Line #54 YMMV/AldnoahZero


1	* {{Adorkable}}: Asseylum. Just look at her happy little smile after she just fired a grenade launcher. She looks like a kid showing a finished painting to her mommy.
2	* AluminumChristmasTrees: The collar airbag helmets used by Earth Kat pilots? [[https://www.hovding.com/ A real thing.]]
3	* {{Anvilicious}}:
4	** The show pretty well conveys the idea that racism and the cult of hatred is a time bomb and clearly only brings evil, but it would be much better if most of the Martians were not so flatly malicious, pretentious and insidious. Otherwise, a little more, and the show itself would have spread FantasticRacism.
5	** Going further with this is how it show rulers who instead of solving problems chose to incite hatred and shift the blame on others, digging their own pit that in the end only gets deeper and the government will do nothing else but start a war. This is the way to nowhere.
6	* AlasPoorScrappy: Even a lot of [[spoiler: Slaine]]'s haters found his ultimate fate excessively cruel to the point that they've redirected their anger towards [[spoiler: Asseylum]] instead for leaving him this way.
7	* AmericansHateTingle: Slaine and Inaho are both very polarizing {{Base Breaking Character}}s in the West, though Inaho is far more popular due to being a MemeticBadass. Whereas in Japan viewers tend to lean a lot more heavily in favor of [[AntiVillain Slaine]] and against [[TheScrappy Inaho]].
8	* AssPull: There is really no reason Orga's MesACrowd Kataphrakt could ever be defeated within the context of the series. [[spoiler: shooting all his mechs at the exact same time appparently does the job]], but before then, half-dozens of Orgas had been vaporized at the same time by the Deucalion's heavy guns only to immediately reinforce themselves. Even when he only deploys with a ''single'' mech, shooting it didn't do anything despite the fact that it was "all" his mech(s) at the time. In hindsight, it's almost fragrantly a case of OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow. Turns out writing a quantum-duplicating mech with no inherent weaknesses into your series where every other VERS Knight suffers from CripplingOverspecialization wasn't a great idea.
9	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
10	** Inaho and his emotionless reaction to everything that happens around him. He's either loved for being TheStoic and a nice change of pace from the usual HotBlooded hero of a mecha series, or he's hated because the almost complete lack of emotion makes him too robotic and impossible to relate to. There's also the issue of how most of his battle plans have gone off [[UnspokenPlanGuarantee without a hitch]] (except for one requiring a last minute save in Episode 6). Whether this makes him a badass or a InvincibleHero is the subject of much arguing.
11	** After the events of the first season, Slaine has divided his own fanbase; either he's justified in his actions, or he might as well be the biggest idiot in the series. Or a combination of both, even.
12	** Princess Lemrina is the odd combination of this ''and'' EnsembleDarkhorse. On one hand, she has many followers who think of her as a surprisingly interesting character. Others see her as a selfish bitch who wants to steal everything from Asseylum [[spoiler: aka her half-sister]]. Double if this complaint comes from [[DieForOurShip Slaine/Asseylum shippers]].
13	* BrokenBase:
14	** Whether Inaho's actions in Episode 7's ending are justified. Some people are not pleased at all while others defend him.
15	** Considering how much of a BaseBreakingCharacter Inaho is in his own right, it wasn't surprising that the fandom was splintered into several factions after the events of Episode 12. Many of the people who liked Inaho [[spoiler: now see Slaine as TheScrappy and a giant idiot]]. On the other hand, many of the people who didn't like Inaho and saw him as TheScrappy [[spoiler:saw Slaine's actions as a big TakeThatScrappy, to the point that Slaine gained a lot of new fans as a result. However, some non-Inaho fans have also turned on Slaine as well since his actions indirectly got the princess killed, as well came off as incredibly foolish]]. And then you have the camp which doesn't particularly favor either side but finds their actions justified and the overall outcome a big heaping pile of LaserGuidedKarma on both characters, especially for [[spoiler: Inaho's aforementioned actions]].
16	** When the previews for the second season revealed [[spoiler:that none of the deaths in the finale stuck.]] Many in the fandom rejoiced, while others complained that it was a colossal WriterCopOut.
17	** The arranged matrimony between [[spoiler:Asseylum and Klancain]] at series's finale has been received with ire by a big part of the fanbase for [[spoiler:destroying all the Asseylum ships, including the favorite Inaho/Asseylum]]. Even though the other part thinks it perhaps makes more political sense InUniverse than a conventional romantic resolution, many of them agree that it feels sudden and unnecesary, especially after the amount of incredibly unsubtle ShipTease the good princess gets (see Ship Sinking below). Another thing which makes this particularly galling is that [[spoiler:Klancain]] was introduced three episodes before the finale, and therefore never really received much development or characterization.
18	** The ending in general has become this. While some think the BittersweetEnding is appropriate enough for such a BlackAndGrayMorality series, a lot of people don't because it [[spoiler: screws over the {{ship\|Sinking}}pers, screws over [[CosmicPlaything Slaine]], feels rushed and anticlimactic, [[ShaggyDogStory not a whole lot]] [[StatusQuoIsGod changes]] for all the lives lost, and is conflictingly both realistic and unrealistic in different ways, among other common complaints.]]
19	* ClicheStorm: It seems that the series quotes almost all the popular MechaShow franchises in our time, especially ''Code Geass'', ''Gundam Seed'', and ''Macross''. At the same time, Creator/GenUrobuchi works with this enough so that it is not annoying or wiil be plagiarizing, and the references themselves may appeal to the fans of the genre.
20	* DieForOurShip:
21	** A good part of the dislike that Lemrina is getting comes from Slaine/Asseylum shippers who think she's a threat to their ship. ''Specially'' after [[spoiler: Lemrina gives Slaine a surprise kiss on the lips]].
22	** For anyone who supported the [=Asseylum x Inaho/Slaine=], [[spoiler:Klancain's appearance and the arranged marriage]] sports quite a heat and sinks any possible chance of shipping her with Inaho or Slaine.
23	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
24	** Princess Lemrina seems to be picking up a rather large fanbase, particularly among viewers who think she's a far more interesting character than the one-dimensional Asseylum ever was.
25	** Among other Orbitary Knights, Mazureek is pretty famous among the fanbase for being the only knight that doesn't harbor any contempt toward the Terrans unlike any other [[MonsterOfTheWeek knights]] introduced prior and the ones who willing to cooperate with them when given the chance. Fans were disappointed when the chance of him [[spoiler:being able to become the inside-man for Inaho (and to an extend, Asseylum) from retaking the throne from Lemrina and Slaine were cast aside]].
26	* EpilepticTrees: From the moment the first season's opening aired, the fandom started speculating like mad about the final frame on [[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou what Asseylum is pointing her pistol at.]] She winds up pointing it at Slaine(! of all people) in Episode 21. Background doesn't quite match though.
27	* EsotericHappyEnding: For [[spoiler: Slaine. WordOfGod is that his ending is a hopeful and happy one because he's now freed from his feelings of obligation towards the princess. However, he's presented as a broken mess left to rot in prison for the rest of his life, accused of plotting to kill the one person he spent the whole series trying to protect ''by'' said person, and long DrivenToSuicide by guilt over his actions but denied from being able act on it]]. Umm. Ironically his original fate (see WhatCouldHaveBeen) was scrapped for supposedly being too depressing, but most viewers would disagree, to the point that even his haters thought the actual ending went beyond the confines of karma into meanspiritedness.
28	* FandomRivalry: Surprisingly created one with fans of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'' due to similarities in the basic plot, ''and'' the fact that some of ''[=A/Z=]''[='s=] seiyuus also ended up with roles in the former. Both series also have a widely-praised first season and a much more controversial second one with a finale that [[AudienceAlienatingEnding at least half the fanbase hates]]. Notwithstanding the fact that ''[=A/Z=]'' started airing a full year ahead of ''IBO''. This became HilariousinHindsight with their ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' debut in ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsDD DD]]'', as now both series are in the same game (although ''IBO'' came first in the base launch-roster, before the World 5 Update with ''[=A/Z=]'').
29	* FanficFuel: Whatever the people in a certain country/territory is doing to [[HeroOfAnotherStory resist the invasion/occupation by Vers]].
30	* FandomSpecificPlot: There are ''tons'' of FixFic where Inaho instead of shooting Slaine, takes him as a captive, reunites with Princess Asseylum and, depending on the writer, they either became good friends or [[HoYay something else]].
31	* FanNickname:
32	** The show is sometimes referred to as "Boku no Slaine" due to the scriptwriter Katsuhiko Takayama's previous work on a certain memetically infamous OVA series.
33	** "Bowl Cut" for Trillram, because of his hairstyle. Sometimes, "Space Bowl Cut" and "the Evil Bowl Cut" also appear.
34	** "Space [[Literature/FateZero Tokiomi]]" for Cruhteo due to sharing a [[Creator/ShowHayami voice actor]], staff, [[spoiler:humiliating demise]], and general [[UpperClassTwit aristocratic demeanour]], as well as both series sharing a lot of staff. "Croutons" also crops up, due to the awkward spelling of his name.
35	** 'Sauce-bum', 'Sassybum', and 'The Sauce', for the BigBad, Count Saazbaum, for obvious reasons. As the series progressed and he was revealed to be an increasingly sympathetic and badass WellIntentionedExtremist instead of a generic SmugSnake NonActionBigBad, 'Awesomesauce' began to gain popularity.
36	** 'Eggs' for Inaho, because of his [[MemeticMutation famously]] SkewedPriorities. After the mid-season finale, [[spoiler: Scrambled Eggs]] is also becoming popular. In Japan, he has the unflattering nickname of 'Onaho'/'Inahole'.
37	*** And as of the second season, we have Odinho, [[VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution Inaho Jensen]], and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Solid Inaho]].
38	** "PTSD-kun" for Marito, as this is pretty much his defining characteristic.
39	** "Rat" for Rayet, thanks to the similarity of her name and her former role as a sleeper agent. Used both fondly and disparagingly by fans, occasionally both at once.
40	** Viewers who are familiar with Katsuhiko Takayama's work (the scriptwriter for episodes 4 and beyond) have come up with their own nickname for him after the season finale: [[spoiler: Ta'''kill'''yama]].
41	** People who can't easily spell Princess [[InconsistentSpelling Asseylum's]] name often just give up and refer to her as "The Princess" or "Asshime".
42	*** "Pickles" for when [[spoiler: while she's inside the life tube]].
43	** And people who keep tripping up over Eddelrittuo's name just call her "El-Dorito" as in the snack food. Or [[TokenMiniMoe Mini-Maid.]]
44	** Thanks to her hair color, Lemrina from the second season has become "Pink" or "Pinkie". Her short but fluffy hairstyle has also earned her the nick "Garlic Princess".
45	*** Another popular one is "Lemons"/"Lemmy".
46	** Marylcian and Barouhcruz are "Mary" and "Bary" since their names are difficult to spell.
47	*** Barouhcruz also gets "[=BROcruz=]" for [[spoiler: his surprising loyalty in choosing to stay with Slaine during the finale, despite previously antagonizing him]].
48	** Then there's [[Film/LawrenceOfArabia "Mazurek of Arabia"]] thanks to him spending a few episodes [[http://i.imgur.com/bM8v5wj.jpg wandering the Arabian desert]] in search of his Landing Castle.
49	*** He's also known as "Count Book" for the scene in the second intro showing him reading several books.
50	*** Because Count Mazurek's Kataphrakt's name was never uttered in the series (it's officially called the Sirenum), fans have taken to calling it the [[MemeticMutation "Darude Sandstorm."]]
51	* FauxSymbolism: [[spoiler: How Inaho ''accidentally'' became a VERS Knight. When Yuki and Inko retrieved him heavily wounded and covered in blood (both his own and Asseylum's) from the Saazbaum castle and took him to ''Deucalion'', Doc Yagarai told them that he could be saved, given the proper medical care at the EU base. Unfortunately, the only way to do it in time was to fly the ''Deucalion'' back, which was impossible because of it having no power. This drove Inko to tears, [[IndirectKiss one of which washed a drop of blood into his mouth]]. Yuki then managed to notice the reaction of the ship's Aldhoah Drive, and conclude that it was ''[[AwesomenessByAnalysis Asseylum's blood]]''. She then touched the drive by the Inaho's hand, reactivating it.]]
52	* FoeYayShipping: A popular fandom interpretation of the ending even among non-shippers is that [[spoiler: Inaho chose to spare Slaine and have him locked up in secret so he could keep him for himself]].
53	* GeniusBonus: [[FreezeFrameBonus It only shows up for a few frames in Episode 5]], but [[https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-pretest-bug/2005-05/msg00190.html a reference to Emacs]] is made [[http://i.imgur.com/KYIqcjI.jpg when the HUD shows the damage to Inaho's mech]].
54	* HarsherInHindsight:
55	** In-universe example, Yuki Kaizuka was initially terrified to let Inaho go onto the battlefield because he could be killed at any time. [[spoiler: He gets shot in the head and left for dead in a pool of blood as of the first season finale. Even worse, Yuki was right outside the room to HoldTheLine when this happened, meaning her brother was shot almost literally right behind her back and she couldn't do anything about it.]]
56	** An out-of-universe example, the Emperor's poor health is a lot harsher after his voice actor Shinji Ogawa died on March 7, 2015, when the show had three episodes left.
57	* HesJustHiding:
58	** There's a surprisingly large segment of the fanbase that still thinks [[spoiler: Count Cruhteo]] is alive, despite all evidence to the contrary.
59	** With the appearance of [[spoiler: his son, Klancain,]] in season 2. This has become an averted trope.
60	* HilariousInHindsight:
61	** Inaho gets called "Orange" by an enemy who has no idea who he is, and said nickname later gets used derogatorily by Slaine. Then, in season 2, Inaho [[spoiler:gets a cybernetic implant after getting nearly killed and comes back for some glorious asskicking]]. Are we still talking about Inaho Kaizuka or [[Anime/CodeGeass Jeremiah Gottwald]]?
62	** The fandom repeatedly accusing Inaho of acting too robotic. [[spoiler: They got validated twice: after his ElectronicEye was revealed in Episode 13, and then ''again'' in Episode 22 when said eye actually took over his body and spoke in MachineMonotone.]]
63	* HoYay:
64	** The infamous Slaine torture scenes in Episode 8, which came off to many viewers as having almost fetishistic BDSM vibes.
65	** Over the course of the series it's established that the insert song "No Differences" is supposed to be about Inaho and Slaine. Said song includes lyrics like these:
66	--->Come on take my hand\
67	\
68	Hold me now\
69	Catch my hopes\
70	Feel me now\
71	In your arms
72	* IAmNotShazam: A large number of viewers of the show make the mistake of referring to the mechs as "Aldnoahs." Aldnoah is the power source for the machines, which are actually called Kataphrakts. This is probably because most of the time for a MechaShow, the "unusual" part of the title ''does'' refer to the machines in question, such as a Franchise/{{Gundam}}, a [[Anime/ValvraveTheLiberator Valvrave]], or the ''Anime/{{Argevollen}}''.
73	* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Slaine. He's paired with a good chunk of the Martian characters as well as Inaho.
74	* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: After having been "killed" multiple times in the series, many fans didn't really believe that [[spoiler:Asseylum]] really died in Episode 12. In addition, many fans also weren't convinced that [[spoiler:Inaho]] died, either. [[spoiler: And they were right.]]
75	* MemeticBadass:
76	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdVY90MfvmQ Inaho doesn't give a fuck.]]
77	** Everyone knows that [[KilledMidSentence Mustang 33]] was the ''real'' [[https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t31.0-8/10497349_718552791544572_3994972072461990943_o.jpg hero of the Federation.]]
78	** Saazbaum and his [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers MIGHTY MORPHIN' DIOSCURIA]]. Accept no substitutes.
79	* MemeticMutation:
80	** [[https://i.imgur.com/OpH6CYQ.jpg The eggs are on sale.]]
81	** "[[https://imgur.com/gyy5G2l There's nothing stronger than love, except an M32 Rotary Grenade Launcher.]] Because '''fuck you and everyone near you'''." [[labelnote:Explanation]]An image macro consists of the three screencaps of a disguised Asseylum Vers Allusia deploying and aiming a grenade launcher, which is associated with said anti-romance caption.[[/labelnote]]
82	** Slaine shot first. [[labelnote:Explanation]]A spinoff of the "Han shot first" meme from ''Franchise/StarWars'', spawned by a similar scene in Episode 7 where Slaine and Inaho have a disagreement and shoot at each other. It seems like Inaho shot first, but closer examination reveals that Slaine did.[[/labelnote]]
83	** Bad Luck Slaine. Or alternatively, Being Slaine is Suffering, and the Slaine Pain Train. [[labelnote:Explanation]]Slaine really seems to get the short end of the stick a lot, and whenever things start looking up for him he's immediately shot down again.[[/labelnote]]
84	*** "Slained" or "Slain Moments" became the go-to term for fans when bad things happens to Slaine.
85	** [[http://i.imgur.com/cTV9QFU.jpg Thank you, Slaine!]] [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros But your princess is in another castle!]]
86	** The finale spawned a few about [[spoiler: Slaine's imprisonment]]. The joke going is that Asseylum wanted to save him, but her wish ended up with [[spoiler: him imprisoned for life and isolated, suicidal and completely broken.]] Whoops. Another running joke is that she meant for [[spoiler: Slaine]] to be redeemed and happy, and Inaho just interpreted her favor ("save him") literally, and/or purposely ignored the reasons behind them to make his enemy miserable. Also, calling [[spoiler: Slaine's]] necklace the "chain of misery".
87	** I SAY CRYYYYYYYY [[labelnote:Explanation]]The first line of the chorus of "MKAlieZ", the popular insert and ending song from the series; the line has become oft-repeated. Worth noting that this is a mondegreen, and according to the official translation, the real line is "[[WordSaladLyrics ai-same-crier]]" ("ai" being Japanese for "love").[[/labelnote]]
88	** [[Series/GameOfThrones The Red Landing, or Slaine of Thrones]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]Referring to Saazbaum's invasion targeting UE HQ, [[GloriousMotherRussia which is in the USSR]], and ends with what looks like a total massacre of all the main characters except for Slaine[[/labelnote]]
89	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8XmDKJnGrs GO GO POWER RANGERS]] [[labelnote:explanation]]The Dioscuria has an ''incredibly'' long CombiningMecha transformation sequence (almost 50 seconds long in total) that instantly brings to mind the Megazord from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''.[[/labelnote]]
90	** Takillyama [[labelnote:Explanation]]Gen "Urobutcher" Urobochi was only responsible for the first three episodes. Given the events of the [[spoiler:finale]], a similar name for Takayama was found.[[/labelnote]]
91	** #[=SlaineDidNothingWrong=] [[labelnote:Explanation]]In the wake of the season finale, Slaine fans have rallied around him to defend his actions.[[/labelnote]]
92	** FUCK SLAINE [[labelnote:Explanation]]After the first season finale, Slaine rocketed up as one of anime's most hated characters, ever. Especially on Reddit's anime board, it became a (short-lived) running joke to casually insert "Fuck Slaine" into the ends of comments, even if they were talking about an anime that had absolutely nothing to do with ''Aldnoah.Zero.''[[/labelnote]]
93	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU_eR8wrdQM Cleared for lunch!]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]Several instances in season 2 when the Deucalion's pilots launch, they say the phrase "Mustang XX, cleared for launch!" in English, but the Japanese voice actors with their strong accents make the joke write itself[[/labelnote]]
94	** United Earth BRINGING THE BLAZE [[labelnote:Explanation]]From [[http://i.imgur.com/1xV9vuL.png this line of dialogue]] in Episode 22 where Inaho's eye says help will arrive in 420 seconds, 420 being a reference to smoking marijuana, aka "blaze"[[/labelnote]]
95	* {{Moe}}: Princess Asseylum, specially in the moments when she looks down.
96	* {{Narm}}: [[Narm/AldnoahZero Now with its own page!]]
97	* NarmCharm: Edelrittuo's BadassDriver stint was, for some, both hilarious and awesome.
98	* RetroactiveRecognition: Edelrittuo was one of the earliest characters Creator/InoriMinase played that actually had a name and quite a bit of screentime as opposed to just being a nameless extra. This was almost a year before she [[StarMakingRole became famous]] in 2015 and 2016 as [[Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon Hestia]] and [[Literature/ReZero Rem]], both of whom are also cute lolis.
99	* RewatchBonus:
100	** Once the faces of the princess's assassins have become familiar, it becomes ''much'' easier to notice that they are fellow patrons of the same bar Marito goes to for a drink in Episode 1 before the assassination is carried out.
101	** After watching Episode 3, a [[FreezeFrameBonus one-second scene]] from Episode 2 becomes immensely important. [[spoiler: Right after the Nilokeras jumps off the sky carrier, as it is falling, a half dozen green objects streak away from it that are almost impossible to catch unless you know to look out for it. These are the surveillance drones being launched.]]
102	** Related to the above, during Trillram's teleconference with Saazbaum partly through Episode 3, [[spoiler: some of the viewscreens in his cockpit are showing shots of the city from a birds-eye view. This is another clue that he's relying on cameras in the sky to see the outside world. Again, this is before the episode explicitly reveals the existence of said camera drones.]]
103	** Going back to Episode 8 after Episode 10 seems to confirm that [[spoiler: Cruhteo is definitely dead. After Saazbaum vaporized Cruhteo, there is a shot of the many Aldnoah Drives powering the Landing Castle as dark orbs (instead of shining with light) and the command center's lights were out when they were on just a few seconds ago. While the ''Deucalion's'' Aldnoah Drive lost power immediately after Asseylum was garrotted by Rayet, and stayed that way until Inaho managed to revive Asseylum and she explicitly reactivated it, seemingly giving the chance for Cruhteo to be similarly revived, Saazbaum later gives Cruhteo's Kataphract, the ''Tharsis'', [[MidSeasonUpgrade to Slaine]], after retrieving it from the Castle Cruhteo's ruins. This means that he most definitely had seen to Cruhteo ''staying'' dead]].
104	** Episode 11 reveals that [[spoiler: the Dioscuria has radar-resistant stealth coating]] which explains the scene in Episode 8 [[spoiler: where it completely catches Castle Cruhteo's sensor officers by surprise only a few seconds before impact.]]
105	** In Episode 10, there is a [[FreezeFrameBonus very brief moment]] when [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140913202244/aldnoahzero/images/a/ab/Conformal_Power_Assist-1_AZ-10.png Inaho is reading some kind of schematic]] after reaching United Earth HQ. In Episode 11, this turns out to be the MechaExpansionPack his Sleipnir equips during the HALO jump.
106	* RonTheDeathEater: Asseylum has gotten this treatment from some fans after the finale where [[spoiler: she imprisons Slaine for life]], as well as for her decision to ask Inaho to save [[spoiler: Slaine after he shot Inaho in the head and put him in a coma during the mid-season finale]].
107	* SecondSeasonDownfall: It's widely agreed the second season is far inferior to the first. The commonly cited elements that really bring it down are [[spoiler:[[ResetButton everyone surviving the first season finale]]]], Inaho's ElectronicEye turning him into a SpotlightStealingSquad and Lemrina being introduced as a new character [[RememberTheNewGuy out of nowhere]].
108	* ShockingMoments: ''Many'', but they start with the first episode when downtown New Orleans disappears in a fiery mushroom cloud.
109	* SoOkayItsAverage: The show may run into quite a problem, but even fans and detractors agreed that the show is pretty much style over substance, not memorable enough for a long term discussion but not really controversial enough to be offensive, with most of them agreed that it's forgettable at worst. As an anon once put it the best on Website/FourChan (paraphrased): " ''Aldnoah Zero'' is a show that will be unserstood best by mecha fans".
110	* SpecialEffectsFailure:
111	** Both fans and detractors agreed that the way the show [[TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects handles]] almost all the mechanical equipment (with the exception of that one time on episode 2) was jarring and wished that they could've done better with it. Issues like poor and inconsistent framerate pacing, and poor implementation of CG in the mechanical design is apparent in this show, so prepare your eyes.
112	** The first Manga adaptation makes it even worse. The artist decided to blend the already embarrassing CG models into a static 2D panel that blends even worse than the anime, uses awkward shots and positioning that make the entire thing look like it was done in VideoGame/GarrysMod, and other issues that don't always involve the CG. It's so bad that another artist was hired to do the second season part.
113	* SpiritualSuccessor: While not directly linked to it, one could be forgiven for thinking that ''Aldnoah Zero'' was taking several pages from ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'' or its anime adaptation.
114	* TheyCopiedItSoItSucks: A common criticism of the anime is that it comes across as copying many other famous Mecha anime without doing anything truly unique. Specifically:
115	** The story and characters feel like a copy-and-paste of ''Anime/CodeGeass'', something that became especially noticeable in season 2. For example; one protagonist is a dark haired protagonist who performs insane plans on the fly despite being a teenager, gains a special power that allows him to manipulate things to suit his plans better, and is trying to protect his sister. Meanwhile the other protagonist is a member of the opposite faction who is fighting against the same people he hails from, is a lighter-haired protagonist who ends up piloting a white colored mech and operates more with emotion then reason. From that description alone you wouldn't be able to tell if the characters discussed are Lelouch and Suzaku, or Inaho and Slaine. Even the ending to the first season is almost the exact same, with it being that both protagonists draw guns on each other and their fates left unanswered until the second season. While it may not have been intentional, the similarities make it seem like Creator/A1Pictures and Creator/{{Troyca}} were simply trying to copy the success ''Code Geass'' had since the series had been over for a few years.
116	** Concept-wise, the show sounds an awful lot similar to Anime/TurnAGundam and Anime/BlueCometSPTLayzner in some aspects; The opposing force that came from an extraterrestrial background [[spoiler:that happens to be related to Earth all along]], the wide technological gap between each faction[[labelnote:comparison]]Both factions have more advanced military equipment and tactical prowess (debatable for Vers Knights though), with one of them capable of exploring outside of their home galaxy, whereas the Earthlings were usually left with anything current (Gradosian has the SPT and other spatial military devices while Earthlings were still only using jet planes or battleships retrofitted for spatial environmental use. The Vers Empire utilizes the Aldnoah technology for their more advanced Kataphrakts that can shred through cities in short time while the UFE were stuck with more conventional gunpowder weapons and pretty old mass-produced Kats that're inferior in most aspects. The Moonrace utilizes their bizarre Mobile Suits and many other technological advantages against the Earthers that are pretty much stuck with classic World War 1 equipment, until they get their hands on some hidden mobile suits (and eventually, Moon Race own issues) anyways[[/labelnote]], the resentment from the invading faction used as the driving force and motivation to invade Earth[[labelnote:comparison]]Gradosian invades Earth under the clause of their own SocialDarwinist view and the inability to see themselves as equals [[spoiler:(especially after it's revealed that they're humans from the prehistoric era kidnapped by the real Gradosians and integrated into their population)]]. The Vers Empire (specifically Rayregalia) resented the Earth's treatment of them during their developing time on Mars, resulting in a string of events that precedes ''[=Heaven's=] Fall''. The Moon Race who believed they are the originators of the Earth, and were set to take away Earth from its current inhabitants (not including the fact that Guin has his own plans)[[/labelnote]], their governmental body is ruled by a Monarch in an imperialistic manner, the main character has a relation to the opposing faction, often with "Princess and Knight" dynamics (Inaho and Asseylum, Loran and Dianna, Eiji and her sister Julia by the second half), and many more.
117	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
118	** Mazurek. [[PunchClockVillain One of the more reasonable]] Orbital Knights, and could have served as the leader of a separate Vers faction or as an inside man for Inaho] However, after his initial introduction, he's largely absent from the show until he's required for the plot to move forward.
119	** For that matter, the entire ''Deucalion's'' crew got shafted for the second season. Major subplots like Marito's PTSD and Rayet's identity issues got brushed aside in just a few lines of dialogue, and they were the lucky ones. The rest of the crew, including Captain Magbaredge and Commander Mizusaki, may as well have been nameless background characters and nothing would have been lost.
120	** Inaho himself fell into this, since by the TimeSkip, the show is pretty much about Slaine and his rise and fall from grace. Even if the rivalry between him and Inaho becomes the primary focus of the show, the directions the show's take delves more into shaping Slaine moreso than Inaho and the rivalry between him is pretty much one-sided anyway (Inaho is antipathy towards it, only sees him as an obstacle most of the time), leaving him with almost no development whatsoever.
121	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
122	** Nothing of Dr. Troyard or his research is ever explained.
123	** The story initially appears to be setting up Slaine as an ally of the Earth forces, who after learning the Princess is alive and well, begins to move against the very system he is a part of after having been kicked around by them for a while. Instead, he gets shot out of the sky by Inaho, and from that moment on, Slaine stays with the Mars faction the entire story despite his own misgivings.
124	* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Inaho and Slaine are highly flawed characters, and their many faults or self-inflicted mistakes can make it hard for the audience to sympathize with them.
125	* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
126	** [[TokenMiniMoe Eddelrittuo]] is clearly meant to be comic relief and provide some {{Bathos}} for the viewing audience, but the dominant perception of her is that of an [[TheScrappy annoying, racist, and myopic spoiled brat]]. To wit, there is a moment in Episode 9 when she calls some Earthlings "commoners." It's supposed to be funny and illustrate that she's a FishOutOfWater on Earth, but those who weren't amused took it as [[AristocratsAreEvil classist.]]
127	** She's really not all that bad until Episode 9 for the most part. Kind of annoying for sure but no worse than most TokenMiniMoe characters. Then in Episode 9 she suddenly acts classist and/or racist in every single one of her speaking parts.
128	* TheWoobie:
129	** Poor Slaine just can't seem to catch a break. No matter what he does to try to help Asseylum or stop the war, it just ends up as a ShaggyDogStory as the universe conspires against him to [[StatusQuoIsGod maintain the status quo]].
130	** Also, disturbingly enough, [[spoiler: Saazbaum, the Big Bad. Sure, his plan falls flat into DisproportionateRetribution territory]], but it's hard not to feel bad for him.

Context YMMV / AldnoahZero