Aldnoah Zero

Ok, Slaine is officially slipping into 'psycho-dictator' territory. I'm pretty certain that what Slaine actually said there at the end was 'there will always be conflict as long as there is diversity. So first I will annex all the other countries, and then I will arrest anybody who disagrees with me. Once I enforce conformity, then everybody will be peaceful.'

Pretty sure what he really said has that they will use the resources of Earth and the power of Aldnoah to make everything equal for everyone.

Though what you said is prolly what will really happen.

And if Slaine had actually studied history, he'd know that Communism actually made things WORSE for the people involved. Of course, with the alternate history of the world here, the ugly truths about the Soviet Union may never have gotten out.

The way Inaho took out the lightning Kat was brilliant.

Invisi-kat... Your biggest advantage was attacking while being undetected. The moment you started running around, is the moment everyone could see you.

Copy-kat...

Honestly, this ability would have been VERY useful with the food shortages on Mars. If it can duplicate a human being, a simple platter of chicken and vegetables would have been nothing.

Now we have Cruhteo's son coming to see Slaine. Oh boy. This is going to be interesting.

Oh, Slaine, perhaps you should read a bit more manga when you have the chance. Attack On Titan answered the question of human conflict. "Interhuman conflict will end when the number of humans reaches one or less."

Now Slaine is officially "The Scrappy" in universe. And it seems like the Deucalion is headed into space again. MUCH further than the Satellite belt. You don't suppose they're being sent to Mars do you?

@ EchoingSilence

But what about Heaven's Fall? Is that one accurate?

Remember that the Duplikat only comes to the battlefield as one suit, and then starts splitting. I think its clones have a time limit. Which makes sense, because it's basically using a Stable Time Loop string to be in multiple places at once.

edited 8th Mar '15 3:21:31 AM by Iaculus

I'm worried about Inaho after the ending of the episode. It looks like his body might be rejecting that cybernetic eye.

You shouldn't be. He's got some high-grade plot armor.

I kind of thought he was going through some Cybernetics Eat Your Soul stuff, not rejection.

Internet lag caused double post. See actual post below.

edited 12th Mar '15 7:56:09 AM by Harem-author

Speaking about tropes. I've noticed that the "Black vs Grey Morality" tag needs a bit of updating.

As of Episodes 13 and 14, it's noted that the UEA/UEF (Earth) is actually QUITE bothered by children fighting on the front lines. To quote the captain on Trinity Base, looking at the Deucalion, "I hear it's populated by children too young to legally enlist. What is the world coming to?!"

The reason Inaho and co are on the front lines is three-fold.

1.) Inaho's team of special forces is actually far more competent than most Earth soldiers twice their age because the latter was cocky from easy victories putting down riots while the former knows just how outclassed they are and have no preconceptions regarding the effort required for victory.

2.) Excluding Slaine, who is a terran, originally allowed only to fly support in his transport, and Rayet, who was part of a sleeper cell, specifically for gathering information, ie was never intended to enter the battlefield on the front lines, the Vers empire doesn't send children into combat. However, Mars' war doctrine specifically targets unarmed civilians, including children, as expressed by Marito in episode 11. "They don't want a negotiated settlement. They invade, eliminate everyone, so there's nobody left to complain, and then claim the territory as their own." In fact, several Orbital Knights took it as a stain on their honor when unarmed civilians actually escaped. Under those conditions, children fighting back is clearly self-defense.

3.) Earth's situation is so dire, they need all the help they can get. Earth doesn't have the luxury of turning away The Deucalion or any of her crew.

Earth's government is not above scrutiny, however. Marberge is beginning to suspect that the top brass is looking upon The Deucalion, and everyone in it, as highly expendable.

Earth's treatment of the Deucalion makes sense sense from a military perspective. They've only got one, they (presumably) can't make more, and it could become useless at any time. It's not overwhelmingly superior to other UEF military equipment beyond it's mobility, and while it does very well tactically, it's not something that can be relied upon as a strategic asset.

Filer dude said: "You shouldn't be (worried). He's (Inaho) got some high-grade plot armor. "

Inaho's plot armor wears off in 3 more episodes.

My guess, Inaho dies in Episode 24 from eye poisoning. And Slain lives on, but as a cripple (either physically or emtionally)

remember, this story was originally written by Gen Uributcher. I know it's been heavily modified since then, but that's his trade mark. Everybody dies, or if they manage to survive, they are crippled and miserable.

edited 12th Mar '15 7:06:59 PM by smirnov

Is it? His endings actually tend to be fairly hopeful, even if the characters aren't in the places they wanted to be in at the start of the show.

If they go for the Zeta Gundam/Valvrave ending I'm going to be a mite annoyed, both because it's been done already, and because Inaho isn't the one working overtime to fuck things up for everyone.

I wouldn't be surprised if Inaho takes some permanent damage from abusing the eye... But No Differences is his fight song for the second half, and it's basically the theme song of the Reluctant Warrior archetype. (It got used last episode, so it's officially not the Inaho-vs-Slaine song.) I think he'd consider permanent retirement from the battlefield a net positive.

@Harem-author: Aldnoah is set in an Alternate Universe from the 70 onwards, Soviet Union controls the UFE (the main headquarters are in Russia and they keep the communist symbols), Cold War never ended in America favor (and America was mostly wrecked by Heavens Fall). There are plenty of hints they live in a socialist system: the government rations all meals, it sends Kats to silence protests, there's no brands, no marketing, no real companies outside of Harmony developers, trade, everything is owned by the state of the unified planet and there is no inner conflict. Slaine was raised in a Marxism friendly Earth which served as example that one big nation free of inner conflict is possible... But Vers isn't accounted there and there are many shady things they do.

Slaine's idea and viewpoints are more pure Marx than the Soviet Russia. His storyarc answers to the rise of the lower classes to topple the upper classes struggling to control the means of production (aldnoah in this case and the land in earth). His dialogue to Saazbaum and to Harklight reveal his plan seems simply to make them share Aldnoah and resources, but the controlling classes (UFE higher ups who now are put in suspicion by Darzana and the Imperialisms led by Clancain) are obstacles. Newtype magazine calls his belief and struggle as searching for justice. Why didn't he clarify to Asseylum what he meant with separation it seems just for drama's sake and misunderstandings. He pinpoints Aldnoah as the responsible for conflict in general when he talks to Harklight. Aldnoah is the reason why Vers was created, was separated from Earth, why the Orbital Knights control everything, why the royals are tools for this, why they could wage war on earth, why they refuse to abandon a world that is dead.

And this show is called Aldnoah.Zero and Slaine's song is called 0.Vers.

In other news, Asseylum is confirmed to have no romantic feelings for Slaine or Inaho officially thanks to Animedia April. They are the two most important people in her life but she's not in love with either of them. She's a princess, so even if she were to fall for anyone, she isn't 'free to love'. It seems Slaine's line about how she's caged and she's a victim of the system, it's suppose to be accurate. Asseylum would only have a political marriage unless Slaine succeeds and she's free to live her life.

@smirnov7th: there are no diversities of countries anymore in a political level which is what Slaine is concerned about. There's the UFE and Vers. And Slaine only meant the division brought by those who owe Aldnoah and resources. Why don't you watch what he explains to Harklight? To Slaine, the ideal world would be sharing Aldnoah and resources and building something new from then on. He never mentioned cultural differences, language, etc. Only that Aldnoah brought this divide...

But he never explained himself to Asseylum unlike how he explained himself to Harklight to drum up the needless drama and misunderstanding. One of the visuals of cour 2 is Earth and Mars smashed together symbolically, this is what he's aiming.

edited 13th Mar '15 9:31:50 AM by Ena

Cybernetics Eat Your Soul confirmed.

Also, Ironic Echo. Remember episode 7?

Inaho and Slaine did. Turns out Inaho was right after all.

Man, the writers really have no idea what the heck they're doing, do they?

So I just watched the last four episodes in a row.

Fuck, that was awesome. Like the final season of Breaking Bad, only with shorter episodes and much more spectacle.

Inaho.exe encountered a problem. Restart in safe mode?

Ina Bot is a touch of genius. That's who Inaho has been speaking to all this time! I actually liked the R 2 D 2 bleep-bloops.

Delicious role reversal.

All the more self loathing for Slaine. Nice write up Ena.

Though apparently Aldnoah Radio is pretty hilarious about their love for Slaine.

Takayama Katsuhiko (the scriptwriter and series composer that's sharing Aoki Ei's outline) confirms Slaine's the main character of the second season of Aldnoah.Zero (episodes 13-onwards):

https://yande.re/post/show/315002/aldnoah-zero-male-mecha-slaine_troyard-yamanaka_yu

The reversal of focus was planned since the beginning, so it would be dramatic when it happens. Inaho is the Deuteragonist now. Although, I consider unnecessary for them to clarify this, because the focus of everything and of everyone is Slaine and he has the most amount of screentime.

edited 15th Mar '15 7:41:18 PM by Ena

Pretty sure Slaine was definitely lying when he told Inaho that he's 'exploiting' Asseylum. I mean, it's not like he has an obligation to tell the enemy the truth.

He's not just "the enemy", though. Otherwise he wouldn't hate him so much.

You get the point.