Aldnoah.Zero

Episode 22

Whatever else you can say about Aldnoah.Zero, it certainly is not dull.

Last episode there were indications that the Earth forces were plotting a big attack. This episode it actually happens: a two-pronged attack on the Moon base and landing castle where Princess Asseylum was believed to be. It would seem, though, that games are being played within the Earth forces as well, with a covert team secretly sent to infiltrate the based with the presumed goal of assassinate Asseylum. Fortunately Captain Magbaredge and Inaho did not trust their superiors, so they do some covert infiltration of their own. That puts two different infiltration forces in the base, with the less friendly one forcing Asseylum and Eddelrutio to flee, initially with Lemrina. Then Slaine decides to get involved personally, which naturally leads to him crossing paths with Inaho once again and some funny business with Inaho's eye. (I'll get back to this.) And then Cruhteo Jr. (which he shall hereafter be called) gets in on the action, too.

Cruhteo Jr. did not make much of an impression during his brief appearance last episode, but here he gets more screen time and comes off as quite the likable guy. He's handsome, perceptive enough to recognize that his father was harsh on Slaine, and sharp enough to slickly throw a simple but pointed barb into his conversation with Slaine. He's also apparently every bit as loyal to the princess as his father turned out to be. I get the impression that he's going to prove to be both a savvy guy and a major player in how the series ends, and I look forward to seeing what the series will do with him. Too bad he did not materialize earlier.

But he is not the only major point of interest. Lemrina is still catty towards Asseylum and has a difficult time accepting the purity of her sister's motives, though interestingly, she pities Asseylum for her loyalty to the Empire over her loyalty to her heart. She's also fully aware that, unlike Asseylum, she has nowhere else to go, so staying with Slaine is a do-or-die proposition for her, even if that means risking being found by the assault team. What becomes of her, in light of what she does here, should be interesting to see. The new face-off between Inaho and Slaine also reverses the dialogue of the much-debated scene between them from episode 6, the one where accusations of exploiting the princess first led to them shooting at each other. As this new scene drives home, there is great irony in Slaine doing now exactly what he got upset about Inaho not denying back then.

And then there's Inaho's artificial eye, which is having some expected side effects on him but also a rather unexpected one. What it does here is creepy and disturbing, and I am curious to see what the long-term consequences of it will be. I would also be remiss if I did not at least briefly comment on how terribly cool the catapult that the Deucalion was outfitted with looks in function. It's not the straight-launch system seen in various Gundam series or Full Metal Panic! but rather a rotating arm that literally flings the mecha catapult-style.

Only two episodes are left, and the way things stand at the end of the episode, the writing seems much farther than that from reaching a final resolution. So is the story actually gearing up for its final climax or positioning itself for a potential third season? I am starting to suspect the latter, but we will see how the cards fall next episode.

Rating: B

Aldnoah.Zero is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.