Anime Review: Aldnoah Zero Season 2

I was a bit disappointed with the first half of Aldnoah Zero, especially since I didn't know it had a second half (it ended with a cliffhanger).  However, after seeing the second part of the series,  I'm happy to say that Aldnoah Zero is one of the better series I've seen this year.

The first season of Aldnoah Zero (Episode 1-12) was basically the setup phase of the story, detailing the relationship and history between Earth and Mars (or Vers, as they called themselves).  Earth is technologically backwards by virtue of Mars having possession of Aldnoah Drive technology (or their ability to construct super-robots, as opposed to the rather pedestrian terran mechs).

This first part also introduced us to the protagonist Inaho Kaizuka, boy genius with the emotional range of a doorknob and Slaine Troyard, Terran punching bag of the Versian nobility.  My dissatisfaction with the first half of this series lies was due to how one-dimensional these two characters were.  Thankfully this was mere setup and the second season more than made up for the lackluster start.

And boy, the second season exceeded all expectations: the relationship between Inaho and Slaine blossomed from mere 'acquaintances' to an intense rivalry reminiscent of the Amuro Ray and Char Aznable of the original Gundam series.

While some of the secondary characters (including Princess Seylum) were given enough airtime for their chacters to develop, the meat of the series lies with Inaho and Slaine's development: their motives and the actions and the consequences thereof were explored in detail; so much so that this is probably one of the more character oriented series I've seen this year.  

The art and animation are top notch, which isn't surprising as the first season was up there in terms of both.  But much as it was enjoyable to see Inaho and Slaine's mechs go at it, their respective stories is the highlight of the series for me.

I highly recommend this series, especially if seen in its entirety.  The interpersonal conflict between the two lead characters and the mech fights alone are worth the time you spend; having a half-decent storyline is icing on the cake.  If you love mech genres, then this one's a no brainer.

Verdict: 5/5 Must see!

Details:
Genre: Mecha, Politics
No. of Episodes: 12 (Second Season)
Date Aired: January to March, 2015

Anime Review: Aldnoah Zero

TL;DR:
+ Aliens VS Earth!
+ Nicely designed mechs
- Super/Do-it-all Protagonist
+ Deals with Politics (though simplified) and Racism
+ Story is set in a realistic background (physics, political)
+ Art is pretty good.  CG doesn't look obvious.

Review:
I grew up on Voltes V, Daimos and other giant robot, earth versus aliens themed anime.  I spent my college years devouring (and trying to make sense of) Evangelion and its copycats (RahXephon).  I liked Aldnoah Zero well enough, and while it's hardly groundbreaking, it's very well made and was enjoyable enough.

Your protagonists are high-school kids, though at least their participation in the Earth-Vers (Mars) war is handled in an acceptable manner (they're basically required to go through military training, by virtue of an earlier war with Mars).

The other side is your stereotypical European-Feudal society, albeit one that wields a bigger, higher technology stick.  Truth be told, they all looked the same, despite the fact that they used titles in one form or another (count, maybe a baron or two) and none of them were memorable.

The mechs on both sides are the star of the show -- both the simpler Terran mechs and the more complex Martian Kataphrakts were very well done.  I do feel that combat was a bit... oversimplified, with the Martians trouncing the Terrans at nearly every turn (except when Mr. Protagonist saves the day, of course).

Each of the Martian mechs had a particular gimmick (dimensional barrier, flying robot knuckles, plasma blade, etc. etc.) and that each mech was limited to that particular ability (which was inevitably used against them).  Would've been fun to see how the Orbital Knights (the nobility cum military arm of the Martian Empire) divvied these abilities up among themselves, and how many of them would've died to have the privilege of getting Rocket Punch as their Kataphrakts main ability.

Well, it's no more silly than the robots in Pacific Rim (3 armed mech to for a 3 pilot team?).

Well, plot holes aside, I quite enjoyed watching the series, though the ending was a cliffhanger.  At least there's a part 2 coming this 2015, which I'll definitely be looking forward to watching.

Verdict: Recommended 3.5/5

Details:
Genre: Sci-Fi, Realistic Mecha
Episodes: 12
Aired: July-September, 2014 (Part 2 Coming 2015)