show has real legs or not very soon – I don’t think there’s any doubt it will be an entertaining thrill-ride at the least, but the question is how much more it can be than just that. Where do we go from here with Slaine, with his martyrdom becoming very stale? Do we see a genuine diversity of view on the Martian side, or does this turn into a straight-out war story? Do we get a glimpse of what’s really lurking behind Inaho’s stony visage? Answers are going to have to start coming soon, and they’ll tell us a lot about Aldnoah’s long-term prospects.

Zephyr’s Impressions:

Just when you thought things were finally going Slaine’s way… ah, why can’t I hold all this suffering.

All in all, arguably my favorite episode of the series so far. Choice flashbacks set the stage for Slaine’s brutal torture at the hands of Cruhteo, which ultimately helped the latter realize who’s really worth trusting. The name of the game this week is trust, and it was great to see how this matter was approached—not only in the context of Slaine x Cruhteo, but in regards to the crew members of the Deucalion and their feelings regarding Martians, and Raylet’s continued unwillingness to see past the Martians’ earlier betrayal of her and her father (for now).

There can be no doubt however, that the purest relationship of trust remains that of Slaine and Asseylum, who truly represent the keys to the future at this point—at least in regards to one where both Martians and Terrans can co-exist. It’s just a pity neither of them are in the position to come together and bring that future to fruition at this time, no thanks to a certain Orbital Knight and outwardly emotionless protagonist who’s clearly just a fill in for Slaine more than anything.

Mark my words Inaho. Slaine’ll turn the tables permanently one day, and you’ll rue the day you screwed him over by tossing him into the sea. In the meanwhile though, there’s a few other things here worth talking about, one of which was Cruhteo’s attempt to immediately contact Earth Headquarters. He may not have succeeded in the end, but it was a testament here to the kind of person he was, and out of all the Orbital Knights, he could very well be the only one worth having respect for considering how the Vers Empire is essentially:

“A nation that latched onto an archaic feudal system reliant on the superscience of an ancient civilization called the Aldnoah. One where commoners are obsessed with proving them in battle to gain social standing and the nobility casually betray and grind them into the dirt.”

Raylet’s words, however bitter they were, are right on the mark in summarizing the Vers Empire in a few sentences, and it was just another good moment in what was a very good episode. In ways, her development’s been one of the more smoother ones out of the cast, and there’s definitely an important role for her to play in the future at some point.

Until then, it’s smooth sailing (for now) for our new battleship wielding main cast, and I must say, it’s only fitting that the ship received the name it did (Deucalion) considering his mythological background. Basically, he was the son of Prometheus, the Titan who first gave humans fire (fitting considering how the battleship gives humans a fighting chance), and it was said he built a special chest (the battleship would be a fitting allusion to this) to survive the great flood, which subsequently allowed him to repopulate the world with humanity (I don’t think anything needs to be said about this angle). Overall, two thumbs up this week, though part of me’s wondering if part of it isn’t due to Inaho’s general lack of involvement in everything.

240 Comments

  1. Also just wanted to ask, for everyone that reads this:

    Who would be interested in seeing a post with pictures of the ALDNOAH ARCHIVEZ storyboard they released at Comiket 86 recently? I should have a copy arriving sometime around early to mid-September so… yeah.

    No guarantees I’ll have the time to get to it, but just wanted to check out whether or not there’d be interest in something of this nature.

    Zephyr
    Reply

    3. They need hundreds? Where has that been mentioned? I thought the indication was every Cataphract and other associated Vers tech (i.e. battleships) are powered/controlled by a single Aldnoah drive each.

      Pancakes
      Reply

    4. It’s either:

      A) 1 drive to power 1 cataphract. Multiple or hundreds for their ‘fortress’.
      B) The drive is from the crashed red cataphract and the earthlings used that drive as the power source for the battleship, too bad they can’t start it up. The battleship might use conventional weaponry so the drive is to power propulsion and other systems while the cataphracts’ drives also power their weaopnry

      ofislacker
      Reply

      1. Scale is very arbitrary in this show though. The castle may have been 200:1 at the beginning, but suddenly became much smaller as Saazbaum’s Mech landed and destroyed it. Same for the size of hovercraft, mechs and the now abandoned ship. Their scale is whatever fits best dramatically for the camera.

        Drasca
        Reply

    6. I don’t think they actually need hundreds of Martians to power anything, and I don’t think there are even that many Martians with the Aldnoah power.

      It’s already stated in episode 6 that Aldnoah is a power “granted” by the emperor to his family, and the knights, who have sworn loyalty (apparently a genetic trait). In that sense Aldnoah is already very limited.

      Furthermore, this is purely speculation on my part, but I don’t think the Aldnoah power depends on the vitality of the human being at all, and it doesn’t matter how many people with Aldnoah interact with the Aldnoah drive. The Aldnoah genetic code in the Martians is simply a key to unlock the power of the Aldnoah drive. Where the drive actually generates its energy or gets its fuel from is a mystery that may or may not be involved in the plot later on, but the Martians don’t have any role in that except turning the key. That’s why Asseylum can walk around the ship after only activating the Aldnoah drive once and nobody really has to care about it afterwards (as noted by Nina it doesn’t even have a fuel gauge).

      Nitro
      Reply

  3. So… enter the bridge unexpectedly, judo throw one of the crew members onto his ass and then exclaim “I am not your enemy!”

    WTF Asseylum. The bridge officer should have emptied her handgun clip into the kneecap of your annoying midget follower for that stupid stunt.

    SBC
    Reply

  5. https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
    Darzana “Do you want to know why you can’t get a date Mizusaki?”
    Kaoru “Because you tell all the men I’m your love slave.”
    Darzana “You are and never forget that.”
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2028.jpg
    “I wish I knew how to quit you.”
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
    The Gen Urobuchi touch. Because the hero hasn’t suffered nearly enough.

    celebrinen
    Reply

      1. https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
        Calm “Excuse me princess looking person, I’m looking for an evil Martian princess. You haven’t seen one around have you?
        https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
        Nina “Calm is so dense”
        Inko “Yeah, I know. Denser than neutron matter”
        Calm “Who’s this dense guy named Calm? Its a real coincidence because I’m called Calm too.”

        celebrinen
        Reply

    2. https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
      “Tell me Terran scum….. Where’s my lili princess?”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
      “Tell me or I’ll blow your head off”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
      “Stop Cruhteo….. Let me have a go at him”
      “To hell you go Saazbaum….. This is MY business”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
      “Never. I’ll never give the princess to you…”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
      “Damn you Cruhteo…. You’re damaging my yaoi goods….”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
      “Anybody home? I’m here to take back my yaoi stick”
      “Saazbaum… What are you saying???”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
      “Unhand the yaoi stick to me and I’ll spare you”

      ————— Meanwhile on Deucalion —————

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
      “Check this out. Seems that the Martians are into yaoi”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2012.jpg
      “Yaoi stick huh…”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
      “You see this…. That’s a yaoi stick…”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
      “Sugoi~~~~~”
      * A strange switch has been flipped in Seylum….”

      cruiser2710
      Reply

    3. https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
      “So, you say his name is really Count Sourbum”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2028.jpg
      “That’s right Count Crouton.”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
      “ha ha ha hah, you amuse me Terran dog.”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2010.jpg
      “THWACK!

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
      “I am not amused.”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
      “Don’t be such a sour bum, Count Sourbum. Ha ha ha hah!”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
      “FOR THE LAST TIME, IT’S SAAZBAUM!”

      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
      “What a Sourass.”

      Impel Down Hippo
      Reply

    5. https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
      NOBODY expects the Martian Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise…surprise and fear…fear and surprise….
      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
      Our two weapons are fear and surprise…and walking sticks….
      https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
      Our three weapons are fear, surprise, and walking sticks… and guns…. Our four…no… Amongst our weapons…. Amongst our weaponry…are such elements as fear, surprise…. I’ll come in again.

      celebrinen
      Reply

    6. of my mind this came out for my Pictures Battle round:

      Princess: Slain i want to be your Wife!, Marry me!!
      Counts: How dare of you to seduce our Princess, you are not worthy Scumm!!
      Princess ask then the others for Help

      Well, know i need the Pictures. But right now i am in a Hurry

      Germanguy
      Reply

  7. Are you kidding me?

    First Slaine gets shot down by Inaho

    And then he gets tortured

    And now he gets kidnapped

    Why does Slaine have to suffer so much?

    All he wants to do is see his princess
    By the end or during this series I do hope Slaine gets to see Asseylum

    This has been one of my fav animes this season

    Bryony
    Reply

    1. I’m pretty sure Slaine went through the VN choosing all the wrong choices for his route…

      /sarcasm

      Honestly, if Slaine and Inaho had not argued like they did last week, this might never have happened. And we might all spite the storywriter if that ever happened. Way too early for a happy ending.

      info600
      Reply

    2. Well, all the signs showed he was going to be a tragic hero; there’s so much to admire about Slaine, not just because of his unrivaled loyalty to the princess, but also how he just takes the insults and cruelty without letting up (Slaine is pretty much the paragon of a hero).

      Its tough to say if he’s going to reunite with Asseylum but I hope Cruhteo is alive so that he can rescue Slaine, that boy deserves to see his princess again given all the types of abuse he’s been given.

      Dualash
      Reply

      1. Slaine’s no hero. I have no admiration for him, and he’s good at very little. He’s just a whipping boy. Let the downvotes come, but he’s done very little to help anyone and did a lot more damage. Never forget his naive actions set off war for the entire Earth.

        Emperor was just fine with a cease fire. . . Nope, Slaine had to be naive, selfish & distrustful, wanting the Princess to himself. Same thing repeats itself interacting with Slaine. His Code Geass analog Suzaku otoh, at least had the ability to trust others, and be a good minion when called upon.

        The torture nearly yet done for Slaine, and I suspect it’ll mostly be self-inflicted due to his princess-complex ideology. It won’t be physical, it’ll be worse, mind wracking and emotional, forcing him to make choices he doesn’t like. Perfect for story conflict.

        Rage on Aldnoah.

        Drasca
        Reply

      2. I´m with you there Drasca-san, I dislike Slaine quite a lot after coming all this way. He´s so naive that it hurts and if you listen to his words during the torture scene you realize he ONLY cares for Assyelum and that my frinds is a very dangerous mentality, you can bet he´s going ANYTHING to get Asseylum back even it means killing all that stands in his way to archive it; that´s what will surely put him at odd with the princess, the girls wants to end this genocide even it mean she might die so she will go along Inaho´s plan, you could say she has no problem with Inaho “exploiting” her to end this because that´s what she wants.

        haseo0408
        Reply

      3. @ Drasca

        I can see what you mean since Slaine does have the sort naivety, but I don’t think Slaine’s actions set off the war but instead were taken advantage of; since the Vers already had a great hatred and intolerance towards Terrans, I suspect they would have used other methods to justify their actions. Nevertheless, what’s done is done, and again its kind of points again to the correlation that Slaine is the tragic hero of the story, where even when he’s fighting for what he believes in he’ll have to suffer until the end result.

        @ haseo0408

        Good point, but then given that Asseylum is one the few people to actually treat Slaine as a decent human being, he has his reasons to being so loyal to her. I can’t disregard the possibility if he goes so far as to kill others for her, but considering her dream of coexistence and peace I feel positive that he’s not going to jeopardize her dream as long as he is conscious of it.

        Dualash
        Reply

      4. Arguably it is Slaine’s fault that the Princess even wanted to come to Earth. His influence on her caused the desire to learn about Terran life and desire for peace. While other stooges and excuses for war are possible, we have not seen any other signifigant royalty or VIP’s big enough to justify instant war.

        There were plenty of other failures involved too, like why at the very least the Emperor was not informed that the Princess would be using a double (especially since misdirection is a common path for security). Complete security failure all together.

        However, what’s done is done, and I blame Slaine purely for how he’s acted and reacted to his situation. He’s bumbled every signifigant situation on him. In short, he’s an idiot with access to power, the worst kind of fool. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and Slaine’s racing down that path willingly.

        Drasca
        Reply

      6. @Drasca:

        >] “Arguably it is Slaine’s fault that the Princess even wanted to come to Earth. His influence on her caused the desire to learn about Terran life and desire for peace. While other stooges and excuses for war are possible, we have not seen any other significant royalty or VIP’s big enough to justify instant war.”

        Ultimately, all Slaine did, as far as we can tell, was tell Asseylum about his home. Can’t really knock a guy for that, so I’m curious as to why you’re blaming him for acting like… a normal person?

        That aside, let’s take a step back and appreciate the gravity of what’s been going on. Asseylum’s trip to Earth was just the convenient opportunity for the Martians to light the flames of war that they’d be itching for all along. Even if she hadn’t been ‘assassinated,’ would that have done much of anything except delay the inevitable? Of course it wouldn’t.

        >] “However, what’s done is done, and I blame Slaine purely for how he’s acted and reacted to his situation. He’s bumbled every significant situation on him. In short, he’s an idiot with access to power, the worst kind of fool. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and Slaine’s racing down that path willingly.”

        Slaine has power? If you’re referring to his influence with Asseylum, that’s a bit of a stretch. In that case, his power would only go so far as Asseylum’s power and influence does; and in the grand scheme of things, that sure hasn’t amounted to much yet.

        Other than that, no idea what you’re talking about.

        That aside, aren’t you being just a bit too harsh on the poor boy? Really, he’s in a situation where he doesn’t know who the hell he can trust and his only proverbial glimmer of light, the Emperor, turned out to be a senile old man as easily manipulated as everyone else.

        In all seriousness, what did you want him to do?

        Ryan Ashfyre
        Reply

      7. Based on the other comments, my view on Slaine’s intelligence/lack thereof seems to be in very much minority. But I have found Slaine to be quite smart. I have yet to see a single decision he’s made that is due to his lack of intelligence. I have seen him being rash, being lacking in foresight, being too focused on the princess, and being dumber than Inaho. But in a vacuum, I find his decision making to be much superior than a typical teenager.

        I do believe Slaine himself is at least partially responsible for his predicament. But at the same time, to expect him to be as calm and calculating as Inaho to prevent himself from being screwed constantly IMO is unrealistic. Inaho himself is already way too much of a hack as a character. I actually like that Slaine has the emotions of a typical teenager. Even if that did screw him out of a possible reunion with the princess.

        baubo
        Reply

      8. I agree with Drasca and haseo0408, I think Slaine’s about to go down a dangerous path. He’s naive and narrow-minded, he can’t see anything outside of Asseylum (let us not forget how he killed Trillram and then lied about it without batting an eye for Asseylum). Since he gets screwed over continuously because he’s trying to do the right thing (for Asseylum, not for Earth or the Martians), it seems heroic, but there’s only so much crap a person can put up with before they snap, as Urobuchi has shown in his previous works, so I wouldn’t put it past him to do it here if he’s still involved. In all honesty, that moment where Slaine declared that he would protect the princess from anyone trying to exploit her started freaking me out because who knows what he’s going to do, though he can’t do much at the moment.

        dmohican14
        Reply

      3. Release? Not any time soon, after this episode I´m 99.9% certain that Slaine is the poor soul Asseylum is pointing her gun at, that will be that final drop, the last draw, having the person he so obsessively loves as his enemy.

        haseo0408
        Reply

      5. i think it would be a very interesting twist. we spend the whole series seeing the mutual crush of asseylum and slaine, then things begin to change…asseylum becomes more and more sympathetic to earth and attached to inaho and the crew of the ship, while slaine becomes more drawn into the plot and becomes more obsessive about the princess, then in the final confrontation they find themselves on opposite sides, and asseylum is forced to shoot slaine down.
        i don’t know if this show is going for something that dark and twisted. /but/ slaine is nothing but good intentions, and everyone knows what the road to hell is paved with.
        on another note, i feel like the vers are like european crusaders of old, all honor and fervor and no reason

        nyanlol
        Reply

  9. To me this episode is another mark in my theory that Urobuchi has this strange fixation on depicting the ultimate triumph of the amoral and selfish character over those that operate on a sense of altruism or sense of human dignity. In this particular instance you have Inaho, this guy that seems to care for nothing whatsoever besides apparently his own survival as he states this episode who is pretty much enabled by the plot and shown to have success after success in achieving his goals, but it’s not because he cares about anything in particular, seemingly quite the opposite. For this outlook he wins every battle he’s been involved in, gets to back talk to and embarrass superiors, gets to spend time with “friends” who for some reason seem to enjoy interacting with him despite his utter lack of interest or care in anything around him and general unresponsiveness to any sort of human affection or interaction. Juxtapose that with the apparent selflessness of Slaine in steeling himself against yet more torture for the person he seems to care about the most and her goals of peace and for this he gets taken out of the frying pan and into the fire.

    I really don’t understand Urobuchi’s fixation with this sort of thing or why he insists on beating this point in so much in a lot of his works (Fate/Zero and Madoka Rebellion come to mind as totally doing this with their casts) or how it’s going to serve the narrative well, but I’m all but convinced now it’s present in this one too and that these ideas are coming from him even if it’s someone else putting them to script now.

    Cruhteo to a lesser extent seems to track in this regard as well as Saazbaum in their interplay this week. First with Cruhteo, despite how preposterous it was, I can’t help but notice the moment he drops the typical Martian sadism act, literally embraces Slaine and tries to do something just for once his character is immediately and unceremoniously killed off by Saazbaum. It could be sheer coincidence, or it could be that this sort of thing is a legitimate taboo in a Gen Urobuchi show and requires immediate response by the narrative and the “right kind of character” to teach him a permanent lesson for suddenly showing something resembling humanity. Then you have Saazbaum who clearly is the most amoral character of all on the Martian side who nobody ever seems to question as anything other than a paragon of whatever the hell their culture is supposed to be about. The emperor just believes everything he tells him about Slaine and starts the war up again, Cruhteo is played totally the fool by him, and guess what, his character is totally about the power and war mongering and using other people as pawns, assassinating his allies and generally just being the direct cause of pretty much all the bad things that happen so far and the narrative bends over backwards for him so many times for it.

    It’s just really hard not to notice these days with Urobuchi stories and to me there’s a clear effort to depict this sort of outcome here, though I’m not sure for what point or how it helps the narrative so much as make it feel incredibly contrived to serve his own apparent world view on how a person should approach a conflict if they want to come out on top. Maybe he just firmly believes in the idea of nice guys finish last, but to me it seems that if you want to live and be at the forefront of developments and have things work out for you in an Urobuchi story it helps to be the most despicable kind of Machiavellian and amoral type cause anything else is just going to get you killed or made to suffer some misfortune for it. As for why I personally don’t like it and think of it as a bad thing, to me it’s the sort of philosophical self affirmation that can just completely ruin story lines that call for a more evenhanded and dare I say plausible approach and it doesn’t make things any more realistic so much as limits where this kind of story can go since characters development and how the plot handles them are seemingly hard-locked as an inverse to their moral fiber.

    John Hunt
    Reply

    1. I don’t think there’s any question that Gen has a fixation on this theme, and while F/Z might be the most glaring example and I don’t know his VN catalogue well enough to say whether it’s uniformly there too, the only anime work I would say somewhat defies it is Gargantia. Gen in many ways seems to the ultimate consequentialist, and to take genuine pleasure from inflicting existential despair and physical torture on anyone with an altruistic streak. Why? Who knows – but it does tend to get repetitive, which may be one of the reasons why (for me at least) his series tend to sort of wear out their welcome before they get to the end.

      Guardian Enzo
      Reply

      1. Well yeah it sort of ends in me often questioning what the point is exactly. It’s like now that I’ve gotten what he’s about he just comes across as a really limited and unimaginative writer to me that can only really portray one idea particularly kind of irrelevant idea well. I mean at this rate I’d rather they gave this interstellar war story concept to the likes of say some of the people that wrote Space Battleship Yamato 2199 as an example cause at least they could likely take the story interesting places, expand on things and tackle multiple themes and ideas giving them each their due rather than just this one very simplistic and kind of pointless idea that one particular person is fixated on. At this rate I feel it’s going to make it impossible for the story to evolve beyond this emotionally dead and frankly kind of exhausting mean-spiritedness for the sake of mean-spiritedness with any sort of nuance to make it particularly engaging character and plot development wise.

        I mean take the example of someone like Gihren Zabi from the original Gundam who was as amoral as they come (and also the main antagonist, not one of the main heroes) at least his motivations still made sense and he didn’t just seem to be carrying out his schemes because he enjoyed them or for sadism’s sake but because he felt it was the course humanity needed to take to become his ideal of future master race and to control the problem of population bloat. In the end he was also made to pay specifically because of his lack of moral character catching up to him, not made to succeed because of it too and I felt that sort of thing worked.

        The thing is there doesn’t seem to be any particular point to what any of the characters are doing in this show and their motivations and interactions come across as remarkably simplistic and shallow for a show heading into the last 3rd of it’s first cour. Right now they just seem to be going to war and fighting and hating each other and doing despicable things because they simply are (the Martians being the clear aggressors here beyond any shadow of a doubt) and to me this is not engaging as a war story. Without the human factor and with the narrative clearly stacked in favor of a certain idea of amoralism as the catalyst of success in conflict it to me ceases to become a war story and human drama and becomes something else entirely that isn’t really possible to identify strongly with. I’m not sure how I’d describe it specifically at this point, but the torture porn label doesn’t strike me as entirely unfair for now.

        John Hunt
        Reply

      2. Now dont take this at face value, because this is only something i read in a comment somewhere on a discussion regarding the most recent anime convention. but supposedly, Gen said that his characters get thrown into these terrible dilemmas because its his way of giving them a chance to rise up against their tribulations, placing them in ever-changing situations to test his characters. In a way, there’s a sort of positive outlook with the tragedies he orchestrates

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

      4. To be honest I like Inaho mas the protagonist, he´s different from what´s usual in a story but to called him selfish or amoral is too early for, we have no idea what really goes trough that analytical mind of his or why he´s like that, up until now he´s been just honest but I´d like to see if Asseylum can crack that personality so we could se his true nature. I don´t say Inaho could fall in love with her, it´s yet too early for that, but at least see her as something else so we could see another more human side of him; hell! even Kiritsugu was really soft and tormented in the inside and the guy acted as a emotionless killing machine most of the time, Iry was the only thing that could crack that hard shell of his.

        haseo0408
        Reply

      5. The second Gargantia OVA which showed Kugel’s story was quite grim when taken in context, but I’m beginning to really like that Gargantia is a positive exception, even though I did love F/Z and Gen’s other grim works.

        Seraph
        Reply

    2. I know it’s mostly because I am a general cynic, but I would say there is some truth to the idea that amoral and selfish actions find a lot of success in society. I’m not saying that nice guys finish last, but sometimes you have to be mean about it to get ahead.

      As for why it seems to be a central theme, who knows. Maybe Gen was shafted by such things in the past or it’s some kind of social commentary. That or he just likes to see his characters suffer.

      StrenX
      Reply

      1. The problem isn’t that he’s necessarily wrong but that he drives the idea into the ground and over kills it a lot of the time. Not all bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people like seems to be the case at key junctures in a lot of his work and particularly this one of late. I mean back stabbing does happen in real life and people get away with it all the time, I’m not naive enough to think this isn’t the case, but the degree to which it’s portrayed as leading to success in his works so consistently and often conveniently and the way in which the altruistic approach leads to characters just suffering in ironic ways doesn’t make his stories any more realistic or nuanced to me so much as contrived and silly. Basically it’s the degree to which this one idea is allowed to dominate a lot of his stories that becomes the problem, not that there isn’t some truth to it.

        John Hunt
        Reply

    3. I definitely agree with you on the anguish theme, but I disagree that Slaine is purely altruistic / selfless. He is unable to properly communicate or trust anyone that isn’t hime. If he talked properly with Cruhteo at the beginning, that guy would’ve still be an asshole, but one on the hime’s side. Same with Inaho, but he distrusts Terran wholesale and communicated. Slaine dug his own hole.

      I also disagree with the statement “gets to back talk to and embarrass superiors” for two reasons. Firstly while there’s conscription going on, government is broken, and clearly the captain is not superior to Inaho (for plot and killer reasons). It is a term for authority, but the authority they each have is clearly seperate and not equal. The ranking system does not work. Secondly, Inaho doesn’t care about embarassment, either as a choice or as a blind spot. His position is solid, and only the truth matters when he speaks. The Captain has no interest or desire to constrict or harm Inaho.

      “Urobuchi’s fixation with this sort of thing”
      I think the simplest answer is the best: It works. He weaves conflict and it is both creatively and financially successful. He needs no other reason. If there’s a deeper answer, your guess is as good as mine, but in an industry starved for cash and success… the success is always welcome.

      Also contrast it with the rest of the industry, they’re mostly doing good guys always win no matter what. If its been done already it is harder to compete and honestly can make for a lousy story. Pure predictability means no real conflict, and ultimately boredom. Gen treads a little into this territory for veteran viewers, but considering the vast majority of anime is often the opposite. . . he’s still working it well.

      Disclaimer: For Aldnoah Zero we don’t know how much his involvement actually is.

      Drasca
      Reply

      1. >] “I definitely agree with you on the anguish theme, but I disagree that Slaine is purely altruistic / selfless. He is unable to properly communicate or trust anyone that isn’t hime. If he talked properly with Cruhteo at the beginning, that guy would’ve still be an asshole, but one on the hime’s side. Same with Inaho, but he distrusts Terran wholesale and communicated. Slaine dug his own hole.”

        Let me see if I understand this correctly. You’re suggesting that, after having just found out about Asseylum and her attempted assassination by the Martians, the first thing Slaine should’ve done was go to a Martian and tell him everything that happened?

        Your optimism is striking, truly.

        Ryan Ashfyre
        Reply

      2. Slaine, at the time, was a member of an organization and heirarchy, with Count Cruhteo as the Commander. He seemed to also report directly to Count Cruhteo (which is odd btw), but it would’ve been his duty to report faithfully to his Commander. He swore oaths when joining and has betrayed his oaths and sworn duties.

        Maybe he is indeed realistically portraying a teenager, but teenagers are idiots. All horomones, no experience and no self control.

        Ryan, if I extended your logic, the Emperor was martian too, and should not have been reported to either. Or… I should not trust my CO because he is black/white/male/female/japanese/chinese/german/etc and a (insert group here) did (bad thing). That’s not how functional military organizations work.

        You don’t keep problems and bad news to yourself, it only sinks the organization as a whole when the problem isn’t addressed.

        Cruhteo would still have been an inscrutable bastard, had Slaine still whipped, and hate Terrans. However, he would’ve done the job of searching and acquiring the Princess safety had he known about her. That is his duty.

        Slaine did more damage trying to keep secrets and take matters into his own hands.

        For fiction and drama’s sake, he plays the fool that gets kicked around, but doesn’t realize how big of a fool he really is. That is his role in Aldnoah, but that doesn’t make him like-able for those that think outside the moment.

        Drasca
        Reply

      3. >] “Ryan, if I extended your logic, the Emperor was martian too, and should not have been reported to either. Or… I should not trust my CO because he is black/white/male/female/japanese/chinese/german/etc and a (insert group here) did (bad thing). That’s not how functional military organizations work.

        You don’t keep problems and bad news to yourself, it only sinks the organization as a whole when the problem isn’t addressed.”

        With all respect, Drasca, there’s a reason I called the Emperor Slaine’s “glimmer of hope” in my previous comment, in that he was the only one that Slaine could’ve talked to with any semblance of confidence, Martian or not.

        That being said of course, I still strongly maintain that it would’ve been irrevocably foolish for Slaine to try and talk to anyone else. To do so when he had no virtually no idea of who was involved with Asseylum’s attempted assassination (aside from her grandfather, the Emperor, of course) would’ve been nothing short of signing his death warrant, regardless of how you might try to justify it to the contrary.

        Ryan Ashfyre
        Reply

      4. ” I still strongly maintain that it would’ve been irrevocably foolish for Slaine to try and talk to anyone else”

        He failed miserably, because the problem was bigger than himself, and tried to by-pass his chain of command, and kept secrets to himself.

        He’s a big fool and a terrible soldier. Magic “I can save the day if I believe” does not work. If the organization he’s in was competent (not saying they are, I’ve stated otherwise a lot), he’d already have training stating explicitly to tell those appointed over him, and he’s bucked that training and betray the organization to try to wing it solo. He’s consistently unprofessional and out of his league, and I am disgusted by Slaine for it.

        We’ve already seen what’s happened. The real world is even more unforgiving for lone gunmen. Basically Slaine tries to pull a shounen hero move, and he’s kicked to the curb for it because that stuff is incredibly dumb and doesn’t work in a world that’s more complex than the simplified “oh the king will fix everything if I can just tell him–and not anyone else”. BS! Baka Slaine.

        Drasca
        Reply

      5. @Drasca:

        >] “He’s a big fool and a terrible soldier. Magic “I can save the day if I believe” does not work. If the organization he’s in was competent (not saying they are, I’ve stated otherwise a lot), he’d already have training stating explicitly to tell those appointed over him, and he’s bucked that training and betray the organization to try to wing it solo. He’s consistently unprofessional and out of his league, and I am disgusted by Slaine for it.”

        I understand your reasoning in that, at first blush, it should seem perfectly logical for someone in Slaine’s position to tell someone what happened, however there is a gaping hole in your logic that, with all respect, you just don’t seem to want to tackle.

        How is Slaine supposed to tell anyone (aside from the Emperor of course, but we’ve already covered that) about Asseylum being alive if he doesn’t know who to trust? Without a sufficient understanding of the situation, he stands to do much more harm than good if he goes blabbing to his superiors like a good little soldier and hoping that things will turn out for the best.

        Pardon me for being blunt, but that’s just shifting responsibility from the situation that, fairly or unfairly, he’s found himself in and trying to justify it by way of calling it his duty as a soldier simply rings hollow.

        That said, all of this is ultimately a moot point as it’s a key point of Slaine’s character that his loyalty is, ultimately, to Princess Asseylum, NOT to the Martians, the military or whatever else. Keeping her safe is his priority, Martians or Terrans be damned.

        And to that end, you can’t argue that he’s done his job well so far.

        Ryan Ashfyre
        Reply

      6. Responsibility was never shifted. Secret service to the Princess has never been his job, and he’s going way outside his class to do so. He’s basically a ranting fanboy who thinks himself equal and deserving of a popstar idol because she acted kindly to him when younger in school.

        Frankly, Slaine is delusional. Fellow shounen fanboy lovers might want him to win, but that’s fantasy. The reality is he acted outside his job and put the princess in more danger as a result.

        What’s safer for her, a giant warzone, or a ceasefire with both major sides with their best interest to rescue her?

        Heck, the princess would be safer if slaine did not exist at all.

        No interest in Earth, no visit to earth.

        If visit Earth anyway, and body double killed, cease-fire called shortly afterward with no war declaration.

        The shounen Slaine is the catalyst for the princess’s danger, and his actions will only further put her in jeopardy as this series progresses.

        No good can come of slaine’s poor decision making.

        Drasca
        Reply

    5. I think Urobuchi gets way too much credit for being sadistic and relishing in his character’s suffering. I do believe, disregarding his early light novel work, that Urobuchi mainly gets this reputation due to his subversion of the magical girl genre in Madoka, and now we are stigmatized into thinking that every time he makes a character suffer means that the butcher has struck again.
      The only time I feel that a characters suffering has got in the way of the plot and reached excessive levels was in fate zero. Such emotional and physical turmoil that any character has to go throug is not something rare in anime, nor is it in any way Urobuchi’s signature touch or what not.
      For me, Slaine’s torture this week hardly equates him to being this show’s punching bag, making it seem as if this level of suffering and torture is something completely alien in anime. For me, most of the plot developments have been highly conventional,and he torture that follows is a natural development to his capture and to drive the plot forward.

      Saki
      Reply

  13. If anyone had doubts that Aldnoah should be considered popcorn entertainment then this episode should remove all doubts. Accusations of torture porn aside (it wasn’t that bad, Game of Thrones off the top of my head is more provocative) all the necessary components were here: melodrama, quick character development, significant flip flops (i.e. Cruheto’s sudden change of opinion), focus on world changing events, and what could be considered absolutist differences between the protagonists and antagonists.

    The only concern I had with this episode is not so much the problems with the characters and the story itself rather than the failed potential. If Cruheto is actually dead it destroys what could have been a good storyline that turns the Earth-Vers war into a three way fight between Earth and the “royalist” Vers against the “realist” Vers. That is more in line with Urobutcher imaginings than the increasingly conventional plot being laid out before us.

    For all the complaints though there is one key point that is quite interesting: Slaine’s survival. The mastermind Count made his move by the looks of things not because Cruheto seemed to be at risk of learning about Asseylum’s survival and his assassination attempt (as some have argued), but because Cruheto was going to kill him. If the Count wanted Cruheto to not find out anything, he would’ve let Slaine die. It could simply be that the Count wants to use Slaine to find Asseylum, but IMO that’s too simple, especially considering that the flashbacks are increasingly hinting towards Slaine coming to Mars independent of his father. Unlike Slaine his father looks to bear a large degree of importance to Vers. Why did Slaine come separately? Why is he treated differently? What exactly did his father research/discover regarding Aldnoah. We are missing something significant in terms of story and it has to do with Slaine, his father, and their Vers origins. I am betting the Count is keeping Slaine alive because Slaine is valuable in some capacity not related to finding Asseylum.

    Pancakes
    Reply

  14. I have to completely disagree with Enzo on this, since I pretty much called it last week that this was likely going to happen. I found the torture not that bad in retrospect, you have to remember that Cruhteo thought Slaine was an enemy spy, and what do you do with enemy spies? You pump them for information, in any means necessary. In terms of actual torture, this was a mere dusting, there was no blood, there was some painful screams but besides that it was pretty G. That said I’ve seen some pretty fucked up shit in previous tours to Afganistan and Iraq so maybe I’m not the best person when it comes to being well balance or adjusted.

    And what did see from this all, Slaine is stud, a massive stud, and he certainly values his princess’s life above even his own life. Cruhteo was pretty professional in my opinion, he wasn’t overly cruel or cold. He was simply doing a job that needed to be done, and when he realized that Slaine wasn’t an enemy spy but simply trying to save the princess he realizes his mistake and tries to correct that. That says a lot about his character, the willingness to say you’ve done wrong and try to correct that speaks a lot. I know quite a few people in my own line of work would simply try to forget this, and a hide this travesty. If he lived well, I bet Cruhteo after this was all said and done would probably fallen on his sword.

    And then we have the Saazbaum, who’s interesting. On some level he cares for Slaine, but the question is this because Slaine might have knowledge of his father who was researching Aldnoah, or something else? Because throughout the episode he had to restrain Cruhteo from killing Slaine right there and then. And then when it looks like Slaine is going to die, he comes in a super powered mech that looks disturbingly like Megatron to save Slaine. He then goes to town on Cruhteo castle, killing Cruhteo in process and taking Slaine. Something is going on here, I would think Saazbaum would gladly want Slaine dead first and foremost because he is one of the few people that know the princess is alive and well. But he seems to have other plans for our intrepid Slaine.

    Then of course we have them flashing back and forth to the view of Inaho and the princess engaging in well, dialogue. We see that Asseylum sort of has latched on to Inaho as either as her rock in the stormy seas, or that of a safety blanket of child. While she is certainly pretty badass by the way she judo tossed that poor sap at the beginning, she certainly looks at Inaho almost the same way she did as Slaine. Replacement gold fish maybe? And then Inaho motives are well, unknown, he certainly cares for her, but not overtly so, it begs the question whether he thinks of her as friend or as an asset.

    And throughout this all a question keep on appearing, are we even sure that the Earth Command HQ is even still alive? Since communications are down, there’s really no way in knowing that the HQ isn’t some gigantic trap awaiting for them, like something out of Gundam Seed. And what do you think HQ will think when they pull in there giant flying battleship (assuming there alive and well)? Yeah, nothing good comes from them setting course for HQ but of course nothing good happen if they sit around and do nothing.

    Echo
    Reply

    1. I agree, Slaine is a real man. Slaine also carries secrets of Aldnoah in him most likely. Aldnoah power is bestowed from King’s dna, it is possible whatever the bad guys want, it’s to break away from being bound by the king’s dna for Aldnoah.

      LK
      Reply

    2. Agreed about Saazbaum, there is no reason for him to keep Slaine alive if he simply wanted to keep Cruheto ignorant. As mentioned above it could be that Saazbaum believes Slaine knows the location of Asseylum and wants to use him to find her, but it seems too easy given the history of Slaine and his father’s work.

      Full bets personally are on Slaine possessing something yet unknown that Saazbaum wants to make use of.

      Pancakes
      Reply

      2. That would be pretty cliche, ‘here’s a good luck charm that my father gave me, but in actuality it’s a hidden Macgruffin with the power of activating the Aldnoah without need for vers bloodline’. Ironic if it were true, given who’s it on right now. So yeah, that’s probably it, can’t see why I didn’t see it sooner.

        Echo
        Reply

      3. Damn forgot entirely about that locket, good catch; fully agreed the locket probably has something to do with the missing info too. Not sure it will have to do with Aldnoah being activated through non-genomic means though, IMO might be more likely that it has to do with a hidden (nefarious) side of Aldnoah neither Earth nor Vers is aware of.

        Pancakes
        Reply

      4. Sourbum thinks that Slaine unlocked Aldnoah tech for the terrans because his father was researching that… likely he is gonna keep Slain in order to “interrogate” (AKA torture) him more to find out how to unlock the tech for himself.

        Slain is too hurt atm tho , so likely they gonna let him rest and heal up for a bit before they begin the new “interrogation” (read as ‘torture’) session.

        im 98% sure Slaine gonna be killed soon.

        inanis
        Reply

    3. I don’t think Asseylum replaced Slaine with Inaho, but he helps her with things. Slaine seems to be her motivation to do what she does. That’s big. In retrospect, her mad face when Inaho corrected one of Slaine’s lessons make sense. His lessons shaped her dream. Slaine thinks about her when he risks her life. Asseylum, ignoring all this danger, thinks about him when she sees the blue sky, the birds (there is even a seagull in his fragment of the opening), and the blue sea.

      Durga
      Reply

    5. I really suspect Slaine’s dad is the one who granted the Vers Emperor power, that Saazbaum thinks so too and is making a power-grab through Slaine. I have thought this since the beginning… and the official Vers mythology was hokey when introduced.

      I think the history on Mars was established something like this:

      Colony –> Slaine’s dad meets/teams with now Grandpa –> Dad discoveries grant Emperor Power –> Current Vers Empire

      I don’t know what happened to Slaine’s father only he’s not shown present in this series, but he’s obviously important and through him Slaine is too.

      Drasca
      Reply

    6. Echo, I too agree with you that the torture was very light & G rated, but admit everyone’s going to react differently — especially if they’re uninitiated.

      Military folk are going to have at least very basic understanding of torture, while civilians are just as likely to have none and possibly be freaked out.

      It was a waiting game and really Slaine wasn’t harmed much, physically, emotionally, belief system insulting or drastically personality changing. Not like what’s coming to him in the future. . . which can only be worse than physical torture.

      Drasca
      Reply

      2. It’s pretty condescending to dismiss any disagreement as coming down to people being delicate and soft because they’re uninitiated about torture. Torture doesn’t have to be graphic and fatal to be disgusting – it’s the symbolic nature of the act that’s the problem. It’s a cheap dramatic trick and beneath the dignity of what Aldnoah has shown for most of its run.

        I also find it rather silly to see what was done to Slaine dismissed as “very light” and “no harm done”. Never mind the fact that torture is, by broad agreement among most authorities including the US military, an ineffective interrogation technique that yields unreliable information and reduces the chance of getting useful information in the future, never mind compromising the moral authority of the group that’s engaged in it. To the extent that it casts light on anything, it paints the Martians generally and Cruhteo specifically as even more ignorant and savage than they already have been (and they haven’t exactly been painted in the best light before this).

        Guardian Enzo
        Reply

      3. Let me tell you about torture, I once saw a man that had all his toes and fingers cut off, and his manhood stuck down his throat with a sign in arabic that mocked him. Or the time where I saw a girl, a little girl, maybe 7 to 8 years old. She had gone to school, and that had been enough, for a bunch of Taliban to strip her naked, cut off her vagina, gouge out her eyes, and splashed her body with battery acid. Pretty horrible enough to find her abandoned on the side of dusty dirt road in the middle of nowhere. So if you think I don’t know how horrific torture can be, think again.

        And I’m quite aware of the fact that torture is not affective means of gaining information, if anything it has the opposite effect. To a certain degree we see very clearly shown in the Slaine’s case. He didn’t submit through torture, he submitted through exhaustion.

        So when it comes to torture when I say something like this is G or it’s light, to a certain degree compared to some the brutal aftermaths I have witnessed, it is. The question though is whether it’s an effective tool in a writers or script writers arsenal is the real question I think your asking. In this point is where we disagree, I find it an effective if controversial tool that needs to be used wisely. You find it nothing but cheap character drama and development. I can understand why you think that way.

        Echo
        Reply

      4. Enzo,

        I disagree with you on the point that his show is dignified. It is high quality work, but it has a lot of other points that break immersion that’s beyond the scope of this post. It is also shows a ‘gritty’ tone, displaying struggles and horrors of war along the way (though certainly not all). I also think the torture scene was appropriate to the timing and tone of the show. You’re free to believe the torture scene a ‘cheap trick’. I believe many other story-writing decisions of this show have been forced. However, for me it was done right here and actually done in a relatively sanitized fashion

        I stated others will react differently. Yes, torture is ugly. How ugly? YMMV, just as some folk can tolerate spicy foods or stinky smells and others cannot, some people are used to a broader spectrum of ugliness in their worlds. For some, they’ll never see true horro. For others, struggle & death is a reality every day.

        The effectiveness of torture as an information gathering tool is irrelevant. It is used in war, it is relevant to the culture involved and it is not pretty. I would argue sanitizing and taking away such elements does a disservice to this kind of relatively realistic drama. If you take away the horrors of war, you’re glorifying it, and taking away the conflict involved.

        Torture is certainly not pretty, but it drives the message home to the viewer about this imperialist culture. They don’t consider Terrans equals, they’re animals and have no remorse about their genocidal ways.

        Drasca
        Reply

      5. Perhaps the show is not focused on violence?
        Or they have to work within limits otherwise they can’t air?

        Otherwise it will have some late night time slot or something.

        If hard-core violence is necessary to make some point maybe they could include it in the DVD and BD release?

        iron2000
        Reply

      6. to me the torture scene was relatively light (I have no military background btw), and agreed it was fairly sanitized in comparison to what we see on tv and other anime nowadays (probably as a result I’m a little more desensitized).

        however, clearly it touched a nerve for some, and everyone’s mileage will certainly vary on it, though I would have to disagree that it was “torture porn”. that seems to be quite a stretch with awful films (imo) out there like Martyrs, or a Serbian Film, and to lesser extents movies like Hostel and their ilk (some of them make Ichi the Killer look tame in comparison!). it’s like considering the torture scenes from Alias to be “torture porn”. A better example would be Theon’s treatment. now that’s torture porn, and unnecessary!

        but I do agree with the Cruhteo assessment, maybe not as vehemently, but his apology doesn’t mean squat. Sure he’s showing himself to at least be somewhat more honorable than the other Orbital Knights, but that’s not saying much at this point. they’ve taken him too far down douche bag road and there’s no turning back for him.

        Impel Down Hippo
        Reply

    7. The don’t know if HQ still alive part reminds me of Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova 😛

      Somehow I get the Granzon feel from Saazbaum’s mech but it has really long fingers it seems.

      Wonder will they start to introduce more Counts soon.

      iron2000
      Reply

      1. Also if they make it to an existing functional HQ then the cast should increase.

        Maybe there would be scientists who were involved in Deucalion?
        How about the scientists sending the crew on an RPG-ish quest to remote lab locations to activate secret Earth Aldnoah projects?

        Maybe there would be an extreme anti-Vers faction or some mad scientist, people bent on exploiting the Princess.
        And perhaps Saazbaum can use these people to somehow get Slaine to his side.

        At the end of the OP the Princess looked really sad pointing a gun at someone.
        Desperately sad?

        iron2000
        Reply

  15. Inaho: Princess is very valuable, I cannot let any dangerous people near her, she’s Earth’s trump card. So I will prevent anybody from taking Princess.

    Slaine: Princess is my reason to live, I will fight whoever wants to harm princess.

    Cruhteo: I hate earthlings, but Slaine has proven to me that he is Honorable, so I consider him special. I still hate Earthlings. And no, I am not apologizing for my racism, but I need to stop this war in order to secure princess.

    This is where the author got it wrong for me, Cruhteo is not saying he suddenly loves earth people, he’s merely branding Slaine as superior than his origin. AKA, Slaine exhibited traits that these filthy earthlings cannot possibly have.

    Cruhteo is eager to call a cease fire, because he knows that is his best chance to save the princess. Earthlings are evil, traitorous, I better not piss them off and harm Princess.

    LK
    Reply

      1. I think its the Vers culture to be excessively proud of their race.
        Don’t know whats written in the Vers textbooks since their founding in 1985 😛

        What suddenly made Professor Rayregalia go anti-Earth in 1982?

        iron2000
        Reply

  16. I think you’re overreacting the Cruhteo scene. The “forgive me Slaine” thing is most certainly an insight into Cruhteo character and as a result a look at Martian society, which is very blatantly a call back to imperial WWII Japan. Cruhteo represents one type of person during that time period, who values loyalty, honor and glory. And with the way he’s portrayed; Behind the schemers, making decisions that go against the spirit of the princess in the name of avenging the princess to gather honor and glory, and generally being made a fool of, it’s kinda obvious that the series is not endorsing this type of person. The only potential endorsement of Cruhteo this series may have is that he’s a slightly better person than an outright schemer.

    Cruhteo reveals how warped the Martian society really is. How shortsighted and silly they are with their focus on honor and loyalty, how their racism blinds them from the truth, and how easy it is to manipulate them. He is the example that proves Raynet’s speech earlier.

    eraserman
    Reply

    1. Your opinion is certainly no less valid, but mine is that scene was a complete misfire on every level and that “Forgive me Slaine” could be headed for meme status as one of the cheesiest stumbles in recent anime. That kind of preposterous instant turnaround is what makes haters throw up their hands and insist anime is lowbrow silliness – which it’s not (or at least doesn’t have to be), and neither is this series most of the time.

      Guardian Enzo
      Reply

      1. Yeah I’ll agree that the scene could be better executed. But to argue that the instant turnabout is preposterous is kinda silly when it’s kinda obvious that Cruhteo is being used to criticize a society type that has many historical analogs in both Japan and the West, and that people like Cruhteo definitely existed in reality. Cruhteo is interesting in the way he denounces the type of mentality he exbits. Racism that prevents him from properly estimating his opponents strength, a belief in Honor and Loyalty that leads him to act in a way that is both dishonorable (Torture) and disloyal (destroying the princesses dream instead of guarding it).

        If the show continues and has something stupid like Slaine actually forgiving Crutheo down the line, I’ll agree with you that this scene is horrible writing. Cause then this scene wouldn’t be to show how dumb, shortsighted, and absurd a person like Crutheo is in real life and rather to say that he was a good person. Which is dumb, cause even if Crutheo has a spark of good in him, it was overwhelmed by his stupidity and as such he only caused suffering.

        eraserman
        Reply

      4. the greatest sin the show commits is that the writing is not subtle at all. if you’re going to make a serious critique about societal hierarchies and caste structures and their resulting culture of dehumanization, then it’d be a good idea not to make it clunky or cartoonish, or as Enzo has said, detractors can continue to accuse anime as being lowbrow – which it’s not or at least doesn’t have to be.

        Impel Down Hippo
        Reply

      5. @Impel
        I don’t think this show is meant to be that serious, so it would not be in its favor to be subtle.

        Being easily understandable and digestable has its merits too, because subtlety can easily be lost.

        Popcorn action flick as stated earlier by Pancakes, albeit with interesting undertones for flavor, is probably the goal here.

        Drasca
        Reply

      6. true true, but I don’t think it has to be that on the nose either. how about a nice happy medium? and popcorn flicks can be more than one dimensional, we just don’t see it very often.

        Impel Down Hippo
        Reply

    3. I agree. It was highly implied since episode 1 that Cruhteo indeed is loyal to the Vers empire more than his desire to conquer Earth. There’s no denying that he was being a racist but it was because of his hatred for the Terrans who supposedly killed the princess whom he wholeheartedly tried to protect by trying to stop her from going to Earth.

      After learning the truth in which it was really the orbital knights who plotted the assassination, he immediately recognized Slaine’s actions as loyalty to the Vers Empire though in reality Slaine was loyal to nobody but the Princess.

      He might actually pull off a Code Geass Orange-kun character development if he turns out alive.

      The Story You Don't Know
      Reply

  18. Definitely one of my favorite episodes of Aldnoah so far, and for one very specific reason, and it’s not one that many an anime can manage to pull off…

    This episode had me so conflicted about it that I honestly wasn’t sure how I should feel about it at first And. I. Love. It.

    Now, as a general rule of anime for me, torture porn is an instant downer for me, no matter what. Torture is, IMHO, the single most vile act that any human can ever perform, and so I do not condone it as not having a purpose. By its very nature, it MUST; and when a series tries to get with just doing it for kicks (Here’s looking at you, Elfen Lied) or whatever else, it falls flatter than Miley Cyrus at the MTV Music Awards. It just doesn’t work.

    That said, Slaine’s ‘interrogation’ was rife with so much controversy and emotion that I feel like I’d be diminishing its value by calling it torture. It was art; beautiful, painful-to-watch-but-you-just-can’t-tear-your-eyes-away art, and I walked away with a newfound sense of respect for our fair-faced protagonist.

    In the timeless words of the Hero King: “The path of devotion is a great labor. Do not ever mar it,” and Slaine certainly does those words proud.

    That aside, it was actually within Cruhteo that I found the most insight into what has been an otherwise still vague Martian culture.

    Now, of course, we knew right from the start that these guys had overblown egos and a superiority complex of world-shaking proportions (quite literally, I’m sure we can agree), but this episode really struck home for me just how deep their issues run. Even in the face of having just mercilessly beaten poor Slaine to within an inch of his life, Cruhteo shows not even a hint of hesitation in pursuing his next course of action after having realized the truth.

    No remorse, no regret, no second-guessing himself; not as far as we can see anyway.

    It’s as the cliche, but oh so true saying goes: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” and Aldnoah Zero is a series that has done a splendid job of bringing that to painful light.

    The pain and conflict just keep on escalating, and I for one can’t wait to see what happens next.

    Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.

    Ryan Ashfyre
    Reply

    1. Let justice be done though the heavens fall also known as Fiat justitia ruat caelum

      I could totally see them doing a “Piso’s Justice”. Verbally right but morally wrong.

      Seneca tells us that Piso condemned a man on circumstancial evidence for murder; but when the suspect was at the place of execution, the man supposed to have been murdered exclaimed, “Hold, hold! I am the man supposed to have been killed.” The centurion sent back the prisoner to Piso, and explained the case to him; whereupon Piso condemned all three to death, saying, “Fiat justitia.” The man condemned is to be executed because sentence of death has been passed upon him, and fiat justitia; the centurion is to be executed because he has disobeyed orders, and fiat justitia; the man supposed to have been murdered is to be executed because he has been the cause of death to two innocent men, and fiat justitia etsi coelum ruat.

      So the Vers Emperor will be Piso, Terrans will be the person accused of murder, Slaine will be the Centurion, and Asseylum will be the person who was supposedly murdered.

      Terrans will still be hunted because their annihilation has been ordered. Slaine will be killed because he didn’t follow the orders. Asseylum will also be murdered because she was the cause of the war.

      *Everybody dies. Sounds like a perfect Urobutcher ending to me.*

      The Story You Don't Know
      Reply

  19. My suspicions of Inaho being an actual sociopath has increased over the past few weeks, and for my money, I have a better time appreciating his character more like this, than if I was seeing him as a “defrosting ice queen”. You almost never know what’s going on in this kid’s head. It’s all speculation.

    He’s the sort of friend I’d be lucky to count on when he’s on my side, but I shudder to think of what he’d do if he no longer finds me important, or deems me an obstacle, to what he wants.

    ShootPointBlank
    Reply

    1. Inaho is certainly antisocial and far and away detached from what many would consider “normal,” but I don’t think the label of a sociopath quite fits him.

      For all his quirks, he’s obviously very intelligent and has a clear distinction between right and wrong. It’s just that, unless the situation has something to do with him directly, he just doesn’t give a crap.

      You could chalk all that up to Inaho simply being apathetic, albeit an above average case.

      Ryan Ashfyre
      Reply

    3. You’d have to oppose him directly, and not openly communicate with him– both failures on Slaine’s account.

      “You are my enemy” Slaine made himself Inaho’s opponent (mostly because Slain is inexperienced, has no communication skills, overly emotional etc — baka). I doubt you’d do the same without good reason.

      Ryan’s right about Inaho not caring about situations not affecting him. Inaho’s got enough problems as it is, and is smart enough to realize it. He doesn’t care to take on more.

      Drasca
      Reply

      1. more like no matter whatever Slain had reply, he was going to be shot down anyway

        Inaho: princess is dead and yet you came here to look for her. Why?

        his question was indirect but it imply that Inaho has already assume who Koumori(Bat) was.

        And Slaine most likely could not follow Inaho thought.

        Orange has no idea on how Koumori learn that the princess is still alive
        Koumori too would not have known that Orange was aware of the assassination.

        Cross fire is inevitable if you ask me

        MAIRU
        Reply

  21. The way Crutheo died was idiotic. He should already know that his landing castle is already under siege in front of him yet he says “Prepare my Tharsis“.
    They’re way of living is so already advance that Crutheo didn’t know the meaning of primitive “RETREAT“.
    Anyway now that his dead, I wonder who is going to pilot Tharsis now that Crutheo dead.
    Will it be Slaine or Inaho or someone else.

    Croos
    Reply

      4. Yes, that or a burnt corpse. Given that we have confirmation for all of the VERS kat users’ deaths – Slaine shot the 1st, the 2nd’s mech’s blown to smithereens by the steam explosion with pieces shown right afterwards in the water, 3rd’s death got confirmed this week with the wreckage.

        info600
        Reply

      1. This. From what I understand of Aldnoah, the royal line gives the ability to activate an Aldnoah drive to an orbital knight. The knight is thus not only the highest-ranking officer on board the landing castle, but is also the “power source” of the whole base. Take the knight out, knock out the power. Directly after that plasma blade smacked into the Count, the whole base went offline.

        In a way, it kinda reminds me of how reigning monarchs would appoint Governor-Generals to their colonies as a representation of authority from the throne. Except, y’know, that real-world system didn’t have the glaringly obvious flaw of how taking out one person could collapse the whole system.

        ShootPointBlank
        Reply

  22. And this is the moment where we see Inaho’s daft personality have a sort of extra dimension to it. For the brilliant tactician that he is, Inaho doesnt seem to have a good grasp at reading people or the context of a situation, which resulted in him making that call last week. It seems to some degree, he genuinely thought slaine was a martain spy, and did what he had to do. Not throwing utter blame on either person, but had Inaho been able to read that situation better, he would have tried to procure Slaine’s intentions further by capturing him, rather than leaving him for dead (then again what’s to say Inaho didnt actually understand the situation but decided he would do what is necessary to win the war, keeping the princess at all costs). As i said last week, both Inaho and Slaine shot at each other simultaneously in response to their growing suspicions of each other, and while both characters could have handled their situation better, one cant help but think that a more emotionally responsive character would have captured Slaine and tried to reason with him, you know, get information out of him if they werent sure where their loyalties lie. But hey, this is war, anything can happen and one must always play their cards close to their chest.

    sonicsenryaku
    Reply

      1. Hahaha..it’s like you said…the controversy is here. The reason why i say Slaine and Inaho fired at almost the same time has to do with the way the scene is framed. If you watch it, you see that the timing of the shots is really just a result of how they cut the scenes. They play Slaine’s shot, and then instantly play inaho’s right after, but not because Slaine fired first per se. Inaho’s shot was not in retaliation; both Inaho and Slaine were trying to get the jump on each other at the same time. Think about it sort of like a western gun duel: you dont consider the guy who had the quicker draw the guy who shot first do you? it’s the same situation i see here: Slaine had the quicker draw but it was Inaho’s shot that was more precise, leading him to winning that bout. Sure Slaine aimed his guns at Inaho first, but at that point, Inaho was also readying himself to fire, knowing he had instigated a duel. It was just a matter of who would hit who first. SO yes, Slaine aimed at Inaho first, but didnt necessarily fire at him first. I think that if the director really wanted to convey that Slaine fired first, they would have shown a shot of slaine firing, his bullets either hitting or missing Inaho, and then cut to a shot of Inaho with whatever reaction he may have had on his face, then finally a cut of him pulling the trigger in retaliation, at least that’s what my conventional filming senses tell me (then again one can argue that not filming it that way is intentional and a part of the misdirection). But yea, when i saw that scene, i didnt see a retaliation, i saw two people trying to get the jump on each other simultaneously with one person winning in the end.

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

      3. Pointing and firing are not equivalent either in practical or moral terms.

        I’d also point out that even if Inaho fired a half-second later (and he definitely fired after Slaine did) it could still have been in retaliation, because it doesn’t take a hell of a long time to squeeze a trigger and the instinctive reaction would be to do just that.

        Guardian Enzo
        Reply

      5. “Pointing and firing are not equivalent either in practical or moral terms.”

        Which is why i made the distinction in my comment, but yea i see what you mean in regards to Inaho firing a split second later. Still, I feel that both parties were on the verge of shooting each other in the moment. Even so, I can certainly see the case that Slaine fired first and evidence to support that claim

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

      6. Slaine is rash and careless about himself when the situation is about the princess. Inaho is tact, careful, and always thinks ahead. They were both aiming at each other. Due to their personalities, I thought it was obvious that Slaine fired first but Inaho was expecting it so he fired a split second after Slaine did.

        The Story You Don't Know
        Reply

    2. Many say Inaho and Slaine are going to team up in oder to end this war, I don´t see that happening. Inaho is the person responsible for separating him from her princess when she was so close and Slaine “loyalty” to Asseylum might be what will drive her away from him once and for all, as I said before he´s a woobie with a huge crush so that makes him the perfect puppet for Sazabaum to use to the point that if everything as I´m guessing the poor bastard at the end of Asseylum´s gun will be no other than Slaine. It would make sense considering that Slaine is starting to only care for the princess so he doesn´t understand that “using” her as Inaho said might only meant ending this genocide with her help so the guy will surely hurt or killed many innocents in his crusade to “save” Asseylum.

      haseo0408
      Reply

    3. I disagree on Inaho’s read of the situation being poor or wrong. You’re considering it from the viewer’s standpoint, with full knowledge of Slaine. Consider Inaho’s:

      Unknown Pilot with Unknown intentions flies in.

      “The enemy of my enemy is not my friend, but may be useful” –Inaho

      Just because you’re both after the same target, does not make you allies. Inaho and Slaine conversed in very limited terms, and Slaine became belligerent, pointing guns and making demands. Inaho made a decision to suss out Slaine’s personality, and Slaine acted like a true Vers — making demands without thought. “You are my enemy” –Inaho

      Enzo’s also wrong about pointing guns. First rule of guns is you don’t point unless you intend to kill/destroy. If a weapon is pointed at you, that is intent to fire, and you have legal/moral/right to self-preservation. Similarly, you will face consequences if you point a weapon at others.

      Also shooting first isn’t as important as disabling/destroying target first. You might think shooting and hitting are the same at first glance, but it isn’t. Hitting vital vs non-vital spots is especially different when armor is involved that can deny effectiveness of weapons fire. Inaho was ready, Slaine was not.

      Drasca
      Reply

      2. Hell yeah WH:40K! The Dawn of War PC Game Intro still sticks in my mind today.

        Maybe Inaho plays some western Battletech / Mechwarrior as well 😉 He’s consistently demonstrated the ability to discriminate vital vs non vital target shooting

        Drasca
        Reply

      4. Another example of how those boy are polar opossites: Inaho uses his head and Slaine acts purely on emotion, they are both dangerous ways of thinking if taken to the extreme but Slaine has demostrated to be the most unstable of the pair.

        haseo0408
        Reply

      5. @drasca

        I never mentioned Inaho’s read of the situation being objectively poor. I was only trying to make the case that if he was more receptive to understanding Slaine’s goal, he would have captured him. That’s also why i stated that war is war, so you have to play your cards close to your chest. Inaho’s decision wasnt a poor one survival-wise; it was entirely logical. Someone who probably was a little more intrigued by Slaine’s actions tho would have captured him and interrogated him for some answers to see why he helped in the first place, which may have resulted in the terrans learning a little bit more about just what exactly is happening up at mars.

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

      6. @sonicsenryaku
        You’re right that if Inaho were a silver tongued and weathered diplomat, the situation would be turned around. A Captain Picard type could’ve talked his way through Slaine’s lack of communication skills and emotional backlog. However, the decision to keep Slaine / capture him, and whether that is the right move is still a coin toss.

        Inaho’s not though, he knows his strengths and weaknesses and played the numbers, and wasn’t willing to make that bet. Failure to communicate & reach terms on both sides certainly didn’t help Slaine’s cause either.

        I can respect Inaho for knowing his strengths and limits. I cannot respect Slaine, because he doesn’t his own. From an art of war standpoint, victory goes to those that know themselves and knows their enemies. Support and respect follow. Slaine knows neither, and gains neither. Good strategy and poor tactics is a slow path to victory, Good tactics and poor strategy the surest path to defeat. Both Slaine and Inaho have displayed battlefield ability, but the latter has no plan, and has consistently failed because of it.

        So agonizing to see such fail. It is embarassing.

        Drasca
        Reply

  23. Pretty good episode.

    Asseylum’s inspiration for peace and love for Earth was Slaine. Slaine in turn is inspired by her. The stark contrast of both recalling things of their past while in complete different situations was great. All she sees around the world are the lessons he weaved for her.

    There was also another contrast: Inaho admitting he never singled out Asseylum to protect her, he was only looking after himself. Slaine, on the opposite end, he looks after her even if she doesn’t know his predicament.

    Durga
    Reply

  24. I would love to see more stoic/expressionless/calm male leads in manga/anime/light novels. I’m just so sick and tired of all these hot blooded idiot types screaming into battle. Having said that though, some of those hot blooded types are more tolerable than others.

    Azuma
    Reply

  25. I think people are misreading Inaho. He is not emotionless, he just doesn’t express his emotions. Pay attention to his exchange with Captain Magbaredge. He is clearly annoyed with her refusal to use his proper name, so he purposefully picks a fight with her by telling her he purposefully chose to not tell her about Princess Asseylum. He is not amoral either. He was honest with Princess Asseylum when he told her he fought because he was required to and not because he wanted to protect her. He also approached the princess and warned her about the possibility of Martians knowing she is still alive.

    Zoks
    Reply

  26. “Remember – you can’t misspell “slain” with an extra “e” without “Slaine”.”

    I can give you five ways:
    -eslain
    -selain
    -sleain
    -slaein
    -slaien

    All mispellings of “slain” with an extra “e” without “Slaine”.

    NB
    Reply

    1. I don’t think I could ever say I enjoyed watching this one, but it’s definitely an episode I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. They really, really love to torture poor Slaine. And right now, it feels like he’s just gone out of the frying pan and into the fire. Crutheo is an asshole, but that was obvious from day one so I’m not especially repulsed by his actions this week. Well, I am repulsed, but only about as much as I expected to be. I know he’s been set up for a redemption of sorts, and I can accept that, but I’ll not be forgiving him. Provided he’s not dust, of course.

      Common opinion, but I really want Slaine to wrangle himself a happy ending out of this. I don’t want to see another Urobuchi character ‘rise up above all opposition’ by becoming another fucking martyr. It’s completely unsatisfying. I wanna see him pull through all of this, and live on and actually be happy (and marry Esselyum). We don’t need him to become the next ‘Anime Jesus’.

      On that though, I wonder if Aldnoah is popular enough yet that it’ll follow in the ‘Haruhi/Madoka’ footsteps and end up with religions devoted to it. It seems like the most popular show I’ve seen in the last few years, and it feels like it has just the right ingredients for it to happen.

      whemleh
      Reply

  27. “While Rayet’s speech to Magbaredge was a little precocious coming from an elfin 15 year-old, it certainly laid the Martian society wide-open and gutted it like a fish. They are indeed an interesting combination of futuristic technology and a genuinely archaic social structure. Social climbers who long to prove their glory in conquest and the worst kind of aristocrats who despise anyone lower than them, armed with superpowered alien weaponry and energy source? It’s a kind of perfect storm of awfulness, as if one of the Imperialist powers of 18th-Century Europe had access to nuclear weapons and the internet. Could peace every truly be negotiated with such a nation? This is a genuinely fascinating thread, but I’m quite curious to see if we’re introduced to anything remotely sympathetic on the Martian side apart from Asseylum herself (and I certainly don’t count Cruhteo).”

    This is a very interesting statement and one that we really have to think about. Can there really be peace between Earth and Mars? Slaine and Asseylum seem very optomistic but naive to think so. So far, Asseylum has been the only Martian with any sort of good qualities. Even her maid has expressly stated to look down on Terrans. If you have a people that went backwards in society, but yet have technology far beyond that of anyone else, how do you contend with that kind of world that goes to war against you? How do you spawn peace in a society that doesn’t seem to give a care about it?

    Irenesharda
    Reply

  28. My guess is now Slaine will be brainwashed to take out the princess. It would explain why the princess is pointing a gun and crying during the OP.
    Hopefully that’s not the case though…Slain should be allowed ‘some’ happiness after what he’s been put through.

    Yojimbo
    Reply

    1. I sincerely hope you’re wrong about this brainwashing hypothesis, absolute worst plot possible for me.

      Slaine, Inoha and the princess: no matter what happens, I wish it will be with them being themselves to the end, their individual personalities and the actions they take depending on that are ones the most interesting things in this show.

      cutesherry
      Reply

  29. I don’t think I could ever say I enjoyed watching this one, but it’s definitely an episode I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. They really, really love to torture poor Slaine. And right now, it feels like he’s just gone out of the frying pan and into the fire. Crutheo is an asshole, but that was obvious from day one so I’m not especially repulsed by his actions this week. Well, I am repulsed, but only about as much as I expected to be. I know he’s been set up for a redemption of sorts, and I can accept that, but I’ll not be forgiving him. Provided he’s not dust, of course.

    Common opinion, but I really want Slaine to wrangle himself a happy ending out of this. I don’t want to see another Urobuchi character ‘rise up above all opposition’ by becoming another fucking martyr. It’s completely unsatisfying. I wanna see him pull through all of this, and live on and actually be happy (and marry Esselyum). We don’t need him to become the next ‘Anime Jesus’.

    On that though, I wonder if Aldnoah is popular enough yet that it’ll follow in the ‘Haruhi/Madoka’ footsteps and end up with religions devoted to it. It seems like the most popular show I’ve seen in the last few years, and it feels like it has just the right ingredients for it to happen.

    whemleh
    Reply

  31. So I think I’ve figured out the major conflicts of the show!

    Terrans vs. Martians
    Inaho vs. Retarded Martian Pilots
    Slaine vs. Murphy’s Law

    I think Slaine has the short end of the stick here.

    Yes Martians are superior to filthy Terrans as if that hasn’t been beaten on our heads before. Which is why they have to resort to something as vile as torture despite the fact that torture has been proven to be an ineffective means of extracting information. These people are IDIOTS. Saazbaum may have ulterior motives, but he was right that killing a prisoner during interrogation produces nothing.

    That’s pretty much why I root for Slaine. Kid eats so much crap and will keep trucking on. Inaho provides the short-term satisfaction of seeing the smug Martians die, but Slaine is the one I want to deliver the ultimate fall of this society of pricks.

    fragb85
    Reply

    1. Although most of the Martians are kind of baffling, I don’t think having we can classify the Vers/Martians as “idiots” or “pricks”. I’m going to base off what I read from “Man’s Search For Meaning”, by Viktor E. Frankl, in that human kindness can be found in all groups, even when the majority can act cruelly such as Cruhteo before he found out the princess was alive. The Martians were people who were introduced to Aldnoah and because of their newfound power they became overconfident and somewhat closeminded of others. But then, on Earth, people like Rayet (and Calm for a short period of time) felt hatred and contempt for Martians because they invaded and caused worldly destruction.

      Dualash
      Reply

  32. Damn it Urobucher, stop messing with my emotions! Don’t just build up a character so much and then kill him off! Also, stop turning Slaine into Lancer/Kariya! Set my Slaine free! The Count…… ;_;
    (I agree he’s not completely forgivable, but I wanted him as an ally due to his sense of loyalty. People CAN change.)

    bakakubi
    Reply

    1. Here’s a way to get him to stop….. Offer the following to the Urobutcher and Slaine shall be freed from his suffering….

      1- The hearts of 10 million mosquitos
      2- The blood of 10 million mosquitos
      3- The tears of 10 million humans
      4- The blood of 10 million humans

      cruiser2710
      Reply

    2. Urobucher perhaps saw this coming, that the count will turn the sides, and then be a Beachhead for the Earthlings, with Mars Technology. So know, even if the Count survive, he has only his own Mecha (hope they could activate it) for fight back. I bet the attacker Count will bend the attack into his favor, to turn the other Knights against helping him..

      You know, there is still this News blockade. And i bet the other castles will notice that one stop working, and begin to ask around…

      Germanguy
      Reply

    3. I feel Slaine is more likely to die like Kayneth, with a promise that someone else carries out, since Inaho is very similar to Kiritsugu, even if Kayneth had an arrogance and lacked common hero traits (although would’ve fitted right in as a Versian Orbital Knight).

      Seraph
      Reply

  33. I wonder if the phrase, ‘Let Justice be done, though the heavens fall’ was inspired by the realist international relations theorist Hans J. Morgenthau when describing the state of individuals in a society. He asserts that an individual in a society may want what he calls, Fiat justitia, pereat mundus (Let justice be done, even if the world perish) when act is committed, whereas the State however is in no position to do so therefore the idea of justice is inconsequential.

    Given the sociopolitical nature of this show, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a portmanteau (is that the correct usage of the word) of sorts on that phrase. Anyone with a degree in International Relations care to comment?

    SCO
    Reply

    1. No that’s not at all the correct usage of the word. Also I don’t really see how that applies to anything that has happened in the show so far thematically, it’s probably just a cool sounding catch phrase.

      John Hunt
      Reply

  34. Cruhteo is not sharp to see through the lie in Slaine’s report about Trillam’s death. He, as one of Orbital Knights, should have be well aware of the capability of that dimensional barrier. But again,Sazabaum was also convinced that Trillam could have died from meteor bombard (in episode 4). This probably suggest that either most of Orbital Knights are not well informed about abilities of each Kat ,or these two lords are just dense.

    As for Slaine, he was clearly aware of the weakness in his lie but do it anyway. This guy really have some guts. So far, he claim to know the some abilities of Kat(dimension barrier and rocket fist). He is allow to accompany princess and work as a crew. Just What exactly is his position in Mars?

    MAIRU
    Reply

  35. I really don’t remember the last time I felt so bad for a character, he just became a favorite. I genuinely wish for a ‘happy ending’ for him.

    This episode was truly amazing, and seeing Slaine torture scenes being alternated by the princess happiness was a truly powerful moment. Slaine is ‘tortured’ in many ways, and not just physically but emotionally too…The instant Cruhteo realized the truth was really intense too, and even though his beating Slaine was cruel, but I still consider him as a genuine and relatively ‘good’ person in the sens he recognized his error and sincerely tried to amend right away by holding him, apologizing, and immediately asking to be connected to the Terran HQ. I thought we were finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, but he was crushed a minute after D:

    Slaine misfortunes did not end just yet…

    cutesherry
    Reply

  36. After all of that shit with Slaine, Cruhteo is just like “Oh, bro, dude…I’m sorry.”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u0EL_u4nvw

    But, I still enjoyed this episode. It was still intense but, not action intense, which gives us a slight room for a breather. Which is always good. But, one thing that irks me though is, Rayet. She’s pissed at the martians for betraying her dad. Key word, “betraying” meaning she implies she knows what went on with the whole assassination thing (if they said that and I missed it I’m sorry). So, yeah, okay, she’s pissed that her dad got killed but she’s totally still okay (as far as I can see, she’s so damn poker faced it’s hard to tell) that HE still instigated this whole damn slaughter? No, bullshit Rayet, bullshit. Besides my gripe with her and the characters, which in all honesty I don’t care to heavily for still (they do their jobs well in the series but, beyond that, not much else in my opinion). Yes, poor Slaine goes through hell and back for his princess and he’s a bro for that. The princess herself is also very likable. But, it’s mostly standard fare. Still one of my most hyped weekly shows though.

    Catsrofl
    Reply

  38. Frankly, these reviews have been kind of weak.

    1. I agree regarding Slaine in general. He, and how he’s treated by the universe, are becoming completely one-note. And that’s never good writing, one way or another. Either we’re being emotionally manipulated into rooting for a frankly incompetent character because we feel bad for him so he’s being set up to win, get the girl, and so on despite his so far rampant stupidity. Or, he will continue to be crapped on by existence and we’re being told that if you try to be good, life will hurt you.

    Either way, without some serious nuance suddenly appearing (which seems unlikely in this show) the Slaine portion of the plot is not being handled well.

    2. Your take on Cruhteo is basically wrong. I agree with you that he’s a bad man. But you have to remember in his own mind, he’s Jack Bauer. He was NOT ‘using’ asseylum’s death to have a war. That’s the whole point of his character. Unlike the rest of them, he was legitimately seeking revenge. That’s why he dropped it and offered peace as soon as he found out she was alive. He really WAS fighting and killing to avenge the death of his princess. This doesn’t change the fact that he’s a racist/classist dick, but if the story were different (like in a lot of action thrillers) characters like him are heroes.

    3. I agree with the red-head with the crazy name. As we’ve seen so far, Martians are NUTS. This is apparently a whole society that in the space of 30 years decided to revive an ancient culture for no real reason and then accepted basically violent sociopathy as their governing philosophy.

    That all aside, I basically would like Slaine to go away. He’s a poorly written distraction to the story that we’re basically being told to like due to all the horrible stuff that keeps happening to him. Say what you want for Inaho’s weird emotionless amoral nature, but we’re being given a choice how to perceive him. Is he a hero or kind of a monster? Or both? The show isn’t telling us what to feel about him. And I appreciate that.

    KaleRylan
    Reply

  39. The princess gives ZERO fucks about SlainE…

    “That guy who dieD”
    “Do you mean Slaine?”
    “Yeah”
    “I know him, he thought about birds. Look, birds! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!”

    André
    Reply

  41. https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
    Because of Moe, like me and…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
    Action
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
    Cool Design
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
    A Captain, that acts like a real Captain should do
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
    …and Birds

    Germanguy
    Reply

  42. All the tech is there for some time but its just that humanity lacked the key to the Aldnoah Drive.
    The princess has become extremely important to the Earthers.

    Was there no camera footage on Slaine’s plane?
    Or could he have deleted it to keep his princess safe?

    Rayet.
    Is she a half?
    Or a 100% Martian who was born and grew up on Earth?
    She really hates Martains but in the end chose to keep the princess a secret.
    Did the hate start from episode 1 or further back (father stranded and forced to do this do that but they seem eager for action in episode 1) ?

    Poor Slaine, everything to himself.
    Alone.

    Marito.
    Will he be badass if he got over that “wall”?
    It would be some recurring joke if he gets another relapse.

    If not for Slaine’s “efforts” in the past the Princess wouldn’t be on Earth to activate the Deucalion.

    Cruhteo.
    Did he get it? A clue maybe?
    Still clouded by the proud Vers culture or something?

    Ok so Dr Troyard visited Mars.
    Open to visitors back then? Invited?

    Looks like Slaine planted and nurtured the seed of hope for Earth in the Princess.
    How will Slaine gain the power to protect her?

    So the red thing is called Deucalion too?
    Saazbaum said Deucalion after Cruhteo said the 15 years thing and he did see the image too, right?
    Or did Saazbaum have a hand in the construction of that battleship?

    Finally Cruhteo gets it.
    Looks like he will be the one to give Slaine power.
    Good that Saazbaum don’t know yet.

    Looks like the bad guy acts real fast.
    Thats it for Cruhteo?

    Just when things look hopeful.

    —

    The archaic social structure.
    Perhaps theres some reason that Dr(?) Rayregalia Vers Rayvers used it when he founded the Empire?
    Or is it the will of the Aldnoah? The social structure of the creators of Aldnoah?
    A structure born from one corrupted by power?

    All in the unrevealed past.
    Waiting for Dr Troyard’s story too.

    Will there be an Aldnoah Drive Tau soon? 😛

    Will there be any Newtype and Cyber Newtype equivalent?
    Brainwashing tech?

    iron2000
    Reply

  43. Watching this show makes me wonder why can’t Sunrise write such scripts for their Gundam series? I mean, at its core this is a typical Shounen action mecha. But it’s so fun to watch! As someone who loves giant fighting robots in general, it really sucks that most of them have crappy writing where all the plot and characters have been recycled and there’s no thought put into the actually stories.

    baubo
    Reply

    1. Sunrise doesn’t write scripts, they have different script writers for different shows just like A-1 who has had more than they share of bomb scripts as well. Also plenty of Gundam series have had much better and more engaging scripts than this show so far while a few have had similar quality or even slightly weaker ones (Really only Seed Destiny and Age though), but it’s like people have only watched or only choose to acknowledge the poor ones. Don’t generalize just the bad ones across the whole bored for the convenience of your argument.

      If anything to me this is the franchise that doesn’t have a whole lot of thought put into it. Much of the characters are just walking caricatures with very little depth or nuance to them like the better Gundam series have and a lot of stuff just sort of happens because it looks and sounds cool. It also doesn’t seem to really tackle any particular themes or ideas other than if you have attachments to anything or act on a sense of justice or what is morally right bad things will happen to you, but if you act just based on cold logic and don’t worry about moral consequences then you’ll do just fine. That’s about the only really stand out theme I’ve been able to derive from this show to date whereas by comparison the original Gundam had already tackled ideas of the morality of drafting child soldiers, what it’s like to experience the terror of the battlefield first hand and just barely survive, personal and permanent loss, nepotism, the idea that people on the opposite side of a conflict are not necessarily evil for it, military competency and incompetency (on both sides), the changing state of warfare and how it’s carried out catching up to old soldiers and racism and prejudice. This show tackles some of those ideas a little bit, but is very black and white and simplistic in how it does it like with the Martians and their whole “Earthling scum” thing.

      This shows also pretty recycled to in and of itself and is even starting to beat the same drum with it’s characters by now too. Really did any new ground get covered with any of the characters this week besides maybe Cruhteo who is probably now killed off for it anyway? Inaho is still a block of wood, Slaine is still thinking only about his princess and suffering for it, Rayet still hates the Martians and everything about their culture, Inaho’s friends are still basically comic relief with no passion or conviction, Princess is still kind of flighty and dreaming her dream about peace while commenting on the beauty of Earth. None of them really still pass the Red Letter Media test.

      Personally I’d rather Gundam stay more away from this sort of scripting because as a franchise it’s generally better than that and don’t have to settle for this level of one note characterization and thematic execution.

      John Hunt
      Reply

  47. I liked Cruhteo as a character, I really do. From episode 1 I expected him to switch sides and when this episode began with a 1 on 1 with Slaine and Cruhteo and persisted throughout the episode, I knew this marks the turning point for Cruhteo.

    As brutal as the torture scenes were, I cannot attempt to put blame on Cruhteo. We as viewers are exposed to Ver’s caste system right when the series started. Vers had a class system where royalty > knights > Martians > Everything else. It’s no different from us humans really, even in modern society. It’s just that over time, we humans developed practises to minimize and camouflage the caste system.

    I can’t comment about the torture treatments, but I watch alot of military theme movies and Slaine’s beating was pretty lenient compared to some. For those watching game of thrones, remember Theon Greyjoy? For those watching/reading Akame ga Kill, remember those torture scenes? I was barely phased at all, but I did worry a bit when Cruhteo brought out the whip. That thing could break the sound barrier if flicked correctly, and I was afraid I’d see some guts spill out.

    Now, with the torture and class issues out of the way, I really need to say that I was very bummed at Cruhteo dying this episode. I was definitely not expecting that, since as I said at the beginning of this post, I was expecting Cruhteo to take a major part in neutralizing the problem presented between Vers and the Terrans. I’ve perhaps developed some sort of rule where loyal people always become good guys in the end, even if they were bad. I would compare Cruhteo’s character as Orange-kun from Code Geass. True loyalty does win. I am really disappointed that didn’t come out to be the case.

    As for the series in general so far, I agree with most of the sentiments of most people. Inaho is flat as a board. There’s essentially no backstory to Inaho which makes him a really boring character. I’m happy we get to know more about Slaine. Without repeating myself, I really liked Cruhteo, but the problem I had with him this episode was that his 180 was a little bit too fast. He realized problems too fluidly after clues were divulged by Slaine and his reaction, especially during the end towards count Saazbaum’s Dioscura seemed like he was a newbie actor reading out a script.

    And last but not least… “Ready my Tharsis!” ZAP

    really! just get yourself to safety first, a huge mech just came down your fortress!

    flCer
    Reply

    1. Remember the mecha anime rule: No body, no proof.

      I expected the show to pull the rug from us (that’s its game), but didn’t expect him to convert after slaine failed to tell him the first time. Still though, death confirmation is always important. I actually thought for a moment Cruhteo was killed by the first swipe… but nope, it was after grabbing slaine (which saazbaum somehow magicially knew where he was, and without crushing him in the process).

      Drasca
      Reply

  48. Well I guess this episode proves Inaho is capable of making incredibly illogical choices. I was sure the show would be smart enough to have the Terrans take him prisoner but apparently Inaho really did try to kill Slaine and simply left him for dead.

    They really seem to like dragging out Slaine meeting the princess again by the characters not making the soundest decisions when the plot calls for it.

    Someone already told me a theory of how they had leave quickly because the Martians were chasing them. And while it could explain the situation why is there no context here? Why do we have to assume all of this? This is the second time where the show for some reason refuses to show us the lead up into scenes we are being shown (the first being how Slaine crash landed on Martian turf with only the princess being able to find him first which not only doesn’t make sense but is incredibly convenient.). None of the characters have confirmed anything about what exactly happened. In fact from what I can see Inaho considered Slaine an enemy and shot him down because he deducted that there were Martians who were planning to try to kill the princess since they knew she was still alive. Even if that’s true why is the opening scene Slaine being tortured? As if showing the transition between these events is apparently far too troublesome? It’s just sloppiness. Inaho should have immediately confirmed what you’ve said but this episode so far proves them being pursued didn’t mean jack for why they left him.

    I’m not against leaving things up to the audience’s imagination but the way they have been doing it in this show is frankly unacceptable. There is such a thing as “Tell, don’t show” but the fact they didn’t even do THAT in this case doesn’t do it for me.

    It’s jarring that none of the characters even bring him up after the fight. No one asks “hey what happened with that guy you shot down?”. He kind of saved their lives after all. If the characters actually brought him up instead of acting as if he never existed it would have been better. But Inaho didn’t even bring up until he talked with the princess. It just seemed awkward to me. I figured someone would give him crap for his choice since he shot down a viable source of information but I guess not. It’s a waste of potential to add depth to Inaho’s character. If people actually questioned him for once and instead of just accepting his choices as the right thing to do it would be better for getting inside his head giving him more depth than a knockoff version of Tatsuya.

    leatherhead333
    Reply

    1. Show don’t tell, vs Tell don’t show, is the crucial difference between Shiba Tatsuya and Inaho here. Both are mostly emotionally bland, but one talks too goddamned much for an anime. Perfect for LN, but tell don’t show is horrible for anime.

      Drasca
      Reply

  49. Wow, it TOTALLY made sense that Terrans managed to take the Deucalion engine and fit it to their flying ship, without EVER freaking being able to power up the engine and test the system. Must have been some freaking GENIUS engineers to be able to build and set the whole thing up so that it’s PERFECTLY operational at it’s very first launch attempt. My hat is off to those MASTERS of technology (but NOT to the writers).

    Furman
    Reply

    1. What? Wasn’t the Deucalion (w/e) a martian ship? Wasn’t that the reason why Seylum had to configure it so the Terrans would be able to pilot it like Terran ships?

      The Story You Don't Know
      Reply

      1. No, it wasn’t. Deucalion was the name of the Kataphrakt and its engine was removed. It’s quite clear from the dialogue when Cruhteo’s subordinate reports of its discovery while Slaine is being tortured. And perfectly fitting the drive to a ship without being able to test it AT ALL is a total asspull.

        Furman
        Reply

      2. Then why would a Martian princess need to calibrate a “Terran ship with Martian controls” so it can be used by Terrans?

        I dunno. I thought it was pretty clear that the ship was martian.

        The Story You Don't Know
        Reply

      3. For chrissakes, she didn’t need to calibrate or configure anything, she was the only one they had who could START the engine. That’s all. Did you see her doing anything other than putting her hand on the ball and doing the invocation? You can see the Terran crew checking the rest of the controls just fine well before she even comes into the room, it was obvious they knew how to run the ship, they just couldn’t start the engine. So, it takes some freaking engineering GENIUS to build a ship around an alien engine you couldn’t test EVEN ONCE.

        Furman
        Reply

      4. Well, for Christ’s sake you might need to rewatch the episode because there’s a scene there where the student helmsman was asked by her friend if piloting it was like piloting a Terran ship and she replies that it was calibrated so it would feel like piloting a terran ship.

        Come on now, you’re arguing about logic but have you ever thought how the heck would Terrans be able to create a ship that uses Aldnoah Technology if they never had the ability to use or create one?

        If it is indeed a Terran ship, then that’s the bigger plot hole for the reason stated above.

        The Story You Don't Know
        Reply

      5. Dude, WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS TIME!? My whole point FROM THE VERY BEGINNING has been that it’s freaking ridiculous how they created the ship around the engine without being able to start it once and NOW you’re asking ME if I’ve ever thought of it?

        As for the helmsman convo, they didn’t say freaking ANYTHING about Terran or Martian, they were talking about piloting a FLYING ship, that the FCS (flight control system) has been adjusted so that it feels like steering a normal ship – which she can do. If this still doesn’t get through to you after YOU rewatch the scene, I give up.

        PS Do you seriously think I don’t know how to spell out “for Christ’s sake” if that’s how I wanted to write it? Jeez…

        Furman
        Reply

      7. there was small Technology transfer between Mars and Earth, before the War broke out. Perhaps this small wisdom was enough to embedded the Aldnoah Engine with the Ship. But no one was able to start the reaction core. So they transplant a heart that stopped beating, and was waiting for someone to kiss it awake… The secret they hold. What have they done to the original Mars Mecha pilot? Did he got smashed from the Meteoroid Bombardment, and they scraped the Engine from the wreck?

        Germanguy
        Reply

      8. teh internet rage. mmmmmmm, someone need some snickers. seriously think about it. what’s more logical at this point and what are people bound to think?

        the anime told us that earth people, aside from inaho ‘gary’ stu, are too stupid let alone be able to make a mars type ship they should not be capable of making. youre giving earthlings too much credit. have you seen anybody else rage like you for your reasoning? no. while you have some valid points, you cant blame anyone but the producers for imprinting to us that earthlings are stupid.

        the only thing youve proven with that raging caps lock is that youre the typical 15yr old internet boy who rages at people who look at things differently from you.

        Notice Me Senpai
        Reply

      9. Pleased to make your acquaintance, 15yr old internet boy Notice Me Senpai. Way to get personal over something I haven’t even talked to you about at all. I’m using caps in place of bolding because it’s easier for me than typing the tags, but I did it this time just for you.

        You seem to be an individual with a comprehension problem. The reason I’m “raging” is precisely because I’m freaking not giving Earthlings “too much credit” and think it’s an asspull to have them create a ship with an engine they don’t understand and can’t start. And so you know, I don’t give a rat’s ass if someone thinks differently than I as long as they freaking pay some attention and don’t completely distort what’s happened in the anime or what I’ve said about it.

        @Germanguy
        It just doesn’t seem feasible that such a large-scale project like the ship could be pulled off to total perfection on the first try based on some superficial knowledge and without being able to test at all. That’s why I said it must have been done by some miraculously genius engineering. We know the mech pilot was busy laying PTSD-guy’s unit to waste, so I doubt he’d have helped them afterwards and it doesn’t seem possible to use a dead person’s body to do the activation (if it were, no reason to abandon the ship like that).

        Furman
        Reply

      10. @Furman

        1. We dont know anything about this Mars Mecha iside this Cave.

        2. If the Pilot he turn the Sides, or was about to tech Earth the Aldnoah Drive. Did Sky fall just happen to Hit the Island where is working right now? Perhaps the other Counts dont wanted to share their Technology with the Apes

        3. Perhaps Slaine’s father has his hand on this or his Scientist team. Did he not study the Mars Relict? As i said, they know the tech. But the heart would not awaken. Or they lost the only Person that could keep it working.. see point 2

        There is so many Speculations..

        Germanguy
        Reply

      11. i would laugh out loud, if Ihano and the Priness have the same Father… He is alive, just his Aldnoah drive stop working, like in the destroyed fortress, and became “useless” to the Research

        Germanguy
        Reply

  50. I find the Martian techno-feudalism quite similar to Dune-verse with it’s Noble Houses and rigid social class order of faufreluches. In similar vein, the Emperor is barely capable of controlling his clans of Orbital Knights, and backstabbing is order of the day…
    Cruhteo, while embodiement of all that is wrong with such social order, at the very least was loyal to the Princess – and it is likely that he has paid for it with own life. Salzbaum, on the other hand is loyal to no one – neither own underlings (the covert team that got killed to erase traces of involvement) nor own ruler (whom he shamelessly deceives) nor own comrades in arms and peers (Cruhteo), and of course not to Princess whom he ordered assassinated.
    While the taking Cruhteo out of action in the short term benefits Salzbaum, it is a major blow to Martian war effort, entire castle and its crew/mecha is taken out. Of course this was necessary from the Salzbaum’s point of view, he could not have Cruhteo either allying with Princess on Earth side, nor possibly alerting the Emperor of the treaso, but still this is loss of one of only 22 or so castles. Think US losing a supercarrier…
    BTW, the way Crutheo was taken out reminded me of certain police officer getting sniped off in Hinamizawa just as he ran into some suspicious guys in gey jumpsuits… nice way to crush a hope spot.
    And yeah being Slaine is like Sean Bean, simply pain.

    ewok40k
    Reply

  52. This is will be Code Geass’ Zero Requiem all over again. Suzaku and Lelouch.

    Inaho, Slaine, and Seylum will be reunited. Inaho will devise a plan, despite Seylum’s objections, which will make Inaho the new evil emperor who will reign terror to both Earth and Mars. Slaine will be Asseylum’s knight who is forced to follow Inaho’s orders in order to protect the princess from him.

    The plan is to make a common enemy for both planets. Inaho will be “exploiting” Princess Asseylum’s power and their newly acquired Aldnoah drive and hold her as his “hostage”. Here’s the catch, the now pyschopath Slaine who still hates Inaho with a passion will only agree to the plan if Inaho would die in the end, in which Inaho agrees. Of course, the princess does not know about this condition.

    The plan succeeds, Mars and Earth form an alliance to fight the evil genius’ Inaho empire. Time for the secret deal to get done.

    Inaho acts as if he’s been corrupted by the power and glory he acquired and he wants to be the emperor for real, betraying Asseylum and the others. The only solution to stop this – kill Inaho.

    Who else would fit the job of being the hero who would deliver justice upon the worst enemy of both Earth and Mars? Princess Asseylum, the woman who loves both Earth and Mars who wishes for nothing else but peace.

    Thus, the ending scene at the OP happens where Asseylum shoots someone with a gun. The person Asseylum shoots (with tears in her eyes) is Inaho, ending his evil regime. With both planets’ common enemy gone, there will be temporary peace and Asseylum will be the ambassador who works to make the peace permanent.

    Suzaku and Lelouch, Bat and Orange, death and betrayal.

    Zero Requiem
    Reply

    1. Slaine is the one that seems more like he’d be Lelouched. Inaho seems to have more battle sense ala Suzaku from what we’ve seen already.

      I’m thinking they’ll go the Seed route, with Slaine being Athrun (Brorun forever!) and Inaho being Jesus Yamato. Seylum is just as badass as Cagari while Rayet is starting to feel like Flay Show Spoiler ▼

      .

      We’re missing a Lacus though, Seylum is nothing like her (Hell Yeah!).

      magoiichi
      Reply

      1. Actually that may make more sense about Inaho being Suzaku and Slaine being Lelouch. While Inaho bears both the traits of being a genius and a good pilot, Slaine has the hatred for both Earth and Mars (I assume the Russian HQ would exploit the princess as well) which fits the bill as the evil psychopath (and masochist).

        About the Seed route, I think Seylum is a lot like Lacus. They’re both the pacifist ojou-sama.

        Zero Requiem
        Reply

      2. It’s the opposite, Slaine’s the only character who suffered injustice from both sides while not doing anything to warrant it. He’s the character set up to make the dream come truth. Asseylum is too naive and likely will be killed and Inaho doesn’t give a shit.

        Durga
        Reply

      3. well Durga-san, that´s assuming Slaine actually cares for Earth and Mars and after this episode I´m certain that idiot has a narrow mind and tunnel vision mix with a serious lack of wits. When you devote yourself to someone you have to be careful not to loose yourself in the idea of protection no matter what, because everything starts dropping it value so you make choices that innocents jus for the sake protecting that someone, Slaine is dangerously close go beyond that point so I think he´s worst person to heal the relationship between Mars and Earth.

        haseo0408
        Reply

  53. I don’t recall Lacus ever physically harming anyone. Seylum flipped Inaho first time she met him and just flipped another dude in this episode. Plus, in the OP she pulls a gun, I’ve never seen Lacus hold a gun, ever.

    They both do want peace though, but so did Cagari.

    magoiichi
    Reply

  55. Hm.

    I actually think Cruteo’s characterization in this episode was pretty layered and very much on purpose, and puts a number of his previous actions and stances in context. It’s made fairly obvious from the torture scene that the racist and supremacist stances he took in past episodes were not just an indicator of his mindset, but in fact something that very much ran bone deep in him, to the extent that it totally clouds his judgment; so much so that you could palpably feel Saazbaum’s frustration with him.

    Similarly, his reversal upon learning of Asseylum’s survival shows very much that he’s also slavishly devoted to the ideals of feudalistic loyalty, leaving him seeing the world in literal black and white. He is, consequently, a brutal and deeply prejudiced man, given purpose and the veneer of civility by his loyalty to the royal line, and who, given said purpose, truly believes in the rightness of his own views and actions – a direct and purposeful illustration of precisely the kind of noble Rayet vilifies in her harangue (in which her father, his companions, and probably herself are, to her view, the ‘commoners who blindly strive for battlefield glory’ and who are ‘betrayed’). And while I’ve avoided comparisons to Code Geass before, Cruteo here is basically Jeremiah Gottwald taken to the (sometimes logical) extremes – actually being a raving racist rather than just part of a racist faction, and just as fervently devoted to his chosen lord.

    It’s also rather interesting that in that whole sequence, despite being a murdering, lying warmonger, Saazbaum comes off as by far the more reasonable and level-headed of the two. It makes you vaguely wonder if Saazbaum might not have more than just a lust for power behind his plots.

    Of course, all of this might still be derailed by future writing, and if it does then that will be a problem, just like it was in parts of Code Geass R2. But for now it’s still sufficiently thought-provoking as to be interesting. Especially since this episode read heavily like an indictment of feudalistic monarchy.

    (On a final note, I’d actually kind of like Cruteo to actually be dead. I actually kind of feel he’s served his purpose as a character.)

    Corin
    Reply

  56. I believe Saazbaum is smart & power hungry enough to transcend prejudices. The frustration is Saazbaum has with Cruhteo is pretty delicious as well, as they foil each other as mirror opposites on how to deal with Slain.

    Honestly, it is that very hungry nature of necessity that’s an indirect means of progressing society. Saazbaum is clearly not content with the status quo, and while a villain in this series, if he were to win he’d go down in history as being more progressive and a proponent of change for Vers.

    I’m not defending Saazbaum, only speculating that his personality is one of circumstance and need, and that need requires him to adapt. If he became leader, the subsequent empire would have to adapt too. In this case, I would think less obvious racism, as that’s part of the old empire he’d want to get away from.

    Possibly enslave the terrans, possibly use them to his own ends. No one knows at this point– but I think as the challenger he’d be a an element of change in order to distinguish himself and replace the previous order.

    Drasca
    Reply

    1. They were tracking him. Saazbaum proposed to Cruhteo that they don’t shoot down Slaine when he was escaping as he might lead them to his “accomplices”. They traced him to Tanegashima in which Saazbaum reacted to it. They obviously retrieved him after the whole fight.

      belatkuro
      Reply

      1. ..and Saazbaum will tell Slaine that he save him from the Evil Count, and with his help he should go and “rescue” the Princess to stop the War… Without tell him the Truth of course… This Saazbaum know to play dirty

        So some kind of “brainwashing” here, just bending the Truth to his favor

        Germanguy
        Reply

  59. Slaine = served.

    There was a moment there I thought he was going to written out of the series.., This is the age of “Sopranos”, and “King of Thrones” after all. 0wning a main character is no longer taboo.

    I hope Slaine mops the floor with Inaho… however I feel like he is just going to be in a cycle of despair for the remainder of the show.

    Lithonite
    Reply

    1. Slaine will be the Enemy of Inaho, because Saazbaum will play the “Ally” Card, to get his hands on the Princess

      I just hope Slaine will see the truth, before it is to late and Inaho, that Slain is just being used

      Germanguy
      Reply

  62. Okay, now my Picture Battle posting:

    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2001.jpg
    Captain!, What is this Crystal Ball thing here on the Bridge?
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
    This is our Prove of Love, from me and Slain-kun!
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
    How is this Slain-kun, your speaking of?
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
    Slain-kun, is a gentle Boy, that i meet on Mars
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
    He showed me nice things from Earth…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
    like…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
    ..birds…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2024.jpg
    ..A blue Sky filled with many Birds!
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
    Wonderful, it looks more beautiful in real as i could imagine
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2020.jpg
    But, i haven’t seen him a long time now, since i am on Earth
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    I hope he will be okay. He give me this Necklace as present
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
    Girls:That Slain-kun dude, is very romantic. More then our Calm would be!. Clam: hey!!
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2009.jpg
    Snief, Love bonds are so Strong. I miss my Papa!!!
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2007.jpg
    Dear Crew of this Ship. Would you help me on my Search for Slain?
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
    of-of-of Course Hime-sama, We will travel even to the end of the Worlds to find him!!
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
    ..and perhaps a bit further, if you go out on a Date with me
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2018.jpg
    Calm is a Dutch bag…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
    Please Hurry, and resupply the foods and stuff from our old Ship!!

    Meanwhile:
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
    So we heard that the Princess took a liking on you, Earth scumm…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
    How do you did that? Impressed with you PBS? (this stomach muscles).
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
    Count: TELL ME!!! Slain: No
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2010.jpg
    What? Sooner or Later we will lose your Tough, just tough playing scumm
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
    So, you still want to talk?
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
    Then i shoot you, and nobody will miss you! other Count: Halt, we still can use him
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2028.jpg
    This is your Lucky Day, scumm. You won your Life, just for today…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    but, i still dont wanna tell you my secret
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
    Oh yes, you will tell us. The count will come to get you
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
    …
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
    …
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
    Ups, sorry my Bad. I forgotten to activate the reverse thrusters…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
    Pah!. As if i really forgotten it…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
    Now!!. Now you are my hottie, Slaine-kun… *evil-laughter*
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    Um, hello? Someone forgotten me?. Is there anybody? hello?

    okay enough. i hope you got entertainment 🙂

    Germanguy
    Reply

  63. Ups forgotten this Picture:

    add it after the “Resupply the Ship picture”

    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2005.jpg
    Thunderbird’s are GO!, To the Slain-Kun rescue and beyond!!!!
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2012.jpg
    Hey, wait Youngsters. They dont know these Thunderbird’s anymore. So this Joke is without knowledge for the current Gen…
    https://randomc.net/image/ALDNOAH%20ZERO/ALDNOAH%20ZERO%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
    Ups!!. our Story Script writer is a Old Geezer, it seems…

    Germanguy
    Reply

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