In all honesty, the first twelve episodes of Aldnoah.Zero didn't really need a sequel. With their pointed conclusion they made a definitive statement about the follies of war while leaving viewers the space to fill in the blanks about “what happens next,” which was frankly more powerful than this follow-up. But these new episodes exist, and while they perhaps weren't entirely necessary, they do continue to explore ideas about why nations, and individual people, take up arms against each other and the results of that decision.

In the episodes included in this set (13-18), the story picks up nineteen months after Asseyleum, Saazbaum, and Inaho were all left for dead with the revelation that none of them, in fact, died. Only Saazbaum, the Martian count with whom Slaine Troyard has a troubled relationship, seems to have made a good recovery; Inaho lost his left eye and suffered some brain damage while Asseyleum remains comatose. This last is particularly troubling, since she's apparently been making proclamations about how she's reversed her position and now believes that Mars should absolutely take Earth from its denizens. As it happens, however, this is not actually Asseyleum, but instead her younger half-sister Lemrina using a disguise and it is all part of Slaine's plans. Just what those plans are feel uncertain, but they definitely involve his climbing the social ladder as quickly as possible and crushing anyone who tries to get in his way. This feels like a departure from the character we were introduced to in the previous two sets, and ultimately it feels as if something inside Slaine has broken, driving him to madness on a quest only he really understands.

Meanwhile on Earth, Inaho has been saved from the effects of his wound by the introduction of an analytical engine to replace his lost eye and repair (to a degree) the damaged parts of his brain. None of this appears to have any impact on his personality; if anything, he is more determined (and less emotionally involved) than he was before. Towards the end of this set of six episodes we do learn that this is all because he feels guilt over what happened to Asseyleum (and has figured out that she's being impersonated thanks to his new eye), once again placing he and Slaine on parallel journeys as foil figures. As with the first half of the show, these episodes occasionally feel brutal for the sake of shocking the audience and use a heavy hand with the symbolism, making comments about how Mars is trapped in the past because their society is basically feudal and naming one nicer-than-assumed character after a lively Polish folk dance, which is pretty much a giveaway about his true nature.

One of the more interesting references is in the title to episode eighteen, which is the same as William Makepeace Thackeray's 1854-5 fantasy novel The Rose and the Ring. The novel is a comedy with distinct satiric undertones, and one of the key plot points in the book is a case of mistaken identity, with the Princess Rosalba masquerading as the maid Betsinda. If we reverse this, it is clearly a reference to Lemrina pretending to be Asseyleum, especially with the name “Rosalba” meaning “white rose” and Asseyleum's signature white gown. (The design of the dress is also Elizabethan, which can be read as reference to “Betsinda,” a name that links to nicknames for “Elizabeth.”) Also interesting is that both the items named in the title have the ability to make their owners appear to be the most beautiful (and desirable) people in the land, and with Asseyleum's appearance, that can certainly be said to be true of the otherwise neglected Lemrina. With this set we can also start to see the symbolism behind Slaine's last name more clearly – to Inaho, he is the prince of Troy who stole the most beautiful woman in the world. I have to then wonder if that makes the viewers Cassandra.

The dub continues to be serviceable without being particularly strong. It suffers from stiffness in both language and delivery, with the language much more noticeable and the definite feeling that the stiffness in delivery relates to the occasionally awkward word choices. There appears to be some difficulty in the dub pronouncing the name “Rayet,” which sounds different almost every time it is spoken; however, if you prefer English-language dialog, it isn't grating enough to send you screaming for subtitles. Extras feel rather thin for the price tag and low episode count – an “extra episode” manga that follows Inaho's recovery is nice but not entirely necessary, as flashbacks within the show provide enough information for everything to be clear, and there are only two postcard-sized pinups. The “Extra Archives” are simply a recap of season one, which could be useful if you need a refresher, but otherwise doesn't really add to the set.

At the end of the day, this set of Aldnoah.Zero continues to explore the futility and brutality of war. With the Martian side of things being manipulated by the increasingly unstable Slaine and much of the Earth side mired in either PTSD, youthful ignorance, or really bad advice (how could the doctor give a recovering addict alcohol!?), there's a real sense of a lack of cohesive purpose to the fighting. The symbolism is at its most interesting when it's being more subtle, and one of the final scenes of episode eighteen does offer hope that things are about to change. If it does, then this second half may gain more of a purpose than it feels like it has now.