Aldnoah.Zero - Episode 4 Discussion / Poll

[Kairin]

Welcome to the discussion thread for Aldnoah.Zero, Episode 4.

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[LightningZERO]

Episode 4 raw thoughts

Spoiler:

Only Inaho and Rayet know about the Princess' identity and the Princess knows that VERS' spies were responsible for the attempted assassination.

Inaho and friends were going to evacuate with the ships when the beam saber VERS Kataphrakt attacked. Inaho and friends managed to hold it off until ally battleship arrived and they managed to escape.

Slaine returned to Cruhteo's side but lied about true cause of Trillram's death. He is unsure who to trust. He did sorta impress Cruhteo with his will to fight.

Takayama wrote the episode, and new ED as well.

[DevilHighDxD]

I have to say one thing though, Inaho and his merry band of three > the Earth's military.

[Kazu-kun]

Worst episode yet? I thought the story might have a chance without Urobuchi onboard but I'm no sure anymore. Everything felt so contrived.

The visual quality took a noticeable dive too.

[Dr. Dahm]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Worst episode yet? I thought the story might have a chance without Urobuchi onboard but I'm no sure anymore. Everything felt so contrived.

The visual quality took a noticeable dive too.

To be somewhat fair that level of animation quality was never going to hold and that's sort of consistent with A-1's method of generating buzz for a show early on only to dial back the budget after the initial arc. It definitely doesn't look bad (some shots like the box car slamming into the Martian mech looked kind of awkward though), but it's now past it's big bombastic opening arc, Gen Urobuchi has departed as script writer and they need to save some budget for what they'll surely want to be the big climactic finish to the cour.

Again my main beef continues to be that the actual military people on either side in this show are just so implausibly rock stupid and it's starting to fall into that wish-fulfillment trap a lot of blockbuster shows do lately where the young plucky teens are the only ones capable of getting anything done and every adult is either just a hopeless tool of exposition and a whole lot of standing around waiting to be saved or a smug mustache twirling cocky bastard that figures since they had one conflict 15 years ago that they apparently won overwhelmingly without a single casualty that even though this one is already different after what happened last week, why start worrying about actually respecting their opponent a little. I mean they're just the lowly Earthling scum after all right.

The action in the show is pretty good and it keeps the excitement level up...I think that's really the major goal and all 4 episodes in...but those aspects of the cast and portrayal are starting to get to be a little too much for me to overlook and it's just so dumb lol....maybe even a touch patronizing.

Slaine going back to the martian side, on some level I sort of understand why he would do it, but he really didn't have to and to me the way the situation is right now with his superiors blood on his hands and knowing how the whole oppressing and making life difficult for Earthlings is apparently the dominant and possibly sole cultural trait of Vers (oddly aside from it's Princess) his odds of survival seem better defecting to the Earth side and revealing himself to Asselyeum as a possible way in. Maybe that would put her in a tougher position though I don't know. In any case if he was going to cut and run this was his best chance to do it and he didn't so it's hard to say if any when he's going to get another opportunity. Too late for regrets following his most recent encounter with and caning by a Cruhteo that is starting to look more and more like he might be more involved in the attempted assassination on the princess than at first was revealed. It's also interesting to see that he too views her death as a trade off opportunity to seek glory and conquest. I guess there goes the idea that he might be the voice of reason among the antagonists. Oh well lol..

Other than that is was generally just a lot more cool looking stuff and 'splosions happening on screen again this week (they loved that whole initial drill drop so much they show it to us again at the start of this week ep lol)while the blaring music plays in the background. They're also as I expected really pushing Inaho now as this ultra cool kid protagonist getting the low angle camera shots with his headphone set as he's going in all alone and doing these tasks for the idiot adults Kirito style while having it all down with the perfect strategies and execution as the Martians keep all but falling for and jobbing to him. I do like that the show at least showed some restraint in not having it be a perfect win for him and it mostly just resulting in them escaping for now, but yeah I'm getting the sense that it's going to be Slaine getting all the setbacks as the emotional lead, while Inaho has everything work out for him all the time and never really struggles in the role he's been dealt. I hope I'm wrong in the long run, but even though Urobuchi isn't handling the scripts so far you can really see his usual biases towards what he at least seems to see as pure cold logic (again though things are kind of contrived so it looks that way to an extent) winning the day in his story concept for the show.

On the plus side as I had kind of anticipated with Urobuchi gone from the script writing the interactions between the cast are a little more natural and less exposition heavy this week though there is still a bit of stating the obvious it's not quite as glaring. Basically it's still a little on the nose at times, but I feel like the producers are probably aware that for a lot of people this is probably their first mecha show so there's a little more hand-holding with the script on things that I guess from my perspective seem so obvious they aren't even really worth having the characters state directly (Those martian bastards, getting even, Earthling scum etc.) and not really worth spending minutes at a time discussing. Anyway still an improvement and I like seeing the show take itself a little less deathly seriously this week in some scenes though I figure that others might not be so inclined to think of that as a good thing. I really hope that's a continuing trend though cause if there's anything I felt the show needed more than anything else it was to bring itself a little bit more down to Earth....no pun intended.

Edit: Oh right one more thing, Inaho is a cold logical character, but it seems like they might have at least added a touch of naivete to his character as least as far as foreshadowing goes...hopefully at least. It really hinges on whether the adults are ever going to be portrayed as anything other than asshole idiots at some point. What I mean is his plan to get Asselyum to the Earth HQ and have her set up some peace talks. I don't know if that means she actually can reach her side of the conflict from there, but what makes him think that when she gets there the Earth leaders are even going to be in the mood for negotiation and not try to do something stupid like use her as a hostage for leverage or even worse harm or kill her or something. I mean that would be a consistent thing with how the adults are portrayed in this universe and it'd be a decent blow to Inaho's whole sequence of gambits and apparently all powerful logic.

[Irenesharda]

Well, the army is on the move and we've met another knight and another kataphrackt. Though I have to say, this knight is rather boring and his mech is not at interesting as the last, but it was nice to see others.

We find out that Asseylum does indeed suspect that some of the knights may be in on the assassination and this is going to contact her grandfather to stop the war. However, despite knowing of the in fighting among the knights and that some of them might have committed treason, she still knows that her grandfather will end the war immediately. So I'm guessing the Emperor still has control over his knights despite them staying in the Satellite belt.

Inaho is going to keep her secret because he knows that the others might become rowdy if they find out. Rayet on the other hand isn't making any friends anytime soon, and for a girl that is part of the assassination plot that everyone has chosen to blame, she seems to have a bit of chip on her shoulder. She's not apologetic, but instead blames the Martians (her own people) for the trouble? Okay...

The fight at the end was okay, but not as good as last week's. I liked Yuki and Marito working together like Han and Leia, they are kind of cute together. I'm so sure about Daraza yet, she's seems to be a little judgmental of Marito. But I have to go with Marito, clearing out is not a sign of cowardice, it shows good judgement.

For the students we get a couple of new ones that will probably just be killed later. Interestingly, these kids do treat death a little irreverently, making fun of their friend that just died, even if they do put a serious edge to it. Inaho has an eye for the princess and that looks like it might go somewhere, as he's beginning to become more impulsive because of her. Calm however is becoming increasingly Martian hating, and I have a feeling that will cause problems at a later date.

The bombardment happened and it was on that that Slaine blamed Trillram's death. However, he tries to say that this war isn't something the Princess would want, but get's beaten again because of it and finds out Cruhteo wants to take over the Earth like all the others. (If you guys really wanted the Earth so bad, why did you go to Mars? ) Slaine however gathers his courage and asks Cruhteo if he can fight for him, and I think he has a plan in mind.

As for the Princess, she's back to her normal self, though she did reveal that her ability to hide herself is from some kind of camouflage technology. She didn't really do much, but we have learned what she will be doing for the next few episodes. She does mention that there might be a spy among them, but who? Is she simply referring to Rayet, or is there someone else?

Oh, and we also get a new ED!

Anyway, this was a good episode, not much happened, but we do get more character development.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Vers mechs to me seem to be flawed one off prototypes that a tactician with a brain can defeat them.

The Orbital Knight at least the smarter ones probably realize this too which is why they targeted communications first.

As Adam Steiner said Information is ammunition.

With Crutheo revealing he always wanted to conquer Earth Slain was right in not revealing the princess is alive.

Enviously wanting Earth is the main reason why the Orbital Knights betrayed the Vers government. I say betrayed because from the get go they were not obeying orders for a ceasefire and retreat to Mars as they have their own agenda.

[Sheba]

So Aldnoah Zero have the incredibly hammy delusional racists of Code Geass, the curbstomping of Terrans by Martians from War of the Worlds and the plucky teenagers saving the day from Red Dawn. Not bad not bad.

[LoweGear]

Tactical Freight Container.

Inaho could at least show a bit of surprise at Asseylum's reveal, though at least they're sticking to their guts at showing him to be the ultimate stoic.

Also, DAT ED SONG

[Raviel]

This felt like a breather episode despite there actually being some fighting going on, I didn't like it as much as I did the previous 3 but it was okay I guess.

Also, thanks to the ED I have to say the inside of the Sleipnir's cockpit is the most realistic take on a mecha cockpit that I have ever seen.

On another note Slaine's behavior is leading me to believe that he is much more competent than he lets on.

[Thess]

Interesting episode. More adults is great, unfortunately is more adults being useless to some degree. Ahh well, the Martian odds might improve if they also employ a teenager in their ranks. At least I got some good Yuki and Marito scenes. They are my two favorites.

When Slaine killed Trillram, the rest of the group had already left. Good clarification and immediately after, there's the meteor bombardment and smoke everywhere. At least they explain why he couldn't follow them (the impossible communication also severed). But I think it's better this way, he's got a plan in his mind to look for the ringleader and he can't do that if he defects. He can't do anything unless he obtains some privileges. That's probably his reasoning.

The other stuff is rather predictable with Asseylum wishing to contact Vers to stop this. Inaho would likely keep her safe so Earth wouldn't be doomed. Rayet is trying to survive there, but still those remarks were a bit unsavoury considering it's her fault and her father in part this mess happened.

What I liked the best... at last we finally see someone mourning Okitsuke.

[Utsuro no Hako]

A messy episode. At least when Urobuchi was writing, the teenagers acted like people who'd been put through rigorous military training and knew how to behave in a crisis, but here we have a pilot taking her eyes off the road (well, sea) so she can have a conversation with a friend. And Captain Maglewhatever doesn't say anything? The LT is the only person to notice they're headed for an obstacle? Come on.

[hamazura]

i dont know why but i dont like this episode
it feels.... i dont know

[zero7090]

Originally Posted by DevilHighDxD

I have to say one thing though, Inaho and his merry band of three > the Earth's military.

Yep, i also started to think so.

[Irenesharda]

So, the new knight is named Vlad, and his kataphracht is the Argyre. OMG, we actually have a Martian with a normal name! Is it possible?

Nevertheless, his mech is named after the Argyre Planitia, which is a plain on Mars. However, interestingly, according to his bio, while Vlad is a knight, he IS NOT a count, and does not have his own castle or army either. He is like Trillram and actually lives on Cruhteo's castle? (What is with this guy and having a bunch of freeloaders at his place?). So does Cruhteo fight at all, or does he just send out Vlad and Trillram to fight?

Interesting.

Also, we get some new characters among our cast. The three new male students, Kisaki Matsuribi (blond senpai), Yutaro Tsumugi (megane), and Shigo Kakei ( the UFE guy who was trying to get them out, and who I think died this episode )
Well, we'll see how long the other two last.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

Pretty fun episode. Nice to know Asseylum's transformation is just a hologram, and not some magical shenanigans. The plot now seems to be getting Asseylum to that HQ where they cab contact VERS. Not unlike Jaburo and Whitebase from Gundam.

Mecha battles this time was also pretty cool. That VERS kataphrakt was pretty badass, loved the blade. All in all a good watch.

[Dr. Dahm]

Oh one other thing this week I was not at all surprised to see, but still disappointed by is they still felt the need to have the generic vocal song with the battle this week (Let me see if I got the lyrics down here...ahem..."Woooah whoooa whooa whoaa whoaaa whoooaa whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawow whoa whoa" I believe it how it went)that really didn't feel at all necessary since it was more or less just a skirmish. They even brought the first episode vocal track back again and then hit us with what I swear is again the exact same screeching track as the new ending so in like 5 minutes the show is just drowning the viewer in this short of thing. It looks like that aspect is going to be an unwelcome fixture to it so love it or hate it as many do it's something to get used to.

Just I don't know...really overwrought and kind of unnecessary given the kind of battle we had this week. I feel this show is really overdoing it with the soundtrack to the point where it feels like it's relying on it to carry scenes that really don't even need to be carried cause they aren't as awe inspiringly epic as the show seems to feel lit needs to try to make them look. I think the episodes kind of a soft 7/10 for me. Still have a lot of problems with this show feeling like it's owing more importance to itself and what's going on then is actually warranted and that it's really try hard with the coolness factor, but nevertheless it's entertaining enough fair that it's still on the good side of things for now.

[Side-streetdog]

Still no sign of new robot for Inaho.
Well maybe no special robot for protagonist probably better.

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dahm

Again my main beef continues to be that the actual military people on either side in this show are just so implausibly rock stupid and it's starting to fall into that wish-fulfillment trap a lot of blockbuster shows do lately where the young plucky teens are the only ones capable of getting anything done and every adult is either just a hopeless tool of exposition and a whole lot of standing around waiting to be saved or a smug mustache twirling cocky bastard

And to be fair, that is applicable to the vast majority of animes that has any sort of military in it. And if the qualifier is incompetent military, you can expand that to almost every tv/movies as well.

Frankly, I can't recall the last show I saw where there was no inexplicable incompetence exhibited by the military or equivalent.

[DevilHighDxD]

I'm surprised so far, there isn't a lot of Terrans shouting "Fuck Martians!" or "I wanna wipe out all Martians!" other than the former is said by the now death Okitsuke and latter by Calm. The adults seem to be pretty chill about the invasion and even makes jokes toward each others.