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Episode Review: Aldnoah.Zero


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glowingdawn



Joined: 24 Jun 2014
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:14 pm Reply with quote
I wonder how Saazbaum got back to safety and away from Tanegashima when Heavens Fall destroyed it seemingly. Can Martian Kataphrakts leave the atmosphere and fly in space? I also don't understand how Marito got out of that.
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FenixFiesta



Joined: 22 Apr 2013
Posts: 2581
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:47 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I also don't understand how Marito got out of that.

Most epic story never told.
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glowingdawn



Joined: 24 Jun 2014
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:51 pm Reply with quote
FenixFiesta wrote:
Most epic story never told.


Right? Just like, Kataphrakts blew up all my friends, I shot my best friend in the head and still managed to escape the mushroom cloud engulfing Tanegashima all on my own, yessir
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18137
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:36 pm Reply with quote
glowingdawn wrote:
I wonder how Saazbaum got back to safety and away from Tanegashima when Heavens Fall destroyed it seemingly. Can Martian Kataphrakts leave the atmosphere and fly in space? I also don't understand how Marito got out of that.

He was rescued by Slaine's father after suffering what he described as "mortal injuries." This was spelled out in episode 9.

Now, how Lt. Marito survived the impact is, indeed, a mystery at this point; at least with Saazbaum, his Kataphrakt absorbing enough of the damage to somewhat protect his life (assuming he wasn't at the point of impact) is quite feasible. Either that's a plot hole or something else transpired at Tanegashima that we haven't been made privy to yet. I'd like to think the latter.
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glowingdawn



Joined: 24 Jun 2014
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:23 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:
He was rescued by Slaine's father after suffering what he described as "mortal injuries." This was spelled out in episode 9.
Now, how Lt. Marito survived the impact is, indeed, a mystery at this point; at least with Saazbaum, his Kataphrakt absorbing enough of the damage to somewhat protect his life (assuming he wasn't at the point of impact) is quite feasible. Either that's a plot hole or something else transpired at Tanegashima that we haven't been made privy to yet. I'd like to think the latter.


I can see what you mean with the Kataphrakt absorbing the impact if he wasn't in the center of the blast. I'm glad I'm not the only one curious as to how Lt. Morito handled that though. Perhaps he hid wherever the Deucalion also was that managed to avoid harm underneath Tanegashima.

Who else feels like this show is setting itself up for not only a sequel, but a prequel series? I can see Aldnoah.Zero: Heaven's Fall being marketable (if this show goes well) where we can actually have a whole episode on Tanegashima, Heaven's Fall and whatever else.
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Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18137
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:15 pm Reply with quote
The Deucalion was made during the 15 year interval, by all indications. Based on Saazbaum's comments in episode 10, spoiler[the Aldnoah drive in the Deucalion is the one salvaged from his fiancee's Kataphrakt, unless I have my details wrong. And my, won't that go over well when he finds out!]
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Jayhosh



Joined: 24 May 2013
Posts: 972
Location: Millmont, Pennsylvania
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:44 pm Reply with quote
ChibiKangaroo wrote:
babbo wrote:

Tatsumi? Really? The burning heart rookie who wants to become the strongest? That's your standout MC? I knew Akagame ga Kill would pop up in a post like this. With the way they kill characters left and right how could edgy ANN forum goers not like it?

And I think you're missing the point. He was pointing out that no matter how a MC is written, people will still dump on him/her, and if the series is popular enough, piles of people will do so.


He was clearly dismissing criticism of super wonderboy Inaho by claiming that no one is ever happy with any MCs, so he's implying that criticism is pointless. I am raising the fact that there are some MC's who are written well. Inaho is not one of them, and even most of the critics seem to agree that he is poorly written. Tatsumi is a much, much better written MC. He has hopes, dreams, consistent motivations, back-story, personality, and well defined flaws to go with the strengths. Inaho doesn't seem to have any of those. This is fairly simple.


Your post makes me shake my head. All of Tatsumi's qualities are typical shonen stuff. I really don't like Akeme ga Kill that much currently, so obviously my point is very biased. But I'm sure there are others out there that would agree with me. And I gave it a chance at first, it looked pretty cool. I followed it almost religiously. But I guess it's not for me. In that all of the tropes presented are ones I can't stand the most. Also the uneven tone doesn't work for me. Don't try to defend it or anything. I know I know, it's supposed to be that way, or it's not supposed to be taken seriously. I've heard those reasons before. I don't like the latter one at all because then the defenders go right on to discuss how sad and dark the series is. Or how deep the characters are.

But this is a forum for Aldnoah.Zero so I guess I'll post about that. I was critical at this show at first too, moreso than Akeme even. Because Inaho's aforementioned emotionless character worried me. At first I disliked his characterization (or lack of any), and complained that it was lazy writing or something. But as the show went on, it began to feel almost intended. The other characters even constantly point it out or make fun of him for it. Plus, in the rare cases when he actually does somewhat crack a smile or shocked face, it seems all the more important. So it's for those reasons that I've actually begun to somewhat like Inaho. But yeah, I am hoping that there's a reason for his emotionless state. I don't know, maybe he's a robot or something.

Slaine is still better though.
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endallchaos



Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 213
Location: Sin City
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:35 pm Reply with quote
Something about this anime keeps me from immersing myself in it... I just don't know what. lol
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glowingdawn



Joined: 24 Jun 2014
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:01 am Reply with quote
endallchaos wrote:
Something about this anime keeps me from immersing myself in it... I just don't know what. lol


The obnoxiously slow pace perhaps?
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Kaioshin_Sama



Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 1215
PostPosted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:25 am Reply with quote
endallchaos wrote:
Something about this anime keeps me from immersing myself in it... I just don't know what. lol


Poor and fairly inconsistent character development for me combined with largely flat leads the most potentially interesting of which is seemingly never allowed to do anything that actually matters probably until this coming cliffhanger next week. A lot of characters period just feel like they are defined strictly by their actions in a given episode and barely have a personality, role or history beyond that. We also seem to only get the most modest acknowledgement of what happened to them in the episodes prior and they act however they are needed to act based on what the show requires of them in a particular episode. It's not as bad as Guilty Crown was for it, but it's an increasingly noticeable tendency of the writing to me. For example this week is an action episode and nobody really seems to acknowledge or act much on what happened in the previous two episodes that didn't revolve around the cliffhanger. Basically the cliffhanger seems to be the one thing that sets the pace for the next episode and everything else prior to that isn't really touched upon.

That and characters tend to have just the most bare bones development necessary to keep the plot moving but not enough to lock them into any sort of set path or defined outlook so that they can be used however they are needed whenever it's called for. I also don't like how the show basically wastes characters with potential for interesting lasting conflicts like Cruhteo who could have potentially proven an interesting political foil for Sauzbaum who is now practically the only face of the Martian invasion period. We only even see the emperor just once and he's shown to be a complete doddering fool with seemingly no clue what is going on in his empire and abroad.

Likewise on the heroes side there was Rayet and Asseylum who now seem 100% cool with one another even though one deliberately tried to and even largely succeeded in killing the other only to save her from a rocket 2 episodes later after just a brief exchange. There's also the whole Marito and Darzana thing which has just sort of been dropped for the season because there's not enough time and they have to fight there final battle of the cour meaning any chance of Marito ever rejoining the fight at any point will have to be left to next time.

It's really all just incredibly simplistic stuff the show is going to bat with, I don't know where some users are pulling the deeply riveting material out of this show from as the only thing I think it kind of succeeds at is the big action set pieces which even then is just sort of respectable for it's genre at best. It's almost like it's being directed by George Lucas or something the way the strengths and weaknesses fall into place.
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endallchaos



Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 213
Location: Sin City
PostPosted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:46 pm Reply with quote
glowingdawn wrote:
endallchaos wrote:
Something about this anime keeps me from immersing myself in it... I just don't know what. lol


The obnoxiously slow pace perhaps?


It's definitely not the pace of the show. I mean, one of my favorite anime is Texhnolyze, which is A LOT more slower than this. Smile
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endallchaos



Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 213
Location: Sin City
PostPosted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:49 pm Reply with quote
Kaioshin_Sama wrote:
endallchaos wrote:
Something about this anime keeps me from immersing myself in it... I just don't know what. lol


Poor and fairly inconsistent character development for me combined with largely flat leads the most potentially interesting of which is seemingly never allowed to do anything that actually matters probably until this coming cliffhanger next week. A lot of characters period just feel like they are defined strictly by their actions in a given episode and barely have a personality, role or history beyond that. We also seem to only get the most modest acknowledgement of what happened to them in the episodes prior and they act however they are needed to act based on what the show requires of them in a particular episode. It's not as bad as Guilty Crown was for it, but it's an increasingly noticeable tendency of the writing to me. For example this week is an action episode and nobody really seems to acknowledge or act much on what happened in the previous two episodes that didn't revolve around the cliffhanger. Basically the cliffhanger seems to be the one thing that sets the pace for the next episode and everything else prior to that isn't really touched upon.

That and characters tend to have just the most bare bones development necessary to keep the plot moving but not enough to lock them into any sort of set path or defined outlook so that they can be used however they are needed whenever it's called for. I also don't like how the show basically wastes characters with potential for interesting lasting conflicts like Cruhteo who could have potentially proven an interesting political foil for Sauzbaum who is now practically the only face of the Martian invasion period. We only even see the emperor just once and he's shown to be a complete doddering fool with seemingly no clue what is going on in his empire and abroad.

Likewise on the heroes side there was Rayet and Asseylum who now seem 100% cool with one another even though one deliberately tried to and even largely succeeded in killing the other only to save her from a rocket 2 episodes later after just a brief exchange. There's also the whole Marito and Darzana thing which has just sort of been dropped for the season because there's not enough time and they have to fight there final battle of the cour meaning any chance of Marito ever rejoining the fight at any point will have to be left to next time.

It's really all just incredibly simplistic stuff the show is going to bat with, I don't know where some users are pulling the deeply riveting material out of this show from as the only thing I think it kind of succeeds at is the big action set pieces which even then is just sort of respectable for it's genre at best. It's almost like it's being directed by George Lucas or something the way the strengths and weaknesses fall into place.


I agree with a lot of what you said.

[EDIT: You should not be quoting all of this, and making a second post in a row, just to add this comment. Snip the quote down and combine it with your previous post next time. - Key]
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FenixFiesta



Joined: 22 Apr 2013
Posts: 2581
PostPosted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 3:44 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
For example this week is an action episode and nobody really seems to acknowledge or act much on what happened in the previous two episodes that didn't revolve around the cliffhanger. Basically the cliffhanger seems to be the one thing that sets the pace for the next episode and everything else prior to that isn't really touched upon.

That is an iceberg sized issue in regards to how unnecessary as well as characterization destroying that Cliffhanger/resolution episode was.

spoiler[You know what would have been more interesting than Rayet trying to choke out the princess? the two martian girls getting into a marshal arts standoff due to a brief exchange of words, where the Princess trained in a more conditioned defensive style and Rayet being more of an aggressive pragmatic style.
It would have been understandable if Rayet instead of trying to kill the princess just wanted to punch her smug face, that would totally be in character and wouldn't have needed a "freak out" moment.
The end result would be Rayet being thrown in a brig to cool off, which would lead her to where she would have needed to be in the current episode.]
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Wrangler



Joined: 11 Nov 2007
Posts: 1346
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 7:13 am Reply with quote
Latest episode 11 has been epic, though i see why they would need keep the bloodline alive in order to keep things running or the martians have no means of committing to their genocidal war of theirs.

I get very sneaky feeling spoiler[ that Saazbaum's Finance survived the crash and gave birth to the lead Earth/Terran whom is fighting the war against him and rest of the Martians despite him having a sister. The way Inaho acts is really similar to Saazbaum's behavior. Then it could just be acting.]
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jojothepunisher



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 799
PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:55 pm Reply with quote
I finally understood the reason why the writers made Inaho such an emotionless character until the end. I came up with one or two hypothesis while the show was airing, but damn, they were not right, not by a long shot.

Last edited by jojothepunisher on Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
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