History Anime / AldnoahZero

[[caption-width-right:319:''[[{{Tagline}} "Let justice be done, though the heavens fall."]]'' [[note]]Top left: [[MechaMooks KG-6 Sleipnirs]]. Top right: [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Inaho Kaizuka]]. Bottom right: [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia]]. Bottom left: [[CharClone Slaine Troyard]].[[/note]] ]]

* CerebusRollercoaster[=/=]MoodWhiplash: Episodes typically follow a pattern of happy --> bleak --> really awesome before ending in bleak, in that order.
* CharClone: Slaine Troyard. No mask, but he does become TheRival to Inaho later in the series (in addition to having blond hair), as well as having traits similar to those of [[Anime/TurnAGundam Harry Ord]]. [[spoiler: By the second season, he's already in the process of becoming like [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam MSG Char]], and by the end he's a full on [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack CCA Char]].]]

* 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.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
** Count Mazurek, whose name derives from a traditional Polish dance. The subs spell it in the aforementioned way, which is correct in Polish, while the Japanese narration clearly says "Mazurka", after the more popular spelling, usually used outside of Poland.
** Beginning with the second half, official subs are rather inconsistent in how they refer to the show's mechs, alternating between anglicized "Kataphrakt/Kataphrakts" or using the Greek singular and plural terms "Kataphraktos/Kataphraktoi."
** Countess Raffia & Count Sebring's machines are called the "Skandia" and "Elektris" according to the official subs, but the actual Martian albedo features they are named after are spelled "Scandia" and "Electris."
** Subtitles spell Sebring, Raffia, Orga, and Cronkine, but the Japanese website calls these characters Zebrin, Rafia, Olga, and Klancain. In "Olga's" case, the subbers may have gone with Orga since "Olga" is a [[GenderBlenderName female Slavic name.]]

* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]]. [[TheHero Inaho]] regularly pilots an orange Sleipnir while almost all other UE pilots use the dark green Areions. However, the Sleipnir actually has [[InvertedTrope lower specs]] than the Areion, since it's a training unit for novice pilots.

* StrictlyFormula: A lot of episodes follow the same pattern. The first half of any given episode tends to be dedicated to a lot of exposition. Then the second half introduces [[VillainOfTheWeek a Martian Kataphrakt]] that shows off its overpowered alien weaponry. A squad of [[RedshirtArmy United Earth Kataphrakts]] will, without fail, [[TooDumbToLive think they're hotshots who can go toe-to-toe with the enemy]] but end up getting hosed. Then [[GuileHero Inaho]] will use some crazy [[ScienceHero physics phenomenon]] that manages to destroy or at least slow down the Martian machine. Then something dramatic happens at the end and we get a {{Cliffhanger}}.

** Magbaredge makes a habit of offering "advice" to improve Mizusaki's dating life ([[HollywoodDateless or lack thereof]]) in the middle of combat.

* StrictlyFormula: A lot of episodes follow the same pattern. The first half of any given episode tends to be dedicated to a lot of exposition. Then the second half introduces [[VillainOfTheWeek a Martian Kataphrakt]] that shows off its overpowered alien weaponry. A squad of [[RedshirtArmy United Earth Kataphrakts]] will, without fail, [[TooDumbToLive think they're hotshots who can go toe-to-toe with the enemy]] but end up getting hosed. Then [[TheHero Inaho]] will use some crazy [[ScienceHero physics phenomenon]] that manages to destroy or at least slow down the Martian machine. Then something dramatic happens at the end and we get a {{Cliffhanger}}.

''Aldnoah.Zero'' is a sci-fi action anime which began airing on July 5, 2014, created by Olympus Knights with plot designed by Creator/GenUrobuchi (''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica, Literature/FateZero, Anime/PsychoPass''), animated by Creator/A1Pictures (''Manga/BlackButler, Manga/FairyTail, Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'') and with a soundtrack by Music/HiroyukiSawano (''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn, Manga/AttackOnTitan, Anime/KillLaKill'').

''Aldnoah.Zero'' is a sci-fi action anime which began airing on July 5, 2014, created by Olympus Knights with plot designed by Creator/GenUrobuchi (''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica, LightNovel/FateZero, Anime/PsychoPass''), animated by Creator/A1Pictures (''Manga/BlackButler, Manga/FairyTail, Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'') and with a soundtrack by Music/HiroyukiSawano (''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn, Manga/AttackOnTitan, Anime/KillLaKill'').

[[http://www.otakutale.com/2014/aldnoah-zero-second-cour-airing-january-2015/ The show's second half]] aired from [[Winter2015Anime January to March 2015]].

''Aldnoah.Zero'' is a sci-fi action anime which began airing on [[Summer2014Anime July 5, 2014]], created by Olympus Knights with plot designed by Creator/GenUrobuchi (''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica, LightNovel/FateZero, Anime/PsychoPass''), animated by Creator/A1Pictures (''Manga/BlackButler, Manga/FairyTail, Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'') and with a soundtrack by Music/HiroyukiSawano (''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn, Manga/AttackOnTitan, Anime/KillLaKill'').

* SummerBlockbuster: Pretty much this for the Summer2014Anime season. Comparisons to films of this category such as ''Film/PacificRim'' and ''[[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]]'' are not unusual. Ironically, the summer season is the anime equivalent of the DumpMonths.

* CulturalPosturing: Citizens of the Vers Empire are frustratingly haughty toward Terrans, acting as if they're of some ancient noble bloodline when their country is only 29 years old. [[spoiler:Saazbaum is fully aware of how insane this attitude is, considering that Mars has no natural resources (including the all-important ''water''[[note]]Though this is either CriticalResearchFailure or simply ArtisticLicense -- in RealLife it turned out that Mars has plenty of water, it's just frozen in the polar ice caps, and this information had been available for a number of years prior to the start of the show. Though it is possible that what Saazbaum meant is the difficulty of collecting water. And apparently, as seen in Slain's flashbacks to when he first meet Princess Asseylum, most of the water that is collected is used by the Royalty and Nobility to fill entire rooms for some odd reason[[/note]]) and no atmosphere, is culturally stagnant, and is governed by a feudal monarchy. How are you supposed to realistically feel superior to the naturally beautiful, abundant and (relatively) fairly governed planet that you originated from?]]

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The collar airbag helmets used by Earth Kat pilots? [[https://www.hovding.com/ A real thing.]]

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: An insert song during Episode 3 is done in perfect English. It pops up in the subsequent episode's ending in ''[[GratuitousGerman German]]'' as well. All the background text that appears on computer screens such as names of file folders and headlines is also in perfect English, taken further in episodes 5 and 6 where entire written lines and descriptions were written in perfect English as well. Also, Inaho's boot-up screen also calls the mech by [[ShownTheirWork the Greek singular term of "Kataphraktos."]]

** The only weapon equipped by the Argyre is its [[{{BFS}} massive]] [[LaserBlade beam katana]], which lets it slice through earth Kataphrakt armor like butter and even stop bullets. However, [[spoiler: Inaho uses explosive reactive armor to temporarily disperse the plasma blade, allowing him to get in close and grapple the Kataphrakt. He then turns its plasma swords against it by causing it to fall into the ocean along with his mech while he ejects. The blades super-heat the water and cause a steam explosion, destroying both Kataphrakts.]]

* EverythingIsAnIpodInTheFuture: Used to highlight the technological superiority of the VERS Empire. The Martian Kataphrakts have a very smooth, elegant aesthetic and are mostly colored white. Contrast Earth's mechas, which have a [[UsedFuture much more rugged look]] and camouflage colors and [[CaptainErsatz what looks like]] [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV the pseudo-Windows Phone in GTAV]].

--> "Not too shabby."

** In Episode 11 a huge mass of Martian AntiAir [[TanksButNoTanks mobile gun platforms]] only succeed in destroying one {{Redshirt}} from the ''Deucalion's'' Kataphrakt platoon during the HALO jump. In this case, it's much more believable as the actual Kataphrakts are mixed in with dozens of decoys that release flares and chaff when hit, and they are also falling [[GeoEffects using heavy cloud cover]] [[WeatherOfWar in the middle of a raging snowstorm.]] It's actually a minor miracle the AA fire was even able to hit a single target.

* MoodWhiplash: Though people are [[AnyoneCanDie killed regularly]] throughout the show, episode 12's CliffHanger fate for many of the major characters who lost their PlotArmor through all the fighting definitely changes the tone quite a bit. [[spoiler:Made moot by the second season, which THEN reveal that all of the named characters -- Asseylum and Saazbaum included -- survive, though [[ManInTheMachine not everyone]] [[{{Cyborg}} in one piece]].]]

* PantyShot: Subverted: when Nina leaps off to find Inko in the low gravity of Trident Base, her skirt flutters up - only to reveal she's wearing sweatpants beneath, much to Yutaro's disappointment.

** [[HotBlade The]] [[LaserBlade Argyre]] is named after either the Argyre Planitia, a plain located within the impact basin Argyre in the southern highlands of Mars, or the Argyre Quadrangle, a group of gullies. Both of which are named after a mythical island in Greek Mythology, it's the island of silver (which explains the Kataphrakt's coloration).

** [[{{Invisibility}} Scandia]] is named after Scandia Tholi, a mountain on Mars (a classical albedo feature) in the Scandia region. The name and method of attack may also be a reference to the name given to multiple uncharted islands in the Mediterranean during the early days of Greek exploration, which were home to a number of ferocious hunter-gatherer tribes.

* SecretKeeper: Inaho is asked to keep [[spoiler:Princess Asseylum being alive]] a secret, due to being unable to determine how the other people around them may act considering the war that's going on right now, along with there being a VERS spy somewhere amongst the Terrans. Rayet says that if push comes to shove, she's going to spill the beans on it.
** This becomes moot in episode 8, [[spoiler: after Asseylum reveals herself to the main characters.]]
* TheSeventies: The portal on the moon was discovered in 1972.
** The series proper, however, takes place in an AlternateHistory version of 2014 stemming from the discoveries on the moon and Mars.

* GratuitousEnglish: In the "A/Z" ending theme lyrics, a word per line is in English (or {{Engrish}}). Its full version has a semi-chorus piece which is nigh-impossible to reproduce even with practice, the single album booklet puts it as follows (and, no, most of the rest of the song really is in Japanese):