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Aldnoah.Zero
Episode 23

by Theron Martin,

The penultimate (or is it really?) episode of Aldnoah.Zero had so much going on that it could not even be bothered to use its opener. That includes a semi-predictable surprise declaration at the end: that the one whom she will actually take as husband is Cruhteo Jr., as part of her ascension to the title of Empress. The irony of this, if it does survive through the final episode, is driven home by new closer “Harmony,” which shows sketches of Asseylum first with Inaho and Slaine individually and then with both together, because it now appears that both of them will end up losing out in the Princess Sweepstakes.

From a practical standpoint, this makes every bit of sense. Cruhteo Jr. is young (implied to be not much older than Asseylum), handsome, and looks perfectly-matched physically to the princess when standing beside her. He has irrefutably proven his loyalty and capability, has not shown any indication of being a warmonger, and at the very least seems devoted to following the princess's lead on policy. As an established nobleman, he is also well-positioned and possibly influential, the kind of consort that no one in the Vers Empire could argue is inappropriate. He is also right at hand for the princess, and perhaps most importantly, he has good hair! (Sorry, Slaine, but everyone knows that you cannot be a ruler in anime if you have perpetually messy hair.) Asseylum gives no indication that love is a factor here, but she seems to fully appreciate that this is no time to piddle around about matters of the heart. She must act decisively if she is to have every hope of achieving her dream of peace, and so she does.

And that is what makes this the best episode of the series to date. For the entirety of the series, Asseylum has either been a prize to fight over (whether to claim or to kill) or someone who has enabled the needs and ambitions of others; often she has been both. She has been both the dream and the dreamer, the pot and the ace in the hole, and either she or her image has been exploited by both sides of the conflict. With the conclusion of this episode she finally puts her proverbial foot down and truly becomes the princess of Vers in more than just name and manner of dress. (And boy, does she know how to stage it for maximum dramatic effect, too.) It is a glorious scene, one hampered only slightly by her voice seeming a little too soft for the task – though one could argue that, given that she is making a bold strike for peace, anything harsher might not have full impact.

While that is the highlight moment, that is not the only thing going on. Cruhteo Jr.'s assistance allows Asseylum and Eddelrittuo to escape from the moon base with him, and in so doing she delivers a final, decisive rejection to Slaine. Her (apparently final?) conversation with her dying grandfather, the Emperor, suggests why reconciliation with Earth is impossible while he is still in power and reveals the crushing irony and hypocrisy of how he sees the Aldnoah technology: it is the dream of Mankind, and will make people happy, but it must not be misused. It shows Inaho being recovered, nearly everyone outside of Asseylum and her immediate circle preparing for the upcoming big battle, and more characters getting emotional than we have seen in any other single episode of the series – even Eddelruttio finally spills! – though the amount of impact those scenes have is hampered in some cases by the series having not previously done a stellar job of setting it up. It also shows Lemrina pitying others even though she is arguably in the most pitiable position of all. And, most oddly, it shows Inaho talking to his eye as if he were having a conversation with R2D2.

The episode also scores well on the technical front, too. The animation is good and the artistry is as crisp and consistent as it has been all series. The slightly mournful piano numbers first used as background music in parts of last episode dominate this one, in the process doing a fantastic job of lending weight to all which transpires.

Although this episode does position the series better for a single-episode finale than I had originally expected would be possible, I am still not fully convinced that it will be able to wrap everything up satisfactorily in only one more episode. There is already enough of a foundation here for a good chunk of another season. Still, the closing episode of the first season startled with some of the massive twists that it delivered, so I look forward to seeing what surprises it pulls off this time.

Rating: A-

Aldnoah.Zero is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.


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