What’s this war really about?
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Olympus Knights/Pinakes
Translation/Adaptation: Sheldon Drzka
What They Say
The year is AD 2014.
The Deucalion is heading for United Earth HQ when Princess Asseylum, the vehicle’s activator, suffers cardiac arrest. With the Aldnoah drive suddenly shutting down, the ship crashes into a snowfield. Meanwhile, Inaho Kaizuka mercilessly throws himself into battle, and Slaine Troyard is faced with a choice now that he knows Saazbaum’s mind… And at the end of this heightened war, the thoughts of these two are–?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The princess is unconscious and Inaho resuscitates her. Rayet appears with a lifted gun and spills everything about her Martian background and the true plot of the princesses’ assassination is reveals. Rayet is distraught and puts the gun to her own head, but the princess pleads for her to stop. Inaho becomes a mediator and Rayet ends up on lock down. Now that she is better, the princess restores the Aldnoah drive to the Deucalion.
Meanwhile, Slaine learns the truth from Lord Saazbaum regarding how the Martians came to hate the Terrans and his deeply personal loss of his love, Orlane. Saazbaum gives Slaine the options to do what he wants, which is to simply rescue the princess.
Saazbaum attacks the Terrans with his landing castle and army. During the attack of Earth’s headquarters, Rayet’s prison is breeched and she decides to help out the Terrans. Rayet isn’t the only one wanting to get into the thick of it, the princess decides she must also get closer to the landing castle to shut the Aldnoah drive down. The move is risky, but they are running out of options.
Earth’s forces cooperate to give the princess the chances she needs. The Deucalion takes heavy damage, especially from Saazbaum’s mech, the Dioscuria. Inaho and the princess make it into the landing castle with a small group. The princess shuts down the Aldnoah drive while Saazbaum is defeated.
Inaho is injured from the fight with his sight limited due to blood in his eye. The princess goes to help him when she is shot. Slaine witness this and sees a dying Saazbaum pull the trigger. Enraged, Slaine shoots Saazbaum multiple times. Inaho crawls to the princess where Inaho stops him. Still angry, Slaine shoots Inaho ending the volume.
In Summary
As I mentioned in my last review, I loved this anime. It was very engaging and I couldn’t get enough of it. I still think that momentum is lost in the manga version, but the there’s plenty of good stuff in this volume to make it worth your effort to read it.
One great thing of the manga version is that you get time to digest the story at your own pace. It give you the ability to go back, re-read, rethink about very important topics that are relevant in regards to humans in the past, now and forever in the future. I particularly loved the emphasis on the various forms of the relationships between the Martians and Terrans. There was no clear-cut answer who is right, who is wrong and that matters of the heart are never simple.
Also, if you are a huge mecha fan, there is now way you can go wrong with Aldnoah.Zero. There is a lot of attention paid to the details in the ships and mechs. And if that’s isn’t enough to convince you, there’s one hell of a cliffhanger if you are new to the series.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: September 27, 2016
MSRP: $13.00
