anime dominion

The episode started with Lemrina activated a Kataphrakt using Aldnoah command. Ibeside her, Slaine encouraged her to activate them. In one sense, I thought Slaine have changed in term of personality. During the first session, he was more idealistic and he tried his best to save Asseylum. Now, with the princess in a frozen state, he focused more in the Martian side to win the war. I sensed that he had ulterior motive for joining the war but more importantly, his main interest was to protect the princess and made her recover from her state. In Slaine side, a man named Harklight (also a new character) became his main supporter and while I did not know about his real motivation, he had become Slaine closest ally; at least for now.

Back to the Ducalion, Inaho made Inko angry with his blunt comment regarding her weight. The event was more or less want to told us that the implanted right eye had more function than just as a replacement for the missing eye. It could work as a calculation tool and with Inaho as its owner, it would turn into an important asset to win the war. Somehow, I grasped that Inaho main strength was to think outside the box and with his calm disposition, he could act and made the efficient decision during stressful situation. The eye, not only strengthened his deduction skill but also helped him sharpened his calculation. 

Lemrina jealousy to her half-sister was because her presence overshadowed her and the fact that Slaine only had his heart to Asseylum only added her pain. Therefore, when Slaine asked her to activate the Tharsis (before sortie) she rejected; saying that her worth was due to her power or legacy not as a person. Slaine showed her that he also received the same treatment due to the fact that he was born a terran. He convinced her, how painful his past experience by showing her his scarred shoulder. Only then, she gave him Aldnoah power by kissing him and let the Aldnoah power flowed inside him.

The last part of the episode was good with Slaine in Tharsis met with Inaho in his trademark yellow Kataphrakt. Both of them recognized the skill of each other and later on they discovered each other name. At first, Inaho tried to snipe the Tharsis but Slaine was capable to evade the bulet. Just then Slaine realized that the degree of snipping was very familiar and with a lock on system from Tharsis' camera, he found the orange Kataphrakt; the same robot that decimated some of the best Martian Kataphrakt. In the other side, Inaho also found out that his bullet missed not because that the enemy was more skilled but because he could read the movement of the bullet.

What could happen in the next episode we would never know but one thing was certain that the protagonists rivalry had just continued. I liked how the series developed Slaine though. He was starting to show ambition and willingness to create change. Although in doing so, he might sacrifice his closest allies and do a dirty job.

I did follow the first season of Aldnoah zero but before I watched the second season of the series, I already expected many outcomes based on the ending of the first season. The first reaction that I got after watching the episode, I was basically staggered with how forced the series “resurrect” the ever genius main character; Inaho. In my mind I was thinking “ what the f*ck did the producers thinking for making him and the princess alive (she was half alive but still) after being mortally wounded with bullets. Not to mention Inaho got shot right through the right eye. Did they still followed the standard rule that main character should live for the second season? At the beginning, I was hoping they would introduced a whole new casts, a new protagonist and with some important characters like Slain to continue the war between the Martian and the Earth Federation. In fact, they even let colonel Zasbum lived through the second season just to make us know that the last episode of the first season was just a dream. Every person who was supposed to die in the last episode lived on period.

The new season took 19 months after the end of season one. During the time, it was implied that the war between the Earth Federation and the Martian continued if not escalated. As the result, The Earth Federation had lost most of its territory with the Martian already taking over the United States with the Eurasian still continuing a losing war. The Martian sent a kataphrakt (what a weird name to named a robot) that is capable to freeze every matters that came directly to its freezing range. Most of the Earth Federation robots were completely useless as they froze when the Martian grew closer. Fortunately, Inaho came using his trademark orange Kataphrakt. Like usual, he tested the enemy unit by sending a bullet and see its reaction. But I gotta admit that I am impressed with his method of using a grenade bullet to get closer to the Martian. The heat from the bullets' explosion made his Orange Kataphrakt stayed warm while its moved closer to the Martian and finished it of. Like usual his method was very risky but since normal method could not bring them victory, Inaho's presence could change the tide of the war

In the other place, Princess Ellysium, who loved the earth and befriended some of the chikyujins, declared the war on the earth. A sudden change of character for a peace loving person like her would make us knew that the person who stand in the podium was a fake. And in a brief moment, the princess turned into another person. Princess Lemrina. Her appearance was so sudden and she was never mentioned at all during the first session. The only clue that I got was he also have blood connection to the original Princess Ellysium

I knew I was quite disappointed with how they conclude the first season and started the second. The beach part also made no sense for me giving that the Martian had starting their invasion in the earth. Also, Aldnoah Zero started to use supernatural power with showing that the Aldnoah power could revive and heal Inaho. Then, to make him appear normal, he wore a mechanical eye instead of losing his right eye. I should stop complaining as it was just the first episode of the second season. I'll look for the second episode and gave my impression later.