[Aldnoah.Zero] - 2
I really want to like this episode and this series as a whole, but I just can't. Certain parts about the series are just holding it back from legitimately good.
You know, the best part about following the anime industry fairly closely is that when I watch a show like this I know exactly to blame. I can point the finger at a specific person and say "Oi! You! Why did you do this?". In this case, my blame is not targeted at Ei Aoki, the director of this series. As always, his direction is impressive and confident. Watching his work you realise how sloppy and painfully average most directors in anime actually are. If this wasn't being directed by him I would have dropped this show immediately.
Instead, I have to blame Sawano and Urobuchi. Even though Sawano and Urobuchi have very different roles (composer and writer, respectively) they both constantly commit the same sin - the sin of being obnoxiously over-the-top. Neither of them seem to understand the concept of subtly or restraint.
Sawano can't stop himself from going ham in every action scene and it's very distracting. While it worked in an emotionally heightened and crazy series like Attack on Titan, Aoki's direction on Aldnoah.Zero is far more mature and refined, less 'anime' if you will, and so Sawano's overbearing score clashes badly with the tone set by the visuals.
Meanwhile, Urobuchi tries his best to make the writing clash with Aoki's direction. He doesn't understand that murdering people we don't even know or care about isn't interesting or 'edgy', it's just a waste of time. Neither can he stop himself from making the Martians scenery-chewing villains. I mean, really Urobuchi, can't they just be competent military commanders from a different faction, do they have to be cartoon characters? Does it serve any purpose apart from making the show feel ridiculous?
Also, please stop writing painfully obvious stuff like this for your characters to say. We don't need them to explain what's going on visually, have faith that your audience can work that out from the visuals alone for gods sake:
Now, I have a handful of specific complaints with the writing in this episode. Firstly we have Earthling military blokes spouting a bunch of nonsense:
What does this even mean? They've had just as long as you and they're completely superior in every way!
Is it really surprise? How can no-one has known? Didn't Earthlings clash with the Martians 15 years ago? So why do they have no-idea of their level of technology? Lt Mario whatever saw it with his own eyes, so the military must be aware how outclasses they are!
I can admit that this is a bit of a nitpick but:
Jamming communications and equipment has been part of warfare for a long time, don't talk it's some crazy idea that only Martians could think up.
What are you even talking about? Did you see the parts where that robot is defying the known laws of physics while you're sitting in a giant tin can?
Should they? They just tried something that had no effect, lets try it again! Dumb,
I'm not too thrilled with how everyone is reacting to the attack either. Most civilians seem completely unphased when their should be some serious panic, or at least some moaning and whaling. Instead everyone looks calm and board. The kids chat likes it's nothing even though a calamity is clearly occurring. Earth's greatest cities are being ruined, the end times are approaching etc. And yet everyone is calm and collected. This just doesn't ring true.
Oh, and don't tell me that the communications disruption is the reason either:
Do you see that shit? That's hundreds of thousands of dead people. Panic would be expected. It would be human.
Going back to my Turn A comparison, that show was much better in showing how people would react:
I know a number of people have commented on our emotionless MC but that doesn't bother me. It's so overt that you can be assured that it will be developed and explored later, which is fine by me.
I'm sure there will be pay off.
You already know my stance on CG and this wasn't even Orange tier. It was just ugly tier.
