Let Justice be Done, Though the Heavens Fall: Aldnoah.Zero

It’s perfectly normal to approach most mech anime series involving politics with more than just a smidge of caution, measuring everything up to the benchmark Gundam franchise.  While some have managed to carve out a niche for themselves and be mentioned to as high a standard as Gundam (think “Code Geass”), others are less successful (think “Valvrave the Liberator”).  Upon hearing the recommendation of a friend about the basic premise of “Aldnoah.Zero” and how it is the antagonists who possess the stronger machines, I decided to give it a chance.  However, while my first impressions were strongly positive, there were some cracks which developed upon proceeding further and further on in the series.

One’s first impression of the show is shown from the perspective of the Martian antagonists, the blonde-haired Slaine Troyard and member of royalty Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia, both of whom would play critical roles in the series from then on.  The scene then shifts over to a scene on Earth, introducing the main character Inaho Kaizuka, his classmates, and his sister Yuki.  It is not long afterwards that the plot gets moving, with the Martians using a political assassination as justification to invade the Earth in what can be described as a modern-day blitzkrieg style invasion.  The difference in power and equipment superiority is obvious, with the Earth’s fighter jets and rudimentary mechs no match for the Martians’ superior mobile operations bases and high-powered Kataphrakt machines.  The landing point of one of the Martians’ operations bases is near Tokyo, Japan, pushing Inaho and his friends into action in a fight for their lives.  At this point is where the series begins to reveal its true colors, as Inaho reveals himself to be an extremely intelligent and tactical protagonist, using logic and skill to ensure the safety of those around him as he goes up against the Kataphrakts.  Think of him as possessing the intelligence and tactical nature of “Code Geass’s” Lelouch Lamperouge and the calmness of “Sword Art Online’s” Kirito.  It is Inaho’s intelligence along with the well-developed action sequences which perk my interest and hold my attention.

Along with Inaho’s initial impressions, the first few episodes hold one’s attention with excellent drawings and animation.  Unlike Valvrave’s use of vibrant, saturated colors and upgraded mech designs versus everything else, “Aldnoah.Zero” instead uses a more matte color palate, with constant usage of black and gray leading to a dark, Dystopian feel.  Even the orange training mechs used by the protagonists don’t bleed into the surroundings, though the mech designs of “Aldnoah.Zero” don’t feel like the artists and designers tried to compensate and focus their energy onto them much moreso than the rest of the background.  This is thankful, as blander designs and more unified scenery is preferred versus extreme attention to detail in one element plonked in front of a chintzy background.  The animation for the battle scenes and overall is smooth and consistent, though the series doesn’t try and push the envelope in regards to flashy moves and drawn-out battles.  Battles show a level of ingenuity on the part of the protagonists due to their rudimentary technology and the number of battles does keep interest strong.  Also accompanying the battles and scenery is the very excellent musical score, complementing the mood being portrayed in that particular scene, though the best pieces are the series’ opening of “Heavenly Blue” by Kalafina and ending of “aLIEz” by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:mizuki.  One thing to note is that instead of portioning off blocks of episodes where one ending is played before switching to another ending, the soaring vocals of “aLIEz” switches off with the more melancholic “A/Z” also by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:mizuki amongst the episodes of the series.

As the series moves on and more facts are revealed to the viewer regarding the background of the Martians’ technology, political structure, history, and the history of the protagonists, the structure of the series does flesh out quite a bit.  All in all, for a 12-episode series, the end result is very good, but this expansion was all pursued in the sheer name of growth and development at the expense of soul.  Despite the fact that the structure is there, the short length of the series prevents it from being used anywhere near its extent.  The short length of the series, plus its very quick and abrasive pacing, leads to a rather shallow series, with development of any introduced elements kept to a minimum and there is very little backtracking or referencing of past facts and circumstances.  The characters follow in the same path as the plot, in that while they have adequately developed personalities, all characters seem to be haphazardly stuck together and chemistry comes off as more forced than organic, as shown by the characters’ shallow, harsh dialogue.  While the main characters are mostly likable, development is hampered by the fact that these characters don’t seem to mature or flesh out in the little time the series has.  Thus, Yuki remains altruistic and concerning but somewhat annoying, Lieutenant Marito remains a likable, but PTSD-suffering drunk, and Captain Magbaredge starts out and remains a confidence-inspiring and direct leader.  Less well done are the antagonistic Martian leaders, who despite vastly differing personalities are not distinguished from one another very well and come off as one large bloc rather than individual characters with their own points of view.  Even Inaho is a victim of middling character development.  Yes, his skills are admirable, but this character lacks dimension and complexity because he never shows the slightest hint of frustration at his adversaries.  Even with stoic characters such as “Gundam Wing’s” Heero Yuy, “Attack on Titan’s” Levi Ackerman, and “D. Gray Man’s” Yuu Kanda, portraying a sense of frustration, running into a mental wall, or being told one’s abilities are insufficient allows for character development, making one seem more human and believable.  With Inaho, one gets the sense he’s only a few steps away from being a computer with legs with his monotone voice and apathetic attitude.  One of the few characters who doesn’t suffer from this is Slaine Troyard, whose backstory and portrayal make him the most interesting and conflicted of all characters, drawing some parallels to Valvrave’s L-Elf.

So where does this leave the series?  Well, at 12 episodes, “Aldnoah.Zero” is the same length as the first season of “Valvrave the Liberator” and much shorter than the mainline Gundam series.  In the end, the series’ short length works against it just like it does with Valvrave, but “Aldnoah.Zero” handles its limitations better.  Technically, one can say that the series concludes one chapter of the story and can lead (or more accurately, run and awkwardly trip and stumble) into another chapter, though the ending scene is in the middle of a battle.  However, considering what occurred in the last few minutes of the extremely tumultuous and dramatic final episode, the question still remains as to how the franchise will proceed from hereon out, as a second season has been announced for January.  Is this first season of “Aldnoah.Zero” worth watching?  Perhaps.  The series does make a compelling case for itself with its excellent artwork, well-developed battle scenes, and ingenious main protagonist.  The plotline is also promising and the music is very good.  However, as one gets further into the series, weaknesses begin to surface, as the fast pacing necessitated by the series’ short length gives “Aldnoah.Zero” a shallow feel, and it is difficult to develop an emotional attachment with the series.  The fast pacing does result in a fleshed-out and developed world, but so many aspects of the series was done for the sake of efficiency, leading to it having an appliance-like feel.  The characters have a whiff of blandness, and the dialogue is too short and choppy to deepen the characters and story.  Mind you, there will be more room to maneuver the series come January, but the fact of the matter is that “Aldnoah.Zero” tried to do too much in the little time it was given.  A stint of curiosity will lead me into watching the second season, and I do hope that the flaws in the first season are resolved in the second.

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